Octavia Butler (1947 – 2006) was an American author and a multiple recipient of the Hugo and Nebula awards. Her internationally acclaimed novels that you might be familiar with are Kindred, Parable of the Sower, and Parable of the Talents (although there are many more!).
I love her response when asked about her writing:
I just knew there were stories I wanted to tell.
That’s how I have always felt about my own writing of fiction. A character appears in my imagination somehow (it always feels like magic, like a blessing) . . . or an idea for a story suddenly makes itself known. And then there it is . . . a story that I want to tell.
With my first novel, Dragonflies at Night: More Than a Love Story, it started with an idea of a famous musical artist who was lonely in the spotlight. I named him Ben Shepherd. My heart felt drawn to him, so I created a love story for him and for Savannah Adams (for her, this story is also about the love between mother and daughter). I have always been drawn to dragonflies as a symbol for Spirit, and you’ll see why I include them in this story as you read the book.
Feathers in the Sand (Seahaven Sunrise Book 1) began on my morning walks during chemo treatments in 2011. I kept seeing feathers- on the ground, in bushes, on our porch . . . and this fascinated me! I began wondering what would happen if a young girl happened to find an abundance of feathers like this, and what if those feathers were reminding her of someone she loves who had recently gone away. Thus was born Eva Gilmore, whose brother Micah has very unexpectedly joined the Army. There are lots of surprises about the feathers in this novel, so I won’t say anymore!
As for Sea Glass Memories (Seahaven Sunrise Book 2) landing on bookshelves October 10, I have always been drawn to the beauty of sea glass and the metaphor of how rough, broken edges become smooth after many passes through ocean waves. Elana and Aunt Kit have both known the rough, sharp pain of loss, and the story that I tell is one of resilience, community and hope (with some splashes of romance thrown in for good measure).
My mind is always spinning up new characters and ideas, so stay tuned for more!
If you have any questions about my writing, or where I get my ideas, or anything that comes up for you in my books, please don’t hesitate to let me know. You can use the contact button at the top of this page or comment below.