I’ve been whining and tweeting about finishing “Breaking The Moon” for a month or so now.  I will finish this novel and it will be tomorrow.  It’s like I said in one of my tweets: “Finishing a novel is like saying goodbye; that’s why it’s so hard to do”.  I think about Haley and how far she has come.  In “Dream Catchers”, she scratched the surface of who she really is.  She found her passion in life.  And in “Breaking The Moon”, she really grows up and learns how to forgive and understand and when to dispose of the crap that surrounds her.  Maybe some of you can identify with her more than others, but for me, she’s a piece of me.

When I wrote that first chapter during my first few months in college, I was like Haley in many ways.  I felt alone and suffocated by my parents and everything I knew.  I wanted to escape, but didn’t know how.  Writing stories and creating StarShine Magazine became my passion and they both opened up a new world to me.  They made me fall in love with myself…and I desperately needed to love myself at that time.

Then there’s Jordan…believe it or not, he’s me in some ways too.  Back when I was 18, he was more who I wanted to be like.  Now, I find myself in him in more ways than I thought.  I might not express my anger like Jordan does, but it’s there.  My childhood scars are very real, and though I laugh at many of them because sometimes you just have to–they still hurt, too.

I promise to write a book about that someday.  It will be based on my life, but not an autobiography.  It won’t be all moaning and groaning over a kid from the projects who was abused.  It will be about family–the love and the hate and the absurdity along with the comedy that comes with all of that.

But until then, you’ll see characters like Jordan who struggles with the past, but wants to rise above it.  And you’ll see characters like Haley, who keep quiet for too long

Sandy reading from "Dream Catchers" for the first time at Art & Music Night at The Cup in Staten Island, NY in 2009.

until she’s breaks free from the bubble her parents kept her in.  With all of this off my chest, I feel I can finally finish the last few pages of “Breaking The Moon”.  I feel good about giving you this insight tonight.  It’s an incredible feeling to have someone read your book and enjoy it, but it’s both frightening and comforting to have them understand where your characters are coming from: within yourself.

After the last chapter is finished, I will be going into heavy editing.  I’m hoping for an April/May release 🙂  Thank you all for your patience and support.  If you haven’t read “Dream Catchers”, please do!  It’s available on Amazon.com in Paperback ($19.00 US) and on Kindle ($6.99 US)!

Hugs, Kisses & Stars,

Sandy Lo