My third novel, THE ARTIST COLONY, is set in 1924. Sarah arrives in Carmel-by-the-Sea from Paris to bury her estranged older sister, Ada Belle. En route, Sarah was stunned to learn that Ada Belle’s death was a suicide. The inquest’s verdict makes no sense. Ada Belle’s reputation was growing: her plein air paintings regularly sold out, and she was about to show her portraits for the first time, which would have catapulted her career.
What begins as a short trip to bid Ada Belle adieu turns into a protracted stay for Sarah. She puts her own artistic career on hold and, trailed by Ada Belle’s devoted dog, Albert, becomes a secret sleuth, a task made harder by the misogyny and racism she discovers in this seemingly idyllic locale. She immerses herself in the women’s artist colony to discover Ada Belle’s secrets—and to expose a killer.
Part mystery, part historical fiction, this engrossing novel celebrates the artistic talents of early women painters, the deep bonds of sisterhood, the muse that is beautiful scenery, and the dogged determination of one young woman to discover the truth, to protect an artistic legacy, and to give her sister the farewell she deserves.
Release date: September, 2021 (She Writes Press)
My first novel, KATHERINE MANSFIELD, was conceived on an airplane while reading Katherine Mansfield's collection of short stories. I spent the next three years studying the famous short story writer through her journals and letters until I knew Katherine well enough to tell her deeply moving, inspirational story.
THE DRUMMER’S WIDOW was my second book release. It was published after my husband, funk drummer Jim Payne had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. I wrote out of the daily fear of what my life would be like without him. My character, Widow Marisa, showed up on the blank page and led me down a grieving widow's path.