Welcome to another edition of my Behind the Scenes. The Summer Read Blogshop is in full swing (courtesy of Clare London!) and I thought it would be fun to do a little behind-the-scenes for my stories with a summertime bent. You can visit me here on the blog every Thursday to follow along.
This week I’m looking back, very fondly, at the inspiration for my story, Start from the Beginning.
When a heart attack leaves Miles wrangling with a slow recovery and a quiet retreat, just one cabin down from wounded warrior Drew. Although he’s unhappy to have his solitude invaded, Drew finds himself fascinated with Miles, but he can’t bring himself to push aside his skittish nerves. Both men fear rejection for different reasons, and it will take a real change of heart to seek the acceptance they crave.
This novella was one of my first stories published by Dreamspinner Press, appearing originally in the Size Still Matters anthology.
Here’s the true inspiration for the story:
Mr. Munder and I were taking a drive through the West Michigan countryside and came across this cabin for sale. We poked about the exterior, stealing peeks in the windows and fell in love with the pine slat paneling we could just barely glimpse. The cabin had a history as well, owned by a Lake Michigan charter boat captain and named after his granddaughter.
To this day we can’t explain why we stopped, or why this cabin spoke so clearly to us, but as we delved deeper into the history, the story of Miles and Drew took shape in my mind. In the end, we purchased the cabin and like the characters in this novella, we had to strip the cabin down to the foundations in order to rebuild.
Real estate is like love, they say. And when it’s right you just know. Have you ever come across a house that spoke to you? Something that reached out and took you by the heart and refused to let go? What is it, do you think? Residual energy? Good vibrations? I ‘d love to hear your take on the feeling.
Then stop by The Summer Read Blogshop and scroll through wave after wave of authors and titles featuring sun, fun, and plenty of hot men. Dive in and find your new favorite.