After Words

Five friends embark on a cross-country train journey in America, unaware they are on the cusp of the COVID pandemic. Their voyage is marked by a captivating word game, where each draws a card corresponding to a letter and shares an experience inspired by an undisclosed word. The game, simple in its premise, becomes a gateway to unexpected memories and stories, evolving in real-time. As each friend takes their turn, readers are invited to guess the hidden word, immersing themselves in the narrative as if seated among the group.

This engaging game sets the stage for a tapestry of associations and reminiscences, pushing the boundaries of what can be spoken. The novel follows each character over three years, capturing their unique circumstances and experiences during the pandemic across various locales and moments. Readers get a new perspective through their lived challenges, joys, and dreams.

As the friends reunite for a second journey on a different route post-pandemic, the profound impacts of both the global event and the word game itself come to light. The narrative, divided into three parts, offers a looping portrayal of time: before, during, and after the pandemic.

Rich with atmospheric and lyrical passages, this novel invites its readers to delve into the intricate world of language, exploring the mysterious and transformative power of words.

A Time to Talk

Imagine being granted the extraordinary gift of one last conversation with a loved one, knowing it would be your final chance to connect. Would you use this precious time to pour out your heart, share stories of love and gratitude, and bid a proper farewell?

For most, such a divine opportunity would be treasured. But for Jolie, a middle-aged woman juggling the demands of her children, job, grieving father, and estranged sister, the conversation might take an unexpected turn. Why, for instance, did her mother choose to ignore the cancer ravaging her body, instead channeling her energy into hosting dance challenges from her hospital bed and teaching her grandchildren the joys of skinny dipping?

Since her mother’s passing, Jolie has been consumed by grief and regret, finding even the simplest tasks overwhelming. Despite knowing that hiding under the covers and napping won’t solve anything, she feels too drained to seek alternatives. As she contemplates the tempting escape of running away – a choice that hardly seems fitting for a woman nearing fifty – Jolie receives an extraordinary gift: one final conversation with her mother. With so much left unsaid, where does one begin when faced with this singular chance?

It isn’t until Jolie faces a heart-wrenching accident involving her own daughter that she finds her answer. You begin by acknowledging the importance of family, and the power of forgiveness and letting go.

Woven with wisdom, humor, and a touch of magic, A Time to Talk is an uplifting story that explores the unbreakable bonds of family, the profound impact of a mother’s love, and the ability to find light even in the darkest of times.

A Night in Monterrey

Young, naïve Jeananne Cameron is swept into a fantastic new life among Texas oil barons and their Hispanic staff of maids, cooks, bodyguards, and chauffeurs. Her fortunes spiral upward when she marries Geoff Wilkins, handsome playboy and heir to the family’s oil-patch business and wealth.

But nothing about this world is as it appears.

The charming Geoff Wilkins is a gambler and a cheat. The family patriarch is leading a double life. And, among the Hispanics are secrets that cause surprise and shock on both sides of the US/Mexico border.

In Monterrey the tensions caused by greed, hidden love, loyalty, lies, and ambition collide to create a story of adventure and romance.