Thirty-three Very Good Years

by

Today is July second and, in a very real way, it’s my lowercase independence day.

Thirty-three years ago today, when my two kids and I arrived in Seattle, I was a refugee from a bad marriage and a worse divorce. I was driving a three year-old Cutlass Supreme Brougham which I had bought used when it was a year old. At the time, my husband told me I that I “never should have bought that car and would never be able to pay for it.” It had taken five long days to drive up from Phoenix, towing a U-Haul trailer, loaded with all our worldly goods.

On that seemingly endless trip, the kids were tired and cranky, and I was scared. Make that terrified. I had left my job as a district manager for an insurance company, returning to the role of agent and transferring myself to a place where, other than my sister, I knew no one. As we traveled, I was filled with questions and doubts. Was I doing the right thing? Would I be able to support my kids? Coming up through northern California and seeing the clouds parked over the mountains of southern Oregon, I worried that I was taking them from the light to the dark. There were times on that long journey when I cried, but only when the kids were asleep. I didn’t want them to know how scared I was.

As we came into Seattle on I-5 in the middle of a weekday afternoon, one of the first things I saw after the skyline, was the I-90 intersection. It wasn’t the spaghetti noodle tangle of lanes it is now. Instead, back then, it was a single overpass, ending abruptly in mid-air and looming over the freeway. I wasn’t a writer back then, but that image stayed with me. In fact, it graced the cover of the first edition of Trial by Fury, my third book. What I thought at the time was this: What if I had taken a wrong turn and driven off the edge of that road to nowhere? In fact, what if that’s what this whole trip was all about?

We moved into a downtown condo with my sister. My kids became some of the first Denny Regrade kids. (By the way, the name Denny Regrade seems to have fallen out of favor these days. It’s Belltown all over, but at the time I named Beau’s new condo Belltown Terraces, that part of the Regrade wasn’t called Belltown at all.)

Six months after arriving in Seattle, I enrolled in the Dale Carnegie Course, expecting that “winning friends and influencing people” would turn me into a better insurance salesman. (No, I never succumbed to the term saleswoman. My father was an insurance salesman, and so was I. And please do NOT call me an “authoress,” either. I write books. I’m an author. Period.)

Much to my surprise, Dale Carnegie didn’t improve my insurance sales track record. In fact, it did the opposite. What it did instead, was lead me inevitably to what I do now–to writing. Following one of my required Dale Carnegie presentations–a talk about how an encounter with a serial killer in Tucson in the early seventies changed my life–one of my fellow students took me aside and said, “Someone should write a book about that.”

I had always wanted to write, and that simple seven word sentence, part of a Thursday night conversation, propelled me to do something about it. Three days later, on a Sunday afternoon after church, I pulled out a yellow legal pad and began writing my first manuscript–one which, though completed, was never published. (And it won’t be published, either. Don’t ask.)

Since then I’ve written more than fifty books. In fact, I finished the next Ali book, Cold Betrayal, just last night. It’s currently out to my first two proof-readers and will go to my editor in New York before the week is out.

So today, while my husband and my agent read the manuscript, I need to get the book mark request envelopes opened, sign the bookmarks, and get them in the mail. It’s a huge stack. And no, I do not have a secretary to handle that because, opening the envelopes and reading the notes that accompany the requests is also a labor of love.

In the thirty-three years between July 2, 1981 and July 2, 2014, my life has changed remarkably. I’ve gone from being a single parent with two little kids living in a downtown condo to being a married parent of five, living in a house overlooking a lush garden. That’s where I am this morning, sitting on the back verandah keeping watch and guarding the fishpond from Mr. “I LOVE Your Fish” Heron. Six grandkids, five girls and one boy, have greatly enriched my life, and so have any number of beloved dog companions. I tell you truly that I never envisioned the kind of life my family and I enjoy now all those years ago when I was dragging that U-Haul up through northern California. And that lifestyle is entirely due to the people who read my books.

So Friday is the Fourth of July–the real uppercase Independence Day. You may be wondering what we’ll be doing this weekend–roasting hot dogs, swimming in the pool, watching fireworks? Nope not this year.

On Friday afternoon, a mini-bus will come by the house to take a load of people to the airport for a British Air flight to London and eventually to Rome. Everyone is going but Bella. When the suitcases come out, she is going to be plucked. I have a feeling she will be visiting her displeasure on our wonderful dog sitter, but that’s why we have a great carpet cleaning technician who is already scheduled to pay us a visit in early August.

And where are we going after Rome? Pretty much everywhere. We’re taking a two week Rick Steves family adventure, eighteen people in our group plus two guides, one of the guide’s husband, and the bus driver. Our family will have the bus to ourselves. We’ll end up back in Paris on July 20th, just in time to get home and start the Remains of Innocence tour on the 22nd. I already have my hair and nail appointments scheduled for the 21st.

My webmistress, who is also my daughter-in-law, will be on the bus. Blogging may be possible, but then again, maybe not. This is a vacation after all–a paid vacation it turns out, funded by my readers and fans.

So thank you, folks. I thank you and so does Bill. Ditto for the grandkids, ages eight to almost twenty-one. As for Bella? Well, maybe not so much, but I’m pretty sure she’ll get over it.

