My inspiration for Willows has been ever evolving. This has been a trickily little tale that has taken on many dimensions, along with shedding a few. Initially it wasn’t so much a love story as it was a teen girl’s exploits into the unknown. But after setting the project aside for quite some time then returning for another visit, my life had since changed - and so had my perception of the world. Romance felt a necessary element – more for me than Ivey Hammond. Not that I needed a shot of love everlast, but rather, I think the world around me did. I felt an obligation in sharing that soul-finds-soul genuine adoration. Hence, my plot evolved into something quite different, something deeper.
The supernatural element derived from my personal intrigue into the paranormal realm – quite naturally, write about what you live. So I did. Then Ivey Hammond made her presence known. She’s mostly conjured from Ashlyn Hunt, meaning, there’s a bit of a mirror image here. She’s also what I wish I could’ve been at her age, tenacious, adventurous, a magnet for intrigue. I live in Massachusetts – a devout New Englander – I’m blessed to delve this resolute character into the very northeastern world, capturing its essence through palpable eyes. The mass history, diverse landscape, so much can be harvested from the land where the mountains meet the sea – adding an artistic element to the story that parallels the plot.
Ivey is a protagonist that is amiable, yet very much an uncomformist – an every-girl, but profoundly autonomous - in a nutshell, my hero. Plunged into a life of factuality meets the intangible – she staggeringly immerges to find unsolicited self-discoveries, piggybacked by a vat of truth that unleashes life’s mysteries, with a dash of unconventional romance. I wanted to master a story that is both unprecedented and innovative. This YA doesn't have vampires, demons, or werewolves running amuck. The monster I conjure is far more unprecedented.
The Ivey Hammond Saga will be a perpetual series into the journey of one girl’s struggle with the supernatural, her intuitive sense, a plagued town, extra-stellar events, the will to uncover her past, and the fight to sustain a love that supersedes her mere human existence.
YA - First Installment (Copywrited)