A thank you note

Hello friends,

It’s been too long. I hope you’re doing well. 

I thought I’d share a lovely experience I had last week. One of my favorite perks of writing is the chance to meet and chat with readers in book clubs. I had the pleasure and privilege of visiting with many groups before the pandemic and I really missed the connection.

So, when the Smithtown Senior Center invited me to join their discussion of The Fabric of Us, I was thrilled and delighted. And any hopes I had for a nice visit were far surpassed. They pulled out all the stops, from the decorated bulletin board at the entrance to the fresh baked scones and coffee, made for this special morning. The kindness shown to me, from the moment I walked in – greeted by my wonderful friend and hostess, Lisa – to the very last goodbye two hours later, was overwhelming. 

After an entertaining discussion sprinkled with tasty snacks, I was treated to a tour of the facility. Lisa proudly escorted me into each room, explaining its purpose, describing upcoming events, parties, clubs and classes offered. From Zumba to Quilting to Jewelry craft and painting, the calendar is always full. 

The joy and enthusiasm exuding from the staff and the love they have for this center was palpable and it showed on the elderly members who came in to spend the day. 

“When we’re retired and growing older, what is there to do?” Lisa said. “This is a place to gather, learn new things, meet people and have fun.” It certainly is. That’s what we want, after all.

Thank you to the amazing staff and new friends at the Smithtown Senior Center for making this girl feel special and for helping me to look forward to good times to come.  

This is where we enjoyed lively discussion of the book. I loved the way we were all seated facing each other.

Lisa, who embodies kindness and enthusiasm

From the moment I walked in, I felt welcome.

The book club

In keeping with the thread running through The Fabric of Us, I paused here to ogle the gorgeous quilts.

Gardening & Life

Hello! I hope you’re all doing well and keeping safe. I woke up this morning to sunshine and warm air. Here in the Northeast, Spring has arrived! You know what that means… Time to bring these babies outside.

 

In the past, I’d been too busy with work, family, and writing to pre-plan a garden. I was the one scrambling late in the season, running to the garden center to pick up infant crops to plant out back.

This year, well, you know what happened. We’ve been sheltered in place, doing the best we can while staying safely at home for the past 8 weeks. Suddenly, I have time to think, and to consider my garden. So, with the bug from last year’s successful harvest of my first seeded sunflower (pic right), I dedicated a sunny space in the living room, bought some soil, pots, and seeds, and started my very first indoor “victory” garden.

The most beautiful thing I’d ever grown (other than my boys)

Every morning, I checked on my pots, marveled at the sprouted greens through the soil, and enjoyed watching their growth. Watering them daily and adjusting their position throughout the day to get the most sunlight became routine, calming, predictable. I found my rhythm.

But, as plants and flowers tend to do, they’ve outgrown their small pots and they’re ready for the great outdoors. I need to let them go, allow them to plant roots outside where they belong, and do what they do best: provide beauty, food, and thrive.

As in life, the rhythms we find change. We settle into a comfortable routine only to face the next phase of our lives.

Parenting is like planting, but waaaay more terrifying. We raise these children, and before we’re ready, they leave, searching for their place in the world. We’re left to face our days without them. We adjust.

In Seasons Out of Time, which comes out next Friday, Heather Harrison just dropped her only child at college hundreds of miles away, and she too faces the next phase of her life. No longer a wife, or a full-time mom, she must re-define who she is and how she’ll fill the long, empty days ahead.

And so begins her journey of self-discovery in the most unconventional way.

This gorgeous cover was designed by my talented designer and friend, Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott of First Steps Publishing

Have you pre-ordered your ebook? If you do, it will arrive on your kindle Friday, May 22^nd  in time for the holiday weekend. The paperback version will be available to order that day too. Here’s the link: Amazon

I’m excited, nervous, and hopeful that you’ll love the story as much as I do.

Until then, I wish you health, peace, and sunshine.

Love, Kim

 

 

What to Read

Hi Again! I hope you’re all doing well. I had posted the sale of one of my books last weekend on Facebook (Both Sides of Love for .99 until tomorrow!) and promised to return with other book recommendations.

For me, reading is a great escape, and there’s no better time than now to lose yourself in stories. The following is a small list of books I’ve read recently and would highly recommend:

The Alice Network, by Kate Quinn

The Glass Lake, by Maeve Binchy

What The Wind Knows, by Amy Harmon

Stay, by Catherine Ryan Hyde

The Chain, by Adrian McKinty

Life and Other Inconveniences, (or any book) by Kristan Higgins

And check out these wonderful stories, by self-published authors like myself:

I was lucky enough to discover Lucy Mitchell’s blog a few years ago: BlondeWriteMore. Her weekly posts about life and writing are humorous, entertaining and uplifting. Instructions For Falling In Love Again is her first novel and, like Lucy, is filled with laughter and heart.

Finding Edward is the third installment of the Save Me series, by Suzanne McKenna Link. Saving Toby and Keeping Claudia, the first two books in the trilogy, take the reader on a heartfelt and emotional journey of a young man struggling with his past and the love of a girl who just might save him. Finding Edward, which can be read as a stand-alone, follows Edward Rudack as he searches for a father he never knew he had – in beautiful Italy. I had the pleasure of reading an advanced reader copy and just loved it. It will be out March 31st and is available for pre-order on Amazon.

 

If you have any books to recommend, please pass them along.

Stay healthy and I look forward to speaking with you again soon.

~Kimberly