What a Weekend! Celebrating Books, Readers & What Comes Next for A Cape May Trilogy

There are author events you look forward to, and then there are the ones that stay with you long after the books have been packed away and you’ve headed home.

This weekend’s Brunch & Books author event at Barrier Island Books & Art in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, was most definitely the latter.

What an incredible day! 

Between the wonderful turnout, the conversations, the laughter, the books signed, and the opportunity to spend time with fellow authors and readers, I left Stone Harbor feeling incredibly grateful. Seeing so many people come out to support books, authors, and an independent South Jersey bookstore was a wonderful reminder of why I love doing these events in the first place.

And with the September 29th release of No Greater Love getting closer by the day, the timing could not have been better.

A Wonderful Morning at Barrier Island Books & Art

Sunday’s event brought together readers and authors for a morning of books, brunch, and conversation at Barrier Island Books & Art in Stone Harbor.

I had the pleasure of appearing alongside Kimberly Brighton, author of My Summer Bucket List; Erica Reilly, author of The Shallows of Avalon; Linny Mack, author of Beneath Still Waters; and Christy Schilling, author of Wish You Weren’t Here.

One of my favorite things about multi-author events is how quickly the conversation moves beyond individual books. We get to talk about writing, inspiration, publishing, the stories behind our stories, and the sometimes strange journey from an idea in an author's head to a book sitting on a reader's shelf.

But the real highlight was the readers.

To everyone who stopped to chat, asked about A Cape May Trilogy, picked up a copy of Thicker Than Water, told me you had already read it, asked about No Greater Love, or simply came over to say hello: thank you.

Your enthusiasm made the event an enormous success.

There is something particularly special about talking about Cape May historical fiction while standing in the heart of Cape May County itself. So much of A Cape May Trilogy is rooted in the history, geography, communities, and waterways of the South Jersey coast. Meeting readers who know these places gives the conversation an entirely different dimension.

Suddenly, we aren't simply talking about a fictional setting. We're talking about home.

Thank You, Barrier Island Books & Art

I also owe a huge thank-you to Barrier Island Books & Art for welcoming us and putting together such a wonderful event.

Independent bookstores do so much more than sell books. They introduce readers to authors they may never have discovered otherwise. They create gathering places for their communities. They champion local writers and make room on their shelves for stories that have a connection to the places their customers know and love.

For an independent historical fiction author, that kind of support means more than I can adequately put into words.

Sunday was a tremendous success, and I'm so grateful to everyone at Barrier Island who helped make it happen.

And now, with one wonderful event behind me, it's almost time for the next one.

This time, I'm heading even closer to home.

Next Stop: Monroe Township Public Library in Williamstown

On Friday, September 25, 2026, at 11:00 AM, I'll be at Monroe Township Public Library in Williamstown, New Jersey, for a special No Greater Love pre-release author event, book talk, Q&A, and signing.

As a Williamstown resident, I'm especially excited about this one.

The event takes place just four days before the official September 29th release of No Greater Love, making it one of the very first opportunities for readers to purchase a paperback copy before publication day.

I'll be bringing author copies with me, and books will be available for purchase using cash or Venmo.

And yes, I will absolutely be signing them!

From World War I to Prohibition: The Story Continues

For readers who are new to my books, A Cape May Trilogy is a historical fiction series rooted in early twentieth-century Cape May and the South Jersey coast.

The story begins in Thicker Than Water, which opens in 1916 and follows the Callaway and Culligan families through the upheaval of the World War I era.

No Greater Love picks up their story in Cape May in 1923. The war has ended, but America has entered another fascinating and turbulent period.

Prohibition is in full swing. Off the Atlantic coast, ships loaded with liquor gather beyond U.S. territorial waters along the infamous Rum Row. Rumrunners ferry contraband ashore while bootleggers and organized crime operations compete for a share of an enormously profitable illegal trade. Meanwhile, the United States Coast Guard faces the increasingly difficult job of enforcing Prohibition along America's coastline.

The Jersey Shore was very much part of that history. It also provided an irresistible backdrop for the next chapter of the Callaway and Culligan families.

The History Behind No Greater Love

One of the things I'm looking forward to discussing is the research behind the novel.

Historical fiction occupies a fascinating space between fact and imagination. The characters may be fictional, but the world surrounding them has to feel authentic.

For No Greater Love, that meant diving into the history of Prohibition in New Jersey, Rum Row, rum-running along the Jersey Shore, organized crime in Philadelphia and South Jersey, Coast Guard enforcement, Cape May in the 1920s, and the complicated aftermath of World War I.

It also meant asking a question I return to again and again as a historical fiction writer: What did these enormous moments in history feel like to the ordinary people living through them?

Because history rarely feels like "history" while you're standing in the middle of it. It feels like family. Marriage. Friendship. Fear. Money. Work. Loss. Love. Choices; all of which are at the heart of No Greater Love.

A Family Saga Set Against the Jersey Shore

Although Prohibition and Rum Row provide the historical backdrop, No Greater Love remains, first and foremost, a story about people.

Readers of Thicker Than Water will return to familiar characters, including Shannon and Hugh Callaway, Danny and Jennie Culligan, as the choices and secrets of the past continue to shape their lives.

The world around them has changed considerably. So have they.

At its heart, No Greater Love explores family, marriage, loyalty, sacrifice, survival, friendship, trauma, redemption, and the lengths people will go to protect the ones they love.

That intersection between sweeping history and deeply personal choices is what I love most about writing historical fiction.

And it's exactly the kind of conversation I hope we'll have at the library.

Join Me in Williamstown on September 25th

If you're a South Jersey local, historical fiction fan, Cape May history lover, Jersey Shore history enthusiast, library supporter, or simply someone who enjoys discovering local authors, I would love to see you.

We'll talk about the books, the history behind them, the writing and research process, and whatever else you'd like to ask during the Q&A.

Copies of No Greater Love will be available for purchase via cash or Venmo, while my event inventory lasts.

And because the official paperback release isn't until Tuesday, September 29th, attendees will have the chance to go home with a signed copy four days early.

From Stone Harbor to Williamstown and Closer to Release Day

After such an incredible weekend in Stone Harbor, I can't think of a better way to continue the countdown to publication than by celebrating with readers here in my hometown of Williamstown.

This stage of a book's journey is a strange and wonderful one.

For such a long time, a novel belongs almost entirely to its author. It exists in research notes, drafts, revisions, late-night ideas, conversations with editors, and pages you've read so many times you could practically recite them.

Then, slowly, it stops being yours alone. ARC readers begin reviewing it. Booksellers put it on their shelves. Readers start talking about the characters. Someone tells you which scene made them laugh, cry, or stay up later than they intended. And suddenly the story has a life beyond your computer screen.

After this weekend at Barrier Island Books & Art, it feels very much like No Greater Love has entered that final stage.

Release day is almost here. To everyone who joined us in Stone Harbor, thank you for making Sunday such an incredible success.

And to my hometown readers, friends, library patrons, historical fiction lovers, and anyone curious about the history behind A Cape May Trilogy:

Williamstown, you're next.

I hope you'll join me at Monroe Township Public Library on September 25th.

Come talk books. Come talk history. Come ask questions. Come say hello.

And perhaps go home with No Greater Love a few days before the rest of the world.

I can't wait to see you there!