Story Behind the Story

THe enlightenment of bees

Each of my stories contains some autobiographical elements drawn from my life, but The Enlightenment of Bees is probably the most autobiographical of all my novels. For one thing (and some people find this hard to believe but it’s true) I was actually chased by a bull shark in Florida a few years ago! It makes for a great story now but it was absolutely terrifying at the time. Thankfully I escaped with all my limbs intact…

Like my protagonist, Mia, I had my heart broken my senior year of college just as I was expecting a diamond ring. And, as in Mia’s story, this drastic change in my plans opened the door for me to discover a marvelous alternate life. My unexpected new path has taken me to more than 50 countries across the globe in the last 15 years. From the slums of India to the refugee camps on the border of Hungary, I’ve had the honor of working with an international aid organization and working alongside the wonderful man I’ve been married to for twelve years now. It’s been a remarkable adventure!

Even in the midst of these amazing adventures, however, part of me always longed to write stories. I struggled for years believing that writing novels was not big enough, important enough, or sacrificial enough to be a true part of my life’s purpose. I believed that I had to do something so much more essential to really change the world. Like heart surgery or running an orphanage. I know now that I was wrong.

The more I see and understand of the world, the more I realize that we can ALL spark change by doing the things we love with passion and compassion. EACH of us has the capacity to make a positive change through giving the gift of our time, talents, and presence right where we are! What we do to change the world doesn’t have to be huge. It just has to be done with generosity, authenticity, and kindness.

I believe the sweet spot in life is the place where our passions meet and help mend the world’s pain. I’ve found my sweet spot – international aid work and writing stories like The Enlightenment of Bees. My hope is that my stories can help inspire and encourage every reader to find their sweet spot too. Because when we do, we can truly transform the world for good one small piece at a time.

– Rachel