Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: The Goodbyes by Helen Gillespie

THE GOODBYES

by

Helen Gillespie

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by

Goddess FishPromotions.

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Audecyn Books

Publication Date: August 1, 2025

Page count: 272 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

Struggling with becoming an adult in a small mid-western town, Dianne must confront family secrets, deception, and discovery during her last year of college. As she cares for her ailing mother, her world begins to unravel and she is challenged to navigate through lies, friendships, love...and murder.
 
Meeting the wrong person makes it possible for her to recognize the right ones and to find the strength she needs to survive. Realizing that she is responsible for her own destiny, she learns that to say hello to a new life, she must first say goodbye.

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READ AN EXCERPT:

Although hesitant, Dianne prepared for her date with more apprehension than she had earlier when she prepared for her first day in the classroom. Weirdly, she hoped she would be stood up.

“Sorry I’m late. The ladies at work needed me to stop by and help them,” Michael told Dianne when she answered the door.

“Hi, Michael. Please, come in. Do people ever call you Mike?”

 

“Naw, ever since the second grade there was this other Michael, and everyone called him Mike and me Michael. It kinda stuck.”

 

“Makes sense. I’m almost about ready. I’m going to finish putting these towels away, and I’ll be ready to go.”

 

“Your momma okay?”

 

“Yes, she’s in the room sleeping. Thank you for asking.”

 

Dianne was surprised to hear Michael ask about her mother and not instantly jump into something about himself.

 

“See, I’m not as bad as you thought this morning.” Michael stared at Dianne as though he expected appreciation for his politeness.

 

“I hope not,” Dianne said, smiling while placing the last of the towels in a nearby closet.

 

“Dianne, you leaving?”

 

“Yes, Mom. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

 

“No, I was getting up and heard Michael come in. Ken should be over in about an hour, and he’s bringing me something to eat.”

 

Dianne disappeared briefly from Michael’s sight into her mother’s room to kiss her goodbye.

 

“You going to be okay, Mom?”

 

“Yeah, my boyfriend’s coming over and bringing dessert,”Katrina said, smiling and forcing her eyes open.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Throughout grammar school and college, Helen Gillespie loved developing story sketches or full stories but kept them hidden within herself. That creative spark proved valuable in unexpected places, first on assignment as a musician in the US Army, and after leaving the Army, when she earned a degree in elementary education. After reentering the Army in 1981, she put pen to paper, or rather, “fingers to an Olivetti.” She officially learned the art of journalism to serve the Army, but it quickly became a personal passion. Interviewing fellow soldiers, exploring their jobs and personalities, and publishing useful information for the military community formed the basis of her skill and enjoyment. Those years of thought, training, education, and experience laid the foundation for crafting her first novel, The Goodbyes.

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AUTHOR GUEST POST:

Please welcome Helen Gillespie, the author of our featured book, to the blog today to discuss the topic of minor characters.

Did you have a minor character who insisted on playing a larger role in the story. If so, please tell us about it. And if not, please tell me how you get the characters in your head to behave.

Without a doubt, Michael clamored for attention. He clamored for Dianne’s attention and heart. But, like they say down South, “Bless his heart. He couldn’t get out of his own way.” From the first time I let Michael into the story, I set boundaries that he continued to ignore. I wasn’t going to let him violate Dianne’s boundaries as well. Perhaps as a trait of his alcoholic personality, he didn’t know how to love Dianne or himself. His definition of love translated to “owning” a person. At some psychological level, much like his friend Scott Hickman, he tried to move into Dianne’s world through persistence, rather than mutual benefit. It was only a realization that Dianne, although new in town, had gatekeepers such as Pastor Dawn, Cindy Ken, and the family at the truck stop. Additionally, he had less disposable income because he had bought the truck of his dreams.

I don’t think Dianne would have ever escaped Michael’s persistence if it weren’t for one rainy night when serendipity, with a sweet topping of karma, visited Michael to show him the way to Jesus.

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Helen Gillespie will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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