ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ANGELA CORRELL is the author of Grounded, Guarded, and Granted. She lives on a farm near Stanford, Kentucky with her husband, Jess. Angela's novels are Amazon bestsellers and have been adapted to the stage for sold-out audiences at the Pioneer Playhouse, Kentucky’s oldest outdoor theater. When she's not writing, Angela oversees several businesses in downtown Stanford, including Kentucky Soaps & Such, a goat milk soap factory and retail shop; Wilderness Road Guest Houses & Rooms, historically renovated homes and guest rooms available for nightly rental; and the Bluebird Café, a farm-to-table restaurant, with Executive Chef William Hawkins. Angela has a bachelor’s degree in communication from Georgetown College and a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Kentucky. She loves canning vegetables from her garden, exploring the Tuscan countryside, and spending time with her family.
A Grounding of My Own
Angela Correll, author of The May Hollow Trilogy
During my nearly decade living in Lexington, a mouse was a device I used with my computer, rain was a weekend spoiler, and a snake was something the plumber used to fix my toilet. All that changed when I married my gentleman farmer and moved to the country.
I was not a complete stranger to the farm; I lived on one for the first five years of my life. My grandfathers were both farmers, as were most of my other relatives. Even so, I spent my growing up years in a small town and shed that as quickly as I could after college for the brighter lights of Lexington, and the excitement of a job that offered travel all over the United States.
After living most of my adult life in the fast-paced hustle and bustle of work, hotels, airports, and fine restaurants, it seemed a new and very strange place for me to find myself as a 32-year old newlywed.
But somehow the farm felt like home. With generations of agricultural background, the land welcomed me as if I were the prodigal child, lured away for a spell by city glitter but back where I belonged.
I hardly knew where to start. We had space for animals – like goats and chickens – a plot for a vegetable garden, and even flowers, herbs and berries. It was all waiting for me to make my mark, but my farming knowledge was severely stunted.
I could tell you where to go for gourmet vegetarian cuisine in San Francisco, Greek saganaki in Chicago, and Ethiopian doro wat in Washington, D.C. I knew how to navigate flights and rental cars, how to coordinate receptions and dinners, and how to write a policy paper. All that was useless when it came to planting a tomato, pruning a grape vine, or bottle-feeding a baby goat.
I leaned on my gardening father and did what came natural for my library background: I read. I read books on raising goats and chickens, books on gardening, books on horses. Through all that, I made sure to keep handy the mother of all farming books: The Farmer’s Almanac.
I realized the importance of this last book when I called my vet to see if she would castrate a male baby goat we had acquired. She put me on hold while she checked the “signs.” Was this vet slang for checking her schedule? She came back on the line and informed me the Almanac said the moon’s phase was right for castration the coming Friday and she would be out around 10 that morning.
Ridiculous. I imagined calling my former colleagues to tell them our meetings would be held only when the moon was waxing. I would be fired first, and then quietly driven to the local mental health clinic. On the other hand, the moon does control the ocean tides, I thought, so maybe it’s not so crazy after all. That realization began my personal grounding.
Through the process of experiencing country life with fresh eyes, a story about a young woman whose city living had overshadowed her farming roots percolated inside me, resulting in the May Hollow Trilogy of Grounded, Guarded and Granted.
My character’s grounding mirrored my own and I can happily say I am now firmly planted.
Angela Correll and Koehler Books invite readers down May Hollow Road one last time with the release of Granted, Correll's third novel. Granted takes readers from Kentucky farm country to old-world Tuscany in the company of Annie Taylor, a reformed city girl, and Beulah, her straight-laced grandma. New readers and Correll’s loyal fans will find Granted—the final chapter in the May Hollow Trilogy—a delightfully satisfying read.
Former international flight attendant Annie Taylor is embracing her country roots and racing toward
a future with her sustainable farmer fiancé, but wedding plans are complicated by her new job, a
mysterious ex-boyfriend, and a narcissistic father. Meanwhile, Annie’s old-fashioned grandma, Beulah, is facing a shakeup in the last place she ever thought she would – home. A crisis on May Hollow Road follows a friend’s betrayal, challenging Beulah’s forgiving nature. An unwelcome diet, a new houseguest, and a possible overseas trip will all stretch her spirit – if she lets it. Granted follows Grounded and Guarded in the May Hollow Trilogy.
Granted will release in a classic softcover edition, ebook, audiobook, and, notably, a hardcover edition. In addition, Grounded and Guarded will be re-released in hardcover editions as part of a special May Hollow Trilogy gift set.
To order on Amazon, click HERE!
For a sneak peek of the first 6 pages of Granted, click HERE!
