Where did the idea for this poetic memoir come from?

A few years back, it was Christmas eve and we were up in Orlando, celebrating with our son and daughter-in-law, grandson and the other set of grandparents on holiday form England. We were sitting around the dinette set off the kitchen, when Barry (Mason) reminisced about his younger days as a child growing up in northern Wales. He shared that he was raised in a sixteen-bedroom castle by his beloved Nanny, Miss Dorothy Rose Deacon. Barry also noted the daily fun the brothers would have playing in the gardens, talking with the girls from Hampton School and rolling out the old, Morris pickup to go “sporting” in the evenings.

It was when he told the part of his story of how he had fallen in love with Sylvia and married, only suddenly to lose her to a heart ailment, that he had me glued to his story. It was a tough time for “William” in the story--to go through the loss and the grieving part of life, but he always had his dear Nanny, Miss Deacon by his side.

How long did it take you to write?

The first draft was quick; really quick. In my bedroom that evening, I showered, and immediately started to “get the story down.” I started at 10pm and finished the first draft nearing 4am. This was a VERY “rough draft” in its purest sense, but I knew I had a good story.

Why were you so passionate about this story?

The entire theme is part of life—we live; we pass. Mostly, we focus on how we live each day, each week, each month, but rarely, do any of us focus on the period of life when our time is up here on Earth. I have taught many ancient civilizations for many years and learned their cultural ways of celebrating loss. Additionally, I have had to learn acceptance for the ones I have dearly loved that have passed on, too.

It’s a delicate story to write, especially for the middle school-aged group of teenagers, even for the adults. My Publisher, Mr. Steve White, PROTECTIVE HANDS COMMUNICATIONS guided me in the right direction with this challenge. I am always thankful for his help.