Hey there happy reader!

I’m not the only writer in the family. My daughter-in-law, Alix, is much more talented than me!

She’s written screenplays (her latest has been acquired by Jason Bateman’s production company) and a book of essays about women and their relationship with their fathers.

She also made quite the name for herself on TikTok during Covid when she recreated scenes from “Sex and the City” featuring her cat Fred playing the role of “Kim Catrall!” (The real actress reached out to say how much she loved seeing herself portrayed by this gentle giant of a furball, btw.)

Currently, Alix sits high atop Substack’s list of comedy writers… I’m not sure why they placed her there as her writing is often poignant and personal, but algorithms baffle me anyway!

Oh, and if all that wasn’t enough, she just received her master’s degree in clinical psychology. AMAZING! You should follow her…

Here’s this week’s piece about why she believes that my grandson may be psychic.

It’s guaranteed to brighten your day…

As for me, Vinci reached out this week to let me know that the first three books in my “The Seasons of Us” series have been bought by an audiobook production company and will be available as audio books by early next year!

It’s an incredible opportunity for me – to hear my characters come to life will be a thrill, I’m sure of it. Plus, they could have chosen from a broad range of Vinci titles, but they picked mine… I couldn’t be more excited if I tried!

I was lucky to be up on the Cape last week, the setting of my series.

The paperback version of this five-book series will be available on September 8th – the eBooks are already for sale on Amazon – and the covers look great.

In case you haven’t seen them yet, here they are:

Now I’m just waiting for the cover of “From Below the Horizon” to cross my desk. As soon as it does, I’ll post it here first!

I am anxious to get this book about the women of Stonehenge to you… it will be available for pre-order starting on September 23rd, with the eBook publication date set for October 7th. My advance readers are loving it. One even told me she teared up at the end!!! I think you’ll find that this title was worth the wait…

Summer is flying by. (Did anyone else see Halloween decorations at Costco?!?) It’s time to grab a book and get outside while the sun is shining.

Hey there happy reader!

Well, I was home for a bit… long enough to catch my breath (and do my laundry!) before heading out once more. I’ve spent the last few days at one of my most favorite spots on the planet – Cape Cod!!

If you’ve never been to this magical place, let me tell you why I love it so. 

As soon as you cross the Bourne Bridge and journey onto the Cape, you can feel all the tension in your body melt away. For me, it’s like stepping back in time to hallowed ground. There are lobster shacks, ice cream vendors, mini golf, and a drive-in movie theater!

Time slows down here… and if you’ve never been here, let me tell you that the National Seashore is a treasure!

It’s where the seed of the idea for “The Seasons of Us” was born. 

This Cape Cod series is available as an e-book now and is about to be re-issued in paperback with brand new covers.

Vinci is releasing these on September 8th, so for anyone who hasn’t read them before, consider picking them up now. They are perfect to tuck into your beach bag!

And here’s some more exciting news… 

I’ve already shared that “From Below the Horizon,” my novel about Stonehenge, will be released as an e-book on October 7th. Pre-order will be available on September 23rd.

But I’ve just been told that the paperback will be available WORLDWIDE on December 3rd, just in time for holiday gift-giving!

I’m not truly sure if I’m thrilled or terrified… 

I’ve been running my own show with my titles for more than ten years. Turning the job of marketing over to a publisher is very scary, but probably the very thing I needed to do a long time ago.

I love to write and create… but I hate to sell! I’ve always found the advertising/marketing aspects of publishing to be daunting. I know I’m in good hands with Vinci. I just have to let some of my control-freak nature go and breathe…

I still don’t have a cover image to share with you for “From Below the Horizon.” It’s in the works, though, and as soon as it’s available, you’ll be the first to see it.

I must say that I’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction to this title from my advance readers. This book steps a bit outside of my comfort zone… it’s a historical suspense with a love story weaved within, but it’s different than my other novels. I think you’re going to enjoy it as much as I do. It is truly a love letter to my lifelong girlfriends…

Hey there happy reader!

Did you ever notice just how quickly your vacation days fly by? After countless hours of planning and coordinating, you go and come home in a flash! It’s all good, though. I had a great time with my family in Costa Rica…

We had a ton of beach time, pool time, and together time…

And at the end of the day, we were treated to spectacular sunsets…

But of course, then it’s back to reality. 

However, for me, reality also feels like a dream because…

I have big news!

The publication date for “From Below the Horizon” will be October 7th, with a pre-order date of September 23rd!

The cover is being created right now and as soon as I have it, I’ll post the image here first…

As you well know, this book took me a long time to write and research. 

I think it’s a bit different than my prior novels, but in a good way. I’m calling it an historical romantic suspense. It travels back and forth through time and ultimately goes a bit into the future as well. I can’t wait to put this title into your hands!

This book will be published by Vinci. 

They’ve already re-issued my Cape Cod series, now titled, “The Seasons of Us”, but this is the first work of new fiction that we’ve worked on together.

It will be available as an e-book first; the paperback version will come out later and as soon as I have that date, I’ll let you know. It’s both exciting and terrifying to have a publisher behind me. I’m so used to controlling every aspect of a new title release that letting someone else take the wheel on this feels strange. I have to believe that these market experts have all the right moves. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me!

