Happy Holidays

Yes, that time of year has arrived! The one which is filled with wonder, excitement and stress. Yes, I said stress! If you are a parent, you are aware of exactly what I am talking about. The pressure is on to make the holiday fun and happy for all. You will spend the next three weeks or so rushing around like a manic trying to buys gifts, wrap, decorate, prepare your home for guests, and the list goes on and one.

However, the holidays as Charlie Brown learned from his buddy Linus are about much more than commercialism and getting those Black Friday specials. Without going into the religious sentiments, many of us have lost touch with what they truly mean.

While my home is not perfect by any means, one thing which I have tried to do is to incorporate more giving and less getting. Our family always takes part in the the school's giving tree where you purchase a present for a family who is less fortunate. We also contribute to the annual Toys for Tots collection. One other tradition which my children have come to enjoy is making cookies or cupcakes for our neighbors and area seniors. I didn't realize how much my two oldest had come to value this until a couple of years ago when I was pregnant at holiday prep time.

Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, the last thing on my agenda was baking. Yet, my oldest reminded me that we'd forgotten to make our goodies for the neighbors. The boys actually looked forward to visiting and delivering the homemade treats. With more than a little help from dad that year, we kept the tradition alive.

One thing I have learned after having three children is that excess is not necessarily better. They children enjoy their gifts more if there are less of them. Many presents means little ones are often overwhelmed and end up playing with very little. As children get older, their list becomes pricier which means and you have to scale back anyway. Limiting what is under the tree doesn't make you a bad parent.

As hard as it sounds, focusing on the fun activities like your town's yearly tree lighting or a ride on the Santa train and less on the material aspects just might put the happy back in the holidays!

It doesn't matter what you celebrate. Take a step back and try to savor the moments with family and friends because often times they are gone all too soon. And remember, this time of year is not merry for everyone. Including others spreads the spirit around and that feeling of goodwill lasts a lot longer than this year's hot must have toy.

Martha Stewart Doesn't Live Here

As the holidays are thrust upon us, many people now find themselves in the uncomfortable and stressful position of trying to make everything picture perfect! You watch Martha Stewart or one of the other television show along those lines and find yourself trying to make that cute gingerbread house you saw or create your own cards. They looked simple enough and wouldn't something homemade be wonderful!

However, when your finished product doesn't quite measure up, you are left feeling like a failure. When your friends post on Facebook, you see and read their notes and see photos about how awesome everyone's tree trimming and cookie making went, and then there was yours!

Your boys went five rounds over who gets to put up what hockey ornament and where they should go. Someone inevitably ends up in tears or in trouble and you wonder just when exactly the holiday joy is supposed to arrive.

This Thanksgiving was the first one in four years that we were able to spend at home. The older one did not have an ice hockey tournament with his new travel team. He was disappointed. The rest of us were thrilled. My first thought was heading to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and doing other holiday things we usually miss out on. I'd never been to the big parade and it was definitely on my list of activities to experience do. The husband volunteered to cook and stay home with the little one while we ventured out. Now, I was a bit reluctant considering the work involved in hosting Turkey Day. Yet, for once I wanted to try going with the flow.

Both boys agreed to rise early to catch a train before sunrise. Upon arriving in NYC, I quickly realized we weren't early enough! Crowds coupled with the NYPD's sidewalk closures which didn't allow you to cross the street at the corners were a real challenge. Eventually, in the middle of all the complaining, we found a reasonable spot. Of course, by this time, I was ready to bail and catch the next train home.

Thankfully, I persevered and when the giant Snoopy floated down Sixth Avenue and both the boys were awe struck, I was happy I took the plunge. The next day in our travels and appointments, I noticed my older one telling everyone we met that he was at the Macy's Parade and both of them were asking me if we could go again next year. Of course, I might take my sister up on her suggestion to get a hotel room overlooking the route and watching from the window! We met some great people and had a lot of fun, but standing in one stop for that length of time in thirty degree weather was a new kind of cold life in the hockey rink does not prepare you for.

When we got home, my husband was in the middle of a mess and the smoke detector was going off; certainly not the perfect Thanksgiving Hallmark moment. In the end though, the dinner got cooked, the mess cleaned up, and everyone had a great time.

What we need to realize is there simply isn't an ideal anything! Even behind Martha Stewart's idyllic existence, there was a divorce, whispers of unhappy employees, neighbors and a less than stellar relationship with her daughter. In the end, her unfortunate incarceration would cost her credibility and self-respect. While the grass may always seem greener, it usually has weeds just like your does!

