I turned 60 years old on August 1st, 2010. My children, their spouses, and my granddaughters threw me a big birthday bash at 2:00P.M. on July 31st, 2010 at the Eunice O. Esposito Park not far from my home. About 50 attended in all and many family members came from out of state to share this milestone birthday with me.
My cake was fantastic....vanilla with coconut cream filling and an almond frosting. Villa Italia Bakery out did themselves with the decorating....which was the bindings of all my published books, titles and all, displayed on a bookshelf.
I wore a leopard tank-top and gold metallic pants. I wanted to make an impression....be remembered. The outfit was a hit and I enjoyed my guest's comments that I received throughout the day. My silly retort was: "I've always had aspirations of being a Vegas showgirl, so here I am!"
There were several picture boards set up for all to view consisting of shots of me throughout the years, as a baby, child, teen, a young adult, wife, mother, friend, sister, daughter, cousin, niece, and writer. Going down memory lane was a fun trip back in time.
I received many interesting and unique presents and gift cards, which is simply wonderful because I love to shop and as a starving artist I've had to curb my passion so I could pay the bills. But now I can splurge on myself without guilt. So, thanks everyone for your generous and thoughtful presents..
The day was simply beautiful weather-wise. I contribute that to my father. He passed away June 28th, 2009, so he wasn't present in body form. However, I felt his spirit envelope me, and I know he put a word in with God, for it was a perfect day, sunny, temperatures in the high 70's, no humidity and just a gentle breeze. Thanks Dad!
As I celebrate my 60th year on this planet, I am excited to announce my 6th book, ONE PERFECT FLOWER (the second installment of my historical series BETWEEN THE RIFLE AND THE SPEAR), was released on July 6th, 2010. I'm almost finished with my 7th book, A ROSE IN AMBER (the third installment in my historical series), plus a second edition of my 5th book, FAMILY SECRETS, is coming out in October and released by a new publisher. I will be working on a sequel to FAMILY SECRETS, entitled ANCESTORS, as well as working on the 4th installment of my historical series, entitled EAGLEHEART. Since 60 is the new 40, I am happy to have many, many more years to create stories for my readers!
I’ve always been in love with porches, and there have been many throughout my life.
The front porch on McClellan Street, where I lived from the age of two till ten years, was wide and had a wooden banister around it. The home was a two-family dwelling that my parent’s owned, so often we shared the porch with the upstairs neighbor. The street was a main thoroughfare not far from Schenectady, New York’s St. Clare’s Hospital and Central Park, so traffic was constant. Because of a walking disability from birth, I wasn’t able to ride bikes, jump rope or roller skate as other children did. But from my porch I watched others having fun during the summer vacation from school.
It was on that porch I began to write. I knew that if I was to ever make a friend, I would need a hook to get them to put down their bikes and join me on the porch. I began to write plays, making puppets out of paper dolls or socks, and putting on my productions from the porch. Soon, children were coming from all over the neighborhood to watch. My mom served cool aid, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cream filled cupcakes (my dad worked for Freihofers Baking Company at the time so we had an abundance of sweets in our home.) It wasn’t long before the spectators wanted a piece of the action, and so they joined in at making puppets and having a part in the play . . . all written by me.
I loved my grandparent’s patio porch on Nora Avenue. There hung a large porch swing and I would sit for hours upon it refreshing my mouth with root beer flavored popsicles and listening to my Aunt Peg play Elvis Presley records on her Hi Fi record player.
Another wonderful porch was the one at my family’s camp in Caroga Lake, New York. The large front enclosed terrace saw kids and adults playing card and board games on summer nights. On the back porch we sat at a huge picnic table . . . cousins, aunts and uncles, eating cold chicken legs, potato salad and lemonade before taking a stroll to Sherman’s Amusement Park and riding the carrousel.
When I was eleven we moved to Eastholm Road. That bungalow had both a front and back enclosed porch. It was on the front porch I colored in my Barbie coloring book and devoured, cover to cover, Cherry Ames Student Nurse on stormy summer afternoons, thunder rumbling in the distance.
When I was fourteen the front porch on Lucy Road was where I wrote letters to pen pals. Later, as a young woman, letters to many Viet Nam soldiers needing news from home, and poems to a sailor who captured my heart.
From the back deck of my Lucy Road home (loved the street so much growing up as a kid, I bought a home down the street after I wed . . . not to the sailor but to a marine), I read romance novels while watching my own children as they played on the swings and enjoyed the pool.
Now, while watching my grandchildren play, I sit upon the same deck porch with my lap top and once again craft characters and plots for my novels . . . creating a make-believe world, just as I did on that first porch when I was a kid. Recently I’ve even purchased the entire Cherry Ames series from my book club to read again. It’s true . . . history repeats itself.
So come on in . . . settle yourself down on my porch, 'swing a little, kick off your shoes and browse through the site. ENJOY!
