My "Early Works"
I was digging through some memorabilia and came across a few books I wrote when I was twelve. I’ve shared Witchville with the blog before, but I’d forgotten about these two. The ‘stories’ are three short novellas, all simply dreadful. I wrote The Tonsil Twins for my younger brother and cousin, who had their tonsils out at the same time. 
(The staples in the covers drive me crazy!). I’m not sure what prompted this creativity in my twelfth year, but it disappeared for the next twenty! Still, if you have kids, I hope you’ll encourage them to make up stories. You never know where it might lead.
Diane, these early works of yours helped shape your future and I would like to suggest that you take these early ‘covers’ and display them under 1 large frame.
We did this with some of my mother’s early sketches and watercolors from her Junior High School years and the panels that are hanging in her office have actually become a conversation piece. These ‘novellas’ show your love of writing at a young age and are a wonderful reminder of your youth.
Fantastic Diane. How did you ever keep them safe and sound over the years? Back when I was about ten, I was blessed with a mother who was a hoarder. Threw nothing out. Wrote grocery lists on the backs of envelopes and washed the bread bags to use to freeze our peas and beans come fall. At ten I wrote and ‘illustrated’:} a wee book about Ireland. My last words in it are ‘When I grow up I am going to live in Dublin.’ When I moved here after many, many years, tears, toil and divorce, she sent it to me. Pristine inside( you guessed it) a bread bag.
I just discovered you by reading E-Books! I got a Kindle for my birthday and started uploading … after a few downloads, your Cypress Point came up as a recommendation. I read it, loved it and have downloaded two more. I am now reading Secret Lives and enjoying it very much. After this one, I plan to start reading by publication date. I should be ready to read your 2011 novel by the time it is finished! Thanks for many enjoyable hours.
Pat, I’m so glad you took a chance on Cypress Point and enjoyed it! Just want to make sure you DON’T buy The Shadow Wife, though, because it is the same book (and it’s called The Forgotten Son in Australia, just to really make me tear my hair out!). These title changes are a problem with some of my books–something I hope will not happen in the future. You might want to check the printable booklist on the BOOKS page of my website, which will help you keep them straight. Thanks for becoming a loyal reader!
Sheree, what a wonderful gift from your mother. Thank goodness she saved your book, and how wonderful for you to live in Ireland!
Margo, I love your cover idea! Sheree, my mother kept the books safely wrapped in Saran Wrap and I found them after she died. I’m grateful to her for hanging onto them, as you must be to your mom for holding onto that book you wrote. I love that your childhood dream of living in Dublin came true!
Thanks Diane and Margo. I was lucky that my mom kept the wee book. I am grateful. She also saved one of my highschool report cards which although it had great marks also had this statement that she honed in on.’ Sheree has a very flippant attitude’ Who me..lol