April 2026

ALLIGATORS, DOLPHINS, AND SHARKS—OH MY!

Hello from sunny Florida! Yes, it has been many moons since I wrote my last newsletter. My two biggest excuses are 1) I’ve been working on Echoes of Eden and 2) We built a second home in Venice, Florida! Having a winter getaway has been a dream of mine for many years and now it’s come true. Our new adventure has begun.

We have spent about five weeks here and I’m telling you, this place is wild! Alligators are everywhere (including in the pond behind our house), dolphins have jumped right in front of me while swimming, and most recently, I watched someone catch a bull shark off the local pier and my husband even held the pole for a minute! It was the craziest thing ever! You can watch the video here.

I never imagined I would get to see any of these things and I wouldn’t have if we hadn’t taken a leap of faith, followed our dream, and started this new adventure. So my message today is this: Doing something big that is out of your comfort zone can be scary, could take time, and might be a lot of work. But, it could also bring discovery and joy you would never experience if you didn’t take the leap. My friend just started a Masters degree at age 50. My dad moved to a new community at 93. My daughter quit her job to pursue her passion as an artist. What is your new adventure going to be? Whatever it is, do it!

Recent Podcast Interview

I interviewed for this podcast, Visions and Verses, a couple of weeks ago and now the episode is live! Give it a listen if you'd like to hear more about the background of publishing Eden:

Apple Podcasts, Spotify

Anyway You Want It

Eden has gone wide! You can find it practically anywhere now. Here are just a few of the many places you can purchase Eden:

Ebook, Audiobook, and Paperback

Teaser for Echoes of Eden:

I love dolphins! To celebrate seeing them up close in Florida, I give you this little gem from the new book:

“The sea was calling her to remember; the dolphin beneath her was the vessel. She leaned into the creature, pressing her legs against its slick flanks as she bowed her head to listen, to feel.”                                                                                          —Echoes of Eden

Eden Quote of the Month:

Kaya definitely has a few new adventures she wasn’t expecting. Some of them were extremely challenging, but she was always open to learn and to grow. That’s one of the things I love about her. When learning about democracy,

“Kaya was a sponge. She asked questions, wanted more details on concepts she didn’t understand, and challenged ideas that made her uncomfortable. She was a thirsty learner. And that thirst seemed unquenchable.”

Let’s all be thirsty learners!

COMING UP...

May 14-16: Storymakers Conference: I’m not doing a signing this time— I decided to wait until the sequel is out! But if you’re going, find me and we can chat and be buddies!

Special Note:

If you are new and have yet to read Eden, download Chapter One here for a first look.

Eden Chapter One

What I’m reading:

Hallie in Heels by Lindsay Hiller. I’ve almost finished this fun contemporary romance written by an independent author who is also the president of my writing group. A clever “friends to lovers” story with family drama, rags to riches, and some mystery to spice things up. Super fun read!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 8 by Beth Brower. I’ve been spacing out these delightful Victorian novels so I wouldn't run out before the new one. This is the last one out, so I’m taking my time with it. I love this whole little world Beth Brower has created. The quirky characters, the amusing neighborhood—these books have me giggling throughout!

Just finished: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. This is an amazing book. It started slow but then had me hooked. Loss, redemption, lessons on how to live—deep themes that are handled in a beautiful way.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Um, this is now one of my favorite books ever! I can’t say enough about it, so I’ll just say this: Brilliant. Absolute masterpiece.

About to start: When the Rain Came by Matt Eicheldinger. Excited to read this YA novel written by a school teacher/social media influencer who now writes best-selling books and is a big fan of my husband’s music. He sent us a signed copy (well, he sent David a signed copy haha) and it’s next on my list.