Hi Friend!

I was thinking about you today. We haven't chatted in a while. I've read some great books I want to tell you about, but I'm holding that later. Today, I had a bit of an experience I wanted to share with you.

The end of one thing?

Today, I visited my favorite local bookstore and a local coffee shop and picked up all the remaining consignment copies of The Unfortunate Life of Genevieve Ryder. They had both held copies for two years.

As my note from Schuler's read, "It seems that we have saturated the market needs for this title."

So I guess that's it. The people who needed to read this story have had access to it. It's time to put this book away. And it feels fitting. A bit of closure to an important, meaningful, and enlightening chapter of my life.

Gen will always hold a very special place in my heart. I think she will always make me proud, as a first-born does, but I will always be just a little embarrassed by her, especially the way she was awkward in the world. (I mean, typos are human. This many typos was comical and embarrassing.) I needed to tell her story--to know I was capable of it and that my writing was worth reading.

Briefly, I learned a lot from Gen and the process of writing and publishing this first book of mine. Here are three things I think about often.

1) I can write a decent story.

2) People enjoy reading my words. (I will never, ever get over this or take it for granted. I am incredibly grateful to those who read this work, who sent me notes, who cared about Gen, who shared her with others.)

3) I want to keep writing stories--stories that move people to grow, change, laugh, consider. (I have lots of stories I want to tell. So many...)

But now it's time to shift focus.

The Beginning of a new thing...

Maybe it's not news to you, maybe it is, but I am neck deep in revisions of a Middle Grade novel called "Rules of Survival."

You may be thinking, "Middle Grade? That's quite a departure from Book club fiction."

Yeah, it is. But I like to tell the stories in front of me. And this one, inspired by some creative time with my niece, was the one that jumped out. (Don't worry, the next novel in the pipeline is a fun little rom-com. Truly, I just write the stories in front of me.)

Rules of Survival is an adventure story (imagine Goonies for a new generation) about Lily Watson who is on the hunt for the rumored treasure of the Silver Queen, Susanna Bransford Emery Holmes Delicht Englaticheff. She is navigating the challenges of being autistic, attending a fancy Middle School where her step-dad is the Principal, and her arch-nemesis Sasha Ader who seems determined to embarrass her in front of everyone.

This story has been a delight to uncover, but a bear to revise. Currently, I am very stuck and in need of encouragement, energy, and motivation.

What's Next for me?

I love writing this newsletter and am committed to our mutual flourishing. I have a few planned newsletters to hit your inboxes once a month with some lovely ways to encourage each of us to grow in community with each other. (Although, my ideas feel so flat that I welcome any and all ideas you have for themes for this little letter.)

Also, I'll keep you up-to-date on the progress of this book. Truthfully, I thought I would be farther along than I am right now, but the realities of real life have gotten in my way (although it's not an excuse.)

For now, I hope these warm summer months finds you well, reading a good book or enjoying the beauty of the garden or nature.

I'd love to hear what your reading this summer months. What's your favorite summer read?

I'll talk to you soon.

S