Story ideas don’t usually wake me up.

This one did.

I remember it so clearly, though it’s now been many years ago: I woke from a deep sleep with the whole plot for STEALING KEVIN’S HEART in my head. I knew the names of Rachel and Kevin and I knew what would happen to them.

I remember trying to go back to bed, but my brain was filled with images and dialogue and pieces of what would this October become my first book.

Despite my best efforts, I could not return to sleep.

So, I stumbled out of bed and wrote the idea down on a reporter’s notebook I keep on my desk. (At my house, because of my line of work, there’s always a stray reporter’s notebook lying around.)

Anyway, I wrote the plot idea on the pad and crawled back into bed. A few days later I looked at what I had written. Believe me it was tough to read: my handwriting is horrible and I was half asleep when I scribbled it down.

Despite that, as I re-read my notes, Alex appeared in my mind’s eye, and I knew he would be the protagonist.

Even after all this time, I still don’t know exactly what triggered the idea for STEALING KEVIN’S HEART, all I know is that the story woke me up and it wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote it down on paper.

Have you ever had an idea or message come to you in a dream? One that you couldn’t shake? Did you act on it? If so, what happened—good, bad or ugly!

One commenter on this blog will win a signed copy of STEALING KEVIN'S HEART!