I wrote my first novel, GARDEN OF LIES, when I could barely afford to feed my kids. We were living in an apartment in Brooklyn that was barely furnished. I paid the rent writing teen romance novels (I was among the first writers for the popular “Sweet Valley High” series). But I had a story idea and a dream. The story idea had been percolating in my head for some years: that of two baby girls switched at birth. As the story evolved, finally making its way onto paper (remember, that thing we typed onto back when a keyboard came with a ribbon?) the lives of those girls, as grown women, began to intersect in ways ways both dramatic and romantic. When GARDEN OF LIES sold to a publisher, for a staggering sum, my dream was realized as well.
My first adult novel became an overnight success, going on to spend 12 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in hardcover and paperback, and published in 25 countries. It paved the way for the many novels I’ve written since, including a sequel, THORNS OF TRUTH. To this day, GARDEN OF LIES is still remembered and remarked on by fans. It is so gratifying. And now its recent re-release as an e-book is making it available to readers who weren’t even born when it was first published. A timeless tale has no expiration date.
Imagine how excited I was to learn yesterday it was #6 on the Kindle list. Wow! I’m still pinching myself. And Amazon is offering it at a special price of $1.99, which makes it more affordable for more readers–always a good thing. http://amzn.to/MlJwtR
I couldn’t be happier. The lives of Rachel and Rose, my “Snow White” and “Rose Red,” live on. Cheers to you, my darlings.
