Solo Travel for Women Over 50 inspired me to post on Facebook recently. The post went something like this:

I love the honesty and openness of this group. I divorced two years ago after a 29 year marriage and went straight into a long term relationship - sharing his home. That ended a few months ago and I felt heartache on a level I had never experienced...at 57 years old. I suppose I was simultaenously mourning my marriage and that relationship ending. Ugh. My biggest struggle became figuring out who I wanted to be after dedicating my life to raising my family and how to make it work financially. Decided my spousal support is my pension. Am temporarily very humbly living with my parents while I figure out my next "move." In ways, a blessing. My dad turned 93 yesterday and has been on borrowed time for a long time. I love to travel. And I love to swim. So yesterday I booked my first solo trip: I'm doing a SwimTrek in Dubrovnik and then will stay and play a few days on my own. It is a gift to myself. I am also an author working on my sixth book and hoping to have it completed before setting off in September. Thank you for the inspiration, ladies!

The post received nearly a 1000 likes (that's a huge number in my opinion!) and generated so many kind comments. More incredible was the number of women who thanked me for my honesty and sharing my story. I was struck by how many women had similar stories to mine. It is hard to share sometimes. Life gives us challenges we didn't necessarily sign up for. My heart is healing well. That is a huge step forward for me.

As an author of women's contemporary fiction, I find inspiration from real life. I may not sell a million copies of my books, but am grateful when what I write resonates with women. I am a believer in the happily ever after endings. I'm a sucker for romance like that. Finding Scarlet and Long Enough to Love You are my most recent books dealing with self-discovery, life after divorce, romance later in life, second chances, and the power of friendships.