What inspired me to write Southern Heat was really a collection of details. I lived in Charleston on Sullivan’s Island for almost five years. That alone gave me the setting. My landlord had a large second row house with apartments on the back side. Second row, for those who don’t know, and I didn’t until…
About five years ago, I labeled a personal file as “Act Three,” and filled it with creative ideas for a new work-interest. I first enjoyed an exciting career in New York’s fashion industry, then later, via a circuitous route on the way to opening my own boutique Shop for Pappagallo, I established a successful real…
My mother would have turned 93 this year. When she died after a brief illness in November 2006, although I knew she had lived a long life, I was bereft. There is never enough time with a loved one. My mom was my best friend, a reliable loving, comforting, and wise presence in my life.…
Story ideas come to me in different ways… my imagination, daily life, news articles, and movies. Yes, I carry a small notebook and pen with me at all times for those wonderful times of eavesdropping and jotting down dialogue. Especially when it comes to little ones and teenagers. What better way to stay authentic to…
What would someone like Princess Diana have accomplished if she had been given more time? I always wondered that about explorer Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis & Clark fame. He accomplished more than many people manage in a full lifetime, all to be cut down by two gunshots on the Natchez Trace at the age of…
There are few aspects of life that we hold so dear than the nearly instantaneous contact we have with our friends and loved ones. Mothers like to know that they can call their daughters on their cell phones to ensure that they are on their way home from school. Fathers like to call their sons…
The Story Behind the Book 