Transparent Like Tears follows a young boy’s journey to self-discovery as he supports his sister through her battle with cancer, uncovering the courage and self-worth he never knew he had. How did you approach portraying Aiden’s emotional journey authentically?

My daughter suffered brain cancer. I was young, 23, when she was born, already ill. I was also weary, having never before approached raising a child. When she was finally diagnosed by age 5, I felt certain I would break and did for a while.

That pain didn’t stay. It wasn’t like that at all. In reality, a mother goes on auto-pilot making appointments for specialists, labs, and clinics. I wrote this from a brother’s standpoint so that I could finally feel those feelings and put them to rest. Yet, it had to be through a sibling’s eyes, so that I could remove myself and see clearly. As a mother I was still too close to the fear to see the miracle of the cure.

Was there a specific moment or character in the book that was particularly challenging for you to write?

Writing the piece where Torah is banging her head bloody on the wall, in order to, “Bang the headache out” was the absolute worst scene for me. My daughter had done that a thousand times and it was terrifying. It was as if it had happened only yesterday. That pain has remained untouched after all of these years.

Can you share any insight into how you developed the sibling bond between Aiden and Torah?

The only way I was able to do that was to carefully navigate all of the loony things that I thought up to comfort my child. We become quite inventive when the person we love most is suffering. We learn to empathize on a deeper level. We design comfort for our loved-ones at that point.

What message or feeling do you hope readers take away from Transparent Like Tears?

My daughter lived. She beat cancer, graduated 16th highest in the state and recently married in my home. You CAN win this one! I wish I could give that message to anyone being diagnosed. Keep the faith, because in that faith lies a great many forms of healing.

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