Kate O’Neill, a Plant City author originally from Chicago, has recently published an adult fiction novel that explores the history of her hometown and poses questions about what happens when two cultures collide.
O’Neill did extensive research before writing the book, “Her Spirit Moon,” which is set in Chicago in the 1830s.
“There wasn’t a whole lot going on back then, so it’s a frontier town,” O’Neill said. But, she created a dynamic plot and characters who evoke a host of emotions.
The novel’s protagonist is Cora Bell, a 17-year-old girl whose mother is Native American and whose father is a French trapper.
“During that time, you had a lot of the more eastern native people being pushed farther and farther west,” O’Neill said.
There were conflicts between tribes that had never interacted before. Cora Bell is torn between the two cultures she is rooted in, but also must face these inter-tribe conflicts.
Though O’Neill has tried to write several novels, this is the first that has been completed and published. She began writing it in 2008.
She sought feedback from a writers’ group she meets with in Tampa. She took their suggestions to change the opening, which she thought was a big improvement.
“Originally, it didn’t open as it does now,” O’Neill said. “It was much more bookish. It didn’t have a good hook.”
O’Neill continued editing and revising, and eventually got the book down from 611 to 300 pages.
“None of it was easy, but it was very fun,” she said.
At the library, O’Neill once found a book that contained a list of small publishers. She submitted “Her Spirit Moon” to a number of them. Gail Westover, one of the owners of Thistlewood Publishing, responded positively to O’Neill’s request.
“I was captivated by the story the moment I started to read it,” Westover said. “Kate O’Neill is a gifted writer. We at Thistlewood Publishing are very proud of this novel.”
Tika Newman founded Thistlewood Publishing in 2008 and has published a limited number of novels and children’s books.
“We deal with only a few books at a time,” Westover said. “When a book is ready, we release it. We do not rush to put out an inferior quality story.”
“Her Spirit Moon” was released to the printer Dec. 24, and is still in the process of being distributed to major bookstores and other sellers.
The artwork on the book’s cover was created by O’Neill’s husband, Juan Sanchez Ramos. He is professionally a neurologist, but has a background in art.
O’Neill said it took a number of trials to create a piece that she, her husband and the publisher agreed on, but she is satisfied with the final product. The portrait depicts Cora Bell, and the overlaid animal is her pet, a wolf-dog crossbreed.
O’Neill said there will be no sequel for “Her Spirit Moon,” but she intends to work toward publishing more novels in the future.
“My best days, I spend writing and trying to get it right,” O’Neill said.
She is already working on a novel whose setting jumps between St. Paul, Minnesota, in the 1870s, and modern-day Florida. She has written the first six chapters so far.
“Her Spirit Moon” will be available from a number of distributors, but the only place to get a copy autographed by O’Neill is from the publisher, at ThistlewoodPublishing.com.
Where to Find It
“Her Spirit Moon,” by Kate O’Neill, is available on Amazon Books. It will also be available at Barnes and Noble and most other online bookstores, or directly from the publisher at thistlewoodpublishing.com. The novel will also be available for Kindle.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.