Kirjahaku

"How Far We Have Come" is a contemporary romance novel, set in a small town in Connecticut. You will follow the lives two sisters, Lee and Emily, as they deal with the hardships they must face, and the friends and love they find along the way. I was raised, with my brothers and sisters, in a town the size of Clairemont, so it was a pleasure to create a town similar in size and atmosphere. I have used a fairly modern timeframe, as our storytakes us from the 1970's through 2010. Please note that the town, characters, and events are not real, and any resemblance to actual persons is unintentional. That being said, allow me to present "How Far We Have Come," a romantic work of fiction. It is a modern story of life and love, and follows two sisters, Lee and Emily Davidson, through a series of lifetrials, beginning with the untimely death of their mother, and the resulting abandonment by theirfather. It follows them and the people around them through the next 27 years and the challenges they meet, including a tragic murder, the loss of loved ones, new friendships, new love, encouragement and support. I can best sum up the take-away with this excerpt from the character Brett: "I guess all we can do is try to control our response. To appreciate what we are given and to love the ones we have been blessed with, because we do not know how long any of us will be here. Life is precious. And love is precious, too." I believe "How Far We Have Come" is not only relevant to our time, but carries a message about love and compassion that is relevant through the ages. The characters are very relatable. I hope that you'll enjoy reading "How Far We Have Come" as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please sit back, put your feet up, and let them draw you into their compelling story. Then, if you enjoy "How Far We Have Come", please look for "For Everyone, Someone", "Second Chances", "Meant to Be", "Work in Progress" and "Morning Boost" to continue the journey.

Thank you, once again, for continuing the journey. Those of you familiar with my first romantic work of fiction, "How Far We Have Come" will recall sisters Lee and Emily Davidson, their series of life trials, the hardships they faced; and the friends and love they found along the way. As that first tale came to its eventual end, we were left to wonder what would become of the new friends we had met and grown fond of. Fortunately, "For Everyone, Someone" followed shortly thereafter. This second novel introduced characters who impacted us with their own life stories. It followed Lee and Brett, Lynn and Chris, and Patrick and Emily. But it also introduced us to Michelle and Rick, to Margarida and John, and to Harold and Heather. We learned of Michelle and Margarida's compelling story. We touched on stories of selflessness, and we witnessed families torn by violence and the loss of loved ones. But through it all, we discovered that no matter the trials, that life still has promise. Next to follow was "Second Chances." It continued to follow the characters we already know and love. But we also met Jenna, who was drawn by destiny to Hal and his young daughter Heather. We met Jake Warren, school principal, and we re-visited Karen and her young son Bobby. Last, but not least, we touched back to Lauren Hunter, a single mom introduced in "For Everyone, Someone", and we met Mike Russell, a fifth grade teacher. Shortly thereafter came "Meant to Be." This story follows many of the characters we already know. We pick up where we left off with Jake Warren and Karen, and Karen's son Bobby. We also pick up again with Mike Russell, Lauren Hunter, and Lauren's two children. But we meet Tara, a third-grade teacher, who moved from Rhode Island for her first year of teaching. We also meet Ben Davis, a young local pharmacist who owns a pharmacy/gift store but is also a volunteer firefighter for the town of Clairemont. I now introduce "Work in Progress." This story takes a bit of a different turn. It is still centered in Clairemont, and touches back to some of the friends we have met on this journey. We pick up where we left off with Ben and Tara Davis, who had just learned some life-changing news at the end of Meant to Be. Within this story, however, we meet four new people, who will eventually become two new couples. This story follows new businesses that are springing to life, and the faces behind those businesses. We meet Greg Matthews, cousin to Justin, whose father's death brought him back to the town of his childhood. We meet Jessica Collins, reporter for the Sentinel. We meet Tim Baylor, a contractor from California. And we meet Olivia Miller, newly hired kitchen manager. New businesses. New opportunities for a small town. But reminders throughout to not lose sight of our priorities. Love. Family. The need to keep a balance. For, are we all not 'works in progress'? This story is set in the small town of Clairemont, Connecticut. I have used a modern timeframe that takes us from 2012 into 2013. Please note that the town, characters, and events are not real, and any resemblance to actual persons or places is unintentional. And now, again, please sit back and enjoy the journey.

To all my readers who have followed this Clairemont Series from the start - thank you for staying with this small town and these extraordinary people. From the very beginning (How Far We Have Come) when we met two young sisters and watched them grow, struggle with life's hardships, and eventually find love, we became entranced with the town and with the character of these most special people. For Everyone, Someone followed shortly thereafter, then Second Chances, Meant to Be, and Work in Progress. These stories paid tribute to a wide range of compassionate people - from those willing to adopt and give children a second chance at life, to people in law enforcement, child protective services, trauma counseling, volunteer firefighters, teachers, school administrators, business owners and everyday workers. Each book has been presented in a continuing message of hope to those who have struggled in some way: with violence, hardships or loss. They have shown us that no matter the trials, life still has promise. I now present Morning Boost. We are re-introduced to Cora, whom we have loved through every story to date. We are shocked as she experiences a tragedy. We follow the town and its people, many of whom we have already met, as they respond to the tragedy and help Cora and her family recover. We are introduced to Tammy, Cora's daughter, and her family. We are re-acquainted with Rusty, Cora's son, and Carrie Miller, Olivia's sister, whom we met in Work in Progress. We watch Tammy and her husband make a decision to move closer to the family, and we follow Rusty and Carrie as they eventually find happiness together. I believe that Morning Boost shares with the other books in this series in carrying a message of love and compassion that is relevant throughout the ages. I hope that you'll enjoy reading Morning Boost as much as I did writing it.

