Once I had created the character sketch of Tucker, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. I thought about what kinds of experiences would produce such a complex person, and I began making a list based from my experiences as a marriage and family therapist and having listened to stories told from the heart.
While I could have written a compelling story based solely on all those elements, I knew there were already scores of excellent books written about those kinds of things. I wanted my story to have a different component but wasn’t sure what that might be.
Then one day it came to me: What would Tucker do if she was forced to engage with a person who was her total opposite? That question produced the character, Ella McDade. And once I sketched out her character, I knew I had a story with tension, both between characters and within themselves.
From that point on, the story was easy to write. The title of the book was easy. Tucker’s Way would be about how Tucker always did things her way, the only way she knew, and she expected everyone else to do it her way, too. Until she met Ella.
If you haven’t read Tucker’s Way, give yourself the privilege of meeting these two remarkable women, women who you won’t soon forget.
Stories With Heart 
I think we have all known someone a bit like Tucker; a person who is eccentric, friendless, misunderstood, backwards, marginalized, and hardened. That person that comes to mind,and their family, were uneducated, gossiped about, actually or rumored to be on welfare, and are on the fringe and a bit feared. Tucker’s story is a good reminder of how everyone’s life story is incredible, and sometime the very people you pity and gossip about should really be raised up as supreme examples.of strength and perseverance. David, thank you for using your life experiences to create this incredible journey!
I agree with you, Valerie, that we should be careful about judging people based on appearance and reputation.