No Sooner Had I Written This Blog Than…
I’m starting to think it’s dangerous for me to write glowing blogs. No sooner has the ink dried on the page than I feel like retracting whatever I’ve just written. Take my blog in December about “Why I Love the Holidays.” A few days after I posted it, my mom died. Suddenly, in the midst…
Read MoreThe Course of True Love Isn’t The Only Thing That Doesn’t Run Smooth
Last week, I was thrilled to sign a contract for my third novel, a coming of age romantic mystery. Leisha’s Song is scheduled for publication early next year. Leisha’s story is a project close to my heart, and I wish I could say that the process of finding a publishing home for it was a…
Read MoreOne of Those “A-Ha” Moments
I don ‘t often speak publicly about my faith journey. But recently, my Unitarian Church began including a new component in our Sunday services called “Sharing Our Stories” where we speak about how we found our way to Unitarianism and what it’s meant to us. Recently, it was my turn to speak. The comments below…
Read MoreA Writer’s Least Favorite Part of the Job
My son went back to work this past week at the inner city high school where he teaches. When he handed in the requested form indicating that he planned to return the following year, his principal was effusive. “He got really excited, Mom,” my son told me. “It feels good to be wanted.” It…
Read MoreChoices
There’s definitely something about losing the remaining senior generation of your family. In the last five months, my husband and I lost his mother, his grandmother, and my mother. Coping with a trifecta of grief and loss has been tough, but it’s also made me do a lot of reflecting. With the time I have…
Read MoreGrieving During the Holidays
Gargou and I No sooner had I penned my cheerful blog on “Why I Love the Holidays” than my mother died. Overnight I became one of the myriad of folks experiencing acute grief during the holidays. Suddenly, all that “fa-la-la-la-la” Christmas music was grating instead of delightful. I know I should have been relieved at…
Read MoreNo Bah Humbug for Me! Why I Love the Holidays
I often hear less than enthusiastic comments about this time of year: “I can’t wait for the holidays to be over!” “This is so stressful.” “There’s always so much to do and not enough time.” Well, yeah. The to-do list I made this morning has a mere 24 items on it. But I love the…
Read MoreThe Power of a Phone Call
As I write this, my dear husband is preparing another one of his delicious Thanksgiving dinners. He truly loves to cook, and I am regularly banished from the kitchen. I admit it—I’m incredibly spoiled. He is unquestionably my culinary hero. He’s also my telephone hero. In an age when so many, myself included, email and…
Read MoreBook Shopping for the Teens On Your Holiday List
Did you know that more than 30,000 books for young adults are published annually? I sure didn’t, and I write for this age group! There are so many good novels out there in every possible genre and combination of genres: contemporary realistic, fantasy and adventure, historical fiction, science fiction, sports novels, mystery and…
Read MoreWhy Writing for Young Adults Matters
This past week, I presented a talk about young adult literature to the Literature Committee of my city’s Woman’s Club. Due to a scheduling snafu, my audience consisted of five women instead of the anticipated 20 or so, and two of the attendees had to leave early because they were greeters at the club’s expo…
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