Florence Dombey Creations
Traveler
disconnected and drifting
Traveler
Traveler is a character-driven work of Literary Fiction, a tale about Sue Reinhardt and Mimi Smithson, two teenagers who fall in love in the summer of 1962 only to be unwittingly separated for decades shortly afterwards.
Sue was raised in Blain, a small village at the end of a valley bordered by the Tuscarora Mountain in Pennsylvania, whe
Traveler is a character-driven work of Literary Fiction, a tale about Sue Reinhardt and Mimi Smithson, two teenagers who fall in love in the summer of 1962 only to be unwittingly separated for decades shortly afterwards.
Sue was raised in Blain, a small village at the end of a valley bordered by the Tuscarora Mountain in Pennsylvania, where she grew to adulthood in a world confined to the stifling isolation typical of rural America in the 70's and 80's.
In 1969, Mimi, after having hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine following her graduation from Penn State, returns to her high school alma mater in suburban Harrisburg as a teacher and track coach.
Already stressed by a complicated sexual relationship with her landlord, a psychiatrist named Lydia, Mimi is caught in a compromising position with a girl on her track team, which drives Mimi toward a maelstrom of events that leads to a murder for which Mimi is blamed. In deep panic, Mimi disappears onto the Appalachian Trail for three decades where she becomes known as The Traveler.
In 2001, The Traveler wanders into Blain and Sue’s Tuscarora Hotel and Café with her sidekick Grits, a large black dog of indeterminate lineage. In their teen years, Sue and Mimi had been intimately linked to Charles Mason, who is now the multi-term Harrisburg Mayor. Despite his having a penchant for graft and a problematic wife, Mason decides to run for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002 as a step toward a Presidential run in 2008.
The past collides with a turbulent present when Traveler, Sue, Lydia, and Charles converge at a campaign rally in Blain.
UNci
disconnected and drifting
Traveler
Notes from Flo:
In Unci, I have done my best to plumb the depths of human darkness and resilience in what I have intended to be a gritty, visionary novel, an intersecting tale of disparate lives in the deadly orbit of fate. Scrawled across the endless canvas of New York City and far beyond to realms past reality in the Connecticut countr
Notes from Flo:
In Unci, I have done my best to plumb the depths of human darkness and resilience in what I have intended to be a gritty, visionary novel, an intersecting tale of disparate lives in the deadly orbit of fate. Scrawled across the endless canvas of New York City and far beyond to realms past reality in the Connecticut countryside, this is a spiraling story of redemption, destiny, and survival.
After the high society son of a cleric is attacked by a gang of homophobic skinheads, Unci and her granddaughter Martha Beauvais bring him home like a wounded animal, across state lines, where he embarks on a journey of healing and self-discovery he never expected. Bound inexplicably to Martha and Unci, through visions and a soul-linked instinct, David is a complicated figure, battling demons of shame and guilt, with a lovestruck ironworker — Martha — for a guide.
I have created Martha as an imposing and enigmatic character, with a streak of compassion and curiosity. Unci is a similarly unique slice of magic, seeming to flit between dreams and reality, and I hope the dynamic of matriarchal solidarity between the two is empowering and refreshing. Together, they seek out the maniacal subject of their dark dream world, where they must stop a crusade of evil haunting the most innocent souls of Manhattan. This is an intentionally genre-defying work of literary fiction with a kaleidoscope of narrative threads that clarifies into an unexpected conclusion.
My attention to detail is evidence of the research and preparation that went into this book; I hope the nuance of Native American philosophy, ritual, and tradition is compelling and adds another powerful layer of meaning. I have done my best to have a narrative voice effortlessly slip into other cultural backgrounds and contexts, from high rises in Central Park West to the haunted bedrooms of childhood memory, seamlessly bouncing from one plot piece to the next with a true sense of believability. This is all important, I believe, to the character development that is the soul of literary fiction.
