WME3.NETGaylier Miller writes historical fiction among other things. A retired educator whose roots are in Northwest Florida, she finds colorful characters and vibrant history right at her feet. Her latest book, "CLEVE" is a part of an "interwoven" series that began with "WAITING DEER" and the complex meeting of cultures and peoples who pioneered the region.
"CLEVE" is a bit later - late 19th century, CLEVE" takes us from what now is a ghost town (erased but for a cemetery) of Coon Hill in Santa Rosa County, Florida, to Auburn University, to the FIRST Chautauqua at DeFuniak Springs, Florida and more of the Panhandle.
We are fortunate to have this talented author to give us a glimpse of an era that hides behind the thinnest veil of generations and colors a period many of us living can remember our grandparents talk about. "
EXTENDED INTERVIEW 1 (Cleve)
EXTENDED INTERVIEW 2 (Waiting Deer) (reading passages)
2 comments:
Great interview. Wonderful author and excellent novels.
I have now completed Gaylier Miller's new historical novel, "CLEVE". If you are from this area or new to it or even if you just appreciate the history of the Gulf Coastal transitions of generations - this novel will color in a lot of the humanity. It is a well told story that, as an historical novel should, ties in actual history with the hauntingly familiar main characters. They seem as if they formed from your very own ancestors in this area. And --- indeed they were. I found myself occasionally traversing the timeline of my own great grandparents and grandparents to bind my understanding of the events in the book to the folklore brought forward by family.
It helps to have read the first book in the "interwoven" series, "WAITING DEER", because some of the characters appear in each book and the timelines, overlap, and some of the "back-story" makes the current book even more enjoyable. BUT, it is not necessary.
Each book can stand completely on its own. It found the "triangulation" of geography between Auburn, DeFuniak Springs and Milton/Coon Hill, to add greatly to my mental image of the period infrastructure and transportation and family ties and industry. Get your mental coloring book book out and let this book (both books) paint a picture for YOU !
Thank YOU, Dr. Miller !
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