“Why didn’t you give them money?” my seven-year-old asked. When the cashier at a fast food restaurant had requested a donation to their charity of choice, I’d said no. That’s what I usually said when strangers caught me off-guard asking for money. Suddenly, my child’s kind, blue eyes made me feel guilty.

I tried to explain: “There are lots of good causes and we can’t afford to give to all of them. I believe you should think about which ones you want to support, then donate to them.”  

For a long time, I simply didn’t have the discretionary income to share with others. Now that I’m more comfortable, I still have a list of things for which I need to save money: my child’s college tuition, a house with a backyard and retirement. On the other hand, I want to teach my daughter to appreciate what we have and to care about those less fortunate. That’s why we donate outgrown clothes and toys to Goodwill. That’s why I slip some money into the Salvation Army’s bucket at Christmas time. That’s why we end each night by listing all of the things we’re thankful for which includes food, shelter and good health.

But is that enough? Case in point: my daughter's school recently collected new and used supplies for the animal shelter. I suggested she gather up cat toys she could find around our house since our ten-year-old tiger cat would rather sleep than play. My daughter wasn’t satisfied with that. I told her if she wanted to buy items, then she could spend her own money on them. Without hesitating, she ran upstairs and opened her piggy bank. She had $9.78 left from her birthday money.  I didn’t want her to regret this tomorrow, so I reminded her of the things she could buy with her savings: doll clothes and books about fairies.  She suddenly thought those things were trivial.

At this point, I gladly took her to the store so she could select pet toys, collars and tiny cans of tuna-flavored food. She remembered how happy our striped kitty was when I let her lick the can after I made tuna salad. My daughter decided she wanted to buy some Fancy Feast for our Cat Chow cat, too.

I was so proud of her. She cared about the animals at the shelter just as much as she did about her own grumpy cat. 

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop is a way of connecting readers to writers around the world. I would like to thank Kelly O'Dell Stanley, who just signed a book deal, for inviting me along. You can read about her original idea here: Praying Upside Down.
I will answer some questions about my writing then link you to amazing authors I think you'll like. 

1. What is the title of your book? On the Verge

2. Where did the idea come from? I once worked for a man whose wife was in a car accident that completely changed her personality. He said she "wasn't the woman he married." This ethical dilemma intrigued me so I wrote a book where a head injury interrupts newlywed bliss. (My boss, by the way, divorced his wife. In my book club discussion questions, I ask if a man or a woman is more likely to stay married if his/her partner becomes gravely ill.)

3. What's the genre? contemporary fiction or women's fiction

4. Which actors would you choose to portray the characters in a movie? Ginnifer Goodwin from "Once Upon a Time" for Val, the main character, and Cindy Crawford for Joely, a secondary character.

5. What's the one sentence synopsis of your book? Newlyweds struggle to repair a 1920's house while trying to rebuild their relationship after a personality-changing head injury.

6. Was this independently published or represented by an agency? It was independently published after consulting with my agent. My next novel will be represented by the MacGregor Literary Agency.

7. How long did it take to write? It took about 6-8 months to write.

8. What other books would you compare this to? "The Vow"

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? A friend of mine lives in a 1920's Spanish-style house which I've always admired. Her stories of restoration joys and nightmares inspired the On the Verge house and is featured on the book cover.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? The Midwest Book Review wrote this: "A thoughtful tale about difficult human problems with no easy solutions, On the Verge is highly recommended." 

If you like contemporary women's fiction, check out Kaira Rouda, who Claire Cook, author of Must Love Dogs, said "is like getting together with one of your best friends--fun, fast and full of great advice." For historical fiction, I highly recommend New York Times bestselling author, Tasha Alexander, and for inspirational fiction and non-fiction, read Peggy Sue Wells. 

"Who's your hero?" my ethics professor asked. I didn't answer. No one did. We thought heroes wore capes and tights. The professor, an elderly gentleman, felt sorry for us. He admired Joe DiMaggio, FDR, WWII vets. But at age twenty, we were jaded. Too often the media revealed people we admired to be flawed--Pete Rose, Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods. In other words, we were a generation without real heroes.  

Yet part of me wanted a hero. Someone to look up to. So I began my search. I felt my hero should be female, like me. I also wanted someone who was successful in her own right--not because she'd married someone (Jackie Kennedy), or she'd inherited her wealth (Paris Hilton), or because she was pretty (Kim Kardashian). In the end, my mind kept coming back to Oprah.

But wasn't that a bit cliché? Didn't every woman in America admire Oprah? I wanted to be more original. The problem was the more I learned about Oprah, the more impressed I became. She'd grown up poor and suffered through prejudice, bad boyfriends and weight issues. Because of her intelligence and persistence, she'd become an icon. She spoke to women everywhere and used her wealth to build a girls' school in Africa. Best of all, her generosity felt sincere--not like a photo op. Oprah seemed real. 

Another thing I admired about her was that she made a conscious decision not to become a mother. Why admire Oprah for not having kids? Because she knew her career would conflict with childrearing. Maintaining fame requires travel and attending events where she makes important contacts. Oprah chose not to have children raised by a nanny. In fact, her magazine was the first place where I read about women choosing to remain childless. The idea intrigued me so much that I wrote a novel about a woman questioning her choice.

So, for those of you still searching for a hero, I recommend Oprah. I’ve never seen her wear a cape, but sometimes she does wear tights.

YOUR TURN TO COMMENT: What woman do you most admire?