Janet Lynch Releases Latest Novel

In More to Life, the new book by local author Janet Lynch, retired school teacher Colette Corbyn goes kicking and screaming into assisted living, when she has already planned to live out her days in the privacy of her own home.

As she begrudgingly settles into Shady Meadow, she makes an unlikely friend, Margaret, who claims the Women's Movement demeaned women.

A loud, obnoxious neighbor, Dottie, seems to be off her rocker, but she's actually addicted to opioids and has an alarming secret life.

Best-selling novelist Susan Hartley, afflicted with Alzheimer's, doesn't recognize her latest book and becomes violent when she mistakes Colette for her sister.

Colette struggles to come to terms with her sometimes-contentious daughter, Brooke, and seeks a relationship with her grandson, Carter, long lost down the rabbit hole of QAnon. Colette thinks she is done with romance until she meets Harry, who suffers from AMD and can only read music through a magnifying glass.

As Colette and Harry share their love of piano playing, Colette discovers complications in his life that may prevent their relationship from enduring. With compassion and wit, Lynch demonstrates that old age has its perks, and, nearing the end of life, every day is worth living to its fullest.

About her novel, Lynch says, "As we age, our joints may stiffen with arthritis, our eyes may dim with macular degeneration, and our physical energy may wane. We have to exert greater effort to maintain the quality of life we are accustomed to, but we refuse to give up the things we love, especially our independence.

"My protagonist Colette is devastated when her daughter places her in an assisted-living residence, but there she finds more to life, including friendship, adventure, romance and a rekindling of the piano-playing she loves."

Lynch continues about how she loves to move through her own life, "As a septuagenarian, I refuse to quit running, biking, swimming, hiking, traveling, piano-playing, writing and raising hell with the grandkids. Every day counts, and I'm living each of them to the fullest, just like the characters in my novel More to Life."

Lynch was born in Sacramento and graduated with a BA in music from California State University, a master of music degree in piano from Arizona State University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Fresno State University. She has taught music and English at the community college, high school and middle school levels, and private piano to all ages.

Lynch lives in Visalia with her husband, composer Timothy Lynch, and they have two grown children, three grandchildren and three cats. She has completed 20 marathons and numerous other races and triathlons.

As an avid cyclist, her longest ride was from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., and she is nearing the completion of her goal of cycling in all 50 states. She is on Facebook at facebook.com/jnicholslynch, on Instagram at janet_nichols_lynch, and on Twitter at JanetNicLynch. Her website is JanetNicholsLynch.com.