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A Nutty Story as a Metaphor for Life
Two weeks ago, I couldn’t see straight, and I got tied up in knots about something. So let’s start at the beginning and make it really quick. Two years ago, in an effort to make our front lawn look as good as possible, we decided to have the lawn replaced and sodded. The sodding looked great, and it was refreshing to see a front lawn free of weeds and the dreaded nutsedge that had enveloped our lawn for several years. Nutsedge is a nuisance. If you don’t know what it is, it looks like long pieces of grass, but thicker, that grow above and beyond your normal grass. It sticks…
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Book Reviews Are Coming In: Here’s what readers are saying
I can’t thank my friends, family, and readers enough for all the help you’ve given me to spread the word about The Letters in the Books. The two and a half years I’ve spent working on this novel is paying off for me personally, simply by seeing the support you have given me this past week. I’m touched, humbled, and so glad the book is now in your hands. Below, I’m sharing a little about the novel and some of the early reviews that have come in. Since people are always asking me how they can help, here are three ways you can help independent authors: 1- Talk the book…
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Book Launch! The Letters in the Books Now Available
Good morning, sunshines! I have been waiting for weeks to be able to say that The Letters in the Books is now available. It’s also probably fair to say that I worked harder on this book than any of the previous ones. After two and a half years, I can finally say this project is done. Writing from the perspectives of five main characters–two men and three women–was cumbersome and a lot of fun. Setting the novel in Annapolis once again was a thrill. I can honestly say I don’t do this for the money, for any recognition, or for any other reason except that it fills a creative niche…
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The Smell of Coffee in the Morning
Last week, I was in my bathroom and could smell the scent of coffee wafting through the house, through the vents. My son was home, spending his last week as a “kid” in our home before he moved into his new grown-up apartment in Annapolis, and he had made his cup of coffee. He and I are the only coffee drinkers in the house. I’ll miss that scent—and him—when he’s gone. They say the sense of smell takes you back in time faster than any of the other senses. I know it’s true. It happens to me all the time. How about you? Moreover, I often associate the smell of…
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One Week to the Publication of The Letters in the Books
Dear Eva, Lily, Reid, Dimitri, and Meg, It seems our time together has come to an end. The five of you have been living inside my head for more than two years now. It’s been a wonderful journey, but I’m afraid it’s time to let you go. As the world is spinning out of control and there are a lot of horrible things happening out there, it was a pleasure to tell this story and remind people that there is goodness out there, and that people have the capacity to choose the path to kindness. I will not soon forget the time we have spent together. But all good things…
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How Brene Brown’s research influenced my novel
Over the last few years, I’ve become enamored with Brené Brown’s research, specifically with regard to empathy, vulnerability, and shame. On campus, I’ve executed workshops about Brown’s wonderful book, Dare to Lead. If you haven’t read this book, I strongly urge you hop to it. It’s a wonderful dissection about daring leadership, and what factors play into what kind of leaders we admire and what kind of leader we, ourselves, want to be. In the course of preparing to teach others about Brown’s findings, many of her assessments were illuminating, and as I began to figure out what my next novel was going to tackle, I landed on all three…
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The Process of Getting to a Book Cover
My newest novel, The Letters in the Books, is just weeks away from launching. I’m super excited about this one, as it was two full years in the making. Writing is a labor of love for me, and I just want to tell a compelling, yet sweet story that’s perfect for a beach read. This book was heavily influenced by Brené Brown’s research on empathy and shame. I have read her books and watched her TedTalks a million times. Her work on empathy and vulnerability in particular are interesting and worthy of your time. I tried my best to roll her findings into Meg, the empath and bookstore owner at…
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After Two Years, We Almost Have Lift Off
What is the process you go through to publish a novel? I'm sharing mine. Warning: there are a lot of steps.
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Sunday Positive Thoughts (Post The Chosen)
It’s been nice to hear that many of you were inspired by my recent post about how moved I was by the The Chosen, a series about the life of Jesus Christ from the perspective of his disciples. I’m so glad that you have decided to watch it. Certainly, with what is happening in Ukraine right now, combined with it being the Catholic Lenten Season, as I often say out loud, we could all use some of Jesus’s teachings of kindness and love right about now. Additionally, instead of giving something up for Lent, I decided to focus on doing positive things. The first is that I downloaded the Hallow…
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Podcast 2: The Things I’ve Learned—Work Ethic is Everything
Episode 2 of THE THINGS I’VE LEARNED FROM PODCAST is here. Today’s Topic: Work Ethic is EVERYTHING Spotify Link here. Transcript is below: I consider myself lucky. Securing my first job as a sophomore in college with a Major League Baseball team changed my life, and all for the better. As I mentioned in last week’s podcast, I was lally-gagging my way through college until I found a new major and a new purpose. Do you remember what it is like to be 19 and naive? Nineteen and floundering, unsure as to where you will go or what you will do in life? Wondering to yourself what college will teach…
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Empty Nesters in Training
You know how it goes. You date, you marry, you have children, you raise them, they grow up and go to college or enter the workforce, and you find yourselves at home, twiddling your thumbs. So say some. We love our kids, don’t get me wrong. We dote on them and help them with anything they need. But they’re happy. They’re at college with their friends and significant others, and they’re having the time of their lives. So why shouldn’t we? Everyone loves to talk about empty-next syndrome (ENS) as if it’s a curse of sorts. I say, let freedom ring! Don’t you remember that feeling of being able to…
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Escape to Italy and Meet Anna, Matteo, and Nicolo
Anna in Tuscany – A Valentine’s Read .99 on Kindle You’ve suffered through two failed relationships. You’re not sure you believe in love anymore. Then, as a travel writer, your editor sends you to Italy for a year to write about the regions. When you arrive, you meet Matteo, an older gentleman who has lost his wife. In search of a story for your first assignment about Valentine’s Day in Italy, you begin to uncover a love story that changes the way you feel about love. And maybe a little love walks into your life, as well. Such is the premise of ANNA IN TUSCANY, a little novelette to put…
