Well, it’s here. THE DAY has arrived. I’m a published author. I’ve now checked off bucket list item #34 – Write a novel and get it published. The book is out in the wild…which means people are reading it. (Thank you!) People I don’t know. Which is thrilling. And scary. And awesome. And scary. (Wait, did I already say that?) And through it all I’m a complex mix of excited, exhilarated, and exhausted,…
When my husband was reading an early draft of COME AWAY WITH ME, it wasn’t long before he turned to me and asked, “So, I’m Gabe, right?” (Yes, but only the good parts, naturally …*wink wink*) Gabe is fictional, of course he is. But there is a lot of my husband in him – from expressions he uses, to moments we’ve had together, to the song Gabe sings and plays…
HUGE THANKS to Deb Eleanor for switching days this week! I had an unexpected “big break” when one of the engines blew on the plane I was supposed to take from Maui to L.A. Happily, the engine broke before we took off, so it wasn’t dramatic, just inconvenient. Two hours sitting in the plane on the tarmac, followed by frantic calls to re-book the flight (which made my husband and…
My favorite place no longer exists. I don’t mean this on some deep, metaphysical level… I mean it literally was demolished and no longer exists. The place was the Kapalua Bay Hotel in Maui… and it was heaven. The first time I went there, my husband proposed to me. He wanted the experience to be perfect… sunset on the beach. Unfortunately, he had scheduled night after night of simple yet…
We’ll be having a contest this week in celebration of the launch of Deb Eve’s FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MALARIA! Everyone who comments this week will automatically be entered to win (one entry per person, but you can comment as often as you like. Eve loves to read email. And we’re lonely.) At the end of the week one commenter will be chosen at random to win a signed…
The theme this week? Advice to your adolescent self…An interesting concept. And I think most adolescent selves would agree, totally unwarranted and unwelcome. After all, what teenager wants advice from a grown-up? So instead of an overwrought, bloated dissertation dispensing unsolicited advice on what I, the teenager, should do, I’ll just say this: never stop taking chances. And I’m glad I’ve taken my own advice to heart, as you will…
Now, I know you probably won’t believe me, but it’s freezing in Hawaii right now and I’m layered in fleece, double socks, and long johns as I write this. It’s getting so bad that I placed an order with LL Bean for a bunch of hats to wear when we sleep (no joke). Granted, I live up in the mountains and not at the beach, but still! This is Hawaii,…
If I’m going to write about fire this week, you can bet I’m going to write about Pele. No, not Pelé the famous soccer player — Pele, the goddess of fire, lightning, dance, volcanoes and violence (see her in the lava on the left? Look closer – she’s there). She lives on Kīlauea, less than two hours from where I live. She has ancestors who live in my town (Pele…
We rent. We rent a tidy 3 bedroom, 2 bath house on an acre of land. This house is home to me, my husband, my six year old, my 16 month old. The kids share a room; the third bedroom is our office. It’s maybe 1,100 sq feet. After a lifetime of travels, I am no longer a fan of putting things in storage. I’ve pared my life down to…
I am honored and pleased to introduce today’s guest blogger and fellow Hawaii resident, Patricia Wood. She also has a wonderful blog that’s attracting readers and writers from around the world. Her debut novel, LOTTERY (Putnam, August 2007), is a poignant and wise novel about a very rich underdog who shows everyone just how little his IQ says about his smarts. Read on and learn more about the book, Patricia…
