Marie Bostwick | There is nothing I would not do for my children. 

Unfortunately, my children know this and have no compunction about exploiting my weakness.  Over the last 26 years, that exploitation has been demonstrated in countless ways.  Allow me to list a few. 

By my count to date I have …

* Read “Goodnight Moon” 1,630 times.

* Cut the crusts off 4,274 peanut butter sandwiches.

* Delivered forgotten items to school (including books, homework, gym clothes, and lunch boxes of crustless peanut butter sandwiches) 712 times.  

* Spent half a year’s wages on overpriced tennis shoes that were outgrown in four months or less.

* Spent another half year of wages buying fundraising items I didn’t want or need, including but not limited to magazines, wrapping paper, calendars, Christmas wreaths, Easter lilies, popcorn, candy, pizzas, and pies.

* Washed 368 industrial sized dumpsters full of dirty laundry.

* Edited 39 term papers, generally between midnight and two a.m. on the day they were due.

* Driven the equivalent of 48 busloads of teenagers to the movies.

If you’re a mother, you know this list is far from comprehensive, but you get the idea.  And if you’re a mother, chances are you’re just like me.  You’d do anything for your kids.

Ivy Peterman, the main character in my newest book, A THREAD OF TRUTH, is just the same.  Her kids mean everything to her.  There isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for them.  Even make the riskiest and most dangerous move of her life, fleeing her husband and her abusive marriage. 

A THREAD OF TRUTH was the toughest book I’ve ever written. Ivy’s life experiences differ drastically from mine, and sometimes I found myself wanting to back away from her experiences.  But I couldn’t.  This book forced me to step out my comfort zone, and, because of that, I also believe it’s the best book I’ve ever written.

The more I wrote, the more I realized how much Ivy and I have in common.  We’re both women, we both long for real and meaningful relationships, and we’d both do anything for our children.  Ultimately, this is what drives Ivy to finally face her fears, her deep and unshakeable love for her children.  That is something I understand completely. 

As the book progressed, I began to admire Ivy.  I longed to help her find her happy ending.  And I knew exactly how to do it. I would help Ivy find her way to New Bern, Connecticut. The charming village is site of the first book in my new Cobbled Court series, A SINGLE THREAD. There, in New Bern, Ivy would step into the company of Evelyn, Abigail, Margot, Liza, Mary Dell and all the big-hearted women who frequent the Cobbled Court Quilt Shop.

Since A SINGLE THREAD (now in its sixth printing) was released in November of 2008, I have received literally thousands of letters and emails from readers who wanted me to return to New Bern as quickly as possible.  Or, better yet—now!  As you can imagine, this is a dream scenario for any writer, but it’s also a situation that brings a lot of pressure to bear.  Clearly, A SINGLE THREAD was going to be a tough act to follow.  Would the second book in the series live up to the high expectations set by the first?

Fortunately for me, reviewers from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal seem to think it has, as did the people at IndieBound who have chosen A THREAD OF TRUTH as an IndieNext Notable Book for June of 2009.  Hearing that news was a thrill! 

But, as wonderful as it is to be honored by "those in the know" in the publishing world, what really matters to me is how my books are received by actual readers. And I'm happy to report that, there, too, the early reviews are good.

Reader Mary Sue Russell, the very first reader who wrote me about A THREAD OF TRUTH, said, "I loved the first and really didn't expect the second to be as good. BUT IT IS !!!!!! Every bit as good—a compelling story of relationships between women. I read it in one sitting—just couldn't bear to stop."

The world we live in today is so busy and frequently chaotic.  Whoever you are, chances are you spend a lot of time doing for others—and that’s a good thing.  But everyone needs a break now and then.  So whatever you’re up to this week, whether washing your 112^th  load of dirty laundry or tackling your 1200^th rush hour commute, I hope you’ll find the time to treat yourself to an armchair vacation to the village of New Bern, and a heart-warming visit with the wise and wonderful women in A THREAD OF TRUTH.

After all, you not only deserve a break today, you deserve a happy ending, too.

Marie Bostwick
MarieBostwick.com