September 2026 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
I guess one of the biggest things on so many people's minds this past month was the passing of Dolly Parton.
I have loved Dolly since the very beginning, and I really feel her loss. It’s amazing how you can mourn someone you never met and still feel as though you’ve known them your whole life. She had that gift that she was able to touch people around the world. Each of us mourn her in our own personal way.
I started thinking about why that happens. I think it’s because some people share enough of themselves with us that we begin to feel a connection to them. We know their stories. We know what matters to them. Somehow, they become a small part of our lives.
And I guess, in a much smaller way, that’s what I hope happens with my book.
That probably sounds a little egotistical—comparing my little memoir to the connection millions of people felt with Dolly Parton! But I don’t mean it that way.
I simply want people to get to know Pat and me.
Our story is very important to me, and when someone reads It Wasn’t Supposed to Last, I hope Pat becomes more than just a man in a book. I hope you feel like you know him. I hope you understand why I loved him and why, after all these years, telling our story still means so much to me.
Right now, I’m trying to market the book myself, which means I’m learning how to make Reels for Instagram and TikTok.
At 73 years old, technology does NOT come naturally to me.
Put a cell phone or computer in front of a four-year-old and somehow they seem to know exactly what to do. Me? I take a picture of my screen, send it to ChatGPT and ask, “What do I click next?”
Then I click it.
Take another picture.
“Now what?”
And that is pretty much the process throughout the whole thing.
What might take someone who knows what they’re doing five minutes can take me five hours.
I get frustrated. Sometimes I want to give up. But then I remember why I’m doing it.
I want people to find my book. I want them to read our story. And I want them to get to know Pat ❤️ and me.
So I spend much of my day in front of the computer trying to come up with new material, making videos, editing them and figuring out how to post everything. It’s a labor of love—but believe me, it is definitely a labor!
I hope you’ll take a little time to look at my Instagram and TikTok pages. I post much of the same material on both, so pick whichever one you prefer. And if something I post touches you, leave me a comment. I love hearing from people who are following our story.
I’m also trying to build up my presence on Goodreads. If you’ve read It Wasn’t Supposed to Last, I’d be so grateful if you would take a moment to rate it there—or, even better, leave a few words about what you thought. Reviews and ratings help other readers discover books they might otherwise never find, and every one means more to me than you probably realize.
And somewhere in between all of this, I’m trying to squeeze in time to write the sequel to It Wasn’t Supposed to Last.
The sequel begins where the “happily ever after” of the first book ends—because, as I quickly learned, getting married was only the beginning of our story.
My sister recently read the pages I’ve written so far. When she finished, she said, “Hurry up and write the rest. I want to read more.”
That warmed my heart.
Knowing that after one whole book, someone still wants to know what happens next tells me that maybe this story I’ve carried with me for so many years is still worth telling.
So now I’d better get back to writing it.
With love,
Dawn
August 2026 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
After nearly three weeks on the road, I’m finally home.
From July 16 through August 2, Bruce, my partner and companion, and I traveled nearly 4,000 miles across all types of terrain in this big country of ours… from flat lands, to hilly, to mountains.
Our trip took us through eleven southern and midwestern states - Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Tennessee.
In Kentucky, we visited the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum. We also spent time at Old Friends, a peaceful retirement farm where former racehorses live out the rest of their lives surrounded by loving care. These places did not disappoint.
The main purpose of our journey was Bruce’s eye appointment in Kansas City, but we made the most of the trip. We spent a couple of days in Branson, Missouri, where we saw the inspiring Site and Sound production of David, We ended our adventure with an unforgettable evening at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
It was a wonderful trip, but as much as I enjoy traveling, there is something special about coming home. I’m looking forward to settling back into my routine and continuing work on the sequel to It Wasn’t Supposed to Last. My goal is to complete the manuscript before the end of this year.
One stop along the way touched me in an unexpected way.
While touring Mary Todd Lincoln’s home in Lexington, Kentucky, I found myself standing before shelves filled with old books. Most of them are rarely, if ever opened anymore …their authors, departed for generations, yet their words remain. The books sit quietly, almost reverently on the shelves, like silent ghosts waiting for someone to open their pages and hear their voice once again. Each book holding the thoughts and hope that their voice would never die.
Looking at those shelves, I realized that books are a different kind of monument. Unlike a gravestone in a cemetery, they don’t simply mark that someone once existed—they preserve a person’s voice, their thoughts, and the story of their life.
Because my ashes will someday be scattered, there won’t be a place where people can visit and say, “She was here.” But perhaps my book can be that place. Long after I’m gone, it will be proof that I lived, that I loved deeply, and that Pat and I shared a story worth telling.
There is something comforting about knowing that a life doesn’t have to be remembered only by a name carved in stone. Sometimes it can be remembered through the pages of a book sitting on a shelf.
Perhaps someday, someone I will never meet might pull It Wasn’t Supposed to Last from a bookshelf and give life to my words once more.
