Surgery for Acoustic Neuroma

Please see the follow-up for this post at: http://www.ameliamarzec.com/rewired/
On Thursday, April 2nd, Daughter #2 had surgery for an acoustic neuroma, which is a non-malignant, slow-growing tumor in the ear canal. Due to the tumor, she lost hearing in her left ear and often suffered bouts of dizziness. The tumor was not small and it seemed the best option was to have it removed. :^(

Daughter #2 lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and works in Manhattan. The surgery was done at St. Vincent’s hospital in lower Manhattan. Hubby and I decided to camp out on the futon at Daughter #2’s apartment while she was in the hospital. We drove up the afternoon before the surgery and took Daughter #2 to a Thai restaurant for supper.

She worried about us using the subways—and getting lost. She worried we would break the toilet in her apartment—so she put a sign on the wall. She worried that we would not be able to get up at 4 a.m. to accompany her to the hospital.

I think she believes we are already senile. :^)

I did not sleep well that night fearing that I would not hear the alarm on my cellphone. But I did hear it—so did Daughter #2 even though she had her bedroom door closed.

It is very, very quiet in Greenpoint at 4 a.m. Hubby and I dressed quickly and ate raisin bran. Daughter #2, of course, had nothing.

Usually, it takes 45 minutes by subway to reach lower Manhattan. We had no idea how long it would take by car because it depends on the traffic, but we thought it would be easier on our daughter to ride in a car.

The limo arrived and by 5 a.m. we were whizzing through Brooklyn. There was no traffic. It took 15 minutes to get from Greenpoint, Brooklyn to St. Vincent’s hospital—a very smooth ride that cost $16 plus a tip.

At 5:30 a.m. Daughter #2 was ushered into the admitting room where she signed a bunch of papers. Then we all went upstairs to the fourth floor. By 6:30 she was ensconced in a big chair in a small curtained alcove. She had donned a hospital gown, had blood taken, had signed more papers, and met the anesthesiologists who explained their part in the surgery.

There were plenty of other people being processed at the same time—all very efficiently.

We talked with Amy’s surgeon and the ear doctor who explained what would be happening. The tumor would be taken out, bit by bit in order not to disturb the surrounding nerves. It would be long and delicate surgery.

Daughter #2 signed more papers. The surgeon wrote “Yes” behind her left ear and reminded her that a piece of fat would be taken from her abdomen when closing up the wound on her head.

She looked at her flat stomach and said, “Good luck in finding that fat.”

Finally, one of the anesthesiologists led her down the hall. She gave me her glasses at that point—reluctant to part with them since she is very nearsighted.

Hubby and I walked into the Spellman waiting room and started reading. Hubby had finally begun to read Sea Of Hope, which was published in 2001. He laughed out loud when he read the scene about the meatloaf. I think he knows where that idea came from. :^)

By nine, I was starving and in desperate need of caffeine. We went downstairs to the cafeteria to load up on eggs, sausage, hash browns, and coffee.

Afterwards, we took a walk outside toward Washington Square Park. Hubby was looking for his favorite sandwich restaurant—Subway. We didn’t find one—though we did see a McDonald’s and a Domino’s pizza restaurant. There were plenty of other restaurants but hubby insisted on his favorite.

At ten o’clock, we were back in the Spellman waiting room (named after Cardinal Spellman). Hubby proceeded to nap.

While he dozed, I read a book, talked to Daughter #3 on the cellphone, and typed up some of this blog.

At 1 p.m. the doctor called the waiting room to let us know that all was going well with the surgery—but it wasn’t finished yet.

I finished the book I was reading. Hubby finished Sea Of Hope. I started reading another book. Hubby read his latest issue of Smithsonian. I talked to my northern sister on the cellphone.

Around 4:30 we got word from a nurse that the tumor was out—all of it. We would be allowed to see Daughter #2 in two hours. We took another walk outside, found a Subway one block north of the hospital and ate.

Hurrying back to the hospital, we talked to the surgeon who said Daughter #2 had been given blood. He said her facial nerves looked good—they had been checked out electrically. However, due to the long surgery and resulting pain, he was going to keep her sedated overnight and wake her up tomorrow.

We were allowed to see her, but we couldn’t touch her. She had a breathing tube in her mouth, and IV drip, and lots of other tubes and wires monitoring her condition. It was difficult to see her like that. She was scheduled to have another CT scan and would be in ICU afterward.

We left to return to Greenpoint. The G train had signal problems so once we got off the L train we had to walk. It was a nice evening but it was a long walk considering the fact that we had gotten up at 4 a.m.

Once we reached the apartment, we called Babci, Mom and Dad, as well as Daughter #1 and Daughter #3.

It was a very, very long day.

Despite that, I spent the night tossing and turning. I finally gave up trying to sleep and called ICU to ask how Daughter #2 was doing. According to the nurse, all was well and the doctors were beginning to make their rounds. The breathing tube would be taken out and Daughter #2 would be able to wake up.

Meanwhile, hubby had to move the car to another spot due to the alternate side of the street parking rules. Twice a week the street sweeper comes by and everyone has to move their cars. Once the sweeper passes, everyone runs out and moves their car back. It is crazy. There are cars in Brooklyn that never go anywhere except from one side of the street to the other.

Hubby found a parking space several blocks away.

