It wasn't age or distance that mattered - love was all that mattered...
Based on a real-life Cinderella story set in 1900, Texas.
Heritage Series Volume I
Writing Emma’s story has been a departure from
my comfort zone. As a genealogist, my norm is dealing with facts.
While I’ve always loved adding the photographs and stories, the
flesh on the bones, the picture was fact-based.
Taking the stories I’ve heard my entire life and weaving them into a work of fiction has been one of the most exciting things I’ve done. The character, Emma, is based on one of my great-grandmothers. She was the youngest of eighteen children whose mother died when ‘Emma’ was about three years old. The fact that her father remarried would be expected and that he married a real-life wicked stepmother was unfortunate at best.
I had never thought about this
being a Cinderella-type story until after I’d written and published
the book. It was just my great-grandmother’s life. Putting her
stories down on paper in a fictional setting highlighted that she
was indeed a “Cinderella.” The only thing missing was the evil
stepsisters.
Her real-life stepsister was a lovely woman who would quickly tell the truth about how horrible her mother was. We often hear that truth is stranger than fiction – in this instance, the reality was shocking.
“16 June
1900
Her earliest memories
were of her Momma’s face. Emma could remember Jane smiling at her
each morning when she woke up and her soft kiss as she tucked her
in at night - or so she thought. It was possible that what she
‘remembered’ was her Momma’s likeness that had once hung over the
fireplace. Whenever she could manage, she would slip up to the
attic and quietly move the discarded furniture to sit and gaze at
her Momma.
Emma found comfort in
the likeness of her parents. Momma had been so pretty and Papa so
handsome. Emma reached out and touched his beard through the glass.
She remembered crawling into his lap and running her little fingers
through his whiskers. She liked how they tickled her fingers and
how thick his beard was. Now Papa’s beard was thin and scraggly.
She missed it.”
Blackmon nimbly
delivers the effective trope of good versus evil and so much
more.
Lone Star Review: EMMA: HERITAGE SERIES, VOL. 1 - Saturday,
December 24, 2022
"It wasn't age or distance
that mattered - love was all that
mattered."
Emma by
Susan Diane Black Blackmon is the first in the Heritage Series.
With a strong historical foundation, this fiction flows like a
traditional fairy tale that has both dark and light elements,
providing readers with an early 1900s Texas narrative, sweet
romance, and an evil stepmother. Thirteen years have passed since
the death of her mother. The youngest of eighteen children, Emma
Jackson is now sixteen and loves her papa and younger half-sister
but not her stepmother, Matilda.
Jane was the love of Ben Jackson's life, but when he lost her and
their nineteenth baby during childbirth, he became adrift and
neglectful of the family who still needed him. Evil stepmother
personified, Matilda set her villainous plan in motion even before
Ben married her and brought her home to be his children's new
mother. While his children never trusted Matilda—and for good
reason—Ben simply succumbed to caring for his family the only way
he knew how, without his precious Jane by his side.
The pacing in Emma is
mainly moderate and steady but accelerates as Matilda's malevolence
intensifies. Blackmon's writing style is clean and uncomplicated,
making Emma an
ideal choice for readers of all ages, including middle grade and
young adult readers who enjoy an interesting Texas fiction based on
real-life people and events.
In Emma,
Blackmon has crafted two stories in one, with Emma visiting her
older sisters and falling in love with Charley, and with her father
finally deciding to rid himself of the malicious woman he never
should have married. But did Ben wait too long to set his household
to rights? Will Matilda finally strike that final blow and declare
her carefully plotted plan a success? The author meticulously
builds the tension and drama by presenting the main characters and
their backstories. She then introduces tragedy and antagonism,
leading readers down that age-old path of grief, greed, heartache,
and redemption, yet keeping the overall plot rooted in both
familial and romantic love.
Emma can rightly be likened to Cinderella. However, this story
resembles Little House on the
Prairie by
Laura Ingalls Wilder as well, with the very act of survival in a
harsh land during a harsh time providing more than enough turmoil,
hardship, and even celebrations, such as box socials and courtship.
Add a woman who chooses to destroy others to satisfy her avarice,
and Emma quickly becomes a modest yet powerful parable and
cautionary tale. Rising above and even overcoming wickedness will
always resonate with readers as relatable and meaningful, with
Blackmon nimbly delivering the effective trope of good versus evil
and so much more in this first fascinating book in the Heritage
Series. At the end of this historical fiction, the author includes
an extensive family tree; an interesting description of mad stones;
and, thankfully, a recipe for the pear pie that is so popular
in Emma.
FINALLY! A book with some substance. This is a
breath of fresh air - hauntingly beautiful.
L.N.
Author's new book receives a
warm literary welcome.
Readers' Favorite
announces the review of the Christian - Fiction book "Emma" by
Susan Diane Black Blackmon.
Reader's Favorite is one of the largest book review and award
contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of
renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper
Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and
"Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent
Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating),
which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest
companies.
"Reviewed By Kayleigh Perumal for Readers' Favorite
Emma (Heritage
Series) by Susan Diane Black Blackmon tells the story of a family
marred by grief. When Emma's mother, Jane, dies during her
nineteenth childbirth, Emma's father, Ben, is left numb. He blames
Jane's mother and the doctor for not being able to save Jane's
life. Emma, who was three at the time, can only remember the songs
that her mother used to sing to her and a vague memory of her face.
Ben realizes that the children need someone to care for them and he
decides to marry Matilda. But Matilda is cruel and selfish - only
caring about wealth and status. She abuses the children (including
her daughters), and Ben turns to drink to drown out Matilda's
voice. When Ben sends Emma away to live with her sisters, she is
deeply concerned about what will happen to the farm under her
stepmother's supervision.
Susan Diane Black Blackmon's Emma (Heritage Series) is a historical
novel based on the life of her great-grandmother. The author
expertly weaves fact with fiction, leaving readers with an
intriguing tale in which it is easy to become immersed. Emma's
romance with Charlie also parallels her father and mother's love
story, adding an element of symmetry. One of the key themes of the
book is how the past is intertwined with the present. If Ben does
not confront his sorrow, he is doomed to lose the farm to Matilda,
and with it, the memories that he most cherishes This is an apt
choice if you enjoy pastoral period pieces."
"Well, I got my copy of "Emma" Friday delivered by my favorite UPS man. I haven't read a page turning book in three years! I started reading it about 1pm, I read to page 30, just could not handle it anymore. Turning pages and holding that book was more than my old hands could take, Got the tablet out ordered the Kindle version, had to put it down to fix supper, and watch "Wheel" then back at it and read till way past bedtime. This morning was grocery day pickup, finally got all put up, sat down to read and less than 24 hours I have finished Emma! Please know I am now going to order another book today. I love it and cannot wait for the next one. I have not read in over a year, hooked again. Loved it!" L.A.