My twins Liz and Mike have been such treasures in my life. When I was writing my first novel, The Angel’s Daughter, Liz was in graduate school. An avid reader, she edited the first draft of my manuscript with a red pen. Her ability as an editor amazed me. On the plane going home from our visit she called me as I sat on the runway,”Mom, I saw a man running down the street with angel wings tattooed on his back. Make Sam’s character have angel wing tattoos!” Thus Sam, the despicable character as Hannah’s ex- boy friend and writing professor, was given large angel wing tattoos on his back which he proudly shows off in the novel on TV interviews.
My son, Mike, a television writer. gave me a beautiful butterfly birthday card the year after my husband passed away . He wrote,”I know the last few months have been hard, but I want you to know how proud I am of you. You still have your wings and you’ll fly again soon,” Serendipity was ever present as there was a bush outside my hotel in LA that day filled with yellow flowers visited by many lovely butterflies. This card became a theme in my last novel, Town of Angels. Mike’s quote is part of the story in the novel. Angel Ken, the main character, sends butterflies to his flock of people in the fantasy town of Mystic Bay,California to sooth and calm troubled minds. And using one more of his wondrous angel gifts he guides the towns’ bully to an awakening of spirit.
People come into our lives and with small gestures make such life changing impacts on us. Liz and Mike have grown up to be kind, thoughtful and talented people. They have used wings of hope to realize their own dreams. I am blessed to know and be the mother of these twin angels on the writers’ shoulders. Happy Birthday today, January 2,2020, Liz and Mike!