Afterwards, we had to do a little shopping for more coffee and milk. It was raining, so we didn’t go far—simply around the block to the little fruit store.

When we returned to the apartment, I saw the street sweeper go by. Hubby rushed out and managed to get the last parking space on the block.

Afterwards we got on the G train again to go to the hospital. It was raining hard. Daughter #2 was still in ICU, but she was awake, though drowsy. She claimed she didn’t sleep all night. I told her she was sedated all night—but she insisted that she was awake. She said she was writing notes to the nurses and crying. Her lip hurt where the tube pressed against it.

So maybe she wasn’t completely sedated.

At any rate, now that she was completely awake, her head hurt. Her throat felt raw. Her tummy hurt where a chunk of fat had been removed to patch the hole in her head. She said her derriere hurt as well. She hated the uncomfortable bandage on her head. It covered her left ear and she could not put on her eyeglasses.

She dozed off after a while. Hubby and I went to eat our lunch in the cafeteria. St. Vincent’s has good food—and since this was a Lenten Friday, they had plenty of fish. :^)

Afterwards, we went back upstairs to check on Daughter #2, but she could not keep her eyes open. We went to the waiting room so she could sleep.

After an hour we went back upstairs. The nurse removed the catheter and got Daughter #2 to sit up in a chair. But her head hurt worse and so the nurse gave her pain medicine.

Daughter #2 was supposed to eat some soft food for supper.

The rain ended and hubby and I headed back to Brooklyn. Daughter #2 told us to go to the Associated food store on Manhattan Avenue for our groceries but she warned us that it closes at eight.

The Associated food store is not Walmart, but while their prices aren’t rock bottom they do have a surprising variety in what they offer—and this being Greenpoint, there’s a lot of Polish food.

I called ICU and Daughter #2 was sitting up and eating. That made me happy. Hubby and I had take-out pizza for supper. I slept fairly well for the first time in three days.

Saturday was extremely windy. The wind made a lot of noise on the skylight in Daughter #2’s apartment.

When I called to see how she was doing that morning, the nurse told me she wanted her cellphone. I was ecstatic. I thought that was a sign of progress. However, when we got to the hospital, Daughter #2 did not feel well. She felt nauseous. She did not want any food.

The doctor said the bandage which she hates because it is very uncomfortable would not come off until Tuesday. She said that’s too far away!

The nurse said she would be going into a regular room Sunday. Another plus because while ICU is a good place for serious health situations, it is really depressing. The man in the bed on her left moaned and groaned most of the day. The man in the bed opposite hers was in terrible shape—barely alive.

Daughter #2 thought some Gatorade might be helpful for her tummy, so hubby and I found another Associated food store on 14th Street. There are too many flavors of Gatorade and I had no idea which to choose to tempt our daughter’s palate. As I was standing there, one fellow started loading his cart with the Gatorade because it was on sale.

I asked him which was the best flavor. He swore that the fruit punch was the best. He claimed it was even better with vodka. :^) So I bought it and offered it (minus the vodka)to Daughter #2 but she only took a few sips.

I hated to leave the hospital with her feeling so crummy, but we trudged back to hop on the subway to Brooklyn. Hubby asked if I felt like a real New Yorker yet.

Nope. I felt like a rat in a maze of tunnels. Every now and then the musicians in the subway cheer things up a bit—but only briefly. And sometimes I find even the musicians to be a bit depressing—like the one fellow who bangs out rhythms on plastic buckets. Poor guy needs a set of drums!

Besides, I like grass and trees and space. I feel claustrophobic in the city.

Hubby and I ate at his favorite Polish restaurant. Then we went back to the apartment to call all the relatives—Babci, Mom and Dad, Daughter #! and Daughter #3, Niece, and Nephew—and a few others.

Sunday morning—Palm Sunday—hubby and I went to Holy Family church. It is a small jewel—100 years old. The hymns were very old-fashioned, much like the church itself.

The day turned warm and sunny. We got on the subway again and headed to Manhattan. Daughter #2 looked far better than yesterday. We talked to the surgeon who suggested that we take off the left arm of her eyeglasses so she can use them. He said even after he removes the bandage she won’t be able to use the left arm of the eyeglasses because of the incision.

We dashed to the Duane Reed store and bought an eyeglass screwdriver. Hubby removed the left arm of her eyeglasses. At last, our daughter had a clearer view of things.

She was moved out of the ICU and into a regular hospital room. The move exhausted her and she was dizzy again, but now she had a window with a view and television. Hubby and I bought her a small cup of rainbow sherbet from Baskin Robbins and she ate half of it. She did not eat much else.

That evening when we got back to Brooklyn, we ate at a Mexican restaurant. The nice thing about Greenpoint is that everything is so close.

Finally, we went through the rounds of phone calls as usual. I send text messages to most of the relatives throughout the day informing them of Daughter #2’s progress, but everyone wants more details than they can get in two sentences. Daughter #2’s experience had become the Marzec soap opera.

Monday dawned in downpours. Hubby hoped to get a parking space right in front of the apartment. He succeeded in getting one right in front of the apartment next door.

By the time we arrived at the hospital, Daughter #2 was sitting up and looking alert and strong—relatively speaking. However, she still had the bandage on her head and it wasn’t going to be removed yet.

