When I first began writing For Sale, the seaplane you see on the cover wasn’t part of my vision. In my mind, I could clearly picture the lake, the cottages, the trees, and the hills — but no plane. That all changed after a lunchtime conversation at my part-time job.
At the time, I was working for a friend — who also happened to be my dentist. During our lunch breaks, while others scrolled through their phones or chatted in the break room, I would be at my desk, scribbling away at my novel. Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him.
“What are you working on?” he asked.
When I explained that I was writing a book, his face lit up. Without hesitation, he said:
“Put me in it!”
Peter — that’s his name — had a unique passion. He was fascinated by aviation and loved to talk about a flight simulator program he used on his computer. He’d describe his virtual flights with the same excitement most people reserve for their dream vacations. I soon learned that his father had also been a pilot, and that love of flying ran deep in the family.
And that’s when it hit me: Peter could be in the story… as a pilot. Not just any pilot, but the man who spends every summer at Mirror Lake with his family, offering scenic tours in his small white seaplane. In the novel, the tradition runs in his blood — his father being the first to explore these skies.
From that moment, the seaplane became part of the book’s world. I could see it clearly — moored at the far corner of the lake, glinting in the sunlight, ready to lift off at a moment’s notice. It added an extra layer of life and history to the setting, and a hint of mystery to the cover.
Looking back, I realize that some of the most memorable touches in a story come from real-life, spontaneous moments. The seaplane wasn’t in my original plan — it simply landed in my imagination one day, flown in by a friend who just wanted to be part of the adventure. So the next time you see the cover of For Sale and spot that little plane, you’ll know the real story behind it — one about friendship, family tradition, and the unexpected ways life finds its way into fiction.
