Stairs of Sand

Stairs of Sand is the book I wanted to write from the beginning of my fiction career in 2016. The story of a mother and a daughter, the setting in a California beach town, the components were all there for me. But because the book illuminates two sides of the same woman, the woman as mother and the woman as daughter, I was not emotionally ready to proceed. Once I wrote from more distance, adding a love interest for both women (completely fictionalized) and a dog or two or three, the book became more real. My poet friend, Yvette Joie Johnson, wrote a poem for the foreword, "Of Mothers and Daughters." The plot fell into place. Among reviews for the book, I love this kudo from Sheba, "The story highlights the importance of listening with a heart, and not making judgments or criticisms when our children are not perfect copies of their parents." Synopsis: Suzann (Zoozle)Zimmerman and her mother might as well be from different planets, for they have no emotional connection. A close look at dysfunctional families and Borderline Personality Disorder, "Stairs of Sand," is a funny, fast-paced, realistic portrait of a perfectionist mother and a free-spirited daughter. "Stairs of Sand" opens with Zoozle reaching the lowest ebb of her life. She makes a first suicide attempt. Her way forward or back depends on her mother's willingness to work with her, her grandfather's love, and her own strength of character to change her world view. Can she? Will she? A family story with unique characters and a setting that moves from Washington state to the most southwesterly city in the US, Imperial Beach, California.