TABOO TREE (Family Saga, Fiction)
by
Many years later, tragedy struck again. History would repeat itself as new romances bloomed amidst the pain of the loss and vows for revenge. The truth would have to be revealed. Whether the secret would ruin the families forever or finally unite them, was a chance they would have to take.
EXCERPT:
"Did ya'll come across something in your research that upset you?"
"Upset us?!" The siblings cried, looking as though they were horrified.
Chick only shrugged, his onyx gaze sliding from one child to the other.
Suddenly Steph pushed the book from her lap and turned to face her father more directly. "Daddy, could you let it go?" She pleaded, her fingers stretched wide. "We started coming up with too many loose ends on the thing and there was no way we'd have it done before the deadline." She declared, her expressive brown eyes widening with desperation.
"Shh...Baby, it's alright." Chick soothed, raising both hands to calm his daughter. When she leaned back against the headboard and bowed her head, he chuckled. "Lord, you are just like my great aunt sometimes." He sighed, closing his eyes as he envisioned the outspoken, humorous, excitable woman. "Miss Lulabay Augustine Godfrey. Did you come across her name in your research?" Chick asked, nodding when the kids smiled.
Chick grinned and folded his hands across the front of his green, short-sleeved sport shirt. "I remember the day I announced to the family that I was marrying Ophelia. It was very important to Auntie Bay Bay that I was truly happy and in love with your mother. She went on to say that she knew what it was like to want a love you could not have and settle for what you did not want."
"Smart woman." CJ couldn't help but remark, as his own situation came to mind.
"Very smart." Chick confirmed. "And very hurt." He added.
"How?" Steph asked.
Again, Chick closed his eyes and rested his head back against the wall. "Your great great aunt was a strong-willed lady. She always said what was on her mind and you could love it or hate it. She really didn't care. I think it was personality more so than her beauty-which was stunning-that really interested most men."
"But she still got hurt?" Stephanie inquired hanging onto her father's every word.
Chick nodded, without opening his eyes. "She got hurt, when she fell in love with the wrong dude."
"Josiah Gwaltney." CJ provided, easily recalling the name from research.
A
fter a while, Chick looked across the room. "Exactly. You see...in those days, the Augustines and Gwaltney's biggest upset was over the land. When Auntie and Josiah got together...Did you two get past my aunt and her...man?"
Steph looked at her brother, and then shook her head at Chick. "We stopped there...too afraid of what we'd find, I guess."
"Well, lemme finish puttin' the pieces together." Chick decided, "Aunt Lula Bay and Josiah realized it couldn't work. Besides the dislike between the families, Josiah was way older than she was. That didn't stop them from enjoying a brief, but productive relationship. My aunt got pregnant and wanted to keep her son James, but knew it would be impossible. She was a child herself. Josiah took the boy, gave him his name and the Gwaltneys raised him. No one knew about the mother. It was to protect my aunt from anyone knowing she'd had a child out of wedlock."
"Then how were we able to find out about your Aunt and Josiah at all?" CJ asked.
Chick shrugged. "The Augustines and Gwaltneys have been powerful families in this town a long time. I honestly can't tell you how this all came to be recorded. I didn't even think you two would get so far in your research."
Steph leaned forward. "There's more, isn't there Daddy?"
Chick sighed. "Ressie Augustine-my mother-grew up and fell in love. She didn't know the man she adored was her cousin."
"She fell in love with her Aunt's son?" CJ remarked, his dark eyes widening.
Chick managed a slow grin. "That's right. Like my Aunt, she got pregnant and had me. The family wanted to disown her, but Auntie Lula Bay refused to let them do it. I never knew my father, but those two women raised me better than if I'd had ten daddies."
"Did your dad know about you?" Steph asked, seeing the hurt beginning to cloud her father's face.
"He knew." Chick responded, his voice close to breaking.
CJ raised his hands. "Well, what'd he do?"
"Married another woman. I think my mother died a little every day after she heard the news."
"Did they have any kids?" Steph asked.
"Several." Chick confirmed, pinning the kids with an unwavering dark stare. "You two wouldn't know any of their sons, but one. I have a cousin who is also my brother and he lives not ten minutes away."
