Although the summer solstice doesn’t occur for a few more weeks, with the passing of Memorial Day weekend, most people consider summer to have already begun (me included). Those who know me well know that I'm not a fan of hot weather. I prefer dry, crisp fall weather above all other. However, what...
A son is a son 'til he marries his wife, a daughter's a daughter for the rest of her life. I don't know where that saying originated, by it's something my parents repeated often throughout the years. When I survey my close friends about which of their siblings tend to "check in" and devote time...
As a romance writer, I’m constantly creating tales of “predestined” love. In other words, I’m propagating a romantic fantasy time and again with the goal of entertaining (and sometimes arousing) others. But after reading Great Expectations: The Soul Mate Quest, I have to wonder whether my genre...
St. Patty's Day is the release date for my sophomore novel, Worth the Wait. I adore everything about this story: the setting (Block Island), the heroine (Vivi, who maintains a sunny outlook despite a heartbreaking childhood), the hero (David, an introvert who's brooding over a damaging secret...
How does one identify love? You can’t “see” it. The words can be spoken, but if they aren’t followed through with actions, those words turn as brittle and hollow as a cheap chocolate Easter bunny. Lust and infatuation often masquerade as love, but when the initial burn fades, then what? I suppose...
Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not suggesting anything untoward! This is really more of a poll than a post. Let me start off by noting that, in my youth, I put energy into creating romance on Valentine's Day. Sometimes of the serious type, sometimes the silly. I bought the cards (usually...
When the temperatures drop into the single digits, people can get a little cranky. Wind chills keep us indoors more often than is healthy, and heavy comfort foods tempt us to forget about those New Year's resolutions about diet and exercise. Shoveling sidewalks and driveways can wear us down,...
I knew before we started that my daughter’s and my plan to bake Christmas cookies would not become a blissful Betty Crocker memory. First, I’m not a baker. And when I do bake, I prefer to make brownies or cakes. You know--things that are less time intensive, require just one pass at the oven, and...
