My next venture into the world of self-publishing was inspired by a good friend who was going through some health struggles.
He and I travelled a lot together and I was usually the one to whom he confided when his pain was at its worst.
On a trip to San Miguel de Allende, one of our favourite travel spots, in December of 2002, he was not feeling well and he encouraged me to get out of the hotel room and walk around town. I saw that he wanted time to himself and did not want to keep me from enjoying the holiday.
As I investigated the ornate churches in town, I thought of an idea for a novel. It involved a man and woman in their early sixties who are inseparable, who travel a lot, and who are dealing with the husband’s cancer. The working title then was Mariposa and Corazon.
I wanted a big part of the novel to be set in San Miguel since it was a special place for my friend and me and since I knew so much about its history and traditions.
As with much of my writing, I either lost interest in the concept or was distracted by other writing projects.
In April of 2003, I was called for jury duty. Knowing that I would be put in a crowded room with other potential jurors as we waited to find out if we would be chosen, I took some paper with me to exercise my writing. My first drafts are always in pen. Strangely, the idea for Mariposa and Corazon arose again. I began to write it.
By the way, on my second day of “jury duty,” all of us potential jurors were sent home at 1:00 and told that we weren’t needed. And wouldn’t be contacted again for at least three years.
The best part of it: my interest in M and C had been reignited.
La Parroquia in San Miguel de Allende