25 thoughts on “Thirty-three Very Good Years”

  1. Have a good time on your trip. Wonderful that is a Rick Steve’s trip.
    We watch every show of his on PBS , and wish we could travel with him.
    At this very moment I am reading “Web of Evil”……again!

    Len

  3. When you introduced “Ali”, I had just began my “Second Life”. I loaded up a small U-Haul and left a husband who had held a gun to my head and then took his own life. My personal Independence Day is celebrated with gusto every year. I wrote to you, way back then, telling you how Ali’s character resonated with me. You replied telling me your own story of escape and how wonderful your “second life” was turning out. 12 wonderful years have now passed. I am blessed with a life I never could have imagined..a wonderful husband and an incredible 10 year old daughter. THANK YOU for being open about your past struggles, you may never know when it will be the catalyst for someone trying to find the courage to begin their “second life”.
    Enjoy your family and the trip of a lifetime.
    Thank you…AGAIN 🙂

  5. I am insanely jealous. What a great sounding trip. You’ll have a wonderful time and you deserve it. I’m sure there will be many stories to tell about the adventures you have. You are truly blessed. You’re a great example of how a lot of work can get you places. Skoal!

  6. Thank you for sharing. You are my favorite author. My husband left me for another woman when I was pregnant around the same time. And… I am one of the lucky ones who survived Ted Bundy. I am thrilled you and your family are off on this wonderful trip and in some part I have contributed to it from the many hours of great pleasure your J P Beamount books provided me. How great reading stories that include places so familiar to this native Seattle girl. Now that I am more acquainted with Arizona I’m going to move forward with those books as well. I met you at a difficult time for you – a cherished family member was battling cancer. Our lives have moved on in positive ways from long ago. So onward to Rome!! Enjoy this time with your family. Well deserved. And again thank you for the many hours of reading pleasure.

  7. J.A. Jance on a Rick Steves adventure – that’s a video I would love to see! Hopefully we won’t have to send J.P. Beaumont or Joanna Brady to your rescue. We met in February at the Apache Junction library and I’ve been checking in with you on Facebook and this blog ever since. Thanks for the peek into your private life. You are an amazing woman!!

  9. That sounds wonderful! My son is currently on an extended European vacation-he just left Rome, and will be in Germany and Spain after he leaves Italy in a few days. I would love to be able to do such a thing someday, but I’m a better reader than I am a writer. My daughter is going to college for writing, though, and hopes to be N author someday. If she needs help deciding what to spend book royalties on, I’ll know just what to suggest. 🙂

  10. You have always been such an inspiration and now after reading this Zi am even more in awe of you. I have loved your books to the point of hating the time between the release of the next……best wishes on a spectacular trip and Zi am looking forward to seeing you in Port Angeles next Friday!

  11. You are a survivor! And a very talented survivor at that. Your writings have helped far more people than you may realize. They have certainly helped me, especially helping me get to sleep on the many troublesome nights over the last five years. Things are finally better; but I still collect and enjoy following the adventures of my book friends.
    Enjoy your vacation and especially take time to enjoy time with family.
    Thank you! Sleepless in Lynnwood.

  12. Have a wonderful trip, you deserve it.
    I just finished reading “The Old Blue Line”, I loved it.
    Of course after all these years I love all of the.
    I hope to meet you, within the next year, when I move back to Tombstone.
    Keep up the good work.:)

  13. Think of Hal when you are in Bavaria. As you may recall, he was known as the ‘Marchmeister of Bavaria’!

    See you at the PP in August!

    Have a great trip

    Steve & Leslie

  14. Hope you have an amazing adventure! I was thrilled to see your next book tour would come to the Minneapolis Central Library! We missed you by one day at the Phoenix Central Library last year when I was visiting my daughter.
    Safe travels and welcome to Minnesota next month.

  16. I’m so glad you are going on such a wonderful adventure…and with so much family, wow…that will be the best trip. Your talent is wonderful, and I am grateful for all the nights I have curled up with Beau, and Joanna and read until my eyelids weighed too much. I hope you have a wonderful trip.
    Take care,
    CJ Vermote

  17. Have a great trip and enjoy the vacation! Thank you so much for all the wonderful books you have written. I love them all
    Cheryl

  18. Have a wonderful trip. See you at the Everett Comcast Center on the 24th.

    Dee

  19. You are one of the hardest working Authors that I read, Also the Best . I am proud to contribute to your Vacation you deserve it. Most importantly you will be with your FAMILY. ENJOY but come home and write another book PLEASE.. there are so many of us that love your books. My husband, daughter and I left family and friends to come to Seattle in 1974 .. I was a really young 25 year old we never lived more than 6 miles from MOM… So scared and young but like you and yours We made it. After 25 years we came back to California to take care of our parents. I miss my Seattle,Federal way and Tacoma. Mostly I miss the fishing. When you write of Seattle my HEART is in the Emerald City.

  20. So appreciate your comments on Bella. Scooby-Doo, our very senior and spoiled doxie also voices her displeasure at being left behind(and other times) in a similar way. The carpet cleaners know our home well, also.

  22. I am so very glad you made the decisions you did. They gave you a much better life for you and your children. And brought us, your fans, some wonderful books! Keep up the GREAT work! And enjoy that vacation.

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