Maybe they were always there, all around me, and I just didn’t notice them. Or, maybe it’s something else entirely.
I’ve recently finished a manuscript that I’ve been working on for the past two years. It’s made me a regular at the coffee shop in town and kept me up at night, pondering plot lines. It’s been a fun one to write and I’m excited for the editing process, set to happen over the next several months.
The elevator pitch?
A young boy gets caught up in the 1920s Chicago crime ring, but finds its no match for the Kansas skies during the Dust Bowl.
So where do the pineapples come in?
They wrap up the third section of the three-part divided book in a symbolic way. Not long after I placed this into the storyline, I started seeing them. EVERYWHERE.
While on the treadmill, the sign outside of the gym was advertising pineapples for sale. While shopping at a couple of stores, they were hanging up, standing on tables and adorning mirrors. Even while walking my dog, when she stopped to sniff out something in the bushes (no, it wasn’t a pineapple), I glanced up to find pineapple patterns on the patio furniture in the yard.
Yes, it’s possible they are everywhere because summer things are on clearance. But, I believe the universe (aka GOD to me), places symbols of encouragement on our paths to keep us going. To reassure us we’re on the right road. It’s the pulse of the world…the heartbeat drum according to some Native American beliefs.
So look for your signs.
What is the world trying to tell you? What path are you embarking upon that you’re unsure of and want to seek guidance on?
Open yourself up to the possibility that the answers are out there if you’re open-minded and wide-eyed. Because if you can believe it, you can achieve it.
Sometimes I forget the beauty in simplifying things.
What made me realize this? When I was exhausted after a full day of moving furniture from a storage unit. I was hungry and wanted mashed potatoes with the roast I’d made, but had zero motivation to make them. And then I realized a beautiful thing that I had overlooked.
I DON’T HAVE TO MAKE THEM FROM SCRATCH!
That’s right. I usually make homemade mashed potatoes. BUT, sometimes, good ol’ Hungry Jack boxed potatoes taste just as good (with a lot of butter, of course).
I do this all the time.I tend to overanalyze, overcomplicate, and overcompensate. I’m blessed with time periods when I am able to walk my dog and catch myself checking emails and texts on my phone. Way. too. often…
I need to learn to let go. There is beauty in the simple. There is a time period in the waiting in which you can exhale.
I’ve just submitted a new manuscript for editing. It’s been a couple of years that I’ve been researching and writing this and I’m soooo excited for it’s release. Even without the shortage of paper and workers during the many stations in book publication and distribution, I know it won’t be a fast process.
EXHALE.
I find myself fidgeting and feeling the heavy need in the back of my mind to be doing something productive.
BUT AGAIN…
I need to find patience in the waiting. And breathe.
When I originally started writing, I would often get overwhelmed. Not as much from the writing aspect of it, but from everything AFTER the writing process. Editing. Publication. Marketing. Presenting.
I like my downtime and wrote most of Becoming American during the night hours when I couldn’t sleep. I worked out plot lines in my head while sitting in the canopy of Oaks and Pines in my bow hunting stand. Writing is a solitary endeavor, but it gives me time to slip out of reality and get lost in my own kind of movie.
However, everything after the writing is a team sport. There’s collaboration with an editor (God bless them) and often times more than one, with a cover designer etc. It is vital to surround yourself with a great team so choose your team mates wisely, realizing that it’s not a cookie cutter one size fits all situation.
Find a mentor.
I did this early on. I reached out to a couple of fellow authors I knew and were humbled by their willingness to help. Jacqueline West, bestselling author of the Elsewhere Series took much time to answer my questions and share with me her query and synopsis for her books. Another successful author I know, Robert Crane, self-publishes and has been extremely successful in the marketing of his series and has lent advice. I took a long shot and reached out to the famous Graham Salisbury, author of several books, but most notably, Under the Blood Red Sun, and guess what? HE REPLIED! Not only did he reply, he sent me a review of my book, with permission to place it on the cover. I could never thank him enough. I also have a great friend, Thekla Madsen, who is an extremely talented crime novelist (Angry Nurse, Bad Juju) who lends her ear and suggestions when we get together.
