Reflections on a writing life by donalee Moulton

 

Hi everyone. As the end of the year approaches, it’s an opportunity to reflect. I thought I’d share some of those reflections with you.

Writing has always been part of my life. Over the years, it has become a central part of my life. Growing up I wanted to be a lawyer. I started university prepared to be a lawyer. Then I was introduced to academia and research. I wanted to teach at a university and publish papers in esteemed journals. Then I had a scholarship to get a PhD. I was thrilled. I turned it down. I had a chance to go to Harvard to research perceptions of time. I was thrilled. I turned it down. Clearly something else was at play. I finally realized what I wanted to do with my life was write.

My mother taught me to love language – and to respect it. She cared about words and getting the words right. She was my greatest influence.

When I was about eight or nine, a next-door neighbor tossed me a Nancy Drew book. She thought I might like it. I sat on the curb between our two houses and read the entire book cover to cover. I loved the puzzle, figuring out who dunnit, and being propelled into a world outside my own.

That same year someone gifted me Charlotte’s Web, and my life was forever changed. Not only could words transport you to new worlds, they could become a part of your heart, change you in ways you could not have imagined. I wanted to do that.

     Take a peek here

My first mystery book Hung Out to Die was published in 2023. The main character is Riel Brava. Attractive. Razor-sharp. Ambitious. And something much more. Riel just wants to be left alone to do his job and one day run for president of the United States. He has a plan. Murder gets in his way. It isn’t easy being a psychopath.

Take a peek here

My second book, Conflagration, followed and relives the real-life trial of an enslaved Black woman accused of setting much of the town of Montreal on fire in 1734. Two other books were released this year, Bind and Melt, a new series featuring three women who meet doing a downward dog.

Take a peek here

As I hope you’ll discover, not everything that happens in a yoga studio is zen.