Behind The Scenes

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I want to give you a little behind the scenes look into what made Flowers from Afghanistan. My husband retired after 26 years as a police officer and then an investigator in our city. He immediately was accepted as a trainer for police in Afghanistan and flew out months after retiring. It was something he had dreamed of doing for a few years. It was very hard to tell him goodbye. I knew when he left that a book would be born of this adventure and it was. I wanted to honor our police families and our military families, as I know what sacrifices they make on a daily basis. I wanted to show people what that consisted of. In the creation of Mac, I was doing what we call a character interview with him. It’s where you sit down with your imaginary character and ask him or her about their life. It sounds a little crazy, but it works! Anyway, when I got to the part where I asked Mac why he went to Afghanistan, and he told me. I said no, I will not write that. I had no desire to write about the death of a child. I tried to argue the character out of it, but he was adamant. And when I tried other approaches, the character just clammed up. So, dragging my heels, I wrote that scene. In my research, I read many mother’s tales of loss. It broke my heart and I wanted to write this to represent them also. So, to my dear mothers who have lost a child, I send you my highest respect and deepest sympathy. To all military families and police families, my love and prayers go out to you, as you serve in a very deep way this day. Purchase Flowers from Afghanistan