Hey there happy reader!

Bedlam.

That’s what happens when you let a two-year-old loose in your house! My California grandson is here (and yes, so are his parents!) for an open-ended visit while things shake out environmentally at home in Los Angeles.

Currently, most experts have advised that children not be outside in the toxic mix in the air from the fires that finally seem to be under control. Unfortunately, the homes that burned released a mix of unhealthy chemicals into the atmosphere. It finally rained, but not enough to wash away the remnants of this disaster… so we have an energetic house guest!

We’ve been blowing a lot of bubbles. 

Well, not exactly blowing them. We hold the tightly closed bottle, because, well, no bubble blowing inside the house, and this little boy is not so fond of a cold, northeastern winter day!

Instead, we run around talking about blowing bubbles! I’ve found that the simplest of pleasures can be found inside that ten-cent bottle of soap. It’s the thought that one day we will blow those bubbles that seems to matter. And honestly, it’s a metaphor for this entire experience.

Soon enough, the season will turn, and the sun will come out and warm the day. And hopefully, in the not too distant future, Los Angeles will rise from the ashes, and he can safely go back outside and play.

When we’re not talking about blowing bubbles, we’re in the basement “cooking” up something on an old play kitchen, complete with a “microwave” and a “cordless phone.” You would think that we’re on the set of a Food Network program, competing to make something delicious. Hours can pass as we “bake a cake” or “make eggs…”

All this to say that not much writing has gotten done here this week. 

But, I wouldn’t change a thing about this unexpected visit. Life is too short to miss any opportunity to hang out with a two-year-old!

Hey there happy reader!

I’m back from the west coast with my favorite two-year old in tow! With the fires in Los Angeles leaving poor air quality in their wake, my daughter-in-law and grandson have come to stay with us for a while. We’ve put away all the breakables and secured anything that might become a projectile for the immediate future…

I’m excited to have this little California boy see snow for the first time, need to wear his mittens and winter coat when we go outside, and watch him experience cold weather! Something tells me he’s not going to like it all that much.

And while he sleeps, I’ll continue to work on my new book! 

I’m doing a deep dive into ancient religions as I try to understand the culture of Stonehenge. While religion isn’t the focus of the book, I do think it’s important to capture the truth about the way of life all those years ago. I find that the more historical fact I can add to my fictional story, the better the narrative. And since one of my main protagonists is the leader of this tribe of people, I do believe that it would help to gather as much of the truth of the time as possible. It makes the story feel more authentic – I think you’ll agree!

My plan is to have a good portion of this book written by the time I leave for Joyce Maynard’s writer’s workshop at the end of March in Guatemala. It’s a lot to get done, but I’m hopeful that I can do it!

In the meantime, I’ve been invited to speak at a number of book clubs this winter and spring. 

While these are in-person appearances, I am available to Zoom into your book club as well. We always have fun talking about books, writing, and what it means to take a creative leap and do the one thing you haven’t allowed yourself to do before.

If you would like to get in touch, you can always reach me at hilari.mpp@gmail.com. I’d love to drop by and meet you!

Hey there happy reader,

I come to you today with a heavy heart. The fires in Los Angeles have devastated the city where my oldest son, my daughter-in-law, and grandson live. While their home has been spared (and we are so grateful), many of their friends have lost everything, including their livelihoods. Businesses are destroyed in a city already facing the effects of the dying entertainment industry. It’s a crisis beyond imagination and the uncertainty that lies ahead is frightening.

For now, my family has evacuated to San Diego (which is where I am today!) because the air quality in LA is terrible. We’re all hoping that the fires will be contained and that the Santa Ana winds will finally abate, giving the first responders a chance to do their job.

Natural disasters – like the hurricanes and tornados that affected Ashville, North Carolina, and these fires in LA remind us that we must have a plan for every emergency. Pack a to-go bag with medications and extra clothing, add some bottled water and snack foods that have no expiration dates. Important documents need to be in a fireproof, waterproof file box with a handle so that you can grab it in an emergency. Take photos of your house—inside and out – for your insurance company in case all is lost. Listen to the evacuation orders and follow them. Be ready to go if need be!

I’m sure you’re all familiar by now with the ways to help in this crisis. The American Red Cross, José Andres World Central Kitchen, and the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition are all accepting donations to help those who’ve lost everything. I’m donating there, and if you’re able to do the same, just know that the people of Los Angeles appreciate you!

And then, there are the libraries.

This is a before and after photo of the Palisades Library.

It’s gone, all the books burned in the blaze. It will take billions of dollars to rebuild this city… I can only hope that sacred places like libraries will be included in the renaissance that I’m sure LA will experience. Without books, we’re barely a civilization.

