Catching up on a few things...
It's been a while since I've blogged... sorry about that!
The craziness of the last month is finally beginning to die down and I wanted to share the brand new, fabulous cover art for my upcoming contemporary romance, SHARK OUT OF WATER, the second book in the Date Shark series.
Shark Out of Water is available for pre-order now, and it will release 10/21/14. You can find it on Amazon here.
Shameless self-promo over, back to the title.
I wanted to share with you all part of the inspiration behind this story. In book two, readers will follow Guy and Charlotte, rather than Leila and Eli from the first book, though you still get to see what's going on in their lives.
Readers and bloggers will often ask authors if they based their characters on any real people. Charlotte is not based on a real person, but part of her story came from one really incredible woman. Friends and readers who've been following me for a while know that I've always had a turbulent relationship with my mom. Because of that, when I needed a female role model as a child, it was my grandma that I looked to.
My grandma, Esther May Shrum, is one of the most amazing people I have ever had the privilege to know. She is currently ninety years old, has been through so much in her life time, from wars and police corruption to illness and loss of loved ones. She has been battling leukemia for the nearly a decade, been through chemo four times and radiation twice, and nearly died recently after side effects of a new cancer drug were almost too much for her to bear.
Through everything she has been through, she's always faced it with courage and strength. Until a recent fall, she was still out weeding her flower beds and walking to church every Sunday on her own. We thought we were going to lose her recently, but against all odds she pulled through and is doing much better. She faces her trials with grace and refuses to give up.
My grandma has taught me so much over the years. She was a guide to me as a child when I really didn't have one and she has always been an example to me of what I should want to be when I grow up. I have so much respect for her and I'm so glad my kids have had the chance to spend time with her over the last few years.
As I wrote this book, I thought of my grandma often, not just because of the trials she's been through, but because I wanted to share a little piece of her strength and courage with my readers through Charlotte and Guy's story. This book is very close to my heart because of that and I truly hope my readers not only enjoy the story, but feel a connection with the characters and maybe draw a little strength from them if they're facing something difficult.
No comments:
Post a Comment