Real Life Memories Sneak into My Fiction Novels

I’d like to welcome my online author friend, Christina Sinisi. Christina’s latest novel, Why They Call It Falling, is one you won’t want to miss. A romantic story filled with drama, Justin and Emma find their way back to one another through their daughter and their undeniable faith in God and each other. Christina shares her ideas for keeping track of family memories, some of which make their way into her books!

Welcome, Christina~

My latest Christian Contemporary romance, Why They Call It Falling, is not based off my own life, but then again, there are bits and pieces. I was a waitress as a young woman making my way through college, and one of our favorite restaurants in Summerville (aka Summer Creek in the book) is an Italian place called The Red Pepper (changed to Jasmine’s in the story to protect the innocent).

Another aspect of my books that rings true is the delight I found in my children. They both were brilliant and would say the most amazing things at early ages (a mother can say that, right?). Since one of the goals of Becky’s blog is to preserve memories—I thought I’d share some of the ways I kept track of my children’s wit and charm. I did create the typical scrapbooks until the internet and cell phones made it less likely I’d print pictures. My goal after I retire is to print the pictures and finish the scrapbooks (knowing I’ve probably forgotten a lot of details, sadly).

Another thing I did was keep calendars. On each day, for my children’s first few years of life, I wrote something they either said or did that was amazing that day (or not). Writing on a calendar is fast and easy and something you can look back on years later when all the details are faded.

Today, I keep a daily to-do list for my job and other errands. When something interesting happens, I write in the margins. I also journal, but now many of you will be thinking, let’s not get crazy here!

Here are some gems looking back… My son, Scott, clapped his hands for the first time on his actual first birthday. When Scott was three and my daughter Lindsey was a newborn, I made a red, white, and blue cake for the 4^th of July while the baby slept. I came back to clean up the mess, and found Scott licking the cake. (I said they were brilliant, not perfect!) Lindsey’s first Christmas was also the first time she pulled to a stand, balancing on a Christmas present. When she turned three, I was pushing her in a stroller along the path in our neighborhood. We came upon a big muddy spot shaped like a shoe and she asked if that was God’s footprint.

So, yes, write your memories down and treasure every minute! And who knows, they might just make their way into a book! Thank you, Becky, for a reason to dig into those old files. God bless!

Here is the link for Christina’s novel:

https://amzn.to/3CWOsYA

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