Inspiration Behind AT THE ISLAND’S EDGE by C.I. Jerez

by C.I. Jerez

As cliché as it may sound, I remember the morning I woke up from an entire night of restful sleep with a question dangling at the edge of a dream. What if a young mother serving in the war as a medic and healer was forced to take someone’s life on the battlefield, someone who reminded her so much of her own young son, still safe at home waiting for her return? 

That was it. That was the question that spawned an entire novel. 

Strangely enough, I had been hell-bent on writing high-octane, fast-paced thrillers when I began writing the story. I’d already written two of them, neither of which had earned me an agent, but in my mind, it was only a matter of time before I’d be pitching that second thriller in New York City and launching my career as a thriller author. In some ways, I was right. I pitched that thriller novel, but it wasn’t until I mentioned the story I was working on about a single mom on the battlefield in Iraq that the agent really came to life excitedly. Eventually, I finished writing my book, and it found its way to the agent it was destined for, but the lesson from that experience was that the path to publication would stem from the book I wrote directly from my heart and not the one I wrote from my head. 

When I first began writing AT THE ISLAND’S EDGE, I had just finished listening to the audio version of Robert Dugoni’s The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. It was the first book I’d ever read by this author, and the prose swept me away. The protagonist in his book tells the story from two narrative points of view—childhood and adulthood. In both cases, the voice was so powerful and genuine that I couldn’t wait to read more of Dugoni’s novels. But what really impacted me was an interview with the author that played at the end of the audiobook recording, where he mentioned hearing Sam’s voice in the middle of the night directly relaying the story. 

That idea moved me so much that I began talking to the little boy within my own imagination as he evolved into a clearer and sharper character, and I asked him to share his story with me. That little boy eventually became Matteo Salvador, affectionately known as “Teó,” and he wanted very much to share the story about the time his mom was a courageous war hero. 

The more I thought about nine-year-old Teó and got to know him, the more I knew his relationship with his mom would be central to the story. Each time I put them together on the page, I could sense the strength of this special bond, which was unlike anything I’d ever seen in real life. Many times, Lina, despite her shortcomings, has inspired me deeply in her choices as a mom. 

The other major facet of this novel came to me very naturally. I knew I wanted to write a story about a female soldier battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. None of the bigger Hollywood films delving into this topic ever covered a woman’s experience, so it was important to me to use the insights from my time in service, and the stories relayed to me by the fearless women I knew who’d served in combat to highlight the realities of their unique challenges and circumstances. But when I had to determine the catalyst in Lina’s life that would help shape her journey toward healing, I kept coming back to a place that has always brought me such peace and safety—the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. 

I first visited Puerto Rico in January of 2007. San Juan was our first stop on my husband’s and my first cruise. I walked the streets of Old San Juan and whispered into the universe, “Wow, I could live here.” Somewhere, someone heard me because, without any prior planning or focused effort, I ended up accepting a job offer near the island’s capital nine months later and spent the next three years living there and falling in love with The Island of Enchantment. 

I’ve lived and worked in Puerto Rico two times since, totaling five years all together. There’s a definitive connection between me and the island, and I’ve grown quite attached to everything about her. Once I had the idea that returning home to Puerto Rico would be a significant facet of Lina’s healing journey, nothing else made sense but to follow that storyline. Lina’s heritage as an islander flowed naturally, and I poured all of my favorite moments on the island with the friends I made there into this novel. I knew writing this story was a way of writing a letter of love and thanks to an island that’s always embraced me with wide, open arms. 

People always ask me if this is my story told in a fictional medium. My affiliation as an Army Officer for nine years makes it easy to draw the connection, but I always shake my head and insist that Lina and Teó have their own unique and independent story. Lina’s military history, mission, and experiences are nothing like mine during my service. However, as a fellow woman in uniform, I knew I could tell her story from a unique perspective. 

I believe stories are alive, and they choose their storyteller. I’m so grateful that Lina and Teó chose me to be the one who could tell theirs. 

—

An Iraq War veteran returns to Puerto Rico to reconnect with―and confront―the past in a heart-wrenching novel about duty, motherhood, and the healing power of home.

As a combat medic, Lina LaSalle went to Iraq to save the lives of fellow soldiers. But when her convoy is attacked, she must set aside her identity as a healer and take a life herself.

Although she is honored as a hero when she returns to the US, Lina cannot find her footing. She is stricken with PTSD and unsure of how to support her young son, Teó, a little boy with Tourette’s. As her attempts to self-medicate become harder to hide, Lina realizes she must do the toughest thing yet: ask for help.

She retreats to her parents’ house in Puerto Rico, where Teó thrives under her family’s care. Lina finds kinship, too―with a cousin whose dreams were also shattered by the war and with a handsome and caring veteran who sought refuge on the island and runs a neighborhood bar.

But amid the magic of the island are secrets and years of misunderstandings that could erode the very stability she’s fighting for. Hope lies on the horizon, but can she keep her gaze steady?

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C.I. Jerez is a proud Latina who was born in Miami. Her mother, a native New Yorker, blessed her with both Puerto Rican and Irish roots, while her father, a Cuban immigrant, inspired her to embrace the culture of the Caribbean. These multicultural influences, including growing up on the West Texas border in El Paso, have shaped her desire to bring Latina and Latino characters to life in her stories.

After graduating from the University of Texas at El Paso, she commissioned as a signal officer in the US Army and rose to the rank of Major before transitioning out of the military. She holds an MBA from Webster University and a doctorate in international business from Liberty University. When not writing, she serves as cofounder and vice president for Ashire Technologies & Services Inc., a cybersecurity firm specializing in securing federal information systems. She lives in central Florida. For more information, visit www.cijerezbooks.com.

   

 

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing