It’s hard to believe that I was two-years-old once – and yes, the photo posted above is indeed me with my first dog, just waiting for the fascinating world to unfold in front of me.  The possibilities seemed endless.

I have to laugh because even as I write this post I seem to mimic my earlier, wee self with that serious expression, bare feet (always barefoot when I’m writing), and my large Lab napping next to me.  Some things never change…

Believe it or not, I didn’t like to play with dolls; rather, I preferred stuffed animals, my favorite tea set, loyal four-legged buddy, and of course books, books, and more books.  Adventure was everywhere through my eyes.  I had quite the imagination for stories about animals.  By animals, I mean any wild creature that I heard about or saw in books: black panther, mountain goat, creepy eels, dolphins, etc.  I was fascinated with all the animals that roamed, swam, or flew on the planet.

By the time I was five, I had things figured out.  Or, so I thought.   First, I wanted to be an actress and then spend my spare time as a veterinarian because I wanted to help animals.  Noble ambition, I suppose.

I thought about becoming a veterinarian for some time while growing up and I was even accepted to the University of California at Davis, which is known for their veterinary program.  I know some of you are probably thinking why didn’t I become a FBI agent, cop, or investigative crime reporter?

Life, as they say, is a journey.  Ups and down, good and bad, but always quite the voyage nonetheless.  One of the constants in my life, as I’ve worked in the corporate world and then later becoming a consulting criminologist, has been writing.  I cannot explain it, but writing would always be on my mind even when I was sitting in a staff meeting or buried under a mountain of accounting paperwork.  My mind wandered to storylines about murder, mysteries, and those who struggle to find the truth and expose the bad guys.

The pushing factor for me as a writer was when a violent sociopath moved in next door.  I have mentioned this before in previous posts about the man who stalked, threatened my life in hideous ways, and harassed me for more than two years.  From that point on, all bets were off.  I had found my niche. I learned a lot about myself and I submerged my skills and academics into an area of crime fiction and crime scene investigation.

I never thought that I’d be writing about a vigilante detective hunting down serial killers in my award-winning Emily Stone Thriller Series.  It’s interesting how life hands us some tough obstacles, but in the end it only matters what we do with them.

What has been the biggest change in your journey?  

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Author Blog: https://authorjenniferchase.com/

Crime Watch Blog: http://emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/

Book & Crime Talk:  http://blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

Books: Compulsion  Dead Game  Dark Mind  Silent Partner  Screenwriting