Goodreads asked L.J. Greene:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

L.J. Greene I blame San Francisco Bay area traffic! I was driving to work on the 101 freeway and listening to a song on the radio. It triggered a musing that lasted for most of the rest of my drive (which was long, for those of you who are familiar with Bay area traffic!), and if I’m being honest, for the better part of the next three years.

It is from this musing that I first ‘met’ Danny and Sarah. They seemed to take on a life of their own in such a natural and organic way that, although they are completely fictional, they and their circle have always felt very three-dimensional to me. They are all imperfect people, but their imperfections are what I love. Their imperfections make them real. I might see Danny at a gas station or in the produce section of the grocery store. Sarah might be in the grocery store too, but I’d probably find her in the breakfast isle, as she shares my penchant for cereal as breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are not perfect, but they are perfect together.

For a long time, I resisted writing them down because I loved to create and re-create their story in fine detail, and with impunity for any liberties I took. But, as I often hear authors say, eventually, these characters demanded to be written down – to be let out. Writing them, to me, means letting them go – giving them away to you, the reader. It means letting you fill in their gaps, extend their experiences, imagine new scenarios and conversations. In your mind, you get to decide what they look like and how their voices sound. And you get to change and improve them so that their story is perfect for you.

I think I’m finally ready for you to do that. So go for it! I don’t mind. Really...

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