About Me
To put it simply, I'm a lover of books . . .
However, I have this Pollyanna view towards life - I'm an optimistic gal who's always looking for the bright side of life and wants happy endings.
This all started when I was a little girl. I used to pull my blankets up over my head so I could turn on my flashlight and read way into the night. The first book I remember reading was a Nancy Drew Mystery; that started my love for mysteries and a positive attitude. At seven years old, the very first movie I ever saw was Arsenic and Old Lace. Talk about happy endings! Then my father would take us to Radio City Music Hall in New York City where we saw To Catch a Thief, Dial M for Murder, and Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock. These movies sealed my love for mystery stories with happy endings.
My other love is history and "old" things like buildings, homes, furniture, movies, clothing, music; I love anything old! I'm constantly curious about how things happen and why they happened. This led me to try and write a book while I was in high school called The Fall of The American Empire. It's still sitting in a box, waiting to be finished.
After college, not knowing what direction to take but needing to make money, I sold cosmetics door-to-door. Even though I was extremely good at it, there was a little nagging voice in my head and heart saying, "Is this what you really want to do?" Answer, no. So, I quit against everyone's advice.
Because of my love for mysteries, I thought it would be perfect working for an attorney. Lo and behold, I got a job as a legal secretary. Did I enjoy it, yes, but that nagging voice, "Is this what you really want to do?" wouldn't leave my head and heart.
One day when I was having lunch with a friend, he revealed that he wrote a mystery book. Excited, I asked if I could read it and reluctantly he gave it to me. I loved it! I wanted to sell it to a publisher. My line of thinking: if I can sell cosmetics, I can sell a book; especially a mystery book! They're both products that needed a buyer to buy it. Easy-peasy. Yes and No. Cosmetics are a lot easier to sell.
First, I needed to create my own Literary Agency. Once done, my friend let me try to sell his book (which I did). After a year and half, I accomplished selling fifteen other aspiring writers. Realizing I needed more knowledge about the book industry, I decided to move to the hub of the book industry, Manhattan, where I obtained a job with a Literary Agency. I love Manhattan, so moving there was a no-brainer. As much as I enjoyed it, that nagging voice, "Is this what you really want to do?" once again wouldn't leave my head and heart.
Then one day a friend gave me, Ten Days In A Madhouse by Nellie Bly. She was amazing! I couldn't stop talking about her; what she went through. To shut me up, my friend suggested I write a book, even better a mystery, with Nellie in it.
I took his advice and ended up writing four novels with Nellie Bly as my heroine. They ended up being published in thirteen countries.
Finally, the nagging voice in my head stopped. I followed my heart and found my passion, writing, and it accommodated my other love - giving encouragement and hope to other people. All someone needs is to believe in themselves and follow the so true words of Walt Disney . . . "All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."