New Beginnings
By Mary Manners
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…a time to mourn and a time to dance…” Ecclesiastes 3:1…
As we approach Independence Day, I also embark upon a new adventure in life...retirement from a lifelong career in education and administration coupled with a move 500 miles south, to the sunny shores of Jacksonville, FL. Transitioning from a day job to full-time writing is much like being released into the sunlight with fledgling wings. The idea is surreal; beautiful and wonderful, yet at the same time a bit unnerving. Going from the familiarity of a massively time-crunched writing schedule to wide-open free time calls for more than a bit of organization.
Retirement is a new chapter filled with blank pages; a canvas just yearning for a vibrant splash of color. So many ideas swirl in a tempest, jockeying for the lead position in the creative storm. As a new routine takes shape, the tempest settles to match the rhythm of the ocean beyond my writing grotto. The storm takes on a life of its own in a flurry of words and sentences; pages begin to fill with a lifetime's worth of tales. Pure joy for my soul.
Yes, I have mourned the end a career that has blessed me immeasurably, one that has stood front and center for the majority of my life--teaching children. I will miss the smiling faces, the hugs and sheer wonder in the bright eyes of so many youngsters who have learned to love learning. But it is time to move on to the very passion that has lurked within the depths of my heart, waiting patiently so many years for its time to bloom. Writing is my heart and soul...breath itself.
So here I stand, in this new chapter, spreading my wings to the warm ocean breeze. Adventure springs wide and beckons. Stay tuned...
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Jami Mitchell has come home to Heart’s Haven to open a bookshop with the inheritance Grandma left to her. Nana’s Novel Notions is the business of her dreams until she realizes who the tenant next door is: ruthless Riley Hunter. Growing up in the small town together, she’s watched him dance through women while she’s hidden her feelings with a Teflon exterior. How will she cope, when she can’t bear being in the same town with him--let alone neighbors?
Riley Hunter has sacrificed everything to shed the poverty of his childhood. While others held Sweet-sixteen parties, he cleaned up after them. But his hard work has paid off, and he’s opened an architecture firm in the growing town. He’s had a thing for Jami since high school, but she was the privileged girl who never gave him the time of day. Now she’s come home with a wad of cash and has set up a book store in the business complex he plans to buy out. Can the two put the past behind them, or will his dream shatter hers?
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Mary Manners is an award-winning romance author who lives along the beautiful shores of Jax Beach with her husband Tim. She loves swimming, running, flavored coffee and ocean-blue sunsets.
Mary believes everyone has a story to tell, and she loves to share hers. She writes inspirational romances of all lengths, from short stories to novels—something for everyone.
Connect with Mary at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.
Connect with Mary at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.
