Spring, eternal

Leaning hard into hope

Is there anything more hopeful than a daffodil? Especially this year, after a snowier-than-usual winter and what feels like an endless stream of dark, dark news.

Our daffodils seemingly popped up all at once, their showy brightness literally and figuratively overshadowing the crocuses and snowdrops. I’m feeling more hopeful than usual, mainly because the manuscript I’ve been futzing around with for way too long finally figured out what it wanted to be.

I thought I had a plan, but as is all too common in my case, the book had its own ideas, including yet again a minor character who shouldered his way to the forefront. Once I stopped trying to push him aside, real progress began.

It’s a terrific feeling and these days, when I sit down to write, my smile rivals the brightness of those daffodils.

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Book news: Tick-tick-tick to publication

Speaking of cheer, in its preview of spring books, Library Journal called A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run a “don’t miss.”

Some early reader reviews are up on NetGalley and they’re reassuringly positive.

“ …. full of comical incidents and brilliant, whacky characters … it would make a brilliant movie.” (From your mouth to God’s ears!)

“A fast, fun read … a breezy romp. Highly recommend.”

“Such a fun book.”

A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run (Severn House) will be out on May 6, which in publishing terms basically means tomorrow. It’s available for pre-order on all the usual sites.

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Bakes of the month: The two sides of my heritage

On St. Patrick’s Day I baked brown bread, something I fell in love with during a family trip to Ireland in 2018. Like soda bread, it’s a quick bread, but denser and maybe a little sweeter. Warm, with butter and a cuppa or a splash of Jameson, it’s irresistible.

Two days later, on the feast of San Giuseppe/St. Joseph, I rolled out a huge sheet of paper-thin dough (surprisingly easy) for scacciata, a Sicilian street food. I spread half with a filling of tomato sauce, prosciutto and shaved provolone, folded it and spread again, etc., to make several layers - the reason it’s sometimes called “lasagna bread.” The fillings are endlessly variable, and it makes for a great lunch.

The Italian side of my family is from outside Naples, whose patron saint is Giuseppe, and the city celebrates him in a big way. To truly honor the day, I’d have had to make zeppole, little doughnuts, but deep-frying scares me. Maybe next year.

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What I’m reading: All over the map

Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Demon Copperhead – her reimagining of David Copperfield set in the midst of Appalachia’s opioid epidemic - has languished far too long in the TBR stack. But every time I looked at its 500-plus pages and considered the grim subject matter, I turned to something else. Let’s just say it was worth the wait. Loved the voice, loved the setting, loved the writing. Helluva book.

Friend and fellow mystery writer Joanne McLaughlin and I are charting similar paths this year, turning from traditional mysteries to a cozy. Her delightful A Poetic Puzzle: A Mystery in 32 Pieces, centers on two poets – one wildly successful, the other barely – who share the same name. When the famous one disappears, the other steps up. In addition to the mystery, the book hits some cogent notes about poetry as protest. Timely!

One of the things I love about book clubs is that the selections often jolt me out of my comfort zone, which was the case with Irene Graziosi’s The Other Profile. Its focus on the world of teenage influencers couldn’t be farther from my own reality. It’s a good read about utter weirdness of this aspect of social media and its effects on identity.

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Appearances: From Maryland to New Orleans

Earlier this month, I was privileged to be part of a reading at The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland, celebrating The Delmarva Review’s anthology celebrating 15 years of publication. And this coming weekend, I’ll be at the Tennessee Williams Festival & New Orleans Literary Festival with other winners over the past decade of the Pinckley Prize. The national prize for women writers honors the memory of Diana Pinckley, the longtime crime fiction columnist for the New Orleans Time-Picayune. It was established by the Women’s National Book Association of New Orleans.

I love talking with groups about books or writing in general, either in person or via the magic of Zoom. I also give writing workshops, perfect for libraries and writing groups. Interested? You can contact me via my website or by messaging me here.

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