When Detours Become Destiny: An Author’s Path to Storytelling

Life rarely follows a straight path, and for this author, the unexpected turns have been the most defining. From growing up in central Ohio to traveling the world as a flight attendant, her journey has been shaped by movement, curiosity, and chance encounters that felt anything but accidental. A real-life road trip taken with her sister in her twenties, complete with breakdowns, detours, and unlikely connections, became a pivotal moment, altering the course of her future and planting the seeds for what would eventually become The Golden Hearts Club. It was along one of those unplanned stops that fate revealed itself most clearly, reinforcing her belief that destiny often shows up when we least expect it.

In this Writer’s Life Q&A, she reflects on how lived experience fuels authentic storytelling, why sisterhood and compassion sit at the heart of her novel, and what she learned by immersing herself so deeply in her characters’ emotional worlds. With warmth and honesty, she shares how writing became both a solitary and transformative process, one that mirrors life itself, pulling us inward, asking us to feel deeply, and reminding us that even the most unexpected detours may be guiding us exactly where we’re meant to go.

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Tell us a bit about your background.

Growing up in central Ohio always provided us with great opportunities for daily exploration. I attended college in Columbus, Ohio, and then my life in the air began when I became a flight attendant for Continental Airlines. Eight years later, I left my wings in Denver and began a new chapter of my life in the hospitality industry in San Diego.

What inspired you to write The Golden Hearts Club?

The book was inspired by the real-life road trip my sister and I took when we were in our twenties. We planned it for a year, saved our money, and bought a used red car for the trip. It was a trip of a lifetime—and it changed the course of our futures. We really did meet an elderly American Indian woman at a run-down motel in Arizona…and that’s where the story in the book really took flight.

In your book, you mentioned that destiny guides your life. Do you believe that’s true in real life?

I absolutely believe in destiny, and this is why. When I graduated from high school, I desperately wanted to work for the airlines, but they weren’t hiring, so I went to college. Years later, when we were on our trip, our car broke down in the middle of the desert. We had to stop in El Paso, Texas, and get jobs so we could pay for the new transmission. While we were there, I met a man who worked for Continental Airlines. After hearing stories about our travels, he told me the company was hiring and offered me an interview. I returned to El Paso and got the job. If you don’t believe in destiny, how would you explain that our car broke down in a town we had no intention of stopping in, in the middle of the desert, and I met a man who would offer me the job I dreamed about? Destiny.

The Golden Hearts Club centers around two sisters on a road trip.  What inspired you to make kindness and compassion the heart of your story?

The story is about sisterhood, the strength of family bonds, the power of hope, and finding love when it’s least expected. I wanted there to be a deeper message in the story, something people would take away and be able to hold on to. When I read through the story, I realized it was already there; I just needed to draw attention to it. I knew when Rose, the American Indian, was introduced, that the girl’s determination to help her find a new home was going to be the heart of the story.

What did you learn on your journey as an author?

Writing can be a hobby or a job that isolates a person. The process pushed me to look beyond the plot and to dive deeper into their minds and emotions. I became so entrenched in the story and in the characters that I felt like I was inside the story. When the characters cried, I cried. I didn’t leave my house for days at a time.

I think ultimately, a writer’s work is a unique blend of their inner world and their observations that are filtered through their love for language and storytelling. Writing is like music; when it flows so beautifully, it pulls you into the story, into the character’s personalities, and their emotions.

Finally, what are you working on next? Can readers expect more stories from you soon?

I am always considering new possibilities for a great story.  Something that has been filtering through my mind is about a boy who grows up in a zoo because his father is the caretaker.  His relationships with the animals and how it shapes his life.

For information on Cinda and her book, please visit her website https://cindaswalley.com/