My Writing Journey

How I Became a Writer

From a young age, I always felt a connection to writing. I loved stories, imagination, and the endless possibilities of creating something entirely my own. But as I grew older and poured myself into my aviation career, becoming a writer never really seemed like a possibility. It was a dream tucked away somewhere in the back of my mind.

That changed when my husband's military reassignment took us from Alaska to Virginia.

I had to leave my job with the FAA, and suddenly, for the first time in my adult life, I found myself wondering what I was going to do as a stay-at-home mom.

Our move involved a rather ambitious 28-day road trip from Alaska, down the West Coast, across to Nashville, and finally up to Virginia. Picture a one-month-old baby, a four-year-old, a cat, two dogs, and two increasingly exhausted adults, all crammed into a Toyota 4Runner.

Somewhere along those seemingly endless miles, I started talking through story ideas with my husband. And talking. And talking some more. With nowhere to escape, he became my very first sounding board.

And somewhere along that journey, the world of Linked was born.

Once I started writing, I couldn't stop. I became completely obsessed with developing the characters, unraveling their histories, and building a world that seemed to grow larger every time I sat down to work on it.

I made it about halfway through the manuscript before another exciting opportunity came along. I was offered a position as an Air Traffic Controller at Langley Air Force Base, where I would have the incredible experience of watching my husband fly from the tower. I absolutely loved the opportunity, and I threw myself back into the aviation career I was so passionate about.

Unfortunately, that meant putting my book aside.

And there it sat. For years.

Every now and then, I'd pull it out, reread a little, or find myself thinking about the characters I'd left behind. But between my career and raising a family, I knew I couldn't give the story the time and attention it deserved.

Eventually, life brought us to Texas, where I experienced a particularly challenging transition in my aviation career. By the time I came through it, something in my perspective had changed. I realized just how fleeting life really is, and how easily the years can slip away while we're busy making plans for someday.

My oldest daughter was already approaching her teenage years, and suddenly I found myself wondering where all that time had gone.

Naturally, I panicked.

And begged my husband for one more baby.

Thankfully, he eventually agreed!

During that pregnancy, I began thinking about what life would look like after our daughter arrived. The thought of leaving her to return to work weighed heavily on me, and for the first time, I seriously considered stepping away from the career I'd spent my entire adult life building.

Then one day, almost on a whim, I wondered aloud to my husband, "What if I took a couple of years off and finally wrote my book?"

It was a thought I'd barely allowed myself to entertain, but once I'd said it out loud, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

For my birthday, my husband surprised me with writing supplies and asked one simple question.

"What are you waiting for?"

And that was all the encouragement I needed.

I picked up the story I'd left behind all those years ago and threw myself into it with everything I had. My family has been endlessly supportive through the late nights, the constant brainstorming, the obsessive worldbuilding, and the countless times I've interrupted perfectly normal conversations because I suddenly figured out something about my book.

And now, nearly a year after that birthday, I've finally finished Linked.

I can't begin to describe how proud I am to have brought this story to life. For so many years, it was something I dreamed of doing but never quite believed I'd have the opportunity to finish.

Now, I can't imagine what my life would look like if I'd never taken that chance.

What started as a way to spend a few years at home with my youngest daughter has become something so much bigger than I ever expected. I've discovered a passion that I don't ever want to put aside again.

And I can't wait to see where this next adventure takes me.