THE DIVE DAMNED HEART: Romantic Encounters of a Third Kind is the continuing saga of Sandie's search for wholeness. Although she's had many "second thoughts" about her life, "the dive damned heart" insists she keep going.In QUIET MAN she meets the love of her life--a Haight-Ashbury artist and poet, wandering minstrel, and proofreader by trade--and is captivated by his Humphrey Bogart charm. All the storms she's weathered culminate in yet another tempest of the soul--one wild and impulsive moment--when Sandie (Sasha) bids farewell to the past to marry for the third time. Will the fire and ice of their psyches meld? Or, is it enough to know "the struggle is the goal"?When Betty Crocker aprons, To Do lists, and Christmas traditions do battle with Bruceau's mound of avocados in King Sooper's, agoraphobia ironically begs the question for space, for freedom. The flip side of the romantic is practicality and so after surrendering Bruceau, Sandie chooses Louie, in MATES FOR LIFE as a man grounded in domestic life. Fly fishing is his pastime, but there's more on the end of Louie's hook than Sandie bargained for. His angling for strange and kinky sex throws Sandie back into the familiar frying pan of crossed stars and lovers. Abandoning this wild goose chase, Sandie casts about to continue for a path suitable to continue her journey of self-discovery.Reconciliation of her many selves comes in small doses. For a time, Sandie is alone and relatively happy. She's achieved financial security, gained psychological awareness and spiritual freedom, and is somewhat at peace with her past. BUT, the Universe isn't through with her yet. Is the SYNCHRONICITY that brings both Gabe and Bruceau back into her life a cosmic joke? Why is it when she's free, Gabe isn't? And why is it still "the same old story" with Bogie? Despite her misgivings are they destined to be life-long lovers?When self-righteous anger proves ineffective in "cutting the cord" that binds her to Bruceau, Sandie spins out of control into the arms of a Piano Man who isn't afraid to hit below the belt. He attacks her through a series of verbal assaults. (1) She whines too much as a writer. (2) Personally, she stinks because she's a smoker. (3) She can't learn to operate her new computer by following his instructions over the phone. Forced to put on WAR PAINT and defend herself, she lands a few blows but strikes out in the end.When Sandie crashes Pancho's outdoor gig, she welcomes an opportunity to sharpen her nails. In this cat and mouse game, several catty women accuse her of hustling their husbands but Sandie claims she's merely having some innocent fun. To her, their audacity is appalling--THE CAT'S MEOW of insults. Only too happy to leave these hypocritical socialites licking their wounds, she sneaks away to a purrrrrfect evening elsewhere.Sandie has her own life, her own dreams, and no man is going to prevent her from realizing them. So why is she sniffing around Dwayne's heels? Has she come FULL CIRCLE only to realize that a marriage to Dwayne would be reminiscent of her marriage to Dean except she's finally found a man who's strong enough not to put his tail between his legs when the going gets rough? But if that isn't enough, what if she can't get rid of him?LADIES NIGHT OUT is a d�j� vu experience if there ever was one. Sandie finds the same creative pull, the same desire for intellectual stimulation, the same abhorrence of the crowd she found upon meeting the love of her life, Bruceau. But, not so fast. Refusing to jump off the deep end upon meeting the photojournalist from Time, she runs off into the night with no way home except to call a cab. She steps into the Broadway Grill and someone calls her name, "Sasha!" How will she ever explain to her lady friends the magical moment in time where being wheeled home in a shopping cart melds into meeting a stranger with the "warmest, friendliest eyes?"
