The Unexpected Love tells the love story of Rhonda Cronkhite and George Woodworth. Rhonda has always said that the love she and George shared was special. They were married just over a year when George was drowned at a family picnic...their son just a few weeks old. After her second husband, Donald Tardif, died unexpectedly, she found herself fighting what she calls 'the grief thing.' It scared her to death...well almost. So she decided she'd take it in small doses. One day as she sat musing, she wondered what it would have been like if she and George had met at this stage in their lives...with the benefit of maturity, something they certainly didn't have at the tender ages of twenty and twenty-one. The only thing she could imagine was that what was almost perfect would be perfect. It didn't take long for some scenes to come flying into her mind. It certainly helped to ease the grief she was bearing from the loss of Don. She loved Don, too, and he knew it. He would not have been offended at her story. He'd have laughed and cried at it, just as you will. So that's what The Unexpected Love is about. Rhonda and George's story is told through the mature characters of Maggie LaHaye and Peter Weatherburn. Rhonda has kept the story as 'true' as possible, weaving in many of the events that actually happened, either through things that Peter and Maggie do, or through her reflections. Anything that she says Peter likes or does was true about George. You'll find lavender pomanders hanging from the mirrors in Peter's vehicles and coloured lights on the side mirrors of his truck. You'll even find some toasted coconut marshmallows lying around somewhere and curtains tied in knots. And don't choke when Peter eats the whole apple, core and all. She has also kept the characters true to who they are/were, but using fictitious names. If you were part of their story, you might recognize yourself as one of the characters. Rhonda says it's been great therapy telling their story. Laughing and crying are both great therapeutic strategies.
About the Author: Rhonda Cronkhite grew up in Southampton, New Brunswick. She's lost count of the number of times her family moved, but they always seemed to come back to the Southampton area. She was rather surprised as she neared retirement years to find herself falling in love with its charm. Rhonda writes from her heart, saying things just as she sees them. She enjoys writing and delivering eulogies for friends and relatives...always getting a few laughs at the expense of the departed. She lives in Southampton with her three canine pals, Cinnamon, Cookie, and Kiwi.