Interview with Andra Watkins, author of Not Without My Father
Her latest book is the memoir, NotWithout My Father: One Woman’s 444 Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace.
For More Information
- Visit Andra Watkins’ website.
- Connect with Andra on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about Andra at Goodreads.
- More books by Andra Watkins.
- Contact Andra.
About the Book:
Title: Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444 Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace
Author: Andra Watkins
Publisher: Word Hermit Press
Pages: 240
Genre: Memoir
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Author: Andra Watkins
Publisher: Word Hermit Press
Pages: 240
Genre: Memoir
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Andra Watkins needed a wingman to help her become the first living person to walk the historic 444-mile Natchez Trace as the pioneers did. She planned to walk fifteen miles a day. For thirty-four days.
After striking out with everyone in her life, she was left with her disinterested eighty-year-old father. And his gas. The sleep apnea machine and self-scratching. Sharing a bathroom with a man whose gut obliterated his aim.
As Watkins trudged America’s forgotten highway, she lost herself in despair and pain. Nothing happened according to plan, and her tenuous connection to her father started to unravel. Through arguments and laughter, tears and fried chicken, they fought to rebuild their relationship before it was too late. In Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace, Watkins invites readers to join her dysfunctional family adventure in a humorous and heartbreaking memoir that asks if one can really turn I wish I had into I’m glad I did.
For More Information
- Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444 Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace is available at Amazon.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Q: Welcome back to
The Writer’s Life, Andra. We enjoyed having here just after your
first book, To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis,
was released. Now you’re back with another exciting book and this is
all about the journey you took to walk the 444-mile Natchez
Trace. Why did you decide to write a book about your journey?
Andra: I undertook
the Natchez Trace walk to launch To Live Forever. It was a unique
way to launch a book, plus I thought it might be fun, which shows how stupid I
am. I never wanted to write a memoir. But the tension and travails of walking
for a month while living with my 80-year-old father became a compelling reason
to pen this memoir.
Q: How hard was it
to write a book like this? I understand you had your father with
you. Is he a writer, too?
Andra: The
required honesty, the personal revelations and the admission of struggles make
this book the hardest thing I've ever written. With fiction, a reader can pan
the book, and I don't take it personally. But with memoir? If people don't like
the book, they don't like me.
Yes! My
80-year-old father accompanied me, which contributed much to the experience.
He's a natural storyteller, but if his stories get written, I do the writing.
Q: I know you had
so many new experiences during your hike that it would fill a book (and it did,
lol), but can you give us a glimpse of what it was like?
Andra: I walked 15
miles a day for 34 days, with one rest day each week. Dad dropped me at my
first milepost and picked me up 15 miles later......when he remembered. Not
only did I battle my lack of preparation and pathetic excuse for athleticism,
but I also confronted the maddening, dysfunctional relationship I've had with my
dad. We argued and struggled while I crawled and cried. I wondered whether we'd
kill each other before we finished. It was absolutely the hardest thing I've
ever done, but I'm really glad I did it.
Q: Could you tell
us a little about Word Hermit Press? How did you find out about
them?
Andra: Word Hermit
Press has been around for over a year now. I was looking for a way to get my
books to market and still have some say in creative direction, and I found them
at the perfect time. It helped that they're in my hometown. They're small, and
I still take responsibility for selling my books. But they set up my books on
all platforms. They distribute through Ingram's Lightning program, giving my
books entree into any bookstore or library out there.
Q: What can you
say you learned about publishing your first book that helped with the second
book? Any surprises?
Andra: I'm more
organized with the second book. We pitched advance copies to numerous national
outlets and got some takers, which will be huge. I'm better at crafting
marketing materials, and I'm slowly getting comfortable with selling myself.
It's so awkward to talk about my books, but the experience of making Not
Without My Father gave me a platform to talk about US, about the
things we can all learn from my experience.
The five weeks I
spent walking became less about me and my book and more about rediscovering my
father and working to rebuild our relationship. We made such a treasure of
memories that I'll have forever. When he's gone, I won't be left with I
wish I had. I'll smile through tears and know I'm glad I did.
I hope to
encourage readers to Make a Memory with someone they love while they still
can. In our busy, overwhelmed world, everyone needs that message.
Q: Thank you again
for this interview! Do you have any final words?
Andra: Readers,
turn I wish I had into I'm glad I did in
2015. Participate in the Not Without My Father Make a Memory
campaign and make a memory with someone while you still can.
Here's how Make a
Memory works.
Take to social
media and invite someone to Make a Memory with you - by picture, video or gif.
Tag your invite #NWMFMakeaMemory, because we'll be featuring your invites
at andrawatkins.com.
Your public invitation will hold you accountable, and it will give us a way to
follow up and find out about your Memory. An hour. A day. A weekend. Make a
Memory that will last a lifetime.
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