***

After the battles, the tree was put up and it looked pretty. The two-year-old was enthralled! When we posed in front of it for this year's holiday card, the little one would only be in it if she could wear her Curious George shirt. Of course, she then wouldn't stand where we asked her to and the middle one can never smile on cue without it looking almost comical.

Ours won't be the holiday card with the perfect tree in the background and the three children dressed in matching outfits because that isn't us and it never will be and that is okay!

Girls Who Love Balls

I am very proud of my piece for Indie Chicks. It is a website I enjoy reading very much and wish that I had more time to do so. If you are an independent woman, make sure you check it out. They have wonderful and relevant articles. Of course, as my feature comes out, The Hub: Sports & Music is not longer an active site. However, the freelance game marches on. Writing is a fickle business with ebbs and flows. You have to adapt, dig in and have confidence in your craft. This is not always easy I realize. After starting a new position a week ago and working extremely hard to contribute content, I was let go today. Now, I realize it had a great deal to do with not being British and being able to form an article using the correct lingo, but it stings anyway. Whenever you create using your words a little bit of your heart and soul goes into it. I will try and remember the old saying; when one door closes, another one opens.

http://theindiechicks.com/career-2/tips-and-tricks/girls-love-balls/

A First Look

Secrets, Lies, and Trash has been searching for a home for a long time. It finally found one over the summer with Midnight Frost Books. Recently, I completed the first set of revisions and got a sneak peek at the cover. Since that is what initially grabs a reader and reels them in, it's important to have a good one. I was very excited to see mine.

It was designed by Suzannah Safi. It sports my protagonist Russell Waverly silhouetted on the cover against a dark backdrop. Love the colors and how it presents an air of mystery to it. Hopefully, it will do its job and draw the readers in.

Today, the second set of revisions arrived. I was happy to see my editor was pleased with the changes because I wasn't so sure. Change is never an easy thing for an author when it comes to your words, but I was glad to see she felt the manuscript flowed a lot smoother.

The entire editing process has been a real learning experience. I never realized certain words were 'evil' or how much I relied on certain words. As I begin a new manuscript, I find my writing to be stronger which is part of the process.

So, here it is. A first look at the cover of my newest mystery!

No Adverbs Here

It has a long road to publication for my manuscript, Secret, Lies, and Trash, but it will at last see the light at the end of the tunnel in a few months. Recently, I completed the first set of revisions from my editor at Midnight Frost Books and received a peek at my cover design. Both very exciting and nerve-racking occurrences.

Since quite a bit of sweat and tears goes into creating a novel, being asked to make changes can be a daunting task. Characters live in your mind. So terminating them or even renaming one or two can be a difficult decision.

However, after reading my editor's comments and making the required set of adjustments, a valuable lesson has been learned. While I may have felt the initial temptation to dig my heels in and resist the changes, in the end they made my novel stronger and will help with future projects.

Choosing names can always be a tricky bit, but picking ones which are similar are to be avoided. Perhaps editors do not give readers enough credit to be able to identify the characters. Yet, the point does make sense. If you have people in your story whose names are too similar or begin with the same letter, they can be easily mixed up. It's a simple plot point to avoid in the future; make sure you vary the name structure in your story, be it first or last names.

When it comes to point of view, decide on one and maintain it throughout the manuscript. I really love a story which is related in the first person. However, I have also read books where it switches from first to third. Of course, the change occurs at breaks, but such semantics are to be avoided unless of course you are a well-knows author and can tell your story which ever way you choose. Since I am not even in the same league as Mary Higgins Clark, I did some rewrites and adjusted the POW to reflect just my protagonist. In the future, I will dodge any such issues by sticking to one.

As a writing instructor, you teach children to enrich their language by using colorful adjectives and adverbs. Be wary of overuse though. Too much of a good thing can clog up and slow down the flow of your story. I didn't realize I was in love with adverbs.

In writing, beware of evil works. They can come out of the keyboard and bite you. Not sure what evil words are? Neither was I. They are words such as need, know. In other words, choose a more vibrant vocabulary and stay away from the common place.

All authors tend to use particular words too much. I was shocked how many times I relied on certain ones as well as how much better the text sounded without them.

