My Books

Sea-Devil: A Delilah Duffy Mystery Book 1

You never get over your first love...how about your first murder? When a man is murdered in her bookstore the night before her grand opening, island newcomer, Delilah Duffy, makes a name for herself as prime suspect. If Delilah Duffy hopes to create a life on the island, she must navigate through a vicious family feud, shoddy police work and the mistakes of her past. Will Delilah uncover the truth before her past and her present destroy her?

Luna-Sea: A Delilah Duffy Mystery Book 2

We're all just one pain away from lunacy. A seaside inn. An elegant party. A black dress. What could go wrong? For Delilah Duffy, just about anything. With her bookstore failing, the last thing she needs is a party or another mystery to solve. With nightmares, anxiety, and panic intensifying, Delilah doesn’t know what’s real and what’s in her head. With everything at risk, Delilah discovers what’s worse… becoming a lunatic or facing one.

Sea-Crossed: A Delilah Duffy Mystery Book 3

Some secrets are kept to be kind. Torture, pain, misery - that’s all someone else wants for her. When a dinner party turns deadly, Sam goes missing, and Delilah realizes she's being watched, the “book queen with a thing for crime scenes” must battle to get her life and love back. Can love and determination save them or will dark secrets ruin her chances for a normal life? With mysterious messages taunting her and a killer eluding her, what lines will she cross to get to the truth?

Pyra-Sea: A Delilah Duffy Mystery Book 4

Everything can change in seconds. Bookstore manager and crime-solver, Delilah Duffy knows that better than anyone. When her Happily Ever After Valentine’s Day Bash ends in fiery destruction, everything she’s worked for burns with it. Pregnant and brokenhearted, Delilah fans the flames of her anger toward what she’s good at: solving crimes. Hot on the trail of an arsonist while her nemesis is on hers, Delilah fights to get her life back. Will she turn ash to treasure before the pyromaniac strikes

My Vella Story

Water World

After a tough move with his Mom and sister from his beloved country home, Ethan isn't adjusting well to city life. In trying to escape his problems in this world, he opens another, dropping him and his sister, Abby, into Water World. This trip is no vacation, not with legendary monsters and deadly sea creatures to battle. But teaming up to help the merpeople through their home-related crisis might help Ethan and Abby navigate theirs, if they survive long enough to make it home.

Jessica Sherry
- Sep 14, 2020
- 2 min read

5 Story Writing Prompts on First Buys

What's the first thing your main character bought with his or her own money?

My first buy with my own money was a portable typewriter. This was before laptops were an affordable option, okay? I can't remember how old I was, yikes, but I'm guessing twelve. The machine ran on about ten D batteries. I could take it anywhere, and I especially loved cranking out stories in the third seat of Mom and Dad's Suburban on long car trips. It had a small screen, where I could type out a line of text before the mechanics kicked in and the words appeared on the page, which saved me quite a few mistakes. I bought it from Kmart for $129.99 plus tax using money I'd earned working at my parents' convenience store at the totally unfair rate of $1 per hour. SMH. I got up with my Dad to open the store at six a.m. and often worked until three or four. I didn't care how hard it was spending my summer this way or how little I got paid, only that I reached my goal. I'd wanted that typewriter for as long as I'd been writing. And, I got it!

Though I'd go on to make many purchases with my earnings, I remember the typewriter most of all because: I knew what I wanted and saved for it; I LOVED IT and took it everywhere; and it made me feel like a real writer.

Want more insights into how spending reflects personality? Check out this article.

BTW, my parents eventually realized the unfairness of my wage and bumped me up to a "real" employee.

Anyway, my first buy with my own money reveals a lot about me, right? It shows that even as a kid, I had a strong work ethic and loved writing enough to invest in it. Plus, it predicted my future as a writer. And, it reveals that my folks enjoyed cheap, child labor. *smirk*

So, what about your main character? Even if this topic never comes up in your story, your MC's background helps understand her better which will come out in your writing.