Author Archives: Joanne Guidoccio
The Whys We Need to Ask
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
In a recent post on the Writer Unboxed blog, author Kathleen McCleary shared the importance of the one-word question “Why?”
Years ago, in my other life as a journalist, I interviewed Michael Jordan for a cover story for the magazine I worked for at the time. At the peak of his fame, shortly after his father was murdered, Jordan had quit basketball to try playing baseball. When I interviewed him, he had just made the sudden and surprising decision to return to basketball.
I had 30 minutes to interview Jordan and I was nervous and he was polite but not too excited or exciting. Desperate for something different from him, I said, “I read that Ghost is your favorite movie. Why?”
Suddenly, he came to life. He sat up and leaned forward, and really looked at me. “Because I’ve always believed that after we die, we come back to watch over and protect the people we love,” he said. “And since my father died, I’ve felt him watching over me. And the whole reason I decided to leave baseball and come back to basketball is because that’s what my father is telling me to do. Right now.”
It was an incredible moment, the story made news, my editor was happy, and I understood on a gut level the huge importance of the one-word question “Why?”
And as I’m embarking on writing my fifth novel, I remind myself every day that I need to keep asking “WHY?” You know the important basic questions about story: What does my character want? What’s my character’s flaw? How does this flaw affect my character’s life and world? What does my character need? We all have to do that work. But for me, “Why?” is the key.
I got the idea for this new novel, my fifth, almost a year ago. It was an interesting idea with a hint of magical realism and I felt intrigued but I wasn’t inspired to actually start jotting down ideas or scenes. Then recently, while hiking in Ireland, I was thinking about why it would matter that this magical thing happened, and suddenly I had an answer and a reason for the book to exist. It changed everything for me. So, whether you’re just starting out or deep into your twenty-seventh book, here are some Whys to remember:
The obvious Whys. These are the questions about character, motivation, and plot that are crucial for our own understanding of our stories. Why is my character making this choice? Why can’t my character change? Why does my character want this thing that she wants so badly? Why can’t she get it? Why does it matter? You know these. Come back to them again and again. Sometimes the answers change as you get deeper into your story.
The Whys we need to ask our characters. These are questions that help you get to know your characters in the same way you get to know someone new you meet, or get to know a friend better. I teach English to immigrants and we often talk about how to have a good conversation, or how to keep a conversation going. And one of the keys to having a great conversation is being genuinely curious about the person you’re talking to. If they mention that they’re afraid of snakes, finding out why could be interesting. If they always wanted to be a doctor but became a carpenter instead, that’s a potentially fascinating why to unearth. Ask your character: “Why does that particular thing/event/person frighten you? Why do you love trees/knitting/movies so much? Why is your daughter named Jeannie?” It’s the stories behind the details that give a fictional world its realism and believability.
The Whys we need to ask ourselves. “Why does it matter to me to tell this story? Why do I need to tell it now?” Knowing the reasons that we need to write and why it matters to do it at a certain point of time in our lives is important. I have written entire novels because I was compelled to write, because it was the only way I could process difficult events or feelings in my life. Writing them out in fiction was a way to get through. I’ve also written novels for the pure enjoyment or challenge of writing. Yet another important Why to ask ourselves is “Why I am struggling to write this story?” The answer to that speaks volumes, too, and may tell us it’s time to change direction, dig deeper, or, hard as it is, put a story aside.
Interview with Beth Ford
I’m happy to welcome multi-published author Beth Ford. Today, Beth shares her creative journey and new release, Crimes and Crevices of the Heart.
Here’s Beth!
What was your inspiration for this book?
I think the time period and some of the themes started circulating in my brain as I watched Miss Scarlett and the Duke, a TV series I love. I enjoyed the dynamic between the tour-de-force that is the female lead and the detective who is not quite so gung-ho. But I moved my setting to New York City and had my character be a journalist to tie into my interest with writing. I also wanted Cassie to be like an early Nellie Bly.
What is the best part of being an author? The worst?
