Questions I Get

I've been asked again and again: “What's Micah's 45 about?” I guess I could have a more elaborate response. I often say things like: “It's a young adult novel about redemption,” or “It's a coming-of-age novel that I started for a class I took in college.” But this really doesn't tell you anything about the story.

Sunny, one of the main characters, started as a thought on a day when I had been wronged. He developed out of my own habit of talking to myself and using my imagination to envision what would happen if someone were listening. He was born out of my need for affirmation after the betrayal of a close friend. He is continually one of my favorite reactions when people respond to my book. Even though everyone thinks he's a main character, he's actually a sideline character that everyone loves. He's a sarcastic and fun character who easily puts on a serious face to help Micah grow. I think that's why people like him.

Micah, the overall main character, is not me. Micah is a conglomeration of the person I've been and a person who is entirely different than me. However, as I wrote Micah's 45, Micah became a part of me. If I can tell you anything about Micah without revealing her story, it's that Micah is entirely human. She's a Christian teenager trying to survive in a public school dealing with issues that every person deals with in their lives eventually. Though the book is not focused on her Christianity, it is an integral part of her life and can be seen in her attempts to make correct decisions, her guilt over incorrect decisions, and her growth through times when she doesn't feel guilty for bad decisions.