There is a moment in a book’s life that belongs to the reader.
It might happen on the couch after everyone else has gone to bed. Or halfway through a chapter, when a sentence makes you pause. You recognize something—a feeling, a fear, a hope you have not quite put into words—and suddenly the story feels a little closer.
An author can imagine that moment. We cannot decide when it will happen, or what a reader will bring to it.
With Where the Tide Turns now released, I have been thinking about that part of the journey: what happens when a book leaves the author’s hands and finds its way into someone else’s life.
More than a release date
Publishing comes with so many dates and details. Files to finish. Pages to check. Books to sign and send. There is satisfaction in seeing those pieces come together, especially when the story has lived with you for so long.
But a release date cannot tell you what the book will mean to someone.
That begins with the reader who opens it.
Some people will settle into Abby and Jason’s story for the romance. Others may be drawn to the questions that keep the pages turning. Someone else might recognize the effort it takes to trust again, even when part of you wants to keep your distance.
Those are different ways into the same book. There is room for all of them.
The words coming back
The messages from advance readers have meant so much to me. Rheall, Stacey, and Sherrie have shared responses about love, hope, healing, and the journey they took with the characters.
As an author, you hope readers will care. You hope the characters feel real enough to stay with them when they close the book. Hearing that someone could not put it down—or that a story reached them in a way they did not expect—is something I do not take lightly.
I also know that reading is personal. The same scene may move two people for completely different reasons. A quiet exchange might stay with one reader longer than the moment I expected everyone to remember.
I love that possibility. It reminds me that there is still something to discover about a story after it has been written.
You can read it your way
There is no assignment waiting at the end of this book.
You do not have to find a lesson in every chapter or explain why a particular moment mattered. You can read a few pages at a time, linger over a conversation, or keep going because you need to know what happens next.
And if a story touches something tender, you can set it down and come back when you are ready.
For readers who appreciate knowing what to expect, Where the Tide Turns includes a content note. Taking care of yourself matters more than finishing a chapter tonight.
Thank you for opening the book
To the advance readers who made time for this story before release, thank you. To everyone who ordered a copy, shared a post, told a friend, or sent an encouraging word, thank you for helping it find its readers.
And if you are just meeting Abby and Jason, I am glad you are here.
I would love to hear what stays with you. A character, a place, a conversation—whatever it is, your experience of the book is your own. If you share it publicly, please leave the surprises for the next reader.
For now, I hope you find a comfortable place to settle in and a little time for yourself.
Let the story carry you away.
With love,
Lora