Jessie: In New England where the leaves have tumbled along with the temperatures

Today I find myself thinking about the past, about sacrifice, the common good, and the things within and without one’s control. My latest two series are set in England, both after the end of WWI, and since today is Armistice/ Veterans Day, my mind turns to the impact of unrest on both sides of the pond.

My characters are all impacted by forces far larger than themselves and part of their stories revolve around how they navigate day-to-day life when their own spheres of influence are not so very large. My first book in the Beryl and Edwina series has much to do with the aftermath of combat and the trauma it created for so many. There are returned soldiers with thousand-yard stares, the loved ones of soldiers who did not return, and those on the home front who do the best they can to pick up the pieces and to muddle through the best that they can.

But mostly, the books are about hope and what comes next. They are about people making meaningful connections with neighbors, friends, and even those whom they find utterly galling. My novels display the wielding of soft power, of really listening to those who are hurting, and striving to make life better for most of those who appear on the page. They are stories about people who might have ordinary-ish lives, but they love them with zest and compassion no matter what has raged around them. They do what they can in their own small bit of the world to make life worth the living. After all, on Armistice/ Veterans Day, they are aware of how many others gave up their lives so that others could continue on.

So, on this day of remembrance, I plan to think of ways I can impact my community, in my village, or for those who read my novels, for the better. I think the best way I can acknowledge the gift given to all of us who have come after is to do my joyful and determined best with my own spheres of influence, today and each day to come.

Readers, do you anyone in your life that you are remembering today? Tell us about them!