When Russellville’s Sherry Myrick decided to write down the story that had been in her head for more than ten years, it took almost as long to set up the computer as it did to finish the story.

Myrick said the idea for “It’s Your Destiny, Desiree” came from a song she wrote in 2008. The story was completely finished and only needed to be typed.

“I’ve written books in my head for years,” Myrick said. “Once I started typing it up, I just needed to figure out the delivery.”

Myrick said she began as a songwriter but always had a dream that one day the stories in her head would make it to print.

Her son Jonathan said his mother told him the story during a road trip, and he was baffled by how impressive the storyline was.

“The story was so good,” Jonathan said. “I just asked her ‘Did you come up with this?’’’

Myrick said the story is full of twists and turns that will have readers guessing up until the very end. “I don’t want anyone to know where it is going,” she said.

Myrick said “It’s Your Destiny, Desiree: Part 1” is the first in a series of books telling Desiree’s story.

“How some people have writer’s block – we joke that I have ‘writer’s can’t stop,’” Myrick said. “I could just keep going with the story, so we figured it would be best to stop it at this point and make a series out of it.”

The story follows Desiree Browne Porter in 1875 Texas as she ends her marriage to her estranged husband and begins a new life.

Myrick said a lot of work went into writing the book, as she researched the history and visited the areas she wrote about to ensure historical accuracy.

Jonathan said the book is a page turner that readers won’t be able to put down.

“I just know if people will take the time to read it, they will love it,” Jonathan said.

The book is $20 and is available for sale at Books-A-Million in Florence and Decatur or online at rosedogbookstore.com.