03/17/2022
By Laurel Wemett
After you read the review of Comfort in the Wings: A Novel Inspired by Love That Will Not Die in the May/June issue of the magazine, here is an opportunity to get a copy of the book and meet the author!
Author Jennifer Collins will be at the Cobblestone Arts Center at 1622 State Route 332 Farmington, NY 14425 on May, 18, 2022 at 5 p.m. for a “Sign and Wine” – a book discussion, an opportunity to get a signed book, and to enjoy a glass of wine after work. She will donate a portion of the proceeds of any of her books sold on that occasion to the Arts Center.
Here’s a little information about the story and its author.
Did you ever find yourself stuck in an airport with flight delays?
That is what happens to Larissa Whitcomb, the protagonist of this moving novel. Larissa is grief-stricken by the loss of her two adult children. When a cleaning woman sits down next to her late one night in an airport while she waits a connecting flight to the Finger Lakes Region, they begin to talk. Larissa finds comfort from the stranger’s simple, yet profound words. “I think their exchange brings a unique beauty to a scenario that most travelers will appreciate,” says Collins in an interview.
Collins elaborates on what prompted her to write this, her first novel, “The inspiration for this story is my own experience with having several members of my family, including two of my children, die within a short period of time. While in the throes of grief, I found solace in places I did not expect, such as a bird feather on my deck, or a butterfly that lingered around me for many minutes. These felt like signs and communication from my loved ones. As I spoke with more people, especially mothers of child loss, I realized that talking about these signs, or using psychic mediums to speak with loved ones brought great comfort in the midst of sadness. I wanted to share these ideas with others who have endured tragic losses.”
Jennifer Collins has held professional positions in physical therapy practice and higher education. “In those positions, my writing was academic in nature, primarily to report the results of my qualitative research projects,” reflects Collins on the website.
“As my career in those professional fields has become less of a presence in my life, I have turned my energies to my lifelong goal of writing outside academics.”
Comfort in the Wings was released in October, 2021. Plans for a sequel, as well as non-fiction are in the works. This book is currently available on several outlets, including Amazon.
For more information about the author’s visit to the Cobblestone Art Center: 585-398-0220
