Memories Never Die began on a dare. Whenever I got together with my son, I would tell him of my “great idea” for a book.
After months of me sharing one idea after another with him, he came up with a challenge for me. “Dad, either write the book, or stop talking about it.”
Of course he was right. So the first thing I did was write a short story based on one of my ideas. I gave that short story to my wife, Cindy, to read. She enjoyed my short story so much that she encouraged me to incorporate the premise into a book.
Memories Never Die is based on a retired Special Forces soldier who learns that his memories are slowly fading. He is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD). Scott Seaver is about to quit his job because of his decaying ability to function when he stumbles upon a terrorist plot to strike at the heartland of the United States. In spite of his disabilities and because of them he is the only person who can stop their devious plot to kill thousands in Downtown Chicago.
As I finished each chapter, I would hand it to my wife to read. After she read it she would usher me back into the office to finish the next chapter. Constantly reminding me, “I want to see what happens next.” Well, so did I.
At times during the writing I would get so excited at a scene playing out in my mind that I could feel my heart racing and my fingers couldn’t type fast enough to get the ideas down on paper.
The truth is I became so enthralled with the characters and the action that I couldn’t wait to see how it ended myself.
You see, the book and the characters had all taken on a life of their own. As the chapters unfolded, each personality would decide how they would handle their next challenge. They drove the story and it wasn’t until the end would we all see how my hero Scott Seavers and his family would survive the ordeal.
My wife loved the book so much, she encouraged me to share it with others. And that is how my career as a novelist began.