Before Hemphill Towers, my
writing consisted of limericks for my grandkids. Maybe that’s why I agreed to
write a short humor story about me and two online friends. We projected
ourselves back in age as career women, each described a love interest, and I was
to turn the ideas into a type of spoof story. But the words just kept flowing,
plot twists came in my dreams, and before long, I had written a
novel.
Well, it wasn’t quite as
easy as that sounded. I emailed the novel to family and friends in fifteen
weekly installments, as each was written. God forbid if one happened to be late.
They kept me on my toes and pushed me to finish. They also let me bounce ideas
off them, especially a small MS group. An 85 year old man, caregiver to his 86
year old wife with MS, and smart as a whip said, “Leo, use me in your novel any
way you want.” So I did. He became Mayor
Hemphill. I was almost finished with the book and still hadn’t chosen a name.
Then, it leapt out at me. Hemphill Towers, named for several men who had passed
the Mayor’s hat from generation to generation. My friend was
delighted.
It’s been a long journey
from the first draft to the one I submitted to MuseItUp Publishing. There are
still edits to be done, but I have a contract and my dream of being published
will soon be a reality.
Next week, May 8, I’ll show
you pictures of my (wishful thinking) cast of characters.
