Faith Morrell McIntosh was selected as CBAA's Literary Grant recipient for the 2015 cycle. Below, Faith tells us a bit about herself, how the CBAA Literary Grant helped her, and most importantly, about her forthcoming novel, Prisoner on the Mountain.
For a first look into Prisoner on the Mountain, visit Faith's website, Books By Faith.
“My eyes were glued to the princess. Her skin was almost as white as the dolls in the town’s storefronts, her cheeks just as rosy, and her golden hair fell long and straight below her shoulders. Her small, heart-shaped mouth turned upward in a half-smile…she looked like an angel.”
“In the dim light, I stared hard at myself in the mirror…my skin was brown, not white. No rosy flush separated the color of my cheeks from the rest of my face; my eyes were dark brown, not blue; my hair was coarse and black, not fine and golden. I grasped strands of my hair and pulled them out straight, but they sprang back into a kinky curl. I pressed my lips together, trying to get them to look as thin as hers, but their fullness burst forth again; there was no way of hiding them. Everything about me was too big, too long, too dark, too poor and too ugly.”
“Try as I might, the ugly trap of jealousy had ensnared me, and wouldn’t easily release its hold. And, some nights, when all was quiet except for the chirping of crickets, I laid in bed still yearning for what I did not have, and still envying what I was not.”
- Excerpt, Prisoner on the Mountain, Faith Morrell McIntosh
About the Author
I was born in the Caribbean, where I enjoyed a happy, carefree childhood and where, at the age of 3, I had already begun writing little stories.
At 12 years old, having emigrated to Hartford, Connecticut from the multi/inter-racial island of Jamaica, I was initially horrified at the way people of color were treated in this country, but worked hard to adjust to my new life. [pullQuote position="right"]"Many parts of this manuscript, Prisoner on the Mountain, stemmed from my own feelings of self-doubt, insecurity and jealousy as a young girl regarding skin color and beauty." [/pullQuote]Naturally creative, I resumed my compositions of fictional tales and also took up painting. I attended Catholic schools where I excelled academically as well as creatively, won the Art award upon high-school graduation and had the honor of seeing one of my paintings published in the city’s largest newspaper – the Hartford Courant. From there, I continued my education at Cornell University. However, although writing was my first love, I mistakenly believed that it was no way to make a living, pursued another creative field – interior space-planning and graduated with a B.S. in Design and Ergonomics.
After college, I returned to Connecticut, married, and secured employment as an interior space-planner/designer for a major architectural firm before continuing my career at both Cigna and Aetna insurance companies. When my marriage fell apart, I moved to the west coast and continued working in the design industry, eventually founding my own interior space-planning firm where I held contracts for GTE California (now Verizon) and other large industries, and was commended with the Employee of the Year Award for my creative designs of their office buildings.
I met my second husband in California. A physician, he afforded me the luxury of time to complete my manuscript. We relocated to Florida where I currently work for Broward Health and in my spare time, write resume’s and prepare high-school students for the SAT exams in Grammar and Reading Comprehension, with the dream of eventually fulfilling my true childhood passion – being an author.
About Prisoner on the Mountain
Prisoner on the Mountain can be described as Inspirational Fiction with strong elements of the supernatural. Based on an illusory planet, it mimics actual events on Earth, and addresses our realities without making specific allusions. A glance into the human psyche, it is a universal study of racism, plunder, politics and violence as well as a specific and intimate tale about the feminine struggle with beauty as it relates to self-worth. [pullQuote position="left"]"...a universal study of racism, plunder, politics and violence...as well as a specific and intimate tale about the feminine struggle with beauty as it relates to self-worth."[/pullQuote]This book could establish a unique and best-selling genre; the closest work to which I could compare it may be Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist.
Jade’s story has been written. All she needs is a strong voice to tell it.
The Premise
- That two young women, from completely opposite backgrounds, can become inseparable friends
- That women, especially black women, are powerful beyond their wildest dreams
- That war, hatred, prejudice and jealousy are fruitless
- That beauty, wealth and being white doesn’t guarantee happiness in this lifetime
Why Prisoner on the Mountain?
I’ve read that an author’s first novel is somewhat autobiographical. I’m no different in that regard. Many parts of this manuscript, Prisoner on the Mountain, stemmed from my own feelings of self-doubt, insecurity and jealousy as a young girl regarding skin color and beauty.As strange as this may sound, my biggest inspiration was Diana, Princess of Wales. We got married a few days apart in 1981, and although I enjoyed planning my own wedding, I was consumed with the worldwide spectacle that was hers in comparison. I followed her life closely afterward, always feeling a twinge of jealousy, comparing my unremarkable existence to her incredibly fabulous one, believing her to have everything anyone could ever want.[pullQuote position="right"]"... create a young, black heroine... who would triumph in the end due to mental fortitude as well as an incredible destiny..."[/pullQuote]
To discover, along with the rest of the world, that her life was actually steeped in misery, brought home the truth of the old adages - “all that glitters is not gold” and “things are not always what they seem.” Several years after she died and observing the increasing obsession with cosmetic surgery and the attainment of physical “perfection” that had overtaken Generations X and now Y, I decided to weave this tale. It started out as a simple Young Adult story geared toward girls struggling with self-doubt, but I developed it further, maturing it into a universal study of racism, plunder, politics, violence and love. Adding to the drama, I incorporated elements of action-adventure, suspense and a touch of the mystical. My intention was to create a young, black heroine who would start out dealing with poverty and abuse, but who would triumph in the end due to mental fortitude as well as an incredible destiny, and all who’ve read it thus far have told me I’ve accomplished just that.
Who is it for?
Any and everyone, though it will likely be targeted towards females in the young adult market.
How can we get it?
Unfortunately, although written in its entirety, Prisoner on the Mountain has not yet been published. The Cornell Black Alumni Association Literary Grant enabled me to hire a professional editor to review and critique. I’m currently working with her to make this an even more powerful story, and in the meantime, have established a website – booksbyfaith.weebly.com. A Facebook page is also underway.