Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things. – Randy Pausch, the Last Lecture. A terrific quote that pretty much sums up writing my debut novel, Ten Days In Paradise, which I started many years ago on a trip to Sanibel Island. More or less on a dare to myself. You see I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I could not write fiction, I wasn’t smart enough or talented enough and I lacked the creativity to describe the sunset in sixteen different ways using colors that nobody has ever heard…
Do you ever look back on your life and wonder how many times you let fear stop you from pursuing a dream? You had a great idea, you were ready to take the plunge but then the doubts crept in. What if it doesn’t work out? What if I don’t have what it takes to succeed? Perhaps a friend or family member was less than enthusiastic. Like in the GoDaddy commercial targeting small business owners, when a smirking Jon Lovitz says “Every train needs a caboose.” No matter what the dream, no matter what the circumstances, for many of us…
Read the PostLions and Tigers and Reviewers, Oh My! Don’t Let Fear Kill Your Dreams
So excited to have the opportunity to talk about my Sanibel-inspired novel, Ten Days In Paradise, at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at the Sanibel Public Library, 770 Dunlop Road. The event is part of the library’s Meet the Author series. I’ll also be talking to readers and signing books from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, at the Sanibel Island Bookshop, 1571 Periwinkle Way. Ten Days In Paradise is a compelling and heartfelt novel about marriage and family relationships. The story unfolds as the Blakemore family arrives on Sanibel to celebrate their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. Tensions are running…
Read the PostUpcoming author events on Sanibel Jan. 19 and Jan. 21
I love Thanksgiving. Getting together with family, enjoying a feast of turkey and fixings and taking time to express gratitude. And the best part, no gifts to worry about. For me, Thanksgiving is all about food, family and celebration, so the pressure is off. But some people find that the holidays are stressful or never quite live up to expectations. Family gatherings can bring long-simmering tensions to the surface, and instead of Norman Rockwell you get Norman Lear (All in the Family for those of us old enough to remember). So here are a few ideas for your best Thanksgiving ever:…
Okay, so I’m new to this game. Debut author, trying to get noticed. Alongside the thousands of authors whose books are published every day. In the past few weeks, I’ve visited scores of websites and signed up for daily email blasts to find the best sites to promote my novel, Ten Days In Paradise. The upshot of all this cyber exploring: I am amazed at all of the terrific websites devoted to helping readers find quality eBooks at bargain prices or free. And we’re not talking about novels with bad covers and strange titles that look like they were written…
Read the PostFive great sites to find free and bargain eBooks