At some unknown point last year, the stereo in my car gave up and died.

In the midst of the chaos my children inherently trail in their wake, it nearly went unnoticed. Like many parents, I spend my days navigating a fluid list of things that need attention. They range from, “Buy groceries or it’ll be broken tortilla chips from the bottom of the bag and gum for dinner again,” to the really important things like, “Purge kids’ rooms of junk while they’re not home and can’t spear me on the twin javelins of betrayal and their unholy attachment to all things plastic.”

Getting the car radio fixed couldn’t compete and fell into the abyss of all things “low priority”, along with other stuff I’m never going to do and won’t admit. Things like organizing the sock drawer based on what gives me joy—each pair matched, gently rolled, and tucked into designated cubicles, serial killer style.

To my amazement, and without intention, that broken radio opened the door for something magical to happen.

At least during the hours the kids were in school, silence reigned supreme.

The noise was pushed back and in the space left behind my mind wandered wherever the hell it felt like wandering. And in the middle of that newfound peace, one scene bloomed, whole and complete.

Just one, but it was the one. The one I couldn’t let go of. The one that demanded a frantic search for the rest of the story to frame it. The one that brought me to ugly tears in the middle of traffic. The one that, after umpteen drafts and edits and proofreads, still brings me to tears.

Those tears, of joy and grief and regret and hopefulness, all mixed up and swirling together, became the touchstone of a new novel.

The Widow’s Watcher releases on May 29, 2018, and I cannot wait! I have zero hesitation admitting it’s my favorite of the books I’ve written so far.

I hope you’ll take a chance on it and add it to your Goodreads shelf or request it from your local library or, if you’re feeling generous, pre-order it here.

I’m not going to tell you which scene came first, but if you read the book, I trust you’ll have a pretty good guess.

Stay tuned for a cover reveal soon.  And if you happen to be one of those lovely people who blog about books (a.k.a. book angels) and you’re interested in an advance review copy, please let me know and I’ll happily get you a copy as soon as they’re available to me.

This one came from a deep and quiet place in my heart, and my greatest hope is that it finds a place in yours.

§§§

From Eliza Maxwell, the bestselling author of The Unremembered Girl, comes a gripping novel about the mysteries that haunt us and the twists of fate that can unravel them . . .

Living in the shadow of a decades-old crime that stole his children from him, reclusive Lars Jorgensen is an unlikely savior. But when a stranger walks onto the ice of a frozen Minnesota lake, her intentions are brutally clear and the old man isn’t about to let her follow through.

Jenna Shaw didn’t ask for Lars’s help, nor does she want it. After he pulls her from the brink however, Jenna finds her desire to give up challenged by their unlikely friendship. In Jenna, Lars recognizes his last chance for redemption. And in her quest to solve the mysteries of Lars’s past and bring him closure, Jenna may find the way out of her own darkness.

But the truth that waits threatens to shatter it all. When secrets are surrendered and lies laid bare, Jenna and Lars may find that accepting the past isn’t their greatest challenge. Can they afford the heartbreaking price of forgiveness?

Best and warmest wishes to you all, and, as always, happy reading!
~ Eliza