Hi there happy reader,

I flew out to LA last Friday to experience a fun Halloween with my older grandson (assistant #1, lol!) who turns three this February. This holiday seems to bring out the creatives… I saw some awesome costumes!

It’s always interesting to see how young children react to different things. 

My grandson loved wearing his costume… for a bit. He did love getting candy (not so interested in eating it, just collecting it!) and running around with his friends.

But the blow-up costumes scared him, as did the mechanical rat on his neighbor’s porch. Honestly, I’m not sure why this neighbor thought it was a good idea to put a scary, screeching rodent out on a block filled with young children, but… to each his own, I guess. Every morning since Halloween, my grandson has checked the front window to make sure the offensive decoration is still gone. Happily, it is!

And now we move on…

I don’t know about you, but I love Thanksgiving. 

We always host a large blow-out feast. As our own children have grown up, so have our nieces and nephews, so they bring their significant others and it’s a lot of fun! I’ve begun to make my shopping list, have ordered a turkey and am planning what I’m going to bake. What about you? What does your family do on this festive holiday?

I’m also celebrating the month of November with a writing challenge. 

I’m trying my best to complete the final draft of my work-in-progress, “Below the Horizon” in the next thirty days. It’s a concentrated effort to get the last part of this story told. And once I do, I’ll be sharing it here with you first!

I’m not the only one doing this very thing. Many of my author friends have designated this month as the time to head into their offices to write. We have a friendly competition in the works, and I’m here to come out on top!

That’s it for now because I have a few more chapters to write. I hope you’re enjoying some glorious fall weather in your part of the world. As the nights get longer, it’s time to curl up with a good book and read… take the time to escape into the mind of your favorite author – you won’t be sorry!

Hey there happy reader!

Tomorrow is Halloween, one of my favorite days of the year!

I’m ready for those adorable trick-or-treaters… 

I’m lucky enough to live in a neighborhood full of children. When school’s out, the fun begins. I think that one of the major perks of childhood is going out to find your favorite candy on your walk in the brisk autumn air, costume on, pretending to be someone else – your favorite superhero, the animal of your choice, or my usual go-to as a kid – a gypsy!

This year I’ll be trick-or-treating in Los Angeles with my assistant #1. 

He’s going to be dressed as an airplane… he does love to fly! I will be accompanying him dressed as a flight attendant, lol. His neighborhood shuts down the streets to traffic and loads of kids come out. There’s an actual committee that provides the candy and surprises, and since lots of parents there are in the entertainment industry, the costumes tend to be very creative.

Plus, you never know who you’re going to see… lots of celebrities live nearby and often can be found with their own children, going door to door for the fun of it. I’m sure a good time will be had by all!

The concept of wearing a costume goes back to when people believed that ghosts would appear on October 31st, and that dressing up would chase the spirits away. 

I don’t know just how scary multiple Elmos and airplanes are – the outfits my young grandsons will be dressed in this year – but the tradition has most certainly endured. All I can say is bring on the pumpkin spice!

More seriously, though, as a writer, I can truly relate to the idea of wearing a costume. Authors need to get inside our character’s skin, creating a persona that we hope feels real to our readers.

We wear a lot of different hats while writing a novel – those of the protagonists, the minor characters, the heroes, the villains – all these “people” need to feel authentic for a book to resonate.

Maybe that’s why I love Halloween so much… on that one day a year, anyone pretending to be someone else is doing that exact thing, if only for a few hours. When I’m writing, I tend to jump into the mind of my characters. I hear their voices, I understand their worries, I walk in their shoes. It’s a transformative experience!

I do hope that you’ll greet your trick-or-treaters with the same joy that they display by wearing their costumes and carrying those bags for candy.

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!

Hey there happy reader!

I’m writing this on the last leg of my journey, sitting in the lounge in Heathrow airport, waiting for my flight home. This trip all started in Carmel, California at a wedding. It hopefully ends tonight as I make my way back to New York.

At the start — a beautiful weekend in wine country. It was the first time I’d ever attended an Indian wedding, and the ceremony was beautiful. The bride wore red! Absolutely stunning…

From there, I was meant to fly to LA to connect in the airport with my son, daughter-in-law and grandson (often referred to as my assistant #1), but the airlines had other plans for me. My flight out of Monterey was greatly delayed, so I hopped into an Uber, made my way to San Francisco’s international airport and found a different flight through Toronto to Athens, Greece.

(More on Toronto in a later newsletter. I hadn’t been in that airport since the early 1980’s, when I spent one week a month in the home office of Harlequin Romance, back in the days when I worked for them as an editor.)

As luck would have it, my son’s connecting flight to Athens was delayed, so I landed there before he did! But once we all reunited, the real fun began.

Seeing the ancient ruins of the Acropolis was mind-blowing, and it was only the beginning of immersing myself in a time gone by.

Greece is old… it truly made me think about the people who lived there and built this ancient citadel. Much like the builders of Stonehenge, they had rudimentary tools, yet they crafted something that has stood the test of time. Truly stunning to see!

After Athens, we took the first of our ferry rides, this time to Milos.

The beaches are incredible! As you can see, assistant #1 took some “me” time by the water. It was hard to get him back to work after a day at the seaside, lol…

One more ferry ride, and we were in Santorini. Visually stunning, it didn’t disappoint.

But truly, the thing that struck me most was the winding stone streets and the vendor stalls. I could imagine that they were like the ones that surrounded Stonehenge at the time that “Below the Horizon” takes place.

In my mind, I replaced the modern shops with the types of merchandise a resident of Stonehenge might have found.

Simple leather sandals, spices of every color, and foods that filled the air with the smoky scent of meat cooked over an open fire. All in all, this trip refined some details that had been floating around in my mind. Travel always sparks my imagination…

Hey there happy reader!