A completely impartial third party who reads and evaluates your work in an invaluable tool.  I may have bristled at some comments, but after careful reflection learned they made my story better.

The Indie Chicks

If you haven't checked out the Indie Chicks then you really should. It is an online magazine for women and written by women. Sure there are tons of those, but Indie Chicks is all about finding your inner spirit and doing it with style and sass. The articles are smart, edgy and relevant to the things that women deal with in their lives everyday.

Women of every age should check them out at http://theindiechicks.com/. I would be shocked if you didn't find at least one article or post that doesn't make you smile or think which is why I am very excited to be working on piece for them about the trials and tribulations of being a female writer in the sports industry.

While I wear many hats and write on a wide variety of subjects, I seem to have found my niche in sports. As a self-confessed 'tomboy,' I really don't have a problem with this though it does present its own set of challenges since sports is a predominately male field.

Sure, as Bob Dylan once sang, "the times they are a changing," however sports is still a testosterone lead medium which doesn't mean there isn't room for the ladies. It just means it is a little harder for a woman to gain a foothold and stay there.

I am excited to bring my piece to the Indie Chicks, but a little intimidated as well. I'm not sure I have found my inner badass as the magazine says, but am looking forward to trying to locate it.

What a Difference a Year Makes

It was a little over a year ago that I made the decision to focus on jump starting my sputtering writing career. After taking the advice of a fellow writer and master marketer, I started this blog, got active on various social media sites to help promote my writing and joined www.writethismoment.com to find some freelance writing job and possibly a publisher for my book.

Well, over the past twelve months I have applied for many writing jobs and actually got some. Happily, I can now put actual writing jobs on my resume along with my teaching credits. The road has been a bit bumpy and frustrating at times. However, I now find myself with a writing job I enjoy and an ebook due out in a few months.

Writing hockey and other sports features for www.thehubsm.com has been a lot of fun and has been a step up from the other sports site I was writing for. Penning features and human interest stories has always been a dream job of mine so I am really enjoying the challenge as well as the creativity that comes along with it.

One of the highlights has been interviewing a young college student who is trying to start a grassroots campaign to get the Chicago Blackhawks to change their logo to something that Native Americans do not find discriminatory. I'm also looking forward to speaking with the man behind the Chicks with Sticks organization which put together a league for Minnesota hockey moms to show their stuff out on this ice for a change.

I love doing my own interviews to go along with the pieces I am writing. The added personal touch can really bring a feature home.

As I keep freelancing along, my ears are open for some other writing opportunities which may or may not come my way, but that is the life of a writer. No assignment is ever too small.

One of my goals this school year is to finish the second installment of my mystery series with Russell Waverly as my protagonist. He's always been a favorite character to write and his story needs to be finished.

I am very happy that his first endeavor, Secrets, Lies and Trash has finally found a home with Midnight Frost Books and it will finally be coming out as a ebook in the upcoming months.

With the older ones back in school, it will hopefully be easier to find some more time to devote to writing. That is always the challenge. It is never coming up with the ideas to put down on paper. It is finding the time to do it. Though such is the lament for every parent who struggles to find the balance between working at home and taking care of the children. If anyone finds the secret, please share!

Finally Found a Home

I have been searching for what seems like ages for a publisher for my mystery, Secrets, Lies and Trash. Last week, I finally found a home for one of my favorite characters to write, Russell Waverly.

Russell was my first novel written in the first person which I absolutely love doing now. It's like the character is taking you along on a journey. Russell was a step away from my comfort zone and writing him was a challenge which I am glad that I took.

Midnight Frost Books which is an imprint of Crimson Frost Books will be bringing my story to life for readers every where to share. It has been a long time coming and I am looking forward to seeing the final cover.

Secrets, Lies and Trash is a captivating page-turner which I hope readers enjoy reading. It's backdrop is a place I am very familiar with, Spotswood, New Jersey. There are also stops along other Garden State hotspots as Russell tries to solve four murders which he thinks are tied together and in the process clear the name of a childhood friend of his deceased wife.

There's some intrigue, a little mystery and maybe even a touch of romance.

I just completed my first blog interview for Midnight Frost Books in preparation for the book which will be coming soon.

I am looking forward to finally sharing it!

Magnificent Munching

When I filled out my top three Munchmobile choices, I picked Chinese food because my children don't eat it therefore, I rarely get to taste it. I set off on my Munchmobile experience expecting to sample egg rolls, fired rice as well as my favorite, chicken and broccoli.

