It’s official: IN THE END will be released by Left Field Publishers on May 7!

You can now pre-order a copy from the big booksellers:

• Barnes & Noble

• Amazon

Distribution doesn’t trickle down to indie shops as swiftly, but your favorite bookstore can probably special order it on request. If you prefer to shop local, feel free to ask for it by name!

The cover design

I’m so honored that the book features a custom painting by Pittsburgh-based artist Annie Heisey. If you’re in the area, you can currently see some of her work in person at Curio, an art gallery in Zelienople. The new exhibit Symbiosis juxtaposes her paintings and sculptures with the photography that served as inspiration, all on display now through April 20.

I asked Annie to paint a scene inspired by this passage from chapter 2, in which my sister and I are small children:

One morning, my little white fish was not flicking in and out of her plastic seaweed, blowing hello-bubbles to me. She was resting on the surface of the water, swaying with its ripples. I didn’t understand; I touched her; I touched her again; then Emily told me about the word “dead.” I didn’t cry. Together we scooped her pearly finger of a body into an empty margarine tub and dug a hole for her under the maple tree with our bare hands. I marked her with a cross made of two twigs.

Emily told me, too, that even though we had seen her filmy, unmoving body disappear under the damp dirt, my fish was not actually still. She was swimming in the sky.

Virtual bookshelves

If you’re like me, you have lists of the books you’re currently reading, have finished reading, and plan to read next. (How else could you possibly keep track of them all?)

Two great online tools for this: Goodreads and Storygraph. Both websites maintain extensive catalogs of books for anyone to browse. Users can then add titles to their personal lists, assign star ratings, and write their own reviews to share with others.

IN THE END is now listed on both websites, so if you’ve got an account, you’re welcome to add it to your virtual bookshelf!

Thank you again for joining me on this adventure. The publishing process has definitely induced bouts of anxiety and insecurity. After all, everyone on the internet is now free to give me a one-star rating and a scathing review!

Time and time again, in those moments of dread, I remind myself: if even one reader finds my story meaningful and feels less alone for having read it, this will all be worth it. And maybe one of you will be that reader. So—thank you.