behind the scenes
Twelve years ago, I took my first child, an infant at the time, on a flight to visit family in Utah. As I went through security, unpacking vials of liquids and removing my shoes – all while holding a baby on my hip – I noticed that the clear plastic bags of baby formula powder in my diaper bag passed muster without question. TSA surely had a sophisticated way of determining that the white powdery substance in my diaper bag was not cocaine, but I thought: What if it was? Hmmm…. My wild imagination took off, and I wondered if mothers could mule cocaine in their diaper bag, pretending the cocaine was baby formula.
I am a highly risk-averse person, so trust me, I would never have tested this theory. But I always thought it would make a fascinating book or movie. And now it has.
I knew I would write a book about a mother who mules cocaine through diaper bags, but I didn’t realize (initially) that it would lead to other “mom” stories. The inspiration for creating the series came from my journey writing this novel and the women I met along the way. They shared with me their own stories, or stories of women they knew, which ultimately led to the realization that there are so many Secret Live stories to tell. And I’m honored to tell them.
I get asked this question all the time. The answer is: Not much. Though I drew from familiar experiences and places to make the writing more believable, that’s where the parallels between Anna Reed and me end. The characters in the book and the storylines are entirely fictional.
I get everything from, “I can’t wait to read this!” to “Do you want to know what my secret life is?” But the most surprising reaction is that the story seems so relatable and intriguing to so many people. I expected some people to turn their noses up at a story of a woman trafficking drugs (especially as baby formula!), but everyone loves it. At least, that’s what they tell me.
Michelle is looking forward to hearing from you, and will get back to you as soon as possible!