When asked, ” What made you become an author?” The answers will vary from individual to individual. I believe everyone has a story to tell…some do it song, poetry, others on canvas, and still others on the big or small screen.
I always dreamed of being an author.
Writing was my release when I was young. A place to put happy memories, hurt feelings and create a world to escape.
In my early teens, all my stories were accidently thrown away, never to be found. Being young, an emotional teen and hormonal…you can guess that the meltdown was Oscar worthy. And of course…I got over it but what it caused was a writer’s block that lasted for some thirty years. I still would write small stories, poems…bad ones and lyrics…even worse but anything longer was written in my head only. An inherit fear of loss stalled anything longer than a few pages.
Life went on…I moved to Alaska, got married, became a stepmom to two adult children and was an instant grandmother of four. I also enjoyed a successful career in media sales both print and radio. It’s funny how life takes you where you need to go.
Radio afforded me the chance to be creative…even for just 60 seconds.
Fast forward some 25 years…grandkids are grown with kids of their own…my now late husband and I have moved to the warmer climate of Nevada for his health and three years later in 2016, I got kicked in the gut with tragedy.
My best friend of over 27 years died after a valiant fought battle against cancer, my dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor a month before Mary died, opted for no surgery and died nine days after she did. Two and half months after that my mom died, complications with Alzheimer’s.
As you can imagine, my life went into a bit of tail spin since not only was I dealing with grief, I was executor of both my parent’s wills.
The next year was a learning experience in paying bills, taxes and understanding probate. Not much time to grieve.
It was 18 months after Mary’s death that a sadness overtook me like a tidal wave. I missed my friend so very much. February was the month of both our births and seemed like a good time to write her a letter.
That was depressing task…
I switched gears and in my mind’s eye was sitting on the dock at our family cabin in Northern Idaho.
It was then I started ‘All In A Daydream’ and brought Mary back to life. I also decided on my penname which is an homage to both my parents. Using my middle name to honor my mom who chose it and the last name of my father since I was adopted and very proud to have it still.
Within two weeks I was past the blockage state and five weeks later a book was written.
The story is simple but sincere and I wanted nothing more than to continue writing.
Over the next year book two came into being while book one was being edited for print.
‘Dreams Come True?’ went through a few rewrites. I found my writing improved as most things do with practice.
‘All In A Daydream’ came out in March of 2020, at the being of the pandemic. Talk about bad timing.
In December of that year, I lost my husband of 28 years.
With the love and support of friends and family, 2021 started sad but ended on a high note with ‘Dreams Come True?’ being released in October and I was given the distinct honor of being inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
So…what’s next?
Cain and Becca’s story isn’t over…Book 3 ‘The Dreamer’ is set to be released in January 2024.
After that…it’s not written…yet.