When a medical condition had Wendy Haskett stuck at home a few years ago, she decided there was only so much cleaning and watching TV she could do while her family was at school and work.
“I had always thought about writing a book, so one night I told my husband about it. He encouraged me to follow that dream,” the Noblesville resident said. “Once I began writing, it was as if my brain knew what was coming next before my fingers did.”
In the spring of 2022, Haskett’s first book, “Mr. Everything,” was published by Dorrance Publishing Co. But the process – from conception to publication – was anything but speedy.
When Haskett could finally return to work, the writing process on the book slowed a bit.
“It also gave my mind a lot of time to run wild with ideas to come home and start writing again after dinner on some nights,” she said. “Having three children that are active in sports keeps me pretty busy.”
As she was making serious progress book, misfortune struck when her Great Pyrenees got caught in the computer cord, causing it to unplug in the middle of writing.
“My computer decided to go to the black screen of death and not turn back on,” Haskett said. “I was of course in complete shock trying to get this computer to work again. My husband came home and tried everything to help save all the writing I had done with no luck. At this point, I felt defeated and told myself this just wasn’t meant to be.”
But her husband, Elijah, didn’t give up. He contacted a friend to see if he could help.
“He was able to recover about half of what I had written. I was absolutely over the moon when I was told he was able to save some of it,” Haskett said. “I will forever be grateful to my husband who didn’t stop trying to help fix the issue, and grateful his friend was willing to help.”
Not long after, “My Everything” – which is in the love story genre — came together and was published.
“I knew I wanted to write a love story. I wanted to write something that would make a reader think, ‘Hey, this could be my life,’” Haskett said. “I wanted the reader to know that life may be rough now but can always turn into something fantastic once they find themselves again.”
Although relieved when she finished writing, she still felt a sense of anxiety.
“When I decided the last sentence I wrote was the end, I remember feeling excited and also pretty scared. Rejection at any age is rough,” she said. “I took a deep breath as I sent my book off to a review team. When I got the email saying the review team loved my book and wanted to help me publish it, I was in shock.
“Needless to say, my closest people were, and are still, very supportive of my accomplishments.”
Haskett encourages other aspiring authors to chase their dreams.
“Follow every adventure in your mind. Use personal hurt, love, wants, let-downs as a guide for your stories,” she said. “Remember your book will not be for everyone, but there will be people out there that love it. Putting yourself out there is scary, but it is so worth it in the end if you don’t give up on yourself. Never give up on a dream, no matter how long it takes you to get to it.”
Haskett started writing her second book in February of 2022 but didn’t get too far before having to take a break in March to have a stent placed to repair a brain aneurysm. She focused on healing and spending time with her children during summer break and started to focus on the book again when they were back in school.
“It has been moving slow since I have been recovering,” Haskett said. “I am now up and cleared from my doctors to live freely again. Thank heavens for that.”
Where to purchase the book
“My Everything” by Noblesville resident Wendy Haskett is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The book can also be purchased online at the Dorrance Publishing bookstore by visiting bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/my-everything/.
