Yes, absolutely. All of my novels have a piece of my past embedded within the pages. It's up to the reader to dive in and see what is fiction and what is real. Immerse in the characters I create, and you'll find me!
The most difficult part is editing. I am a perfectionist. It is not unusual for me to have ten rounds of full edits. I do this until I am happy with what I read.
A dream goal before I die?
Like most authors, we often dream of our stories becoming movies or best sellers. I suppose those are the ultimate goals. But digging deeper, is it the most important in life?
Most are unaware that I am a brain tumor survivor. Even now, this battle rages on. Through that experience, being so close to death, my perspective on life changed. Since then, I promised myself never to let a day go by without accomplishing something, appreciating/supporting someone, or offering my help without question. I maximize my time and often live in the moment with family and friends. For me, these things are more important than my writing dreams and goals. Anything I accomplish as an author is like the cherry on top.
While I am creating a story, I balance out my life and write from early morning to mid-afternoon.
I remain flexible to spend time with family and friends.
But in the midst of editing, nearing the end, my life becomes more structured. It is not usual for me to become a hermit and work seven days a week, over twelve hours a day, until the book gets submitted for publishing.
Funny enough, this happened recently. (In the grocery store of all places.) I stopped to talk to this woman for about forty minutes. She read Escaping Whitsunday and The Orb's Gift from Heaven.
I love nothing more than talking to readers and hearing their thoughts on my stories. But most of all, I'm interested in the emotions they experienced while reading - how the story hit them. I usually share personal insights and let them in on some hidden secrets within the pages. Most of which is intriguing to them. It fuels my soul to know what I wrote resonated with someone.
