“Looking back, it was impossible to count the number of times he had thought about her over the years. When they were young, sometimes they’d stay awake all night, just talking …. Other times, they’d make love until the edges of sunrise kissed the bedroom curtains. He could still taste her strawberry lipstick and see the ends of the universe, just by looking in her eyes.”

This is a beautiful passage from Almina Rose, a new novel by JL (Jeff) Davis. The words describe thoughts from Jake Hunter as he is about to enter a nursing home room to visit a woman that he loved, but hasn’t seen in nearly 60 years.

The novel is a story about an old gypsy, a woman named Desiree who is locked down in a memory care unit and this man, Jake, who’s been diagnosed with dementia.

Davis says his book is “a terrifying love story from a forgotten past.”

As most novel writers do, he builds his story and characters from his own life experiences. His aunt and father both had dementia at different times before they died and had told him they were visited by their deceased spouses many years after their loved ones had died.

“It seemed to me that my aunt and my father both had one foot in this world and one foot in the next,” he said.

Davis felt a particular intimacy with the characters in his novel. “Almina Rose had some personal meanings for me. I’ve seen family and friends go through dementia and Alzheimer’s.

“This novel is a supernatural thriller, even romantic at times, but I really wanted to explore another side of the disease, one that’s meaningful and hopeful.”

Using local as inspiration

Another story feature of this Jim Thorpe native is that his town and its surrounding areas are settings in every book he has written.

In Almina Rose, Jake, a Thorpe resident, remembers going on dates at the Mahoning Drive-In and driving out to the lake at Mauch Chunk Park.

Released earlier this month, this novel has had three reviews.

One reader said, “Almina Rose is a supernatural thriller that keeps you guessing until the end….”

Another reader wrote, “An excellent thriller about a man with memory issues, reverting back in time and a frightening event he experienced with a young woman in his youth.”

Epic Reads called the book, “Bold. Fast paced. Supernatural. Meaningful.”

Honing his skills

Davis has honed his writing skills while sitting upon an old cat scratched reclining chair. He readily admits that he has one foot in the real world with the other foot planted in the fictional world.

“Whether I’m in the Jim Thorpe Market, at the gas pump, or standing in a club listening to a band, I’m always plotting the next scene. I met an old friend in the frozen food section of the Market.

“I haven’t seen you in a dog’s age,” he said. “So writers shop for food?’

“No,” I told him. “Little fairies, or sometimes monsters, deliver it to our doorsteps.”

It came in a dream

When asked how he came up with the title, Almina Rose, the answer to the question entered his mind years ago on one hot August night.

“I was eating pizza while sitting on a boardwalk bench in Ocean City, Maryland. Across the walkway, a fortuneteller with a crystal ball sat in a booth. She had a big sign overhead that read, ‘Eternity’s Fortunes.’ Years later, I had this stupid dream about her and woke up with that name in my head … the rest is history.”

Davis has built an impressive readership from not only his local fans, but also from New York, New Jersey, and as far away as Japan and Guam.

Almina Rose promises to add numbers to his reading list and Davis is excited about the enjoyment they will have turning the pages from cover to cover.

The first ending he had written he thought was good, but then a rewrite became a conclusion that thoroughly pleased this author of six previously popular novels. He explained how his stories arrive at their endings.

“Think of the characters as mischievous kids. No matter how you try to reel them in, they sneak off when you least expect it.” He added that characters drive the story, not the author and that they decide what happens at the end.

“I took 10 months to write the book and the ending of the story is one I really like. I hope my readers will, too.”

Almina Rose is available for purchase in hard cover, soft cover, and kindle editions on Amazon Books.