I’m Here, Sweetheart
Ever since I got my insecurity addiction under control, I’ve been going back into my memories when I was a little kid, to my terrible memories, and just sitting with her. I can’t change what happened, but I can go back and be with her. Comfort her. I’ve become a loving mom to that poor little girl, to all my many selves from the past, at any age. I will never blame them for my miseries, ever again. I’m their mom who loves them now. And I always will be.
Best Gift Ever
This readers asked for a hardback copy of Freak for Christmas. She sent me this photo (before the new cover). Best gift ever! I’m so grateful to all of you for reading my crazy memoir, and inspiring me to create Hurt Magic because you wanted to help kids before they become basket case adults, like I was. I love you all so much. Let’s get Hurt Magic to every kid who’s been bullied or abused! Or any other child who needs it.
Moody Rose
Hemingway Helps Me Draw Hurt Magic
Whether it’s drawing, writing or embroidering, Hemingway is always helpful.
Words To Live By.
My beloved stepdad Charlie was a Marine in World War ll. He fought on Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima with the Third Marine Division. I first began interviewing him for this trilogy of books (one for each island) decades ago. He lived in Illinois, I lived in New York. I came home with my kids every summer. In that time, Charlie could only ever do one interview per visit, they fried him so badly. Two weeks after our last Iwo Jima interview, he died. I was devastated. His death hit me far harder than I ever imagined it would. Every time I tried to write on his books, it was all maudlin crap. So I decided to put it away until I was able to write in the way he deserved. In the meantime, I wrote my memoir Freak: The True Story of an Insecurity Addict, Manifest Destiny, a sci fi horror novel, wrote and illustrated two children’s books: Hurt Magic and Robin the Mighty Red Breast (Robin is slated for publication in 2026), and did a boatload of other creative projects. Finally, I felt I could turn to the World War ll books and write them with the dedication and clear thinking they deserve. It has been the greatest honor of my life that Charlie trusted me enough to share his memories of that terrible time with me. I found out at his funeral that he never spoke of the war to anybody. So it is incumbent on me to do these books justice. And I will.