The creativity is the best part, along with getting to hear from and meet anyone who has enjoyed your books—it’s a delight every time. Like many authors, I think the parts I enjoy less are around the administrative and marketing tasks—the less “fun” stuff.
Besides writing and reading, what are some of your hobbies?
I enjoy flower gardening; I’m very proud of my rose bushes and my peonies. I eagerly anticipate spring every year when I get out all my pots to decorate the front porch. I also enjoy traveling. This year, I made it to Switzerland to celebrate my 40th birthday!
Any advice for aspiring writers?
It takes a lot of work, so keep at it and don’t give up. Don’t be afraid to share your work with others, whether that’s critique groups or publishing and sending your book out into the world. You can’t do this alone—other people’s input is critical although learning what to take and what to leave is an art in itself.
What are you working on next?
My current work in progress is a time travel romance that brings readers back to the earliest days of Hollywood. In Past Productions, an underappreciated female production assistant and a spoiled actor wake up in 1913 Hollywood and must work together to make it home in time to restore the reputation of an early female movie executive, the subject of their present-day biopic.
Blurb
Cassie Woods yearns to be a real journalist. But in 1880s New York City, her only assignments are women’s interest stories. Until, that is, a cookbook author she’s meant to interview goes missing and Cassie finds herself in the midst of a police investigation involving one of the city’s major crime families. Surly but handsome Detective O’Neill threatens repercussions to her career if she continues to interfere. Will Cassie get in over her head or will she save the day and solve the mystery?
This collection contains seven connected stories, each centered on an exciting new case for Cassie to solve while navigating the highs and lows of her relationship with Detective O’Neill.
Excerpt
When Cassie arrived at the factory’s address late that afternoon, the quiet surprised her. At this time of day, a garment factory should be noisy, machines running and girls tending to their work. The factory was a small building on a side street, but still. Something was off.
A man walked out and leaned against the doorjamb. He slowly lit a cigarette, watching her the whole time. It looked suspicious to stand in the street staring back, so Cassie forced her feet into motion. As she neared him, she saw the man had a long, jagged scar crossing one cheek.
Before she reached him, a group of men walking casually down the street surrounded her, dragging her along with them. When they reached an alley, one of the men grabbed her elbow and shoved her down the narrow passage. The rest stood behind her, blocking the exit.
“What are you—” She halted as a man emerged from the shadows. He strode toward her, hands in his pockets. A slice of light fell across his eyes.
She relaxed.
“Detective O’Neill. What on earth is going on? Your men—”
“My men just saved you, Miss Woods. You don’t want to draw the attention of one of the Tiatelli henchmen.” He took another step closer. She smelled a faint waft of cologne. “I thought I told you not to interfere in my investigation.”
“I’m not interfering—”
“What do you call waltzing into the middle of my stakeout, then?”
Author Bio and Links
Beth Ford writes historical and time travel stories that transport you in time. She is the author of the novels In the Times of Spirits, Love Between Times, Love Across Time, and After the Spirits Come: A Continuation of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. She also writes the Cassie Woods, Reporter historical mystery romance novella series. Her work has also appeared in a variety of literary journals. She lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
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Giveaway
Beth Ford will be awarding a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.
Follow Beth on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.
Honoring Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem, one of the most prominent leaders of the modern women’s movement, died yesterday at the age of 92.
Born March 25, 1934, she worked as a journalist in the 1960s and gained national attention for her reporting on gender inequality. In 1972, she co-founded Ms. Magazine, which became an influential voice for feminism. She also helped establish the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Ms. Foundation for Women, and the Women’s Media Center. Throughout her career, her activism has focused on women’s rights, reproductive freedom, racial justice, violence against women, and political equality.
In recent years, she continued doing the two things she loved most: writing and being in community with others. She welcomed hundreds of guests into her living room for Talking Circles, a tradition she hoped would continue after her death.
Gloria wrote several books and received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 and the Princess of Asturias Award in 2021. Her memoir, An Unexpected Life, is scheduled for release later in September.
Here are my favorite quotations from Gloria Steinem:
“A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men.”