I’m going to keep my eye out for LA libraries as they begin to re-emerge after the fires. If there are places to donate books – it’s a great way to clear your own shelves and make space for new titles – I’ll let you know!

Speaking of civilizations, I’m trying to recreate the history of the lost people of Stonehenge.

We know that there was a thriving community there at one point, thousands of years ago, and that they used the stone structure as a community gathering point. What we don’t know is where they went, and why they left. In my imagination, they moved on because of a major change in leadership – the one-time matriarchal society became patriarchal – need I say more?

For now, I’m going to enjoy the company of my favorite almost two-year-old! Somehow being with a grandchild makes you forget your troubles for a short while…

Hey there happy reader,

I’ve missed you! I took off a bit of time around the holidays to refresh and recharge, but as we all know, things don’t always go as planned… I spent more than a few days sick in bed with a stomach virus, and then the worst happened – my husband caught the bug from me!

It was bad enough when I had it, but he needed little reason to stay in bed all day and complain. Sheesh!

Seriously, though, this virus was not fun. I’m just glad we both survived it, lol. It made me think of that scene in the film, “The Devil Wears Prada,” where Emily turns to Andie and says that she’s, “just one stomach bug away from her goal weight.” I lost three pounds, but my husband lost seven!!! I’m happy to report that we’ve both recovered – at least he has. I think I’m emotionally scarred for life…

I did get a chance to catch up on some of my TBR list. 

If you haven’t read “James” by Percival Everett, I highly recommend it! It’s the retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” through the eyes of Jim, or in this case, James. The story is familiar, but the point of view is entirely different. I’d love to hear your take on it.

I also read “The Women” by Kristin Hannah, a saga about the women who served in Vietnam.

While I’ve never been a Hannah fan, this book did keep me turning the pages long into the night. The female protagonist, Frankie, was a brave solider, who like many of her generation, was not credited for the trauma she faced during that war. It was well worth reading!

For now, I’m hard at work on my Stonehenge book.

I’d like to have the first half of it done by the end of March when I head to Joyce Maynard’s intensive writing seminar in Guatemala. I’m excited (and a bit nervous) to attend this event, but I’m sure I’ll get a lot of work done there. Plus, there’s the bonus of having Joyce weigh in on my writing, and I get to stay in the actual Bird Hotel.

Looks like paradise, right?

And finally, as 2024 ended, I’m happy to report that I was able to send a sizeable donation to the Alzheimer’s Association after I received my first royalty check from the sales of “Question Everything.” 

It felt great to make good on that promise, and I owe it all to you! Thanks for buying and reading this book – and if you haven’t done so yet, it’s not too late. I’ll send more funds to help support their research after next quarter’s royalties hit my bank account!

Hey there happy reader!

I’m back from my short but action-packed trip to London and Paris! What an amazing experience to go on this adventure with my childhood friend Leslie. We did a little bit of everything – shopping, eating, sight-seeing. Well maybe not a little shopping. Or eating. Maybe a lot. We had a blast!

London was bustling with holiday shoppers. 

We went to Harrods for all of five minutes before we turned around and left – the mob there was intense! So many tourists looking for a great gift idea… we decided to try the smaller boutiques instead.

We got lucky. Leslie had her eye out for a formal dress to wear to her youngest son’s wedding next fall, and she may have found the perfect one! If her daughter-in-law-to- be likes it, that will be one big thing to cross off the list. Let’s hope so…

Plus, I was there to meet Leslie’s first grandchild, a beautiful little girl. She is just perfect, and I can’t wait to see what wonderful things she does as she grows up. It was so special to get to spend some time getting to know her.

Then we took the Chunnel train to Paris and ooh la la! Paris is all dressed up for the holidays.

As one of my daughters-in-law says, “Paris is always a good idea,” and believe me it was! 

We wandered around the decorated streets and soaked in the beauty of this great city. We ate our way through it as well. Bread and cheese and wine, oh my! But, for me, the highlight was getting a chance to see the Dior exhibit up close in a gallery behind the flagship store on Rue de Montaigne.

If you watched the Apple TV show “The New Look,” you might remember that the French fashion designers did not have enough fabric after the war to make a new collection of dresses.

To revive the industry, a group of these men made doll clothes to display their concepts to a hungry public. When the materials became available, they made the actual dresses. That’s what this exhibit reminded me of – tiny designs, one more beautiful than the next, tempting a fashion-minded public to place an order for something new, to leave the horrible war years behind them and boldly step into their future.

Of course, Dior made history with this classic silhouette. 

