About the Author

About the Author

It was never my dream to write a novel.  Daisy’s Keeper  is a result of good timing meeting less-than-ideal circumstances.  I write poetry and other similarly fluid genres for fun; I’ve been writing academic essays in school for years, so I’ve become quite good at it.  This book is a culmination of thoughts and ideas that I didn’t find worthy of spending my energy and personal time on.  But when, in my last semester of college, I reluctantly took a novel-writing course to avoid a scheduling conflict, Jaime, Donald, and friends came out to play.

I’m not an activist, nor any kind of leader; I don’t tell people what to think, especially considering I don’t like being told what to think myself.  It just so happens that that college course came at a turning point in my life--one at which I didn’t care if all those aforementioned thoughts and ideas spilled out into a story.  In fact, I was ready for them to; it was time for me to control them, rather than the other way around.

I’ve always been told that change is a good thing.  I (try to respectfully) disagree.  Maybe some changes are good, or maybe the reasons or intentions behind, and the results of, change are good.  But change in it of itself does not equal good.  I might even go so far as to say that change is inherently bad, and that good change is the exception to the rule.

My stance is a result of the changes I’ve experienced in my life, one of which came about when this book was in the early stages.  That’s when I thought, ‘what have I got to lose?’  There was a time when much of this book--especially where Donald is concerned--would have been too painful to write, but a second major change during the writing process gave me even more resolve to illuminate the book’s world...again, particularly Donald’s.

Like many books, several characters or instances are based on my first-hand experience, or things I’ve noted from afar that have affected me.  I’ve come to terms with all that, but I still don’t understand it all...so I filled in the gaps of understanding with as much of me as I could fit.  That’s where Jaime comes in. Jaime is a lot like me--we like the same music, the same books, the same types of pop culture, and we have the same ideas about what’s important in life--but she does things that I can’t, or won’t, do.

But, although Jaime is the heroine and Daisy’s name is in the title, Donald was my favorite character to write.  He’s the kind of guy I think everyone should hang out with--smart, funny, thoughtful, compassionate.  As I said earlier, I used to struggle with the kind of thoughts and ideas that make up his world.  But, he’s made putting pen to paper easy, because he’s friendly, engaging, open, and understanding.

Having said all that...what do I hope you get out of this novel?  Well, for starters, you don’t have to take Donald’s world seriously...It’s supposed to be fun.  All the book is; it’s a romantic comedy!  Take a break from the more dense fare.  Relax. Read it at the beach!  

As for Jaime--and all her friends, really--I made them as real as I possibly could.  People talk in cliches.  We make mistakes.  We care about what others think, even when we know we shouldn’t.  Jaime and her friends aren’t afraid to be themselves.  Love them or hate them, that attitude is certainly a beneficial one.

Happy reading!

-- Hannah

P.S. I now have a new gig as a freelance editor and proofreader of...(drumroll, please) self-published American English stand-alone romance novels! It's a mouthful, but it also has a lot in common with my experience bringing "Daisy's Keeper" into the world. Follow me on LinkedIn and Bluesky (links at bottom of page) to learn more!

In case you’re wondering…

Here are my answers to the same questionnaire Jaime and friends took:

• • Show that I watch: Switched at Birth

A place I'd rather be right now: Sydney, Australia

• • Something I am looking forward to this year: Thanksgiving

  • My favorite color: Purple

  • A favorite movie: Disney’s Alice in Wonderland

  • A favorite cereal/breakfast food: Seedless rye toast

  • Hugs or kisses: Hugs

  • Summer or winter: Summer

  • Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate