When Deb Norton describes her writing process, it sounds almost as magical as her latest book, “The Daughters of Veah.” The plot of the novel for young adults follows a witch named Oshira Zahn on her quest to recover stolen gems belonging to the goddess of Palandine, one of four planets that, along with Earth, make up the mystical Pentaworld.
“It’s really a story about good and evil, but then sometimes those lines are blurry,” Norton says. One takeaway from the story, she says, is that “family isn’t always biological — family is who sticks by you in the tough times.”
“The Daughters of Veah” is Norton’s second self-published book. The first, “Dingley Island: The Story so Far,” came out in 2019. “Dingley Island,” which borrows its name from the island on the east side of Harpswell, is a work of fantasy for young adults set in the same world as “Daughters of Veah.”
As with “Dingley Island,” “Daughters of Veah” — although fantastical — draws extensively from Norton’s deep knowledge of Harpswell.
Norton says a friend, after reading “Daughters of Veah,” told her, “You’ve written a lot of places in Harpswell and they’re in your book and people could actually go there.”
Norton, who grew up on Great Island and lives there now, says she wrote fictionalized versions of Land’s End Gift Shop, Holbrook’s General Store, Pammy’s Ice Cream Parlor, and Cranberry Hill Cemetery into her book. Its protagonist, the witch Oshira, is from a family of seven sisters who grew up on “a great peninsula along the coast of Maine.”
But Norton says she got the original inspiration for the book in Montana, where she lived for 12 years. “It really is big sky country out there — everything seems larger, and sharply in focus,” she says.
The story didn’t gel until she moved back to her home state in 2008. She had started writing both “Dingley Island” and “Daughters of Veah” in 2006, but when she moved, “the storyline took an abrupt 180,” she says. “All sorts of threads or jigsaw pieces fell into place when I was writing.”
Norton, who writes at home, is inspired by the Harpswell landscape. “Sometimes I take walks down to the shore,” she says, naming Laurel Cove as a favorite spot.
Conversations at the Harpswell Nature School, where Norton has taught preschool since 2010, also can lead to stories. In particular, she remembers a debate about whether fairies are real.
“I love allowing the kids to have the time to explore and do free-range art,” she says of her work at the school. “I’m awed by some of the things that the kids make.”
Norton shares their creative spirit.
“I paint with words,” she says of her process. “When I start writing, I have a specific focus, but then as I’m writing, the ideas come out of thin air.”
Norton also paints in the literal sense, making cards and miniature paintings of the Maine coast, and she enjoys photography. Some of her art was on display during a recent event at Pelzer Café in Bath, where she read from “Daughters of Veah.” She also is looking forward to a reading at Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta this spring.
“It’s sometimes a little difficult to put yourself out there,” Norton admits, “but so far I’ve only had good reviews.”
Norton is at work on a third book, “The Season of the Lady Slippers,” which is intended for the age range she teaches. “Lady Slippers,” which Norton is illustrating with her own photographs, is about a vernal pool in spring.
“An idea pops into my head,” she adds, “and I just go with it.”
“Daughters of Veah” was released Aug. 24 by Newman Springs Publishing. It’s available for purchase from Barnes & Noble, Bull Moose, and multiple Sherman’s locations, as well as on Amazon. A copy is available for borrowing at the Cundy’s Harbor Library, which celebrated the book’s publication with a gathering this summer.