“Women may be the one group that grows more radical with age.”
“A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.”
“Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself.”
“Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities.”
“We’ve begun to raise daughters more like sons…but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters.”
“Change, even if we don’t like it, is the only evidence of life.”
“Feminism is fundamentally about self-respect and respect for others.”
“Trust that little voice in your head that says ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting if…?’ And then do it.”
The Heart of a Finisher
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
Here’s a thought-provoking reflection from international speaker and bestselling author Joyce Meyer:
It is important for everyone to have the heart of a finisher, but I believe it is especially important for God’s children. After all, we represent Him, and He always finishes what He starts.
Is there anything in your life that you are tempted to give up on? If there is, I am asking you to reconsider. In your quiet time with God, pray and ask if He wants you to give up, and unless you are sure that He does, I recommend that you press on.
The only reason we should ever give up is if we realize somewhere along the way that we are not doing what God wants us to do. Don’t let the fear of circumstances or the weariness of passing time cause you to give up. You might be tired of waiting, but pressing forward is much better than going back.
Source: Quiet Times with God by Joyce Meyer
Book Blast: Duke Du Jour
I’m happy to welcome back multi-published author Petie McCarty. Today, Petie shares her new release, Duke Du Jour.
Blurb
She’s waiting in the past . . . He belongs in the future.
Jared Langley, present-day Duke of Reston, tumbles into an abandoned fountain on his ducal estate and is pelted back in time to the year 1816. There, Reston servants and local villagers think him a dead ringer for his namesake and rakehell ancestor—the seventh Duke of Reston, gone missing at the Battle of Waterloo. Unfortunately, Seven got mixed up with French spies out to assassinate the Duke of Wellington, and an unwary Jared ends up in their crosshairs.
Lady Ariana Hart has loved Jared Langley, the seventh Duke of Reston, since she was twelve years old, until the night the rogue broke her heart. Given up for dead, her rakish neighbor makes a miraculous return from Waterloo. Only Jared shows up a changed man and reignites all the feelings Ariana had long ago buried.
Jared is in a race against time.
His tasks?
Waylay the suspicions of his quirky servants and neighbors
Get to Wellington before the French spies do
Fix his fountain–before Seven shows up–so Jared has a way home
And definitely do not fall in love with the irresistible Lady Ariana . . .
Excerpt
The sound of hoofbeats and wheels churning came from the path to the old stone stable. Seconds later, what looked to be a perfectly restored nineteenth-century curricle pulled up with a magnificent pair of spirited blacks in harness. The young man driving tied off the reins and jumped down, and Jared could only stare in stunned disbelief.
Curricle Man matched Jared’s height and build and wore scuffed knee-high boots, what appeared to be knickers, and a woolen waistcoat over a loose, long-sleeved white shirt with a linen scarf stuffed in the collar. A wave of dizziness struck Jared again. Curricle Man strode over and bowed.
Bowed?
“Chappy said you were back, Master Jared. So I took the liberty of bringing round your curricle, so you could take straight off to see Lady Wilder.”
This tableau had quickly turned into a nightmare.
“I do this often,” Jared said. The words came out sounding like a question, and he received two incredulous looks.
“As soon as you arrive, Mast—uh, Your Grace. At least, you did on the last few visits before you left for the continent,” Curricle Man offered. “I only thought―”
“Well, do not think. Maybe this visit I choose to be different. I can change.”
Jared got the you-must-be-daft look again. Truth be told, he felt a bit daft since he had not known he owned a curricle and had no intention of driving this one until he learned how. Harness-racing sulkies he knew.
Restored curricles, not at all.
“Begging your pardon, Your Grace,” Curricle Man persisted, “but you always said if you did not go there, Lady Wilder would come here. And you hate that.” The man gave him a wary stare. “Of course, that was more than two years ago.”
Jared’s head pounded in earnest, and he fought off a wave of nausea brought on by the accompanying dizziness. He did not know these people, he had no idea what or whom they were talking about, and he feared a climactic ending to this delusional scene.
