Last week I posted about my why I continued to think about it throughout the week because I felt like something was missing. In the middle of the night, a time when I often have an idea (I have plenty of late‑night scribbles I can’t read later, but this one came through clearly.)

It isn’t just that writing feels like my calling or my purpose. It isn’t only that I want to make my grandchildren proud. What was missing is you—the reader.

I don’t just want to entertain you. I hope my stories give you something to carry with you: a new perspective, a spark of understanding, or a moment that resonates with your own journey. Life can be cruel and heavy at times, and sometimes we all need an escape. Other times, we need a reminder that hope still exists, that strength can be found in the darkest places, and that we are capable of surviving what tries to break us.

• In Whispers of the Past, Detective Rachel Bower must confront the trauma of her childhood to catch a killer. 
• In Lipstick Murder, Tess is determined to make things right, no matter the cost.
• In Where Are All the Children, Anna escapes a trafficking ring and chooses to fight back against the people who tried to destroy her.I write these stories not only to give readers courage, but also in the hope that Where Are All the Children might save a young girl’s life—that someone will recognize the signs of trafficking and speak up.

That, I realized, is the missing piece of my why: the hope that my stories don’t just entertain, but help someone, somewhere, feel seen, strengthened, or safe.