For now, I’m going down to my office to work on my next novel, “The 48 Hour Rule.” This book is writing itself…

Hey there happy reader!

I don’t know about you, but I hold my female friendships close to my heart. I love my husband with my whole being – we’re married for forty-four years – but my women friends are among the most important relationships in my life.

I mean, who else would you rob a bank with? 

Plan a revenge scheme with? Confide in? Ask for advice? It’s the women in our lives that enrich us, support us, and embrace us when we need it most. And that matters.

It’s why I’ve dedicated my newest book, “From Below the Horizon” to my dearest girlfriends. 

It’s a book about my imaginings of what happened to the civilization that built Stonehenge, but really, the deeper message is all about what women are willing to do for women.

We support each other throughout the life cycle. We help raise each other’s children; we talk each other through problems with health and relationships. We stand up for and stand by our friends when they are low.

We are a strong and powerful force, and I’m here for it!

When I see the stones, I think of all the resilient women who I’m fortunate enough to count on as friends. 

Mostly, I’m grateful!

The book is now in my publisher’s hands. As soon as we have a cover, you’ll see it here first. And as soon as there’s a publication date, I’ll share it with you… I can’t wait to launch this one into the world!

Oh, and one more thing. My beta readers (thank you, ladies!) are giving me great feedback about this book. 

Apparently, this novel will keep you turning the pages late into the night!

It seems appropriate that this is the point in time when I get to go on a family vacation! One book is put to bed; another has its solid first draft almost completed. There won’t be a newsletter next week as I spend some quality time on the beach with those two sweet grandsons of ours. I can’t wait to tell them stories as they fall asleep each night…

I hope that you’re reading something great. Lots of good fiction out there right now. Don’t miss Ann Pachett’s newest novel “Whistler.” It’s beautiful!!

Hey there happy reader!

You don’t need to be a tried-and-true basketball fan to appreciate what the New York Knicks did this past weekend – they ended a fifty-three year-long drought and were crowned NBA champions.

Today they’ll be celebrated in a ticker tape parade down the “Canyon of Heroes” in lower Manhattan and be given the key to the city.

Bet’cha don’t know why the route is called the “Canyon of Heroes”?

Turns out, there are over two hundred black granite plaques embedded in the sidewalks from Battery Park to City Hall, all commemorating the parades that have celebrated a great event.

The very first “ticker tape” parade happened in 1886, to mark the opening of the Statue of Liberty. Back then, shredded telegraph paper was used, generated by the “tickers” that counted the ups and downs of the stock market.

Today, the paper is biodegradable – but it’s still a massive clean-up for the sanitation department when the event is over! 

(I’m just a crypt-keeper for the very interesting history of New York City. I have a whole file left over from when I wrote “The Woodcarver’s Secret,” LOL)

I will happily watch this parade from my home. I’m not fond of large crowds, and this celebration is predicted to bring out a million people. Yipes! Not my idea of a good time…

What is my idea of a good time?

Every now and then, I remember that I live on an island and am surrounded by water. 

This was my view at lunchtime earlier this week. The weather was picture perfect and I was lucky enough to meet some friends outdoors. It’s the best way I know to clear my mind and recharge. I highly recommend it…

I am back at my desk, working on my next novel, “The Forty-Eight Hour Rule.” 

(I can’t decide if it will be “The 48 Hour Rule” or if I should spell the words out. Feel free to weigh in on this one.

I’m also just about to hit send to put “From Below the Horizon” into the hands of my advance readers. If you’re interested in participating and giving me your feedback, send me a message.

Hey there happy reader!

Spring has flown by! First, it was freezing cold, then it rained every single weekend making it impossible for me to get my flowerpots filled. I finally had the chance this past Sunday to dig in the dirt, and I’m pleased with the results…

I don’t know about you, but I do enjoy turning the soil over and getting my hands dirty as I choose where to place the different colored plants. 

There’s something meditative about it, a sense of renewal, and an appreciation for the beauty of nature. Did you have a chance to set up your garden? Are you a vegetable or flower person? (At our house, I handle the flowers, my husband plants vegetables. It works out for both of us!)

I think that writing a book is like planting a garden, only the seeds are words! 

If you string enough of them together in your imagination, you can create a story to share with others.

Speaking of stories, I’m excited to share my next book, “From Below the Horizon” with my advance readers – it will be going out shortly. My editor made some extremely valuable suggestions; it has been copyedited and proofread. Now I’m almost ready to put it into your hands.

When you work on a project for so long – it took me four years to complete this book – it’s somewhat scary to put it out into the universe. 

I hope you like it and that you will share it with your book clubs and your friends. I think it’s a valuable story with an interesting message about civilizations long past and the future that lies ahead. As soon as my publisher has the cover ready, I’ll share it here first!

Now I’m busy with my next book.

It’s a fun contemporary rom-com and I’m LOVING it. I shared the first chapter here a couple of weeks ago and the response was overwhelmingly positive (thanks to all who took the time to encourage me!)

Sometimes a story just tells itself, as this one seems to be doing.

I’m calling it “The 48 Hour Rule.” Why that title? Because the male protagonist thinks he has to wait that length of time to decide if he should call the female protagonist again after their first meeting. Needless to say, there’s a lot of humor on these pages…