She complained about the nurse always taking blood. The doctor had given her somebody else’s blood, but the nurses kept taking it away. :^O

One of her high school friends popped in to visit, which was a nice surprise. After he left, hubby and I guided Daughter #2 around the corridors. She was still having an issue with dizziness. The doctor claims that should eventually go away.

She did not care for the turkey dinner served for lunch but she ate the entire apple pie served for dessert. We bought her some French fries and she ate half of those. One of her coworkers also came to visit later in the evening.

At one point, when she was taking a nap, hubby and I quietly sat and read. He read the first two chapters of Heaven’s Blue—and chuckled when he found the names of the guinea pigs in the story.

Hubby and I returned to the Polish restaurant for supper. Nothing like comfort food when times get tough. Still, we found the ordeal sapping our strength. We went to sleep early.

Next morning, hubby wanted to move the car again. Before he did we went to the food store again.

Daughter #2 sent a text message to tell us that the bandage was removed.


When we got to the hospital, I was surprised to see the incision. It was huge with big stitches. I know the scar will fade and will always be hidden by her hair—but it was a bit of a shock.

Seven of Daughter #2’s coworkers came to visit in the afternoon. They brought grilled cheese sandwiches knowing how much our daughter loves those.

Daughter #2 had more visitors around six. Some friends from high school, some friends from a place she used to work, and a new friend. It was like a party! She held court in the lounge.

Hubby and I left then and took the trek on the subway back to Brooklyn. I tried to read on the train because I wanted to be like a real New Yorker. I had seen people reading while standing in a subway car, holding on with one hand while the train went rocketing through the tunnel, shifting left and right and stopping suddenly—but they never lost their concentration.

However, hubby and I were lucky enough to get a seat before the train became crowded. So I started to read, but a little girl sat next to hubby with a box from PetSmart. She opened the box. Inside was her new hamster, Chelsea.

The girl kept picking Chelsea up while Chelsea kept looking for an avenue of escape. Hubby held out his hands just in case. But fortunately, the little girls’ mother warned her to keep Chelsea in the box.

We ate at the Polish restaurant again.

Hubby and I got up early the next morning. Daughter #2 was to be released from the hospital. I packed up her clothes and we headed to Manhattan again.

It took forever to get the discharge papers. Once our daughter was allowed to leave, I stood outside the hospital and hailed a cab. I felt so cool.

Hubby told the cabbie the quickest route to Brooklyn. The cabbie drove like a demon whenever he had the chance. Quite a thrilling ride—and for only $16.50 plus tip. Better than a roller coaster.

Once we reached our daughter’s apartment, hubby went to the Rite Aid pharmacy with Daughter #2’s prescription. The pharmacist would not fill the prescription—absolutely, positively, no way. He would not speak to the doctor at the hospital—he would not accept a fax.

Hubby went back to the hospital in Manhattan, got another prescription, and had it filled at a Duane Reed pharmacy near the hospital. That took hours. Meanwhile, I fed Daughter #2, packed up the car, and put all the garbage outside for pickup.

At last hubby returned with all the pills. We got into the car and headed back to NJ. Daughter #2 will be recuperating at home where I can feed her until she is nice and plump. :^)

I am so glad to be home.

New Book Video for The Beast of Blackbirch Manor

The Beast of Blackbirch Manor will be released in a print edition in April. (Very soon!) It will be available at New Concepts Publishing. It has been my best selling book so far!

At the Library

Last night at the Middletown Township Public Library, I joined a panel with two other authors, Amanda Matetsky and Jack Getze. Each of us spoke about our personal path to publishing our books.

Those in the audience were very interested in publishing and asked plenty of good questions. It was an great evening. I always love to talk about writing. :^)

An Adventure in Greenpoint

We visited Daughter #2 in Brooklyn again, but due to the anticipated snowfall on Sunday, we took the train. Daughter #2 met us in Penn Station because we were confused about the subways. Riding the subway is an adventure. Lots of people read books on the subway--or while waiting for the train. It is encouraging to see so many people reading. However, there seem to be an equal number of people listening to their iPods. Those people are in their own world. Some sing along to their chosen tunes. Some groove to the music. One young woman put on quite a dance show on the platform.

A trio of drummers hopped on the subway car at one stop. They brought along small portable stools and sat in the middle of one subway car with their large drums. I enjoyed the music.

We arrived in Greenpoint just in time for dinner. We ate at the small Polish restaurant we had enjoyed so much on our last visit. The food is inexpensive but good. However, I cannot pronounce the name of the place. It doesn't look like much, but it is a popular. I highly recommend it. Last time I had the breaded veal, this time I had veal meatballs with dill sauce. Hubby had Bigos--the traditional Polish hunter's stew. Daughter #2 had stuffed cabbage.

A Walk on the Beach

It was exceptionally warm today. Hubby, Daughter #1, and I decided it was perfect for a walk on the beach. We picked up a few shells, skipped stones, and watched the ferry come in. The sky was a deep shade of blue violet.
















Here's Daughter #1. She's doing well after her gallbladder surgery. She's eating all her favorite foods again and feeling much better.





















Hubby was happy sitting on the pier.
















We might get sleet on Sunday, but today was truly a beautiful day.

Chat With Me!

On Sunday, February 22, 2009, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST I will be chatting at the Catholic Writers Guild Come join me! I will be giving away a CD of A Rush of Light!

