Do you have a ‘Bucket List’?

I’m asking this because I found mine while cleaning out the garage. It was written somewhere around my senior year in high school. I have no idea when I last saw it. A lot of things were checked off but I haven’t seen it for a long, long time.

What I found interesting was not what I had or had not accomplished (although I was able to update it with several things I’d done since I’d last seen it) The thing I really found interesting was what I considered noteworthy to spend my time and energy on in my future.

Yes, I did go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade (Boy, talk about a crowd of people!)

Yes, I have been to the Grand Canyon. (Indescribable)

No, I haven’t made it to Mardi Gras yet.

Yes, I have read War and Peace. (Loooong)

No, I’ve never made it to the Olympic Games

No, I’ve never been in Times Square on New Year’s Eve (And that’s probably a good thing)

Some of the items were a bit surprising. “To go camping in Canada.” Now, I’ve been to Canada several times and loved every minute of it, but camping??? Like in a tent and sleeping on the ground??? I don’t think so. I love nature but at night I need a hotel with cable and a hot shower.

I’m thinking that it’s probably time to revise my list. Update it with things that mean more to me now, but ya know…I still want to see the Hoover Dam.

So, do you have a ‘Bucket List’? Did you write it recently or years ago? Do you still want to accomplish what you listed? Let me know what’s important to you.

Come Party with Me!

Join me over at The Romance Studio Christmas Party! I'll be blogging and posting excerpts along with dozens of other romance authors. We'll be partying until December 23rd. There are contests, prizes and we'll even be giving away a Nook!

To celebrate the release of Finding Sean, I'll be giving away a copy of Finding Jen, the first book in the Lost and Found series. Click on my name on the right side of the web page to see all my posts.

See ya at the Party!

Things I Am Grateful For

With Christmas next week, I thought I’d take a break from the hectic whirlwind to reflect on a few of the small things that I am grateful for.

That I live in a warm climate where we don’t shovel our weather and I’ve worn shorts or gone swimming on Christmas Day.

The predictions for the last few years have not come true and we haven’t been hit with a hurricane season like 2004 when Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne hit the state. (The price we pay for swimming on Christmas Day.)

When I make a mistake or a faux pax, it doesn’t land on YouTube, Entertainment Tonight or the front page of the NY Post – usually.

I’ve been able to attend pro football games as a season ticket holder for the last 16 years. I love the game and was brought up believing the four seasons are Pre-season, Season, Post-season and Draft.

The elections are over and we are no longer being subjected to all the negative ads. The name calling this time was worse than little kids in a sandbox.

And, of course, Hugh Jackman, Johnny Depp and Eli Manning

Finding Sean Now Available on Amazon Kindle

and B&N Nook

Years ago, Jennifer Gilbert rejected Sean O’Connell because she could no longer tolerate the ménage relationship with him and another woman. She wanted Sean all to herself.


Now the tables have turned. When Sean finds Jennifer again in “Finding Jen,” the first book in the “Lost and Found” series, the only way he can have her is to share her with the other man she loves.

In “Finding Sean” the second book in the “Lost and Found’ Series, Sean’s tolerance of Rick, the other man, turns to interest, and then more. No one is more surprised than Sean. Now the love triangle is unraveling. Jennifer and Sean must search their hearts and decide once and for all what or who they are willing to give up for love.

I hope you enjoy the following excerpt:

“So who are you waiting for?” asked a squeaky voice directly behind Jennifer Gilbert.

Startled, Jen dropped the mail. “Oh, Mrs. Levitz, I didn’t hear you.”

Jen’s landlady reached up and shook her finger in Jen’s face. “You should pay more attention to your surroundings. I could have been a mugger or something even worse. You should never let your guard down. It’s not safe.”

Jen nodded and bent to pick up the mail, knowing it was useless to disagree with anything the woman said. Mrs. Levitz had an annoying habit of sneaking up on people and listening to their conversations, then dispensing unwanted advice. But Jen loved the old brownstone where she lived, and if Mrs. Levitz’s advice was the price she had to pay to stay here then she’d gladly put up with it.

She, Sean, and Rick rented the three apartments on the third floor although they spent most of their time in Jen’s. It was easier than trying to explain to Mrs. Levitz why all of them were living together. Besides, they needed the space. As far as Jen could tell, they’d kept their arrangement secret from the nosy woman. The less she knew the better.

“So you’re going out to dinner with the dark one. Do you think you can change him?” Even though Sean and Rick had been tenants for over six months, the landlady persisted in referring to them as “the dark one” and “the light one” as if they were some sort of superhero duo.

Jen shoved the mail into her portfolio handbag and stood. “Change him?” What on earth was she babbling about?

“You know, change him. Make him like girls.” Mrs. Levitz gave Jen a conspiratorial wink. “I noticed his boyfriend, the light one, he didn’t come back from vacation with him. Maybe they got tired of each other.”

“His boy -- are you saying Sean O’Connell and Rick Evans are gay?” Jen didn’t know whether to burst out laughing or blast her with some righteous indignation. She settled for innocent curiosity. Just what kind of gossip was the woman spreading?

“Well, you know they moved in at the same time, and I hear them talking on the stairs, their voices real low when they come and go. How come you didn’t spot it? You’re always going out with them. What do you think? Which one’s the girl?”

