This morning, I woke to a review of my latest novel, Our Last Hello , a dramatic story of second chances. It moved me deeply because of how clearly the reviewer connected with Ramie’s journey: "Ramie’s journey, in particular, adds depth to the story. Her movement from innocence to experience, from dependence to a form of quiet resilience, gives the book emotional grounding. The moments of hardship, especially those tied to violence and loss, are handled with care and add grav

Poetry often captures what prose cannot. The raw pulse of emotion, the quiet moments of reflection, and the unspoken truths that live inside us. Recently, two of my poems were published in A New Season: Poems for a World in Flux . They explore themes that some of us feel but rarely express openly—feeling out of place in a world that values speed, brightness, an abundance of technology, and noise. The other is about my private moments shared with the moon in the stillness of

Learning to let go of people and things.

There are moments in life that literally stop you in your tracks. When you freeze, and time stops with you. Today, I recalled a moment from 1980. My first real—real-life crush, Jason, and I were driving home late one evening from the drive-in. My mom, a few cars ahead of us with her boyfriend, turned left at the busy intersection. Jason started to follow, his hand on the wheel, beginning the rotation. Then, as if an invisible force tugged his arm, he yanked the wheel back and