My Life
Declutterizing. Somewhat like an enema.
I finished my desk declutterizing, and yes, it was somewhat like an enema. (We have lots of people who swear by colonics' health benefits over here, along with crystals, marijuana as a lifestyle enhancer,...
The gift of a grandmother.
I had two amazing grandmothers. You'll note the past tense. They're both gone now, and I still miss them. They couldn't have been more different but in some scary ways, the same. My grandmother GeeGee was a classic: Republican, Catholic, bridge-playing, country-club...
It's my birthday, and I'll cry if I want to.
Yep, the above says it all. 2011 was a tough year for many, and for me and my husband. (see Painless is Feeling Good, The Ring Doesn't Come Off ) As part of being hopeful about 2012, I accepted an invitation from some dear and far-flung friends to participate in an...
Outwitting anticipatory grief.
Many of you know I'm a therapist, and this week I'm seeing clients who are universally... let down. No matter how great Christmas was, it's over now, with nothing left but leftovers, extra pounds around the waist, the Christmas crap to take down and put away and, even...
Christmas is rainbow season.
I'm a Christmas lover. And in Hawaii we like to do it up big, with all the trappings--even when they are a little ridiculous (okay a lot ridiculous) like plastic snowmen and spray snow on the windows. This year Christmas is minimalist for us, and that has made me...
Painless is feeling good.
Doing the grateful thing- and right now, I have a whole new appreciation for HEALTH. If you don't have health, you really don't have anything. My husband of 25 years, Mike Neal, is an amazing man with an amazing body. I've been accused (and not unfairly so) of...
Life in Paradise: rat wars. *&^%$!!
RatHunter on the job (video above. Be careful you might find it amusing) Day 1: Liko, our ridiculous Shih-Tzu, detects a rat behind the stove. He stands in point position, watching. He digs at the stove. He barks. We pull out the stove, the rat makes a dash for it,...
My Writing
Harvest ideas through creative daydreaming.
Harvest ideas through creative daydreaming. Generating ideas through daydreaming: we all do it. Happens in a nanosecond, probably happened when you clicked on the link opening this blog. Daydreaming has many functions to it: mental rehearsing, storing information in...
Getting to know readers: the new accessibility
Getting to know readers: the new accessibility. Getting to know readers is one of the joys of being an author. The Lei Crime Series seems to strike a chord in people, and they respond to it—they find me on Facebook, they wait for me to appear at the gym after spotting...
Broken Ferns, latest in the Lei Crime Series, is here!
Broken Ferns, latest in the Lei Crime Series, is here and live on Amazon. The print book will be available in a month or so. Ah, the launch of a new book. Nothing quite beats that brand of butterflies. Creating four books in a little over a year have forged my book...
Aloha Writers' Conference Lessons
Aloha Writer’s Conference Lessons I had the privilege (and I do mean that, in every sense) of attending the recent Aloha Writer’s Conference on my home island of Maui. Lessons from a top notch writing conference are best digested in small bites, but the experience...
Broken Ferns by Toby Neal Cover Reveal
Broken Ferns by Toby Neal cover reveal! Two of the things I love most about being an "indie" author is 1) the speed of being able to produce my books as fast as me and my team can develop them and 2) artistic control over the covers. After the recent blog post on...
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