In Good Company

Can't stop smiling. Saw my books on the shelf at a local bookstore over the weekend, and the placement is so awesome. There sit all three Darlene Deluca novels sandwiched between Barbara Delinsky and Jude Deveraux. Not a bad place to be!
I confess that when I chose the pen name of Deluca, the thought did cross my mind that I could be near one of my favorite authors, and could possibly be seen by readers who enjoy her work. I couldn't ask for a better location. Now, I hope that the book covers entice those readers to pick up the novels and read about them. And I hope the descriptions will be of interest to readers who enjoy multiple story lines about friendship, family relationships, real-life situations and in some cases, a little romance. Happy reading to all!

The Waiting Game

I’m always in a hurry to get from November to April. I hate winter, hate being cold and having to deal with hats, coats, gloves, etc. Not a fan of ice or snow, either. By January, I’m desperately in need of sunshine – not the clear sun of a sharp winter day, but warm, skin-toasting rays of summer sun.

This year, however, I have another reason to rush to April. I need information. My family and I will be in limbo through these cold winter months. We’ll be waiting for news of college acceptances, coach’s decisions, financial aid packages, NSF grants and PhD programs.

There’s a lot on the line. For example, will I be able to start the kitchen project we’ve talked about for years, or will that be pushed to the back burner for another four years? Will our kids be living on opposite sides of the country for the next few years? Will our daughter still be in school, or will she get a job and begin the no-vacation phase of life? How much support will she need?

We won’t know the answers to these questions until April.

Patience has never been my strong suit, so months of waiting sounds like pure torture to me. I’m thinking the bears have the right idea. I’d like to stuff myself on a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, second helpings of pecan pie for good measure, and then drift into hibernation for four months. I’d love to enjoy a long, deep sleep then wake to spring sunshine and all the answers to the questions that will determine the course of our lives for the next several years!

Teen Readers Rock!

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking with three groups of high school teens, mostly young women, during their book club discussion. To my delight, they read my novel Unexpected Legacy for their group read in October. It’s mainstream fiction with romantic elements that crosses over to young adult.
It was wonderful to hear that they liked my book, and thought it was engaging and realistic, with characters they could relate to. It was a nice little ego boost.

But what really struck me in the two hours I spent at the school, was how many of the students are reading and writing for pleasure, are interested in the writing and publishing process, and are active on Goodreads. A few of them were even planning to participate in NaNoWriMo. One young woman said she would stay up until midnight on Halloween night so that she could begin writing!

During our discussion, we talked about self-publishing and writing habits. They wanted to know about scene selection, and where ideas come from. They asked great questions about character development and dialog that showed they’d really put some thought into reading and analyzing the book.

I’m thrilled that my kids’ high school librarian is sponsoring a book club. And making it cool. She wrote a proposal, and was granted funds from the school's education foundation to purchase Nooks for the book club and a budget for purchasing ebooks. The students simply check out the Nooks for book club. It’s a great way to foster a love of reading, and to bring together young readers in a support/discussion group.

I know the young adult genre has exploded in the last several years thanks to series such as Harry Potter and Twilight. Still, this is the age of too many activities to choose from, iPhones, and downloadable everything. So I’m really happy to see the kids choosing reading and writing as a pastime. And especially happy to be a part of promoting a love for reading!

No farting, please . . . I can smell again!

So this morning I’m brushing my teeth, and I kept thinking I was getting a funky taste. Puzzled, I checked the toothpaste tube and the toothbrush trying to figure out what strange substance I was ingesting. Took me a minute to realize it wasn’t a taste at all – it was a scent. And I smelled it!!

This may seem a strange topic, but it’s been months since I’ve smelled anything! You see, I’m plagued with sinus issues. I’ve had surgery, but this fall has been rough. For a couple of weeks I couldn’t breathe, let alone smell. I wasn’t particularly concerned about the smell part. But I do like to sleep, and it’s hard to get sleep when you can’t breathe.

Thank you, Prednisone.

After a few days of drug therapy, the polyps have shrunk, and I’ve regained a little sense of smell. But I have to say, in some respects I did not mind not smelling. When my sister and I were driving back from Colorado a couple of months ago and there was a dead skunk on the side of the road, she nearly gagged, while I was completely oblivious. And when my son and I had to park behind a restaurant and then walk past the dumpsters? He made fake choking sounds and complained as if the stench was going to be the end of him. I was unfazed.

Yes, I missed being able to smell coffee and tea and other good stuff. I was shopping with a friend last week, and she kept holding out jars of tea and candles for me to smell. Nope. Nada. Of course, I’m old enough to know what things smell like. I know I like the scent of vanilla and grapefruit, so I can still buy a candle or body lotion and know what I’m getting.

