Writing "Enduring Your Love": A story forged by land, loss and the unseen longing.

They say every story begins with a single moment. For me, it was a dream—simple and startling in its clarity—a man standing in a wheat field at dusk, shirt clinging to his back, head bowed under the weight of something unspoken. Behind him, a river shimmered in twilight. In front of him, an empty space where love once stood, and a question he dared not ask.

That dream became, not onlythe seed of Enduring Your Love, Book 2 of my River Flats series but the entire start of this journey. This story—this heartwork—was always more than a plotline. It became a mirror. A reckoning. A weaving of past and present, of soil and sorrow, of the masks we wear and the truths we can no longer bury.

I wanted to explore not only the fireworks of falling in love—but the quiet ache of holding onto it. What happens when love isn’t convenient? When it doesn’t fit inside society’s expectations? When social class, family legacies, and small-town whispers begin to choke what once felt so free?

Set once again in River Flats, this second novel doesn’t shy away from hard truths. It peels back the veneer of polite conversation to reveal how power can manipulate love, how family ties can bind and break, and how working the land can both ground you and trap you.

This isn’t a story of perfect people. It’s about the people who stay. The ones who get hurt and still hope. The ones who look at all they’ve lost and whisper, I’ll try again.

Farming runs through this story like a lifeblood. It’s not just the backdrop—it is the character. The grind of harvest, the struggle of things breaking down, and the gentleness of the land in the early morning light. These rhythms shape the romance in this book. They echo the way we endure: one slow, sometimes painful, often beautiful step at a time.

Rivers flow through both the landscape and the longing. They carry secrets, regrets, and buried emotions. But they also cleanse. They remind us that everything changes—and still, everything returns.

Writing this book became a deeply personal journey. As the characters shed their roles—daughter, farmer, heir, protector—I found myself shedding my own. I was no longer just a writer. I was a woman finally looking at herself in the mirror, willing to admit how often I’ve dulled my light to keep others comfortable.

In uncovering their truths, I uncovered mine. I saw the ways I had performed—trying to be liked, to be less "too much," to shrink my dreams. And I began the slow process of choosing visibility, voice, and authenticity. Not just for the story, but for my life.

No flashy facades. Just me. My heart. The stories I’ve lived and the ones I’ve poured onto the page. If you follow along on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or my website, you’ll see the behind-the-scenes: the memories, the tears, the rituals that helped bring this book to life. You'll see not just a book, but a woman reclaiming her soul’s language.

Sometimes I think Enduring Your Love was waiting for me long before I dreamed that man in the field.

Maybe it’s because I’ve always known what it feels like to love someone across a great divide—to feel the tension between belonging and breaking away. Maybe it’s because I’ve witnessed how farming families wear pride like armor and pain like a secret. Maybe it’s because I’ve learned the hard way that endurance doesn’t always look like staying strong—it sometimes looks like falling apart and choosing to stand up again anyway.

This book isn’t perfect. It’s messy, raw, and deeply human. But it’s mine. And if you’ve ever loved someone you weren’t supposed to… if you’ve ever been torn between what you owe and what you want… if you’ve ever stood in the middle of your life and asked, Where do I go from here?—then this story is for you.

It is my prayer that Enduring Your Love finds its way into the hearts that need it. That it reminds you love can still exist after loss, that rivers can carry healing as well as hurt, and that unmasking—even when terrifying—is the first step toward true connection.

Thank you for walking this journey with me. For seeing me. For letting my words live inside you.

Love always,

Sheryl M

author of the River Flats series

P.S. You can follow the journey of Enduring Your Love through my socials where I’m sharing intimate pieces of the writing process, behind-the-scenes glimpses into River Flats, and the soul rituals that carried me through it all. You’ll find links on my website, or come visit me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook @sherylm.author.

This story started with a dream. But it was your love, your messages, your belief that gave me the courage to keep dreaming. And for that—I will always be grateful.