"Jason Gwaltney." CJ stated, a heavy lump forming at the base of his throat.
Chick only nodded, watching his son and daughter absorb the incredible details of their family's history. The room was silent for several minutes. CJ and Steph were too in awe to speak the questions filling their heads.
"Do the Gwaltneys know about this, Pop?" CJ finally asked.
"Jason does. I don't know about his brothers. I know he's kept it from his wife and kids."
"What about Ma?" Steph asked.
Chick shook his head. "She has no idea."
"Does this mean you understand why we didn't turn in the project?"
"I do." Chick told his son. "And I hope you two understand why we need to keep this quiet?" He cautioned, watching his son and daughter nod in agreement.
AMAZON PAGE:
https://www.amazon.com/Taboo-Tree-AlTonya-Washington-ebook/dp/B009PFKSVC
Intimate Conversation with AlTonya Washington
AlTonya Washington has been a romance novelist for 14 years. She’s traditionally published with Harlequin’s Kimani Romance imprint, winner of the Romance Slam Jam EMMA Award and two time winner of The Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award. AlTonya is a mom and works as a College Reference Librarian.
In 2015, she received scholarly publication for her article An Indie Author in a Library World which appeared in “Self-Publishing and Collection Development: Opportunities and Challenges for Libraries” published by Purdue University Press. She enjoys a successful indie author career and is best known for her Ramsey/Tesano romantic suspense series.
BPM: What made you want to become a writer?
I penned my first story in the summer of 1994. I decided to become a writer the summer after I graduated college. I attended the HBCU Winston Salem State University. I believe it was that experience that made me look at the romance novels I’d enjoyed since age 13, with a more critical eye. I still enjoyed the stories, but I craved seeing characters that looked like me. As the great Toni Morrison says “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it”. These words have been a driving force behind so many of the stories I’ve created.
BPM: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I believe I’ve learned how to write the story my characters are showing me instead of the ones I want them to act out. I listen to them more which has enabled me to create some pretty unforgettable people.
BPM: Do you view writing as a kind of spiritual practice?
I don’t know if I’d say spiritual, but it is therapeutic. There’s a feeling I get when I’m writing that just soothes me. Whatever is going on around me or in my life, writing creates this…bubble that protects me from all the angst. Then, it rejuvenates and inspires to give me the strength to go and face the angst.
BPM: How has writing impacted your life?
It’s made my house a cluttered mess! I write everything in longhand so you can imagine the notebooks I’ve got piled. Seriously, it’s not that bad-I try not to let my ‘hobby’ put my home in too much of an uproar. To be honest, writing has ‘impacted’ my life in beautiful ways. I continually evolve as a more thoughtful person, more observant, more detail-oriented and definitely more focused!
BPM: What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
There are so many I’s to dot and T’s to cross! I’m not just talking about inside the pages of the book either! This is especially true when the work is an indie project. Everything rests on your shoulders and you have to make sure the product is as satisfying inside as it is on the outside. I’ve learned that it goes beyond selecting the perfect cover image and font size for the title. The platforms used to create the work, proofing the work and proofing it again and again…there are so many levels of quality control. Still, the end result makes it all worth it.
I’ve learned that my characters’ personalities deeply impact the way I craft a story. There are times when I need a scene to play out in such a way and I find that I have to have another character handle that issue because the character I intend to have in that scene just won’t fit because of who I’ve created them to be. A certain way of handling things just won’t work for a particular character unless I tweak the way the scene plays out to fit them.
BPM: Where do you see yourself as a writer in five years?
Five years…Wow…lots of changes. I pray they will be wonderful ones. My best guy will be in college I hope. I’ll be a free woman with even more time to write-yaaaay!! My biggest personal goal though, is to be writing full time. I hope to make this a reality before 5 years, but definitely by then.
BPM: How do you find or make time to write?
I HAVE to write. It’s like a vitamin. I don’t feel quite right until I have it in my system. Unless I’m out for the day with my best guy, there are few places I go without having work with me. I’m usually up by 5am, and start writing after my morning workout before I head off to the day job. On the weekends, I usually sit down to write 2-3 times a day and put in 2-3 hours per session.
