Dear Elizabeth,

On this Valentine’s Day, I intend to spoil you. Your dress and shoes are on the bed. Get ready and a town car will be waiting to take you downtown.
But first, read these words. Know that I think them every day, not just on special occasions.
You let me love you, Liz. You opened your heart and that’s all I will ever need. You’re everything to me. As I said to the world in our interview, it’s my privilege to love you. It always will be.

Thank you for giving me a love that is past heaven.
Reyn
 

Originally posted on True Story Book Blog.

The Shape of Us by Ian Britt: This song spoke to me strongly when I was writing Past Heaven. Liz and Reynolds had suffered and traveled a bumpy road, but they came together, finding their own “shape” and their own space in the world. By holding onto one another and letting go of their fears, they found a home with each other.

I Lived, by One Republic: I think Jack reminds us all to live our lives. Fight for a cause. Follow our dreams. Not to waste one second.

All of Me by John Legend: Liz and Reynolds gave all of themselves to the other. The good and the bad, the pain and the joy. When they were able to do that, they found the acceptance they both needed. 

Past Heaven is an endearment my husband told me when we fell in love. That we found a love that was “past heaven.”

My father helped to shut down the last state-run institution for people with disabilities in Maryland. He is my inspiration behind Jack Atwater’s character.

My brother has developmental disabilities and when he was born, doctors told my parents he should be institutionalized. They disagreed and moved across the country to find a school that would accept him. Today he is married to a woman with Down syndrome, lives in a home with his wife, and works a full time job.

Jacksonville, Maryland is the setting for the majority of Past Heaven. This is where I live and Hydes Field, Bagelemeister, and Strapasta are all places my family frequents. My kids also attend the local elementary school like Liz’s children.

My favorite restaurant is Woodberry Kitchen, where Liz and Reynolds have their celebratory dinner!

The Warren agency, written about in the book as the place where Jack worked, is modeled after the ARC Baltimore, an agency that provides services to my brother and countless other individuals with developmental disabilities.
​
Cindy was my absolute favorite character to write! 

“Bitching burns more calories than CrossFit. Look it up.”

I had to start out funny. One of my favorite parts of this book is the comic relief that Cindy provides. There are many one-liners by Cindy, but this one is my favorite.
 
“Death. Betrayal. Violence. We shared these experiences, in different ways, yet still very much the same. We were more alike than not, and now I knew why. Once you’ve been crushed by the fragility of life, you learned to fight for what matters.”

This was the moment in the book where Liz realized she and Reynolds had something in common. A Hollywood super-star and a stay at home mom from the suburbs would appear to be opposites, but they shared the drive to fight for the important things in life.
 
“Liz is my best friend, and the best person I have ever met… It’s my privilege to love her.”  

This was the line in the book that made me, as the writer, fall in love with Reynolds.   He truly believes that it is a privilege to love a woman who had been damaged, came with lots of baggage, but fully completed his life.

“… as much as the pain hurts us, it’s that pain that marks us; it brands us as changed. That mark, that branding, shows we’ve grown and adapted, and God willing, we emerge stronger. I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been before.”

The concept of being marked or branded by pain, but using that mark to make yourself stronger is an important one to this book. Growth can come from pain if you allow it to.
 
“My heart saw his heart. In that split second every fear, worry, and doubt dissipated.”

What I like about this quote is that her heart saw his heart. Hearts are discussed often in the book. From being broke, shattered, or cracked, to healing, warming, filling and finally being whole. Liz lives her life with her heart exposed and vulnerable, and by opening it to Reynolds, she finds life again. 

Grief- A powerful element in Past Heaven is the loss of Liz’s husband. Reynolds learns of a loss in his parents’ life that causes them pain, and he grieves the end of a relationship. Allowing themselves to grieve their losses, and to feel that pain, allows both Liz and Reynolds to appreciate and accept when new, strong love comes into their lives.
 
Strength- Liz doesn’t believe she is a strong woman after her husband was murdered, but her inner strength always shines through to those around her. She protects her family, and finds the courage to love again. Reynolds’ strength comes through in his devotion to Liz and her family, and his conviction that their happiness comes before his own.
 
Renewal- After loss and betrayal, hopefully, comes renewal. Both Liz and Reynolds allow themselves to start again. They are open to making their lives different and to move forward, accepting the changes around them.

Unity- In the beginning Liz and Reynolds are united in their desire to memorialize Jack’s legacy. Ultimately, Liz, Reynolds, and the boys are united as a new family in this story. There is also a strong unity in Cindy and Liz’s relationship.
 
Transcend- Past Heaven describes the type of love that transcends. Love that goes beyond time and death. Liz shows us that we don’t have to stop loving one person in order to love another. True love transcends. 

Elizabeth,

Happy Valentine’s Day to my wife! This is the first of many we will celebrate together as husband and wife. This past year has been the absolute best year of my life. I wanted to think of a different way to tell you how much I adore you, so I wrote a list of the little things about you that make me love you more each and every day.

1. That you insist on making my coffee each morning—and it’s always perfect.
2. How you talk out loud to rude drivers. When the kids are around you only scold them as if they could hear you, but when it’s just you and me in the car . . . you are . . . colorful in your displeasure.
3. The way your face looks when you drink champagne.
4. The feeling of your legs tangled with mine as we fall asleep at night.
5. That you always end up stealing all the covers.
6. How you have embraced riding horses, just because you know it brings me joy.
7. Your devotion to our boys. The fierceness of love and loyalty to all of the males in your life still rocks me to my core.
8. Your ability to let me also love your sons. To call them mine. To allow them to call me Dad.
9. When we are watching a movie, or sitting together quietly, and your fingers link with mine . . . words aren’t needed and I know you are telling me you are happy.
10. That you chose me. Trusted me. Love me like you do.

Thank you for being the beauty in my life and all the inspiration I could ever have hoped for.

I love you with all of me,
Reyn

Originally posted on True Story Book Blog.

Check out the fan made book trailer for Past Heaven! Leave a comment to let me know what you think.

Check out the cover for my upcoming contemporary romance novel Past Heaven!
Design by Okay Creations.