My dad laughed, looking relieved, and said, “I know how smart you are. Your imagination is a powerful thing and can give you strength when you are scared to do something. It is important to learn how to do this. Now you know how to accomplish something when you don’t want to do it and know it is good for you to do it.”

The scan of my right eye confirmed why I was seeing the sandstorm – it was actually blood inside my eye! I had a retinal tear and needed surgery as soon as possible.

What is the purpose of communication? As an author this question has always fascinated me. It is critical to provide a scene that a reader can visualize as if they were observing it unfold through a crystal ball. It must be conveyed in a manner which allows the reader to accept the scene as authentic. Once the reader has lost “faith” in a scene, despite how wonderful the plot, the whole book loses its je ne sais quoi and the reader puts it down and resists picking it up again.