Daughter #1's Gallbladder Is Out

Daughter #1 had laproscopic surgery to remove her gallbladder. Hubby and I drove south to be with her. The surgery did not take long. I had brought along plenty of books to read, but did not even finish one.

Daughter #1 was out of the surgical center shortly after noon and spent the much of the day being dopey afterwards—due to the pain meds. By suppertime, she was a bit more alert, but she claimed she hadn’t felt quite as bad since the very first time she was seasick, which just happened to be in January during a nor’easter on a boat out in the ocean—an experience that was further enhanced by a crew who played a video of The Perfect Storm. Daughter #1 has read the book a few times and recently purchased a DVD of the movie.

Daughter #1 is a marine scientist and has gone on many long voyages out in the ocean since that first one. She says your body gets used to the motion of the boat after a while.

She has sea bands which are supposed to prevent seasickness. She put on the sea bands when we were driving her home from the hospital because she felt nauseous. Evidently, sea bands use a pressure technique to combat the nausea.

While Daughter #1 was dozing, I went to the supermarket to procure the makings of a simple dinner—chicken, potatoes, fat-free dressing, lemons, an onion, and peas. There wasn't much food in Daughter #1's kitchen.

When the potatoes were nearly done, I searched in my daughter’s kitchen for a potato masher or a hand mixer. I could find neither.

I went into the bedroom and asked my daughter if she had a hand mixer. She said she did not but she thought she had an old-fashioned potato masher that Babci had given her in a box in the closet.

What she had in that box was a pastry blender.

I suspect that my daughter does not do much cooking.

I mashed the potatoes with a fork.

I know what I am going to buy her soon as a gift—just in case I am visiting again sometime.

Dinner was good and Daughter #1 did eat some of it and was feeling well enough to sit at the table and chat for a while.

We’re all hoping that she will soon be thoroughly mended and can join us once again for pizza. :^)

Book Video for Irons in the Fire

I put together a book video for Irons in the Fire. Hubby's playing the background music. :^)

Coming Up for Air

Last night I finished the revisions for The Company You Keep, which is going to be reissued by Crescent Moon Press. Even though this book was published previously, there were lots of things to fix. For instance, in one spot I had used the word "say" when the correct word would have been "stay." There was even one spot where I used the wrong character's name! Horrors! These things do happen. The book has 84,000 words in it, and each one needs to be scrutinized. The editor said I had used some words too often--and she was right. (Hint: Everyone needs an editor.) But even editors miss errors. I've read plenty of published books where I found mistakes. But I don't want a single misprint in my own books.

I've spent the past month combing through this book--though the last two weeks were the most intensive. I ignored all my friends. I did not go anywhere--with the exception of trudging off to the real job every morning, going to Curves three times a week, and going to the supermarket. (Such is the glamorous life of an author.)

My house is very dusty. I am more than two years behind in organizing family photos. (I used to be on top of that.)

But today, the sun is shining here in New Jersey. I am going to enjoy it. Maybe I'll clean a bit, or put some photos in the album. Or maybe I'll read someone else's book. :^)

But it's officially my day off. On Monday, I'll go back to writing.

One of the Best Things I Ever Bought

This little CLEAN/DIRTY sign is a blessing. I have always known whether the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty. However, hubby and my daughters have never been quite sure, it seems.

Now there is never a question. It is easy to tell at one glance if the dishes in the dishwasher are suitable for use--or ready to remove from the dishwasher and placed back in the cabinet. Hubby has surprised me a few times by doing this chore. Evidently, it makes him feel like a hero. :^)

It is also a snap to know when the dishwasher can be loaded with dirty dishes.

I think all dishwashers should come with a little sign like this one.

Setting Goals

When I I woke up Saturday morning the thermometer on the porch hovered at nine degrees. The sun was so bright as its rays bounced off the thin layer of snow on the ground that I had to squint.

It would have been a great day to huddle in front of the computer and finish the revisions I need to do, but Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick were speaking at the New Jersey Romance Writers meeting so I dressed warmly and drove to Woodbridge.

Jim and Nikoo have written historicals using the pseudonym May McGoldrick and are now writing romantic suspense as Jan Coffey. They are a lovely couple!

They gave a presentation on setting goals and scheduling. Since they’ve written 27 books—while enduring a number of life crisis situations—I knew they probably had some great advice.

And they did. Toward the end of their talk, I divided up the number of pages I still have to revise by the days left before I must hand in the manuscript.

Jim and Nikoo asked me if I had allowed for the inevitable problems that come with life. Well, no I hadn’t. So I upped my daily page count to be sure my progress won’t get derailed in the event of an emergency.

As usual, I came home all fired up and ready to conquer the work I still need to do. Now I’m writing up to-do lists everyday and making great progress. :^)

Young Writers

Catherine Greenfeder, who works in Cranford invited me to speak to the students in the high school there who are interested in publishing. (That's Catherine on the right.)















Today I gave my presentation on ebooks at Cranford High School and talked a bit about writing. The students had some great questions! Several of them are very serious--one is working on sci-fi novels and another on a historical non-fiction book.

