There, I Said It!
Betrayed by a Fortune Cookie
Last Saturday, we had lunch at a local Chinese restaurant in my home town of Phoenix. Being born and raised in New York City, and after living in San Francisco for ten years, I find there tends to be a difference in style between the two Coasts when it comes to...
Facebook Friendships: Really?
Okay. I admit it. I was at a Holiday Party and excited to see two friends. As I rushed over to talk with them – it occurred to me – they were at best acquaintances. My exuberance hardly matched the level of the friendship. So how could I feel so close to people who...
Why Burn the Garlic Bread When You Can Just as Easily Poison Your Dinner Guests?
It seems my spouse and I are unable to manage a simple dinner party for 6 without burning something. The other night, it was the garlic bread. I had made a lasagna and salad. Even baked a cake. Friends had gathered. Ella was singing softly in the background. The...
Experts Everywhere – Not a Sale in Sight
There are a lot of people who say they know how to sell books. You meet them everywhere. On the Internet – in workshops – and even in person. The other day I ran into one of those so-called experts at the Chandler Art and Author Walk. An author who insisted on...
Seven Things I’ve Learned Blogging
Today is the last day of my 21-day blogging challenge. It has been an interesting experience and here's what I've learned. Blogging isn’t all that difficult. Like anything else you write, it just takes self-awareness. Being fully present in the world helps to identify...
Seven Steps to follow before a Writer Invests in a Facebook Advertisement
I admit it. I gave in the other day and bought a 7-day Facebook advertisement for my novel. It was an impulsive move. Much like buying that bag of peanut M&Ms at the checkout line. But unlike the chocolate – there was no sugar high. It wasn’t hard to place the...
The Morning Blend: My First Television Interview
I did it. Today I appeared on KGUN9’s Morning Blend in Tucson and discussed my novel The Intersect. As you can imagine, I didn’t sleep too well the night before – wondering how I’d be able to condense my thoughts into the 5-minute segment allotted for the book. When...
Ageism: Live Long Enough – It’ll Find You
For two years, I’ve been a volunteer driver for Duet, a non-profit organization in Phoenix, Arizona, that assists seniors in arranging for transportation to and from their doctor appointments. I have met a lot of lovely ladies in their eighties (most of my passengers...
The Business of Book Marketing
Since I’m new to all of this – the business of book marketing – I’ve come to notice that there are a lot of people out there earning a living providing consulting services to authors. Many of them – authors themselves. Others, marketing gurus offering free downloads...