I was trying to capture the Mediterranean Sea today, which looked exactly like the cover of A REMARKABLE KINDNESS.

“Sometimes you don’t need to do anything really courageous to feel like a hero. Sometimes all you have to do is live your life and claim it. Then you can get to a certain moment when you can stand somewhere and think about where you’ve been and where you are now and the journey you’ve traveled to get there. Sometimes, that’s all you need to do.”

I wrote the above quote a few years ago and I want to share it now. Remember we are all heroes of our own lives. Sometimes the journey is frightening and dark but it’s our only life right now that we need to live, and we have to claim it.

Many times I wanted to quit writing. I felt discouraged and thought it was a hopeless endeavor. But my husband, Jonny, always told me: “Anyone can give up. Giving up is easy. But if you give up, you will never forgive yourself.”

And he was right. I didn’t give up. Now I get to celebrate and I hope the fact that I am publishing my first novel at age 58 will remind you: persevere, write, work, dance, try and try and try and just do NOT give up.

The real cover. I just love it!