I was sixteen or seventeen when I began a story set in the Ofrann Desert of Axxord I never finished that story, but the setting and characters, Kayarra and Aya, stayed with me through graduation, marriage, the birth of a son, full time employment, and part time vocations Twenty years passed I completed the draft of a novel called Rainbow Gold Then, while searching through notes and partially completed manuscripts, I located a handwritten copy of that early, unnamed manuscript Many of the elements that had captured my imagination all those years ago captivated me again I began writing Not from where I d left off, but from a new page one In those intervening years, both the original story and I had matured And for the next fifteen years, I wrote first the draft, then a full rewrite And during that time, I met and befriended other writers I studied writing I wrote short pieces I was appointed director of an online writing workshop I taught what I d learned through experience and education I joined a critique group, PC Quill And finally, I finished Moons Kiss, and wept as I wrote the final sentence.