In terms of the book cover, I cannot take much credit. This goes to the talented staff at GeeMorgan publishing. The visual I had in my mind was something in the dark blues, which did follow through to what the cover looks like today. I had originally thought a sunken anchor might be an effective way to convey the themes of my book. A sunken anchor would be “Beneath the Surface.” When my sample cover designs came back, the cover as it is currently represented, caught my breath. It evoked a strong emotional response from me that I did not expect. My family happened to be visiting that weekend and I gave them each a vote and it was unanimous, and so “Beneath the Surface” had a cover.

The name of the book went through a few stages. My working title for a quite a long time was ‘Loveless.’ I felt the main character was missing the unconditional love that anyone and everyone deserves. Late one night as I was working it became clear to me that so much of what was being written was about a life hidden and tucked away. It was “Beneath the Surface” of what others saw in daily life. I changed that to my working title and it stuck.

I have been carrying a notebook with me everywhere I go for two years. When I think of topics to write about, I jot them down. When I first started writing it was all fiction. I have several unfinished pieces that will be re-visited at a later date. But as I was writing fiction I felt like the story of Annie Lynn needed to come out. At times it was difficult to write, as it may be difficult to read as well. But, I kept pushing through. When it first started it was more like a journal and publishing wasn’t on my radar. As I spent the last year writing I knew it should be published. It ended up being a very cathartic piece and I feel stronger and more empowered than I have in my entire life. It started as five pages, then ten and it kept growing until the book was finished. Please enjoy, and prepare yourself for my next novel.

I am sure many are wondering why I have begun writing. I have kept a journal for as long as I can remember. Over my schooling years I enjoyed any assignment that included writing a paper or essay. Many do not know that as a freshman in college I was very close to switching my major from Music Education and Piano Performance to English Literature. I loved the intensity of reading, researching and writing long papers my freshman English class provided me. In the end, I stuck with music and enjoyed 20+ years of teaching and directing. I never thought I would sway from music, but here I am. I am writing and thoroughly enjoying it.