Writing this final post is conjuring all sorts of emotions in me. I’ve loved my year as a Debutante – loved connecting with my fellow Debs and the women who have gone before us, loved chatting with the readers and bloggers who have been kind enough to leave comments — and yet, it feels right to turn over the reins to a fresh new group of debut authors. (And, by…

My father is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. He loves to laugh at himself, which is a rare and admirable trait. He’s quick with a quip, he spontaneously comes up with silly poems that rhyme with my sons’ names, and he’s a terrific writer (seven non-fiction books – one of which was made into a CBS Sunday Night movie and got him an appearance on Oprah, and…

I’d just gotten a new iPhone – all shiny and pretty, wrapped in a hot-pink case – and my friend Nik, who was visiting for the weekend, asked a question that I’m eternally grateful for:  “Do you know about the Kindle App?” I’m a bit wary of all things electronic, so I meekly shook my head. I had no Kindle App. I had, in fact, no Apps at all. “Here,”…

You know how sometimes you can walk around for half a day, blissfully oblivious, until someone points out you’ve got toilet paper stuck to your shoe? Writing is like that, sometimes. Until my agent mentioned it, I didn’t realize I was such a visual writer. When I sit down in front of my computer, the things I tend to describe are colors and facial expressions, little gestures and mannerisms. It’s…

Okay, you guys came through for me once before: Remember when I put out the call for help in stopping my ugly habit of biting my nails? The responses were terrific – and gross (I still shudder at the “buttworm” comment) – and now, three months out, I can proudly say I no longer hide my hands. My nails won’t ever threaten the talons of, say, Barbra Streisand, but they’re…