Thank you for choosing this uplifting story. Those of you familiar with my first romantic work of fiction, "How Far We Have Come", will recall sisters Lee and Emily Davidson, their series of life trials; the hardships they faced; the friends and love they found along the way. As that tale came to its eventual end, we were left to wonder what would become of new friends we had met and grown fond of.I now present, "For Everyone, Someone." This novel leads us to characters who will impact us with their own life stories. It follows Lee and Brett, Lynn and Chris, and Patrick and Emily. But it also introduces us to Michelle and Rick, to Margarida and John, and to Harold and Heather. We learn of Michelle and Margarida's compelling story. We touch on stories of selflessness, and we witness families torn by violence and the loss of loved ones. But through it all, we discover that no matter the trials, that life still has promise. In Margarida's words: "I have always said, "For everyone, someone. Joseph was my someone.""....as much as I loved him and miss him even still, I learned that there are blessings in many forms in our lifetimes."This story is set in the small town of Clairemont, Connecticut. I have used a fairly modern timeframe that takes us from the 1980's through 2011. Please note that the town, characters, and events are not real, and any resemblance to actual persons or places is unintentional.I believe that "For Everyone, Someone" is relevant to our time and through the ages. It carries a message about love and compassion that we may sometimes lose track of. It shines a light on some very special people - those willing to adopt and give so much to children who need a second chance at life, as well as those in law enforcement, child protective services, and trauma counseling.These characters are very relatable. I hope that you'll enjoy reading "For Everyone, Someone" as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please sit back and relax as they reach out and take you along on their inspiring journey.Then, if you enjoy "For Everyone, Someone", please try "Second Chances","Meant to Be", "work in Progress", and "Morning Boost" to continue the journey.

Thank you for continuing the journey. Those of you familiar with my first romantic work of fiction, "How Far We Have Come" will recall sisters Lee and Emily Davidson, their series of life trials, the hardships they faced; and the friends and love they found along the way. As that first tale came to its eventual end, we were left to wonder what would become of the new friends we had met and grown fond of. Fortunately, "For Everyone, Someone" followed shortly thereafter. This second novel introduced characters who impacted us with their own life stories. It followed Lee and Brett, Lynn and Chris, and Patrick and Emily. But it also introduced us to Michelle and Rick, to Margarida and John, and to Harold and Heather. We learned of Michelle and Margarida's compelling story. We touched on stories of selflessness, and we witnessed families torn by violence and the loss of loved ones. But through it all, we discovered that no matter the trials, that life still has promise. I now present "Second Chances." It is the third in the Clairemont series, and it continues to follow the characters we already know and love. But we also meet Jenna, who is drawn by destiny to Hal and his young daughter Heather. We meet Jake Warren, school principal, and we re-visit Karen and her young son Bobby. Last, but not least, we touch back to Lauren Hunter, a single mom introduced in "For Everyone, Someone", and we meet Mike Russell, a fifth grade teacher. "Second Chances" is a continuing message of hope, to those who have struggled with violence and loss. It focuses on the victims who persevere when life hands them lemons. To those who are going home to an empty house. To those who are trying to raise a family on their own and may sometimes feel that it's just too hard. Life can get better. Love can be out there. And, if you are really lucky, you may find your second chance. This story is set in the small town of Clairemont, Connecticut. I have used a modern timeframe that takes us from 2009 through 2011. Please note that the town, characters, and events are not real, and any resemblance to actual persons or places is unintentional. "Second Chances" joins the others in this Clairemont series in being relevant to our time as well as through the ages. You may remember that we have already given tribute to those in law enforcement, child protective services and trauma counseling. But there are many adults who are not trained professionally, who have to cope on a daily basis and be strong for their kids. This is for them. Now, please sit back and enjoy the journey.

To those of you picking up this book, I would like to preface by saying that this is not your usual collection of prose and poetry. Rather, it is a reach out to all who share my love of the written word and respect for the art of expression. I am presenting this as a look at free style writing, with a gradual turn to structured writing and poetic expression. I put this order together for a Creative Writers Workshop group that I currently work with in my community. You will find this to be a series of challenges, posed with the hope of honing our writing skills, or perhaps even prompting the courage to aspiring writers to put a pen to paper. Each challenge is intended to reach into our mind and our heart and draw out something different. I have provided each challenge with at least one example. These examples may be humorous or serious; some providing lookbacks on our past or comments on the present. My intention is to illustrate the power of words, and help you discover that the power lies within each one of us. Our words can convey a broad range of emotions. They are reactions to our life's blessings and its challenges. They can find humor when sorely needed, share passion, and express grief. All are inspiring. All are healing. I hope you will enjoy this work and that it may move you; if it has not already, to also seek a path toward sharing your thoughts and expressing yourself through the written word.