June News

Mom's 88th birthday!

I'm thrilled to report that my mother is doing great (after a bit of a scare last month) and, in fact, she’ll celebrate her 88^th birthday on June 18^th! We spend a lot of time together and I thank God every day that I have her.

And, I’m slowly getting back to my regular writing routine, working on my next book. I have to admit that it's taking me some time to get re-acclimated after several weeks of being away from it. I had to re-read what I’d already written and to re-evaluate the plot. But, I’m getting there and I’m thankful for that too because my writing is so very important to me.

All of the above got me thinking about the connection between my personal life and my writing life. Because the two are definitely intertwined. True, one of the reasons I write (and read) fiction is to escape reality. But reality is at the core of my writing. Where else would the ideas for a novel (or a series) come from?

Family has always meant the world to me but family isn’t just the people who are related to us by blood. Family includes close friends and even ex-in laws. They say, “Blood is thicker than water,” but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes, family members chose to walk away from their family. I think that’s very sad but it happens. By the same token, I have so many people in my life who aren’t related to me but who will always be a part of my family. The novel I’m currently writing reflects that and so do my Malone mysteries.

Here’s an overview of the series:

“The Malone Mystery Series isn’t just about the mystery. It’s the story of Ann Malone Kern and her family and the struggles they face. As the series progresses, you will see Ann and the other characters change and grow as they deal with a multitude of problems and are involved in several dangerous, sometimes life-threatening, situations. But through it all, the underlining message in each book is one of Hope.”

If you haven't read my Malone mysteries yet, I "hope" you will. 😃