And like any other museum, you can “exit through the gift shop” when you’re done taking in the display and purchase any of the Dior merchandise of your choice. Et voilà! We had a great time there. If you find yourself anywhere in the vicinity, don’t miss this very special exhibit!

Before we knew it, we were headed back to London. 

I did get to have dinner in a pub and made lots of notes for my current work-in-progress, which takes place there… it was an educational and fun trip. I can’t wait to return, and I will once the weather is warmer, to take another trip to the iconic Stonehenge. Travel is one of my greatest sources of inspiration!

PS I’m taking off some time for the holidays. I’ll be back here right after the new year. For now, I’m sending love, gratitude for you, and wishing us all a 2025 filled with good health and peace, in both your heart and your home! Enjoy!

Hey there happy reader!

I am so excited to tell you that I am currently on an unexpected holiday! My childhood friend Leslie has joined the ranks of grandparenthood as her oldest son and his wife just had a beautiful baby girl. The new parents live in London, so I flew over to meet the latest member of the family and soak in all the sights and sounds of this city as it celebrates the Christmas season. HOW LUCKY AM I?

The timing could not have been better. 

As I get more and more into the writing of my book about Stonehenge, I find myself right in the middle of one of the main locations of this project. I am sitting in pubs, shopping at vintage flea markets, and immersing myself in the local culture and buzz of this great city.

The Stonehenge novel (still untitled, UGH) starts out in modern day London, flashes back to Salisbury Plain, and ends up in Boston at Harvard University. There are two main female protagonists – a contemporary one named Maia and a historical one named Maya. Yes, the names, although spelled differently, are the same, and for good reason.

These two women are related, not just by blood, but by a special trait that they both share. I think I’m dipping my foot into the world of magical realism with this book and I’m excited to face the challenge of making it all believable for my readers.

Leslie and I have had some wild escapes during our fifty-plus year friendship, but none of them have taken place on foreign soil – until now. 

We’ll do our best to stay out of trouble, but I make no promises! When we are together, almost anything can happen, and if often does…

Meanwhile, back at home, this book is turning out to be one of my most popular titles, thanks to all of you. 

I have gotten lots of positive feedback and good reviews. If you haven’t read it yet, go download a copy. Or order a paperback. Or listen to the audiobook! I promise that you won’t be disappointed by the twisty plot or the level of spiciness between the covers.

I think it’s the perfect book to read when you need an escape – and who doesn’t need exactly that at this time of year?

Hey there happy reader!

I hope that your Thanksgiving was both memorable and peaceful. We had a houseful of family, and I think I’ve finally washed all the dirty towels and sheets… it’s a lot of work but in the end, it’s all worth it! 

Plus, this was the first time that both of our grandsons were mobile! We thought we’d babyproofed the house, but of course, little boys will always find the one thing you’ve forgotten to move up to safer ground. Thankfully we all survived with zero trips to the emergency room!

Despite the toys, the cars, the basketball hoop, and every kind of ball I could think to have at the ready, these two spent most of their time looking out the windows.

They thought my gardeners were magical as they blew the remaining leaves around, securing my lawn for the winter. It was fun to watch the most mundane things through their eyes…

Through the entire week, I kept my eye on “Question Everything.” 

This book has truly taken off. If you haven’t read it yet, get yourself a copy. The reviews have been great, and the sales have been even better. Plus, it’s available through Kindle Unlimited, so if you are a member of that service, you can read it for free – lots of people have! This book has more pages read than most of my other titles combined.

This is a fast-paced romantic suspense novel that will keep you reading late into the night!

For now, I’m deep into my yet untitled Stonehenge book. 

It starts off in present day London and flashes back a few centuries to Salisbury Plain and the construction of those massive stones in the circle we all recognize. This book has two female protagonists. One is a researcher, trying to uncover the true meaning of this ancient ceremonial ground. The other is an architect of the project, a woman with great vision who can see the finished project and knows what its significance will be. They are linked through the years and generations by one similar trait…

I’m not going to tell you exactly what that is – at least not yet. I think you’ll find it fascinating when all is revealed!

Hey there happy reader,

Beyond my wildest expectations… that’s what I can say about the launch of “Question Everything.”

I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. Writing is a lonely business. I sit in a room for eight to twelve hours at a time spinning stories, never sure if what I’ve written will resonate with you or not. It’s always a crapshoot… I tend to write what I’d like to read and hope that you’ll want to read it too.

This time, I decided to try my hand at a romantic suspense novel, only the most crowded segment of the romance genre.

I did it because I wanted to challenge myself, but more importantly, I did it to help deal with the reality of a friend suffering from Alzheimer’s. The concept of losing one’s memory is complex and often frightening for the person who’s living though it – I just wanted to address what happens when you can’t remember who you are. It’s a terrifying thought, right?