Summer may be winding down, but my travel life is revving up! I’m on my way to Carmel, California for the wedding of my BFF from childhood’s son. It’s a whole weekend of festivities and I’m sure it will be absolutely beautiful – how could it not be with these vineyards as a setting!

And to top it off, there are two ceremonies, one Indian and one American. 

It’s a wonderful blending of cultures and I can’t wait to experience all of it!

The above picture is what I’m wearing to the Indian wedding – it’s a lehenga. 

I had so much fun shopping for this gorgeous outfit. Some of the lehengas I saw were studded with beads, rhinestones and sequins, and they were quite heavy and because I knew that I had to fly this across the country, I picked one as simple as possible.

It still has three wide can-cans, or stiff petticoats under the skirt, making it quite difficult to pack. Let’s just hope that my hotel room has a steamer to undo any damage to it from being squished in my luggage on a long flight…

Then, early Sunday morning, I’ll be heading to Greece! 

I’m very excited because I’ve never been there, and even more thrilled to be sharing the experience with our oldest son, our daughter-in-law, and their two-and-a-half-year-old.

My grandson is looking forward to swimming and eating olives and hummus (favorite foods of his.) I’m curious as to what he’ll take away from this trip. He’s been to New York, Boston, Oregon and Vermont, but has never taken a plane ride quite this long. Let’s hope the crayons and coloring books I’ve packed help keep him occupied. If not, there’s always the episodes of “Bluey” his dad has downloaded to the iPad for this eventuality.

My goal for this adventure is to write as much as I can. 

I’m pretty good about using my time on long haul flights for work. I just hope that the overnight ride to Athens is smooth and uneventful. If it is, I might just have an almost completed novel by the time I stand in the shadow of the Parthenon. Or at least, I sincerely hope so!!

There won’t be a newsletter next week because I’ll be island hopping in Greece. (I know. Tough work, but someone’s gotta do it!) I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures that I can share with you once I’m back in New York.

Hey there happy reader!

As you know, I’ve signed on with the indie publishing house, Vinci Books. 

I’m very excited to let someone take over the marketing and sales aspects of my job, leaving me more time to write, but the downside is that IT TAKES FOREVER!

I’m so used to pushing the “publish” button myself that I’m more than a little bit frustrated that I can’t move this process along faster for you and just put my Stonehenge book out as soon as it’s ready. But I’m sure that the cover will be spectacular… as soon as I have an approved design, I’ll share it here first!

And I just also found out that master storyteller Ken Follett has written a book about Stonehenge, and it’s coming out on September 23rd!!! 

In his novel, a woman has a vision of a circle of stones, and the monument is built in the aftermath of her premonition. My book takes place a thousand years later than that, so I feel confident that we’re not writing about the same thing.

Not that I’m comparing myself to Ken Follett – he’s an amazing historian. But sometimes I wish that male authors would stay in their lane and not write novels with a woman as their main protagonist. I mean, really? What does he truly know about the way a woman thinks or feels? I get the sense that there will be some “mansplaining” along the way – wouldn’t you agree?

I guess that it really doesn’t matter. I’ve always believed that good ideas are in the air, and some of us pull them down to earth and work with them, crafting stories out of the smallest details. I think it will be interesting to see if our books turn out to be companion pieces of sorts… you never know!

It’s truly the unofficial end of summer as we celebrate Labor Day. 

We’ve been blessed here in the northeast with beautiful cool days and crystal-clear blue skies, and that lovely forecast stretches through the holiday. I do hope you will take the opportunity to get outdoors over the weekend. I plan on taking my Kindle with me so that I can have the best of both worlds; to be immersed in a great book that I sit and read in a shady spot by the pool!

Hey there happy reader!

I can’t believe that it’s almost Labor Day! It always seems as if summer is the quickest of all the seasons. Here in the northeast, May is rainy and cold, June slowly warms up and then boom! We have two months of heat and humidity before the leaves begin to fall. Cue the pumpkin spice…

I don’t mind this change at all because fall is my favorite time of year. 

I think it has something to do with the beginning of the school year. I’ve always loved blank notebooks, sharpened pencils, and the excitement at the chance to learn something new. Even though I haven’t been a traditional student for a very long time, I find autumn to be reinvigorating. The crisp air, the deep blue skies, the crunch of falling leaves underfoot… it all makes me happy.

So even though I haven’t been to the beach yet this summer, I’m already turning the page. Bring me a pumpkin spice latte, please!

I may no longer find myself in a classroom, but I feel as though I’m always learning something new. 

I think it has all to do with writing historical novels. Through my research for my work-in-progress, “Below the Horizon,” I’ve discovered so much about Stonehenge that I might have never known.

For instance, the multi-stoned monument was not built as a burial ground or cemetery, as many once believed. Now it’s thought that Stonehenge was a community center, a place where the people of that time came to share news and trade goods.

Scientists have determined through carbon dating exactly where the stones came from and how old they are, and archeologists have discovered artifacts that have led them to believe that the people who lived there cooked over open fires and had a sense of true community.

How did they know to position those stones so that the sun rose directly overhead on the spring and autumn equinox? No one knows, and maybe that’s a mystery that will never be answered. It is nice to be able to think about it and create my own world out of that exact question…

To me, that’s the joy of writing fiction.

You get to build a world, populate it with interesting characters, and tell a story. I can’t wait to put this new book in your hands… and this time, the professionally narrated audiobook will be available immediately as well!

For now, get outside to enjoy these waning days of summer. Sit under a tree, head to the beach (if your surf isn’t too rough!) and read a book. You deserve the time to catch your breath and re-energize!