Novel Conversations: Today - Lynnda Pollio and her character Addie Mae Aubrey

 In conjunction with Indie BRAG
posted every Friday
#IndieBragNovConv 

To be a little different from the usual 'meet the author' 

let's meet a character...

ADDIE MAE AUBREY

from

Q: Hello, I’m Helen the host of Novel Conversations, please do make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink? Tea, coffee, wine – something stronger? You’ll find a box of chocolates and a bowl of fruit on the table next to you, please do help yourself. I believe you are a character in Lynnda Pollio’s’s novel, Trusting the Currents. Would you like to introduce yourself? Are you a lead character or a supporting role?  

A: So pleased to meet you. 'Helen' holds dear in my author’s heart as it be her favored grandmother’s name who passed too young. Now it’s part of Lynnda too, as she took it as her confirmation name as a child. Maybe I’ll have a short pour of wine in one of those pretty glasses of yours. Reminds me of the rose wine Jenny, Mama and I shared on a wild afternoon long ago. Memories of that day around our kitchen table are still puddled in my mind.

Thank you for this opportunity to be heard again. It’s been a while. When characters speak, we live! My name is Addie Mae Aubrey. I am the novel’s narrator, and I be from Oakville, down south. I’m the unexpected voice who came to Lynnda and asked her to tell my story. Insisted, really. She had no idea she would write a book until then. In fact, I never told her it was a book till near a year of her listening to my ramblings. She was a reluctant writer. And an even more reluctant author. I chose her because I knew she had the heart for it, and though she didn’t know it then, the gift for it, as well.

Q: What genre is the novel and what is it about?

A: That’s a funny question for me. Trusting the Currents truly defies genres but I guess it fits into several: literary fiction, women’s fiction, African-American fiction. It depends on what you call a genre. Lynnda always called it Spiritual Fiction or Conscious Storytelling as it tends to guide the reader towards their highest nature. It reached #1 in Inspirational Fiction on Amazon and won several gold medals in Visionary Fiction. As a white writer, she was particularly honored to be selected as the Book of the Day by Bookbub in the African American genre, so take your pick! Trusting the Currents is a novel that dissolves boundaries of all sorts. 

 As a story, it’s the telling of my life being a young black girl in the South during the late 1930s or so, my coming of age I think you’d call it. Who I was back then and how meeting Jenny and Julliard, Uncle Joe and Miss Blanchard changed all that. And of course, there was always Mama and everything she taught me. I got to say though, that there are two other levels to the story, which is why it took my author 10 years to write. In addition to my life and all that filled its pages, there are meaningful life messages woven throughout the book which everyone can relate to their own lives. Then there’s a high energetic frequency embedded in the writing that brings readers into their heart as they read. That was the hardest part for Lynnda. Understanding why she had to spend hours working on one sentence so it had a certain tone and cadence to it. That’s why the book has resonated with so many. You see, as I share my story with the reader, I secretly bring them into their own stories to be felt and transformed. 

Q: No spoilers, but are you a ‘goodie’ or a ‘baddie’? (Or maybe you are both!)

A: Well, I’m a goodie, but we all do bad things and I’m no exception. I did what I had to do to protect those I love most, particularly cousin Jenny, who had the biggest heart I ever met. Nothing we did ever came from hate though. Some things that happen in life, both good and bad just meant to be, I guess. The brightest lights can rise from the darkest deeds. I think in the end, I was a better human being for it all. Even the tragedy and suffering had reason to who I became. Really, where does the line between good and bad meet? We’re all human beings stumbling through life doing the best we can with what we’re given. Even evil can play its part to awaken something meaningful within us, right? 

Q:  Tell me about another character in the novel – maybe your best friend, lover or partner … or maybe your arch enemy!

A: That would have to be Jenny. She was the most beautiful creature ever walked the earth, both in body and spirit. Seemed everything in my young life, from the moment she come to it, revolved around her. All the love, the sadness, the madness and magic of my journey was her journey, too. And to think I never would have met Jenny if she hadn’t been brought to Mama and me after her own mama and baby brother died in a terrible fire. But with her came her step-Daddy, Uncle Joe. That man was a whole ‘nother story. Jenny was proof of faith beyond knowing. Without her, I never be sitting with you now. No one ever really understood Jenny and her strange ways, but her presence changed more lives than mine ever did. Without her, there is no story here.

Q: Is this the only novel you have appeared in, or are there others in a series?