So, I put this title out into the world not really knowing what to expect. My last two books were historical fiction with a bit of romance sprinkled throughout. I’ve written a number of contemporary romances with happily ever afters.

This book is different, and I’m so glad for that! As I’ve mentioned before, twenty percent of my royalties from “Question Everything” will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association to help fund research. At this point I know that I will be able to send them a substantial check. Let’s keep a good thing going!

Even if you read this book in the KU program, the pages you read count toward my bottom line. The more you read, the more I can send this worthy cause…

And for those of you who posted reviews, I can’t thank you enough!

Each review helps boost my standing in the Amazon algorithm, which in turn sends more readers to my page to download or buy this title. I thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart!

Finally, you can have a chance to win a copy of the paperback version of “Question Everything” this coming weekend. 

I’ll be giving books away at the Tattered Page Thanks-Book-Giving event this weekend!

Head on over and win some books!!
It’s lots of fun…

Hey there happy reader,

I know that many of you have downloaded “Question Everything,” and I hope that you’ve enjoyed it!

This may be my most widely read book yet! 

I have had more page reads on this title in the two weeks it has been in the marketplace than any other book I’ve written before it.

That’s the good news…

The bad news is that it hasn’t been widely reviewed. 

The reviews I’ve had are great, it’s just that there aren’t too many of them yet. As I’ve mentioned before, reviews are a way for readers to shower their love on their favorite indie author – and I hope I make the top of your list!

A review doesn’t need to be long. Two sentences are enough. Or, if you don’t want to write one, you can just go on Amazon and leave a star rating.

With the algorithm that Amazon uses, these reviews and ratings help me cast a wider net on the platform, driving new readers to my page. It doesn’t matter if you do this on Amazon or Goodreads – whatever you do for one shows up on both. It only takes a minute… help this gal out if you can!

And, if you’re looking for a bunch of free books from other indie authors, mark your calendars! 

The Tattered Page Book Club will once again be holding their annual Thanks-Book Giving event.

There are hundreds of authors, including yours truly, who have signed up and are committed to giving away lots of their titles and even some swag. I’ve participated in this every year since it began, and I truly enjoy it. Aside from finding new books to read, the ladies of this group are lovely individuals.

Go on Facebook and check this group out!

For today, I’m just trying to sort out my Thanksgiving shopping list and stay organized. It’s the one weekend of the year when my entire family descends on our house all at once. Every bedroom is filled, every towel is used and somehow remains wet, lol! I do love it – the shared meals, the endless board games, and now my grandsons chasing each other around. In my mind, there is nothing better than that!

I’m also trying to do as much writing as I can before my life spins a bit out of control. 

I’m working on my still untitled Stonehenge book. So far, I think I know my protagonist’s name – I’m just not willing to share it yet. What I know for sure is that she’s a scientific researcher studying the ancient ceremonial ground and that she suffers from terrible migraines. Why does that detail matter? Because it links her to the past and the women who I believe were the architects of that massive structure…

That’s all for now, but you can be sure that more will be revealed in the coming weeks!

Hey there happy reader!

I’m sitting here with bated breath waiting to hear from you! “Question Everything” hit the shelves last week and lots of copies have been sold… so what did you think?

This was my first attempt at a romantic suspense novel, so I am hoping that I kept you turning the pages as you read Maeve and Kyle’s story. 

I think that the twist was one you might not have anticipated… am I right? Did you feel the heat between these two characters? I know I loved writing about them – I do hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! And as I mentioned last week, I’m donating twenty percent of my royalties from this title to the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of my close friend who is suffering from this terrible disease.

When you buy a copy, you’re helping fund research and maybe together, we can find a cure.

Now that Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving can’t be too far away. 

This is truly my favorite time of year – I don’t mind the shorter days and cool nights. I treasure them! I always feel more productive when the weather turns colder.

Now that I’ve put “Question Everything” into the world, it’s time for me to turn all my attention to my still untitled Stonehenge book. I don’t have a lot of details to share with you about this story yet other than to say that it’s my imagining of what happened there.

I see it as an ancient matriarchal society led by strong-minded women who were the architects of this ambitious project. There may be a link to a woman living in modern day England as well…

This is the project that I will be workshopping when I attend Joyce Maynard’s writer’s intensive program later next year. 

I’m excited to have a full week of dedicated time with other authors to craft this novel into something special for you. I’ll be sure to keep you posted along the way!

PS If you’ve already read “Question Everything” and feel inclined to leave me a review on Amazon or Goodreads, I’d appreciate it. Every indie author needs help boosting their title on these sites, and multiple reviews do exactly that! Thanks in advance!!