Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.
While Monticello is certainly no stranger to talent, one talented member of our community has recently made a big break-through in her creative process! Many of you may know her as 21-year-old Abby, a staple of local restaurant Tupelo's Bakery, but for you readers out there, you may instead recognize her full name, Abigail C. Edwards, from the cover of her latest novel, which features artwork from the skillful imagination of Sarah Tharpe.
Her book, And We All Bled Oil, is defined by Edwards as Young Adult Contemporary fiction, a genre that is often described as “realistic fiction” that is geared toward young adults aged 13 to 18 years old. In this novel, readers follow the story of Pia Mazano, who, in the wake of her parents' sudden death, moves to New York City to live with her extravagant Italian family, becoming entangled in the world of age-old vendettas, illegal olive-oil trafficking, million-dollar engagement parties and the resurgent Sicilian mafia. At the forefront of it all is Pia's uncle, Savino Vitelli, the only person who understands Pia's desire to protect her siblings and the last person she can trust. With her unhinged cousin Massimo and the pretentiously academic Tonio at her side, Pia plots to take down the family business and end decades of tradition, obsession and bloodshed.
Edwards says that inspiration for this elaborate tale came from several different aspects of her day to day life. “Working at Tupelo's, I've wanted to write a book involving a bakery for quite a while,” says Edwards, adding that a combination of her general culinary interests and her food science courses at FSU eventually led to an interest in the olive oil industry. “My mom's family has a history in the Sicilian mafia/ New Orleans mob scenes, so I grew up hearing stories about those affiliations. It all came together when I decided to write the book I most wanted to read, which combined these into one story.”
Although writing can be a time-consuming endeavor, Edwards reveals that this particular book was a swift process. “Writing the first draft took about three months, which is unusual for me,” she stated, “I typically take much longer.” Having grown up in a household full of avid readers, Edwards always dreamed of writing her very own book someday, and began seriously writing when she was 13 years old. “I was actually in the midst of querying literary agents for another book when I started working on And We All Bled Oil as a distraction.”
Even with her book still practically hot off the press, Edwards is already working on her next novel, which will also be a Young Adult book. Details regarding this book are currently being kept under careful lock and key, but Edwards hopes to share more news about it this spring! And as if that wasn't enough to keep her busy, this tireless writer plans on following that book with a sequel for And We All Bled Oil. It would seem that book-lovers have a lot to look forward to from Edwards in the near future!
Although her story-building has become quite a success, Edwards says this book actually started as a joke! “I didn't plan on finishing it,” said Edwards, saying that her older sister insisted she continue after Edwards read the first chapter to her. This particular tale was easy for Edwards to see to completion, and she received feedback from friends and family who helped her in the editing and proof reading of the drafts. When it was ready for publishing, Edwards decided to take on the task of self-publishing. “I intended to publish traditionally by enlisting in the help of a literary agent,” she said, “but after months of searching for an agency, I decided to research the self-publishing market. That was when I reached out to my former Tupelo's coworker and good friend Sarah Tharpe about cover art design.”
To anyone out there who is an aspiring author and has goals of publishing their own book, Edward's advice is simple: “Read! The more you read, the more you internalize what works and what doesn't. The same is true with writing. It doesn't matter what you are writing; a school assignment, a poem, a short story; you are always finding your personal writing style and practicing your craft.”
Edwards is currently a senior student at Florida State University, studying Hospitality and Tourism Management. This spring, she will be interning at Rocky Soil Family Farm in Monticello, and in the fall will be moving to England for a year to complete her Advanced Baking Diploma at the School of Artisan Food in the Sherwood Forest. When Edwards is not writing, she can usually be found baking, making pasta or reading. For the time being, Edward lives in Monticello with her parents, two sisters and her little brother. They have three cats, named Mortimer, Calpurnia and Jinxx, and three ducks, named Maverick, Arrakis and Starscream.
For those who are interested in And We All Bled Oil, you're in luck! This Saturday, Jan. 15, Edwards will be attending a book signing event at local coffee cafe, Cowhaus, which is located at 100 N. Jefferson St. in Monticello. Come out and get some delicious coffee and meet the author! Get your book copy signed, or buy a signed copy from the writer herself. This event will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow! See you there, Monticello!
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