But remember that not all associations are positive associations. Choose your team wisely. They should be people who will push you and give you constructive criticism, but have a genuine interest in wanting to help you succeed.
List your resources.
What are your strengths?
Social media? Communication skills? Persistence? Work ethic?
List them and understand the list will grow as you do. Lean on them.
Keep your “why” in front of you!
The critics can often be louder than your supporters. Thank them for your success. They will fuel your fire and keep you going when you want to quit. Post your positive reviews/ pictures of your “why” in front of you. You can have several reasons why you love to do what you do. Don’t let a critic overshadow them.
Remain humble and help others in the climb.
Put simply: don’t be an arrogant jerk. Remember where you came from and help others achieve their goals. Never forget one of the best sayings ever:
“A trickle of encouragement from one, can be a river of hope to another.”
Not only does Water & Earth have one of the most beautiful covers I’ve come across (I admittedly judge a book by its cover often), but is one of the best books I’ve read since the Hunger Games Series. Your descriptive writing is gorgeous and the pacing of the plot and action kept me reading and gave me the pit in my stomach toward the last few chapters, knowing I was nearing the end (I can’t wait for the second book)! Obviously, I HIGHLY recommend it!
1. Your book, Water & Earth is the first of your Messengers Series. Please share with us an overview of the series and this book in particular.Messengers is a ten-year project that began in my best friend’s living room and is still in the works today–I never imagined it would become what it did! The series follows the Skylark siblings, Majest and Aletta, through the northern wilderness of what was once Canada, now known as Cognito. After a war between gods and demons destroyed their land, one god attempts to make things right by gifting the Skylarks with elemental powers that he hopes will bring new life to the planet. Unfortunately, things don’t begin so easily! This book sees the Skylarks become runaways in the dangerous northern winter, facing off against a rising evil dedicated to the destruction of powers like theirs.
2. How many books can readers expect with this series? Is there a theme? Messengers is a trilogy, so the Skylarks will have two more books after this one. However, I also have a sister series in the works that takes place across the ocean from Messengers in the same timeline, as well as a prequel featuring characters you meet later on in the Messengers trilogy. The theme to me has always been about peace and war–namely, that you cannot create peace through war.
3. I typically don’t read much from the Fantasy/Dystopian Genre, but absolutely LOVED your book (it even traveled to Florida with me). You’ve created a mystical world with elements characteristic of both the Twilight Series (think Volturi) and Harry Potter. How in the world did you dream up your characters and what inspired your plot-lines? Thank you so much for the flattering comparisons! I can’t take all the credit, as this project was a joint effort between myself and my lifetime best friend (and cover designer!) Sunny. We like to create characters together, and build them slowly over time. You say “dream up” characters, but some of them genuinely came straight from dreams! The character of Letty has been around for so long that most people I know call me “Letty” as a nickname, even though Letty Skylark was based off a minor character in an old comic. Sunny and I wanted the plot to be our own spin on a traditional good versus evil story, and we were inspired by the dark fantasy video games and internet culture we were into at the time. We kept picking out elements (pun intended) we thought were interesting, and wove them together into Messengers from there.
4. Is it true that this project began ten years ago while you were in high school? What made you decide to write a book and what has kept you motivated with this manuscript in particular? Have you always known you’ve wanted to be a writer? Yes! Even earlier, actually. I wrote the first draft of Water & Earth in 2011, my freshman year of high school, but Sunny and I created a bare-bones timeline and character sheets three or four years before that. I always knew I would turn those ideas into novels, and I always knew I would be a writer. As a three-year-old, I wrote and illustrated a book called “Fresh Cool Air,” and while even today I’m not sure what it was about (it had a horse in it, and the Earth as seen from space), it was the first of many, many stories. I’ve kept Messengers going so long simply because I had to–the first drafts were very obviously written by a fourteen-year-old, and it needed several reworks before it was in shape to submit for publication. I grew up with these characters, learning their hearts and telling their stories, and they’re worth every round of edits.
