Linda Jo Scott: Fellow Enquirer columnist publishes novel
Nicole L.V. Mullis is a fellow long-time columnist for the Battle Creek Enquirer. Whereas I am a retired English professor, however, she is a truly professional journalist, with a degree in journalism from Michigan State University. In addition to her columns, which she has written since 2006, she has written for literary magazines and anthologies and has written plays which have been produced in New York and California as well as here in Michigan.
Mullis has three talented teenaged children she often writes about in her columns, and besides all of her writing she also serves as a substitute teacher here in town.
Mullis’ newest and certainly her biggest production of all so far is a novel called “A Teacher Named Faith,” published by Cairn Press in Tucson, Ariz. She invited a large group of her friends to share the news of her book launch, and I enjoyed playing my violin at the party.
Mullis said of her book:
“A Teacher Named Faith centers on a cynical political cartoonist and his failed seminarian brother. Both men are controlling their lives to the point of destroying them. A tragic event pulls the brothers into the national spotlight, unleashing just enough chaos to save them from themselves.
“The story involves a lot of things that I have some experience with – ballet, the newsroom, living in Michigan, being a control freak. Writing it was a very different process than writing a column or a play. Basically, it was the most exhausting project I have ever undertaken. Well, outside of raising teenagers.
“I started the novel in Battle Creek in 2007, although I wrote a majority of it while we were living in Canada from 2010-2012. I was blessed to work with several amazing editors. I can honestly say it’s a good read because of their red pens.
“Although it is a novel, it retains a lot of my column-writing style, and is very dialogue-driven. I hope the characters captivate the readers as much as they captivated me.”
And finally, Mullis told me, “Launching the book in Battle Creek was important to me, but I wasn’t sure of the actual location. When Battle Creek Books opened in March, it was an answer to my prayers. The shop is beautiful, and the owners, Jim and Ginny Donahue are so supportive. Honestly, everyone who attended the July 31st book signing and reading was so supportive. Writing is a rather solitary process. It was a rare and wonderful opportunity to interact with readers in real time.”
Battle Creek is extremely fortunate to have such a talented writer and substitute teacher as Mullis.