Monday, October 23, 2017

A Strong Start + A Theme Song


The After Glimpse has been out in the world for one week. And I have to say I’m loving the initial reactions I’m reading via Amazon & Goodreads reviews, texts, and Facebook messages. It’s thrilling to know my stories are stirring readers.

If you’re a member of a book club and your group would like to discuss The After Glimpse, please contact me. I’d love to be a part of your gathering. I’ll bring wine & cheese. Or my latest obsession, Kalamata olives.

Finally, if this book were to have a theme song I know the perfect one. It’s an oldie, but goodie. Have a listen, then if you haven’t already, buy my book and see why this song is such a great fit. 



*See you back here on November 6th. Be sure to enter the Goodreads giveaway for The After Glimpse starting November 1st!

Monday, October 16, 2017

A Book Is Born—THE AFTER GLIMPSE


At book clubs I’m often asked where my ideas come from. The concept for THE AFTER GLIMPSE (available now) was first sparked in an ice cream shop in Wethersfield, Connecticut years ago. The owner takes pictures of her patrons and hangs the Polaroid photographs all over the shop, so even the ceiling is covered. I knew somewhere inside that shop existed a picture from when my mom had visited the ice cream shop with us years earlier. When my family went back to the same store years after my mom’s visit, I spent time hunting among the hundreds of pictures for the one the owner took of my mom and my girls. Suddenly, I was overcome with a stab of nostalgia, thinking how cool it’d be if I found the photograph, and my dad, who’d passed away years before my mom visited, somehow materialized in the picture next to my mom.

I found the picture. My dad wasn’t in it.

…and so a book was born.

In the process of writing this book, and now releasing it, I understand how this book is about grief, but it’s also about so much more.

Our lives—every relationship—every interaction counts for something and as one endorser so profoundly put it . . . “maybe there’s more going on around us than we know.”

The After Glimpse is available in paperback and ebook formats—TODAY.



*If you read & enjoy, please consider writing a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

Monday, October 9, 2017

Book Outings



In the midst of all that’s chaotic out there I’m thrilled to let you know my novel, The After Glimpse, releases in ONE week! Everything leading up to release day has kept me super busy. Here are a few of the many things I’ve been invested in…

The After Glimpse is now on Goodreads. Tell the world you want to read it by clicking that cool green Want to Read button.

While at soccer practice last week, I had the pure joy of Facetiming with an endearing group of women. They discussed my book, The Short & Sincere Life of Ellory James, and asked me thought-provoking questions related to the book. I was greatly encouraged by my interaction with this Florida book group.

In a few days I’m visiting my first Georgia book club! I can’t wait to see what the group thought of Ellory and Pete. Will let you know how it goes. If you’re a member of a book club interested in discussing any of my books, I’d love to know—and participate. Please reach out!

I’ve begun the initial stages of planning a local Book Release Party for The After Glimpse. Cannot wait to share more details about this in coming weeks.

Another women’s fiction manuscript has captivated my focus. I’m deep in the editing stages. Goal is to pitch this one soon.

Finally, if somehow your eyes skimmed over this before, The After Glimpse releases in ONE WEEK, on Monday, October 16th. I seriously cannot wait for you to get your hands on this one. I’ve been told by more than one person (both have read all of my published works) that this one is their favorite.


Monday, October 2, 2017

Small



I feel small on mornings like this. I’d planned on sharing all of the exciting things I have going on this month, including several book club visits and the release of THE AFTER GLIMPSE, but I’ll save the updates for next week.

Instead I woke to news of the deadliest mass shooting in America.

And my heart atrophies.

Another day I must teach myself to embrace the significance of humanity. There are days I’m certain the world has gone mad, then I remind myself it’s always been this way. Even when my heart falters I will slam up against the madness. In this short time I have here, I’m determined to create a spark against all that breeds pain.

My thoughts and prayers are with the grieving.

“People observe the colors of a day only at its beginnings and ends, but to me it's quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations with each passing moment. A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. Waxy yellows, cloud-spot blues. Murky darkness. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them.” 
–Mark Zusak, The Book Thief



*picture is of the sky this morning when I drove my eldest to school

Taking Time

college applications                 homecoming                            flag football                basketball             SATs   ...