Where the Souls Go

Ann Hite’s* third novel, Where the Souls Go, continues the Pritchard family saga in the Black Mountain series. Annie Todd, Grace Jean’s daughter, is added to the multi-layered mix of a dysfunctional family in the North Carolina mountains.

“Annie Todd’s journey with a ‘quite mad’ mother is reflective of my own journey with my bipolar mother,” Ann shared.

* Her real name, used with permission.

The release of Where the Souls Go (September 1, 2015) is definitely not a stopping point for Ann. Currently, she is putting the final touches on book 4 of the series – to be released in the fall of 2016, as well as researching a nonfiction book about the wife of a famous murderer.

She’s also working on a more detailed account of her story of overcoming in her memoir – to be released in the winter of 2017. So many story ideas all at one time – it makes my head spin just thinking about it!

*** The telling of Ann’s story has literally been turned on its head. Instead of chronological order from birth to present, I’ve told her story from present to birth. Ironically, Ann was excited to hear I’d planned to tell her story this way as Where the Souls Go is also told from present to past. Coincidence? I think not! ***

Ghost on Black Mountain

With the publication of Ghost on Black Mountain (the first novel in the Black Mountain series) in 2011, Ann’s dream of becoming a published author was realized. Further validation of her writing talent came with the 2012 Georgia Author of the Year award and a finalist for the 2012 Townsend prize. Most authors wait years for that kind of recognition, but Ann earned it with her first novel, Ghost on Black Mountain.

While sitting amongst writers she’d read for years at the Townsend prize awards ceremony, Ann remembers thinking how this was her very first book and she was being recognized as a professional writer. Her mother’s and grandmother’s mocking of her childhood dreams of becoming a writer were now and forever silenced.

Ann’s brother, Jeff, told her years ago, “God gives us our dreams, but He makes us work hard to realize them.” She is definitely living the dreams God put on her heart, and Jeff is right in that she’s worked very hard to realize them.

Leap of Faith

Looking back to 2006, Ann can now see a turning point occurred when the division of the company where she worked was sold.

“I was given the option to move to a different division, or I could quit and pursue my passion for writing. I wasn’t passionate about my work and had become disillusioned by the corporate rat race. As I was the sole bread winner in our family, quitting to write was truly a leap of faith. But I knew I had to do it,” she shared.

A panic attack threatened her resolve, but she’d faced them before and knew to walk it out. On that long walk, she felt God say, “If you step out in faith, I’ll give you your dream.”

Choosing to get back into the work force after staying at home to be a stay-at-home- dad to their only daughter, her husband Jack stood by her and encouraged her to pursue her dreams.

Months prior to this, Ann’s essay about her mother was included in Marlo Thomas’s book The Right Words at the Right Time: Volume 2. Each time Ann’s writing was accepted, it nourished her dream of becoming a published writer.

Everybody Was Dead

Ann’s mother passed away in 2003 from long term kidney problems.  Only Ann and five others were at her funeral. After all the hurt and struggle in their relationship, Ann finally felt a sense of closure. “I could never fix my relationship with her. I came to accept that I’d done everything I could,” she shared.

Needing a break from her technical writing job after her mother’s passing, Ann took two weeks off to write. Ideas for real life “what if ” short stories about her family flooded her. “It was as if a dam opened. I decided everybody was dead, so they couldn’t say anything. It was freeing.”

All seven short stories were published in different journals.

Talk About It

Ann’s brother-in-law Joe unexpectedly dying of a massive heart attack in 2001 prompted her to take an account of her own life. Not too many months before his death Ann had thought to herself, “He’s going to die a lonely old man, because he won’t give up his baggage and pursue what he wants in life.”

In the weeks following his death, Ann remembers coming to the ugly conclusion that she too was not pursuing what she wanted in life – writing. Up until that point, she admitted she just piddled with her writing. “I liked to talk about it, but I wasn’t producing anything.”

She made a firm decision: “Something good has to come out of his death. So, I decided I would pursue my writing professionally. I made a goal to finish a novel. Six months later, it was finished.”

The Journey, a poem by Mary Oliver, was Ann’s inspiration to actively pursue her dreams. (Trust me – click on the link. You’ll be glad you read this poem. Truly inspirational.)

The Right Man

This time she knew she’d picked the right man when she married Jack. [They celebrated their 18th anniversary this year.]

Despite the hurtful comments and manipulative behaviors her mother exhibited, Ann helped care for her mother for several years.

“You are so horrible mean to me. You don’t love me like Jeff (Ann’s brother),” were the words her mother spoke on the phone that caused Ann to question how much did she HAVE TO DO in caring for her mother. She drew a line in the sand that day and emotionally protected herself by stepping away from the responsibility of caring for her mother.

Taking writing classes during this time gave Ann an opportunity to investigate her interests in writing as well as a reprieve from her mother.

Saving My Life

“My first marriage didn’t work, but I give him credit for saving my life. Without him, I would have never known I could do life by myself [without my mother],” Ann shared.

Getting pregnant at age 16 didn’t make her mother happy, but she didn’t interfere. Ann decided to move in with her grandmother (mother’s mother) until she graduated from high school and could marry the father of her child.

Doctors gave her mother pain medication and nerve pills to help her cope with the erratic behaviors, but she soon became addicted to them. Because her mother could not do it herself, Ann prepared meals, cleaned the house, and took care of her mother and younger brother from the time she was 13 until she became pregnant.

Managing Her Mother

Ann found her mother’s 22 page handwritten letter threatening suicide. Taking the letter to a neighbor likely saved her mother’s life, but instead of gratitude Ann got in trouble. Beatings became more frequent during this time period.

At ages 11 and 12, Ann was sexually molested by two different men. Sharing this abuse with her grandmother felt safer than sharing it with her mother. She was afraid of how her mother would react.

Her grandmother began “managing” Ann’s mother again – monitoring her medicine, preparing meals, taking care of the kids – after Ann’s father left when Ann was 10. Too young to understand divorce, Ann thought, “My protector just walked out the door. But at least I have my granny.”

Took Root And Began to Grow

While in Germany with the military, Ann’s family began to fracture. Ann’s mother was unable to manage herself as her mother (Ann’s grandmother) had when they lived near her in Atlanta. Her father began drinking more and spending time with other women. Fighting between her parents became frequent occurrences.

At such a young age, Ann couldn’t connect who she thought her father was with the actions he was demonstrating. She cried out to God: “I don’t know who my daddy is. I need you to be there for me.” A strong faith in God took root and began to grow.

When Ann was 6, her brother Jeff was born. She distinctly remembers feeling as if her mother turned a switch and quit liking her in favor of her baby brother.

Ann’s not sure who or when her mother’s bipolar struggles were first recognized, but it was likely before she was born. Admitting these consistent episodes of depression and mania would have been her sure ticket to the mental institution. She would have lost everything. At that time, treatment for what we now know as bipolar disorder was nonexistent.

Now that you’ve take a present to past journey of Ann’s life, perhaps you see how much Ann’s mother’s struggles impacted her life. She has chosen writing as a way of healing and overcoming that doesn’t just strengthen her, it also benefits all who read her stories.

Learn more about Ann: on her web site or on Facebook

Leave a reply (below): Having read several of Ann’s books, including Where the Souls Go, I truly believe the richness and complexity in her story telling is a direct result of the wisdom she’s gained from the struggles she’s faced and overcome.

When a writer has his/her own personal depth, it infiltrates his/her writing. Ann’s writing definitely has depth, and her stories are all the more powerful because of it.

The Black Mountain series is one you don’t want to miss. Order your copy of Where the Souls Go today!