I’m pleased to say that Down Salem Way, the prequel to the bestselling paranormal historical Loving Husband Series, made it as far as a semi-finalist for the Chaucer Award in Early Historical Fiction Pre-1750s.

The Joy of Being Nominated

It was a thrill watching Down Salem Way make its way from longlisted to shortlisted to semi-finalist. Of course, it’s a cliche to say that it’s an honor just to be nominated, but to watch Down Salem Way hold its place as the list of nominees grew shorter was exciting, especially since Down Salem Way is a prequel.

I would imagine it’s harder for a prequel to receive such honors since there’s a whole story that takes place before Down Salem Way. Luckily, the judges thought Down Salem Way was strong enough to stand on its own.

The Challenges of Writing an Award-Winning Book

I always laugh whenever I remember how hard it was for me to write Down Salem Way. I was convinced that DSW had to have the same past and present storylines as the other books in the Loving Husband Trilogy, but no matter how hard I tried couldn’t get the two storylines to merge.

I put the story away for a while. A long while. As in about two years. Finally, I decided to make Down Salem Way strictly historical fiction. As the story evolved, it became an epistolary novel, written as James’ journals in 1692 as the witch hunts raged around him. I’m very lucky that readers responded so positively to James’ side of the story.

I thank the judges at the Chaucer Award for allowing Down Salem Way to make it to the semi-finalist stage, and I thank the readers who have enjoyed the story of how James and Elizabeth Wentworth fell in love during the travesty of the Salem Witch Trials.