Sometimes both writers and readers forget that they and their books are not one and the same.

Proof that I am not my books: We are often seen at the same place at the same time.

I put a lot of myself into the books I write. The characters come out of my head — the protagonists, antagonists, comic relief, parents good and bad, the passerby on the street who only has one line. But they are not me.

The dialogue comes from my head — philosophizing, wisecracking, both sides of an argument. But it’s not what I would say.

The writing, rewriting, querying, submission, editing, and marketing of a book takes a lot of time, emotion, and thought. There is a lot of my life and myself in my books. I have a creative vision, and it comes out in my books. But they are not me.

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