How did On The Edge of the Forest come about?

 

Hi everyone and welcome! 

So I've gotten asked this question a lot in the past; how did On The Edge of the Forest come about? What gave me the idea for my first novel? The first book in a series of 4?.

So, I thought I'd hop on here and share some of the answers with you!

I cannot tell you exactly when I had the idea for my novel. It was the first novel that I've ever written, though I did start a few others along the journey in writing On The Edge of the Forest. 

I initially started my book mainly for fun and to see if I could do it. At the time of starting my novel, paranormal movies, books, and television series were very popular with vampires and werewolves. While some of them intrigued me, I found myself wanting something different.

 I've always been intrigued by wolves...and in the mythical sense, werewolves as well.  I started wondering about wolves. What goes on in the life of a wolf? What is their life like? What is it like to be in a pack of wolves?  And then all the what if questions...

From there my mind started expanding. I wanted to create a world that involved wolves and humans intertwined, but not in the scary senses; not in the typical beastly werewolf sense. I wanted to create a world in which, although very mythical/paranormal related, seemed slightly more realistic. 

 That is what started me on the path of my On The Edge series. 

I played around in that mythical world, got lost in that world and then let my characters sweep me away. It's taken a few different routes and detours along the way than what I'd initially expected, but all of those--in my opinion--have only added to the story and made it more interesting.

After I had the first draft of my novel written, I presented it to my brother to get his opinion of it. It had a different title at the time, and he suggested I change the title and offered a few other revisions. I took his advice and while working on those revisions, he passed away unexpectedly. 

My brother's passing was an extremely difficult time. I incorporated a lot of my emotions into the novel as I worked on it, and I think it gave a little bit more depth into the story and the main character. 

I finished the novel and was so very excited about it that when the opportunity arose to self-publish it, I jumped on it and got it published right away. While I regret acting so hastily as far as not having time to properly edit and proofread it, I was very excited.

 I'd already started on and nearly finished the second book in the series at this time as I wasn't ready to let the characters go. And over time, the story has increased and raced through my mind, taking different twists and turns. I'm excited about the direction this series is taking. The first 2 novels are completed and available for purchase, the last 2 books in the series are still being written / edited. 

While I do regret not taking the time to edit and proofread my novel properly, I am very pleased with it. I think it is a great story; it gives you an escape from reality and sweeps you up into a mythical world...

If you are interested in my novel, it is available for purchase here  and if you have any questions, please be sure to leave them in the comments, I'd love to hear from you!

 

 

If interested in my novel, it is available for purchase here 

Book Snippets

 Hi everyone!

I just thought I'd share a few little excerpts from my novel, On The Edge of the Forest.

 Hope you enjoy! 

If you'd like to read more, you can purchase your own copy here!

On The Edge of the Forest, video clip

 

For more information about my book, please click On The Edge of the Forest tab above. 

Purchase your copy here

Nature Beautiful Nature

 

I just love getting to work on my books in nature like this! We got to get away for a long weekend to camp/hunt (my hubby hunts; I stay in camp to relax and work on my books!) this last weekend, so I took full advantage and worked to this incredible view!

There is something so incredibly peaceful and serene in being able to write in nature. It was so quiet and surreal; it was a prefect work setting! I got to do some editing on a manuscript and started writing on a new project! 

Who else is a true nature lover? 

Where Has The Time Gone?

 

Hi everyone 👋

Welcome back! So I gave you all an introduction of myself and a little bit of information regarding my books already. You can check out the above tabs for more information on my books and myself.  

As I've already stated, I published my first novel in 2010 when I was 16, my second novel in 2011 when I was 17 years old...

...that makes a 13-year gap!! 

Wow! 13 years, that seems crazy!

Anyway, y'all may be wondering what happened in that time frame. And if you are, well, guess what? So am I! How in the world has 13 years gone by so quickly!! 😂

Okay, time to be serious. While I am quite surprised that 13 years has passed, I do (sort of) know where the time went. Now, did I stop writing my books? No. Have I lost my passion for writing? No. Have I published more books in that time frame? Sadly, no. 

Adulting happened in that time frame.

 When I attended middle school and high school at the time of writing and publishing my 2 novels, I went to online school. Going to online school offered me PLENTY of time to write and work on my books (just don't tell my parents that's what I was spending all my time on 😜!) . So I was able to do a lot of writing back then. 

After graduation and stepping into this frightening world called adulthood (which I am not a fan of at times, it's way overrated!) I got too busy to be able to spend as much time on my writing as I would have liked. I got my first job and still wrote a lot during that job. Then I met my 1st husband and spent time with him in every spare second away from working. Then got engaged, planned the wedding, got married, moved in, set up our house, and got accustomed to being a wife. Then I changed jobs and started my business, in which took a lot of time and dedication. 

I still wrote during all of this; I was just not able to spend nearly as much consistent time on writing my books as I would have liked. Then I got divorced, moved again, had to get reacquainted with being single. Met my current husband, found my life's "spark" and joy again. We moved in together, got married, and busy with our lives. 

Lots of changes in the past 13 years. 

Now I am a 30-year-old woman on my 2nd marriage with my own business, 3-step kids,  2 adorable granddaughters, and my dogs.

But throughout all those life's changes, I never lost sight of my writing, it's always been a deep passion of mine. And it's stronger than ever before, especially with my husband's support and confidence in my writing and his prodding me to pursue it more diligently than I have before. 

My passion for writing is burning brighter and stronger than ever! I'm digging into my writing deeper, making it a priority in my life now. I have so many books that I am working on now that I worry my computer may not hold all the files 😂 I'm making up for time lost. I'm pursuing different fictional genres, different creativity with writing and different writing styles and techniques. I'm very excited to see where this journey takes me!  I can not wait to get my works finished up and I do hope to get many, if not all, of them published. 

So while I've had a 13-year break in my writing career, nothing has changed in my writing passions. I just had to wait and be patient to find the right time and opportunities to write...and the right person who encourages me to chase after that dream of mine with everything I've got... 

Every dream is worth fighting for! 

Thanks for reading,

~M. Desiree`

Meet The Characters

 

Who wants to meet the characters from my book?!?!

- Olivia Mayor is the main character. She's 17 and while still recovering from the loss of her parents 2 years prior, a move, and living with her sister, she's passionate about discovering the secret of the forest...

- Mark Walker is absolutely heart stopping gorgeous with his captivating ocean blue eyes and his unusual white shoulder length hair. But he has dark secrets to hide...

- Kelsie Youngg befriends Olivia instantly. She has long, dark hair and is very pretty with lots of ambition and is always cheerful and optimistic, exactly what Olivia needs in a friend. Yet there's something vaguely different about her that is curious.

- Brice Youngg is your typical protective, sometimes overbearing brother to Kelsie. While he's quiet and keeps to himself, he's got a prominent role in this book...even more so in the coming books in the series (*hint hint*😉)

- Joey is your typical trouble-maker guy who likes to stir up drama and trouble whenever possible.

- Christine is Olivia's older sister and guardian who worries over her younger sister's well-being. She owns her own dress shop in town and sacrifices a lot more than what meets the eye for her little sister's well-being.

- Marianne is the loving, kindhearted soul who is the mother to Brice and Kelsie and forms a connection with Olivia quickly.
-Wyann. He's an aging man that everyone listens to and respects. He's only introduced briefly in this book, but he's definitely someone to remember!

-Cliff...while he's got a very BIG role in this book and series, we'll discuss all about him and his secrets later 😉

If you'd like to learn more about these characters and more, please check out my book, On The Edge of the Forest, here

Thanks for reading and always remember to follow your dreams!