It does not seem possible that eight years have passed since I wrote another book! I tell myself that that is not so unusual since it took the bigger part of a lifetime to sit down and write the first one! Sometimes, a writer's reasons for going silent seem too personal to talk about. On the other hand, she fears she will appear to be grabbling for excuses. I suppose there is a bit of truth to both.
However, the more I think about my reasons for putting my creative efforts on hold, the more I see it as aligning one's priorities and then choosing the one that matters most to you in the entire world.
While I was writing my last novel, Hesterwine, Texas, 1943, my exceptionally wonderful and brilliant husband, Sam, began a devastating struggle with memory, as well as other major health problems that had no doubt weakened him. Sam and I shared a loving and caring relationship all the years we were married and that did not change as I took on the role of his care giver; neither of us would have it any other way. When the Lord called him to Heaven on September 20, 2020, the loss was profound and still is. Sam Schwartz was the love of my life, and always will be.
Lastly, I am adjusting to being "legally blind." My years of Macular Degeneration has advanced to an annoying state, causing me to read much slower than I used to read. (Very glad I can type without looking at the keys!) When I look at a word on a page, the first half of it disappears. Sometimes, the entire word disappears. So, I have to keep looking left. Bummer! Also, the light has to be just so and the text rather large.
I do not want to sound like a woe-is-me character, for I certainly am not. I know that I am blessed in so many ways. I have a wonderful family that I love with all my heart, and they return that love every day. I have marvelous memories of the most wonderful and loving husband a woman could ever hope to have had. I have FRIENDS!
. . .AND I AM WRITING AGAIN!
I am working on the sequel to Hesterwine, Texas, 1943, and intend to offer both books as a set, or singularly.