When the Only Light Is the Moon

Four women, four stories, and a chance encounter that changes everything.

Still reeling from a recent breakup, Demi, a Greek-American banquet manager, joins her mother, aunt, and cousin on a trip to Greece, hoping to clear her head, heal her heart, and take a break from an unfulfilling job. Her plans for a relaxing holiday are derailed when their rental car breaks down on their way to the coast; that is, until they are rescued by a villager and her charming grandson, Stavros. While Demi navigates this unexpected romance, her mother, aunt, and cousin examine their own fears, hopes, and dreams, aided by Charles, a witty British author who endears himself to them with his good humor and sage advice. Demi’s whirlwind romance ends abruptly when she returns to the States despite Stavros’s pleas for her to stay with him. Upon her return, she must confront her feelings for Stavros and her impossible job situation. With Charles’s advice in mind, the ladies tackle their issues.

Demi gets a job opportunity that would take her away from Pittsburgh, and she must decide whether to leave her family for a fresh start or stay where she has always been comfortable. The situation becomes more complicated when rekindling the romance with Stavros becomes possible. When fate intervenes, along with Demi’s ex, her path becomes even more tangled.

Set in a charming Greek village, When the Only Light of the Moon follows two sisters and their daughters as they navigate individual journeys of self-discovery through the unexpected help of strangers. The crystal blue Mediterranean skies and silvery olive groves provide a magical backdrop for this lively story of romance, realization, and renewal.

Rita Wilson is an award-winning artist, writer, and educator. Her work has been published in Rune and Riverspeak Literary Magazines, Voices from the Attic, The 100 Lives Anthology, and Wisdom of the Crone. "Nature's Bounty," her short story on the culling of wolf herds in the Northwest, was featured in wolfmatters.org, and her short story, "A Handful of Sand," was shortlisted for the Mani Litfest annual short story contest. Her first book, Greek Lessons, a biography and memoir, includes photos of her art, including Better Times, the painting of her mother and grandmother which graces the book's cover. Wilson's many travels to Greece inspired both Greek Lessons and her new novel When the Only Light is the Moon.Wilson earned her MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA. A retired teacher, she has held creative writing workshops in the US and Europe and volunteered to teach professional writing for the US Coast Guard. Wilson is a fellow of the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project and has taught writing both to young adults and at the university level. She serves as Non-Fiction Editor for the Northern Appalachia Review and as a Director for the Writing Conference of Northern Appalachia. Wilson enjoys painting and writing from her home in the Pittsburgh suburbs. When not indulging her creative side, she can be found on the tennis court, walking her husky, or chatting with friends or family over a cup of coffee.