BPM: Are you a plotter or a pantster?
I’d say both terms relate to me. I rely heavily on plotting, though I wouldn’t consider my books to be plot driven but character driven. I begin each writing project by taking a wealth of notes and gathering tons of research about the places and topics I plan to cover in any given story. I create a “What Has To Happen” document that can run anywhere from 15-20 pages in length and can contain as much as 75-100 different items I want to cover in the story. My title “A Lover’s Return” contained almost 200 notes in this document. Still, I enjoy the freedom that is associated with being a ‘pantster’. When it’s time to craft my rough draft some of this won’t make it into the story-the final decision always rests with my characters.
BPM: How did you choose the genre you write in?
I think the romance genre chose me. I have been an avid reader all my life. From the children’s classics like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Secret Garden and more to the teen dramas like the Sweet Valley High series and the Flowers in the Attic series by VC Andrews, I was a fan of them all. Romance however was the only one that sparked my desire to write.
BPM: Have you considered writing in another genre?
I would enjoy crafting a mystery novel and have already plotted out a crime fiction title that I hope to start on later next year.
BPM: Tell us about your most recent work?
Taboo Tree is actually a very old title. I published it in 2012, but I actually wrote it several years earlier closer to 2000. The story actually woke me one night and had such an impact, I started drafting the premise right there in the dark. I still remember scribbling away on the first thing I could find to write on so I wouldn’t forget any aspect of what it would entail. The title really says it all. This is the story of two families who have squabbled for decades-they’ve squabbled and many of them have fallen in love. We come into our story at a time when it will be revealed that these characters not only share a love/hate history, they also share blood.
BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters or the speakers. What makes each one so special?
That’s difficult. Taboo Tree has several main characters. If you don’t like to read stories with lots of characters, this may not be the story for you. Each of the ‘main’ cast, play tremendous roles in the story and what they bring to the storyline makes the eventual outcome even more devastating. Everyone has a part to play. There are characters who are truly in love, others who despise one another and those who tolerate others for the greater good. There are some really hateful, unlikeable people in this story and some who are so wonderful, you will cry for them as they deal with the impact of certain revelations.
BPM: What was your hardest scene to write, the opening or the close?
The scenes where truths are revealed about the connection the families share. How those revelations impact the couples who are truly in love, were scenes that were really hard to get through.
BPM: Share one specific point in your book that resonated with your present situation or journey.
Thankfully, NO part of this book resonated with my present situation on journey. It was a journey however to craft this title to put myself in the necessary headspace. As I said earlier, the story has lots of characters who are all important to the situations that arise. It was difficult to put myself into the minds of those people and to put certain heinous thoughts into words-it gives a scary insight into what it takes to be that ruthless in real life.
BPM: Is there a specific place/space/state that you find inspiration in?
I can write pretty much anywhere, but being at home on a rainy day continues to be my absolute favorite time, space, place to create. A gray, rainy day with the lamps on, a mug of hot tea and the kettle simmering on the stove means Tonya is somewhere in comfy clothes writing and smiling.
BPM: Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
Well I just adore all the characters in my Ramsey/Tesano series and I’ll probably write stories featuring them for as long as I’m able to write. My Sleeping Giants characters are becoming especially satisfying as are a few others I’ve yet to introduce to the reading public. As for recurring themes, the ‘mad scientist’ element has been drawing me in deeper and deeper. I’m having quite a bit of fun exploring that in my romantic suspense titles lately.
BPM: Do you want each book to stand on its own or do you prefer to write series?
I enjoy both. I make a conscious decision before starting a new project on whether I intend for it to be a standalone or a series. I enjoy series which allow me to plant those little seeds that I can watch spring up during the course of the books-as with the Ramsey/Tesano saga.
I enjoy the standalones as well. Standalones give readers the closure they want without the fear of a cliffhanger. Now, I’m hooked on creating standalones within a series- which follow a particular theme. These are stories that a reader can pick up from anywhere in the lineup and not feel the need to read the other titles in order to enjoy the story in hand. I’m having great fun exploring this in my new Sleeping Giants interracial romantic suspense series.
