MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB) March 13, 2019
Jenna struggles to move past the trauma of her youth. She finds solace in a New Orleans glassblowing studio as well as tutoring children in a nearby housing project. The transparency and defiant durability of the children remind her of the glass she is shaping and together they help her find meaning amidst the ambiguity of her sexuality and faith. Now grown, prompted by an email from the child she gave up for adoption at birth, Jenna relives the childhood memories that nearly destroyed her. In sharing their unique stories with each other, mother and son realize the common threads are both DNA and the culture of a city that helped to shape them.
Julie Rogers-Martin weaves a story of brokenness and confusion, spiritual seeking and faith. It affirms the confusion of sexual identity, the delicacy and grit of figuring it all out, and the realization that life is both broken and beautiful. “The Sea Glass Gift” (published by Archway Publishing). For more details about the book, please visit https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Gift-Julie-Rogers-Martin/dp/1480854395.
“My book compares a life journey with the stages of glass formation,” Rogers-Martin says. “The underlying story between mother and son is true. The other parts are an amalgamation of the stories I’ve experienced working with at-risk youth for many years. I believe our chief mission in life is to bear hope and compassion to all people because love casts out fear, and belonging heals. In doing so, we have an opportunity to create a masterpiece each day from whatever shards we may have been given. I know from my experience with glass (and life) that as we move together toward the flame of love, we will be changed. It is the only chance we have for survival in this turbulent world.”
Rogers-Martin plans to donate her book’s proceeds to programs serving at-risk youth.
“The Sea Glass Gift”
By Julie Rogers-Martin
Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 296 pages | ISBN 9781480854376
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 296 pages | ISBN 9781480854390
E-Book | 296 pages | ISBN 9781480854383
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the Author
Julie Rogers-Martin, an educator, has served at-risk youth for more than three decades. The looks of wonder and enchantment that appear in the eyes of students she encounters in after-school programs, summer day camps and public school and church classrooms are what give her nourishment and inspiration. She especially loves spinning the wonders of science and spirituality into conversation-inspiring narratives. She is an intercultural intelligence facilitator, and is on the executive board of the Inter-Faith Affiliations of Brevard. She and her husband live in Melbourne Beach where their grown children often visit. Other than writing, and spending time with her family, she especially loves cooking, singing, biking, camping and playing with her dog, Sophie.