Trenna McMullin and Makayla Nielson started as friends when they met each other through their husbands who grew up together. Fast forward a few years, and now they’re co-authors of a new book titled “The Voyage of Clara Bowman.”
It’s a no-spice romantic fantasy novel that follows the journey of a girl who travels across the ocean to escape religious persecution while experiencing the world around her. She becomes involved in a captivating love triangle while on the open sea.
McMullin told BYU-Idaho Radio how their ideas came together to form the book.
“Somehow, it turned into our current idea for ‘The Voyage of Clara Bowman,’ which was essentially if ‘Ann of Green Gables’ went on an Indiana Jones-style adventure to find a safe haven for her people,” McMullin said.
McMullin says an invitation from Nielson got the process going.
“A few years ago, I put out a call for people who wanted to join an online writing group and Makayla was like, ‘Oh I’d love to,’ and I was like, ‘I didn’t know you wrote!” McMullin said. “Then Makayla reached out and asked, ‘How would you feel about writing a book together?’ It’s been absolutely fabulous. Makayla is so great to work with.”
The two use a process composed of throwing their ideas on a Google doc, editing and tweaking each other’s writings and Marco Polo-ing each other back and forth.
Nielson says their new release has had a positive impact overall.
“It’s something that people can pick up and feel good about after they read it and while they read it,” Nielson said. “When people are done reading it, they say they’re left with good feelings and optimism.”
Nielson hopes the book can have a special place in people’s hearts.
“The dream would be for someone to think about it after and for it to be a little part of you that you take with you as you grow,” Nielson. “I would hope that it’s something that people can look back on and think, ‘That was a good story and it was good for me.’”
Nielson and McMullin anticipate a four-book series, with the final book tying the first three together.
For more information on the book and where to get it, go to Nielson or McMullin’s website, or you can buy it on Amazon.