In a twist on the philosophical question “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around does it make a sound?” is the question if you publish a book and no knows about it have you really produced anything. As is typical, I began with a book launch at my local bookstore. Happily, the room was full and all the books were sold and more ordered. But if I want to sell to the demographic beyond my hometown, I need to do more.… Read more

Time to start writing – get those words flowing. I dreamed up scene after scene based on observations, experiences of friends, my life, and overheard comments to develop a woman expat’s life in Rome and her difficult marriage and how she made choices and, eventually, overcame obstacles. And then I read what I’d written. Oh well. So, I began to rearrange, delete, cut and paste, think more in-depth about who my characters really were and what they wanted and how to convey this.… Read more

I know writers who can churn out of book in a year. But I’m not one of them. My novel, The Measure of Life was born as a germ of a thought about six years ago. That germ germinated slowly – very slowly — and metamorphized in plot and characters repeatedly. I knew I wanted explore the difficulties and pleasures of expat life, focusing on Rome, a place I’ve lived. And I wanted to write about marriage and family.… Read more