5. Do you have a writing routine? My writing routine is built into my current schedule. In high school, I wrote between getting home and eating dinner. In the summers, I would write first thing in the morning. During college, I snuck bits and pieces of scenes in where I could between classes…or during. Now, I work full-time sending emails, but thankfully, that leaves me with a lot of time waiting for people to email me back. Writing in a cold office with no windows isn’t exactly a furnace for creativity, but it’s where I have the most time, and where my brain is in gear. Once I’m home from work, all bets are off! Nights are for snuggling with my cat and eating Taco Bell.
6. As a professional editor, which is your favorite: writing the first draft or the editing process on your drafts? Why? Oh, definitely the edits. I feel like I hear from a lot of authors that their first draft is an apocalyptic mess and the editing process is where the real magic happens, but I guess I’m backwards. I do so much outlining and planning before every scene that my first draft will already have most of what I want inside it, give or take some plot hole superglue and fancy wordplay. Editing, then, I get to focus on advancing character development, coming up with more exciting dialogue, and just tweaking parts that aren’t working or could be working better, rather than overhauling the entire manuscript.
7. What advice could you offer inspiring writers? You’ll hear a lot of authors preach that you have to write every single day–and I was absolutely a believer in high school–but it’s just not possible for everyone. People work long hours, struggle through physical and mental illness, and just have other things they want to do. That’s okay! It doesn’t mean you’re less of a writer, or that you don’t have passion. Find what works for you, and don’t let anyone tell you you’re doing it wrong. More importantly, don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re doing it wrong. There is no correct pace for writing (unless you’re on a deadline, of course). The only rule is, no matter what you do, don’t stop!
As thrilling as it is to publish a book, there have been so many other exciting consequences that have gone along with it. One of them being the PARTY!
I’m elated to confess that after a two year run, I’ve just wrapped up the manuscript for my second novel. Despite the time that goes into researching and writing, I’m not naive enough to think that the hard work is finished. Not at all.
The devil hides in awkward phrases, misplaced commas and gaps in plot lines. I’m only through my second of several edits before I’ll even allow a professional editor to read it.
BUT…
It’s done!
So, of course, I’m already thinking of a book release party!
SPOILER ALERT!
It’s going to have all the glitz, glamour, fringe and sequins (yes, sequins) of the twenties. Think bootlegging style and flapper girls.
As excited as I am for this book and having a little more street sense this time around, I have to say that I am absolutely thrilled to put this party together for (fingers crossed) fall of 2022.
So, start digging out those fedoras and pearls because this book has the flair of the roaring twenties, the despair of the dirty thirties, a spark of romance and above all will exemplify the hope and endurance of the human spirit amidst the shifting landscape following World War I.
Feel free to grab some glitter and toss it in the air! We’re going to party!
1. One of the things I enjoy about reading is the ability of an author to transport you to another time or place. I love learning about traditions and cultures I’m not as familiar with. The Accidental Wife, incorporates many Hindu traditions. How has your background shaped your characters and the traditions/values they possess in your novel? Where do you find your inspiration for your characters’ attributes?
I too love to learn about other cultures and traditions and reading books is a great way to do so. It is enlightening and enriching, brings people together and helps us understand where the other person is coming from. As someone who was born and grew up in India, I wanted to write about Indians and their way of life and how they try to uphold their traditions even after moving to another country which is true for immigrants from other countries as well. I find my inspiration in people I see and interact with everyday, including my own family, especially my mother. I find that people who leave their homeland are more likely to follow their traditions than those back home. Perhaps because it keeps them close to their roots and provides them with a sense of identity and belonging in an alien country.
