A troubled heart led Joshua Chesterton, a mid-fifties writer, to leave Maine, family, friends and his history to embrace the Northwest wilderness. He and his furry, four-footed friend, Shannon, live comfortably in his ultimate “green” cabin overlooking a peaceful view of towering mountains and an awesome lake. Life changes drastically when serendipity and early snowstorms bring Jami, an auburn-haired, feminine, mid-fifties counterpart, literally swiming into his arms. With no memory of her prior life, and no communication to the outside world for an entire winter, humor, faith, and tears draw Jami and Josh together to share unique experiences and develop a warm relationship. While Joshua’s heart is finally healing, Jami has no recollection of her previous life and fights falling in love. Winter in the Wilderness brings Joshua Chesterton, a writer who lives alone with his dog in a cabin with all the amenities except communication with the outside world, and Jami, who washes ashore with amnesia and is clueless about who she is, together in a nearly inaccessible part of the Pacific Northwest. Trapped by the impassable winter roads, they build an idyllic friendship, each wary of serious involvement. This is Sharlene's first fiction attempt, a charming romantic novel. Reviewed by Marcella Gauthier, appearing in the September/October 2013 issue of Escapees magazine. Winter in the Wilderness is an old-fashioned romance. Josh is a writer who has faced tragedy and moved to a house in the Pacific Northwest with wind turbines and solar cells for electricity, a wood cooking stove, and an indoor garden. The road is impassable in winter and he is without phone service. Jami is the sole survivor of a plane crash who finds refuge at his home. The two central characters are in their mid-50s. How they interact and recover from the blows that life has dealt them is at the core of this fast-paced novel. Mike Ward, Editor, First Glance Column, RV Life Magazine        The original concept for Jami's story was written in the late 1970s while camping with my husband. I awakened one morning very early and started writing.        The story's main character was "Jami." In a few pages, I told the tale of Peter's demise (Although he had no name yet) and suggested where the storyline might go. I had only written silly poems and "stuff" for family or friends to that point, but my husband had always, always been supportive, encouraging me to write. I read the original concept of this tale to my husband on our way home.        I couldn't read it without crying because we had already been married for roughly twenty years and I knew how it would break my heart if anything ever happened to him. Little did I know that within a few years, he would leave two grown daughters, and me, at his tender age of forty-seven and I would experience that heartbreak for real.        Four years hence, I sold everything and took off in a motorhome and for the next twenty years, I was a full-time RVer traveling solo throughout the North American Continent from Florida to Alaska, and from the tip of Baja, Mexico, to the Canadian Maritimes. Many times over the years, I took Jami's story out and added to it, but just as many times, I put it back in the drawer.        Eventually, I became that writer Jack believed I could be and published six non-fiction, RV-related how-to or adventure books, gave lectures at Life on Wheels venues for ten years, and became a monthly columnist for eleven RV regional magazines in the U.S. and Canada.        "Jami," continued to surface for a few pages now and again as I learned and experienced more of what life had to offer.        Eventually, I settled in the southwest desert with a park model house and a shed/office with a 3 X 9' window overlooking the Bradshaw Mountains, still writing monthly columns, weekly blogs and other occasional articles for RV Life out of Seattle.         "Jami" came out one more time, changed titles, updated timelines, and over two very hot summers, grew into this love story that I hope you have enjoyed.        The settings and story line are from my imagination, a melding of people I've known and places I've traveled. I'm sure my daughters and close friends will recognize similarities to our family lives. The conflicts and the pain of losing a mate are very real.        It is my heartfelt wish that Jack is somewhere enjoying my writing successes. Without his encouragement, Jami's story would not have been told.        While I somehow missed it in my life, I wish for you, if you have experienced death or divorce, a late-in-life true love. With a little luck, you won't have to spend an entire winter in the wilderness to find it; however, that thought doesn't seem so bad either. Serendipity Joshua Chesterton and his furry friend enjoy living in his "green" cabin on a high mountain lake. Life changes drastically when Jami Hadlock literally swims into his arms. With no memory of her prio