BEHIND THE SCENES

Writing may be my world, but visual creativity is my sister’s. She’s an incredibly talented graphic designer who now runs her own design team. She’s the kind of designer who can take a concept, a mood, or a scribbled idea and turn it into something polished, artistic, and meaningful.
Over the years, her talent has slipped more deeply into my work than even she may realize. From maps to book catalogs to character inspiration, her eye for detail and visual storytelling has influenced both my writing and the worlds I build. In Meridian File and Michelle’s Miracle, her creative spirit became part of my characters’ artistic identities.
This is the story of how her artistry helped shape mine.

🎨 My Sister’s Designs Behind the Scenes
I’ve been lucky to collaborate with my sister on a variety of projects—each one combining her visual creativity with my stories:
• Maps for My Worlds
When I needed maps—intricate, aesthetic, and evocative—my sister brought them to life. Her designs helped readers visualize the geography, the stakes, and the journeys written across my pages. (see map at top)
• My Book Catalog
Most recently, she created a gorgeous, streamlined book catalog for me. A catalog might sound simple on the surface, but her version turned into a visual story of my writing career—clean layouts, compelling images, and branding that feels cohesive and professional.
It’s one of those behind-the-scenes tools that makes authors look far more organized than we feel.

🎾 Graphic Design Meets Fiction: Amon in Meridian File
In Meridian File, one of the central characters, Aurora, is a graphic designer nearing the end of her tennis career and preparing to transition into art full-time. Her character was deeply inspired by watching my sister build her own graphic design career—balancing creativity, business, and passion.
Amon designs:

• wine labels for her family
• business cards for Maxine Rider
  and dreams of a life where her artistic voice becomes her full-time calling

It was a joy to write her because I could draw from a real-life example of artistic grit and success. Aurora’s love of color, layout, branding, and creative problem-solving all trace back to traits I’ve admired in my sister for years.

🎨 Art Inspiring Fiction: Michelle’s Miracle
In Michelle’s Miracle, a novella in Romancing the Spirit, the main character is an artist whose emotional and spiritual journey intertwines with her creative one. While crafting Michelle’s character, I drew heavily from the energy, focus, and artistic presence my sister embodies.
Michelle paints emotion, creating beauty from chaos. She sees the world differently—through hue, line, texture, and possibility.
Those traits come from years of watching my sister start with a blank canvas—literal or digital—and transform it into something that breathes.
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👩‍🎨 Creative Talent Runs In the Family… Even If It Shows Up Differently
My sister paints with pixels and color palettes. I paint with words and worlds.
But creativity is creativity—and having an artist in the family has shaped:

• my characters
• my storytelling
• my understanding of visual composition
• my appreciation for the design elements that accompany books (covers, maps, branding)

Even the way I think about scenes—imagining framing, contrast, light, texture—owes something to years spent watching her create.