Do you remember what it was like being a kid? My memories from that time are some of my most vivid – sticky Ohio summers that went on forever, morning cartoons, midday PB&Js, and bedtime stories that took me to magical places. When I set out to write The Luster of Lost Things, I wanted to celebrate those lost days. I thought of the story as an adult version of the bedtime stories that meant so much to me as a kid. When we’re feeling suffocated by darkness, The Luster of Lost Things is a return to that time when the world was still brimming with wonder, and we could so clearly see the goodness that lived around us and in us.

The Luster of Lost Things is about seeing beyond the surface – “the skin of the world,” as Walter Lavender Jr. calls it. I know you’ll enjoy the story for what it is on the surface – a simple and uplifting tale of childlike wonder, about a boy, a dog, and their journey of losing and seeking and finding. And I also hope that you’ll enjoy the deeper layers in how the story is told – the voice, the relatable characters and situations, the topical social themes, and the observations on what it means to be human.

I invite you to join me in the search to discover the layers below, and I hope you will tell me about all the bright and beautiful things you find. Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I look forward to hearing from you!

Warmest wishes,