What I quickly learned was the Chinese I was looking forward to was Westernized and I would have my first exposure to authentic Asian dishes. According to our host, the mark of truly delicious Chinese restaurant is when the majority of the diners are not Western. Who knew?

Now, I will leave the who, what and where to our Munchmobile master, reporter and author, Peter Genovese. Genovese has been behind the wheel of the Munchmobile for The Star Ledger for 15 of its 16 years. He is also the author of 10 food bibles including his newest, Pizza City: The Ultimate Guide to New York's Favorite Food. So, he will be detailing our excursion in the August 3 installment of this summer's Munchmobile adventures.

After meeting the our driver and author as well as the other munchers, we were off, traveling in the signature van with an eight-foot hot dog strapped to the top. This year, the van was sporting a pink wrap complete with a tiara thanks to the Sweet 16 theme.

One of the rules of the Munchmobile is that the participants do not know the where until they arrive at their destination though one of our riders was able to pinpoint the last stop of the day since three of the restaurants we visited were in her neck of the Garden State.

Another interesting element was the fact that the establishments also did not know of our arrival, making for a purely objective dining experience on all parts.

At our first stop, I realized there wasn't going to be any chicken and broccoli for me. Each muncher needed to pick an entree and then all of us would sample the cuisine, taking notes for a review we would submit to our Munch captain later this week. The general idea was to choose a wide sampling of the menu in order to get an accurate opinion of the restaurant.

However, what Genovese was interested in was 'real' Chinese food not Westernized dishes. I thought I was daring at the first restaurant by choosing sesame chicken which for me was a stretch. I was also introduced to the concept of off the menu items which are traditional dishes meant for the more seasoned diner.

Our meal choices would soon involve ears, tongues, tails and of some animals I would never have imagined tasting. For the first time I actually ate lamb, duck and ox tongue. I could not hop my mind around trying the frog dish at stop number two mostly because I kept thinking about pieces of Kermit in a bowl though as a fellow muncher pointed out there was also some sections of Miss Piggy and Lamb Chop on the table too.

Yes, I did try the pig ears, but never will again. They were a little too slimey for me. My first sampling of duck was a little gross too. Not wanting to be remembered as the muncher who vomited at the table, I discreetly spit it into my napkin without swallowing. The taste was a little too fowl for me not to mention boney!

I have never spent an entire day eating, but as our munch captain pointed out, "pacing was the key" and after doing this for 15 years, he certainly knows what he is talking about!

Interesting food aside, the experience was a wonderful one and one which I will always remember. Meeting my fellow munchers as well as a reporter and author I admire and enjoy reading was amazing. I am definitely looking forward to reading about our excursion in The Star Ledger.

The next time I venture out with kids in tow or not, I will keep a little spirit of the Munchmobile in my heart and try something different. It probably will not involve pig's ears or any animal's tail or tongue, but I will try and be a little more adventurous with my meal choices.

My kids enjoyed their fortune cookies with my middle one opening his just to read the fortunes! The hubby wants a chance for a seat on one of next summer's adventures. He is the real foodie in the family and I know he would have eaten the frog, but he will have to write his own application!

***

Thank you to fellow muncher Susan for the great photos!

Countdown to the Munchmobile

Well, tomorrow I will be heading out on The Star Ledger's famed Munchmobile to sample Chinese food in the Garden State. It is the popular summertime feature's sweet sixteen and I am looking forward to the unique experience.

However, I am not the foodie in the family. That honor belongs to my husband who would love to have my seat on the big dog. For those of you not familiar with the Munchmobile, it is a van with a large hot dog attached to the top which travels around New Jersey in search of the tastiest foods. Over the years, it has become a summertime staple for many folks.

I'm not a big eater so I am a little nervous about sampling a lot of foods, but while I won't win any Chinese food eating contests, I will try my best especially since my children hate Chinese food and I never get to eat it.

My interest is primarily one as a writer as well as a fan. Not only do I really enjoy the column, but as a mystery author I love the potential plot lines which is how I got a seat on the Munchmobile in the first place, beating out quite a few applicants.

As I set off for my Chinese food extravaganza tomorrow, I will have my notebook in hand, ready to jot down notes on my experience and hopefully find the time to chat with the Munchmobile's brainchild, Peter Genovese who is also the author of 12 books.