I truly enjoyed spending the afternoon with such a dedicated group of young writers. I hope they succeed far beyond their dreams. :^)

My New Year's Resolution

2008 had some highs and lows--the usual roller coaster of life. Still, with my mother spending a total of two months either in the hospital or in rehab--we had some really low days. Nevertheless, while my mother is still very frail, my father is able to take care of her most of the time. My sisters and their families, despite living so far from us, have pitched in whenever they can to help out, which has made a big difference.

Daughter #3 got a new job this year and loves it. She also presented a program at a FEMA conference. The high point of her year!

Daughter #1 had a terrific time on a surf clam research cruise. She and her labmates traveled on a very large ship, 168 feet long. It had two dredges mounted on the stern. She loved being at sea. In June, she took a course on protein purification and had a blast! Her protein was the best. :^) But recently she has been suffering with an inflamed gallbladder. Oy.

Daughter #2 finally got her very own apartment this year and some recognition for her musical talent. (See The Missed Connections: 'Some Girl, Some Bar, Some Other Time'.) Then she lost the hearing in her left ear quite suddenly the weekend before Christmas. She’s currently on steroids and we’re hoping her hearing will return, but there’s no guarantee on that. (See Sudden Deafness.)

On a positive note, I am faithfully working out at Curves three times a week and hubby started a weight-lifting routine back in May and has stuck with it. Hopefully, the workouts will keep us in good shape.

Professionally, it was a great year. The Keeper’s Promise was released in March and is now an EPPIE finalist. Though the contracts for three of my books ran out at New Concepts Publishing, Crescent Moon Press gave me contracts for two of those books and they will be reissued in 2009.

In addition, The Beast of Blackbirch Manor will be released by New Concepts Publishing in print in April and will be available in Borders bookstores.

On the down side, I did not finish writing my current work-in-progress--so my New Year’s resolution is to finish that book--and then another one I had to set aside. Afterwards I want to complete a third manuscript that I barely started but found I had so much enthusiasm for it.

So for 2009, three books. I hope.

That’s my New Year’s Resolution. :^)

The Craziest Time of the Year

Here's a photo of hubby and I at a party. The red bow is not in my hair. It is on the top of a Christmas tree behind me. But yes, it makes me look silly. :^)

This is the craziest season. I know there are those who agree with me. There is simply too much to do: attend numerous parties, decide what gifts to purchase, buy those gifts, wrap them, put up the Christmas tree, put ornaments on the tree, put gifts under the tree, string lights outside, send out Christmas cards, clean the house, bake calorie-laden treats, and feed visiting relatives.

In our case, there’s also several extra entertainment gigs. Everyone wants Christmas music this time of the year and hubby is thrilled to provide it. Very often, I’m leading everyone in song with those fa la la la la’s.

So far this season, I haven’t lost my voice.

However, writing time has been nearly impossible to find though I still need to squeeze it in. Crescent Moon Press is going to reissue The Company You Keep, which means I have to fill out the cover art questionnaire. It includes a blurb and a short summary of the book.

Naturally, I don’t want the same blurb previously used. So I agonized for days over a new blurb and finally got it down--well aware that the editor may change it.

I am currently working on the short summary, which reminds me of all the book reports I had to do when I was young. I’ve always loved reading books and I love writing books, but books reports are not fun for me--even if it’s my own book--maybe particularly because it is my own book. I know I have to leave out a lot and just hit the high points. Sigh.

But I am delighted that the book will be reissued! I had such a great time writing it. :^)

EPPIE Finalist

The Keeper's Promise is an EPPIE finalist in the inspirational category. To see the complete listing with all the categories go to EPPIE Finalists.

E-Book Talk at the Nutley Library

Yesterday, Kathye Quick and Patt Mihailoff, Cathy Greenfeder, and I presented a panel discussion at the Nutley Library. The library provided a lovely luncheon.

I went through my Power Point presentation. I get very enthusiastic talking about ebooks.
We had a good crowd. :^)

Cathy had lots of handouts for everyone.


Kathye talked about the book of her heart.


Patt told everyone how she loves to read about love. :^)


Our Gracious Hostess


It was fun talking with everyone.


The raffle winner!

Hand Holding

I did a lot of hand holding this past week. Daughter #2 had three wisdom teeth removed on Friday.

My mother went into the hospital on Friday evening. She could barely breathe. It turned out she had water in the lungs--not pneumonia. Hopefully, diuretics should help.

Today, hubby and I were with Daughter #1 who had an endoscopy to check for ulcers and celiac disease. Once those problems are ruled out, she will probably have her gallbladder removed.

Daughter #1 lives two hours away, down in south Jersey--which is considerably less populated than north Jersey. I took the photo below as we were zipping home on the Parkway on the bridge over the Mullica River. I have always loved the view there. Miles and miles of nothing.



It could be a very boring drive, but there are things to keep it interesting. For instance, we wanted to see if milepost 66.6 was there. It wasn't. Somebody keeps stealing the sign.

Soaking Up Sunshine--I Wish

Do you see the turtle sunning himself on the log? I took this photo last week. Hubby and I took a walk in the park hoping to see a turtle or two. It isn't easy. The turtles always hear us coming no matter how quiet we are. But this one was braver than most. So though his friends slid off into the water, he remained--alert, but still able to soak up the sunshine.

Life is so hectic lately, I was simply glad I got out for a walk. Soaking up some sunshine would be great. I was envious of the turtle.

