We were taking an evening walk with a three-year-old around Christmas time. “Let’s walk as far as the tree with the red and green lights.” He looked puzzled, turning from side to side, and asked: “What tree?” “That tree in front of us that looks like a big carrot.” It seemed impossible to miss. “Don’t…
The National Association of Book Entrepreneurs has selected my book for the Pinnacle Book Achievment Award for Best Women’s Fiction. It is thrilling to have the many hours of writing and re-writing recognized as a job well done! I already found it rewarding, after spending hours re-writing a chapter, and even several minutes picking just…
A new year seems full of promise, inspiring hope, and for some, prompting goal setting. Among the variety of winter holidays to celebrate, one that generally passes without notice or recognition is the day goals die. Psychologists have determined that January 12th is the expiration date for most New Year’s resolutions—less than a two week…
History lesson for the day: This was the Catholic Church’s goal for women – be good wives. The sum and summation of our choices. And who we married wasn’t necessarily our own choice – at least not until the twentieth century. I give my fictions character, Cornelia Rose, quite a few choices in suitors, but…
My West Point classmate, Sue Fulton, recently completed her term as a member and chair of the Board of Visitors of the US Military Academy. Her farewell remarks seem appropriate for sharing on the eve of the Army-Navy football game: “It has been an extraordinary privilege to serve on this Board for the past 8½…
At times, the political system seems inhabited by 4th graders angling for playground supremacy. The children (based on maturity, not chronology) bully and name-call to establish dominance. Reflecting back on this year’s activities with our West Point class, I noticed the R identifier after our Congressman classmate’s name. What is the party designation needed post-election?…
Whatever your religious preference, year-end offers a cornucopia of celebrations. Perhaps your family tradition includes feasting on turkey or Tofurky, followed by exercising credit cards on Black Friday morn. Maybe you display an Advent wreath and light candles as a way to prepare for the Nativity. Or, perhaps you’re a historian who mourns the attack…
I’m on my two hundred and twenty-sixth try. I’ve heard its the charm. I have gotten a lot of great feedback from the many readers who read my Advance Review Copy of Flirtation on the Hudson. The feedback has all been positive, and I am ecstatic. Surrounded by that good feeling, I have listened to the…
Book clubs around the Northeast have responded to my invitation to read my book and discuss it with me through my “Chat with the Author” program. So far, two Q&A sessions stand out — one in Boston and one in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The Book Club in Boston was my first ‘in person’ Book Club Author…
While we would like to pretend otherwise, death will come to all. Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, originated in Mexico. The festivities honor those who have gone before and marks life’s end as an occasion for hope and cheer. Celebrated annually from 31 October to 2 November, the holiday corresponds to Halloween,…
In a mandatory writing class, my professor emphasized proper citation of sources. She gave an example of what NOT to do based on her membership on the university’s board that investigates alleged lapses of academic integrity. One accused student defended himself by throwing his mother under the bus: “It wasn’t my fault. My mother wrote…
I was recently in a chain store in the middle of Manhattan with a long line of customers waiting to check out. When the person paying had finished gathering their belongings and left the register, the clerk called, “The following customer?” Woah! I thought. Don’t we say,’next customer’ in English? I thought perhaps this was just an…
