Soon after finishing my 2019 novel, Beyond the Ripples, I imagined writing a sequel. I wasn’t yet finished with its characters: Annie, Sarah and others. I drafted a few short half-hearted attempts along different plot lines, soon after abandoning them to instead write another blog. Finally, just before the pandemic unfolded, I asked myself the single question: Does good sometimes come from bad? You can learn a bit more about this in an upcoming article in Women Writers, Women’s Books, but for now: what should you know before beginning Humanity’s Grace?

First, this book is a collection of linked short stories that reads like a novel, set in Astoria, Oregon. My goal was for each of the 15 stories to be able to sit independently, as its own story. Yet when read together, and particularly in the order now defined in Humanity’s Grace, they amalgamate into a fuller and emotionally impactful plot and storyline. If you have read Beyond the Ripples, you will recognize Annie (now Anne – the girl who put her note in a bottle), her parents and two other characters who make a cameo appearance in Humanity’s Grace. Those who have read Beyond the Ripples (as expressed already by those in my writing group) fully enjoyed the renewed presence of these original characters dipping into new storylines and integrating with the characters of Humanity’s Grace. If you have not read Ripples, though, as my book blurbers will attest, the book stands on its own. Like dessert, Ripples could always be enjoyed after.

Ready for Humanity’s Grace? The pandemic supply chain has made printing books more challenging, which means….you can preorder the ebook now (whether via Amazon/Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books) and download on January 1 (which is Saturday, if you can believe it!). Physical books will be available to order online and available for booksellers later in January. I expect my shipment of books also toward the end of January and would be pleased to sign a book for you at upcoming events or when I next see you! I already have a few author copies on hand for reviewers: Email me for details. Visit my book page for updated info on where to find copies. Are you a bookstore and interested in knowing more? The book is published by Bedazzled Ink, distributed by Ingram and I am always eager to imagine virtual (and live) events, and consider consignment or others creative ways to get my book(s) in front of your patrons. Download Info Sheet.

Want to read Ripples first? Find it here and also check your local library and favorite bookstore. I love the blurb that Author Jane Kirkpatrick once wrote about Ripples:

“Memoirist Dede Montgomery has the uncanny ability to create the quality of presence inside story. This time, it’s through her fiction. Whether at the Columbia River shoreline with a man struggling to gather up a bottle with a note inside or in a restaurant with a waitress witnessing a meeting that will change lives, we are there, moved by these characters, cheering them on and celebrating how interconnected we humans are. Beyond the Ripples will capture your heart.”

Thank you for your support during 2021, and Happy New Year. It’s always the time to read a good book, no matter what else is happening.