Shiny Bits in Between

by Georgina Key

Overview

"...in these compelling stories of loss lies the possibility of renewal, both for the characters and for ourselves."

Kimberly Meyer, The Book of Wanderings

Dorie, a divorced middle-aged woman, has given up on life. Living in a large, too-quiet house in Houston, Texas, she has shut herself off from the world, preferring to be alone with her books and her thoughts. When Dorie unexpectedly receives an invitation to her ex-husband's wedding, it is more than she can bear. She retreats to the only place she finds any solace-the sea.

Meanwhile, Clementine, a young artist overwhelmed by grief, makes a journey in search of her lost boy. Teetering on the edge of madness, she wanders up and down the Texas Gulf Coast, trapped in a space between reality and dreams. On a moonlit winter night, she emerges from the waves, staggering along the shore near the remnants of her shattered life.

Soon after moving into her little yellow house by the sea, Dorie discovers Clementine's journal and begins obsessively devouring each word. Her curiosity leads her into a journey of self-discovery, connecting her to the raw beauty of Bolivar Peninsula and the eccentric, generous locals who call it home.

Fate has brought both women to this small rural community. When their paths finally collide, will they drag each other into despair or begin to transform into who they were meant to be?

 A story of human resilience, Shiny Bits in Between explores the journey of transformation through connection with self, community, and the landscape we call home. What does it truly mean to move forward after a life-changing tragedy? Is happiness forever lost, or are the shiny bits in between enough?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781947012042
Publisher:	Balance of Seven
Publication date:	06/26/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	262
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Georgina is a writer and artist living in Houston, Texas, with her husband and two sons. She has an MA in English and has taught writing for many years: formally at the college level, through Writers in the Schools, and independently as a private tutor. She and her husband are founding editors of the children's literary zine Silver Rocket and coauthors of the chapbook Mean Ugly Cat. She reads for Sight into Sound Radio and offers her voice talents for Litopia Pop-Ups. Georgina also volunteers at Writespace, a nonprofit literary arts organization. After moving to the states from England, Georgina and her family would vacation in Galveston, Texas, each summer. Her dream of owning her own little house by the sea came true years later. The nearby community of Bolivar Peninsula was so different from where she'd been raised, but she quickly fell in love with the authentic beauty of the landscape and its inhabitants. Shiny Bits in Between is her love letter to Bolivar Peninsula. Visit her at georginakey.com for news and updates or on Facebook at Shiny bits in between.

Editorial Reviews

"One of the greatest pleasures I found in reading this book was the opportunity to be so vividly and fully present in such a compelling place. I'm fascinated by the specter of a small, laid-back, tight-knit island community."

-Jessica Wilbanks

author, When I Spoke in Tongues

"This novel, deeply grounded in the landscape and rhythms of its particular sandy stretch of Gulf Coast, intertwines two stories of female loss. As the mystery of the connection between these stories unspools, you will be pulled deeper in, as if by an undertow. Because in these compelling stories of loss lies the possibility of renewal, both for the characters and for ourselves."

-Kimberly Meyer

author, The Book of Wanderings

"With a beauty for language and a strong sense of place, Georgina Key captures Bolivar Peninsula the same way Delia Owens captures the marshes of the North Carolina coast in Where the Crawdads Sing. A story of awakening in luscious prose."

-Maria Merrill

author, I'm Not That Kind of Gal

"I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt transported to a corner of Texas with which I was only vaguely familiar. The specificity of language and the poignancy of the story lit up the peninsula for me, and I'm sure that when I next visit Bolivar, I'll see the words coming alive again in the ocean, wildlife, and residents."

-Erin McGuff-Pennington

author, "American Quartet," Filmelodic

"A beautiful tempest of heartache and healing."

-Tex Thompson

author, Children of the Drought

"Shiny Bits in Between is a novel about grief and forgiveness of self and others. It is a novel about living again."

-Maurine Ogbaa

author, "Goodbye," AGNI

"Shiny Bits in Between is written so vividly, it becomes a part of who you are. It's a story of the coming together of two souls through madness, compassion, and fate. Georgina takes you to that heavy place deep in your chest where you feel longing and loss. But she gently leads you with the smell of the ocean and the breeze of Bolivar to a new place of promise and light. Pour yourself a glass of wine and settle in for a great read."

-Sandra Poole

From the Publisher