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.