Linda Hale Bucklin

Author Linda Hale Bucklin made a pact with her husband, Bill, to communicate after death. She shares her personal experience along with others' of love and faith in the afterlife. We all deal with our grief in different ways. Bill, my beloved husband of forty years, died unexpectedly after a short illness. During our years together, we made a pact that whoever passed first would communicate with the other. As shocked and devastated as I was by Bill's sudden departure, I came to accept that his not lingering was his final earthly gift to me. Moreover, he has honored our agreement, coming to me in dreams and through music. From the afterlife, Bill's guiding spirit shows me I am stronger than I think and has made me appreciate the beauty and wholeness of this life. I find unexpected riches everywhere, in my family, friends, nature, and dreams. I am comforted, knowing there is life after death, and that Bill and I will be together again. I invite you to join me on an emotional journey as I share my very personal stories, as well as that of others'. May these personal and candid accounts bring you peace, comfort, hope, and assurance of the afterlife. About Linda Hale BucklinA fourth-generation San Franciscan, Linda Bucklin has worked in public relations and as a freelance writer. Her articles have appeared in House & Garden, Journal of Commerce, and Nob Hill Gazette. She now lives in Mill Valley and feels blessed to be surrounded by her three sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren. With Mary Keil, she wrote Come Rain or Come Shine (Adams Press, 1999), a book about women's friendships. More recently, she received accolades for Beyond His Control (ePublishing Works, 2008), her memoir about growing up in a privileged family that was shattered with the suicide of her beloved mother. The book went on to become a New York Times Bestseller in paperback and ebook editions. The Love of Angels (ePublishing Works, 2016), her third book, a collection of stories, including the author's own, chronicles encounters with angels, spiritual beings, and living people who show up to remind us of love's power. In The Distant Shore, her fourth book, a combination of her thoughts and memories together with others' stories, written after her husband died in 2016, she explores the possibility of life after death. Linda served for many years as a trustee of Grace Cathedral. A nationally ranked tennis player, in 2006 she became #1 in the U. S. in 60's mixed doubles with her long-time partner Charlie Hoeveler. Linda now holds six national titles. In addition to her family and friends, her other passions include duplicate bridge (she recently became a Life Master), fly-fishing, and camping under the star-studded Montana sky.

"Friendships between women can be a place of refuge from loneliness and indifference, a place where we can know we matter as we are." Rachel Naomi Remen, M. D. Author, Kitchen Table Wisdom As this compilation of stories teaches, friendship between women rarely happens automatically--that's what makes it special. Sometimes the circumstances of life--like moving to a new city, or losing your job, or entering your child in school--create an opportunity. But the act of friendship is intentional. Openness is a key ingredient even though recognition of a woman as a friend may require time. Friendship must often go through crisis or trial, some event that forges a bond and solidifies trust. The themes of difficulty and betrayal are woven into these stories, for the authors wisely know that friendship between women must be tested. Sometimes it takes painful and disappointing experiences to begin to value ourselves as friends. Some of us need to learn that what we offer in friendship is rich and worth its weight in gold. We must learn discernment about when to offer it and when it must be withdrawn because the other is not able to appreciate the potential gift of friendship. These short, compact stories are meant to be savored and reflected upon. They can be read slowly over lazy days or used as a morning reflection before running off to work. What they offer is a small but clear view of the female heart through the lens of friendship. "There is something easy, something flowing, something sacred that can go on between women. Linda Bucklin and Mary Keil have modeled this in their work together. They are close friends, and out of that friendship comes this book." The Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress