I Do NOT Have Mommy Issues...Despite Writing About them.

I didn't notice it first. In fact, it wasn't until after writing my last book that I realized there was even a problem at all.

The problem? Mothers.

For some weird reason, all of my main characters in my books do not have mothers. Not a one of them.

DESERT RICE (Desert Series), the mother is dead in the first chapter.

The ZOMBIE WEST Series, the mother dies in the prologue

In ANYONE?, once again, the mother is a goner. No mom. I'm pretty sure her death's mentioned in the first chapter too.

And even in ZIA, The Teenage Zombie & The Undead Diaries (coming this Fall) the mom is not present. Though, there is a pretty cool step-mom, so that has to count for something.

I have another book, in the rough draft stages, where the mother is dead in that book too!

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?

I don't know. 

I have no idea why my characters mothers are all dead or aren't a part of their lives. I do not know why this is a reoccurring theme, I just know that it is. So very strange.

Is it because I have issues with my own mother?

HECK NO! (I can not stress this enough).

My mother is FREAKIN' AWESOME! Seriously. Anyone who knows the amazing woman who birthed me, will know she is a sweet, giving, funny, supportive, and one of the most loving people you'll ever meet. She's an even better grandmother. My kids adore her. They actually like her better than me!

She is the only family member of mine who's read ALL my books, and she thinks I'm a genius! (And she would be right, you know?). She also thinks I'm famous (I'm totally not), but she can believe what she likes. Why pop her bubble?

So why all the dead moms then? I don't know. Some stories require dead moms, I guess.

But I don't want anyone to believe for a minute that my characters relations with their mothers happen to based on my relationship with my own. They're not. No way. No how.

Some day, I will have to write a story where the mother actually gets to live. Wouldn't that be a change?

I wonder if I'll even know how to write such a story.

I do have a pattern going on here, after all :)

Do you know of any other authors with multiple novels who tend to write reoccurring themes, whatever they may be? Are you an author that has reoccurring themes in your novels? Am I the only one? I'm curious to find out. Please leave a comment. I would love to hear what you think.