This post was originally a newsletter I sent out in 2016 as I was writing Finding Heaven. As I prepare to release the audiobook, I thought I’d re-share the process behind writing this book.

Several years ago, one of my writing mentors [the now-late Holly Lisle] was talking about how what you write needs to be something that is true to who you are, what makes you tick.

I nodded my head. It made perfect sense to me, because I knew that I want to write stories that matter.

She talked about one of her peers who, despite having great success in her field, absolutely hates what she writes.

This made me wonder, Why would somebody write books they hate? And how could they be successful at it?

As I started to explore these ideas, I began to become acquainted with Sarah Daniels, the star of my new book Finding Heaven.

I realized that Sarah (who was known as “Jessica Hufnagel” at the time—don't ask :-D) might have been sexually abused, and became an erotica writer. So I started researching.

It didn’t take me long to realize that this is going to be an important book.

So important, I didn’t think that I was going to be ready to write it for at least another couple of years—and I wondered if I ever would be. This isn’t exactly fluffy stuff, after all.

Then, last year [now a decade ago in 2025], my little boy was tragically killed. And for some reason, the historical fantasy book series I had been planning (hint: mermaids. Shocked?) didn't seem like the right book for me to write right then. I mean, all writing is therapeutic, but the kind of therapy I needed was way more “real” than mermaids. (Not saying mermaids aren't real! But mermaids don’t make good grief therapists.)

When I told my husband about my new book, he asked, “Why are you writing about that? Will anyone want to read it?”

I was pretty sure they would.

Grief, no matter the cause, is so very universal. The grief of Childhood Sexual Abuse might be different in cause than child loss, but the trauma and the anger from all that is lost because of it must still be addressed.

When I knew that it was time to write Sarah’s story, I plunged into the depths of learning about her, what her life is like, and trying to figure out what she might do about it. And while I was learning about how survivors of abuse can find healing, I was walking my journey of healing, too.

All the stuff I learned helped me start sorting out some other junk in my personal closet. (Hey, I got baggage, you got baggage—there's just a whole lotta baggage goin’ on.) So when my husband (NOT my target audience, by the way) asked if anyone would want to read my book, I shrugged. But then I figured that if writing this book is helping me to heal, then reading it will help others to heal, too.

If it matters to me, it will matter to my readers.

Will it help someone? Will it give someone hope? Will it at least entertain them?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then I have succeeded.

As it turns out, my instincts about this book were right. It has touched so many lives, and received rave reviews. I’m excited to finally be bringing an audiobook version into the world (via my upcoming Kickstarter—join my newsletter to be notified when it launches) so even more people can discover it.

Here’s some of the feedback this book has received:

“★★★★★
What an amazing heartfelt book. I couldn’t put it down. What an inspiration to us all...
Amazing. I highly recommended this book.”

— Shellee Devore on Goodreads

Go to Shellee’s review on Goodreads.

“★★★★★
Beautiful story. This story is very inspiring and honest to real life. Loved this story and will look for more by this author!”

— Teresa Lockwood on Goodreads

Go to Teresa’s review on Goodreads.

Recent Bonus Content:

Recent bonus post for members: “The Music of Finding Heaven”, a curated playlist soundtrack for the gripping emotional page-turner. Requires a free Books and Tea League account to access.

Get Finding Heaven:

Would you rather get the book now in print or eBook? Good news—you can!

Head over to this page to learn more and purchase.

The current print covers will be going away after my Kickstarter, so grab those now if you like them! (You can read more about the cover changes of Finding Heaven in this post.)

Happy reading!

The current print cover for Finding Heaven. Clicking on the image takes you to the print book purchase page.