Sharon wrote: The Scenic Route to Finishing a Novel

Hello friends and readers! It’s taken me a while, but I’ve finally completed a new manuscript. This was made possible by the support and encouragement of my friend and writing partner, Erin Entrada Kelly, and by simply plodding along, dealing with the hand that life dealt me when my husband passed away in late 2017. I didn’t think I’d ever write again. I could barely even read. I focused on my kids, who were ages 13 and 18 at the time of their father’s death, and did my best to live life as fully as I could. My parents also passed away in 2020 and 2021. It was a difficult time, but I am fortunate to have wonderful friends and family—and readers!—who helped me through it all.

Today, I’m pleased to report that my kids and I are doing well. My son, Sebastian, graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a degree in Music, Business, and Entrepreneurship, earning the Award for Excellence in Audio Electronics. My daughter, Anna, has completed her first year at American University in Washington, D.C., majoring in Environmental Studies, and is spending the summer as an intern with the arboriculture team at Mt. Cuba Center. And I have found a wonderful someone to share my life with, and he lives in England. Fortunately, I can write from anywhere, and Hugo’s work providing technical support for clients with Apple devices is also portable. I am now happily dividing my time between my home in Delaware and a small Cotswolds cottage in the village of Minchinhampton, UK. It’s been a lovely and unexpected adventure.

It was here in England that I finished the latest draft of a novel I’ve been working on for the past five years. I hope to tell you more about it soon, once I’ve successfully made my way through the fun process of finding a new literary agent and publisher. Stay tuned!

Here are some photos from my life here in the Cotswolds!