I've always had a vivid imagination and, as a child, almost every bedtime story or book I'd read, inspired a new flight of fancy. Growing up, books became my friends, an escape from family misfortunes.

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By my teenage years, I’d become a voracious reader. Austen, Du Maurier, the Brontës, and  Hardy fed my romantic soul, and books like To Kill a Mocking Bird and I Know Why The  Caged Bird Sings sharpened my sense of justice. Those brilliant authors also ignited an  interest in human nature.

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By then, I'd been writing for years—from childish tales about my cat, Timmy’s,  secret powers, to adolescent depictions of princesses, villains and heroes, and  happily-ever-afters, to later imaginings about historical characters. Ironically, my own romantic relationships stymied my flow, and later, a demanding career banished my muse into exile. Still, deep-down,the desire to write remained. 

 

Lacking confidence, I avoided mentioning my passion or sharing my work. Enrolling in creative writing courses. and having to share my attempts with an entire class soon changed that. Eventually,  gaining courage, I penned and posted weekly installments of my first novel for an online audience. In writing Counsel, I wanted to develop a story of substance; I hoped to disprove the misconception that romance novels are ‘fluff.’  Primarily, I wanted to write an absorbing tale with  characters readers care about.

Publishing The Counsel  Series was a literal dream come true. I’m eternally thankful for that supportive online community that, week after week, boosted my self-belief. Those readers' encouragement and professed love for the characters inspired the follow-up books in the series.

 

To them, I extend this personal message:Without you, I may never have taken that leap into the precarious world of self-publishing . Thank you from the  bottom of my heart.