I recently released my first women’s fiction novel, The Winter Inheritance, after writing more than 100 books rooted in the romance genre.

This project was a labor of love, a test of my skill set, and a breakthrough in my creativity.

But why venture into something new when I’ve firmly planted myself in the fields of love and happily-ever-afters?

The answer, much like the book itself, has many layers.

I’ve always wanted to write stories about emotional journeys, healing, and self-discovery, but every attempt had fallen short. I wasn’t ready.

It took years of seasoning to reach the point where I could deliver a story with such emotional resonance that, by the end, I was crying over the journey I had taken these characters on.

Full disclosure: this wasn’t the first time a project brought me to tears, but this was different. The emotions ran deeper, the closure felt more satisfying than anything I’d ever written before.

In The Winter Inheritance, I explore the collateral damage of grief—how it manifests differently in each character and how a single event has the power to warp a promising future until it’s unrecognizable from its origin.

I don’t think I could have written something so emotionally powerful if I hadn’t lived through my own ups and downs, filling various roles in adulthood.

When we’re young and bold, we see the future as ours for the taking. Nothing can stand in our way. We’re arrogantly assured of success, fueled solely by the confidence of youth.

And then—life humbles you.

One decision leads to another as you try to navigate the life you’ve built. And like my characters, as I’ve reached a certain age, I’ve had moments when I’ve looked back and wondered: Where did that bold girl go? If I met her today, would she be proud of who we became? Or would she be disappointed?

If the adage “Write what you know” is true, then I couldn’t have written this story until I had known heartache, disillusionment, and regret.

But the flip side of that midlife coin? With the bumps and bruises come clarity, wisdom, and the joy of realizing that the spirit of that bold seventeen-year-old never left. That second chances can and do come on the heels of healing. And that the next chapter of life can be just as bright and exciting as the first.

The release of The Winter Inheritance showed me that I’m ready to tackle the stories that have quietly and patiently waited for me to brave the blank page.

That I have the skills to truly do them justice.

And I can’t wait.

Kim Van Meter is a former full-time reporter for The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News; she continues to provide a monthly column. She can be reached at kvanmeter@oakdaleleader.com.