Every story, no matter how big or small, has some form of starting point; an origin or spark where it first came to be. Sometimes that origin is simply a seed to be planted, which may be cultivated over time or tended to later on in life. Such was the case for Chance in a Lifetime.

I love to share the story of the novel’s first conception for two main reasons. First, it connects a fictional story to very real and important co...