The instant attraction and love that Matthew Baldwin and Chloe Singh feel for each other during their first in-person meeting at the beginning of From Across the Pond fuels the rapid development of their relationship. The couple's past romantic relationships with their friend Kelly Bonner, along with other temptations, add wrinkles and drama to their story. As all of these relationships develop, evolve, and become interconnected, they rub against the grain of societal and family norms, which creates drama and some suspense in the novel. It is hopeful that readers will be able to see folks of different skin colors and ethnicities, folks in the LGBTQ community, and folks in interracial relationships in a more favorable and positive light. It's time to let go of the fear that breeds the mistrust and hate and to embrace one another as equal members of the human race. It's time to recognize that regardless of skin color, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation, no matter how big or small the contribution, everyone has something positive to offer to society and civilization. Despite having been declared legally blind for the past twenty years, Michael T. Bellinger has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and a Master's in Education. He has worked in public accounting as a CPA and in a parochial school as a volunteer classroom teacher, where he taught computers and technology to the K-thru-8 students. Michael enjoys listening to music and audiobooks, and his tastes in both are eclectic. He enjoys writing poetry when the inspiration hits him, and he is currently working on Book Five of the six-book series of From Across the Pond. Michael and his wife, Lisa, have been married for 31 years, and together they share two grown sons. They live in a small town in NJ.