BPM: Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Writing energizes me all the way! I don’t write when I’m exhausted-I never try to push past it because I don’t feel it produces my best work. If I’m not feeling energized, I recognize that I need a fresh brain. I refuel (with sleep) before going back to the drawing board.
BPM: Do you believe in writer’s block?
I believe in exhaustion. I really believe that’s what hinders so many writers and they misdiagnose it as a block. Not saying it doesn’t exist, only I think a writer should first examine their fuel gauge.
BPM: Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?
I’m not so sure anymore. I once said I’d never write about a couple having to deal with infidelity. I write romance and I don’t see how that could be crafted as romantic but I’ve been having some ideas lately that may require me to revisit the idea and we’ll see…
BPM: Do you try to deliver to readers what they want or let the characters guide your writing?
I think what readers want is a good story. I try to provide one with every project. It doesn’t work for me not to listen to my characters-getting into their heads, discovering who they are and presenting those layers to my readers is one of the great joys I get out of writing. My readers expect a dynamic plot but they also want to experience that connection to the people (the characters) who live the story.
BPM: Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others?
Not really, but for me love scenes depend on the kind of scene it is. For instance, with an ‘almost’ love scene, I can pretty much write that anywhere-they’re fun, quick, sexy scenes in route to the rest of the plot and can be used to advance the story in an incidental way. For the ‘all the way’ love scenes, I prefer to write those at a time and place where I know I won’t be interrupted. If you’ve read my work, you know that sometimes those scenes can go on for a bit. I write from beginning to end with those and strive to make them as intense as a scene of dialogue. It’s important for writers to understand that love scenes are part of the plot as well and really begin from the first moment the characters meet in the story. They should not be written simply as sex tossed in for good measure, but have a true connection to the work.
BPM: What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Best money I ever spent as a writer was back in 2001 when I attended the Romance Slam Jam Literary Conference in Orlando, FL. I was a new mom, money was VERY tight and I even think I missed the registration deadline but I was living in Orlando and able to reach out to Mrs. Brenda Woodbury, who was the local contact person for the event. She worked magic to get me there. Aside from a few magazine short stories, I had nothing in the way of a major publication. Attending that event was like being admitted to another world -a fantastic one I had only dreamed about. Once I started writing, I pretty much shied away from reading romance-not wanting anyone else’s voice to intrude on my own.
So…until 2001, I had no idea African American Romance existed at such a level. One reason I started writing was because I couldn’t find the books I wanted. In SC of the 1980s & 90s, I could NOT find such stories on the shelves. The BEST part about Slam Jam, were the readers-energetic, intelligent, curious women with insatiable reading appetites. They made me believe that my voice had a place and an audience in this new and dynamic world.
BPM: Have you written any other books that are not published?
Oh yeah! I’ve got two at the rough draft stage that I just haven’t pushed into final draft mode and several more that I’ve done outlines for, but haven’t had the time to move any further with. We won’t discuss all the stuff still rattling around in my head.
BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
Now THAT’S a loaded question! I’m working on so much-or I should say so many things are coming down the pipeline. Folks tend to get on me about my work taking so long to release, but it’s hard for me to work on more than one book at a time. I admire people who can. I enjoy giving my all to one world at a time. I’d say it works pretty well for me, there’s a lot on the horizon.
2017 will see a new Harlequin Kimani entitled “Silver Screen Romance”. Also, the second in my Sleeping Giants Series “Conquered” which follows “Intoxicated” that released in June 2016. There will be new T. Onyx erotica “Pleasure’s Possession” a spin off from the earlier “Pleasure’s Powerhouse”. “Tradition”- a new family saga trilogy set in Charleston, SC. I’ll wrap up the year with “Book of Scandal- The Tesano Elders”.
BPM: What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you?
I’m good with any method- FB, Twitter, Instagram. I absolutely LOVE emails from my readers, though many often drop me a line via FB Messenger when they have a quick question. It’s a great pick-me-up when I see a message from a reader.
BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