A Look Back

It has been a little over a year since I made the decision to pursue writing as a full time venture. Well, as full time as I can with the kids, but even with everything else on my plate I have tried to give my writing career a strong push.

My first step was starting this blog at the suggestion of a romance author from the one place I want to visit- Ireland. Derick Hudson has written two extremely funny, off-beat novels and self-published them. He uses his blog as well as other social media sites to help publicize his work.

I took his advice and here I am. My fiction career may not be growing by leaps and bounds, but my freelance one is taking baby steps forward. Thankfully, I have an understanding spouse.

My first paying job as a freelancer was with Rant Political where I wrote news and opinion pieces. While my rant needed some work, I really enjoyed writing news pieces and was more than a little sad after the website shut down after four months.

My next gig was covering the New Jersey Devils for Rant Sports. Now, if I could pick my dream job, it would be as a travel writer, but being a sports writer is a close second.

These two positions as well as some other small writing jobs along the way have helped to give me some experience and confidence as a writer.

Last week, I started my new position at http://www.hubsm.com/ where I get to write mostly hockey features which I love to do.

It would be awesome to say I am a former player, but the truth is I took skating lessons a few years ago just to be able to keep up with my boys on the ice.

I have grown up around sports and with two hockey playing sons and a husband who plays as well, I have developed a fondness for the sport and am very excited about my new position.

My new editor worked in the newspaper field for sometime before moving on to a second career so it was really great to hear from him that I had the chops as a writer.

Now, I know that I still have a long way to go, but I am committed to staying on the writing path. It is finally time to clean out all of my old teaching stuff from the basement and turn the page.

I also have not given up on my fiction career. Secrets, Lies and Trash just went out to another publisher last week. Here's to hoping it eventually finds a home!

Take a Walk Off the Beaten Path

If you are looking for a vacation that is off the beaten path and great any time of year, then do not look any farther than Bird-in-Hand. Yes, that is actually the name (the town of Intercourse is its neighbor) and it is a little piece of heaven located in the heart of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Bird-In-Hand Family Inn and Restaurant is located on ten acres of beautiful farmland that was once the home of the Smucker Family.

The Inn offers comfortable, clean rooms that also includes suites at affordable prices. However, that is not all! On the grounds of the inn sits outdoor and indoor pools, a hot tub, tennis and basketball courts, a miniature golf course, petting zoo, playground, as well as a walking path around a picturesque duck pond. They also offer a complimentary bus tour of the surrounding Amish farmland.

A short walk into town will take you to quaint shops offering hand-made crafts and quilts along with a nearby farmer's market and bakery that will satisfy any sweet tooth. Children will enjoy a horse a buggy ride to see the sights. Bird-In-Hand is centrally located so that within a few minutes drive, you can find Dutch Wonderland which is a family-friendly amusement park.

Avid shoppers will delight in all the Rockvale and Tanger Outlets have to offer. Railroaders will find paradise in nearby Strasburg where you can take a ride on an actual steam train. Thomas the Tank Engine comes to town a couple of times a year to pull coaches filled with little ones. The National Train Museum and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania are must stops for any train enthusiast. Antique shops and Amish word-working and furniture stores are in abundance too!

When the day is done, you can kick back and enjoy a wonderful meal at the Bird-In-Hand Restaurant which is located on the property of the Inn. The fare is farm fresh delicious comfort food that your grandmother used to make at great prices! Check out http://www.bird-in-hand.com/ to plan your next vacation! Our family loves it and yours will too!

Lancaster on Dwellable

Life is Full of Surprises

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get"

That is one of the most famous lines, uttered by Tom Hanks in the Oscar winning movie, Forrest Gump. An awesome movie and a great line mostly because it is the truth.

One of the things with making your living with your words is the unpredictability of it. Teaching was very organized and orderly with each day blending into the next. Students need structure and don't do well when every day is a roller coaster ride.

Writing on the other hand is definitely an adventure with a lot of ups and downs. I love my free lance jobs and continue to try and snag some more in between my blogging and trying to find a home for my latest novel.

I've been noticing that my posts on the new website http://theslowway.com/ has been generating a little more traffic for my blog which is very exciting since it is just past a year since I started it.

Last week, I got a comment on my post about the ghosts of Cape May, asking me if I wanted to have my blog featured on http://www.dwellable.com/. Dwellable is a travel site which helps people find the right place to stay. It also features blogs about many of the potential vacation spots. Since I would love to find my niche as a travel writer, I was really thrilled to get this unexpected opportunity to get some exposure for my blog as well as my other works.

