Heartbeats Across Borders -

Two hearts, two countries, one love

May 31, 2024

Jonathan, a widower, lost his wife to a massive stroke. He fell into a life of depression and self-pity that led to massive debt. He hit rock bottom and realized he had to do something to get his life back on track. During this recovery period, he found a decent job but was still not happy in his life, and who could blame him? He had had a good marriage for 28 years and life is very different now.

Jonathan takes a vacation to Colombia where he sees a woman he likes but is afraid to say anything because he assumes she doesn't speak English. As it turns out, she doesn't say anything to him because she assumes he doesn't speak Spanish, and the group of children she's in charge of keeps her too busy. However, are they correct in these assumptions? What are the chances of them ever coming together?

His new life takes him from Tucson, Arizona to Cartagena, Bogotá, Salento, and many other pueblos in Colombia. His journey brings several women into his life, but which one can fill that hole in his heart? The woman in Cartagena? The woman in Cartago? Or one of the women in Tucson? Read about Jonathan's journey to find a new life and a woman who can fill the hole in his heart.

I wrote this book using many of my experiences in Arizona and Colombia. I have lived in Colombia for more than 10 years and approximately 30% of the scenes in the book are based on real experiences I have lived.

The readers will not only be taken on the journey of a man searching for meaning in his life, after the death of his wife, but will also learn some interesting facts about some wonderful places in Colombia. As for my personal experiences in the cities/towns of Colombia, I have lived in Barranquilla, Soledad, Puerto Colombia, Salgar, Armenia, Cartago, and Roldanillo; I have visited many cities including Santa Marta, Usiacuri, El Dovio, Versailles, Valledupar, Filandia, Salento, and many more. In all, I have lived in or visited 82 cities and towns in Colombia. Of the characters in the book, about half are based on real people. Regarding the many places mentioned in the book, in Arizona, USA, and Colombia, I have either lived in or visited every one of them. The point is there is a lot of honest writing, and a lot of personal experience, poured into this book.

I am a widower. I relocated to Colombia in 2013, three years after the death of my wife (Cheryl) of 28 years. In Barranquilla, Colombia, I taught English to business people but the pandemic/quarantine ended that, so I took advantage of the opportunity and retired early. I have had fourteen short stories published in fourteen online and print journals.