Welcome Spring

I’ve been feeling unusually nostalgic this year. Maybe it’s because sixty‑five is standing on my doorstep, and all the stereotypes that trail behind it — Social Security, “old age,” the whispered expectations of physical and mental decline — suddenly feel closer than they ever have. I’ve never fully reconciled my age with the face in the mirror or the body that feels both familiar and rebelliously foreign. We grow up believing we’ll never truly grow old, and then one day the reflection staring back at us no longer matches the girl we still carry in our memory. Where did she go. It’s hard to admit, but there’s a sadness in realizing how quickly time has passed, and how much faster it will continue to move. And yet, life is good, even when it’s hard.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how to keep my mind sharp and my body — my stubborn, aching, determined body — capable. Arthritis and chronic bone degeneration have pushed me off my yoga mat and forced me to rethink what strength looks like. I’m beginning to see that the balance has been off. Reading, painting, and writing keep my mind busy, but fresh air, long walks, and especially time in the woods do something different. They open pathways that wake up not just my body but my mind, as if movement itself is a kind of remembering.

I’m realizing it has to be both. Not punishing physical exertion, but steady, moderate, consistent movement paired with a wide range of reading and writing that challenges my thinking and sparks curiosity. A body that moves and a mind that stretches — that feels like the path forward. Not to outrun age, but to meet it with intention, clarity, and a kind of quiet defiance.

I just finished Mary Kubika's It's not Her (Four Stars). This is a story about a family struck by tragedy and murder. When a young girl (the daughter of the murdered couple) goes missing, the story is strangely tied up wi

th another missing girl from years before. The pacing of the story was slower than I like, but the ending was what I've come to expect from the Three Horsemen of Kubika, Feeney, and McFadden - The pattern of domestic thrillers. This is why they haven't made it into my top teir of this genre dominated by my favorite Liane Moriarty.

My current reading list includes two books on audible. I always love listening to a good fiction story coupled with something a bit heavier.

Philippa Malicka's In Her Defense. A UK thriller. "As a sensational celebrity libel trial unfolds, a young woman at the periphery secretly wields the power to make or break the case. But with her own hidden past, will she dare to speak up?" (Goodreads) I'm not loving this story yet, though I'm well past the number of pages read (listened to) that I should quietly walk away, but it got so much hype from Reese's Book Club that I'm waiting to be pulled into it. Maybe soon?

The deep read is David Archuleta's book, Devout: Losing my Faith to Find Myself. Goodreads summarizes this as "A gripping memoir of faith, family, identity, and stardom, in Devout pop star David Archuleta shares his story of leaving the Mormon church, navigating the relationship with his emotionally abusive father, coming to terms with his sexuality, and

finding strength in being your authentic self."

This story is close to my heart, and I will be moving through it much slower than Malicka's. I first watched David Archuleta on the American Idol stage and immediately connected with him — he was about the age of my youngest daughter. Like David, we were also devout Mormons. I followed his career with the kind of pride only someone raised inside the faith can understand, and when he chose to serve a mission, it was familiar. Three of my children had served a mission, so David's choice seemed inevitable.

I left the Mormon church years before David did, and when he eventually stepped away, I understood the cost of that choice. My heart was both relieved for him — he could finally live openly as a gay man — and heavy with the grief that comes from losing something that once shaped every corner of your life. Leaving the church is an awakening to something you never knew existed. The truth, as we are taught in the church, is the church. There is no truth outside of it. Reconciling who you were inside Mormonism with who you’re becoming outside of it is slow, lifelong work. The convictions run that deep.

I’m not far into his memoir yet, but already I feel a profound empathy for his journey. It takes a kind of courage most active Mormons will never fully grasp — the courage to walk away from what you've learned is not what it professes to be. To Mormons, leaving the church is scorned by those still inside who will see your choice to leave as choosing sin over righteousness, darkness over light, lies over truth, when infact, it is the exact opposit.

This is definitley something I need to write more about, on a personal level.

My author events at both Bookshelf Shenanigans and Twisted Bine Beer Company were very different but both very wonderful. If you know Jessica, owner of the Elizabethtown Bookstore, you know she is a huge fan of authors and readers. Her store is a creative masterpiece of wonder and awe. The whismical decor and the smell of new books makes you fall in love with reading all over again. Bookshelf Shenanigans makes everyone feel welcome and Jessica is delighted to steer you in the direction of a dozen books she know you will love.

Twisted Bine Beer Company was so welcoming of me, making me feel like a true celebrity. There was actually a line of people wanting to purchase my book - at a bar! So many friends came to support me and even one favorite student. It was so much fun. And if you haven't stopped in, they have great service and great food! It's very family friendly and I'll be back again and again.

I am finishing my writing seminar at the Ellizabethtown Library. Though the class has been small, it's been wonderful to connect with others who have a passion about writing and choose to step into the uncomfortable to know themeselves better. That is what writing does. It forces us to look inward to find the words that express who we are, what we feel, what we want from ourselves and others. Our writing is both a mirror to look inside and a window to look out. We can never truly know what we think until we can put it into words on paper and then read and revise and rethink not only our writing but our patterns of thought. It's been a great way to reach back to my roots of teaching that I will always charish.

Next week, I’m heading to California for two author events — a book signing at Barnes & Noble at the Crossings at Corona and another at Bloom Bookery in Temecula. It still feels surreal to say that out loud. When I first started writing Hidden Among Secrets, I never imagined it would be published and read by so many. That it would take me across the country, let alone into bookstores where readers will walk in, see my novel on a table, and choose to spend part of their day with me.

I’m excited, of course — the kind of excited that makes your stomach flip — and if you know me, you also know I’m nervous. Meeting readers, talking about the book, stepping into the spotlight a little… it’s all thrilling and a bit terrifying in the best way.

I’ll share plenty of photos, updates, and behind‑the‑scenes moments along the way. Thank you for cheering me on as this adventure keeps unfolding.

Now, on to the next book. I’ve been writing and writing, and these women — LuAnn, Gianna, Stella, and Trinity — are already pulling me into places I didn’t expect to go. Their secrets are getting heavier, their choices sharper, and the consequences… well, let’s just say they don’t tiptoe into the next chapter of their lives. They run, they collide, they unravel, and they rise in ways that surprised even me as I drafted the early pages. It’s coming together piece by piece, and I can’t wait to share what they’re up to next. Stay tuned and enjoy the weather.