Our oldest daughter apparently has gallbladder trouble. She's gone for a few tests and still has another one coming up. In the meantime, she is unable to enjoy eating. She is not eating anything with fat, milk, or caffeine. She came home for the weekend and I did not know what I was going to feed her. I went to Whole Foods and bought some vegan cheese and soy hotdogs. Neither went over well.

However, I made my oatmeal pancakes for breakfast and that seemed to be okay with her and her gallbladder. Otherwise, she is living on organic vegetable soup. She has lost a lot of weight. :^(

This Year's Costume

This year, the boss and I coordinated our outfits. Hers appeared more authentic with the belt, the canteen, and the dogtag.

Now what am I going to do next year? Any ideas?

A Fantastic Conference

NJRW's conference was fantastic! I sat in on a PAN workshop with Maggie Shayne, pictured above. She's a great author and a classy lady. :^) I listened to Kathleen O'Reilly and Dee Davis talk about networking. I also caught Angela James workshop on E-Publishing.

There was a special presentation with J.R. Ward. Eloisa James gave Saturday's breakfast speech and Lisa Scottoline gave the keynote speech at lunch.

I helped out by being a time keeper during the editor and agent appointments. I also moderated a talk by Teagan Oliver called "Creating the Believable Anti-Hero."

I listened to Elizabeth Hoyt give pointers in her talk, "Sex Scene Viagra." :^)

I met the CEO and the marketing director of Crescent Moon Press, too! They're the ones who are going to reissue Irons in the Fire.

The book fair was mobbed, but as things wound down a bit I snapped a few photos of other authors.

If you're an author, you should go next year.

Over the Driscoll Bridge

The New Jersey Romance Writers conference began today in Woodbridge, which is not far from home. I zipped up the Parkway to get there and crossed over the Raritan River on the Driscoll Bridge. The bridge was named after Alfred E. Driscoll who was governor of New Jersey from 1947 to 1954. The Driscoll Bridge has expanded over the years. It now has 15 lanes, making it the world's widest bridge.

The view from the top is impressive--though I always like the southbound view better. Maybe because that means I'm going home. :^)

I have a connection--sort of--with Alfred E. Driscoll. On the evening I was born, my father was covering an important press conference given by Governor Driscoll. The phone rang during the proceedings and my father was told my mother was on her way to the hospital. My father stayed for the rest of the press conference.

A few years ago, my father gave me the aging newspaper clipping that had the story he wrote that night. He described Governor Driscoll as a "tall, lanky man dressed in a light brown gabardine suit" and noted how the governor fingered a pair of rimless glasses as he talked to the newsmen.

My father could have been a romance writer. :^)

But he choose instead to be a romantic man who has always loved my mother devotedly--even now when she is so very frail.

I've learned about love from my parents. I'm sure that's why I became a romance writer. I believe in the magic of true love.

And sharing the weekend with a bunch of other like-minded romance writers is awesome--even if the conference is on the other side of a very wide bridge.

Muse Online Writers Conference and My New Cover!

On Monday, October 13th, I will present a talk at the Muse Online Writers Conference. "Researching Paranormal for Your Story" is the title of my talk. You can find me in the forum for Crescent Moon Press.

Crescent Moon Press now has a cover on their front page for Irons In The Fire, which will be coming soon to their site! So stop by Crescent Moon Press and check out my new book cover. I love it!

Back and Forth

I’ve spent the past week revising my current work-in-progress. I haven’t actually gotten to the end of the story. Many writers will write clear through to the end and then go back to edit. I go back and forth, several times. I’ll write for a while, and then go back and fix up what I’ve written. After I’m satisfied with that, I’ll move forward again until I am compelled to stop and edit once more.

It’s not that I don’t know what the end of the story will be. I do. But I have some perfectionist tendencies and I cannot let things slide when I know there are parts of my work that could be better.

Besides, sometimes I actually want to edit and sometimes I want to lose myself in the story progress. It all depends on what else is going on in my life--how busy or how crazy it is. And since I also have a job, elderly parents, one daughter still living at home, and a retired husband (who plays the accordion--a lot)--it does get a little insane around here at times. :^)

I’ve listened to many experienced fiction writers detail their methods of writing. I’ve read plenty of books about writing, too. Currently, I’m reading Stephen King’s On Writing. It’s an excellent book and he has some wonderful advice.

But Stephen King writes his way, and I write my way. Of course, Stephen King is way ahead of me.

My way is--perhaps--slower and less efficient, but it works for me.

The one thing I’ve learned after listening to many authors detail their methods is that everyone does things differently.

What process do you use for writing?

Writing Tips and a New Antenna

I attended a meeting of the New Jersey Romance Writers today where Elizabeth Devlin and Annette Blair presented two great talks with plenty of excellent writing advice. Aside from the handouts, Annette offers an extensive list of sensual words available at her website. So when you're in need of just the right touch go to:

http://www.annetteblair.com/sensual-words.htm

She mentioned Linda Howard's Twelve Steps to Intimacy, which I found on the web--and which I know I have somewhere in my collection of notes, but I am not exactly sure where. :^(

However, that is important stuff when you're writing a romance and it was good to be reminded of it.

I came home all ready to completely revise my current work-in-progress. But hubby had hired someone to put a new antenna on the house, a new coaxial cable, and hook that up to our new converter box. It is difficult to concentrate when there's someone tramping around on the roof and stapling cable along the walls.

