Creating Eruption was a beautiful process with many unexpected benefits. By far, the most treasured by-product of writing this book has been forming an incredible bond with my little sister, Marnae. We didn’t grow up together. We’ve always been separated by our 19 year age difference and the stage we are at in life.  When I was in college, she was in diapers.  When I was getting married, so was her Barbie doll. It wasn’t until she encouraged me to write a book, and then spent countless hours helping me refine and edit it, that I started to understand who she has become.

I’ll never forget the first feedback she gave me when I was writing a scene near the middle of the book. The fast-paced chase sequence felt like the most crucial moment in the entire story, and I couldn’t get the dialog right. After Marnae read the chapter, she sent me a detailed message, commenting on the imagery and symbolism in the scene and then giving me two suggested options to fix my dialog problem. Before her feedback, I was just writing for fun.  After it, I started to believe it could be more.  I began to feel that if I was open to help, I could create something that would reflect everything that has ever been important to me.

Marnae’s combination of kindness, honesty, modesty, and intelligence make her the perfect editor. I’ll forever be grateful for this chance I’ve had to see inside her exquisite mind. And even more important…to become her friend.

When my advanced reader copy of Eruption came in the mail, we spent the day geekin’ out.  Eruption made new friends on Marnae’s bookshelves and posed with some other cool features in her room for a fabulous photo shoot.