This year I have twice had the opportunity to read a book before it has been published.  The first came with a comic book (you can read my review here: https://intruthitsnotthatsimple.com/2016/04/14/the-misplaced/) where I gave the creator some of my thoughts and he was kind enough to give me some credit in the acknowledgments – truly a humbling experience for me. The finished work is available on Comixology and I encourage you to check it out (not just to see my name on the credits page).

Recently I had an even more wonderful experience in reading an entire novel that is still in the editing phase but which holds promise to become a rich book for many to enjoy. In this case the book – my 42nd read for the year – is entitled From Above and the author is my daughter.

Now some of you out there may be parents and you might be thinking something along the lines of this: “How cute that your daughter wrote a little book; I’m sure it’s as sweet to you as the macaroni art hanging on my fridge is to me. Aren’t kids so adorable with their little projects.” This is different. I read the second draft of this book, clocking in at just over 210 pages and pared down from the initial 290 or so that she wrote in her first draft. My teenage daughter follows in the footsteps of her cousin who has published over a dozen books so far beginning when she was 14 (and not ‘vanity press’ books either); she expresses the same creativity as her older brother in his budding stand up comedy, of her older sister in her passionate poetry and public speaking, and of her mother whose short stories can rend your heart or make you smile. Of course I’m proud of the achievements of all three of my children who regularly amaze me with their talents and their characters, but this book isn’t just a cute thing my daughter wrote.

She is an aspiring author and this book shows real promise. She has created a world that can sustain real emotion and action, where palpable characters wrestle with realistic concerns a reader can relate to. And she is ruthlessly editing her own work as well as seeking the input of other people. I gave her a few suggestions but she remains her toughest critic as she works to write something she can be proud of. I expect one day I won’t be the only one praising this work, but for now I’m glad to have gotten an early look into the world my daughter is crafting. She has visions for a trilogy that rounds out this world and I expect she will realize this dream in the years to come. I can’t share any of her work with you all yet, but before too long I might be telling you where to find my daughter’s first novel. That will be fun.