The River Cries

After traveling different roads of life for over thirty years, what began as "puppy love" for two teenagers morphed into a poignant bittersweet love story. The clandestine affair they shared a few days a year for over a decade shattered when tragedy struck while Rhemi lay in the arms of her lover, Justin. Can Rhemi overcome her guilt or are the two destined to be lost souls forever?

Neither Rhemi Walker nor Justin Lindsey realized what began as "puppy love" for them as teenagers would morph into a bittersweet love story that would encompass the rest of their lives. As Justin stood across the street and watched Rhemi emerge from a church as a beautiful bride, the thought that raced madly through his mind was he should have been the groom. From there, their roads of life headed in different directions and didn't cross again until over thirty years later. A prank masterminded by their best friend, Kevin Younger, who loved Rhemi as much as Justin, brought them together again. After the chance meeting, though both were in marriages they couldn't or wouldn't walk away from, they couldn't bring themselves to walk away from each other for a second time. They began a clandestine affair stealing a few days a year to share their love. Twelve years later, tragedy struck while Rhemi lay in Justin's arms. Rhemi's husband, Martin, whom she truly loved for his goodness, died in a float plane crash off the shores of an Alaskan island. Consumed with guilt, Rhemi shut Justin out of her life again. Could the pastor Rhemi was seeing in hopes of finding redemption bring them together again? Or were the two lovers destined to be lost souls forever?

Cheri Dine (Thomas) Wendland writes under the pen-name of Cheri Dean. Cheri has been a closet writer for more years than she likes to think about and only began her publishing career in December of 2021 with the release of A Dance Farewell. Her readers encouraged her to move forward in seeing more of her novels in print. We're glad she did. Though her books lean towards the feminine gender, she is surprised at how well they have been received by her male audience. Indications are, it's because they deal with life at its best and at its worst. A number of her followers say Cheri's books are so visual, they're like reading a movie. Cheri is a wife, a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She currently lives with her husband, Charles, in Northern Virginia and is looking forward to moving closer to her southern roots in Wilmington, North Carolina, late this summer. She has lived in eight states at various times and thirty-four houses. Like her mother, she thinks she has wings on her feet. We happen to agree.