2. You have published several novels and poetry collections. Has your writing routine changed over the process of these novels?
My writing routine hasn’t changed a lot. I primarily write when I am ‘in the mood’ or feel inspired. Often I pen down thoughts at random when something strikes me without any plan whatsoever. I may use some of these later in a book or a poem.
3. As both a novelist and a poet, you have beautiful descriptive writing. Where do you find your inspiration? Do you have a special place you like to write or draw inspiration from?
Thank you for the compliment. I am an introvert and spend a lot of time observing and pondering on things. I find inspiration in people, nature, music, places I travel to, my life and my patients and sometimes the words fall into place. I don’t have a special spot or place, I write anywhere and everywhere therefore my phone is filled with notes.
4. Do you tend to be a “plotter” or a “pantser?”
Definitely a pantser. I may start with an idea but the rest comes to me as I write. This way I can incorporate many more plot lines and characters in my story than if I had everything outlined and planned at the get go.
5. What is the most difficult part of the writing and publishing process for you and why?
The most difficult part of writing for me is getting in the right mood. Often I go for days without jotting down anything at all.
6. What have you learned over your many years of writing that might help aspiring authors?
Write with sincerity and about that you are passionate about.
7. Where can readers find your books?
All of my books are available on amazon.com. My latest book of poetry and short stories ‘Under the Shade of the Banyan Tree’ is also available on most other major outlets.
“E.Z. Kelly is the next, great kickass heroine.” – EmKay Connor, award-winning author
Have you always written crime/suspense novels? What attracted you to the genre?
I’ve written a little of everything, including humor, science fiction, romance, you name it, back in my salad days when I was green in judgement and short of cash. Nothing was worthy of publication. I simply enjoyed it as a good mental exercise. While living in Vermont I began writing articles for a monthly outdoor magazine there and ended up being offered the position of editor. I learned a lot doing that, and having taught English helped enormously when it came to proofreading and editing.
SAY THE WORD, my second published novel, was in fact my first, and my first strong effort at a mystery/suspense. I wrote it when working as a physician assistant, and a lot of the novel is based on personal experience. I got a kick out of writing it, mixing humor, romance, mayhem and suspense, and that hooked me on the genre. I’ve tried to use the same mix in my subsequent novels.
When did you discover you wanted to be an author? Do you have a writing routine?
I can’t pinpoint any exact moment in time when I discovered that I wanted to be an author. I guess I’ve always dabbled in it in a mock-serious way. Having read a wide range of authors as and English Literature major, I often sat down and tried to imitate different writers’ styles. It was a good exercise, but I had no doubt that my efforts were an easily-spotted forgery. I think the big thing that helped me back was the need to support a wife and family. I couldn’t picture myself starving in a garret somewhere in an effort to be the next James Joyce or Ernest Hemingway.
To answer your question, looking back, I think I’ve always wanted to be an author but “life,” better known as reality, kept getting in the way. Now I’m retired and it’s full speed ahead!
I do have a writing routine now. I write every chance I get. I try for four or more hours a day, and I always push back when I still have more to say. It makes getting back to it so much easier.
How do you come across your ideas and characters?
EZ Kelly, the heroine/lead character in my EZ Kelly series, came about when I read Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels. Jack Reacher is a tough ex-army military policeman who wanders the country and runs into challenging situations he solves using his many attributes. I thought, why not a female character who does similar things, using her skill sets to win the day? EZ Kelly sprang from that. My other ideas and characters are plucked from my head when needed. I should add that I do a lot “writing” while lying awake at night. I fill the time asking “what ifs” and I remember my good thoughts the next day.
Your protagonist, EZ Kelly, is a woman. I’ve read several novels with female leads who were written by men and found myself disappointed in how they were represented in their thinking and characterization. You do such a great job in how you portray EZ. What made you choose her over a male protagonist?
