When I was growing up, the kids in my neighborhood shared something very special – a purple tandem bike.  It slept in Mr. Eaton’s garage and was fair game every morning to any kid on my street.  On Saturday mornings, it was a race to Mr. Eaton’s house to lay claim to the purple tandem. (I was lucky – Mr. Eaton lived right next door!) 

Driving the purple tandem was a treat that every kid envied, but it was only fun when you had someone along for the ride.  What good is a purple taxi without a passenger?  Or a purple ambulance without a patient? So, if I was the first one to get to Mr. Eaton’s garage in the morning, I always made sure I had someone to ride with me.  And I didn’t even mind if I did all the pedaling.

For me, writing is a lot like riding my neighborhood’s beloved purple tandem bike.  I can write stories for myself, but the magic really happens when I can take someone along for the ride.

So, hop on!