I know you’ve seen these ladies before – it was Roommate week for catching up. These are the strong women that helped raise me and have been there for me for more than forty years. College roommates, we’ve stayed together, raised our families together and still love each other. It’s kinda nice. 

The week was low key, just visiting and reconnecting in person rather than electronically. Since I’m now settled in my new place most of the activities were here and surrounding eating, but it’s a treat. We did go see Wonder Woman and we all loved it – strong women are what we’re about and a woman director finally got a super hero movie right! There was some shopping but not as much as you’d think. We’d planned to sit by the pool one day but it turned cold, so we stayed in and watched other movies, like Wild Oats and shared grandkid pictures. As college kids that activity never occurred to us.

We toasted our daughters at dinner last night – all have turned into strong women as well, with different adventures than ours, but strengthening as well and all have turned into lovely young women we can admire and learn from ourselves. The good thing is, they also know each other and are in touch – maybe not as much as we are, but they know they’re out there if needed and are family as well.

Okay, back to editing and writing, but with renewed strength and grounding and maybe even a little inspiration. Thanks, girls . . .

Talk about a great weekend. I held my first write-in here at the new condo. Hubby was out of town so it was just us writers, writing. Had some super writers here, you probably heard of some of them – Nancy Lee Badger, Laura Browning, Leslie Ray, and me. Others you will hear of soon.  (Don’t ask what we were laughing about in this pic – it’s rated higher than this blog)

Having never done this before, it was loose but fun. I think next time I’ll plan sprints for the writing. We did get into discussions several times, which might have kept the word count down, but were definitely educational. Some of us are hybrid writers (traditionally published as well as self-published), others were traditionally published only. That led to more than one conversation about the merits of each.

Some of us are planning to go to Nationals this year in Orlando, and discussed previous conferences. Leslie had been to RT and we queried her about that – when it gets close again, I’d like to try it. All of us are in HCRW (Heart of Carolina Romance Writers) so we talked about the chapter and possible future programs as well.

That’s not to say we didn’t write (or edit) all day. I personally wrote 800+ words and I saw a lot of finger movements over the keyboards in the other seats as well.

I am going to do this again – it was inspiring, helpful and just plain fun having such creativity going on in my home. Not to mention I cleaned house for it, so Hubby is going to be all for it as often as possible.

Nancy spent the night to have time to tutor me in some marketing (and we watched a couple of movies I’d never have watched without her – going to call it research – Fifty Shades and Fifty Shades Darker). Hey, like I said, Hubby was out of town! So sue me….

My good friend Cyn Hadyn has not one but TWO books coming out in May – Null Sanction and Off Track  – be sure to check them out and learn a little more about Cyn herself!  

What made you want to start writing? I’ve always written, but not in the romance genre. I wrote history which, as you know, doesn’t permit fudging the facts to fit your story line.

When did you start writing? I started writing in 2011, a year before I retired as the Command Historian for Marine Special Operations Command. I’d work at night and over my lunch hour and, honestly, my stories had better endings than the history I was dealing with.

Who inspires you? People who are willing to put their life on the line to keep little ol’ me safe. Servicemen and women, police, firefighters, etc. I especially am inspired by the way they continue to do so without expecting a pat or the back or a kind word from the ungrateful people they rescue.

        I have my favorite Paranormal authors and Historical Romance authors, but I am truly inspired by anyone who has the gumption to start with a blank computer screen and keep at it until they can type “The End” several thousand words later, and then stick with it to pick it all apart in the editing process so it becomes the best book they’ve written.

I’m also inspired by authors who take the time to drop their own works in progress to help a struggling writer. My Romance Writers of America Chapter, TARA, or Tampa Area Romance Writers, abounds with senior, published authors who will gladly help out a writer who can’t seem to figure out what the problem is with her current work.

What do you do when you have writer’s block? I step away from the computer. I may spend a day, a week, or several weeks just mulling things over and letting my mind go in free association. My dreams also seem to suggest solutions. I just know that, suddenly, I have exactly the right word, phrase, or direction to take things.

Who knows you best? Does anyone really know anyone? For writing I’d have to say you, Donna Steele, because you let me whine over the phone, and you know you can do the same with me.

There is also our mutual friend, Bette Franken, who lets us both whine a little and then tells us how it’s going to be.  (So true, that! DS)

What do you do when you’re not writing? Read, read, read, and read. I love reading, and the more diverse the subject the better. I want to be the sole survivor trapped in the New York Public Library during the apocalypse.

Where is a place that makes you feel “at home”? Thanks to my Hungarian ancestry, I have a gypsy’s short roots. I’ve lived in PA, NC, NJ, FL, CA, MD, CO, GA, and NY and still haven’t found the one place that says home to me, but I am a nester. Wherever I happen to be living, I take great care to make that place as comfortably soothing as I can.

When has there been a time where you were put to your limits? Yes, twice. Not pleasant, and not something I will take a chance on having a repeat of by talking about it.

How do you wind down? A glass of wine or scotch and a good conversation with a friend.

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and where would you meet? My true soulmate. Since that hasn’t happened, I’d have to go with Winston Churchill. As to meeting place, in his underground bunker during WW II. I’ve always admired Winston’s vocal penchant for not suffering fools overlong in his presence.

Buylinks – Amazon

Bio – I’m a transplanted Yankee of Hun-Viking ancestry now residing in Florida. I write paranormal and historical with a paranormal twist. You can visit my author page on Facebook  or Amazon to learn more about me.

A few more titles to check out (click on the cover for more info) –

Spent this past weekend at a glorious and elegant family wedding. Though nephew age, he’s actually my first cousin once removed (we have those here in the South) and his mother was my first ever friend, being only a few months apart. I wish the very best for Tim and Stephen as they start their lives together.

It made me think about all the varied weddings I’ve enjoyed over the past twelve months. The first being my son and daughter-in-law, who chose a destination beach wedding (shoes optional). It was small, intimate and perfect for them, with dinner on the beach.

Then a cousin (actually the niece of an uncle, but close enough) who married her high school sweetheart after both of their spouses passed away. The reception was in their backyard overlooking the river and informally elegant. Both in their 70’s now, I’m glad they didn’t opt for a long engagement.

Now this one, large with all the trimmings, dancing and more formal. But each got the perfect wedding for them.

My own wedding, 38 years ago last month, was in the family church with the reception in the fellowship hall – punch and peanuts, but made much more elegant by a cousin (yes, I have tons of them) who catered weddings and brought her silver punch bowl and trays and put those excellent touches around making it the most elegant reception that space had ever seen, until my sister’s wedding where she did it again.  

I can see my niece marrying there, in the family church, but a different kind of reception. Her brother married his husband in a bar across the street from Stonewall in New York. My own daughter, I haven’t a clue. Her career has taken her far from the south and she has her own ideas, which will be classy and totally different than anything I would think of, if and when she decides marriage is right for her.

It really makes this romance writer sit up and think about all the possibilities and how many ways happily ever after can be achieved.