Memories, Mother's Day, Mute Button . . .

On April 5th, I had the distinct honor of joining fourteen other authors when we met at a place in downtown McKinney, Texas called Gather and spoke about our journeys in the world of writing. We shared passages from our current works in progress, and once again, I met up with my sweet friend, Sheila Williamson. I’ll be speaking about Sheila when we get to the Mother’s Day section of this newsletter.

But I’d be remiss not to welcome my newest newsletter subscribers: Lynda Dodd, Kimberley Nos, and Melinda Rose, as well as someone who subscribed herself as B. Wilkins. So, welcome to the four of you! Kimmie, I hope I spelled your name correctly!

A huge thank you to the ladies at Heritage Ranch for welcoming me into the fold for your recent book club meeting in March. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for choosing my memoir, Take Three, as your book club read. I am honored. Despite my true passion for writing fiction, my non-fictional autobiography about growing up in foster care continues to be my best seller! A special thank you, Juley Welch, for helping make this meeting happen. The women from Heritage Ranch were a delight to speak with. They're certainly a very literate, well-educated bunch of ladies!

As promised, I’m taking this opportunity to speak in more detail about my good friend, Sheila Williamson. I first met Sheila at a book event called Literary Fest which took place in McKinney, Texas last year.

Sheila and I both participated in this literary event and our tables were near each other, so the two of us got to know each other very well. She shared her amazing story about her son, Chad’s addiction. I won’t go into a great deal of detail here because I do want you to consider purchasing Sheila’s book (Two Calls) about their family’s struggle to get help for their son. For those of you who have family members struggling with addiction, you know how tumultuous this journey can be. At one very low point, Sheila and her husband, Jeff, had to practice what some refer to as ‘tough love.’

I’m happy to report that Chad received the help he needed in order to empower himself and heal. He’s not only an extraordinarily handsome man, but he has a witty, dry sense of humor that is absolutely charming. It’s mothers like Sheila; mothers who never give up on their children that make Mother’s Day in America so very meaningful.

If your family is struggling with addiction, consider taking a look at Sheila’s very honest account of the trials and tribulations of addiction. And while we’re on the subject of Mother’s Day, I hope yours is one filled with joy and celebration.

I’ve only shared this with a few individuals, but my husband is having some serious health issues. For that reason, I’ll be stepping back from writing for a while. My initial plan was to release the third in my cozy mystery series, Arson in the Alto Section in June, but the actual release will probably take place in the fall. I will definitely resume writing. It’s just that I need to take a short break and focus on getting Jim well. Thank you for understanding.

I hope you’ve received a blessing on Sheila Williamson’s story and purchase her book! I look forward to seeing you all just around the bend. If you’re so inclined, I would like two favors: (1) consider purchasing Forgotten Dreams and take a minute to post a review on Amazon. This is my latest release, and I love this book so much! (2) As you read this newsletter, consider providing me with some feedback. I love that so many of you read my monthly newsletters. Feel free to leave a comment or something that reflects that you enjoyed reading it. Thank you so much!

Gay Ann