Let’s go back to a Car-Talk I had back on August 27, 2024. As always, my mind was turning and churning with thoughts, and the one that prevailed was the similarities between Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring, my childhood, and my adulthood as a stepparent and for whatever reason I was also thinking about turning Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring into a series. Here’s the revised transcript:

So, I just finished at the gym and on my way home, I had one of my car talks—my little introspective chats with myself that usually end up helping me sort through my thoughts. Today, I found myself reflecting on why I wrote Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring and my ongoing thoughts about turning it into a series.

The idea behind Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring was to bring together experiences that are often left unspoken. I wanted to explore the nuances of stepfamily dynamics, those relationships with non-biological children or children who come into our lives through marriage. I believe these relationships need more representation because, at the end of the day, every child needs love, regardless of the circumstances that brought them into our lives. I see it as a blessing when a child has more than one set of parents to care for them—it’s an opportunity for more love and support.

A major part of my writing process for Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring has been influenced by my personal experiences as a stepmother. I’ve come to understand that any misconceptions or negative feelings my stepchildren might have toward me aren’t their fault. They don’t know me as well as their biological parents, and that’s understandable. I met them at a young age, but my life as a military spouse took me away from them for long periods. I moved, and their father moved with me, which could have made them feel abandoned. Meanwhile, their biological mother also moved away due to her marriage to another service member. I realize that, from their perspective, I might be seen as the one who took their father away, the ‘wicked’ stepmother in their story.

Despite this, I continue to shower them with love and treat them as my own. I hope that, as they grow older, they will remember the love I showed them and not the physical distance that sometimes separated us. My own childhood experiences play a huge role in how I navigate my relationship with my stepchildren. I didn’t have a positive experience with my stepmother, who was verbally and sometimes physically abusive. My father wasn’t patient either. Interestingly, he’s much more patient now with my son and my stepson—his grandsons. It’s a stark contrast to the father I knew, who often resorted to hitting me.

This contrast between my loving, nurturing grandmother, who raised me in the Dominican Republic, and the harsh environment I encountered when I moved to the United States was jarring. The transition from a loving home to one where rules were enforced through physical punishment felt like emotional whiplash. I remember being so confused as a child, wondering why these things were happening to me and blaming myself for it all.

These childhood traumas are what I poured into Isla, the main character in Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring. I gave her my pain, but I also gave her the kind of stepmother I wished I had. Isla’s stepmom embodies the love and care I strive to provide my stepchildren. Through my writing, I aim to reflect both the pain and the joy that come with stepfamily relationships, along with the hope that as long as we focus on loving the children in our lives, we can get it right.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the kids. They need love, understanding, and patience. If we can give them that, I believe we can build strong, meaningful connections, no matter how we came into each other’s lives. This is why I wrote Mrs. Franchy’s Evil Ring, to tell these stories that are rooted in reality and filled with hope, because every child deserves a family that loves them, no matter how unconventional that family might be.