Happy Easter to those who celebrate! And wow, April is here already.

April is my birthday month, so of course it would have to be one of my favourite months of the year 😉 And APRIL’S GLOW was one of my favourite stories to write.

What was my inspiration behind this novel?

Two things:

1. Candles
2. Neighbours

Candles are pretty self explanatory, I LOVE candles and all the beautiful scents and colours and jars they come in and always wanted to write about a character who runs a candle store… and as for neighbours, I don’t mean the Australian TV show, but the idea of exploring how two people not looking for a relationship, yet undeniably attracted to each other, end up as neighbours and how this close proximity forces them to face the demons of their past, and trust in an uncertain future.

In this book I also wanted to explore two imperfect characters; one physically restricted and one psychologically restricted, and bring them together to help them help each other.

April is an amputee who has learned to live with her physical disability, but is still scarred by emotional wounds from her accident, and Zac is a recovering alcoholic with post-traumatic agoraphobia… hence the need to have most of his scenes at his home, with April as the next door neighbour.

Another thing I always wanted to do was write a character who writes poetry, as poetry was a big part of my life growing up and helped me express myself and get through difficult times during adolescence. So it felt natural to bring this element into April’s Glow, through Zac, who writes to help cope with his psychological issues.

Writing novels is a way to express parts ourselves that we wish to explore, while also discovering new concepts and characters that are completely different from our own lives. To me, writing is like living multiple lives, and being in control of the outcomes. There is a great deal of fulfilment in writing a book. And seeing it come to life, feeling as though it is a real story about real people, is very rewarding.

With each new story I discover something new about life, and about myself, and I can’t wait to see what I discover next… 🙂

Hope you have a wonderful Easter, and happy reading!

READ APRIL’S GLOW; >> http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9781760370312 

~ Juliet xo

P.S. – Thanks to those who attended my recent talk at Shellharbour library!