No Nurses Were Harmed in the Making of This Novel

I have a confession to make. I’m not one of those brilliant authors who can write about stuff I have no concept of.

For example, two years ago, I started a story about a lawyer in New York City who got turned into a vampire. It was going to be a hysterical chicklit piece, but I couldn’t get more than two chapters in. Why? Because I have no idea what it’s like to be a lawyer.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I also don’t have a clue what it’s like to be a vampire. But that seemed a lot easier to write about than the legal stuff. I mean, you don’t have to go to school to learn about sucking people’s blood.

So there you go. You know my shameful secret. My failing as an author. Which is why I had to make my main character in “The Politician’s Pawn” – a character who gets kidnapped and terrorized and, well, I can’t say more without issuing a major spoiler alert – the same exact profession as one of my best friends: oncology nurse.

I actively borrowed from my best friend’s expertise and stories in order to make Kayla Jeateski realistic. However, their personalities and looks are completely different. If I had based Kayla off of Ashleigh in any other way, shape or form, the story would have been a lovely fairytale with a Disney-princess ending.

I might be able to throw characters with my personality and some of my basic looks under the bus. And I can definitely do it to the ones I base off of people who irritate me. But I draw the line when it comes to best friends.

Even writers have their loyalties. Or at least they would if they had the friends I did.