A funny thing happened to me when I was on book tour. My first novel Garden of Lies had just been released. During my book tour I had lunch with an editor who was bemoaning the fact that an author of hers who’d also recently published her first novel had led an uneventful life, unlike me. “She’s happily married with three children, lives in the ‘burbs and has the perfect life!” she complained. I, on the other hand, had had multiple marriages and my life had been a roller coaster of ups and downs. I’d been a welfare mom. I’d been the victim of domestic abuse. I’d literally gone from rags to riches when I sold my first novel. Yet in the editor’s view, my tumultuous life was preferable to her author’s conventional one because I was a darling of the press and she wasn’t.
Oh, what I would have given for that other author’s conventional life! There was a time in my life when I would have given a small toe to have what she had. Instead, I remember being stressed out a lot of the time when I was a young mom of two, with good reason. There were times I had to scrimp and get creative in the kitchen to feed my kids. At my lowest point I stood in line for government food with my baby son on my hip. My first writings were done on a borrowed typewriter.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that life takes with one hand and gives with the other. I’ve been both blessed and cursed in my life. Cursed when I was going through the hard times. Blessed to have emerged stronger for them, with an endless supply of grist for my mill. When I wrote Garden of Lies, my tale of babies switched at birth, I tapped my experiences of having been both well-off and poor. In the novels I’ve written since then I’ve covered such topics as divorce, single parenthood, the difficulties of being a stepmother, and being in an abusive relationship, to name a few.
All in all, I feel more blessed than cursed. I am who am because of where I’ve been. I am the sum of my experiences. Hopefully, I’ve gained some wisdom along the way which I can pass on to others behind me on the path who are struggling. I also have a wealth of experience to tap for whenever I need creative inspiration. I never need worry about nailing the aforementioned hard topics. Been there, done that, and I’ve got the T-shirt to show for it. That leaves me free to have fun researching the stuff I don’t’ know. In theory I know how to milk a rattlesnake for its venom, work a crime scene, and compete in an equestrian event. Just don’t ask me to do any of those things!
At the moment I’m researching the profession of a character who’s a tattoo artist. I don’t have any tattoos but by the time you read the book hopefully I’ll have convinced you I do and that I know what I’m talking about. By then, I might even have a (small, very small) tat for real. You never know.
Alice says
I think you must tattoo! Just so you can tell me all about it when I read your book . How much does it really hurt ? How did you find a clean, hygienic , artist versus dirty hack? Don’t have one, (tatoo) don’t expect to ever get one but I have always wondered how people found a good one . I’ve seen both good and baaaad…..
Just get a tiny one and tell us all about it .
Eileen Goudge says
I’m thinking about it. So far I’ve only watched a bunch of YouTube videos and I’ve grilled my friends who have tattoos. My daughter has a few of them too. If I DO get one I’ll post a pic of it on Instagram!
June says
I received my one and only tattoo when I was 67. My daughter was getting another one. She was sure it was only talk on my part so she insisted I go first, which I did. I surprised her but I did it for myself & not the fallout with one of my children.
Eileen Goudge says
Wow. That’s awesome. I thought I might be too old to get a tattoo, but I guess you’re never too old.
Wendy says
I have one tattoo. A small paw print on my left ankle. Love all your books. Keep up the great writing.
Eileen Goudge says
Cool! I’ll have to use that in my book. I love paw prints.
Lynn says
I don’t have any tattoos. When a friend of mine said that someday when she has grandchildren, she might get their names tattooed on her arm, I said I’d go for the bracelet. I have seen some beautiful art on tattoos, though.
Garden of Lies is one of my all time favorite books. One of the very few books I’ve read twice. I did that to prepare for Thorns of Truth.
Eileen Goudge says
I don’t know that I’ll ever get a tattoo, but I have a vivid imagination so I can pretend I did. Thank you for sharing about your enjoyment of Garden of Lies. That means so much to me. Readers like you are why I do what I do 🙂