I had been married for thirty-one years to my high-school sweetheart, and we had three beautiful children. Tragedy hit when he died suddenly and we didn’t have the chance to say good-bye. Three weeks after he was gone, I began to have dreams of him, which continued over a span of two years. I journaled each of them, spending many hours writing, since there were approximately eighty dreams. I found it therapeutic and a good way to channel my grief.

Having had a career in Human Resources for a large company, I had writing skills in the corporate world but always had an interest in writing fiction. My children registered me for a creative writing course. I used a collection of twelve dreams for the novel. The heroine is challenged by the ugliness of death and darkness of despair. Her journey leads her to finding hope; learning how to live and love again.

The manuscript took me over five years. Along with the course, having a writing coach was beneficial throughout the many re-writes. The final version was completed by hiring an editor for style and line editing. This story is a dedication in memory of my beloved husband Rino; a tribute to his life. If you have lost your love and have had dreams of them, I invite you to read “Beyond the Dreams”.