The Secrets We Keep: A Love Story
The Secrets We Keep: A Love Story, set primarily in Europe in 1989, was the first novel I published, writing as D. R. Coghlan. The story had been playing around in my head for some time before I finally gave myself the space to write it. As often happens, life circumstances (aka temporary unemployment) gave me the perfect space to devote to this project that I had been so unsure about starting.
What Is The Secrets We Keep: A Love Story About?
It’s a deeply personal story, partly autobiographical, about a young woman struggling to make sense of herself and the world around her. Laura doesn’t know where she fits in. She quits her job, sells her car and travels to Europe, only to realise her inner world hasn’t changed with the transformation of her lifestyle. She longs to escape, find belonging and self-confidence, but is afraid to face what lies within. As many of us know, life is a spiritual journey, and the past is not something we can just shrug off. Laura’s choices are influenced by fear and clouded by inner turmoil.
When she arrives in Europe, she is still hurting from an affair with a married man but determined in her search for happiness. She yearns for a life with her true love but confuses love with sex. Laura wants to fit in but is uncomfortable around people. She connects at a deep level with nature and solitude, but struggles to form lasting relationships. The Secrets We Keep: A Love Story is ultimately more about Laura’s inner journey than it is about her wondrous travels through Europe.
Why I Wrote The Secrets We Keep
I am intensely curious about the theme of overcoming what is holding us back from success, from true love, from healthy relationships. In fact, I have spent my life pondering on what stops us from being happy, light-hearted, at peace in our own spirit? I mean, how many people have the strength and persistence required to delve into their own murky depths? Imagine what we would be capable of if we could release our childhood trauma, our inner torment? The truth is, I have had periods in my life, driven by my own desire for healing, where I have researched obsessively what really works to help us do that.
Unfortunately, this is the messy, murky matter that lies deep within all of us. And the truth is, we all crave love, peace, happiness. We all want to be whole. So, I hope The Secrets We Keep resonates with you and encourages you to dig down into your own interior to find the freedom that awaits.
If you are interested in learning more, The Secrets We Keep is available on Kindle or in paperback from your local Amazon store. If you have read it already, I’d love to hear your feedback and would really appreciate it if you wrote a review (Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub).
I’d love you to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
Stay grounded
Donna
