Callie Murray has built businesses, raised seven kids, and now added debut novelist to her ever-growing resume — and somehow, it all connects. In this episode of UrbanEbb, Rico sits down with the Norcross-based entrepreneur, HR consultant, and grassroots marketer to talk about her debut historical fiction novel The Brunswick, a story inspired by a true Holocaust-era rescue mission that Callie reimagined right in her own Historic Norcross backyard. From a chance plane ride finish of a YA pirate novel to nine drafts, one life-changing agent call at a middle school musical, and a two-book publishing deal, Callie's path to authorship is as unconventional and compelling as the story she set out to tell. But The Brunswick is more than a novel — it's a reflection of Callie's own journey through foster care and adoption. Written before her family of five became a family of nine, the book's themes of children in need of safe harbor and communities rallying around families mirrored her real life in ways she never could have planned. With proceeds going to foster and adoptive families through local nonprofit Promise 686, and her second book already in progress, Callie Murray is proof that the best stories often find you — sometimes just a block or two from your front door. Podcast Takeaways: The idea struck mid-flight. Callie's journey to writing began on a plane when she finished a YA novel and read the author's note — realizing that becoming a novelist is something you train for, not something you're born doing.Research led to the story. After landing, she Googled "foster care, World War II" and discovered a true story buried in the Holocaust Encyclopedia about a Jewish couple who brought 50 refugee children to America on a visa loophole — the seed of The Brunswick.She brought the story home. Unable to picture 1939 Philadelphia, Callie moved the setting to Historic Norcross, weaving in real local landmarks, figures, and history — including the Brunswick Hotel, now the site of a veterinary clinic near Thrasher Park.She treated writing like athletic training. Inspired by her husband's race training, Callie pitched writing a novel the same way — carving out dedicated time, studying the craft through books and podcasts, and building toward a finished product deliberately.Feedback transformed the book. Early drafts featured a passive protagonist and a too-neat resolution. Honest notes from her best friend and an early agent rejection pushed Callie to sit with discomfort and rewrite — producing what readers now cite as their favorite moments.The agent call came at the worst possible moment. Callie received the call from her agent confirming her book deal during intermission at a middle school musical — and had to sit through the entire second act, front row center, unable to check her email.Her second book is already in progress. Set in 1938 Thomasville, Georgia, it follows Nellie, a woman with dyslexia (called "word blindness" at the time) who lands a writing job with FDR's Federal Writers Project — inspired by Callie's own daughter's experience with dyslexia.The book's proceeds fund real families. Within two weeks of launch, The Brunswick had already generated $11,000 in grants through Promise 686, a Peachtree Corners-based nonprofit supporting foster, adoptive, and biological families in need.Life imitated art. Callie wrote a book about children finding refuge in a new family before her own family doubled — four children joined through foster care the day her manuscript was approved, and their adoption finalized the same week the book launched.Local community rallied around the launch. Freckles & Co. bookstore in Norcross dedicated their entire window display to The Brunswick, Refuge Coffee created a signature "Brunswick" drink, and local businesses organized a scavenger hunt and art contest around the book's cover. Timestamp: 00:00:49 – Introduction and Callie Murray's entrepreneurial background 00:02:14 – From The Big Fake Wedding to HR consulting and fiction writing 00:05:05 – The plane ride that sparked the idea to become a novelist 00:06:19 – Discovering the true story that inspired The Brunswick 00:08:13 – Learning the craft of writing and "training" to write a novel 00:09:13 – Developing characters and finding Cora's voice 00:10:46 – Why Norcross and the Brunswick Hotel became central to the story 00:12:12 – Historical research, local history, and connecting the dots 00:13:34 – Writer's block, difficult edits, and reshaping the ending 00:18:17 – Finding an agent and securing a publishing deal 00:19:52 – The memorable phone call announcing her book deal 00:22:25 – Teasing book two and a new historical fiction setting in Georgia 00:24:12 – Foster care, adoption, and Promise 686's influence on the novel 00:26:26 – Supporting families through book proceeds and grant funding 00:27:14 – How the book release coincided with the family's adoption journey 00:33:05 – Community support from Norcross businesses and local organizations 00:34:31 – Where readers can connect with Callie and follow future projects
