Many times. I get inspirations mostly from my life experiences, people I meet, childhood memories.
I was a young teenager when grandma sold her house and asked me to help to clean the attic. I’ve found a rolled-up leather scroll-like document with fancy writing and grandpa’s name in it in an old wicker basket. Grandma said it was the deed to the 300 acres land grandpa owned before the communists took it away and turned it into a government property. The deed was called “dog skin” and grandma explained that back then paper was scarce and when the family dogs died, the owners preserved the animal’s skin to use as paper for important documents.
One day I recalled this memory and it triggered an avalanche of unrelated thoughts. That’s when the idea for my book “Cursed Bloodline” was born.
In my trilogy, The Ancestors' Secrets, I incorporated the ancient Hun legends I heard from my parents and from Grandma, and the scenes that play out in the Hospital are mostly from my years of working as an Emergency Room nurse.
My children's books are mostly from experiences and memories as well. I wrote the story "A Basketful of Kittens" in memory of a young leukemia patient, Little Johnny, who never got to hear the end of the story how my best friend an I rescued the kittens from drowning. When I entered his hospital room to tell him the end of the story, his bed was empty.
I strongly believe that the character's connection on some kind of emotional level is the most important element. As a reader, I don't just want to know what the character is wearing and what they look like, I want to feel what they feel and want to know their personality and inner most thoughts and feelings. As a writer, I try to describe my characters' personalities through their actions and dialog.
The second most important element is the consistency and smooth flow of the story.
The writing bug bit me on a rainy afternoon ten years ago, when I couldn’t find any new book to read. My daughter had enough of my moping around and snapped at me, “Mom, stop whining! If you haven’t a book to read, then write one.” Her challenge shocked me, but I started playing with the idea and I’ve been writing stories, that I like to read, ever since. I write speculative alternate history fiction, romantic urban fantasy, historical suspense novels as well as fun, educational, and bilingual books for children ages 2-14 about acceptance, friendship, family, and moral values.