I have done my best to create vivid metaphors and a lyrical, reality-catching edge to the prose, which allows for tapping into the desperate sickness of a murderous zealot and the ancient wisdom of a mystical healer while allowing me to build the world of the story in as immediate and immersive manner as is possible. I also dissect the quiet insecurities of writers desperate for validation and include the overlapping visceral danger and soul-freeing liberation of the LGBT experience. I have addressed a number of other important psychological conditions, emotional dynamics, and traumatic blocks explored through these characters, from repression and PTSD to parental failings and grief processing, with the hope that “Unci” will be both insightful and exhilarating for a wide range of readers. .
disconnected and drifting
disconnected and drifting
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE (Prelude)
Disconnected and Drifting (two novels in one book) is a character-driven work of Literary Fiction set in 1955 and is the prelude to THE WILLOW CHRONICLE.
Part 1 begins as a police drama set in Lewes on the Delaware Bay, which focuses on the murder of two young boys; the story also explores why Carl Meyers —
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE (Prelude)
Disconnected and Drifting (two novels in one book) is a character-driven work of Literary Fiction set in 1955 and is the prelude to THE WILLOW CHRONICLE.
Part 1 begins as a police drama set in Lewes on the Delaware Bay, which focuses on the murder of two young boys; the story also explores why Carl Meyers — Lewes Police Chief and Willow Benton’s father — decides to leave Lewes in search of Willow's mother, Laura Benton, who had left Meyers without a trace in 1939.
In Part 2, Meyers' search for Laura leads him to Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula where he becomes involved in the investigation of three murders. Willow is introduced in two cameo appearances as this part of the novel duo reveals the significant consequences of her parents' reunion, which inspire the subsequent volumes in The Willow Chronicle.
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE, VOL. 2
ONLINE BOOK CLUB REVIEW:
5 OF 5 STARS
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow is a character-driven work of Literary Fiction, which begins in 1956, when 17-year-old Willow Benton finds her hometown — Port Townsend on Washington's Olympic Peninsula — has become claustrophobic due to the arrival of her father who her mother
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE, VOL. 2
ONLINE BOOK CLUB REVIEW:
5 OF 5 STARS
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow is a character-driven work of Literary Fiction, which begins in 1956, when 17-year-old Willow Benton finds her hometown — Port Townsend on Washington's Olympic Peninsula — has become claustrophobic due to the arrival of her father who her mother had told her had died in WW II. Bambi Macey, a year older, has her own problem: an unwanted pregnancy. It is the start of an epic journey when the two girls decide to run away to the South Pacific aboard a stolen 60-ft yawl.
From the Online Book Club Review:
“Whirlwinds, Waves and Willow” is a beautifully crafted story ... From the start, this author’s expert writing is evidenced by the way the story completely engrosses a reader in it ... Following the lives of the characters was made easy, thanks to the proper character development in the book. Willow’s rebellion with her new friend, Bambi, is typical of their ages; Laura’s dissatisfaction with her husband and (his) reactions to all these happenings, coupled with the death of his best friend, made relating to the characters very natural. The way emotions flowed from one character to the next made relating to the story easy and made me eager to learn what happens next. This was crucial to the overall excitement the story contained.
The mystery element of this book was what I enjoyed the most. There was no unnecessary bombardment of characters to conceal the culprit in the aspect of "who-done-it,” and I appreciate such straightforwardness. This eliminated any sense of bloat in the story while streamlining it in a way that never felt tiring. The suspense did not feel too dragged on and the elements that led to it did not seem redundant. All these are testaments to expert and mature storytelling, and I commend the author for taking the time to do that.
When it came to describing the boats at sea, most of the references used would only be understood by people familiar with sailing, a demographic I don’t fall under. As a result, I was thrown overboard in this aspect. Besides this, there was no other aspect of this book that I did not like, leading me to rate it 5 out of 5 stars. My limited knowledge of sailing narrowed my enjoyment, which was in no way the fault of the book. Additionally, the proper editing, with just a couple of typos, adds to the book’s professional attributes. There's a lot of mystery, sailing and elements of romance in this book. Readers who enjoy such topics would appreciate it a lot.
