Letters Books Paradise Author Events Readers Photos Reviews Press Home   Right this second, outside of my office window, the little tree that holds my favorite bird feeder only has about 25 leaves left on it. Fall here in the Northern hinterlands is just about over. And that means many, many things for me. This month has been filled with writing and more writing as I am feverishly, to put it mildly, working on my sixth novel, The Shortest Distance Between Two Women. Those of you who subscribe to my newsletter, which you can do from this site, know that I just recently decided on that title along with the able and magnificent help of the world's greatest editor, Kate Miciak. I am so lost in the writing that I have been waking up in the middle of the night to write down notes, and I've been carrying a piece of paper with me when I work out at the gym -- they all think I'm nuts anyway, so what the heck. And I am having the time of my life with the characters and with stitching together all the pieces that have been lying around on the pages I have already written. Besides finally getting out my first newsletter (Thanks to my fabulous web woman - Beth Tindall) I also participated in a wonderful event hosted by Milwaukee based Schwartz books. Their annual Reader's Retreat is always one of my favorite events and I met a mess of readers, which is my favorite part of the entire weekend. As you all know, Searching for Paradise in Parker, P.A. is getting set to run through the printing machines so it can be in your hands on April 1. This book, my hardcover debut, will hopefully knock your socks off -- and maybe your hats and shoes too. We've been working on tour material for this book, and all I can say, so I do not spoil all the fun, is that we are going to have a really great time with this novel. I'm excited about all my books, but this one in particular should touch your heart and make you laugh until your stomach hurts and then you might need a tissue for the next page. Start thinking about paradise and we will swap notes when I see you along the literary trail. On the home front, we had a bit of excitement the day daughter Rachel finally managed to total the car she has been slowly wrecking since she started driving. She is fine but she will not be driving anything for a long time and the life lessons are being spread around because she is one busy young woman and we are back to driving her everywhere. Sigh. She's also been playing on two soccer teams, practicing for the spring musical, volunteering at a Spanish-speaking school, singing with her musical group and is managing to get straight A's while we apply to colleges. Guess I better stop complaining now. Her brother is rolling through his second year of college, working at an inpatient treatment facility, training to do some kind of kung fu stuff and meeting all kinds of new people. In other Radishland news, I unblonded my hair just a bit because it was starting to look like it was its natural color -- gray, of course, -- I'm still working out like a nutcase, want to buy a road bicycle now that I am addicted to spinning classes, survived a mini-Radish family reunion and am terrified like the rest of you that this is the second to the last month of 2007. Also, one last very important and exciting note. I am going to be involved with a remarkable organization that I encourage all of you to check out. It's The Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation, www.nlovca.org. This group has asked me to help with its annual fundraiser walk, and to participate in a series of events leading up to it, and I am beyond honored to be involved with such an important cause. Check out the site, watch for news there and here, about my involvement, and be certain to have your annual checkup. As you know, the main character in Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral died of ovarian cancer, and it was, and remains, my hope that women will focus on the warning signs and help with the fight to find a cure for this cancer. And while the turkeys are running scared, and we put away the flip-flops, know that I am thinking of you and inviting you to start searching for your own paradise. Always in Paradise...(well, mostly always)
	Letters Books Paradise Author Events Readers Photos Reviews Press Home