The EMPIRE & Beyond

Inspired by the places and history of MidCoast Maine, welcome to the fictional town of Shoreton.

In The EMPIRE, history will not be forgotten…or silenced.

Darcy’s mother may be dead, but that doesn’t stop her mother from trying to warn her that trouble is brewing.

For weeks Darcy Adams has been haunted in her dreams by her mother and images of her hometown; past and present. The dreams make no sense until a frantic phone call from her father in the middle of the night confirms what her mother has been trying to tell her. Shoreton is in trouble.

Compelled by the desperation in her father’s voice and her mother’s warnings, Darcy travels across the country to the quaint coastal town she left behind years ago only to find it in a state of upheaval. The state plans to make changes that could doom the town, leaving the residents in a bitter conflict between those who crave progress and those determined to preserve their heritage.

Meanwhile Darcy’s dreams are becoming increasingly realistic and disturbing. There is more to the problems in town than meets the eye, as unexplainable encounters with strange people begin to occur. While searching for the connection, Darcy discovers a shocking secret confirming her ties to the future of the town, forcing her to delve not only into the town’s past, but her own. Faced with a history she thought buried in her past, Darcy discovers that sometimes moving forward means looking back.

After the Empire – Darcy & Will is a companion novella of The Empire. Darcy Adams has returned to California, but her mystical dreams of Shoreton have not subsided, but they are now much more personal.  Will Martin and Eddie Barrett were both very important to Darcy at different times in her life, and both are connected to painful memories, yet Darcy is drawn to both.  Confused about her feelings for these men, now entwined in her life again, Darcy must confront her feelings when dreams and reality collide.

Available at AMAZON

After the Empire: Darcy & Will

What happened after The Empire? In this companion story of The Empire, Darcy Adams has returned to California, but her mystical dreams of Shoreton have not subsided. They are now much more personal.  Will Martin and Eddie Barrett were both very important to Darcy at different times in her life, and are connected to painful memories, yet Darcy is drawn to both.  Confused about her feelings for these men, now entwined in her life again, Darcy must confront her feelings when dreams and reality collide.

What will Darcy Adams do about Will and Eddie?

After the Empire is available at AMAZON

2018 Year In Review / 2019 Word of the Year


Happy New Year!  As has become a tradition for me, I am closing chapter 2018 with a review of how my word of the year turned out, and choosing a word for the new year.  For those of you that don’t know, back in 2015, at the beginning of a journey that would change my life… Read more CLICK HERE 

2018 WORD of the YEAR

Happy New Year! It has become a tradition for me that, as we start another trip around the sun, I choose a word to guide me through the coming year. I started this back in 2015 with the word Emergent, and then Resilient in 2016.  Both proved to be prophetic. 2015 was the year that I really started coming into my own. I stopped trying to fit or judge myself by conventional standards and just let myself be. I kept my eyes and heart open and let the universe guide me. I was not led astray.  To continue, CLICK HERE

Recap: My First Maine Lobster Festival

For me, the Maine Lobster Festival has always signaled the beginning of the end of summer.  Folks are wrapping up their summer vacations and getting kids ready to go back to school. This year, being a part of the 70th, was the biggest professional event so far of my new writing career and it was a fantastic experience!  I was there Saturday and Sunday from 12p.m. to 4p.m.  Thousands of people walked by my table during those hours, some stopped, some didn’t.

My table was along the center line of the tent, with walkways in front and behind me.  There were several authors and book vendors in the tent as well as a man who demonstrated modern lobster trap building, vendors who sold handmade Maine crafts, Maine themed t-shirts among others. One of the biggest draws, however, was the marine life touch tank situated at the far end of the tent on the water side. This, for many, was the main attraction of the tent.  Kids and adults alike love the touch tank where you can get an up close look at small marine life and even pick some of it up if you dare.  The challenge of being a vendor before the touch tank is getting people to stop at your table.  This takes some skill, and there was definitely a learning curve for me.  What saved me most of the time was the swag, and the candy.  With the help of  Dave Dailey, my graphic designer extraordinaire, we designed a commemorative magnet to give away , and I also had a free raffle to give away a couple limited edition The Empire / Maine Lobster Festival t-shirts. The bowl of vintage type candy – mini rolls of Necco Wafers, Tootsie Rolls, salt water taffy and lollipops also attracted people.

There was a lot of trial and error in learning to get people’s attention, but I feel like by midway I had developed a pretty good spiel. My swag consisted of a postcard that has the book cover on one side and on the back is a quick biography of me, and a condensed blurb about the book, all my social media contact info, as well as QR code and where online the book can be purchased. I would stand with a postcard and magnet in my hand and try to make eye contact, or I’d yell “free raffle!” which sometimes helped slow people down as they walked by. Once that happened I’d hand them the swag and go into a quick speech about the book.  Sometimes it ended in a sale, but either way they walked off with information about the book and where to buy it.

It was a whirlwind couple of days!  I was exhausted and exhilarated at the same time.  It was really cool to meet a few authors and some really nice people from all over the world.  The photo gallery above has some pictures I took and that were taken.  I wish I’d taken more, but the days flew by…

A month has gone by since the festival, and now summer really is coming to a close. Labor Day weekend 2017 is in the books, kids are back to school. Soon the weather will start to cool and we’ll start dreaming of next summer.  In the meantime, I have book 2 to finish writing and new swag to design for Maine Lobster Festival 2018. Hope to see you there!

Book Signing At The 70th Maine Lobster Festival

It’s opening day of the 70th Maine Lobster Festival  in Rockland Maine. A tradition ingrained in the lives and memories of Rockland residents for generations. Every year, the festival welcomes thousands of people from around the world to the coastal town of Rockland; an industrial town turned art and culture community. The Festival offers something for everyone – carnival rides, games, live entertainment, fine art and crafts, and educational exhibits about living and working on and off  the rocky shores of the Maine coast.  One of the biggest draws, however, is the fresh lobster and seafood. Thousands of pounds of fresh Maine lobster are cooked daily in a ginormous lobster cooker and served in a traditional style with lots of melted butter, a dinner roll and corn on the cob.

This year I’m so excited that I’ve been asked to be a part of all the fun! Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 4pm, I’ll be in the Marine tent signing copies of my book, The Empire. For me, what makes this such an honor is that the book is set in a fictional town inspired by Rockland and the MidCoast area.  If you know the area and have read the book, you’ll have noticed that there are places in Shoreton that seem very similar to places in the Rockland area. The story is an homage to Rockland and also to small town America.  The book centers around the real struggles that many quaint New England towns face – how to remain relevant in an ever-changing world while still honoring the past. I love Maine and the MidCoast area and I’m delighted that I get to be a part of this annual tradition.

Stay tuned for more photos and updates about all the fun and excitement I encounter at the 70th Maine Lobster Festival!

 

Summer Is Here!


Shelby at the Beach

It’s the first day of summer.  Time to load up the cooler, stock up on summer reading material and sunblock, and head to your favorite outdoor destination.  Whether it’s lounging at the beach, at the lake, or poolside, nothing beats a comfortable spot, a cool drink, and a good book!