A: Oh child, I can feel Lynnda squirming something awful right now. Makes me laugh. I just came to her to tell my story so others might learn from it, from the mistakes I made and wisdom that come from it. Lynnda likes to say writing Trusting the Currents was the reason she was put on this planet, and that it’s the only book she will ever write. Time will tell. I put her through a lot during our covenant. And, that’s what it was whether she remembered or not…a covenant. Folks who read the book tend to want to know more about me and Jenny and the others. But for now, I’m letting her think it’s the end. I’m always with her, regardless of whether she knows it or not. Lynnda had a lot going on through the writing and publishing of our book while caring for her ill mama all those years. Now that she passed recently, I’m giving her time to grieve and remember who she is. She’s got more words in her, for sure. It’s up to her to discover how they be leaving her soul next. 

Q: What is one of your least favourite scenes you appear in? 

A: Jenny and I done something against God’s teachings and that was hard to bear. Poor Lynnda cried through the entire writing of it as the nasty affair surprised her. I never warned her what was to come till she was writing it. Maybe that wasn’t fair of me but like regular life, we never know what’s ahead, and that emotion and energy of the moment had to be part of the telling, too. She only discovered the story as she was laying down the words herself. I know that part still saddens her, like I disappointed her, expecting me to be better than that. Looking back, maybe I would have done it different but I didn’t. 

Q: And your favourite scene? 

A: Hmmm…honestly, I think my favored scene lies within Lynnda’s own words about how we met, and her memories of our time together. She begins and ends the book with her own story. See, me and her were so different, she being a white woman from the North and me being a black woman from the South. She wanted to share with readers her surprise in how we conspired and what she learned from my time with her. I think I’m most proud of how she found her own voice within mine. Of course, there is that magical scene at the creek with the dragonfly and why it ends up on the cover of the book. But, maybe that’s a story for another day. 

Q: Tell me a little about your author. Has she/he written any other books? 

A: Don’t know why I have such a chuckle in me thinking about that girl. No, she hasn’t written anything before or since. She always wondered why I chose her; this middle-aged white woman from New York, never written nothing yet. I decided for my own reasons beyond this telling that she was the one. She fought me for quite a while, questioning my choice of her, me and my family being Southern and black and all the differences that come with it. She’d be content with this one literary spark of magic that flowed through her being. Only the future knows what will become of her and the words that now fill her mind. I changed her life and she let it happen. It took her quite a while, her thinking she was teaching others with my words. Truth be, Trusting the Currents was telling the tale of her future, much as it was sharing the story of my past. She was an advertising executive, and the world’s first Chief Consciousness Officer, and a lot of other things as she always followed her callings. I’m proof of that. When I first made contact upon her daddy’s death, she was in Sedona, AZ learning about energy and frequencies and all the things that now fill her life. For the first time, she now stands untethered to anything that came before, on the brink of something new. 

Q: Is your author working on anything else at the moment?

A: Only thing she’s working on this moment is recovering from nine years of caring for her mama and all that took from her. She thought she didn’t do right by me, having to share the time she could have been telling people about our book with caring for her sick mama. She thinks she owes me a proper try at getting my story out into the world. I keep whispering that the folks meant to read this book will find it in some way. It calls to those ready and willing for its messages. She’s got to have patience, not one of her virtues. Hundred years from now Trusting the Currents still be sitting on some bookshelf somewhere waiting for hungry new eyes. She can’t quite see beyond this moment but when she does, she’ll be surprised by what she will accomplish in the world. Her mama and me make sure of that.

Q: How do you think indie authors, such as your author, can be helped or supported by readers or groups? What does your author think is the most useful for him/her personally?

A: Quite simply, the best support is by reading books, any book, particularly Indie books, and sharing their honest feelings with everyone they can. Lynnda loves when book clubs claim the novel because of the depth of conversation the book stirs in people. It’s not called Trusting the Currents for nothing. I chose that title, though she had another one for years she wanted. She cried when I changed it. Now she sees the wisdom in the title and how true it is to the experience of reading the book. Every writer’s got to trust what they put out in the world and that it will find the readers just waiting for their special words. She knows better now with all the awards and loving reviews she’s got, but for a long time, she thought herself a fool for listening to me. I swear anyone going through hard times be moved by Trusting the Currents. It’s one of those books meant to be read with the heart, not the head. All authors want is for folks to give their books a chance. And to share their love of that book. They say cream rises to the top but that’s not always true when it comes to books. Good books need help finding their right way in the world. Books, like people, need voices that care for them.

Q: Finally, before we must bid adieu, the novel you appear in has been awarded a prestigious IndieBRAG Medallion, does your author find this helpful, and is there anything else he/she would like IndieBRAG to do to help indie authors receive the recognition they deserve?

