As the holiday season rolls into December, all sorts of traditions come to light, whether based on religion or not. I love the holiday time … all the decorations and lights give me an extra spring in my step and joy in my heart. I celebrate Christmas, am a believer in the spirit of Santa Claus and the magic of … Read More
Riding the Rail
These days I never know what Sergio is going to get up to. Imagine my surprise when I hear him yelling, “Wheeeee!” and I hurry out on the landing to find him sliding down the banister in slow motion, as only a pygmy three-toed sloth can, while Luna anxiously rocked on the landing waiting for him to arrive. Once he … Read More
YWS: Saving Ideas
“Ideas can come from anywhere and at any time. The problem with making mental notes is that the ink fades very rapidly.” – Rolf Smith The bane of the writer’s existence is the idea that arrives at an inconvenient time. I don’t think I’ve ever had a story show up while I’m sitting in front of my keyboard, hands poised … Read More
A CinderElla Tail – Cover Reveal
About a week ago, my literary manager, Italia Gandolfo, told me she had a surprise for me, but I’d have to wait until the end of the week. I happen to love surprises and enjoy the anticipation. I have a friend who said something like that would drive her crazy, she has to know right away, but for me thinking … Read More
Turkey Sloth?
Being someone who loves to decorate, Thanksgiving has always been the little snack between Halloween and Christmas as holidays go. And I truly enjoy the reflective nature of this holiday. I’ll be candid — I’m not celebrating the Pilgrims and Indians sitting down in harmony celebrating survival of a rough winter. Instead I choose to celebrate this as an annual … Read More
Hanging Around
Sergio is on a quest to calm Luna down about his ability to climb trees. For the past couple days they’ve been hanging from the porch rail to give Luna a chance to get used to clinging to a wooden object. Today Sergio decided he should show Luna how safe it was for him to cling to the tree just … Read More
The Slippery Slope of Permission Slips
I recently read a Time article about a response to a school permission slip by Daniel Radosh, writer for the Daily Show. His son Milo had to obtain permission to read Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451 for his ELA book club. Daniel’s response raises the question of the permission slip being the first step along the road toward censorship, the issue … Read More
First Steps
Luna started having meltdowns and I was clueless as to what the problem was until Sergio helped out. Apparently she has developed a fear that because Sergio can climb trees and she’s afraid of heights that she won’t be able to go on any adventures with him. As usual when it comes to Luna, it is Sergio to the rescue. … Read More
The Idea Whisperer
When I brought Sergio upstairs to my writing office the day he arrived, he immediately claimed the spot on the corner of my laptop as his place. From the moment he has been there, he has been whispering ideas to me. Let’s just say I will not be lacking for story fodder for The Adventures of Sergio and Luna. His … Read More
YWS: How Writers Write – Take 2
Previously, I spoke about being a plotter or a pantster and how I fall in the middle of the spectrum. I’d like to add that for me, every book is different. Some require much more detailed planning in advance of starting, others simply have to be written and forget the outline you dashed down because we’re going on Mr. Toad’s … Read More
Enough
While I recently posted about bullying and suicide in honor of National Bully Prevention month (October), when I ran across the story of Bethany Thompson I felt the need to talk about it. Any time bullying leads to suicide, my heart breaks for the person who has been tormented to the point of no longer believing life is worth living. … Read More
The Unintentional Selfie
I need to carry my phone with me when I leave the room. Sergio gets curious about everything and today I noticed my phone had been moved after going to the kitchen to get some more tea. Sure enough, what do I find? A close up of Sergio. 😀 I asked him about it and he said he was trying … Read More