We’re overjoyed to share the news that our author Jessica Dettmann has just won. Her most recent book of poetry, “Your Friend and Mine,” published by 1913 Press, comes out July 1. Published by Atlantic Books, the book will retail for $32.99.
Dettmann, who was 25 in 2005, started writing her book after thinking about the experiences in her life. Jessie remembers one of the best memories in that year when she went to a friend of a friend’s 30th birthday party in Sydney. It was there that she met Drew Truslove, and he definitely turned her head with his bright blue floral 80s ensemble. The two quickly became a couple and have been joined at the hip ever since.
The newlyweds happily counted their first eight months together. Then, in 2008, Drew popped the question to Jessica on a picture-postcard beach in Borneo. Their love story that began at a dance club ended with marriage in 2009, and their partnership blossomed from there.
Jessica and Drew have celebrated many happy milestones together, such as the births of their two children. Their relationship hasn’t been without its rough patches, either. They faced Drew’s father’s terminal diagnosis and his subsequent death. They endured their own fertility challenges, as well as postpartum depression after bringing their children home.
Jessica Dettmann’s and Drew’s relationship from the start has been based on each other’s support and mutual understanding. Looking back on their adventure, she remembers one heartbreaking instance when she told them she wasn’t sure what would happen to them.
“I’m not ready,” – Jessica Dettmann
“I’ll wait until you are,” – Drew Truslove
These simple yet profound words embody what this couple knows about marriage to one another in good times as well as in bad.
While dettmann’s personal life has changed drastically, dettmann still works to strike a balance between her new life as a mother and her life as an author. She and her husband, Rafael, and their two young children live in the charming home they’ve built together. They are owned by an affectionate, 19-going-on-20-year-old kitten named Gusto.
Dettmann’s heartwarming and honest experiences will inspire those who find themselves facing similar obstacles in their lives, too.
With release date fast approaching, fans are clamoring with anticipation. They aren’t just excited to see these themes of resilience and connection explored, roots, journeys, home, that Dettmann masterfully interlaces through his writing.