Lucinda Mack: Turns Personal Challenges Into a Love of Writing

Lucinda Mack's turned a childhood illness into a lifelong passion for writing. As she told us in a recent interview, "My interest began at the age of nine. At that time, I was felled by several diseases and was paralyzed from my waist down. My medical professionals thought I might be contagious and kept me quarantined from the outside world. Close family members thought I was going to die. I felt abandoned, frightened and confused. At some point, I asked for pen and paper and began my writing career." That request had a profound effect on how she viewed the world around her during that difficult time, "The process grounded me and helped me to cope with the uncertainties in my young life. The characters I created became my friends, and the landscapes I imagined became my playgrounds."

The Pennsylvania-native worked in various professions throughout her life including the home care industry. But she's never lost of her love of writing — continuing to express herself as a poet and author. Her past experiences have informed her works in many ways. "My life has taught me to be resilient, persistent, dedicated and driven," she revealed. " It has forced me to my knees and required me to taste the bitter and sweet petals of existence. This fact has made me accept and appreciate every breath I take. Pieces of my past have pierced my soul and become important ingredients in creating my books and poems. There are definitely drops of past joys and sorrows that saturate the pages of my work."

Such is the case with her latest work Nightsticks and Negligees. Mack described her latest novel, saying, "It is a thrilling, crime novel which is sprinkled with blushes of passion, poetry, and love. The story follows the footsteps of two female detectives as they attempt to solve murders, mysteries and abductions. Along the way, they find clues about themselves, each other and their universes." She was motivated to write the book by two very different projects. "My inspiration was organic," Mack recalled. "It blossomed just after watching two movies. The very first was Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly. The second was Slasher which starred Katie McGrath. The combination of the story lines and the musical scores set my mind twirling and my fingers tapping across the keys of my laptop." The book also pays homage to friends and family in the LBGTQ community that Mack has lost. "The people from my past were held hostage and felled by walls of misunderstanding, mistrust and ignorance," she acknowledged. "I hope my novel acts as an impetus to propel people forward in relationships by overcoming their biases, conscious or otherwise." There are several things that she hopes people take away from the book. "First, I want my book to underscore the fact that there are always opportunities for each of us to redefine ourselves in positive ways. Second, they should walk away with the idea that love touches us in unique ways," she explained. Not one to rest on her laurels, Mack has several projects in the works. "Well, of course, I am completing Nightsticks and Negligees 2. I am also in the process of compiling an anthology of poetry, and putting the final touches on several paranormal and science fiction novels." To learn more about Lucinda Mack and her novel Nightsticks and Negligees, visit her website.