What details are needed to keep us turning the page? That’s the question of the week!

Hey there happy reader!

Are you a member of a book club? I am. Sometimes we read a book that doesn’t really move me, and other times we choose a title that I can’t put down…

Marie Benedict’s wonderful historical novel is one of those stories that seems unlikely to be real, but it is! 

It’s this talented author’s imagining of the truth behind the life of actress Hedy Lamarr. An Austrian immigrant, she was a Hollywood actress in the 1930’s and ‘40’s, but more importantly, she was a genius inventor and the creator of the origins of both WiFi and GPS.

Guilt-ridden for having escaped an abusive marriage and Hitler’s grasp, Hedy came up with a way to make torpedoes able to hop between frequencies, eluding the enemy. Considered a great beauty, Hedy is thought to have been the model for Disney’s “Snow White.” But more importantly to me, Hedy was my father’s favorite actress. As a child, I thought it was because she was so beautiful, but as an adult, I realize it was because she rose up to fight against the Nazis. A Holocaust survivor himself, my dad enjoyed any story where the Nazi regime was defeated…

In reading this book, I was struck by the small details the author offers that help to make it compelling – the ring of sweat left behind from ice melting in a glass, the various pots of make-up scattered on an actress’s dressing table, the powdery scent of a newborn’s neck – nothing earth shattering, yet these small descriptions add up to draw a vivid picture in the mind of the reader.

That’s what I’m trying to accomplish in my work-in-progress, “Below the Horizon.” 

From the smell of the firepits and the food cooked over the open flames, to the crowded marketplace with its colorful wares, to the details of the jewels worn by my protagonist Maya, I’m hoping to transport you to a place that lives very far in the past.

And while no one can be totally sure what happened there, or why the people who lived around this neolithic structure disappeared, we can imagine it. Luckily for me, I happen to have a very vivid imagination!

I’m just at the point in the story where it all comes together – the protagonist living today, Miriam, is just about to find a link to draw her into Maya’s world. It’s exciting, and I need to get back to it! I leave you with this thought…how well do you know your family’s history? How far back can you trace your roots? In my latest historical novel, the past greatly influences the present…

Hey there happy reader!

It’s officially pumpkin spice season and I’m so happy! I’ve pulled out my sweatshirts and sweaters and tucked away my bathing suits and cover-ups! I love making myself a cup of tea in the afternoon and just kicking back with a good book!

I’m a huge fan of apple-picking, apple cider donuts, apple crumble, and anything apple themed. 

Being in a fragrant orchard in the warm sunshine on my face is one of my favorite things…

Here’s my assistant #2 choosing his pumpkin! He’s inherited the love of autumn as well!

In other news, here’s a little insight into my author life… 

While I’m writing fiction, I tend to read non-fiction (I never want to inadvertently copy another writer’s style!)

I was excited to see that Shonda Rhimes – yes, the creator of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” and Netflix’s “Bridgerton” has updated her popular memoir. 

I read the original version of this just at the point when I decided to try my hand at writing a novel, and the result was, “The Lyric of Memory.”

Shonda Rhimes’ book had a real impact on me. The concept of always saying “yes” instead of not taking a chance on something new and exciting was motivating – so much so that I wrote and published my first book!

I feel like I’ve come a long way from there, sitting at my kitchen table secretly writing a story about two people who can’t live together or live apart from one another. Best decision I ever made…

And as you know by now, I’ve joined the author list at Vinci Books. Here’s their updated cover of “The Lyric of Memory:”

I love it and I hope you do too! 

I think it captures the turbulent relationship exposed within its pages, with a wistful and romantic starry sky above. We’re creeping ever so slowly (it seems) toward Vinci’s publishing of all my titles… I can’t wait!

I hope that you’ll look at what Shonda Rhimes has to say and apply it to your own life. I can attest to the method she describes. Who knows? It just might change everything!

Hey there happy reader!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’ve become a “hybrid” author. Still an indie, my backlist has been acquired by Vinci Books. They’re a London-based publisher who plucked me out of a large pool of authors and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’m still an indie author – I get to choose what I write, and I work at my own pace – but I now have the backing of a publishing house that can advertise in a bigger way than I ever could!

This wasn’t an easy decision for me. I am most definitely a type A personality. 

I like control, especially with my work. But when Jane Harris, the publisher of Vinci, explained that I could have full creative freedom plus the ability to contribute my thoughts on new cover art and their marketing plans, I jumped in — and I’m so glad that I did. (Check me out on their author page!)

Most of the new covers are there as well – I especially love the one for “The Lyric of Memory!” They’re still working on “The Woodcarver’s Secret” and “Question Everything,” but if those turn out as well as the ones you can currently see, I’ll be one happy author!

But even more than the new cover art, being with Vinci frees me from doing my own advertising – which I was never any good at! 

They are testing some Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon campaigns right now, so don’t be surprised if you find one coming across your feed. And from their end to mine, it’s all transparent – I can track my sales and pages read using an app called “Publisher Champ.”

I used to have to manually look at each platform to see the results of an ad campaign. Vinci has taken the grunt work upon themselves, allowing me to write more! I’m one very lucky author, and am deeply grateful for this new collaboration.

So, now even though I’m close to finishing “Below the Horizon,” I’m not in charge of getting a cover created for this thrilling book. However, once Vinci and I have the image we both feel represents this story best, I’ll post it here first…

And speaking of new images, I’m thinking about letting my hair go grey! This is an AI produced photo of what I might look like…(I guess AI has some uses after all, lol!). What do you think? Should I do it??

Hey there happy reader,

As you know, I’ve recently returned from a trip to Greece. Surrounded by antiquity and immersed in history, I couldn’t help but notice something else… a constant reminder of a not-so-distant past. Everywhere I went – from beach bars to hotel lobbies to fine dining restaurants – the soundtrack was always the same. It was a barrage of hits from the 1980’s!

You remember the ’80s, don’t you? 

The fashion was excessive – from bright colors to crazy quilted jackets, and the hair… there was not enough hairspray in a can to get me through the work week! But what I recall with the greatest affection was my early days working in book publishing in Manhattan.

I had my dream job – I was an editor for Harlequin Books, and I worked for a woman who would eventually create the Romance Writers of America.

Her name is Vivian Stephens, and she was a true pioneer of the genre. Vivian fought to keep “the bedroom door open” at a time when romance novels ended with a chaste kiss. She had her eye on the future and knew that women were looking for a more realistic approach to relationships in the books they read, not just a happily ever after.

She was supportive and nurturing, and I couldn’t have been more fortunate to have landed a job working alongside her and having a part in the creation of two new series, both groundbreaking for their time.

And true to the ‘80’s, everything we did surrounding these books was BIG! 

The lavish launch parties, the first-class travel, large expense accounts, and riding “The Love Train” from Chicago to New York City to attend a romance writer’s convention. It was absolutely wild…

Listening to all the old music on my trip had those memories flooding back. 

I’m not truly one for nostalgia, but when I think about how young I was — the heroines of our books were twenty-six years old. I was twenty-three!! — I can’t help but be grateful for how fortunate I was to be in a place where I could learn so much in such a short time. That experience has most definitely shaped who I am today. Without the big hair anymore, lol!