Guest post with Katherine Fleet

Hi, everyone. I’m Katherine Fleet, debut author of  “The Secret to Letting Go” and I’m so excited to be here today. My book is a YA contemporary set in a fictional town on the Gulf Coast of Florida during that magical summer after high school graduation where the whole world is out there waiting for you. It’s the story of two teens, Clover and Daniel, who are both dealing with tragedies from their past and discovering what it means to forgive themselves and truly move on. But while life keeps throwing them together, their secrets keep them apart.

Guilt and regret are main themes of the story. Both Daniel and Clover are dealing with major “what if” moments. What if they’d just said or done something differently? Their lives could have gone on a much different track. It’s also about learning to trust someone enough to open up about your secrets, which is easy for some and really difficult for others.

The idea of regret was something I really wanted to write about. Personally, I’ve always struggled with it. I am the type of person to stew over past decisions and actions. I think about what could have happened if I’d made a different choice, and these thoughts and doubts often take away from my enjoyment of the present. 

I have three kids, and I see that at least one of them is like me. They also tend to get bogged down in regrets. It’s funny, because I always assumed that everyone did this. Then I met and married my husband, and he wastes very little time on regret. He learns from mistakes, but then he moves on. He is definitely much better at living in the moment than I was. When he sees me stewing about things, he always says the same thing: “Kate, you just have to let it go.”

So like Clover and Daniel, I’ve gradually learned that there is no silver bullet when it comes to regret and guilt. You just have to work on it one day at a time, until eventually it’s not such an overpowering urge. Over time, I’ve gotten better at living in the moment and this has made me a happier person. Sometimes I cheat. I think about all the extremely negative things that could have happened if I’d done something differently, which makes me more content with the choice I made. Hopefully my husband doesn’t read this, or he might think I am crazy!

When I see my son stewing about things, I see how draining and futile this emotion is, but I also understand how hard it is to put aside. So this has become one of my goals as a parent – to teach my kids to live in the moment, to make peace with their past decisions and choices.

In the end, the secret is to just let it go…Thanks for reading!

Meet Katherine

Originally from Newfoundland, Katherine Fleet gave up the cold winters of Eastern Canada for the year round warmth of the Caribbean. The slower pace of island life has given her time to pursue a long-time goal—becoming an author. When she’s not writing, she spends her time baking, chauffeuring her three amazing, talented kids around, and having sun-filled adventures with her husband and wonderful friends in Curaçao. She is also a very thankful breast cancer survivor. In 2007, she joined RWA and has enjoyed the support and camaraderie of the YARWA and OIRWA writing communities. She’s participated in NaNoWriMo since 2012 and is an active supporter of the associated Young Writers Program. She is represented by super-agent Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency. The Secret to Letting Go is her debut novel. You can connect with her at www.KatherineFleet.com.

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  One summer can change everything...

Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend’s death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he’ll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she’s hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble.

Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life’s story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets—even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after.