Hi everyone! This week, I am excited to introduce Melody Fowler, a passionate creative who brings a story to us ranging over several decades. The inspiration for this historical fiction novel comes from her husband’s grandmother, Loucindia. She died at the age of 97 but left behind a life-long trail of stories. Melody reads an excerpt from her book How We Healed which tells of Loucindia facing the Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 and waiting for her alcoholic husband to come home. Tune in for a story of a powerful woman, ahead of her time.      

     

IN THIS EPISODE: 

• [1:35] How did Melody go from wanting to be a journalist to a full time writer?  
• [3:46] What does Melody feel is her primary creative skill? 
• [5:16] How did the storyline for How We Healed come to Melody? 
• [8:47] Is this story more like a memoir or a fictional structure with a plot? 
• [9:57] Melody shares the backstory of what she will read today. 
• [10:42] Why was it important to bring Loucindia's story to the reading public? 
• [13:30] We hear an excerpt from How We Healed . 

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Maintaining authentic vernacular in writing, whether for fiction or nonfiction, is essential. It brings the storyline to life, making it feel more genuine and relatable. 
• Our guest spent hours on end visiting with her husband’s grandmother to capture her biographical story and then share it with us taking creative license to create How We Healed . 
• The importance of sharing her husband's grandmother's story lies in the universal themes of relationships, personal growth, and perspective. Her connections with family and friends and the lessons she learned are experiences we can all relate to. Often, we view others through the lens of our own perspective, sometimes missing a more holistic understanding of them. As we mature, we start to recognize that it's not all about us; other viewpoints come into focus, and we see people differently.  

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Fiction Credits: 

Written by Melody Fowler 

Read by Melody Fowler 

 

GUEST RESOURCES: 

Melody Fowler - Website 

How We Healed - The Book 

Melody Fowler - LinkedIn 

Melody Fowler - Facebook Personal Page 

Melody Fowler - Facebook Business Page 

Melody Fowler - Twitter Personal Account 

Melody Fowler - Instagram 

HOST RESOURCES 

Website 

LinkedIn  

Tiktok  

Instagram  

Facebook  

Twitter (X)  

Substack  

Threads  

LinkTree  

BIO: 

Melody is from Vancouver, BC, Canada. Three years ago, Melody retired after decades of working for the government. The artist in her was now completely free to pursue her passions. She is a recognized painter and a poet. Her art has been showcased in local galleries. Her first book was Life Lyrics: Love, Sex & Other Deviances, a book of poetry, and her latest work is How We Healed a novel she has co-written with her husband, Arric. She now lives outside Vancouver with her husband, where their backyard, affectionately known as the "Fowler Vineyard," continues to produce amazing mustard, wines, jams and jellies. 

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