I’ve been writing professionally all my adult life. If I had a total word count, I’m sure it would be a frightening figure.

But Two Americas is my first work of fiction.

I had the desire to write a novel, but I didn’t have the right story to tell. I was doing some “What if…” exercises one day, and the not very original thought “What if the South had won the Civil War” came to mind. I began to think of this alternate universe, but I didn’t want to write historical fiction – I wanted to write a contemporary thriller. So the ideas for this novel came over time.

Some authors plan their plots meticulously, and I can certainly see the advantage in that process. But I started with an idea and a protagonist, and let the story develop organically. It’s a little frightening, and I’ve experienced some dead ends working that way. But it’s exciting to see the story and the characters come to life, and it makes writing more fun. Because regardless what others may say, “fun” isn’t the first word that comes to mind about putting pen to paper. (And that is how I work.)

I wrote Two Americas over the course of a couple of years, along with the copywriting projects that put food on the table. I just wanted to say I’d done it, and the two words I wanted to write more than any others in my life were “The End.” Because that would mean I’d met my goal.

And I was proud and immensely relieved when I wrote those words. But almost immediately, another more powerful desire overcame me.

I wanted people to read the thing!

So here we are, Two Americas is available to everyone, those in the Kindle universe and those in…everything else. I like the story. I like the characters. It’s my fervent hope you like them, too!