How I Got the Idea for My Next Book

The year was 2010 and I was wearing my black velvet dress, standing awkwardly in the middle of rows of wooden pews, speaking around the ache in my throat, wondering why I was willing to say anything in front of so many people.

But there was a deeper feeling inside of me than fear, one that wanted to pay tribute to the life of a woman who’d been there for me every moment I’d breathed, an advocate in every sense of the word. She wasn’t with me anymore; I’d never see her again until heaven brought us together. I missed her generosity and funny nicknames and the way she’d stroke my hair, and shouldn’t the world know these things too?

More than just my aunt had been taken from me; it was an entire era of my life that was gone. It was the stories and the familial bonds and my uncle moving away. The two of them were such a fixture to me, it was like a foundation being removed. And I’d miss it, miss their stories, miss their relationship, miss their witness of faith. I’d spent my whole life in awe at the crazy things they’d done and the way their love had been tested and how God had carried them through.

My brother and I had often joked that someone should make a movie of their story. And, as I stood there, trying not to break down at her funeral, I realized that their story should be shared. So I told everyone there that I was going to do it.

Flash forward to 2021, and I was writing my first book, a memoir about my father, including so many memories of my aunt and uncle. I remembered that moment at her funeral and my resolve, so far lacking. I was writing about things that were very important to me, but that was too. As my love of writing and telling stories grew, so did my need to share the stories of the rest of my family.

But how to do it? I’d done a memoir, and I loved it. But memoirs have pretty strict rules about writing the exact truth and that was important for my father’s story, but that didn’t seem as necessary with this one. I also yearned to write fiction, my first love.

So I was able to marry my two needs, sharing the story of my aunt and uncle and being able to write fiction. I planned to adapt their lives into a historical fiction novel, crafting a narrative structure that real life doesn’t replicate. In this way, I could fulfill my promise to myself, share the amazing story of two incredible people I admired, and further the writing that I longed to do.

How and when to do it was another thing. As any author knows, writing a book takes a lot of time and energy. I’d managed to write my first book during a sabbatical from work. But since self-publishing that, I’d started working again and gotten married and been busier than I’d ever been in my life. But I was still resolved to write their story.

And God answered my prayer with an unexpected three-month sabbatical provided by my husband. So, I’m excited to announce I will be starting my rough draft next month! I’ll keep you updated on the behind-the-scenes, sharing plot and character development, my hair-pulling moments and exciting feelings of joy, my publishing journey, and anything else you might be interested in.

Let me know if there’s anything you’re curious about because I look forward to bringing you along on this journey and sharing the memories and people that made me who I am. Announcing this is the first step along the way, so please join me.