"Imagination is the greatest gift
the universe bestows upon us."
Quest for the Dark Crystal - was born of my fear of flying, and trying to make myself get over it! I made myself look out the window, breathe, and let go. Rather than my usual panic, I saw a jet trail that immediately became a streaking comet.
A child I am about to create, travels inside. He will embark on a quest to heal the universe. That look outside the window (trying to make myself less afraid to fly) gave me hundreds of blank pages begging me to write a tale that is both in and out of this world. I was still writing when the plane touched down.
Kissed by Blue Moon - fell to earth and into my computer on a starry, frigid, moon-filled Idaho night. My inner child was running wild as I stood freezing on our front porch, just to glimpse the magic of falling snow. The moon broke through the clouds like a protective being in the night sky. It made me remember what it was like to catch a snowflake on your tongue. So, I stuck out my tongue. The world instantly became enchanted. What is more beautiful than a snowflake? Especially a crystal one! What story for children would be complete without a little sibling rivalry, and a whole lot of magic?
To carry the mantle of "journalist," to have people trust me and open their lives to me is a privilege I treasure every day. I have traversed the globe and interviewed some of the most EXTRAordinary people in the world. What made them extraordinary is that they did not see it in themselves. I got to coax their gifts to the surface.