JENN McKINLAY: Happy Caturday!!! I am so pleased to have the prolific and charming Diane Kelly with us today to tell us all about her latest release BATTEN DOWN THE BELFRY: A House Flipper Mystery.
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Here's Diane to tell us more about how this book came to be:
Diane: Batten Down the Belfry, the fourth book in my House Flipper series, just released on February 22nd. Admittedly, I take some license with the series name given that the rehab in book #3 involved a motel rather than a house, but it’s fun to see an old structure repurposed into something totally new. In this latest release, I’m back to rehabbing a house, though this one is a house of worship—an old, abandoned country church to be precise.
If you’ve ever been to Nashville, Tennessee, you’ve surely heard of, and likely visited, the famous Ryman Auditorium. The building was erected by steamboat captain Thomas Ryman way back in 1892. He originally built the place to serve as a church and dubbed it the Union Gospel Tabernacle. When Ryman passed away, the venue, which has near-perfect acoustics, was repurposed as an entertainment venue and renamed the Ryman Auditorium in honor of its founder. An enterprising woman named Lula Naff managed the venue to great success, and it was one of the earliest places in the city to integrate and welcome performing artists of color. The auditorium was also the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.
When I lived in Nashville from 2014 - 2016, I took everyone who came to visit me on a tour of the Ryman. I liked the building’s history, especially the fact that a woman ran it so well for so long, and I also loved the colorful light that streamed through the stained-glass windows. If you’re curious, you can find out more about the Ryman Auditorium here: https://ryman.com/
When I was mulling over options for the flip property for the book, the Ryman Auditorium came to mind. I decided that rehabbing a small church into a mini version of the Ryman would be a lot of fun for my main character, carpenter Whitney Whitaker. She (meaning me) would enjoy coming up with a clever name and design ideas for the space. The little country church with the lovely bell tower evolves throughout the book into the Joyful Noise Playhouse, a live music and theater hall. Of course, there’s a death on site, in the belfry no less, and the only witness is Whitney’s sweet, buff-colored cat Sawdust. If only he could tell her what he’d seen …
Are you a fan of home renovation shows? Have you seen a church that was repurposed into another type of establishment? What’s the most interesting or creative rehab project you’ve come across?
Congratulations on your newest book, Diane . . . it sounds quite fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy watching renovation shows . . . I’ve read about old churches being repurposed as homes [which fascinates me] and I’ve seen a couple of pictures, but I’ve never had the opportunity to see one in person . . . .
A former church would make an intriguing home, for sure! We had a couple of antique church pews on the front porch of our house when I was growing up. They made great benches. Very sturdy!
DeleteThis is wonderful, Diane. I live with an antique home renovator (and have lived through it twice - drywall dust included), so I know I will love this series. Hugh found a pair of antique pink leather baby moccasins in the wall along with a single black ladies heel from the forties. You can bet I wove those items into an entire story line in one of my mysteries!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting! I wonder how the shoes ended up in the wall. Very strange! It must be fun to live with a renovator.
DeleteCongratulations Diane on your new release. Belfry is next in my queue. Alas, I do not watch home renovation shows, but I imagine they are fun to dream what one will do to their home.
ReplyDeleteI'll be visiting Nashville this year and have added this place to visit.
Yay! Thanks so much, Dru! You'll enjoy the Ryman. It's got such an interesting history. Be sure to stop around the corner at Tootsie's, too. It's a big landmark.
DeleteDIANE: Welcome to JRW and congratulations on your new book.
ReplyDeleteI don't have cable TV and I rent my apartment, so I don't watch home renos shows.
There is a good example of an old church being renovated into condos in the New Edinburgh neighbourhood a few minutes east of where I live in Ottawa. Here's the concept video. The condos are almost complete and ready tp move in this spring. I go to the weekly Farmers Market that is held nearby on Saturdays.
https://stcharlesmarket.ca/
Fascinating! Thanks so much for sharing the link. I love the mesh of classic and modern in the building. I'd never heard the term "horizontal home" before but it totally makes sense for a place that has windows only on one side. My in-laws lived in a high rise that had that same horizontal concept.
DeleteDIANE: Yes, it is a pretty cool meshing of the two building styles.
DeleteI am watching the SMAF panels right now/. I see that you are moderating the Extreme Makeover panel this afternoon, so I will "see" you online.
Congratulations on your latest release. Batten Down the Belfry sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am a huge fan of rehab shows, and house hunter shows. Must have been a voyeur in another life - perhaps all writers are. My favorites involve barn to home renos or listed brownstones restored to their single family glory. The details are spectacular.
Barns can make great remodels, can't they? One of my favorite barn remodels is the Stable Cafe at the Biltmore in Asheville, NC. I found a link but none of the photos really capture the feel. You can definitely tell you're in an old horse barn when you eat there. It's still divided into stalls. And they make great salads! Luckily, patrons don't have to eat from troughs. : ) https://www.biltmore.com/restaurant/stable-cafe/
DeleteWhat is it about home reno shows that I can't turn off?? There is something uplifting about seeing the potential in an old place, restoring it, recapturing its essence so that it might continue into the future. My sister-in-law once lived in an apartment in Baltimore that had been a church back in the day. The place had great vibes -- and skinny windows two stories tall! Congrats on your book release. It sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYour SIL's apartment sounds so cool! What unique windows. It's nice when a home has something that makes it different and special. I bet they gave an interesting perspective outside. I, too, find rehabbing to be uplifting. It's like saving a life in a sense.
