The Authorized Version

My Dear Friends,

I know this is the first you have heard from me in all of 2026. I have thought of you often but hadn’t the time or energy to put a newsletter together. The inciting incident, in writer’s terms, was that my dear husband of 63 years died suddenly in February after a short illness. It was a shock, but so many mercies abounded that comfort surrounded me. Besides a merciful awareness of God’s peace, it was wonderful that our entire far-flung family was able to make it to Boise—including from Ireland, Tokyo, Canada, and both coasts of the US. If you like, you can read Stan’s obituary here.

We had already decided to sell our home and move to a condo this year, so I went ahead with the plan. The surprise was that the condo turned out to be in Dallas. I now live near my oldest son and wife rather than our youngest son and his family as we were in Boise. I dearly miss my Idaho friends and family, but am very much enjoying Dallas and my tiny, cozy condo. (The credenza in the corner of my bedroom is now my office.)

Once I was settled, I returned to my writing. Father Antony’s Book of Saints, The history of Britain through the lives of her holy men and women, will be off to my editor when I finish my current read-through, so do watch for more announcements.

The personal favor mentioned above is that my darling granddaughter Lucy is participating in Stan Lee’s Superkid contest for young people who want to be writers and is doing very well, indeed. She made it through the first round and is currently running in the top 10 for this round. You can see her page and vote for her here. Your free vote will count for a lot. If you should feel moved to donate votes, it is a charity promoting literacy and young writers. Thank you so much!

It feels good to finally be getting back in touch! I will try to do better in the future.

Love,

Donna