A little about my characters ... Claire.

We are a little bit similar ...

When my kids read my book, they accused me of being Claire.

They’re not completely wrong.

There are similarities, but writers tend to write what they know.

Here are some ways I’m like my main character …

Claire was hurt by her church. (I can certainly relate to that brand of pain. From what I’m hearing from my readers, it’s a common wound.)

My husband is a retired cop.

I love antiques and flea markets.

I hoard old photos.

I bake scones. Oh, wait, that’s Ella Mae!

I have three kids.

And do I struggle to forgive? Sometimes … but I haven’t experienced the kind of betrayal Claire experienced, either.

Because I created Claire from what I know, I guarded her for quite some time. In the first drafts of my book, I wrote a cocoon of protection around her. She’d been hurt enough already. No one’s going to touch her.

It was boring.

It’s that way in our lives, too. Without conflict and pain, the joy isn’t as loud. The overcoming is where the story is.

So I threw her in with the rest of ‘em and stirred the pot.

Her journey is relatable. There’s pain and uncertainty, but that’s where the growth is. That’s where the miracles happen. That’s where we learn to live life to the full.