That’s a good question. When I considered launching EZ Kelly on the world, I thought long and hard about it. As you say, I’m a man and women are an entirely different kettle of fish. When I made the decision to give her a try, I made damned sure that I looked through her eyes at her world and felt the way a woman would. I appreciate your saying that she seems real.
You have quite a diverse background. How has your own backstory helped shape your writing and/or your characters?
I think any time a writer can use personal experience to reinforce a story, make it more believable, that it adds its own substance to it and thus makes it more believable to the reader. I’m sure I draw a lot from my own reservoir of personal experience, sometimes consciously, often subconsciously.
What tips would you offer aspiring writers?
A biggie is, write when there are no distraction (or as few as possible). There’s nothing like a simple interruption to break your train of thought.
And remember: The more you write, the better your get at it. It’s like any other activity. Baseball, football, swimming, tennis, you name it. The more you practice, the better you get at it.
E.Z. Kelly is intent on becoming a travel agent, but trouble finds her wherever she goes. It’s good that self-defense was a high priority among the lessons taught to her by her Special Forces father.
Expecting a boring night shift at the hotel where she works, E.Z. is surprised when night after night the place is targeted by thieves. Taking the thieves down one by one is a simple task for her.
Unafraid of the threats, she continues to work at the hotel and cooperates with the Miami Police’s investigation to discover the reason why the hotel is being hit. As they dig further into the case, she discovers that terrorists have a plan to detonate nuclear devices in three large U.S. cities simultaneously. Will E.Z. be able to take the terror cell down before she gets herself killed?
What will Sara Dewberry be willing to sacrifice to change the world?
For Sara Dewberry, life in the early 1900s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband and children is comfortable and pleasant. But an injustice gnaws at Sara’s heart. Women have no say in government, and no voice in politics. Women can’t own land. Most are little more than property to their husbands, and Sara can’t hide behind her cozy walls any longer.
At first, going to the meetings that support the local suffragettes who want votes for women, stays a secret. When her husband rails against the women’s movement and says, “Women should know their place!” Sara nods her head and gives him a thin smile.
But when Sara is arrested at a rally in Chicago that is endorsing the 19th Amendment, the truth spills out. She’s forced to make a choice: does she return to her life in the shadows, or should she make a sacrifice for the women she’s come to love that will cost her everything?
Q: Sara’s Sacrifice, your debut novel, is a historical fiction centering around the women’s suffrage movement. What inspired your writing of this novel?
R: I am a strong advocate for Womens Rights. It was a natural choice in historical writing given our celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th amendment in 2020.
Q: How do you come across your ideas and plot lines?
R: Strangely enough, I just knew the beginning and the end and every time I sat at my computer I became Sara and I just knew where the story was going. Obviously I did massive amounts of research and the story had to follow the historical timeline but I guess you could say, Sara wrote the book.
Q: How long did it take you to write? Approximately how many revisions?
R: It took a little over a year to write the book and revisions never stop. i just picked it up the other day and mentally wanted to revise it. It never stops. You just have to say at some point. “this is it.”
Q: What is your writing process? Do you plot or outline ahead of time or start typing and see where things go? Do you have a writing routine?
R: I would like to say I’m a disciplined writer but life always sends me on detours. I begin with a topic and a character and a goal. In this case the topic was the Suffrage movement. My protagonist Sara had to be a strong woman with courage. My stories always begin by knowing where I am going so I have a beginning and an end. From there I do historical bullet points that determine the timeline. From there I let the story tell me where it is going based on the world she lived in,You clearly did a lot of research in the writing of this novel.
Q: How did your research of these heroic women influence the creation of your characters?
R: The research definitely influenced the development of the characters and the storyline. Many authors of historic fiction have a fictional story first and place it in an era with history as the background noise. My goal is to tell history and how it affected the lives of my characters.
Q: I enjoyed “watching” your main character, Sara, grow confident in finding her voice. Was there a similar point in your life in which you told yourself you needed to write this book?
