If you've found your way here, welcome. I'm so glad you're here.
This journal is where I'll share the stories behind the stories. I'll talk about the places that inspired my novels, the history I uncovered during my research, the people I met along the way, and what it's really like writing a book. It seemed fitting to begin at the beginning.
I've always loved writing.
When I was in high school, one of my teachers read a short story I'd written and told me I should keep writing. It was a simple comment, but one I've never forgotten. Sometimes all it takes is one person believing in you to plant a seed that stays with you for years.
I've also always been drawn to old places.
Historic buildings, weathered streets, forgotten cemeteries, abandoned homes. They all make me wonder who walked there before us. What happened within those walls? What secrets were carried away? Every old place feels like it has a story waiting to be uncovered.
That fascination eventually led me to New Orleans.
There's something about that city that's impossible to explain until you've experienced it. The history, the architecture, the music, the food, and the unmistakable feeling that the past is never very far away. But it was Algiers Point that truly captured my imagination.
Standing there, surrounded by centuries of history and overlooking the Mississippi River, I couldn't stop wondering what stories those streets could tell. It became the perfect setting for The Last Thing She Saw.
Algiers Point was the spark that inspired THE LAST THING SHE SAW.
The first pages of this story were written years ago in Nashville.
These are just a few of the books that I read as I was learning and continue to reference today.
The first version of the manuscript began while I was living in Nashville.
Like many first-time writers, I thought writing a novel would be difficult, but manageable.
I was wrong.
Writing a novel is one thing. Writing a novel you're proud of is something entirely different.
And if I'm being completely honest, it wasn't just the writing that slowed me down.
It was fear.
I've always had a fear of failure. Every time that little voice in my head showed up, I'd quietly set the manuscript aside for a while.
Maybe you've heard that voice too.
"You can't do this."
"Who would ever want to read your book?"
"What if it's terrible?"
I listened to that voice far longer than I should have.
Then one day, while scrolling online, I came across a simple question that completely changed my perspective.
What if it's great?
What if everybody wants to read your book?
I don't know who wrote those words, but I needed to hear them.
Because fear loves to tell us everything that could go wrong. It rarely reminds us of everything that could go right.
Then, of course, life happened.
I moved.
I kept learning.
I joined a writers' group and discovered just how much I still had to learn about storytelling.
Then another unexpected chapter began. I became a tour guide in St. Augustine, eventually owning my own historic tour company. Every day I shared stories about one of America's oldest cities. I researched its history, led ghost tours, explored forgotten corners, and spent years surrounded by exactly the kinds of places that have always fascinated me.
Looking back, I don't think that time delayed my novel.
I think it prepared me for it.
Those years taught me how to research more deeply, how to separate fact from legend, and how history can make a place feel alive. They also reminded me that every location has stories hiding just beneath the surface if you're willing to look for them.
The manuscript waited patiently while I gained the experience I needed to tell the story the way I always wanted to.
After retiring, I opened that manuscript again.
This time I saw it differently.
I rewrote scenes, strengthened characters, deepened the mystery, and finally finished the story I'd been carrying with me for years.
Looking back now, I'm actually grateful it took so long.
I know you've heard the saying that everything happens for a reason. I truly believe that.
People have asked me, "If you could go back in time, would you change anything? Would you get rid of that fear of failure?"
My answer is always the same.
No.
I wouldn't change a single thing.
Every setback, every move, every lesson, every detour, and yes, even every moment I let fear convince me to set the manuscript aside, helped shape who I am today.
If I'd finished this novel years ago, it wouldn't be the story it has become.
And I wouldn't be the writer I've become.
The years I spent researching history, sharing stories as a St. Augustine tour guide, owning my own tour company, joining a writers' group, and simply living life all found their way into these pages. They gave me a deeper appreciation for history, for people, and for the stories that connect us across generations.
Sometimes we think our dreams are on hold.
Maybe they're just waiting for us to become the person who can finally bring them to life.
And now, after carrying this story with me for years, it's finally ready to be shared.
This isn't just the beginning of The Last Thing She Saw.
It's the beginning of a new chapter for me.
I'm so glad you're here to share it with me.
Have you ever visited New Orleans? Is there a historic place that's stayed with you? I'd love to hear about it. Join me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok and let's continue the conversation.
