For me, ideas take shape gradually. I knew I wanted to write about a married couple forced to re-evalute their relationship after the husband's near death experience, but other pieces of the book - like the dog that swims underwater, Julia's ability to recognize bits of her life in scenes from the world's great operas, and the specifics of the Julia and Michael's incredible financial success - didn't come to me immediately. In fact, I was half-way through writing the book when I decided to change Michael's occupation from a technology guru to the founder of a flavored bottled water company! What I hope readers take away from Skipping a Beat is a simple message we can never hear enough: Love is the most important thing in this world.