R: I was a feminist in the 70’s. Women’s issues speak to me. Behind all of that is the roots of the feminist movement so it can never be forgotten. Unfortunately the era is often given little emphasis in our schools and we tend to take it all for granted when in fact it was a hard fought battle.
Q: How many books will be in this series and over how many generations does it span?
R: There are three books in the series “Daughters of Evolution”. The second book “Ella Endures” will be released shortly. It is about Sara’s daughter Ella and her role in “The Greatest Generation”. It shapes her life from prohibition and the roaring 20’s through the Korean War. It includes things such as tuberculosis, the Polio epidemic, cancer. It covers the effect of the ravages of war and there effect on families. It is an era of poorhouses, abandoned children, the dust bowl, the depression and innumerable tragedies and their toll on families. It is guaranteed to make you cry. The third book is “Melissa’s March” with yet another generation of women who fought for justice. The Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War and equal rights for women. This book will bring you up to today and the Me Too movement, Black lives Matter and political issues today exploring correlations between Melissa’s causes and her daughters issues of today.The books cover over 100 years of history. Instead of the school history books of wars, dates and generals (Which I hated) these books present history through the eyes of regular people who got involved. Women of courage.
Thank you Flo for such an important book! I thoroughly enjoyed it!:) To order a copy:
I am determined to have an uplifting and fulfilling year.
So many times at the end of the year, I write out my goals for moving forward, but forget to reflect on the positives from the exiting year. Whether it be special memories made with the family, business accomplishments or finding more peace in a more freeing schedule, I overlook them in my race to dive into the next.
So while there was definitely much to be anxious about in 2020, there was also much to be thankful for. I savored the downtime and slower pace with the family as our schedule cleared. We enjoyed even more time outdoors and had room and time to decompress. We found joy in the simple. Fulfillment in the still. Small moments, Big memories.
This year, my mentality is centered around positivity. To be completely vulnerable, what sparked it was accidentally stumbling across an extremely harsh review of Becoming American. It. was. harsh. My biggest fear in publishing was exposing myself to criticism, but I knew it would always be there. It always is when you’re going for something outside of your comfort zone. But that’s where success lives.
This was my first book and I poured my heart into it. The review said it was like a first draft. This was probably my 20 to 30th draft. I tried to make it as authentic as possible and wanted to educate young adults on the events surrounding the time period of World War II and the social climate in the United States during that time. I read somewhere between 8-12 books and several credible websites in researching. I visited with the Japanese Cultural Society, the 100th Battalion Veteran’s Club and the 442nd, along with Pearl Harbor. I sought out and listened to stories of people whose family had gone through the experience of internment, relocation, war. People whose fathers fought for our country while their families were imprisoned within the country they fought for. I read real stories. Real journals. Real letters to home from the war.
Could the book have been better? Of course it could have. I haven’t read it since turning in my final draft in fear of the urge to correct everything. I reminded myself to be thick-skinned and thin-skulled. I have been plugging in to some amazing writing Zooms and am grateful and excited for how much they have helped in crafting evocative stories and prose. I have sought the advice and support of fellow authors.
Having negative reviews was my worst fear. But you know what? It happened. And after catching up with some of my writing mentors, family and friends, found that I am still inspired to write. You won’t please everyone. Some of the best NYT Bestselling books don’t “grab” me while some of my favorite ones are those I’ve found in little free libraries by obscure authors. My son likes graphic novels. My middle daughter likes horror stories. The oldest likes well-researched books. That’s what makes reading and writing fun and relatable and accessible to everyone.
So in effort of inspiring other writers while supporting fellow authors, I am going to be posting short interviews promoting great books and inspirational writers. Because after talking with and hearing from several authors, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there is no one way to write. Or to be successful.
My goal is to share many stories and strive to provide inspiration to those who might be worried about doing the “right thing” or “writing the right way.” This is not a business model. It is an artistic craft of imagination. Which means there is freedom in how you want to do it. That’s what makes it awesome!