A: Awards, like reviews are fuel for the soul. Writers live in their own minds so much, it’s hard for them to know what’s good and right in their story-telling. Sometimes, even their own family and friends won’t read their books. Winning the B.R.A.G. Medallion was a blessing to my author’s troubled mind, and validated that all her hard work was recognized. Particularly being an Indie author, as they got an even higher mountain to climb in finding success. Really, the only thing that matters is that people read the words writers write. So, anyway of elevating a book to find its proper audience would be most appreciated. Both Lynnda and I are grateful to IndieBRAG for their commitment to independent thought and writing. Thanks to you too, Helen, for allowing me to share some of my own story and once again breath the air of glorious existence.  

Thank you, Addie Mae. it was a pleasure talking to you. Would your author like to add a short excerpt? 

Of course! I it’s best to start at the beginning, with the first words I ever said to Lynnda. 

EXCERPT

“It’s not what happened to me that matters. It’s what Mama said about Uncle Joe and the old house, and that little secret lying buried beneath the floorboards.

I’d mostly forgotten about the place. God knows forgetting was the best thing for me. But every now and then the wicked secret came out in a dream, or even sometimes just walking down the street on a beautiful sunny day.

I tried to ignore it, shoo it away like a swamp fly—like the ones that used to come around every Spring near the water’s edge. They’d nest in the reeds and bushy punks where Jenny and I hid when Uncle Joe got into one of his mean moods. Big, blue shiny things they were, with teeth, or at least that’s the way I remember them. By the time Jenny and I came out of hiding, usually around dark when Mama would call us to supper, we were bit up to death. By then Uncle Joe would be sleeping, the whiskey once again showing us its kind side. Mama always did amazing things with the greens and cornbread and whatever meat she could trade for sewing; and each night we thanked the Lord for his blessings. 

Mama was known for her sewing all over the county. It was probably the only reason we didn't starve, and why those state folk who come and take away poor kids didn’t take Jenny and me. Those official types always said they were doing best by the children, but most cried awful and were never heard from again. Usually their mamas just had more. Sometimes the state never found out. Country folk knew it was better to birth at home so there’d be no trace. Schooling never mattered anyhow because the only thing expected from life was the farm, and what good was reading and writing for that? Mama had a special gift. The rich ladies from Taversville would buy the lace tablecloths and matching napkins Mama made. Local folks traded pig or chicken and the occasional clutch of fresh eggs for her fine stitchery. Mama was proud of her work, and we were proud for her.”

Chatting is thirsty work, would you like a refill of that drink…?

Salute! Here’s to being a successful Brag Medallion Honouree! 

Thank you, Helen. I’ll pass on that refill till next time we cross paths. Time for me to go. I’ll leave you to Lynnda. She always knows where to find me. 

ABOUT LYNNDA
Born in rural New Jersey, I grew up surrounded by trees. I communicated to insects, raised baby birds and wandered through a childhood feeling like I belonged somewhere else…like there was always some time, some place that was waiting for me. As an adult, I moved to New York City and began experiencing life from many perspectives. After my father died, I heard a voice tell me to go to Sedona, AZ, and that began a journey into spiritual awakening. I immersed myself in raw foods, spiritual disciplines, energy work and levels of awareness.

I have always been deeply committed to elevating human consciousness. This life purpose has guided me as an accomplished advertising executive, as a consultant and thought leader in conscious business practices, and as the world’s first Chief Consciousness Officer, supporting Fortune 500 companies by helping them engage the human technologies of wisdom, intuition, compassion, empathy, forgiveness and gratitude.

Currently, I am a writer and communications consultant working with companies who want to engage deep human values into their communications.

I never expected to be a writer until I heard the mystical voice of Addie Mae Aubrey, a Southern, African-American woman asking me to tell her story. Together we shared an amazing journey through space and time that transformed my life forever.


We are all in the process of becoming something unexpected. I am no exception.

CONNECT WITH  Lynnda

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Trusting-Currents-Lynnda-Pollio/dp/0989195309/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trusting-Currents-Lynnda-Pollio-ebook/dp/B00GH15WB8/
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/trusting-the-currents/id742873559?mt=11
Website http://lynndapollio.com/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LynndaPollioAuthor
Facebook Book Page: https://www.facebook.com/TrustingtheCurrentsbyLynndaPollio/
Instagram Author Page: https://www.instagram.com/lynndapollio/
Instagram Book Page: https://www.instagram.com/trusting_the_currents/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lynndapollio

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/Lynnda

INDIE BRAG LINKS:

Website: https://www.bragmedallion.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Indiebrag/

Twitter: @IndieBrag

HELEN HOLLICK:

Website: www.helenhollick.net

On Amazon: http://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

Subscribe to newsletter:  http://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenHollickAuthor/

Twitter: @HelenHollick

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