Winners contacted, and new novel on August 6

Thank you, thank you to those readers whose comment included a life lesson I can draw from our experience with Cassie! I have contacted each of the seven winners to offer his/her choice of my available books, OR, also available, A Matter of Mercy, coming out on August 6, about which I will proceed to tell everyone. (Cassie is pissed about this novel because although it includes a very fine, important dog, it’s a Lab, and not a beagador. Cassie is already sick of my getting things half-right. For example, giving her half the number of treats she wants. She is, however, quite pleased about the absence of squirrels in the novel and recommends it just for that reason.)

She does say the title is too long. She doesn’t care that it’s A MATTER OF MERCY, 10th Anniversary Edition with a new Afterword. This novel, which won the Independent Publisher’s Silver Award for Best Northeast Fiction, is based on an actual 1996 lawsuit against the oyster farmers in Wellfleet’s Indian Neck Harbor (Cape Cod Bay) brought initially by a wealthy weekend homeowner on the cliffs above the harbor. Although the farmers can only work their underwater farms an hour before and an hour after dead low tide, the homeowner didn’t want them there at all because he didn’t like being able to see their apparatus at anytime, ever. The sea farmers work legal grants from the town, a traditional way of life, and are the economic lifeblood of the town. But, the landowner found an obscure Massachusetts Colonial Ordinance from 1640 and based his suit to shut them down on it. (I know! But read the novel! The oyster farmers’ lawyer had to explain that insanity to them.)

The way the lawsuit played out was unusually dramatic and the outcome entirely unpredictable. When everyone thought it was over, as in done for good, I finished writing the novel, especially the parts that are a legal drama based on the true story. BUT, as I found out during one of my writing retreats to the outer Cape, the story wasn’t finished at all. It all erupted again and took several more bizarre, unpredictable twists. But the 2014 novel had gone out of print a few years ago.

In a happy turn for me–and the story–enough people had asked for the book after it was out of print that the publisher was interested in reissuing it, now with an ebook and an audiobook. They’ve added a gorgeous new cover, and–to my mind especially interesting, had me add an Afterword explaining the nonfiction details of the suit plus what happened after the close of the novel when what had appeared over wasn’t over at all, but erupted and went on to an unimaginable, bizarre finale. Actual names and suit details are given in the nonfiction Afterword, which of course, would have been inappropriate in the original novel. The story itself has a whole fictional cast, a slow-growing complicated love story, and of course, the Lab. (However every location in the novel is exactly accurate, including streets! These places are a beloved second home to me.)

The publisher has specially priced the ebook (for those who might have read the original edition, perhaps, but may want to read the new Afterword) at just 4.99. Or you may want to hear the truly excellent audiobook, narrated by a professional actress who studied the slight regional accent of the outer Cape to get it right–and to correctly capture voice of Billy, the bartender from South Boston.

I really hope you’ll listen to or read–and love it. Of course, it’s available for pre-order on all online retail sites like Amazon, etc., and your favorite indie bookstore. (I’ve already told you how much preorders help a book, right?) Here’s just the last line of what the Readers’ Favorite 5 star review just said about the novel:  “Love and the overwhelming need to seek forgiveness are the cornerstones of this novel but it also offers a unique insight into a lifestyle few of us have encountered before. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend it.” There are other excellent reviews posted, too, and a video trailer, with pictures taken on site.

I’m swamped with catch-up work just now. One side of my extended family, including our beautiful 9 month old baby girl– just got back from a week at Yellowstone National Park. It’s breathtaking! Here’s just a couple pics. Anyone been there? Anyone been to outer Cape Cod? If not, is either place on your bucket list? Please tell us in the comments. I read and respond to every comment.

And thank you! I appreciate every one of you so much.