Many years ago,

I came across the poem

by Bernadette Noll. It struck me as very wise, and I have thought of it often over the years.

When I first began thinking of my main character—Elana Jeffries—in Sea Glass Memories (coming October 10), I didn't have sea glass in my mind. I only knew that she had lost the two loves of her life two years ago and was starting over in beautiful Seahaven, Maine.

As I explored her story, I was reminded of Aunt Kit's loss (which you read about in Feathers in the Sand) forty years prior, and immediately saw a connection between the two women. As I thought back on my own experiences with loss over the years, I remembered the sea glass poem I mentioned above and reread it a few times. Then I explored the metaphor of sea glass online and in my own heart. This inspired me to weave sea glass throughout Elana and Kit's story.

The image above is a SoulCollage® card that I made to remind me of the powerful metaphor of sea glass, like it says in the poem . . . smoothed by tides, not broken.

I'm curious to know . . . do you collect sea glass? Have you experienced a difficult loss that was made easier by a touchstone of some kind---maybe a special stone, stuffed animal, piece of jewelry, photo...etc? Please reply to this email. I would love to hear what helped you through that loss and/or where you collect your sea glass and if you have a piece that means something special to you.

Sea Glass Memories will roll in (like the tide!) on Tuesday October 10, but you can order your very own copy now! More info on this page.

This is the second book in my Seahaven Sunrise series, but it works perfectly well as a stand-alone story.

Pre-orders are available as signed paperbacks and/or e-books (Kindle, Nook, and a few other e-book places too!)

Each pre-order comes with a signed bookmark and a recipe card for Vivian's famous Snickerdoodles (more info on the pre-orders page ).

 🏆 August Give-Away Winners 🏆

a paperback copy of Girls of Summer by Nancy Thayer

Vilma from Texas

Donna from Florida

Dragonflies at Night: More Than a Love Story is 3 years old this month! So I'm celebrating with a big give-away. Paperback copies of this more-than-a-love-story will be gifted to FOUR of my readers!

Meet Savannah, the thirty-something owner of Life Celebrations, a party planning business. Despite losing both parents as a teenager, Savannah is creating a positive life for herself, surrounded by friends and co-workers who are now her family. But she also has a secret—as much as she wants to settle down and have children, she is afraid of getting sick too, and having to leave them without their mother, as she herself was left behind years ago.

Her mother is Deirdre Rose. She continues to watch over Savannah, who feels deeply connected to her mother whenever a dragonfly crosses her path.

Now meet Ben, a good-looking, talented recording artist who is already a household name. Yeah, he’s famous, but he’s also painfully lonely. He trusts few people because it seems everyone wants something from him instead of getting to know who he really is.

As fate would have it, Savannah and Ben cross paths at a yoga retreat in the Massachusetts Berkshires. They are drawn to each other’s creativity and outlook on life. She sees beyond his celebrity and he admires her strength in what she’s had to overcome.

What happens when the retreat ends and they're forced to go their separate ways? Will they be able to make a long distance relationship work? Can Savannah put aside her fears, and will Ben allow himself to be truly vulnerable?

To enter, just fill out the short form here

and I'll do a random drawing

I will send you an email notice that you've won,

(NOTE: I use the random generator at random.org to choose the winners

Greetings! Thank you for reading my author newsletter! This is me a few months ago in the lobby of Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Jeff and I are loyal subscribers and yes... that's a SEA GLASS necklace I'm wearing!

In between newsletters, I'll be posting more often on Instagram, my blog, and/or my Facebook Author page, so please be sure to visit me there too.

What is your own experience with sea glass? I'd love to know if you collect it, when you started, why you like it so much, and if the "I Want to Age Like Sea Glass" poem has meaning for you. Please send a reply to this email and I'll get back to you within 24 hours (usually sooner).

Also, don't forget to enter our September fiction give-away, Dragonflies at Night: More Than a Love Story, by yours truly!