How All of This Got Started

I’ve decided to start giving updates on my work (and life) progress: what’s coming up, what’s going on, and where things are headed. I’ll post it all here for you to read at your leisure.  

I guess I should tell you how this all came about, maybe a little more in-depth than what I’ve talked about before.

I’ve mentioned on Facebook that I wrote the first book because I’d made a deal with my son. My son, Z, had just finished his first semester in college and was not a fan.  He wanted to quit even though he had a full academic scholarship for a four-year degree.  I tried everything in my mom arsenal - you know what I’m talking about.  First there was the ‘let’s talk this through until you see my point’ and then it was ‘you’re going to do this, dammit!’.  When those didn’t work, I tried guilt.  I’m not proud of it, but I was desperate by that point.  

A little backstory:  I was a single mom until I met my husband when my son was 10.  Z remembered our struggle with me working two jobs, trying to keep up with his school schedule, and still fit in quality time with my boy.  We were always on a strict budget that afforded us a safe place to live and all the necessities like water and electricity, but we ate ramen and pretended we liked it fairly regularly.  (I talk about that in Atlas’s book, actually.)  At 18, Z was mature enough to realize how hard it had been for the two of us, even though I’d tried to shield him as much as I could.  

As bad as it sounds, I tried to use those memories to convince him to stay in college.  I told him I wanted him to get an education that would help him avoid the struggles I’d had.  I explained that there wasn’t a whole lot I really wanted in this life.  I wanted to own my own home - and just a few months before that, my dream had become a reality.  I also wanted to write a romance novel just to see if I could, and I wanted my son to get a college education.  Those dreams might not sound like much to some people, but to me, they were very important.  

My son is a strong-willed guy (I can’t imagine where that came from!), and he wasn’t bending.  He had his mind set on quitting college and exploring the world.  Finally, I just asked him, “What do I have to do to get you to stay in school?”  He didn’t have a quick answer, but thought about it for a few days instead before  he struck a deal with me over dinner one night.  He said that he’d stay in school on one condition - I had to write a romance novel and make my own dream come true while he worked toward a degree to fulfill my other one.  I instantly agreed!  That was just too easy, right?  

At the time, I was working full-time in a job I loved but there was really no opportunity for me to advance within the company, and the stress of dealing with a toxic co-worker ate at me every minute of the day.  I settled for that and had to because I didn’t have a degree to fall back on, only the work experience I had built over time.  I didn’t even have a computer at home, so sitting down to write never even crossed my mind.  I was at a desk all day long, and I really didn’t think I could sit still and put in a few more hours at home when there was cooking and cleaning to be done.  

As happens to all of us with busy lives, time got away from me.  In the blink of an eye, the next semester of college was over, and my son told me that he was going to quit because I hadn’t fulfilled my end of the bargain.  I had a month before it was time for him to register for the next semester, and if I didn’t have something in progress, he was going to quit and lose his scholarship.  

I couldn’t let that happen!  

I got a refurbished computer from Amazon, set it up on my beat-up craft table in the front room of our house away from the TV and other distractions, and set out to write a book.  I had a million story ideas in my head, so it should have been simple, right?  But when the pressure is on and you’re staring at that blinking cursor, it seems like every idea you’ve ever had just disappears into thin air.  I started at least 10 stories over the next few weeks and knew that none of them would be good enough to publish because I just wasn’t in love with the characters or the storylines.  

Sam and Carlie’s story came to me while I was driving home from work one afternoon.  As soon as I walked in the front door, I rushed over to the computer and opened a new document to get my ideas down.  By dinner time, I had the first two chapters completed and could barely tear myself away to eat with my family.  

That was the first of many nights that my husband took the reins and fed the family while I was off in my fantasy world with people I’d created.  Now, two years later, we’ve found a good rhythm.  I write while he’s at work and then I spend time with the family over dinner.  After everyone is settled, I go back to my desk for a while longer.  

I’m an early morning and late night person, as odd as that sounds.  I seem to be more focused first thing in the morning while I enjoy my coffee and then my productivity and focus tapers off after lunch but comes back in the late evening and well into the night.  It makes for a very strange sleep schedule, but I’ve adapted as has my family.  None of them even bat an eye when I head off to my bedroom for my afternoon nap.  

I’ve got quite a few books out now and notes on more than I can  count.  I’ve got multiple series planned and a list of books I plan to write and release that goes out until the end of 2024!  

I love what I do and can’t believe I waited this long to start, but I believe that everything comes to you at the right time as long as you keep your eyes and mind open to the opportunities that rush by.  I had to go through those lean times and experience those crazy years to get to where I am today, and that’s reflected in my writing.  

My writing is not about billionaires and hot chicks who just can’t find the right man, although I’ve enjoyed reading plenty of stories in that vein.  I like to think that I put real life into each of my books: the good, the bad, the sad, and the joy.  There’s a little part of me and my life in each story, and not all of it’s sunshine and rainbows.  Luckily, my readers seem to like the way I do things. I hope they continue to enjoy my stories just as much as I love to write them.  

I appreciate every person who dives into the worlds I’ve created, and I love to talk about the characters and the crazy things that happen in my imaginary worlds.  I’ll keep writing as long as that joy doesn’t fade on either side. I hope that doesn’t happen for many, many years to come because I’ve got so much more to tell!