A Small Memory follows an eighteen-year-old college basketball player and his best friend as they serve as live-in counselors for adults with intellectual disabilities while navigating the challenges of young adulthood. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

This novel exemplifies that old adage, “Write what you know.” It was actually inspired by my experience living in the circumstances the two main characters encounter. This was several decades ago when that concept was brand new so everyone was feeling their way. Living in that group home while experiencing independence myself along with my best friend provided the inspiration.

The friendship between Mike and Ted is the emotional foundation of the novel. Why was it important to make that relationship central?

As I said, my friend from high school and I did actually room together under those circumstances and this is a tribute to that friendship. Also, growing up, I read John Knowles classic, A Separate Peace. There is a deeply rooted friendship at the heart of that novel, but ultimately tragic consequences destroys its future. While there is a traumatic event in my novel, I wanted to show the resilience of true friendship. Most people have that one special friend that exerts a hold on us for whom we would sacrifice so much.

Ted’s injury forces Mike to confront guilt, grief, and limits he cannot control. How did you approach writing that emotional journey?

I will admit to being a pantser for a large part of my approach to writing. The first part of the novel is almost a memoir as most of those circumstances were based on things we actually experienced. The remaining two-thirds is one hundred percent fiction. When Mike is facing emotional struggles on multiple fronts, I had to be careful to not let it become something that was a simple pity party he was throwing for himself. Those sections went through multiple edits and beta readers to help me make certain that Mike didn’t become one-dimensional, or that his actions would be out of character. I also thought back to challenges I faced in maintaining friendships under difficult circumstances and drew upon those.

If readers remember one message from the novel, what would you like it to be?

A true friendship can survive anything.

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