Man on the Balcony: A Novel

Maggie Swanson, attractive and accomplished manager of a medical clinic in Southern Ohio, has had a lifelong dream of becoming a successful fulltime artist, but can't see that happening in her small town. She also has a dream of regaining ownership of her old family home and small farm and turning it into an artist's retreat. Disillusioned after a failed romance, Maggie vacations at an ocean-side hotel in Jupiter, Florida in an attempt to make sense of her life and questionable future. Instead of sorting out her conflicting emotions, she meets the charming Dr. Brad Newsome, a Virginia gentleman fresh out of his medical residency and searching for a place to practice. But Brad has unresolved romantic interests. Maggie ends her vacation believing Brad has no place in her future. She leaves her job and her hometown to pursue her artistic dream. She moves to New Orleans to live in her Uncle Tom's antebellum home for a year of art study. While there she soaks up the flora, fauna and food of the crescent city, as well as the endless banquet of subject matter for painting. Free of romantic entanglement, she succeeds beyond her wildest dream in the famous and exciting city. Will Maggie's long-lived dream of regaining the family home and farm come true? Will the paths of Maggie and Brad again merge and bring true happiness, or will their long separation doom any future entanglements? The answers may surprise you.