My Life
‘Pono' means “do the right thing.”
Over Christmas break, my daughter found a neglected 6 pound scrap of elderly Pomeranian wandering outside our neighborhood in the dead of night. His collar had to be cut out of (color indeterminate) matted dreadlocks, his toenails were so long they looked like curling...
The Secret to Happiness
e`vent (-vnt) n. 1. a. Something that takes place; an occurrence. b. A significant occurrence or happening. See Synonyms at occurrence. c. A social gathering or activity. 2. The final result; the outcome. 3. Sports A contest or an item in a sports program. 4. Physics...
no Florence Nightingale
Growing up, being sick was seen as a sort of moral failing—something you probably brought on yourself through poor hygiene, eating junk food, associating with lepers or some other stupidity. I remember at least one birthday desperately trying to conceal an oncoming...
“The ring doesn't come off,” he said.
Everyone has a story, and it’s this fascination with people’s stories that’s been such a big part of my life as both a therapist and a writer. In my story, it’s dark out, 4:30 AM, and I’ve already been awake for an hour or two. My husband’s in the hospital on day...
New Year's Unresolutions
I have never been a big New Year’s fan as this holiday in particular I’m always a little accident prone. I’ve been hit in the eye by a popper at a party, groped two handed in San Francisco, peed on my wallet in a park (maybe that was someone else, the memory’s a...
A few of my favorite (and nonfavorite) things at the holidays
A good friend (Julie! Thanks for being a reader and supporter!) sent out an annual letter called, “A few of my favorite things” and I thought that was a great idea. So here are some of my Favorite Things about the season, and if you hang in there for the whole post...
Datebook of a therapist/writer
My life goes by, a book of little boxes Penciled names and times containing No hint of the stories-- The sorrows, compulsions, memories, grief, The rage, depression, drugs, abuse. . . Just little boxes filled with names and times. I wish they Left no mark on me but...
My Writing
Creativity unleashed: begin in 2012
My first novel, Blood Orchids, debuted in December. This has been a lifelong dream, and a process on a thousand different levels. It's also caused a bit of an upheaval in my personal and professional life as I resolve issues of being a therapist in private and public...
The making of a bestselling cover: step one, photography.
Okay, maybe it's not bestselling yet. Or even out yet. But I'm a positive thinker, and things are well underway for my sequel Torch Ginger's launch in March. I'm married to a professional photographer, Renaissance Man, and he took the orchid photos that were used by...
Hard copy or e-book?
Palpitations. Hair-pulling. Insomnia. Frantic phone calls. Blizzards of e-mails. Yes, it's my first book launch, and after all of the above, Blood Orchids is finally available in both e-book and hard copy. I thought I was a convert to e-books. After all, the sad truth...
9 things about writing.
1. Notice everything. The world is filled with sounds, smells, textures, and fabulous stories unfolding all around you. Take the time to notice, and keep something handy to jot down new thoughts/ways to describe that sensory input as it comes to you. Sometimes,...
Reluctant crime writer.
How did this happen to me? I’m studying Forensics for Dummies with a pack of Post-its. I’m cutting up a chicken in the kitchen with a butcher knife as “research” for a paragraph on dismemberment, leaning in close to listen to the wet thunk and gristly snick of the...
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