I have written my first novel, a Young Adult fictional adventure. No details of the plot, characters, or manuscript have been shared online or elsewhere.

For a taste of my creative writing, please see Part of My World: Short Stories. It is a slim collection of my fiction work, available in paperback or Kindle.

HOW IT BEGAN

On March 26th, 2009 I had a dream that changed everything.

In the dream, my (real-life) friend and I were in an action sequence of sorts.  What I saw was the two of us, as we actually looked in real life, doing something that in it’s simplest form sounds uninteresting.  The whole sequence probably took just about 5 minutes or so, and then it was over.

What I knew, was a whole other thing.  I knew she and I were two defined other characters.  I saw our faces, bodies, hair, but I knew that “we” were these two other characters, and I knew every single physical and emotional detail about them.  They were completely formed, and I knew why they were where they were, what they were doing, where they were about to go. I woke up and immediately wrote it down.

Then I kept writing.

The characters blossomed in my head, talking to each other,  talking to me.  Other characters around them started talking, too. I decided that no matter what, no matter how long it took, I would finish this book. Everything about it has felt special.

I have worked on my book while enjoying my blog Let Me Start By Saying as an outlet for answering both fiction and memoir writing prompts for critique by various online writing groups, and sharing humorous and introspective commentary on life and parenting. Over the years, I have built a successful and interactive platform. My work has resulted in various awards and professional writing gigs, which can be seen here, and I have since appeared in nine books–including a New York Times Bestseller.

I have a wonderful group of readers who have been cheering me on during this process, a manuscript about to be handed over to the people that could make it come to life, and a gratefulness inside me that is impossible to measure.

WHAT IT IS ABOUT

It is a fictional Young Adult adventure story that will pull you right in, with a cast of characters you will relate to, cheer for, and get angry with.

THANK YOU

I truly appreciate the support I am getting from real-life friends and family, from virtual friends online, and the blogging community who I see reading my journey here.  I feel cheered on. I cannot wait to be able to one day share my story with you all.