About Useful Pieces

In 2019 I decided to participate in a writing exercise called NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, in November. I had never participated in anything like this and wasn’t sure about actually finishing a novel in a month but I’ve learned, over the years, that this is the best way to improve anything in my life; by taking on a challenge that I believe is more than I want but know that when I finish it, I will be so satisfied that I did finish it. And I did.

And then I put the book on the back burner, until 2023 when I read through it again, made a lot of edits, and passed it onto my publisher. And it sat in his inbox for more than a year and a half. But now, finally, it is done and printed and ready to be read by my followers.

The idea for the book came from looking at my own situation. I live up a hill and I thought about the people in the house below and how when they look up at our house, which is a modest home, certainly not a home for anyone to envy, but they might see, compared to where they live, a mansion. And that was it. I went from there and created a young couple who live in the guest house below and an older couple who occupy the mansion. The situation turns into one of control with a little madness thrown in. Hopefully, the mystery surrounding the two couples will be enough to keep every reader turning the pages to find out how it all ends.