The Personal Connection

It's true. Authors write from who or what they know--or hope to know.

For my debut book, that is definitely the case. And there are some very real personal connections interwoven into the Bel Air Kids story, specifically in the naming of some of the characters!

Addie (top right), San (top left), Jessie (bottom left), (William) bottom right. All artwork created and coprighted by Abbey Bryant.

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1. Jessie: We all have big imaginations when we're little. For me, I wanted a NAME change. My little seven-year-old brain just didn't think that the name "Deb" fit me too well. I was a little bit of a tomboy, and I wanted straight hair. (I was the only one of my friends who had curly, frizzy hair.) Alas, I wanted to change my name to 'Jessie.' Why Jessie? I don't think I will ever know. 😄

So, Bel Air Kids character Jessie is a tiny nod to my younger imaginative self! She even has the straight hair I so desperately wanted when I was seven. *Don't be alarmed! I absolutely LOVE my curly hair NOW. But all my curly-haired girlies know about the "curly hair maintenance life" 💁🏻‍♀️

2. Addie, San, William: These three names are a little bit personal. Whereas the characters' physical appearances don't mirror their inspirations, their names certainly do.

Fun Fact #1: The name 'William' is a homage to my husband's late father. Although I never met Bill, I wanted to insert that connection to my husband in some way in the book.

Fun Fact #2: The names Addie, William, and San are the names my husband and I plan to give our children when the day comes for us to be blessed with a family. 💙 👨🏻‍👩🏻‍👧🏻‍👧🏻

I know some folks might be a little superstitious about me sharing that tidbit, but I’m all for sharing how the personal connections of my life are woven into this book! 📓

😊 So there you have it! Those are just a few little things that have made this book more special to me. I hope you can connect with the story in your own special way and can use this for Inspiration to Include some personal tidbits in your own writing--whatever they may be! 💗

With love and adventure, ⛰

~Deb