For most of my adult life, I’ve been engaged in the study of World War II. I wrote seven fictional books (two for adults and five for children) based on interviews with men and women who contributed to the war effort in various ways. It’s impossible to be a historian and not wonder, when talking...
Dani Rojas, a soccer-playing character on the TV show Ted Lasso, is known for his motto, “Football is life!” Dani is a Mexican national playing in England, hence the word “football” rather than soccer. He’s the team optimist, the good guy, the one who reminds everyone else to bring their love of the sport to...
I’m getting ready to roll out a new book and already obsessing about numbers. I’m wondering how many copies to order in my first print run. Should I dream big or be practical? How many books can I really sell in, say, the first three months? I’m concerned about raising my numbers of social media...
If you know me, you know that part of what excites me as a creative is figuring out ways to bring my art to diverse audiences. Why? I’m a writer, after all, so why not just focus on the written word? As individuals, we like to interact with art in different ways on any given...
When I was a kid, I used to sit on the back porch step and sing at the top of my lungs the lyrics to Frank Sinatra’s song, “High Hopes.” Just what did make that ant think he could move that rubber tree plant? I had no idea what inspired his crazy dream, but I...
The other day I was reading a book set in World War II America. Prominently shown in the “Recommended Reading” section at the back was my own book, Dancing in Combat Boots. What an unexpected thrill. I showed it to my usually low-key husband, and even he was impressed. A few days later, we were...
Recently, George Clooney accepted a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globe Awards. In an effort to cheer up the nominees who had not won in their categories, he reminded them that no one remembers how many awards an actor collects, what they remember is the iconic role he created or that famous line she...