“Yes, but this year is—” He had meant to say different, but Cook—who had been strangely silent throughout their discourse—beat him to the punch.
“—Eighteen sixteen, of course,” she said, looking worried. “Are ye sure ye didn’t hit yer head back at the fountain, Master Jared?”
“Eighteen sixteen?” he asked weakly.
“Right,” the two strangers agreed in unison.
Oh, dear Lord in heaven! I am not just named after Jared Langley. I am Jared Langley, seventh Duke of Reston.
Then everything went black.
Author Bio and Links
Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—”The Most Magical Place on Earth”—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said goodbye to her “day” job to write her stories full-time.
These days, Petie spends her time writing new tales for her Cinderella series, her new The Watchers series, sequels to her Regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and more contemporary romance standalones, along with her two previous releases—Any Fin For Love and Ambush in the Everglades.
Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who makes a cameo appearance in Christmas Watch, Book 2 of The Watchers series.
Visit Petie at her website, http://www.petiemccarty.com, to get to know her, learn about her current projects, and discover her other published works.
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Giveaway
Petie McCarty will be awarding a $10 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.
Follow Petie on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.
Fun Friday!
Choose to be a Work In Progress
On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.
A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:
I don’t entirely approve of some of the things I’ve done in my life, but I am who I am. And I would not be me if I hadn’t learned along the way. The same is true for you. We are all works in progress! So don’t be ashamed of who you had to be to get to where you are today. Forgive yourself for those times when you lacked clarity, for those foolish decisions you made that caused needless stress. Forgive yourself for being human, young, and reckless. Your journey has many vital lessons. What matters most now is your willingness to grow from them.
And isn’t it wild how we often outgrow what we once thought we couldn’t live without, and then we fall in love with what we didn’t even know we wanted? Life keeps leading us down worthwhile paths we would never travel if it were up to us. Don’t be afraid. Have faith — trust the journey. Continue to be a work in progress, and celebrate the fact that you are!
The trick I have found is to embrace life today. Be right where you are. That’s where your power is. There’s a time and place for everything, and every step is necessary. Just keep doing your best, and don’t force what’s not yet supposed to fit into your life. When it’s meant to be, it will be. You’ve come a long way already, and you’re still learning and growing.
Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.
Honoring Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton died earlier today at age 80.
Born in 1946 in rural Tennessee, she was one of twelve children raised in a poor but close-knit family. From an early age, music offered her a way to express herself and a glimpse of a life beyond the hills of home. After graduating from high school, she moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting and performing, determined to build a life on her own terms.
Her breakthrough came in 1970 with the release of Joshua, and she went on to become one of country music’s most successful and influential artists. Yet her career was never confined to music. She expanded into film and television, earning memorable roles in 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Steel Magnolias.
Dolly is also celebrated for her philanthropy. Through the Dollywood Foundation, she created the Imagination Library, which provides free books to children and reflects her enduring belief in the power of education and opportunity.
Her philosophy is simple but profound: Be yourself, work hard, stay kind, laugh at yourself—and if the road isn’t working, pave a new one.
Here are my favorite quotations from Dolly Parton:
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
“If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
“It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.”
“You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try.”
“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”
“Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”
“Storms make trees take deeper roots.”
“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”
“I’ll never harden my heart, but I’ve toughened the muscles around it.”
“You gotta keep trying to find your niche … or to make one of your own.”
My favorite song:
Interview with David Tindell
I’m happy to welcome author David Tindell. Today, David shares his new release, The Dance We Shared.
What was your inspiration for this book?
A couple of years ago, my wife Sue and I were watching a documentary about Garth Brooks. He discusses his career and his hit songs, and he talks about “The Dance,” one of his first #1 hits. Then he sings the song. It really hit home for me, because that song came out shortly before Sue and I started dating. I was working in radio at the time and occasionally would play the song on my show. Well, there was a point where I didn’t know if we were going to make it as a couple, and one morning during that low point I played the song, and it really hit me. Fortunately, everything worked out for us—we’ll be married 31 years this fall—but when the song came up in the documentary, it hit me again. I’d come close to losing the love of my life. How could I have gone on?
So, I started thinking about that. What would’ve happened if we hadn’t made it back then? I came up with the story of Ben Fletcher, a guy in his mid-50s, who lost Ronnie, the love of his life, 20 years ago due to a stupid mistake on his part. Ronnie married another man and moved away. Ben has recovered, sort of; he has a good job and makes a decent living, but he’s never fallen in love with another woman. Then one day when he’s cleaning his office, he finds an envelope. Inside is a card, with a phone number and three words in Ronnie’s handwriting: “Please help me.” Ben turns over the envelope and sees that it had been sent five years earlier…just at the time Ronnie disappeared.
What is the best part of being an author? The worst?
The best part is telling stories that are meaningful, as well as entertaining. My protagonists are people who are trying their best to live a life of honor, which is not an easy thing these days. I happen to think we’ve lost a lot in that area, so if my stories can inspire people, even a little bit, to be better, to care for one another and be willing to fight for a just cause, then I’ve succeeded.
The worst part? Well, I could say that the worst part is not cracking the best-seller lists or seeing my books made into movies or TV series, but let’s get real. Very few authors ever see that level of success. If you get into this because you want to make a lot of money, you’ll be frustrated and disappointed. It’s like any other kind of artist—musician, painter, sculptor, poet, you name it. You’re in it to create art, and if people admire it, want to buy it, all the better. So, I really don’t have a “worst part.”
Describe your writing space.
We’re in the process of building a new house here in southwest Wisconsin, so for the next year or so, my writing space is the kitchen table in our rented cabin. The new house will have a library, which is where I’ll have my “office,” if you will. I’m trying to be patient, but it can’t get here soon enough.
Which authors have inspired you?
I’ve been fortunate to meet and talk with some fine authors: Brad Thor, Mark Greaney, Kyle Mills, Jack Carr, William Kent Krueger, and others. Their work inspires me, but so do their words of encouragement.
What is your favorite quote?
“It is not the critic who counts…but the man who is actually in the arena.”
Theodore Roosevelt
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Like any husband, I sometimes think that having the ability to read minds would be helpful, but if we’re looking at a Superman-type of power, it would be flying. Definitely flying. Although, to be honest, super-strength would be handier.
Besides writing and reading, what are some of your hobbies?
I trained in martial arts for about 20 years, earning black belts in taekwondo and Ryukyu kobujutsu, which is the study of Okinawan weaponry. My wife is also a black belt in that art, and we’ve both trained in karate. My own training has been more or less on the shelf the past couple years as I’ve dealt with some podiatry issues, but I intend to resolve those and get back on the mat as soon as possible.
I mentioned that we’re building a house, and we’ve relocated from the lake country of northwest Wisconsin to the Driftless Area of the state’s southwest. It’s a beautiful area and there are so many things to explore, so my wife and I are making that our new hobby.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire, had six words of advice that every writer should follow: “Get your ass in the chair.”
What are you working on next?
I have three series underway. The Dance We Shared is book 3 in the Men of Honor series. My next work will be on book 4 in the Quest series. Quest for Justice will follow the protagonists, Wisconsin brothers Jim and Mark Hayes, and their wives as they go to West Africa to help a group of missionaries who are being threatened by Marxist revolutionaries. Jim is an accomplished martial artist and Mark, his younger brother, is an Army combat veteran. They work for a Chicago-based security firm, and they’ll answer an appeal from a missionary who speaks at their church. It’ll turn out to be a lot more dangerous than just going into the jungle and escorting some folks back to civilization.
My White Vixen series is four books in, and book 5 will be The Black Orca, in which I send my heroine, US Air Force special operator Jo Ann Geary, to Antarctica to uncover the mystery of a sunken WW2 U-boat that may lead to a secret Nazi base that could still be operational, 35 years after the end of the war. (Sue and I are planning a trip to Antarctica for early ’28; I love doing research in the field!)
