Marsha Olivia Meadows wants her fiction to help people. That was part of the mission behind Jessica's Perception, the first in a trilogy which Meadows has written. It's a book about a young woman facing many different problems in her life, and the way she protects herself.
Meadows says that while the book is fiction, it is inspired by true events. As someone in the hair industry, she says that she had many of her employees and customers tell her about hardships in their lives. She says that the goal was to write a book to help people with trouble in their lives, by showing that they are not alone, that there are other people experiencing the same difficulties.
"You meet so many people who are troubled, but don't know what to do with it. The story tells of how the main character acquires a shroud of protection in her mind and helps herself through," Meadows details.
The goal was to tell the stories in a way that makes them more universal, taking the true stories as a starting point for Jessica in the book, and making them the foundation of her journey.
"I wanted to tell their stories, but not in a way that any one person could look at the book and say 'that was me'."
She says her hope is that people read it and recognize that they are not alone, and there are others who are facing problems similar to theirs. She also hopes people realize that they do not have to live with the problems in their life and can change their situation. She hopes people can take inspiration from the book to either get help or harness their own inner strength.
Each part of the trilogy will take place in a different period in the main character's life, with the first book covering childhood to twenty one. The next one will cover adult years, as she moves into a different part of her life.
The first book in the series took eight months, and Meadows says that it was something she was hooked on writing from the beginning. She notes that there were many unintentional all-night writing sessions as she loses track of time.
"I felt total elation when I finished this one, and a major desire to hurry up and get the next two done," Meadows says.
The response has been a total surprise to Meadows, and she says that people are telling her it's a compelling page turner, something she is using as her inspiration to get the rest of the series completed.
The second book in the series is expected to be out in the spring, and Meadows says she's looking forward to a winter of writing in order to get that book complete.
Jessica's Perception is currently available on amazon.com.
