Where Dandelions Grow - Where the story came from part 2

Click  here  to read part one.
For me, the coolest part about Where Dandelions Grow is that I loosely based the four main characters off of me, my sister, and Alexa and Aubrey.
The book was a graduation present to Alexa. A tribute to our childhood. None of the characters besides the cousins were anything like reality, but that still gave me something to work off of. A time for me to explore the beauty of cousin-ship.
I wrote for six weeks and it was my favorite book to write.
As I explored the deep friendship we four cousins in real life had growing up, and then transformed the elements (and at time, the stories) to four characters, I was reminded again about all the love I've been basking in for forever.
Where Dandelions Grow is about hope, love, dreams, forgiveness and family. All those words have deep and special meanings to me; so to incorporate them into a single story made me want to dance with joy.

Oh! Methinks I've forgotten a very important element. Alexa had written a short story and let me read it and that's what sparked the initial idea and setting for the book. She graciously agreed to let me use it (with minor changes) as the preface of Where Dandelions Grow.
Alexa also wrote two articles and they fit so perfectly into the storyline I was creating that I asked her if I could use them in my book. It was especially special for me using her writing since the book is about cousins.
I have toyed with the idea of creating a series, giving each one of the cousins a chance to tell their own story. Who knows, someday it might happen...
What about you? Have you ever had a story or idea fall into your brain with such clarity that you can't wait to begin working on it?* * *
Today we have a guest appearance by Autumn Genre. She's keeping me company this morning while I'm writing and I wanted to let y'all see how adorable she is:

(Looking at this picture I'm thinking, like, no wonder so many people think I'm in my early teens! Craziness. No way I would guess that girl^ to be in her twenties.)