Unfortunately, there are pros and cons. Yes, I can now smell my morning tea and my lotion, but I can also smell . . . the trash, pizza left in a box overnight, son’s sweaty socks, and yes, farts. Oh, the farts. Don’t even get me started . . .

I love parent/teacher conferences!

Parent/Teacher Conferences. Do you enjoy them? Dread them? Ignore them?

I just got home from what was most likely my last parent/teacher conference ever. Yes! *pumps fist.

I’ve not missed any conferences for either of my kids. It’s not that they have a lot of problems or need help, or I really need to discuss some issue with their teachers. In fact, my son brought home a straight-A report card a few days ago.

So why would I bother going to conferences? Because it’s nice to hear the good stuff. It’s nice to hear from seven different teachers that he’s a great kid, that he’s polite and respectful, that he participates in class and makes their jobs more enjoyable. Why wouldn’t I want to hear that?!

What gets me is how many parents don’t go to conferences. Of course, some people will have a conflict, but some parents simply choose not to go. Once the kids are in high school there really aren’t that many opportunities for face-time with teachers. I’m not hanging around at the school. There aren’t room parents anymore. I just don’t have a reason to be there, so I don’t get to see my kid in action in a classroom or see how he interacts with other students and teachers.

The fact is, it’s great to get the validation that my kid is well-liked and that even though he’s a slob at home or giving me teenaged attitude, at school he’s someone I can be proud of. I love getting confirmation that he really is growing into a mature, thoughtful, decent human being! Whew! Plus, I don’t want my only interaction with a teacher to be a complaint or a problem. If a problem does arise, and we’ve already met and chatted informally, it seems that it’d be much easier to resolve the issue if some rapport has already been established.

In our district, we have conferences only two times a year, once in fall semester, and once in the spring. But he’s a senior this year. By the time conferences roll around second semester, he’s almost out of there. Colleges have already made their decisions. And we’ll probably all have a serious case of senioritis. I’m thinking I can skip spring conferences. That’s the plan. But as I write this, I wonder . . . Will I miss an opportunity? Will I regret missing that last chance to hear how great my kid is? Will I need that boost to calm my nerves before sending him off to college?

We’ll see. Maybe I’ll keep that date on the calendar. Just in case.

Beyond my Blog!

That last post was picked up by Digital Book Today and featured on their site! Check there if you want to join the conversation about book clubs! http://digitalbooktoday.com/2013/09/28/book-club-dos-donts/#comment-34348

Book Club Dos and Don'ts

Dos and don’ts for book club? Rules for book club? Really?

Well, I use the term “rules” loosely. But still, there has to be some understanding among members, right? You need a little structure. After all, someone has to bring the chocolate, and someone has to bring the wine. Munchies? Of course.

You’ve probably seen beverage napkins that joke about the wine and conversation being more important than reading a book, right? Oh, wait. Was that a joke?

In my book club, we actually do try to read a book every month. And often, it’s a book outside of my comfort zone – outside of my typical genre and possibly written by someone I’ve never even heard of. Our little group is made up of friends of friends, an eclectic assortment of women from different backgrounds, careers, socio-economic levels, life stages, etc. We take turns choosing a book that appeals to us personally. And that makes it interesting.

My favorite type of book is slice-of-life fiction. But some members prefer non-fiction. Some like mysteries, or classics, or historical fiction. Because we have diverse interests, I’ve read books I never would’ve picked up, books that never would’ve piqued my interest if left to my own devices. The funny thing is, I’ve liked many of them. Sure, there’ve been a few dogs. I admit, on more than one occasion I simply couldn’t slog through the book. Ahem, another glass of wine, please.

But overall, I love that we each enjoy different types of books, and that we all give them a try. That’s one of the rules. It makes us stretch. I’ve learned a thing or two. I don’t often read non-fiction, but I found myself completely absorbed in “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” I had no idea that nearly all cancer research can be traced back to the cells of this one woman. One month we read “Silence” by Shusaku Endo, a book about the persecution of Christians in Japan during the early 1600s. Say what? Yep. Pass the chocolate, please.

Another rule? If you choose the book (which also involves some background, discussion questions and research on the author), then someone else hosts book club at their house. That spreads the work around. Of course, that brings me to yet another rule – no dusting required. We come. We chat. We eat and drink. We don’t mind a little dust. The important thing is, we’re talking books. And having fun.

Cheers to friends, books, wine and chocolate. Happy reading!