But the results were great. We have a lot more channels and they come in clearly.

Hubby did not want to get cable service. Aside from the fact that he did not want to pay a monthly service charge, we really don't watch TV that much and we live very close to New York City--as the crow flies. We can receive all the major television channels with our antenna.

Of course, we won't be getting the History Channel, or the Discovery Channel.

But that's okay.

Too Hot for a Picnic

It was too hot for our church picnic today. So everyone ate in the air-conditioned cafeteria. Hubby provided entertained with his accordion.

I contributed my favorite lima bean salad, which disappeared very quickly. :^) One woman asked me for the recipe.

Daughter #2 had come home yesterday for a visit. She wanted to take videos of the woods. After the picnic, I went off to the woods with her. Though we were in the shade, there wasn't a single breeze.

September is usually much more pleasant!

Red Bank Street Fair

I spent most of yesterday at a street fair in Red Bank with four other members of the New Jersey Romance Writers. The weather was perfect and plenty of people walked by our booth. Many insisted they don't read, but there were some interested in our books. A few were interested in joining our illustrious organization. :^)


We all sold books. There were some readers who bought our books in previous years and came looking for us again to buy our latest releases. Here's a photo of me with my best fan!



















Red Bank is a great place for a street fair.

Roadtrip To Florida

For the past six years, hubby and I have traveled by ourselves to Florida during the summer to visit hubby’s mom and dad. Our daughters were very busy during those six years. They were in graduate school, or working, and unable to join us. Babci and Dziadzi took a plane a few times to come up and see them.

This year we got lucky and two of our daughters were able to schedule vacation time so they could along for the ride--Daughter #1 and Daughter #2.

The last time they went on a road trip with us, they were barely adults. Now they’re all grown up and responsible.

Daughter #2 intends to learn how to make golombki from Babci. Daughter #1 has plans for us to go on a day cruise past the homes of film stars.

I brought along my Alphasmart in hopes that I can add another chapter or two to my manuscript before we return home. And I did do a little writing today even though hubby was driving and listening to one of his polka CDs.

But when the skies opened up and the rain poured down on our little car, I got nervous and stopped writing. Fortunately, the rain did not last long, but afterwards we stopped for lunch and then I took a turn driving.

I listened to my Peter, Paul, and Mary CDs while I was driving. I like to sing along with them. :^)

But I don’t know what our daughters will want to listen to when they take a turn at the wheel. I guess I’ll learn about some newer music.

Day 2:

I had searched the web to check out motels before we left home to see which had the best deals for our stopover on I95. I picked one which included a full, hot breakfast. Hubby gets all excited about a big breakfast, which he seldom has at home since he is supposed to be watching his cholesterol--and he does for the most part.

But this is a vacation. So we all had bacon and eggs this morning. :^)

Daughter #2 was taking photos all along the way. When we were stuck in a traffic jam, I decided to follow her example. However, while she was taking photos of cows, I took photos of the I95 sign and a 70 mph sign. When we passed that sign we were merely creeping along.

Lunch was a Subway sub at a truckstop in Georgia. Daughter #1 took the wheel when we finally reached I75. Her musical selections were surprisingly eclectic. First, she slid in a Johnny Cash album. The second one was Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run, and the third--at hubby’s request was Preservation Hall’s Dixieland Jazz.

At one point, when I was driving today, I was cruising along listening to a Bread CD. My daughters said it put them to sleep--although hubby liked “If” and thought it would sound good on the accordion.

Naturally.

Hit several downpours, but they cleared up quickly. Wrote a little bit more on my manuscript.

Finally reached Babci and Dziadzi’s house at 7 p.m. We were all dead tired.

Day 3:
The first order of business was the flea market and the laundry. Daughter #2 had packed light, and needed to wash clothes. So she stayed with Babci while hubby, Dziadzi, Daughter #1 and I went to the flea market. I wound up buying a plastic butter dish and a little magnet so hubby will know whether the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty. (Very useful item.)

When we returned home, I got some down time while hubby, Daughter #2, and Babci went to the Polish deli. I polished up some of the writing I did while we were driving along the road--but I didn’t get much time to work for soon it was lunchtime. Then we went to the library to check our email. The library has a new policy for guests. We had to pay $1 to use the internet. Daughter #2, who brought her laptop used the free wifi.

Babci and Dziadzi always go to 4 pm Mass, so we went, too. On the way back we saw a herd of sandhill cranes walking through someone’s yard. Birds that are as tall as full-grown humans are rather scary.

After supper, we went to the beach at Anclote River Park. A couple who sat near us, told me about Key Vista Park--a nature preserve nearby--which is very nice, so I’m hoping we’ll get a chance to do some exploring there.

I got about a half hour to do some more writing later in the evening, but I felt guilty about it, like I was being anti-social. Besides, we have heard some interesting stories that we’ve never heard until now. Of course, there are the ones we’ve heard a zillion times being repeated, but one that never came up before was the one about how Dziadzi took out his own tonsils. Not even hubby heard that one.

Of course, Dziadzi used to boast how “he no need doctor, he doctor himself.”

So once, when Dziadzi was a young man, newly immigrated from Poland, he shared a room with five other guys. When it snowed, the snow would come inside.

