Telling stories

Local author D.A. Chadwick has a new work on book shelves.

“Rennes le Chateau: The Point of Origin” explores the mystery surrounding the French village in the Lanuedoc.

“The lead character, Sarah Cabot, is a descendent of Joan of Arc and becomes queen of France in the near future,” explained Chadwick. “Once crowned, Sarah discovers the shocking secrets that lie beneath the villages of Rennes le Chateau and Perillos.”

Chadwick has a total of seven works published which include fiction and non-fiction.

She began her writing in grade school.

“I have always been an avid reader,” said Chadwick.

Her favorite book as a youth was “The FBI Story.”

Research and investigation have always been interests of hers and her mother read extensively, joining a book club.

Her childhood playgrounds were in Virginia near Civil War battlefields.

“I loved to imagine being a soldier,” she added.

“Writing is the only way I can time travel and participate in history.

“I’ve always wanted to write books,” she said. “I used to staple notebook paper together and write novels.

“My mom wasn’t too wild about the amount of paper I went through.”

She wrote her first official book at the age of 20, but never published it.
She plans to eventually publish her first book.

“My mother and best friend are fond of it,” she explained.

Chadwick also has high hopes her recent work, “Music from the Soul: The Singing Nun Story,” will take off.

“It took me three years to write, ‘Music from the Soul: The Singing Nun Story’ with the French writer, Florence Delaporte.

“A movie on her life premiered in France this April.”

Chadwick’s late brother prompted her to publish the first book, “Sight Picture” in 1999.

For her most recent work, the Rennes le Chateau mystery has fascinated her since the book, “The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail,” was first published in the 1980s.

“I combined that interest with the notion that Joan of Arc was the legitimate heir to the French throne and escaped the stake, fleeing to Rennes le Chateau where she died in 1464. The fact that the area around Perillos has a weather station and power transformer that are classified top secret by the French government fueled my imagination.”

Chadwick’s writing process consists of constantly searching for ideas and remaining perceptive and up-to-date with news and science research.

“I like to have all of my research laid out where I can access it,” she explained.

“When starting a book I like to make the title page, introduction etc. and then the last page stating, The End. I set up the outline then actually start to write. I also write down any interesting dreams I have that might make good plots.”

Chadwick has a few words of advice for struggling writers.

“Write because you want to, not because you have notions of getting rich as it probably isn’t going to happen. Keep writing and keep trying to publish. Proofread many times as editors do not work with writers like they did in the past. If you believe in what you are writing and cannot find a publisher then self-publish.  Some of the books we now consider classics were self-published such as ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and the ‘Celestine Prophecy.’ I always remind myself that ‘Gone with the Wind’ was rejected 47 times before publication and it took John Grisham five years to sell, ‘The Firm.’”