THE WEIGHT OF BEAUTY is the first story I ever wrote. Within two weeks of my retirement, almost four years ago, a friend asked what I planned to do with myself. And without warning, I had an epiphany— “I want to write!” I said, as surprised as my friend by my answer. It was a calling I could not ignore, and I began . . .

From the start I wanted to write stories that were not just for entertainment and, although BEAUTY is not as heavy as the later ones (including the BBTT trilogy), it is a story of loss and grief and the powerful gift of beauty. My hope is that it will encourage the reader to consider the hard lessons learned and taught by my primary character Lil and find them applicable.