In this old photo, I was about to marry my Greek husband, the one who inspired my memoir, Harlot's Sauce. Take a close look at my father's face, and you can see how he felt about my upcoming nuptials. Only two minutes before this photo was snapped, he and I were in the church vestibule, and he said, "It's not too late. I will take you out of here right now. Just say the word." How would you remember that moment if it happened to you? Would it be a humorous moment, or a nightmarish one? I chose to write it as humor. As one reviewer said about Harlot's Sauce, "So many horrible things happen to the protagonist, and yet I found myself doubled over in laughter at the same time I was … [Read more...]
Thank you, Readers and Reviewers!
My publicist (her name is Jane) asks me to please not read book reviews. "Let me worry about those things," Jane says. That's a tough request to agree to, naturally. Although I'm doing my best to take Jane's advice, The Secret Spice Cafe Trilogy are my debut novels, so I can't help but peek once in a while. Today, however, I got an email from her to which she attached the graphic above. "Go ahead and look," she wrote. Both Cooking for Ghosts and Spells and Oregano have achieved the above ratings, from real readers and reviewers -- not just, you know, from my favorite aunt or my best friend. So, thank you. Thank you to those who are reading, for taking the time out of your busy life to … [Read more...]
A 13th Moon
Today is Friday, the 13th. According to the Bible, "13" represents all the governments created by men, and inspired by Satan, in his outright rebellion against the Eternal. The symbolism of the number "13" plays a significant role in all three books of The Secret Spice Cafe Trilogy, as well. First of all, as many already know, Number 13 is the number of the airtight door aboard the Queen Mary where a crewman tragically lost his life when he was crushed to death. In all three books in The Secret Spice Cafe Trilogy, the only chapter heading that's not written out is the heading for Chapter 13. In the Readers Guide for each novel, there are always 13 questions. And in the final book, DEMONS, … [Read more...]
Writing, and the Flapdoodle That Goes With It: A Primer
Here's my philosophy about being a writer. I'm putting it down here because sometimes it helps me to remember it, and I think it holds true for most anyone who has a dream they wish to follow: 1) No one but you really cares that you "need" to do this. Your loving family and friends will support you emotionally and encourage you to a certain point, but after that point, if you don't have it in you to encourage and support yourself, you don't have it in you to persevere for the long haul. 2) If you're going to persevere, do your very best work. YOUR work, not some other writer's. Don't write "like" someone else. Write like YOU. Then rewrite it. Then rewrite it again. Then let an editor look … [Read more...]
Which COOKING FOR GHOSTS Character are You?
If you've read COOKING FOR GHOSTS, you know that the characters are unique and diverse. So, which one do you share the most personality traits with: Cynthia, Rohini, Jane, Angela, or Cristiano? Take this fun, free quiz to determine if you're a Vegas cocktail waitress, an Indian herbalist, a British chemistry professor, an Italian-American widow, or a cordon bleu chef who's done time for murder. Above is a screen shot of my result. I'm most like Cynthia--- bossy, emotional and excitable. Yeah. No surprise there. What about you? Take the quiz to find out: http://www.gotoquiz.com/which_cooking_for_ghosts_character_are_you_mo … [Read more...]
Spells and Oregano: A Novel of Love Lost and Love Found
Ghosts are real. They are our past experiences that haunt us. Lost chances, lost loves, and all other heartbreaks remain with us, ethereal, yet tangible. Spells and Oregano: Book II in The Secret Spice Cafe Trilogy takes place ten years after the first in the series, Cooking for Ghosts, closes. Apart from a whole new story line which I hope will resonate with readers, it answers one big question: What happened to poor Sarita, who was left so unhappy in Book I? Spells and Oregano is a magical realism novel with a cast of characters we met in Cooking for Ghosts, but while the latter novel is primarily a novel of female friendships, redemption, and actualization (with a few sassy, nosy … [Read more...]
Yay! COOKING FOR GHOSTS Goodreads Giveaway
Starting February 10, 2018: Goodreads Giveaway: 100 copies of COOKING FOR GHOSTS … [Read more...]
Ssh! Don’t Say That Number Out Loud
The belief that the number 13 is unlucky is an ancient one. The Romans believed the number 13 was a symbol of death. Norse legends claim that the 13th guest at a banquet is the spirit of evil. Traditionally, there were 13 steps leading up the gallows. In Christianity, the idea that the number brings bad luck is believed to have come from "The Last Supper," when Jesus sat down with his 12 disciples --- making 13 people at the table. For this reason, some believe that the first person to leave a dinner table at which there were 13 diners will die before the end of the year. And a coven of witches was once made up of exactly 13 members. The number "13" is a very significant number in all … [Read more...]