When I published my first novel, 'Slammed,' I included lyrics at the beginning of each chapter from one of my favorite bands, The Avett Brothers. The overwhelmingly positive response from readers to those lyrics really surprised me.

I'm very passionate about music and was excited to see that the majority of readers loved the inclusion of lyrics.

With the advancement in e-reading technology, I was curious if it were possible for readers to be able to hear the actual songs while reading the book. I contacted Amazon and discussed the idea with their Kindle team, and they were very enthusiastic about it.

If not for my family, I would have been in big trouble.

I would look at a dog and when our eyes met, I realized that the dog and all creatures are my family. They're like you and me.

I'll never forget coming home after covering Sandy Hook. Seeing the faces of family members. The firefighters who could never unsee the unthinkable. Those tiny caskets. I came home, sat in my dark apartment because I didn't even bother to turn the lights on, and wept.

I have a beautiful family, and I wake up to bliss every day.