A Different Kind of Book Battle

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I sat, silent, as Nola Nash told me this story. And I knew you’d be interested, too. 

How I Got My Book Banned Without Even Trying
     by Nola Nash

It certainly wasn’t something I’d set out to do. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was a story that captured me and one I hoped would capture the hearts of readers. Certainly not one that screamed ‘controversy.” A story about a town I thought I knew. A story with so much humanity to share.

Humanity. Now, there’s a funny word for this. When I set about telling the story of the much forgotten, or much skewed, Battle of Franklin, I didn’t want to focus on military strategy or sides. There was enough of that in the historical markers around the small Tennessee town. What drew me to the story of the day that was known as The Five Bloodiest Hours of the American Civil War were the accounts of humanity and loss that knew no side. Horrific history hidden in the shadows of the charming town I’d lived in for over twenty years. Being a writer of paranormal historical fiction, I knew I wanted to share the humanity of that day through the voices of the ghosts of its past. That decision would be a defining one later on.

For months, I meticulously researched the deeply moving personal accounts of soldiers on both sides and civilians of the town. Letters, editorials, journals, and so many other ways the people related their personal and human experience that went far deeper than the colors of their uniforms or the patterns on their flags. Some of the most powerful stories at the center of the book came from three of the homes that played the most pivotal roles that day: Carnton Plantation (the largest field hospital of the forty-three in town), and Carter and Lotz Houses that were ground zero for the battle and worst of the carnage. Lotz House is independently run as a museum, but Carnton and Carter are owned by the Battle of Franklin Trust.

I thought we were on the same side, the Trust and I – sharing the stories that can help us learn how not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Perhaps we still are. Perhaps not.

Making the creative decision to have the ghosts of the past tell their own stories through the framework of a modern-day haunting of the small town gave weight to their tales. It made them emotional and powerful rather than dimensionless and stale like a history book. I fell in love with the characters I’d created from compiled first-hand accounts and the real historical players brought to life on the pages. Rather than your usual ‘ghost story’ with its chills and creepiness, these spirits bared their souls in their search for rest and peace. Since the book released, the characters have become beloved by many across the country who knew nothing of the infamous battle and especially in the hearts of those that call Franklin home.

Well, not everyone.

The local merchants who take center stage in the book, local bookstore, and even the ghost tour companies in town have been gracious in their support and encouragement of my work. They actively share it with their patrons looking for a unique look at the small town. Lotz House Museum has agreed to carry it in their gift shop. 

Encouraged by this, I decided to approach the Battle of Franklin Trust about carrying it in the gift shops at Carter House and Carnton Plantation. Both have numerous non-fiction and historical fiction books of the Civil War era. Unlike Lotz House that embraces the idea of the property being haunted, the Trust is quick to deflect comments of visitors about hauntings. Not a ghost story on their shelves. Rather, their focus is the historical details. At the heart of my work is the same - meticulous attention to facts woven through the fiction that drives the tales and pulls the reader in.

I wrote to the decision maker at the Trust and offered to deliver him a copy of the book along with a synopsis and reviews that touted the history in its pages in hopes that they would see the ghosts as the vehicle for the history that they truly are.

No. They didn’t. Mostly because they didn’t read it. Never even accepted the copy I offered. With much pre-conceived prejudice against the spirits mentioned in the synopsis, they dismissed me out of hand.

I was gutted. All along the way, I had promoted their cause, brought people to the homes for the historical tours, and even promoted them on social media as I did readings from the book that took place at those locations. I supported the Battle of Franklin Trust and was grateful for their curation of the history that helped me shape my characters. I was hurt and angry. My books that shared the same history they do are not welcome in their gift shops.

Had they read the book and decided it wasn’t for them, that might have been easier to take. Being dismissed without reading my work was, well, insulting and confusing.

I nursed that hurt for a little while. Author and friend Hank Phillippi Ryan put a question in my mind that I’ve been pondering. If I had known that using the spirits to tell the story would result in my book being, for lack of a better word, banned by the Battle of Franklin Trust that I had been so supportive of, would I have made a different decision in my approach to the story? 

The answer is simple. No. Too many readers have heaped praise on the book and marveled at how a ghost story could tug on their heartstrings. Too many have fallen in love with the town through the pages of the book. Too many new friendships and connections have been made as a result of this book being what it is. No. I wouldn’t change a single word if it meant losing all of those things.

It was painful to be snubbed when I felt the Trust and I were on the same path of sharing the stories of the ten thousand human lives at the heart of that terrible day. I will carry the sting of that with me for a while, if I’m honest. However, banned or not, House of Mirrors and the souls in the story, both modern and historical, have taken on lives of their own in the hearts of readers and I am humbled and grateful for that. I wouldn’t change a word and will continue to support the work of the Trust whether they support mine or not. The stories are worth it. And, after all, it’s all about the story.

HANK: What an experience. What do you think, reds and readers? What decision would you have made?

Originally from south Louisiana, Nola Nash now makes her home in Brentwood , Tennessee. She grew up in Baton Rouge, but her biggest writing inspiration was the city of New Orleans that gave her at an early age a love of the magic, mystery, and history. When she isn’t writing, Nola is an online high school instructional coach and podcast host on Dead Folks Tales and BYOB for Authors on the Air Global Radio Network. She is the author of four books: CRESCENT CITY MOON, CRESCENT CITY SIN, TRAVELER, and HOUSE OF MIRRORS.