Nan Corbitt Allen's "Watercolor Summer"

Title: Watercolor Summer
Publisher: DEEP RIVER BOOKS

Cover blurb:
If Kathleen could relive any moment, it would be the one in 1969. Not because of its sweet memories, but because it changed her life forever.

In the summer of 1969, Kathleen’s thirteenth year, her mother drags her to yet another artist colony on the beaches of Northwest Florida. There, Kat’s feelings of isolation and hopelessness, spawned by her parent’s estrangement, develop into a selfish rage.

Malcolm, a mentally-challenged boy who lives at the artist colony, tries to befriend Kat, but his very presence annoys her to her core.

Though it takes a long and difficult summer for Kat to see it, Malcolm and his colorful guardian, Jeanette, are the examples of true and selfless love. Just as Kat’s heart begins to melt, Malcolm’s congenital heart problems become a concern. The canvas of Kat’s life, first stained by pain and trial and now touched by love, begins to transform into a masterpiece.

1) How did this story come to you?
I’m a child of the 60’s who grew up on the beaches of Northwest Florida, so the time and place weren’t hard to imagine. Having been a 13-year-old girl myself once I understand what it’s like to feel out-of-place and ignored as my main character, Kat, did. I decided to put my memories of this time, place, and feelings into a novel and let readers know how God can take any life and remake it to be something beautiful.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I went through three literary agents to help me find the right publisher. They all were unable to help me. Then I contacted Deep River myself. It took six months to write the book and maybe three more to find the right publisher.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
•I’m a song writer/musician who has written over 100 musicals and collections and 100’s of single songs with my husband, Dennis. He and I are three-time Dove Award winners for musicals we wrote: two for children’s choirs and one for adult choirs.
•Watercolor Summer is my third published book. I had my first novel Asylum published with Moody Press in 2004. I had a non-fiction book called The Words We Sing published by Beacon Hill Press in the fall of 2010. It is a reference/devotional guide that gives insights into lyrics that we sing on Sundays but hardly use otherwise, i.e. Abba, Redeem, Ebenezer.
•My husband and I are about to celebrate 37 years of marriage! We have two grown sons and two beautiful daughters-in-law and two exceptional grandchildren.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I will continue to write music, drama, lyrics, etc. but my next book project will probably be a historical fiction work based on the life of William Carey (the father of foreign missions).

5) Parting comments?
I hope the readers enjoy reading the book as much as I had writing it. It was such a blast!

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.allenhouseproductions.com/