The Cohabitants Thank You

Thank you for reading The Cohabitants, my 23-episode flash memoir of a midlife romance. If you missed it, all 23 episodes are on my website, Facebook and Substack. If you subscribe to my email list and you haven’t seen it, I suspect it’s in your junk mail. Now it’s been six years since that romance began in 2020. Six years of cohabitation with a man I first knew in 1968, rediscovered when I was 66 and moved in with on short notice during the pandemic. Fast forward and we’ve had six years of good fortune. I had to share it.

Many readers have asked if this series of short stories about my relationship with my life partner has caused problems between us. Given that much of the humor is my reaction to his behavior, one might expect so. But he is a performer, a one man show, always acting out his character. He loves being in the spotlight. He has a sense of humor. And he appreciates my writing. I couldn’t ask for a more engaging muse. I’m a better writer because he allows space for my work in our relationship. Even now when I’m moving on to promote a new novel and write about other topics, he is on my team. 

My new book—RIDE THE LIGHT: Freedom is the hard part—is a sharp, darkly funny speculative novel about friendship, redemption, and women who refuse to leave each other behind. It’s 2047. The Colorado River no longer reaches Arizona, the suburbs of Phoenix have surrendered to desert, and Esmeralda Women’s Penitentiary is run almost entirely by artificial intelligence. After seven years behind its walls, 41-year-old Axandra Woolencroft steps into a world that has changed without her. Waiting in the prison car park is Patricia—once Patrick—a brilliant hacker and tech entrepreneur with an ambitious vision for the future and a red Porsche pointed toward Wyoming.

Freedom should mean a fresh start. Instead, Ax finds herself haunted by the women she left behind: Nelsa, a ninety-year-old librarian imprisoned for stealing art books she believes are alive; Melchora, a former beauty queen unjustly convicted of killing her husband; and Heidi, a wrestler who doesn’t know her own strength, counting down the years. When Melchora disappears, suspicion falls on everyone connected to her, forcing each woman to choose between loyalty and survival. Freedom is the hard part.

If a story like this interests you and you’re able to review the book, email me to be added to my advance reader list and I’ll send you a link.

Thank you for reading my stories. Reading and writing are fundamental. Language is the skill that connects us. Stories enlarge our understanding, shift our perspective, and open our minds to new ideas. We need stories to grow, discover our options, and resolve our predicaments. When you read a story, you’re enriching yourself, meeting a new friend, and sharing your most valuable resource—your attention. Thank you for paying attention to me. Let’s move forward together.