Next on Collins’ writing docket is a venture into non-fiction. Using her qualitative research skills from many years in academia, she plans to explore the characteristics of people who, against odds and advice, have become successful in their career paths. A tribute to her father, the working title is “Funny Thing about Luck….”

The Martin Arts Council in Stuart, Florida, annually honors local artists and their contributions to the community. At a November 8, 2023 ceremony, Collins gratefully accepted the recognition for her writing.

With striking clarity of prose and a feeling for surprising human connections, Collins, in her debut, reveals the inner life of a woman facing grief, uncertainty, and the possibility of restoring severed relationships. Larissa Whitcomb, the Atlanta-based entrepreneur behind a company selling medical devices, has seen her husband depart, her angry son vanish after renouncing the family, and then, most devastating of all, and her daughter die of causes that the medical examiner says it will take months to determine. Bereft, unable to sleep, prone to bursts of rage or tears, Larissa spends weeks in a dazed haze, until an invitation and business opportunity from her first husband draws her out on a trip to upstate New York. What follows is an unpredictable, highly detailed odyssey of healing, self-discovery, and, ultimately, an urgent reconciliation.

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Comfort in the Wings: A Novel Inspired by Love That Will Not Die?

The inspiration for this story is my own experience with having several members of my family, including two of my children, die within a short period of time. While in the throes of grief, I found solace in places I did not expect, such as a bird feather on my deck, or a butterfly that lingered around me for many minutes. These felt like signs and communication from my loved ones. As I spoke with more people, especially mothers of child loss, I realized that talking about these signs, or using psychic mediums to speak with loved ones brought great comfort in the midst of sadness. I wanted to share these ideas with others who have endured tragic losses.

Grief can be isolating. It brings a sense of shame, the embarrassment that we are not strong enough to shake free of it. We make those around us uncomfortable because they don’t know what to say. They fall back on platitudes — “sorry for your loss” — or say nothing at all, thinking silence is showing respect, which intensifies the loneliness, the emptiness.