Grief. Man losing someone sucks, doesn’t it? Ten years ago I lost my Mom. 2015. She was my horror beacon. She started me reading Stephen King, John Saul and the likes. She could always figure out “who done it” before the end when we were watching T.V. and was usually right. I finished my first published novel just before she died. She read it and when she got to the end she said, “Wow, and I did not see that ending coming.” That was my golden badge of honor. She was the type of person who if she didn’t like it, she for damn sure would have told me so. Needless to say after she passed I was so devasted I thought I would never get over it, never write again. Except for the fact that she also said to me, “Is there a sequel?” Well at the time I had no intention to writing one. Sometime after we laid her to rest I found myself sitting at my computer attempting to write a sequel. Without even planning one I tapped and tapped at my keyboard and low and behold a sequel was born. Time has passed and while I still miss her, the pain had changed.

This past December 2025 I lost my Dad. While he lived miles away from me and I basically only had a cell phone relationship with him, I still love him. Now a published and continually active writer I found it a little easier getting back behind my screen to write. With Mom I wasn’t sure of myself in this field. I wasn’t as strong in my thinking that I am a writer. But with Dad, he was not much of a reader except for his Bible. That was his go to. He wasn’t very keen on my genre choice but he supported me none the less. This grief is different for me. The pain of loss is still real and hard but writing through it is easier. I had the approval of both of my parents as well as my stepmom who I’m sure is feeling his loss even more than I am. I never thought that getting their approval was important until now that they are both gone. An adult orphan now my parents gave me all and in my writing I will honor them both. Mom and her horror, Dad and his religion. Writing though my grief doesn’t not diminish my pain but if helps to focus it, to use it, to make it open and visible for me.

So if you pick up one of my books and you notice the name Gwen, Gram, or Grandma (she was a grandma too) or the name Len, Leonard, G-pa, (he was a G and a G-pa) understand that in that moment, when you read that, my mind was on glorifying them, honoring them and remembering them. Grief sucks. The longer you live the more people that you know will transition until one day it’s you. Will someone remember you? Will someone honor your memory? Will you leave something behind that says how much you loved, and were loved? I don’t know if my writing through my grief will cause anyone to remember me but in my writing, I will remember you.

Love you Mama, love you Dad. Rest well in Gods loving arms. Peace be with you and with your spirit.