Rules of the Story

I grew up on Lake Byron in DeLand, Florida where my journey as a writer began. Both my books are set there. My father was an avid fisherman, and gave me my first tackle box when I was six. He was also a man who respected water, and because my sisters and I spent so much time in it, insisted we obey his rules of the lake: No Swimming Alone, No Diving in Unknown Waters, and the one that got me in the most trouble, No Using Dad's Rod and Reel.

Remembering my childhood, I am flooded with images o...