I’ve wanted to be a published author since I was a little girl. Like most girls my age, I read every Judy Bolton and Nancy Drew mystery; as a child, they were among my most prized possessions. When I was ten years old, I submitted a poem I’d written to my Sunday school magazine. I can still remember how thrilled I was when I saw my name printed under the title. My first byline! Now, many years later (no need to tell how many), I feel the same way!
My novel, Mixed Messages, the first in my Malone mystery series, will be released April 17th! When I received my author’s copy and held it in my hands, it was truly a dream come true! I felt like that ten-year-old girl again; it was magical and surreal. It still is. To say I’m thrilled is an understatement. I spent years working on Mixed Messages. Creating the characters, giving them life, has been the single most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. To have the opportunity now to share them with readers is beyond incredible to me. And, it amazes me how things sometimes happen.
Ten years ago this month, I had the privilege of meeting my favorite author, Mary Higgins Clark, at a book signing of Daddy’s Little Girl. I own a copy of every book Mary’s ever written; as an adult, they’re among my most prized possessions. Mary’s not only a gifted writer; she’s a very nice person. She took the time to listen to me talk about the novel I “planned” to write and to encourage me to “write that novel.”
I have a framed copy of this photo on my desk. Seeing it every day when I sit down at my computer has been and is a great source of inspiration. Every April, I eagerly await Mary’s newest release. I’m looking forward to reading The Lost Years. It’s still hard for me to believe that this year, (she says with a big smile on her face), I eagerly await the release of my novel, Mixed Messages, too!
