When my editor suggested writing a book about women supporting each other through the fat wars, little did she know that she was asking me to write about my life. Only a few months before two good friends and I had joined together and formed what we called a diet triage, e-mailing our weekly goals,…
“The Mansfield Lighthouse Cats” came to be because I’m a mad scribbler—words, phrases, anything! When I don’t have paper, I’ll sing words in the car! I didn’t sit down to write a poetry collection, but what I wound up with covered everything from stray cats to football to love gone wrong. I scribbled before work,…
I have been asked this question many times and I still don’t have a slick answer. It all started to meld about 3 years ago when, with some encouragement from my doctor and therapist, I started writing down the bones of a couple long-held story lines. Much is autobiographical blended with parts of many people…
“Why is a ‘gringo’ like you writing a book about Mexicans?” This is often the question as I tour around, speaking about my book at libraries, schools and bookstores. It all started with a lovely young señorita from Mexico City who came up to my table in the cafeteria at college and said, “Hi. I’m…
I have not one, but two, of the strangest publishing tales in history. It never happens like this. But it happened to me. Twice. Which means, it could happen to you. Here are my stories: Fifteen Minutes of Shame is my debut novel, but I also wrote a non-fiction dating advice book entitled Stop Getting…
Just for the record, I do NOT believe in vampires. I’m not sure about ghosts, but I’m not buying into the whole werewolf, goblin, flesh-eating zombies scary creatures of the night thing. That said, I find them fascinating creatures. Our culture seems obsessed with everything that touches on paranormal, and, hey, I’m right there. I…
Journey from Head to Heart: Living and Working Authentically began as a small book of poetry which I halfheartedly tried to get published about ten years ago and then set aside. I decided the difference I was to make would come through one-on-one coaching with people who wanted to change their lives, not through writing…
I had no idea I was going to write a children’s book, much less a children’s book addressing affirmative action. But the story was inside me, waiting for the moment to be born. That time came when I learned about World Ahead, a publishing house with a line of conservative theme children’s books. I was…
From Blank Page to Book Shelves–How to Successfully Create and Market Your Book was written not only to help other writers improve their craft, but also to help them navigate the business end of the industry. The first part of the book gives writing tips about characterization, plots and how to create conflict. The middle…
The Poetry of Murder was inspired by my current residence; admiration for poets; subjects that intrigue me; and the need to create mechanisms that would naturally generate future story lines. For the past four years, I have lived at the International House at the University of Chicago. International House is located in Chicago in the…
The Story Behind the Book 