We all have our ups and downs, and it's only natural that we'd like to share most of them with our family and friends, our so-called support network. It's especially more fun and exciting to share those moments of triumph, big and small, with the people who always stand by us. From a … [Read more...]
What in the world is a "must write," you ask. I can best explain what it is by mentioning its counterpart, which you're probably familiar with since it's often found in readers' reviews of their favorite books---a "must read." Let me elaborate. A must write is something that I as a writer feel … [Read more...]
As a writer, nothing brings me greater pleasure or amazement than to know that somewhere out there some readers may find my book intriguing enough to invest their money and time in it. It's no surprise then that I've often wondered, with a certain sense of awe, where all the book has … [Read more...]
---it is said they carry Spring on their wing tips. So irresistible is the imagery, I once wrote a short story about it. In Southern California, this springtime migration has also given birth to another seasonal ritual: the celebration of the birds' return to San Juan Capistrano Mission, which takes … [Read more...]
As I've shared with you before, it always gives me great pleasure to discuss with live audiences about my book, Once upon a Mulberry Field, and I welcome every opportunity to do so. Some of my favorite venues have been local civic clubs such as P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization), … [Read more...]
Okay. You've put in a long, hard day (sometimes without a whole lot to show for) and you're feeling drained. You need a good diversion, something pleasant and relaxing to take your mind off work and deadlines, bills to pay, and emails or voice mails that need answering. You kick back in your chair, … [Read more...]
It's said that we've all got a book in us. I was fortunate enough, living in the age of self-publishing, to find that out for myself. In my case, it took me six years of hard labor---labor of love, as it's called---to research, write, and publish my first book, Once upon a Mulberry Field, a … [Read more...]
In 2008 when I started writing my book Once upon a Mulberry Field, a big concern I had was the size of it---how much material to include in it. From what I was able to gather at the time, the ideal length of a book should be anywhere between 60,000 and 90,000 words, which roughly translates into 200 … [Read more...]
Warm greetings! The last few months have been busy for me, but it has been a good kind of busy (except for the tax returns, of course). I was invited to speak about my book at various venues and gladly accepted all those invitations, thus spending a lot of time on the road rather than at the … [Read more...]
Maya Angelou once said: "You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it's all right." Most people, no matter where we came from or where life has taken us, remain attached to memories of our early years -- the times, places, people, events, as well as the loves and … [Read more...]