The Sister in the Mirror

I'm not photogenic. Before my headshots, the best pictures of me were from childhood, taken by my father, who had a good eye for composition and a loving eye for my brothers and me. This is my favorite--if you've been to my Facebook page or received my newsletter, you've already seen it--and I'm startled by how well it presages the writer I am today. I'm holding a pencil and looking dreamily into space.

I think my headshots came out pretty well, despite my natural tendency to grimace, thanks to the talents of my photographer and my hairstylist. I've used the same image for my website, my author page, my book pages, and my book cover. I always knew that it echoed my favorite childhood snap.

Until I saw my headshot and my book cover side by side, I hadn't realized how much those images echo each other.

In the book, I've written about the white sister's moments of surprise when she sees the resemblance between her black sister and herself. As well as I know my own characters, they can still surprise me, because now I've felt it, too.