And So It Was for Mary

2026 ASTRA BOOK AWARD FINALISTShe was about to give up, but the spirit of a legend urged her to keep playing.Homeless and empty, guitar savant Mary is ready to give in to silence. Just as she's about to make a tragic choice, the spirit of a guitar legend appears, offering her something she thought was gone: a reason to keep trying.The road to recovery isn't magic; it's hard work. With help from her otherworldly guide, Mary confronts the damage caused by her addiction, broken relationships, and the terrifying vulnerability of rehab. In that struggle, she discovers two reasons to live: a young actress named Leila and the dormant genius in her own hands.Just as Mary starts to find her rhythm, a devastating diagnosis threatens to cut the set short. With an inoperable brain tumor ticking like a metronome, she is faced with a choice between a quiet exit or a defiant encore.Told through a 14-track "playlist" of her life, And So It Was For Mary is a raw and inspiring story about what it means to really live when time is running out.