She read an excerpt from her novel “Thieving Forest,” which now has gone to audio format. Conway took a few moments to speak about the book and the experience of ‘going audio.’
“It was pretty nice,” she said. “After the audiobook company contacted me; the whole process was very easy, from negotiation to production. They move fast!”
“Thieving Forest” is her second novel, and so far it has sold 13,000 copies and counting. “That’s including ebook, paperback, and hardcover combined; and I am happy about that,” she said. Her first novel “12 Bliss Street” was a contemporary satirical crime mystery, set in San Francisco. “It barely sold 2,000 copies,” she said. But despite the modest amount of book sales, “12 Bliss Street” received accolades and recognition.
When Conway wrote her first novel over a decade ago, she was experiencing life in the work-a-day world of one of the most popular cities in America. San Francisco at that time was going through the beginnings of a major transition, the dot-com boom. Now married with children and very ‘settled down’ so to speak, “Thieving Forest” emerged from the depths of her imagination and is set in the place where she grew up – Ohio.
“I wanted to write something with a broader scope than “12 Bliss Street,” she told this reporter. As she made steps to explore and research she stumbled upon references to the ‘Great Black Swamp’ in Ohio. This intrigued her because as she said, “I grew up in Ohio and I never even heard of it before. So, I was hooked, I had to find out.”
Her research lead to the almost forgotten early history of the Ohio territory when native tribes and white settlers often clashed. The Great Black Swamp covered over 1,500 square miles stretching across three states from Indiana, through Ohio to Lake Erie in Michigan. It is hard to think of the Ohio of today with cities like Toledo and Bowling Green. Those were constructed out of a vast wetland. Portions of it still exist but as to what it had been is literally all covered up by modern life.
As Conway jotted down ideas she knew she was on to something. “I did not want to get caught up with the Civil War era, that would have lead me down a very complicated path.” Yet, as I began to ponder those earlier pioneer days, I was fascinated about what people must have done to survive. A lot of very different cultures lived side by side in that part of Ohio. It was truly multi-cultural.”
Thieving Forest has recognizable elements that many readers would know, such as “The Little House On The Prairie” aspect. But unlike the Laura Ingall’s story of a family of sisters growing up together in a rural setting, “Thieving Forest” is very gutsy and heart-wrenching. It’s realism is very much a novel for grown ups.
The novel has received several honors, among them the North American Book Award for Best Historical Fiction.
As the book continues to gain fans, a movie might not be too far off. Meanwhile, the San Francisco-based author is busy promoting her books, leading workshops, such as one of the workshops in Stanford University’s “One Day M.F.A,” program, and raising a family.
