Some stories come from a burst of inspiration. Others arrive slowly, over time—built from layers of lived experience, self-doubt, unexpected lessons, and the occasional spiritual nudge. The Second Coming of Grace is, for me, one of those stories.

It’s Grace’s journey—but in many ways, it’s mine too.

From Performer to Creator

In the early 2000s, I set out to make it as an actor in Toronto. I studied, I auditioned, I signed with agents. And I got dropped. Twice.

There were small wins: I earned my ACTRA credits, I worked as an extra on a few sets, and I met some wonderful people along the way. But despite my efforts, the doors never fully opened. The industry was difficult, and I often felt like I was trying to fit into something that was never built with me in mind.

Eventually, I realized that my true calling wasn’t performance—it was creation. I wasn’t just meant to interpret stories. I was meant to tell them.

Finding My Voice Through Words

In 2015, I shifted direction and enrolled in the University of Toronto’s Creative Writing Certificate Program. That’s where I began to reimagine myself—not just as a woman who once wanted to act, but as a writer with something meaningful to say.

The breakthrough came in 2021 when Wyldblood Magazine in the UK accepted my whimsical short story The Road to Shambhala—about a vegan spider—for publication. (Here’s the Amazon link, if you’d like to check out the print back issue.) That story was the beginning of something new. Something that finally felt right.

Writing with Limited Time—and a Lot of Heart

These days, my biggest challenge isn’t inspiration—it’s time. I run a full-time psychological-report-writing business from home. I’m also the live-in caregiver for my 88-year-old mother, who has multiple health challenges and relies on me for transportation, medical appointments, and day-to-day care.

That’s a lot. And it means that writing my novel has required some creative solutions—like using AI to brainstorm, organize, and accelerate the process. (I talk more about that in this earlier post.)

But the story kept calling to me. Grace kept showing up. So I kept writing.

The Parallel Journey of Grace

Grace is clairsentient—she feels the emotions and energies of others deeply. It makes her powerful, but it also makes her vulnerable. She’s caught between who she is and who the world wants her to be. She’s told to tone it down, to make herself more “marketable.”

Sound familiar?

Like Grace, I’ve had to learn to trust my voice—especially when it didn’t sound like anyone else’s. Especially when the world seemed to want something different. Her journey through acting, rejection, reinvention, spiritual awakening, and ancestral connection reflects so many of the themes I’ve lived through. That’s what makes this novel so personal to me.

And now, as I approach release day, I feel something deeper: peace, pride, and a sense of rightness. This is the story I was always meant to tell.

Have you ever had to reinvent yourself—or walk away from one dream to find another? How did it shape you? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.

Next Friday, I’ll be sharing a deeper look at Zofia, Grace’s courageous ancestor inspired by my real-life great-aunt who defied the Nazis during WWII. We’ll explore how she shaped the heart of the novel—and how her legacy lives on in Grace.