I’ve noticed that one particular question keeps popping up in conversations so I figured it would make for a great inaugural blog post… But first, let me say THANK YOU! The fact that you’re reading this demonstrates your love and support, which humbles my grateful heart.

What was your writing journey like?

What a wild ride! It actually went more quickly than I anticipated, but I think that’s because it was in the making before I was truly aware of it. 

In March of 2023, two months before retiring from my long teaching career, I was driving my son to school so early in the morning that I think I was still kind of half-asleep. (Why exactly do high schools start when it’s practically still dark outside?!) As I was driving, I suddenly had an idea. The idea. But the crazy thing was that it was like a download. It was a fully-formed thought that came out of nowhere, and I couldn’t trace back to where it came from. In an instant, I knew the premise of the book, I could see the two main characters, and I understood their relationship. What’s even crazier is that I was so entrenched in the typical workload that comes with the end of an academic year, I wasn’t even thinking about writing a novel! That time in my life was so busy that I felt like I was treading water and finding my way through one day at a time. And yet, there it was.

The idea.

I didn’t mention it to anyone, but it rested there in my brain. Two days later, some former students of mine came by to visit and one of them asked me what I was going to do once I left the classroom. I turned the question around on him and jokingly requested a suggestion. Without hesitation, he told me I should write. That’s not the shocking part. He continued with a general description of the exact idea that had been floating about since that fateful car ride. 

In that moment, I knew God was at work and I needed to listen.

I gathered my ideas and jotted down notes throughout the summer, planning to hit the ground running as soon as school picked up again and I’d have quiet days to work on it. August came and went, and before I knew it, it was September and I was still dilly-dallying and finding excuses not to write. All of the excuses other than the real one, which I knew from the start would haunt me: Fear of failure.

And then in October, God nudged me. This time, it was a little harder. Like He knew I needed a slap.

A friend of mine called. And not just called, but called me OUT. Now let’s be clear. We were more acquaintances at the time. We barely knew each other, we had coffee once, and maybe a total of five conversations. And yet there she was, calling me out on my excuses and telling me that she was going to hold me accountable for writing at least five times a week. It was a painful phone call for me, but I still tell her how grateful I am that she forced me to voice my fears out loud and galvanized me into action. It was that phone call that kicked my writing journey into high gear.

I wrote nonstop for eight months. Weekdays were for writing, while weekends were for reading, revising, and editing. I finished Through Quick and Quinn on May 15, submitted it to Defiance on June 3, and received an offer on June 12. 

Now that’s God’s doing. No question about it.