The Process Of Writing Sweet Water

Thanks for having me! Today I’m discussing the process of writing Sweet Water, my domestic thriller released January 1st from Thomas & Mercer. 

The idea for Sweet Water started as a short story that I published in the Mindful Writers, Into the Woods anthology (2018), a compilation of short stories, poems and essays. The short story, Geneva on the Lake, can be found here: http://amzn.to/3olAfKk

During the time I wrote the short story, I was absolutely miserable. I’d taken a job that included a sales territory that spanned states and I wasn’t used to being away from my husband and two young children. Thankfully, my territory was soon split in half along with my overnights, but I’d used those hotel hours in Upstate New York to write.

My morose feelings must have bled onto the page, because what started as a charming little tale about an inn near the Finger Lake wineries became a gruesome thriller about two college kids who entered the woods together, but only one came out alive. The other was left for dead.

The idea of knowingly leaving a body behind in the woods was one that stuck with me long after the story was published. I decided to write a full-length novel with a similar premise closer to home in Sewickley, one of the nicest wooded suburbs in the Pittsburgh Area. And, so Sweet Water was born.

“The pain of yesterday is the strength of today.” ~ Paulo Coelho. I’ve thought of this quote more than once. If I hadn’t endured all those long hours away from home, would Sweet Water have ever come to be? I’m not sure it would have. I’ve learned to trust in the process more, in life and in writing. No two publishing journeys are the same.

My publishing road here has included ten years, three literary agents and four manuscripts on submission, Sweet Water being the fourth. When people ask me how I finally sealed the deal, I simply answer—I just never gave up.

I also had a great support system, and I think it would’ve been hard to do it without one. Even though I write about crumbling relationships, I’m blessed to be married to a wonderful husband who was my biggest cheerleader when I finally received that long-awaited—Yes—for my publishing deal. He played bartender and poured me something deliciously strong when I received the Nos and he’s also an amazing cook, so none of us starved while I was drafting or querying my novels. 

At the time I started writing Sweet Water, I’d just finished reading  Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I was inspired to create a town that felt like a character. Sweet Water is the Native American translation for Sewickley, so the title was fitting. It’s said that the water was a little sweeter on the stretch of the Ohio River where the borough resides because of the maple trees that grow there. Once I learned this tidbit of information, I had some immersive verisimilitude I could weave into the setting, and I knew I had the perfect location for my novel. 

In addition to choosing a town that felt like a character, I took it a step further and wanted to bring my protagonist’s house to life as well. Sewickley is known for its lovely, historic homes, and Sewickley Heights, where my main character resides, is regarded for its sprawling, private estates.

The house in the story is based on the real party home of steel mogul, B.F. Jones, and still stands today. Years ago, I befriended a woman who grew up in this home. Her family has since sold the house, but I’ve been inside, and used it as the inspiration for the home in my story, which I hope you’ll agree has legs of its own.

The premise of the book spotlights an affluent couple who search for their teenage son in the woods after a distressed phone call, only to stumble upon his dead girlfriend’s body first.

They decide to leave her there to protect their son who cannot remember what happened. The reader will be forced to ask the hard questions—how far would you go to protect your child? The novel also has an alternating timeline that follows the couple back to the 90s, when they first met. I enjoyed writing those chapters because it was a time period I remember well. If you like books that flash back and forth from present to past, you’ll enjoy this one. Sweet Water will also appeal to fans of Defending Jacob and stories that challenge the moral compass of motherhood and marriage. I do hope you check it out.

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Cara Reinard is an author of domestic suspense and women’s fiction. She resides in the Pittsburgh area with her husband, two children and Bernese mountain dog. Her next domestic thriller, Into the Sound, is set to be released from Thomas & Mercer in December, 2021. Cara is pursuing her online MFA at Lindenwood University.

Twitter: @carareinard

Instagram: @carareinard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cara-Reinard-Author-1644369272480170/

Website: www.carareinard.com

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SWEET WATER

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips