Tomorrow, January 9, 2024, I am elated to announce the release of my new book, Quietude. A little background on the book: A few years ago, Adi challenged me to write a book with a female protagonist. I started this little novella and wrote about 4 chapters before putting it aside until inspiration struck me.
Cut to late summer of 2023—I had a big idea for a four-part book that I began writing called I’Eternal. My goal was to make this book my magnum opus (I know, pretty bold!) and I began in earnest writing. I grappled with this really big book and knocked out the first two parts until finally, I reached a state of creative exhaustion in mid-December. I needed to put the book down and allow some ideas to ferment before beginning anew with parts 3 and 4.
On December 11, I felt a very strong message come to me. “Finish Quietude before Christmas and release the book in January of 2024.”
I am a great believer in following that little gut feeling, intuition, or messages from the Universe (whatever you feel comfortable calling it), so I sat down and began writing this novella once again. The words flowed easily for me, and I continued each day with my Christmas deadline on the horizon.
As I was working, Adi had another idea. She suggested that I reach out to our son, Carson, and ask him to create illustrations for each chapter. Our son is an incredibly talented young artist and I felt like this was a wonderful idea. He was already creating the cover for the book, and this felt like the perfect compendium piece for us to co-create together.
I reached out to Carson, and he quickly jumped onboard. “I’ve got some great ideas for this,” he said to me. “Let me knock out a few examples and I’ll send them to you to see if I’m on the right track.”
Carson went to work and on December 21 I finished the manuscript for Quietude. In days, Carson created 15 individual chapter headers for the book and before Christmas 2023 had arrived we had our latest co-creation. I ordered a proof copy of the book which arrived a couple of days after Christmas. When I opened the book to the back page I noticed on the printing stamp of the proof the book was printed on December 24, 2023—I got the proof before Christmas. I had achieved my goal, and my latest book would be ready for release on January 9, 2024.
2023 was a challenging year for me personally. I lost my mother in January, and we lost Adi’s mother at the much too young age of 61 in August. Losing Adi’s mom was even tougher than my own mother because my mom lived a really good, long life. She had even told me a few weeks before she passed, “I’m ready go. I’ve had a good life and I’m tired. Everyone I know is gone now and I’m not afraid to die.”
I had peace around my own mother dying. We had talked about it. We had said all the things that needed to be said before a loved one departed. As much as I missed her, I understood that this is a fundamental part of life, and I could more easily accept it.
Adi’s mom was a different story. We weren’t ready for her to go. We weren’t expecting it. No one had made peace with it. Adi still grieves daily and watching her has been painful at times. It’s never easy coming to terms with losing a loved one.
The time came when I needed to decide to whom I would dedicate this book; I realized that I wanted to do something for Adi and her father (I’ve always referred to him as “Gomez” in posts, to her mom’s “Morticia”)—they were both grieving greatly over Morticia’s untimely death.
“This book is about a mystical young girl who saw the special magic that life has to offer,” I told Adi. “I’m going to dedicate this book to your mom, the magical mermaid, who will always be with us.”
“To all the wanderers out there, may your crooked path lead you back home.”
In loving memory of Sheri, a radiant soul who left us too soon. This book, “Quietude,” is dedicated to her enchanting spirit—an extraordinary woman, a witch who wielded magic with grace, a mystic who delved into the depths of the unseen, and a mermaid whose essence flowed with the boundless currents of wonder.
May the pages of “Quietude” carry echoes of Sheri’s magic, mysticism, and the ethereal beauty of a mermaid’s song. In celebrating her life, may readers find inspiration, solace, and a connection to the mystical realms she so effortlessly embraced.
Fly high with the angels, Mystical One. Until we meet on the other side…
And with that, I hope you enjoy this new book, and that you share it with all of your friends, family members, or anyone else that is special in your life. May you all discover the Profound Love Codes contained within Quietude.