From the Self-Publishing Review: "The narrative is remarkably detailed and well-researched, seamlessly diving into nautical terminology and sailing lingo that feels authentic and colloquial. From multilayered narrative musings and creative descriptive passages to explosions of raw emotion that reveal the unbridled ugliness of human nature, there is attention to nuance in every aspect of the prose. This captivating story is an ambitious, unpredictable, and undaunted examination into the dark corners of human connection, resulting in an intimate and revelatory novel."
A quote from Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow:
When aboard a large yacht, blanketed by a cold black night and reaching in a steady wind at near hull speed, it feels as if one is flying through space and not floating upon a living sea. The illusion exhilarates, impassions, and inspires. At such times, there is little said among shipmates, the bond of camaraderie being born without saying, and on such nights, a sailor may feel like a solitary and insignificant fleck of earthbound stardust beneath the infinite stars that fill the blue-black sky, which spreads from horizon to horizon. The constant, yet ever unique, gurgling of waves parted by a racing hull assaults the ears; you see waves rushing by with the breathtaking but illusory speed alluded to; there are rattling whispers in the rigging and canvas caused by the wind. Rare sprinkles of light appear against the sky or the black silhouettes of mountains that ring sections of the horizon ....
At sea
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
Found and Lost in Paradise
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE, VOL. 3
Within The Willow Chronicle is an epic, three-volume, coming of age story that begins in Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow, followed by At Sea, concluding with Found and Lost in Paradise.
At Sea, a character-driven work of Literary Fiction, finds two young American women who have begun a great adventure in 1956 b
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE, VOL. 3
Within The Willow Chronicle is an epic, three-volume, coming of age story that begins in Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow, followed by At Sea, concluding with Found and Lost in Paradise.
At Sea, a character-driven work of Literary Fiction, finds two young American women who have begun a great adventure in 1956 by escaping from the puritanical world of small town America to what they hope is a liberating world of French Polynesia aboard a stolen, 60-foot yawl.
In At Sea and later in Found and Lost in Paradise, Willow "Billie" Benton and Brittany "Bambi" Macey endure tumultuous months that erase whatever remains of adolescent innocence. Under the mentorship of Oliana Teriierooiterai, the last Marquesan Chieftess on Hiva Oa, Willow and Bambi learn to cope with a world where the only restraints to satisfying their desires are consent and imagination.
The inclusion of significant does of greed and betrayal, a touch of cannibalism, and a beautiful and faithful mahu — a third gender person named Mahana who becomes a friend and lover to them both — creates a story set in a world that is far different from the America that Billie and Bambi have left behind. But there remains a greater world to which they must return, a world where conflicts are resolved by fate, courage, perseverance, and a strategic return.
A quote from At Sea:
Bambi rises in response and attempts to embrace Willow, but Willow shoves her so hard that Bambi falls backwards and lands with a thud that awakens Oliana. Willow grabs a pareo that is lying on the floor and runs naked into a rising wind presaging a squall line that is blocking out the stars as it approaches. Willow leaps from the porch and hits the grass running with the pareo still in hand and streaming behind her. She is perhaps a hundred yards from Oliana’s bungalow when a deluge descends from the advancing cloud, but the wind and cold rain against her bared body do not stop her. She knows where it is that she is running to but she does not know why. And she does not stop running — this tall, striking young woman, this former record-setting miler at an American high school — until she is standing on the black sand beach at the head of Taha Uku ... Willow stands, for she knows not how long, in the drenching rain until its enveloping cold causes her to shiver uncontrollably. The sensation awakens the part of her that wants to live, and she realizes that stretching out in front of her is Taha Uku, a warm and welcoming womb offering an escape from the chilling rain. She drops the pareo onto the black sand and strides purposely toward the low and lapping waves of this finger of the Pacific. The equatorial warmth of the saltwater that caresses her feet and calves draws her forward until only her head is above the water. After a moment, she dips beneath the surface and revels in the warmth that erases the rain’s chill. Seconds later, she rises until her face feels the cool wind that follows the squall. She slowly spins around as she treads water and stops spinning when the Ultima Thule, which is now more visible in the diminishing rain, is in her line of sight.
