Books

As a writer, I never realized I could come so far in just two years but I can say unequivocally that I have had the faith. Whenever someone tells me no, it can’t
be done, I don’t listen; I find a way to prove them wrong. When you are doing what you know you were put here on this planet to do, it tends to work that way.

My literary journey really began when, through a flash fiction contest with Women on Writing, I was offered an interview with Angela MackIntosh, now the CEO
of the monthly e-zine (click HERE to read the interview). This is a publication that receives approximately 70 thousand hits a month and since my first book,
Silencing Sarah, had already been picked up by a new e-publisher, I was afforded a fantastic venue in which to promote it. The best part about it was that my
own writing had brought it all about, not a friend that knows a friend, but my writing. That’s the best feeling in the world for a writer; to know that something
you’ve written has earned you a commendation, a prize far more valuable than the rarest of gems.

My hard work and diligence didn’t end there, however. After my editor suggested I try for an author endorsement, I contacted New York Times best selling
author, Adriana Trigiani, and asked her if she might read the galley of Silencing Sarah. Much to my delight, she said yes and then upon reading the book,
offered this blurb for the cover: "M.L. Cordle has a lifelong love affair with the glorious mountains of Virginia, and the vivid characters who inhabit those hills.
She descends from a long line of plucky Scottish, Irish and English settlers. However, this is just the diving board from which she wrote SILENCING SARAH.
Ms. Cordle's debut novel is a thrilling hayride of a story, plucked from her own dreamscape, filled with romance, secrets and insight into the world beyond. I
highly recommend this novel, from a Virginia native, who writes passionately and personally about a place she loves, where her own dreams were born."

What some folks may not understand is just how important Adriana’s support means to me. Every writer who is serious about getting published will hit the
Writer’s Market hard and receive their share of rejections before ever receiving a bite on their book. I know what it is like to be rejected and so knowing that
someone like Adriana supports my work is huge. I want aspiring writers everywhere to read Adriana’s blurb on my book and know that they, to quote
Winston Churchill, should "never, never, never give up"!

In reference to what Adriana said, I am indeed, a lifelong sojourner of the mysterious and rustic mountains of southwest Virginia, and descend from a proud
line of Scotch-Irish and English settlers. Having a rampant imagination since babyhood and a compelling need to put stories onto paper, I have spent
numerous years writing creatively, but for the past ten years have focused on projects that have helped me to find my niche as an author.

To learn how to be a better observer I began painting and sketching every day, ultimately selling over two hundred of my pieces to thirty-eight different
states across America. I enjoyed meeting some very wonderful people along the way, and learned a great deal about the old adage, ‘beauty is in the eye of
beholder’. I enjoy speaking to groups about the craft of writing. I have been invited to speak at schools about my work and about my personal experiences
as a writer.

Over time, I’ve gained a fundamental understanding of Appalachian history and its people, and feel that I can incorporate much of what I’ve learned into my
contemporary stories by way of Appalachian folklore. In truth, I spent all of 2003 and 2004 compiling information on the Scotch-Irish and English immigrants
that predominantly settled in my region, and from whom I descend. I completed two books on my ancestry, using every resource available to me, often
missing nights of sleep while exhausting them. Again, so many fascinating and supportive individuals entered my life, and for their insight and kindness I’ll
always be grateful.

Once completing my research, I spent the next year excavating the house site (circa 1790) of my 2nd Great Grandparents, during which time I also began
simultaneously studying the mind at sleep. In the summer of 2005 I began writing a story inspired from a dream I had recorded in my journal. I was offered a
contract for this single title in March of 2007.

I tend to write about the things I find most fascinating in life – the complexity of the human mind and spirit, the psychological breaks that cause people to
become monsters, and the paranormal. If you tell me there are no such things as ghosts, I will just smile.

In addition to writing and talking about the craft thereof, I enjoy helping other writers in my free time, spending time perusing the banks of the Clinch River,
visiting ancient cemeteries, and conversing with the loves of my life – my husband Brett and daughter Leah. My life goal is to never stop traveling and
learning.