What are your ties to Maine or the Boothbay Peninsula?
I was born in Boothbay Harbor which is where my grandparents lived. Gramps worked at Sampson Ship Yard and was and painter. My mother bought a cottage in Ocean Point and I purchased it from her in 1991. Since then I have come to Boothbay every summer. I winter in San Diego, CA where I developed my career as a mental health professional.
What is your favorite thing about writing in Maine?
The subject I have been writing about it a tough one. Having the incredible beauty of Maine and its nearby ocean serves to counterbalance the difficult topic for me. My twice daily walks in Ocean Point and the friendliness of all I encounter in the Boothbay area make it possible for me to write and get sustenance too.
What are the most important themes in your work?
The themes in this work is focused on providing self-help for those who want to understand lives or must live a life changed by a violent death.
Tell us about the book you will be signing at Books In Boothbay this year?
Murder Survivors Handbook: Real-Life Stories, Tips and Resources. Unlike CSI, this book will give readers a true accounting of what folks go through when someone they loved was murdered. The topics are selected to be of greatest concern to survivors of murder where ever they live across the country. Although not an encyclopedia nor a bible, this is truly a resource that has not been available before.
The book is organized with ten topics that those who had a loved one murdered may need resources on. There are eleven survivors who answer questions pertaining to each of the ten chapter topic. All survivors were granted anonymity in order to not only protect them from further harm but also to allow them to be candid.
There are an additional 20 contributors and reviewers from criminal justice, mental health and research that add helpful information. Each chapter ends with additional resources to take the inquiry of the topic further.
What do you hope readers will discover in your latest book?
I hope they will be able to remove any judgment about people who lose someone to murder. My brother aged nine could no longer play with his friend because his sister was murdered.
I hope readers the resilience of the survivor writers amid such enormous wounds of their " life sentence."
I hope survivors and those who work with them will find paths to follow and questions answered by using this resource.
What do you feel about the future of our local libraries?
I see our libraries as a safe hub, rich in resources where communities can connect and make a difference by strengthening and enriching our world. The local library can meld curiosity and divergent views with resources and technology at our fingertips amid meetings, trainings and discussions.