Finally, book 4 in MoH will be Man on a Mission. I’m still not sure what that’ll be about, but it will take place in Crawford County, here in the Driftless, and feature an appearance by Scott Armstrong, the protagonist in book 2, The Man in the Arena.
Blurb
Ben Fletcher seems to have it all going for him. In his early fifties, he’s in great shape thanks to a disciplined regimen of weight training, swimming and martial arts. He has a job that pays him a good living in the charming Wisconsin city of La Crosse. Divorced a quarter-century earlier, he remains close to his two grown children and grandkids. Ben is content with his life.
But he’s not happy. Twenty years ago, he was, during that glorious year and a half he was dating the glamorous Veronica Starr. They were an “item”: Ben, the city’s highest-rated radio announcer, and Ronnie, an award-winning TV newscaster. They were starting to talk about the future, one that would include marriage and kids. But then, Ben made a stupid mistake, and it all came crashing down. Ronnie broke off the relationship, met an older man and married him.
Within a year she was gone, moving with her new husband to the Twin Cities. Ben had no choice but to move on with his life the best he could.
One day, he’s cleaning out a file cabinet in his office and finds an old catalog. Before throwing it out, he riffles through its pages, and an envelope drops onto his desk. Opening it, he finds a card. In handwriting he immediately recognizes as Ronnie’s are a phone number and the words, “Please help me.” When he looks again at the envelope he sees the postmark: it had been sent five years earlier…just before Veronica Starr left her husband, quit her job and disappeared.
Excerpt
Please help me.
Three words. The first from her in…how long? They were definitely hers, though. Not in an email but real ink on paper, and not typed, but written, in her distinct, precise and very feminine cursive, with a phone number below. On the inside of a card, otherwise blank. On the face of the card, the Minneapolis skyline.
The square envelope, empty now, lay there on my desk, its face staring up at me. My office address, also in her hand. No return address, though. And the kicker: the postmark. The card had been sent from the Twin Cities almost exactly five years ago.
It was the start of a new week, and my first order of business for the morning was to clean out a filing cabinet that was due to be taken away, destined for a homeless shelter. The athletic director had emailed the staff, asking us to consider donating little-used office furniture to the cause. Today was the deadline to have stuff ready for a crew of students to haul away. The cabinet was an easy choice. As the media relations director for athletics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, I had a lot of records, and since most of them now were electronic, I really had no use for this old gray clunker. What paper there was inside, I thought, could be sorted through, most of it discarded, the important stuff filed in the one remaining cabinet.
I’d pulled a catalog out of the bottom drawer, from some long-forgotten and probably shuttered sporting goods supplier and was just about to toss it into the trash bin when something—that’s all I can call it, something—prompted me to riffle through the pages. You never knew. And the envelope dropped out and onto my desk.
Getting something from the Twin Cities wasn’t out of the ordinary. Here in La Crosse, everybody was familiar with the Minnesota metropolis ninety minutes away. People listened to its radio stations and watched its TV channels, and went there for the shopping, college and pro sports, the theaters, and of course the airport. I went there only when work demanded it, and if I flew anywhere, it was usually out of the smaller airport in La Crosse, where I’d lived for the past quarter-century. I avoided the Cities because she worked there. Or used to, until she left. And it wasn’t as if she’d resigned from her high-visibility job as morning news anchor on the market’s highest-rated TV station and went somewhere else, maybe the network’s morning show in New York, which is where I always assumed she’d wind up.
No. It was five years ago, right after the date on the postmark, that Veronica Starr, the love of my life, vanished.
– Excerpted from The Dance We Shared by David Tindell, KDP, 2026. Reprinted with permission.
About the Author
David Tindell was born in Germany and grew up in southwest Wisconsin. Together with his wife Sue, he’s traveled the world, seeking new locales for his novels. He trains in the martial arts, dabbles in radio and joins Sue in the never-ending search for the perfect chai tea latte.
His latest book is The Dance We Shared (Book 3 in Men of Honor). Other books include The Heights of Valor (Book 1 in Men of Honor) and The Man In the Arena (Book 3 in Men of Honor).
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