Back to the Beginning: A Golden Thread Through the Labyrinth of Creativity
When Your Book Decides To Go Full Circle
The book is in the books. It seems surreal to be able to say that, just shy of three years since I wrote the proposal for IT’S ONE OF US, and a decade after the story was conceived. But after this week, the tour is done, the book launched into the world, and while it’s nearly time to start thinking about what’s next, I am not pushing that goal. I want to continue enjoying this fallow moment just a bit longer. There is time. I can get back to work next week.
I had a very special moment on the last day of week 2. I had an hour to kill so I stopped by Litchfield Beach on my way to the airport. It was a sunny but breezy afternoon, the wind bringing enough coolness that I was chilly. I taped a quick video of the mostly empty beach. And it hit me.
This story started with the image of a woman walking alone down a windy, chilly beach. It was the first scene I wrote, even though it ends up being the last little scene in the documentary script, which closes the book. And here I was, on an unscheduled, unplanned stop at the end of my second week of touring, standing alone on a windy, chilly beach. It was a capital M Moment. A full circle closed that I will treasure always.
Ironically, my flight ended up being canceled and I spent the night at said beach, a little north of where I stopped. On my balcony the following morning, as I ate breakfast and watched the waves’ relentless crashing, I realized what I’d done wrong in the draft of the new book, and wrote up a few quick scenes about how to fix it. Thanks for the gift, universe!
I knew this book was special when I was developing the story, but I don’t think I anticipated just how special it would be. Yes, it’s my 25th; yes, it’s landed a number of major picks and hit several bestseller lists. But what I’d hoped would happen has. We are having open, frank, and intimate conversations about what happens when you have trouble building a family naturally. I have had so many conversations, in public and in private, about infertility, miscarriage, loss, fear, disappointment. And joy, happiness, fulfillment, love, faith. You have lifted Randy and me up so much this past month with your words, your messages, your hugs.
This is not a conversation I ever thought I would engage in, much less on an international platform. Especially in a thriller. I never did do the therapy the doctors at the fertility clinic recommended, and for years, I was terrified to speak these truths aloud. But now, with this story out in the world and so many of you responding in kind, I feel like I’ve crossed the Rubicon. And I think this book is helping others cross it as well.
I have a media roundup of the places IT’S ONE OF US has appeared, which includes an essay I wrote for Crime Reads, my in-conversation with Nick Petrie and Barbara Peters at Poisoned Pen, a truly intimate conversation with Lauren Lowrey on the Ampstigator podcast, a sit down with Emily Ley of Simplified fame, and so much more. I couldn’t be more grateful to all of you for buying the book, leaving such amazing reviews, and in general supporting me through this process. Yes, a door is closing. But the infinite universe that’s showing itself through the window is going to be a remarkably fertile playground.
One last thing before we move on... If you haven’t listened to Julia Whelan read IT’S ONE OF US, you really should. The entire time I was writing Olivia, I was hearing Julia’s narration. The real deal literally brought me to tears.