DeleteMy youngest daughter has been looking for a condo here in the Cincinnati area to buy. Since they live in Kenya she has asked me to check out a couple places in person for her. The most recent was an amazing two bedroom carved out of a beautiful church in Northern Kentucky. It had soaring ceilings, 20-foot high stained glass windows, woodwork left from the choir loft, and a 12-foot tall mural of the Angel Gabriel over the master bed.
ReplyDeleteMy non-Catholic son-in-law was seriously uncomfortable with all the saints and he nixed that particular place, but it was fascinating to see how they had created living space for five units in the church.
Wow! I would've LOVED to have seen that condo! The stained glass would've sold me. What's your daughter doing in Kenya? Sounds like an interesting experience!
DeleteThe tall windows were a bit much,but the previous owners had installed enormous blinds.
DeleteBoth my daughter and son-in-law work for the State Department, and this is one of their overseas duty tours.
By the way, I've been to the Rayman, 20 years or so ago, and would love to visit again. My clearest memory was of the squishy wood floors. A little scary, to tell the truth. Hope they have strengthened the integrity of the building.
Oh, it's like Cinderella for houses, right? Or do I mean The Ugly Duckling? I love to see the "afters"--even though I don't always agree. But hat's part of the fun. I love the idea of possibilities, and this book sounds SO great! (I just interviewed an author who, during renovation, found a LETTER in an envelope in a wall. She opened it, and it was from maybe 50 years ago? And yes, indeed, whoa. Instant book.
ReplyDeleteFascinating! I wonder why someone hid the letter - I'm intrigued! I love the Cinderella analogy. So fitting.
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ReplyDeleteYears ago, This Old House convert a church into a house. It was San Fransico which would probably mean the church was built after the 1906 earthquake and fire. I don't remember the outcome of the project just that was done. Like that it was converted and not torn down.
ReplyDeleteSan Francisco has so many pretty buildings! We lived in San Jose in the early 90's and went to San Francisco frequently. Such a pretty city with so many unique aspects to it. You made me curious so I ran a search. I wonder if the house you referenced is this one: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/san-francisco-house/21017385/the-san-francisco-house
DeleteI had to look it too, this looks like what I remember.
DeleteWhen I was a student at Vanderbilt University, the Ryman was still home to the Grand Ole Opry and I attended many performances there. You are correct about the perfect acoustics.
ReplyDeleteThere was at one time a restaurant here in Atlanta in a converted church. It was gorgeous.
I bet it was fun to attend college in Nashville! So much to do. Cool that you're familiar with the Ryman. Such a neat place!
DeleteI've seen all sorts of buildings repurposed. I love it. I've seen churches turned into movie theaters, stage theaters/opera houses, restaurants, and homes.
ReplyDeleteI love the movie theater, stages, and opera house ideas. That seems to be the best use of a building with good acoustics. Thanks for chiming in, Pat!
DeleteA movie theater is a perfect idea for a repurposed church. It would have a front focal point, rows, doors in the right places to handle an audience. Smart idea!
ReplyDeleteVery excited for your new book, Diane! House flipping fascinates me because there is so much I want to do on my house but not time. Argh! Someday...
ReplyDeleteMe, too, Jenn! So many ideas, but not the time or not sure I want to invest all the $ in a place we're not likely to stay in for more than a few more years. But it's sure fun to think about!
DeleteI love the name of this book, Batten Down the Belfry! I'm a fan of alliterative titles, so this one tickles my fancy. I also enjoy home renovations shows on TV. Love it or List it is my favorite, with pitting the home renovation against buying a new house. I will have to add this series to my reading list. Congratulation on the new book, Diane.
ReplyDeleteI like Love it or List it, too. Though admittedly my opinion is often "list it." I'm one of those odd ducks who actually likes moving regularly. I grew up in a military family and we moved every 2-3 years. I've moved a bunch for my husband's job, too, and it's been fun to see new places. But it's fun to see people grapple with the decision. Sometimes it's hard to leave a place that has happy memories!
DeleteGreat idea for a series, Diane - Congratulations on the new book!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is an architect in Brooklyn and business has been booming through Covid wth people wanting to renovate apartments that they only used to sleep in and where they now need to work and sleep and set aside space for day care. And every time you take down a wall or ceiling, you never know what you're going to find. Partcularly in a brownstone. Sadly, however, there's now a ten+ month wait for new windows.
Wow! That's a long wait. I've heard lumber is hard to come by, too. In fact, the friend that I dedicated the book to mentioned that her son and his wife had to cancel a house contract because the builder couldn't get wood. Strange times we live in. How cool that your daughter is in such a creative field!
DeleteCongrats, Diane! Yes, I've seen several renovations of old churches. One of my favorites when I worked in Dallas was a restaurant, named appropriately The Old Church. My boss took me there for lunch once on Secretary's Day, and I had the best spinach salad ever! (And we shared a bottle of wine, whoo-hoo!)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great boss! : ). Next time I'm in Dallas, I'll have to check that place out. Sounds like an interesting place to eat!
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ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to reading this book. I have enjoyed the previous three books in this series. I also enjoyed the Tara Holloway and Megan Luz series too. I like the Love it or List it as well as Hometown too.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I had a lot of fun writing Tara and Megan, and especially Brigit. Such a sassy dog! Love it or List it is a fun show. I like how it shows that it's a balancing act between emotion and reason when deciding what to do with a house. It's not just about the design or practical aspects. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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