Why October 10th
For many authors, the release date of a novel is a strategic date on a publishing calendar. But 10/10/2026 means something profoundly different to me.
October 10th is not a random date. It marks what would have been my wedding anniversary with my late husband, Marc—to whom this novel is dedicated.
Writing El Paso: Felina’s Story has been a transformative journey for me, born not from a bustling literary circle, but from a solitary landscape of loss. Forged in quiet stillness, this novel belongs first and foremost to Marc—the man who anchored my life and left it far too soon.
Remarkably, within the desert landscape of this book, I found him waiting there for me. Though he is no longer here to hold the finished novel, his presence is woven into every page, and this honoring of him extends to the book's dedication page, which reads: “For Marc: no jive, no bull.”
Those words belong to a cherished voicemail he left me early in our relationship—one I kept on my phone for years and still know entirely by heart. In it he said: "Lisa-Darlin (always his name for me—his spin on Gus McCrae’s use of “Lori-Darlin’” in Lonesome Dove) I just called to tell you I love you. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. No jive, no bull, just plain-ass: I love you. And I always will.
…This is Marc, by the way.”
Writing the love story at the heart of this novel that, in many ways, mirrored our own became a deeply healing journey, allowing me to reshape raw grief into gratitude and loving remembrance.
Launching on 10/10/2026 is my way of honoring our enduring bond, and as Marc’s love and memory continue to influence me, even after his death, this book lives as my tribute to him and the love we shared.
If you’d like to step into this journey of love, loss, and remembrance, you can reserve a copy of the novel today.