Thank you for following this journey with me. Your kind words, reviews, messages, and encouragement mean more than you know.
With gratitude,
L. Dawn Mason
P.S. Thank you for continuing to walk this journey with me. If you'd like to learn more about Pat, our story, and the hope that carried us through, It Wasn't Supposed to Last is available in paperback, eBook, and as an audiobook narrated by me. Your encouragement means more than you know.
July 2026 Newsletter
Hello, Everyone!
A lot has been happening in my life since I last wrote.
First and foremost, I'm thrilled to announce that the audiobook edition of my memoir, It Wasn't Supposed to Last, was released on June 29. I couldn't be happier! If you find it difficult to carve out time to sit down and read, I hope you'll consider listening to my story instead. I had the privilege of narrating it myself, and Pat's letters are beautifully brought to life by Joe James, adding a very special touch.
In June, I took my thirteen-year-old grandson on a week-long trip to New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. One of our highlights was visiting the gravesites of my grandparents—his great-great-grandparents. Like his grandmother, he has developed a deep interest in our family's ancestry.
The pièce de résistance of the trip was meeting his grandfather's, Pat, sister. It is the closest he will ever come on this earth to spending time with his Grandpa Pat. The bond between them was immediate, and it touched my heart. I like to think it was Pat embracing his grandson through his sister. Although they had never really known each other, you could see the love between them. Pat's sister told me she suddenly felt goosebumps all over and knew her brother was there. I didn't experience goosebumps myself, but I didn't need to. I know Pat is always near me.
Beginning July 1st, I've been busy writing short scripts about my story and recording them to share on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. I made a promise to Pat that as many people as possible would come to know him through me.
I've also added these videos to the Reels section of my website. They are almost like short chapters in a book:
• The audiobook is finally here.
• Why I chose to narrate my own audiobook.
• Pat's letters from prison.
• How my memoir got its name.
• Honoring Pat, a proud American veteran.
• Pat's unforgettable green eyes.
• Why there's a bridge on the cover of my book.
• The letter I finally understood.
• Why it took me twelve years to write my memoir.
• The day I thought I was dying.
• The night I felt Pat's presence.
• Your turn.
I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch them.
Now I'd love to hear from you.
Is there something you'd like me to talk about? Do you have a question about my book, Pat, our relationship, the writing process, or anything else you're curious about?
Feel free to email me at ldawnmason@gmail.com with your questions or suggestions. If I can answer them, I'd be happy to create a future video about them.
One thought has stayed with me throughout this journey:
As long as there are two people left on this earth, no one is ever truly forgotten—one to tell their story, and another to listen.
That's why I continue writing, recording these videos, and sharing Pat's story. Every time someone reads my book, listens to the audiobook, or watches one of my videos, his life continues to touch another heart.
For the remainder of July, Bruce and I will be taking a road trip to Kentucky to visit the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum, along with several other stops along the way.
I'll be sharing photos from our journey on my Facebook page, Lorraine Dawn Mason, and I'd love for you to follow along.
Until next month... God bless you and keep you safe.
L. Dawn Mason
June 2026 Newsletter
Hello All,
This is my first newsletter, and I want to begin by thanking you for signing up. I hope I'll make it interesting enough that you'll continue to follow along on this journey with me.
As I write this, I'm on my way home from visiting my second daughter, her husband, and my four-year-old grandchild in North Carolina. While, I was standing in line at the airport waiting to board my flight. I noticed I was standing between a man and a woman.
I turned to the woman and asked, "Are you with him?"
She nodded.
I quickly excused myself, saying that I didn't want to split anybody up.
The husband immediately replied, "Nobody can split us up."
To him, the words were simple and casual, spoken almost protectively. But to me, they pierced my heart. Those were the kind of words I believe Pat ❤️ would have said if he had been standing there. Five little words that reflected something deep I once had—and still miss.
"Nobody can split us up" wasn't just about standing together in a boarding line. It spoke of unity, certainty, belonging, and permanence. Hearing a husband defend his place beside his wife reminded me of the kind of bond Pat and I shared.
What I felt wasn't really jealousy. I was happy for them. What I felt was longing. I envied the connection they still had because I knew exactly what it felt like to belong so completely to someone that even strangers could see it.
Standing there in that boarding line, I felt the familiar ache of missing what I once had. For just a moment, I yearned for that togetherness again—that quiet certainty of knowing someone was always beside me.
Love leaves footprints on our hearts. Even after loss, those footprints remain. Sometimes they appear when we least expect them—in an airport boarding line, in a stranger's words, or in a fleeting moment that takes us back to a love we will always carry with us.
Book News
The audiobook version of It Wasn't Supposed to Last is in its final stages of production. I narrated the book myself, and I'm especially excited that Pat's letters are being voiced by narrator Joe James. Hearing those letters come to life has been a moving experience for me, and I can't wait to share it with my listeners. I hope to have more news on the release very soon.
Take care,
L. Dawn Mason
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