Never Say Never

     Life continues to show us that there is only so much that we can control.  My first book in the Stephens Pont Series, "The Next Lap", set in the small Adirondack town of Stephens Point, N.Y., illustrated very clearly that medical emergencies can strike without notice.  We're shaken as the Henderson family faces a life-threatening surgery, and we hold our breath and hope for the best as the days unfold.  We're inspired by the support of loved ones, and the lesson learned about the value of each day is one we can always hold onto.

     My second book, "Right Place at the Right Time" reminds us that sometimes bad things can happen to good people.  We're shocked as we witness the attack on Danny Tyler and the theft of her car and dog.  We're re-acquainted with State Trooper Derek Bryant and feel his anguish as he sees her taken away in an ambulance before joining the hunt for the perpetrator.  We're alarmed as later that night we witness a series of crimes at the Mancini family restaurant.  As we look from one situation to the other, we watch as family members, friends and townspeople react and lend support.  We're inspired as we wonder how we would fight back, and we learn about love, positivity, and the blessings of family.

    Allow me to now introduce, "Never Say Never."  We're faced with the question of how one can go on after the tragic loss of a loved one.  It can be crippling; sometimes causing us to blame ourselves; to give up; or to believe that life no longer holds promise.  When all crumbles around us, how can we even begin to put the pieces back together?  As we follow Simon James and Angela Reynolds, whom we met in "Right Place at the Right Time," we learn the details of Simon's tragedy and recall how Angela had also lost her life partner.  Can they now recover - together?

     But their story is only the beginning. We connect again with Danny and Derek, the young couple reunited at a crime scene in "Right Place at the Right Time" to find them now planning their wedding for the spring of 2020.  Those plans are soon swept away by a whole NEW level of uncontrollable tragedy - a global pandemic.  We watch in horror as a dangerous virus sweeps the globe, forcing shutdowns and resulting in millions of deaths. We watch as the residents of Stephens Point try to cope and care for each other during those frightening and unprecedented times. As Derek and Danny refuse to give up on their dream, we witness a completely new form of matrimony that was implemented in response to Covid: a virtual wedding.

     And we learn, at the end of the day, that how well we respond to life-altering events can inspire those around us and serve as an example. The courage to keep going, to push through, comes down to these three words:  "Never Say Never."