What if you blended history with fairy tales and dreams?
With that thought, I began working on a series called The Dreams. For over a year, I’ve been researching the Battle of Chickamauga in north Georgia. (Those who follow the US Civil War will understand how complex and brutal the battle was.) From there, I began looking into the universal appeal of fairy tales and folklore, and what makes the stories so topical in our contemporary society. (They tap into our collective consciousness and their appeal is timeless. More on this is on my personal blog www.huntersjones.com). In studying that area, I discovered that many cultures share similar tales, sagas and fables. And, I’ve been a student of dreams and the subconscious for a lifetime, so it was easy to develop a plotline where symbols, imagery and a vivid dream world merge.
Most of us have had at least one incident where we have shared a dream with someone close to us. In The Dreams, rock star James van Lee (stage name Jago) shares a dream world with Dr. Maggie Pickett, a professor on folklore at Emory University. In Story 1, Lovers & Sinners, the separate worlds of James and Maggie were introduced. James is charismatic and his abusive past lead him to seek adoration from the stage. Along the way he meets his best friend and mentor who, along with his band, TASTE, become the family he has always yearned for.
Maggie is from a small Southern town and has loved Rhett Turnquest her entire life. But, Rhett is drawn to the seductive allure of Maggie’s best friend, Annie Bragg. The three move to Atlanta–Maggie and Rhett pursue their education, while Annie changes her name to Natasha and seeks fame as a rock singer.
Past, Darkly begins in Chickamauga during theReconstruction Era which followed the Civil War. The Chattanooga area has a different history than most Southern cities in that the town grew from a tiny population to over 8,ooo people following the war, the majority of whom where Northerners. In the generation before the war, the Chattanooga and Chickamaua areas were part of the Cherokee Nation. With the influx of industrialists and entrepreneurs, medicine shows were popular in the area, as Chattanooga had been a medical hub in the Civil War. The shows were the only way to sell medicine in a time where only a few men came back from the war intact – both physically and mentally. Plus they gave a rural population some much needed entertainment in the era before vaudeville and radio. In this era, James is the medicine man in a traveling show and finds Maggie abandoned in a field. The subplot develops from there. Here’s a list of the characters in 1873 and 2016:
1873
James van Lee, real name of traveling medicine man Dr. Garrett Cleighton
Maggie Pickett, lost waif found by James in Chickamauga, Georgia
Rhett Turnquest, performer in the traveling show, spice trader and notorious womanizer.
Natasha, Rhett’s favorite prostitute during the Civil War, now a dancer in ‘Dr. Cleighton’s show.
Frank Vletzen, primary investor in Cleighton’s Original Kaleidoscopic Elixir and the traveling show which sells it.
Sugar, widow with a small farm who sells herbs to the show in order to make the elixir.
Charlotte, the French wife of the owner of the Stanton Hotel in Chattanooga.
Moz, bearded lady in the traveling show.
2016
James van Lee, rock star Jago
Dr. Maggie Pickett, Emory University professor
Rhett Turnquest, med student and lifelong love of Maggie.
Natasha, rock wannabe and lifelong seductress of Rhett. Maggie’s best childhood friend.
Frank Vletzen, James best friend and mentor.
Sugar, Frank’s protegy and European actress; ménage partner of Frank and James.
Aunt Charlotte, the fairy godmother and Maggie’s aunt.
Moz Art, guitarist in James’ band, TASTE.
The contemporary story finds James and Maggie meeting at an encounter unknowingly arranged by Rhett and Natasha. You’ll have to read it to see how the fairy tale evolves. I’ve drawn heavily from the Russian story of The Firebird , The Ice Queen, and the French version of Sleeping Beauty, along with some Russian history and even connected it with Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. The book includes exclusive photographs shared with the permission of the Library of Congress. And, there is a special picture from the first school in the US to be co-ed and open to all races and ethnic backgrounds. That school was in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Thank you in advance for reading my book. As you can probably surmise, this story is truly a labor of love; to me a magical combination of historical facts, rock & roll, and make believe. Many thanks for allowing me to share my creative process with you!
Look for an upcoming dream journal to accompany the series, which will be available soon. I’ve worked extensively in developing that with Dr. Beth Lynne, Ed.D, and a Jungian dream analyst to allow those who dream to better understand the symbols and motifs hidden within behind a wall of sleep.