Artist and Author Marcie Shrewsbury Lopez Honors a Love that Defies Judgement in Moving New Memoir
"A Place of Promise" offers comfort to those navigating grief and seeking renewal
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, N.J., Sept. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Artist and author Marcie Shrewsbury Lopez's love story is far from conventional. She and her late husband, renowned magazine publisher Adrian B. Lopez, shared a 46-year age difference. The relationship caused tension with their respective families. Despite these obstacles, the love the two shared remained unshaken.
The loss of a spouse is never an easy journey, and it is one that Lopez found herself embarking on at 52 years old. She now shares her story of love, loss, and finding herself after grief in her new book, "A Place of Promise."
"Our marriage had begun under a cloud of mistrust and resentment," Lopez said, "yet we refused to let the weight of others' judgments define us. Together, we faced the prenuptial agreement, the coldness of his sons, and the whispers of doubt from my own family. In the quiet of our home, we chose each other again and again. Love was our fortress, stronger than their disapproval, steadier than the trials set before us."
After her husband passed the day before his 98th birthday, Lopez found herself facing feelings of emptiness, loneliness, and the collapse of her sense of purpose. She struggles with practical matters, such as settling his estate and finances, as well as the spiritual weight of loss. In an effort to pull herself from her grief, she begins a journey of rediscovery, reconnecting with her creativity, and feeling her husband's presence in nature, memory, and faith. She finds comfort in spiritual promises of eternal love.
"In the silence that followed Adrian's passing, I had to learn to breathe on my own again," Lopez said. "I discovered strength I never imagined, managing finances, creating art, and finding comfort in prayer. Slowly, I began to see myself not only as his widow but as a woman capable of living fully. Through painting and writing, I reclaimed parts of myself long hidden in the shadow of grief."
The title "A Place of Promise" refers not only to the couple's shared homes but also to the enduring spiritual bond that guides Lopez's future. By sharing her own story, she hopes to help others heal in their grieving process and to inspire them to live life to the fullest, even after a broken heart or significant loss.
"A Place of Promise"
By Marcie Shrewsbury Lopez
ISBN: 9798765260449 (softcover); 9798765260456 (hardcover); 9798765260432 (electronic)
Available at Balboa Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the author
Marcie Shrewsbury Lopez is a painter and writer with an MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art and a degree in English from New York University. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at museums and galleries, and she has taught art history and drawing at Brookdale Community College and Essex County College in New Jersey. Lopez lives near the Jersey Shore, where she maintains a studio. To learn more and view her art visit www.marcieshrewsburylopez.com.
General Inquiries:
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Ashley Fletcher
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SOURCE Balboa Press
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