“Mrs. Levitz! That’s utterly ridiculous. I know for a fact they are both healthy, heterosexual men. No one’s the girl. How can you even think that?”

“Are ya sure? I mean, they both go out of town a lot, too. Do you think they go to a secret rendezvous place together?” Mrs. Levitz asked hopefully as if hating to give up the idea of two gay men as her tenants.

“I can assure you, Mrs. Levitz…” a frosty baritone voice said from the staircase “…I am not now…nor have I ever been…gay.”

Jen cringed at the icicles dripping from his words. Of all people for Mrs. Levitz to consider gay, homophobic Sean O’Connell should have been the last. Why, he even freaked out if Rick brushed against him while they were having a three-way. How much had he heard? Oh please, don’t let him have heard the part about being the girl.


Coming Soon – “Finding Rick, the third book in the “Lost and Found’ Series.


Visit my website and my pages at Amazon and Barnes and Noble for all my stories. Thanks for stopping by!

Paradise Is Now Available Through Amazon Kindle
 and B&N Nook

Independent, career woman Roberta Miller wins a dream vacation – only it’s closer to a Jurassic Park nightmare: a camping trip, canoeing through the Okefenokee Swamp, dodging snapping alligators, mosquitoes the size of elephants and – “What do you mean there are no restrooms!”

Bad boy, Eddie McGraw chucked his successful Wall St. career to run the family camping business in his favorite place on earth. He’s through with races only the rats win and women obsessed with careers and designer shoes. He’s set his sights on settling down with a good old country girl, one who shares his passion for the simple life, that is, until he meets a very intriguing camper.

As I mentioned on my website, this story was previously published in 2006 but, never had a chance. After carefully researching which publishers to submit it to, it turns out I had not chosen wisely. The publisher declared bankruptcy, closed its doors, website and email and left its authors hanging. ::sigh::

Fortunately, we all eventually got our rights back but Robbie and Eddie were a bit shell-shocked by the whole experience and have spent the last few years hiding under my bed.

I figure they’ve had enough time to recover and have pushed them off in their canoe into the Okefenokee Swamp again. Bugs, gators, and things that go bump in the night all await these adventurous campers. If they happen to fall in love along the way, well, there are other things to do in a swamp besides listen to tree frogs.

I hope you enjoy their adventure!

ASIN: B0046H9ZCC
$3.99
173 pages

Buy Kindle Edition

Buy Nook Edition

My Top Ten Excuses for Not Writing Today

He has nothing to do with the topic, but sometimes I like to open my blogs with a hot guy. For my money, Jason Taylor is seriously hot.

:: sigh:: Back on task…

Excuses seem to be a big topic on a lot of loops recently so I thought I’d chime in with mine. Here we go…

1. The sun’s in my eyes.
2. My shoes are too tight.
3. I just washed my hair.

Oh…Wait…Those are my excuses for not exercising. My bad…
Hmm… excuses for not writing…Oh yeah.

10. I have to take down my jack-o’-lanterns and put up my pilgrims. Gosh, I’m already a week late.

9. There’s a sale on my favorite wine at the local shop and I have to get there before the only other two people in this city who like it buy up the entire stock.

8. Christmas shopping! OMG! It’s the 6th of November and I haven’t finished my Christmas shopping yet!

7. I have to clean my house. Nayh, let’s not get ridiculous.

6. The cats are fighting. I need to break it up. (Regrettably, this really is an all day job.)

5. I need to figure out what’s for dinner. Italian…Chinese…Mexican… So many take out menus so little time.

4. I have to do the Sudoku in today’s newspaper. Really, for me, a day without Sudoku is a day closer to Old Timer’s Disease.

3. Wisconsin is at Perdue and Minnesota is at Michigan State. I can’t possibly miss those. (That’s college football for those of you not addicted to the game.)

2. I sprained my wrist (No, really, I did last Wednesday. I am such a bobo-head.)

1. Oh, my Number One excuse for not writing today…I wrote this blog instead!

Almost Home

Day 28 of my sojourn up the East coast and almost the last day. I head out on Sunday and plan to be in the land of milk and honey - or rather gators and oranges - on Monday. This trip has been a fantastic event of researching sites (and sights) for future books. As of today I satisfied the last item on my ‘to do’ list with visiting a cemetery with my mom. (Yeah, I'm working on another Lite Paranormal) Now, I’ve been to several cemeteries during my visit - there is a fascinating one near Ocean City NJ with early 18th century graves and another one that overlooks a highway and the new “Stop and Shop” - and they had a sense of contentment and caring (based on the items left near the headstones) about them. But the one I visited today was one of the creepiest I‘ve ever been to. Obviously, I didn’t say a word to Mom. We were there to visit my grandparents and several of her friends. She was the first to mention how spooky and cold it was.


Row after row after row of headstones all the same height, a few different shapes, as far as you could see; few flowers and very impersonal, or so it seemed to us. Now, I’ve been to Arlington National Cemetery many times where every headstone is laid out in rows but it’s very peaceful and I’ve never been creeped out there. Both Mother and I didn’t want to be anywhere near this place after dark. (Her words not mine.)

Well this little odyssey of a month on the road to renew my Jersey roots has been fantastic but I’m now looking forward to returning to the Sunshine State and putting what I found into some new stories. I discovered a lot and can’t wait to weave some magic around it.

Sometimes getting away has a way of bringing you back home again.