Costco Chooses The Wedding Thief for July, 2020

Costco’s book buyer, Pennie Clark Ianniciello, has chosen The Wedding Thief as her “Pennie’s Pick” for July. Look for an article about me and the book in July’s Coscto Connection newsletter. If you don’t receive the paper version, you can view the magazine on line here. And remember to go to Costco and pick up a copy of the book – or two two or three or . . . .

The Wedding Thief – Coming July 2020

I’m very excited about the cover of my new novel, The Wedding Thief, and the lovely blurb written by James Patterson. The book is being published by Little, Brown and will be out in July of 2020. The story is about two sisters in love with the same man. One is about to marry him; the other is about to sabotage the wedding. Imagine the possibilities …. It’s not the book I originally planned to write, though. In fact, I was several months into working on a completely different novel when I decided it wasn’t coming together the way I wanted it to. So I shelved it and began something new, which turned out to be The Wedding Thief.

Letting Go of What I’m Writing

A friend once asked if I had trouble letting go of a book when I knew I was getting to the end of writing it. I’ve only written three books (I’m now tying up some loose ends on my third), but I didn’t hesitate for a second before saying, “No!” When I’m getting to the end I can’t wait to be done and move on to the next project. Getting to the end means I’ve already gone through several rewrites, so by that time I’m tired of the manuscript. More than tired of it. And that’s before my editor even sees it. She’ll have comments and suggestions which will strengthen the story, but it means more revisions. It’s all worth … Read more

Surrounded by Books

There’s nothing that makes me feel more like a kid in a candy store than being in a bookstore or in any store that sells books. I love having a stockpile of books on my night table, and even when I’m knee-deep in writing my own book, as I am now, I need to have a book to read. And yes, I did buy a couple of books the day this picture was taken.  

Hemingway at his Best/Worst

Full disclosure: I’m not that big of a fan of Ernest Hemingway’s writing, but I find him a fascinating person. Everyone Behaves Badly is an intriguing and well written book about Hemingway in Paris in the 1920’s, and the lead-up to the writing and publication of The Sun Also Rises, his first novel. It’s a look into how ambitious Hemingway was in his desire to become a successful published author and how his style – spare, lean, direct, and the opposite of what was being published at the time – took the literary world by storm. I’ve read other books about Hemingway, including The Paris Wife, which I also enjoyed, so I had an idea of what the Paris years … Read more

Rebecca: Still Mesmerizing

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” So begins Daphne duMaurier’s classic novel of romantic suspense, Rebecca. I’ve read the book three times now – once as a teenager, once about twenty years ago, and again just recently. My daughter, who is nineteen, was sick and asked me to come into her room while she tried to go to sleep. I asked if she wanted me to read to her and she said yes. It’s a thrill to be able to read to a grown girl. She doesn’t ask for that often. I found Rebecca on her bookshelf. I knew she hadn’t read it, so I opened the book and began. She fell asleep within five pages, but I took the book back into my bedroom and continued reading by flashlight, so I wouldn’t wake my husband.

Read moreRebecca: Still Mesmerizing

At the Miami Book Fair 2017

I had a great time at the 2017 Miami Book Fair, talking about my latest novel, The Rules of Love & Grammar, and sharing a panel with Elin Hilderbrand (left), whose latest novel is The Identicals, and Alisyn Camerota (middle), co-anchor of CNN’s New Day and author of the debut novel, Amanda Wakes Up. The panel, called “Finding Yourself,” was aptly named, as the main characters in all of the novels are trying to find their place in the world.  I felt it especially relevant to me, as it took many years for me to find my way to the career I really love, which is being an author.                    

Revisiting Brideshead Revisited

Back in 1981, I watched the British TV series that was created from this novel and broadcast on PBS. It was the vehicle that made Jeremy Irons a household name. I since found out that it took two years to make that 11-episode series, and if you watch it you’ll understand why. It’s so beautifully done. Every bit of it. Anyway, that’s how I fell in love with Brideshead Revisited the first time. After watching the series, I thought I’d better read the novel, and I did. I thought it was wonderful.

Fast forward a few decades. I’d thought about the story many times over the years, as it’s one that’s not easily forgotten. A month ago, I bought the DVDs on the Internet and binge-watched them over a weekend. After that – you know where this story is going – I bought

Read moreRevisiting Brideshead Revisited

How I Became A Writer

I grew up in Darien, a suburban town on the Connecticut coast. When I was young I was always writing short stories and poems, and my teachers encouraged me to write – especially my ninth grade English teacher, who was one of two people to whom I dedicated my second novel. By the time I started college, I decided I’d better take up a practical career, as I didn’t think I could ever make a living writing fiction or poetry. I decided to major in journalism because at least that way I’d still be writing, although doing a very different kind of writing.

Read moreHow I Became A Writer