THANK YOU to the co-hosts for the October 1 posting of the IWSG: Beth Camp, Crystal Collier, and Cathrina Constantine!

I appreciate your encouragement last month, fellow writers! I was able to finish my 10th novel, Low Water, in the nick of time (I hope) to have print copies published before a book event on November 1. My critique partner, Nicki Elson, has provided wonderful support, as always. I sent the manuscript to my editor today, and my book designer is working on cover designs.

Research for the climactic action scene took me to Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, where I snapped this photo (which might become part of the cover?)

Blurbs are always a challenge, ugh. Nicki helped me craft this one:

Two lives marked by trauma. One chance to rediscover hope.

In the sun-drenched Lowcountry of South Carolina, a swim coach haunted by tragedy and a psychologist devoted to healing cross paths just as their lives unravel.

He once believed Olympic-sized dreams and terrible dad jokes could get him through anything, but waves of grief threaten to pull him under. She has built a career navigating others through pain, yet she struggles to confront her own.

When their worlds collide, Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD forces the question: is it possible to dive into the past without drowning? Neither expects the other to become a lifeline. But with connection and courage, they search for a way forward—one stroke at a time.

Striving, tender, and surprisingly funny, this is a story about resilience and learning that the best way out of the deep end is together.

I’m hoping for a November release date.

What’s your favorite dad joke? Here’s one from my swim coach character, Jordan:

What does the buffalo tell his son in the morning?

Bye, son!

I look forward to reading about the favorite thing you’ve written.

Last Update for my Novel in Progress: Low Water 88,500 / ~87,000 words