Dziadzi got very sick. His throat swelled up, which made it tough to breathe. He had no money for a doctor. He had a fever. He coughed so much that he coughed up his own tonsils and he hasn’t had a cold since.

But he does go to the doctor now that he’s 91.

Day 4:

We went to the Gunn Highway Flea Market. Both of our daughters needed pots and pans and I’ve found those in the past at one dealer at this flea market. Luckily, she was still there. I got a pot lid for one of my Farberware pots, too.

We went to a winery on Route 52 which we had seen on our way into Port Richey. Naturally, we all bought bottles of wine after the tasting.

We went to the beach again. Hubby loves the hot water here in Florida. According to the newspaper, the water is 90 degrees. I like to swim in cooler water, but I’m the only one who knows the way to the beach. So I went along again, with a pen and paper and jotted down more ideas for my book while everyone else was playing in the water.

Then when we got back to the house, I incorporated my scribbles into the Alphasmart while everyone else took turns showering. I’m not adding a lot to the manuscript, but it’s better than adding nothing.

Day 5:

Spent a lazy morning in the house and had a bit of time to write. We had reservations for a boat cruise at 1 pm on the Miss Daisy II to see the homes of some famous people who lived along the Pithlachascotee River like Gloria Swanson, Babe Ruth, Shirley Temple, and others.

The most interesting part of the cruise were the stilt houses in the Gulf and the dolphins.

Babci came along for the ride, but Dziadzi was worried about having to walk too far to the boat. So again, he stayed home.

He’s really in his own world most of the time. He walks around muttering and fussing over this and that. Yesterday, he was angry because the placemats weren’t on the counter.

But I have no idea what he was muttering about today--because, of course, he grumbles in Polish and the only words I seem to be able to understand are the Polish swear words.

After our boat cruise, we went to the library again to check out the web. I was looking up motels for the return trip.

Babci and Dziadzi know nothing about the internet. Of course, they forgot how to work the microwave. “It no work,” says Dziadzi. I plug it in and it works fine.

They do watch a lot of television.

For supper, Dziadzi wanted to go to the pizza buffet restaurant, so we did. Afterwards, he wanted to watch a TV show that started at 7 p.m.

So hubby, our daughters and I went to check out the nature preserve we passed by the other day.

Day 6:
Another lazy morning. Daughter #1 got up before I did!

Before lunch we went to the accordion store which hubby visits once a year when we’re here.

We saw a pierogi restaurant and stopped there for lunch. The pierogis were excellent!

From there we went to Tarpon Springs to get some souvenirs. We were lucky that it was cloudy because it was much cooler than it usually is.

That evening Babci was trying to give away whatever we would take with us--but the car really cannot hold much more. I accepted a wooden Polish plate--handcarved, which I’ll give to Daughter #3 who could not come with us since she was presenting a talk at a conference.

Daughter #2 accepted a bunch of kitchen implements. Babci has a recipe book--handwritten in Polish and she translated those recipes while Daughter #2 wrote them down.

I got almost a whole hour to write while everyone else watched the Olympics on television, but then it was time to turn in since we have to get up early for the start of our drive home.

Day 7:

Got up at six and rolled out of the driveway with gray clouds overhead. Once we got into Georgia it began to rain--and it kept right on raining.

Rainy road trips are not fun. However, I did quite a bit of writing done. When it was my turn to drive, I listened to Jim Croce, Patty Loveless, and the Dixie Chicks.

Hubby played all the CDs our daughters have given him as presents. A scary music CD, a Zydeco CD, and his new Jimmy Sturr CD which he bought in Florida. Daughter #2 asked if he ever got tired of listening to Polkas.

Evidently not.

Day 8:

Up at 6 am, had our Continental Breakfast and got back on the road. I did not do any writing. We stopped at a marvelous truck stop and I bought coffee and a magazine. I drove through much of Virginia listening to Daughter #1’s Forrest Gump soundtrack. It has lots of great songs from my generation. :^)

Stopped in Bowie, Maryland for lunch, and then visited with Sister #2 who lives in Annapolis. Did not stay long because we all want to get home--back to regular email and our own beds.

But seeing Sister #2, however briefly, was fun. She has made her back screen porch into a Tiki bar. There are strings of flamingo lights and chili pepper lights. The ceiling has bamboo reeds stapled to it.

We got home around 7 p.m. and decided to go out for pizza.

Later, I loaded the writing I had done on the Alphasmart into my computer. I wrote a total of fourteen pages while we were traveling. :^)

Four Star Review for The Keeper's Promise!

Right now you can see only the four stars, but by the end of this month the full review should be there.

Go to:
The Keeper's Promise at Romantic Times BookReview Magazine

There is also a link to the book trailer video I made. However, that link will only be on the site this month.

I have an interesting interview at the Romance Junkies' Cocktail Hour page. It has photos, too.

You can see that at:

Cocktail Hour Interview

I have been spending most of my time writing book #10, which I have titled The Fiend of White Buck Hall. I've made considerable progress on it and it is coming together well. It's a historical paranormal.

Last weekend, I took a break from writing. Hubby, Daughter #1, and I went to visit Daughter #2 in Brooklyn. Daughter #2 took us on a long walk to a park by the East River. It was a beautiful day and I took a picture of my lovely daughters and hubby--and the Empire State Building.:^)