Found and Lost in Paradise
Whirlwinds, Waves, and Willow
Found and Lost in Paradise
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE, VOL. 4
See description of At Sea.
A quote from Found and Lost in Paradise:
But the beauty of the Polynesian Story is that there is — at least this is how I conceptualize what I’ve learned — there is this swirling cloud of countless qualities, not a spectrum. Some qualities are what our story would classify as feminine,
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE, VOL. 4
See description of At Sea.
A quote from Found and Lost in Paradise:
But the beauty of the Polynesian Story is that there is — at least this is how I conceptualize what I’ve learned — there is this swirling cloud of countless qualities, not a spectrum. Some qualities are what our story would classify as feminine, others as masculine, but in the Polynesian Story, everyone possesses a blended and broad set of these qualities that determine how one looks at life and how one understands the others in our lives ... In their story, the origin of those qualities may be divinely distributed, but to me — in my personal story — I think we come into this world genetically predisposed toward some qualities — maybe like the sexual attraction I have for persons who biologically look like you — and other qualities arise from the serendipity of life experiences. Regardless of how we accumulate these qualities, I guess I believe that no one is ever pinned to one of those arbitrary points on our story’s binary spectrum. The Polynesians once believed — and some very few like Oliana still believed this — every māhū was revered because of a māhū’s power to be able to look at the world from the middle of the swirling cloud and make sense out of who and what they saw.
CONSUMMATE CONFIDENCES
CONSUMMATE CONFIDENCES
CONSUMMATE CONFIDENCES
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE, VOL. 5
Coming in November 2024
THE DEEPEST ABYSS
CONSUMMATE CONFIDENCES
CONSUMMATE CONFIDENCES
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE
VOLUME "LAST"
If time and life allows, the author hopes there will be additional volumes written for The Willow Chronicle that will precede this "last" volume.
The Deepest Abyss is the last episode of The Willow Chronicle, which begins in 1955 in Lewes, Delaware, and concludes there in 2016. In the intervening years, W
THE WILLOW CHRONICLE
VOLUME "LAST"
If time and life allows, the author hopes there will be additional volumes written for The Willow Chronicle that will precede this "last" volume.
The Deepest Abyss is the last episode of The Willow Chronicle, which begins in 1955 in Lewes, Delaware, and concludes there in 2016. In the intervening years, Willow "Billie" Benton, has traveled the world in vessels large and middling but at 77, she must come to grips with how to deal with legacy and relationships juxtaposed against aging and death. Billie knows full well that she is uncertain about what her life has meant, but she is determined to live whatever life she may have left as though there are only 24 minutes remaining.
Billie has been a resident of Manhattan since 1970, but Lewes has been her second home since 1973, By the time we join her in The Deepest Abyss she has decided to settle permanently in the first town in the first state.
The sea and Lewes are inseparable because of proximity, but the town’s existence and longevity are due to the pre-eminence of the Delaware pilots that have been guiding shipping in the Delaware Bay and River estuary since before the Revolution. Like the town, Billie has been intertwined with the sea her entire life, but her life has also been intertwined in relationships with significant women who complicate her attempts to unravel what should be important at the end of one’s life, including understanding her role as a mother and understanding how to best apply the power her great wealth provides.
The Deepest Abyss is set in the few days before and after the 2016 Presidential Election, which makes the story relevant to what is happening in America in 2024.