I am absolutely thrilled to be joining you on this wonderful (and somewhat intimidating) journey. It is rare that a writer gets to meet an audience so directly and I appreciate the opportunity to do so. As some of you may have seen on the video that goes with this novel, I truly do write in a small cabin in the backyard of a piece of land in New Hampshire. Imagine being concentrated on a project with only your dog for company, then suddenly looking up and finding 500 people surrounding you! It makes me humble and also makes me want to dedicate myself even more fully to writing the best I can.
A New Hampshire novelist friend of mine – Ernest Hebert – once said that the biggest obstacle we face as writers is believing we can “do better next time.” He suggests we use such a rationale as a crutch, relying on it to give us a handy escape hatch if the novel does poorly. In writing Eternal on the Water, I vowed not to let myself off the hook. I put everything I could into writing it. As a result, I have no place to hide and make no excuses. However the novel came out, I promise you I did my best.
I like these characters and hope you will, too. Writers are often divided into two camps: writers who “see” their scenes and writers who “hear” their characters. I fall into the second category. Cobb and Mary began whispering their stories to me nearly three years ago. I did my best to capture their voices and their lives. They have followed me to Indonesia and back, down the Allagash River in Maine, and through hundreds of hikes in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. They provided good company for me, and I hope they do the same for you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and discuss Eternal on the Water. I look forward to meeting you all.
Sincerely,
Joseph