Last week, I became radio famous. How? For my true story of past hauntings in a previous house. On Ks95, they were looking for stories from people who had been through creepy encounters. I dialed in, not expecting to get through the line and was greeted with the broadcaster who asked me what I had. Upon hearing my story, he told me it was the best one and I was going live. For the next few minutes, I got to tell my spooky story. After receiving several texts from friends, I decided in the spirit of Halloween, I’d retell it:)
It was an exhausting and busy day of moving into our past house. Though we had moved from a small place into a bigger place, we were amazed at the amount of boxes of things we had collected throughout our ten years and two kids. Our oldest child was getting ready to start kindergarten, our middle was a toddler and we had one on the way.
It was April.
Our main goal that day was to physically move all of our boxes into our new home, to get our furniture in after days of repainting and to get our beds put together so we could sleep in our new place. So, after much exhaustion, although we had gotten everything moved into the place, we chose to leave the boxes packed and crash into our beds.
The next morning, when I awoke, I looked over at my husband, who laid beside me. Initially, I started laughing to the point where I couldn’t stop.
“What?” he asked, confused, but laughing with me.
“Your face,” I said, between laughing fits. I could hardly breathe. Sometime during the night, his face and arms had been colored with markersand although I am the world’s lightest sleeper, I hadn’t even awoken.
“Did you have any marker on your hands that could’ve smeared or that you could have rubbed against your face?” I asked.
No, he didn’t.
Our kindergartner was still asleep in the other room and the toddler was in her crib. Everything was still in boxes and though we searched our house, there weren’t any markers to be found.
It became a joke until over the next few weeks, our toddler began to set up tea parties for two people in her room. “Is this spot for me?” I’d ask.
“No, mama. Ayla,” she’d say pointing to the other chair.
I didn’t think much of it, admirable of her imagination. But throughout the next several weeks, she began to talk to her. Like all the time. I asked what she looked like, playing along, and she easily described this little girl.
One day while pulling out of the driveway, our daughter screamed, causing me to floor the brakes in a sheer panic.
“What?!” I whipped my head around to face her.
“You forgot to buckle Ayla!” she cried out, looking at the empty seat beside her.
Fear gripped my heart as I considered what to do. “I’m sorry Ayla,” I said.
I got out and buckled “Ayla” in. Would you want to risk getting colored on during the night? She seemingly liked me.
We didn’t burn sage for a few more encounters. Not when our babysitter’s boyfriend refused to sleep on the couch downstairs after waking during the night to see a little girl standing on the steps watching him. He didn’t even know our story when he told us this. We wanted to keep our best babysitters after all:)
The breaking point happened one day when my husband and I were alone in the house and downstairs. There was the creak of our rocking chair gliding against our wooden floors upstairs.
“See who it is,” I urged him, wondering if maybe a neighbor kid had come over looking for one of our kids to play with.
He climbed the stairs, knowing someone would be in the chair, but unsure of who. When he reached the top of the stairs, I waited, expecting to hear the start of a conversation and curious as to who stopped over. Silence.
“Weird,” he said when he came back downstairs, shaking his head. “No one’s there.”
Immediately, the creaking started, back and forth above us. We looked at each other, thinking the same thing.
“You go,” I encouraged him. After all, I am the spider killer of the house so this was clearly his responsibility.
Again, he trudged upstairs and the rocking immediately stopped.
We’re not the most superstitious people, but at this point, we knew something had to be done. I dreaded anytime he was working late. And so, that was the night we drove to the grocery store and bought sage, came back and lit it, while also saying a prayer for God to bless our house.
We lived in that house for many years and despite being near a cemetery, never felt uncomfortable again. No more Ayla. No more strange rocking. No more midnight coloring to Freddy’s face.
These days we still talk about Ayla, but it is always accompanied with laughter. A story from many years ago.
But when we talk of her, we make sure to do it lovingly.
