How I came to be an Author
If you would have told me 6 years ago that my 3rd book Paris Noir: Deadly Obsession would win at the International Impact Book Awards i would not have believed you. To tell you the story of how my third book won, we have to go back to 2018.
2018 was a tough year for me, I was in college. Had the best CJ professor, the coolest who Rafael is mirrored after. Unfortunetly i suffered for 10 months due to an invisble illness known as Endometriosis. When i was at the hospital, i began to think a lot about everythingn that i had been through for ten months. Right there and then i said to myself “I am going to pick up a hobby.” And then 2019 came.
I still remember it to this day. I was at the entrance of the library and i ran into one of my former classmates. Earlier in the year I had seen her looking at schools for dance. Me being nosy, saw her eyeing NYFA, then I told her that Juilliard was a better fit for her. Well, when I ran into her, she told me she had gotten accepted at Juilliard. Never had i ever felt so happy.
Since i was in between classes, after we said our goodbyes, i went deep into the library. As i sat down I started thinking “Wouldn’t it be interesting if there was a murder in the college and i could solve the case?” Be like Sherlock Holmes is what i was aspiring to be. The story itself underwent a lot of character name changes, characters i knew were not going to be relevant. Of course. i had to have a love interest. And then i chose to add Hannah’s godfather Rafael. Spending a lot of time with my professor in his classes is what helped me shape Rafael’s overprotective nature.
But then the pandemic hit. While we were in shut down, I started binge watching Forensic Files, Murder She Baked Mysteries with Alison Sweeney and Cameron Mathison. Crossword Mysteries with Lacey Chabert and Brennan Elliott and Aurora Teagarden mysteries starring Candace Cameron Bure. I started jotting down ideas, what i could take out, what i could add. There are so many stuff that i originally wrote, that eventually i left out. When it came to the ending, I got the idea while i was out with my mom. I started thinking about the twists and turns that could be featured in the final showdown between Hannah and the culprit.
Once i got a job, it did not stop me from continuing to write. I kept writing, sometimes i would get home at 7pm and would start writing for hours. It became a dedication, I wanted the book to be perfect. As the years passed by, I was determined to turn this book into the Hannah Walker Mystery Series. While i was writing Deadly College Murders, I started jotting down ideas for Deadly Vows Echoes of College Crimes. Initially titled: Wedding and a Murder, sequel to Deadly College Murders, the story follows Hannah returning to her hometown for her best friend’s wedding, only to be found dead before she said “I do.” I felt that, the more i wrote, the more i wanted to continue. Yes I was majoring in Criminal Justice, but I saw myself writing as well. Writing has always been my passion, many of my college professors would say that I was never going to amount to anything, and that i was not a good writer, well i proved them wrong. Only one man actually believed in me, and never brought me down, three guesses who R.G.
As I started writing Deadly Vows, I started jotting down ideas for the third book. Who would have thought that this third book was going to win at the International Impact Book Awards!!!! Originally titled Paris Noir: Secrets of the past, i knew i wanted it to focus solely on Rafael. Then one day while on Instagram, i saw an ad for International Impact Book Awards! I decided to submit my three manuscripts. Of the 3 Paris Noir: Deadly Obsession is the one that won. My heart sank with emotion when i got the email!! Thanks to the IIBA I now know fully that my dreams are valid, especially after so many people tried to diminish them. After receiving my trophy, i went to the Gala on Feb 27th!! It was there that someone at my table asked me a question “What is your career?” and i said “Writing is my career.”” Thank you to the incredible Nim Stant who inspired me to submit my book for consideration. I want to let everyone know that your dreams are valid and that if after reading this blog post, you get inspired to write your own book, whether it be mystery or romance, then i know that i have done my job. Nim Stant’ life story is mesmerizing. Remember that only YOU are in charge of writing your own path.
