At age 17, I discovered the unequaled thrill of being a writer. Sitting cross-legged on the bedroom floor at my portable electric typewriter, I watched in amazement as my fingers sped across the keys, forming words and phrases I never used in conversation. For three months I raced home from school to experience the rush of the creative process and the dazzling results of what my subconscious mind could do. By graduation I had completed my first novel and, without question, knew that my life's work was to write and to help others experience the awe of creativity.