While I am still waiting and working on my big break, I appreciate the nice little accomplishments that have come along.

Some days you get the yucky piece of chocolate with the gross filling you hate or you get the creamy caramel one you love. The fun is in the picking! While putting yourself and your work out there is a scary thing, the rewards do outweigh the fear factor.

The Life of a Writer

I am finding the life of a freelance writer is full of peaks and valleys which I suppose can be said of any job. However, unlike my last career in education, it is full of way more uncertainties. Since I am new to the world of freelance, I am definitely open to different writing opportunities. When you enjoy writing, you can write confidently on just about any subject. The trick is finding the avenues.

Recently, I landed what I thought was going to turn out to be a weekly thing for me and I was even more thrilled that I was going to be able to write something besides sports. Now, don't get me wrong. I do enjoy writing hockey pieces, but the chance to put together some travel features was right up my alley. If I get reincarnated, I want to come back as a travel writer. And the bonus here was I was actually getting paid for each piece.

Unfortunately, payment for the rest of my gigs involves how much revenue my posts get or the number of reader votes and this doesn't even include the freebies I write. For once, I was looking at a fairly steady weekly job.

Until the dreaded e-mail arrived. My new post ideas were great, but they were on hold until some issues could be worked out for the new website. Sure, it's not completely ominous, just close. I suppose the issues could be worked out quickly and I will be able to write my European castle piece and then some, but I won't hold my breath.

I will keep plugging and applying for new jobs because that is the life of a writer or a fisherman. I haven't decided because sometimes you hook you, but most of the time you don't.

Egg Roll Please

Well,I didn't get picked for the Down the Shore trip on the Munchmobile, but I did get my second choice which was Chinese food. As I said, I am completely excited about this one because my children hate to try anything different and the only thing they will touch from a Chinese menu is the fortune cookies. Yet, only two of them will eat them. The middle one just ponders the fortunes and tries to ascertain if they are true or not.

My trip is scheduled for July 20th and I am looking forward to it, but still don't know how I am going to manage to eat food in so many different places. It will be a challenge. The hubby loves the show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I'm just amused at how much that guy can eat.

Not something I really want to aspire to, so I will probably just do the girl thing and taste a little bit of this and a little bit of that. My mother used to say that is how you don't gain weight. You just pick and don't eat a whole plate. Don't know about that, but I do know that if I eat a full meal in every place we visit, I will need a really big barf bag.

Peter Genovese the mastermind, driver and writer behind the Jersey icon has graciously agreed to be interviewed by yours truly for a freelance piece I was hoping to sell to New Jersey Monthly. Genovese is a wonderfully funny writer for the Star Ledger and is also the author of over ten books. He is a foodie with a real knack with words.

I'm almost looking forward to the interview more than the trip, but sadly NJ Monthly didn't bite. They declined my query since Genovese is already a household name in much of the Garden State and because the magazine competes with Inside New Jersey which is connected to the Ledger. Really, but okay. Since rejection is often my middle name, I will keep looking for a taker.

I have decided to set my sights on a food magazine with a broader appeal to hopefully get the Munchmobile a little more notice out of state.

The Munchmobile's first trip of the season is this week and it will be a little more fun following along this year knowing that I will be one of the munchers.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Sadly, I had to pass on choosing the cake trip as my top preference on this summer's Munchmobile. My children have a busier schedule than I do and I just couldn't stick the hubby with all of the duties on a June Saturday. Therefore, my top four choices had to wait until the bulk of the spring sports were done.

Cake would have been right up my alley. I admit to having a weakness for the sweet stuff which is one of the reasons I run. However, after some deliberation and soul searching, I came up with my top four.

The second Down the Shore run to experience some of the tastiest places the Jersey Shore has to offer was of course my top pick. I am a Jersey girl born and bred and my heart and soul are tied to the shore. It was heartbreaking to see one of my favorite boardwalks devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Most of the Spring Lake boardwalk was reduced to ruins, but it along with the shore will be back.

I'm hoping for the shore trip because residents have to lend a hand to get businesses back on track.

My next pick went for the trip to find the best Chinese food. My kids won't eat it and they won't be coming, so that was a no-brainer.

Went with the healthy food quest next. I'd be a vegetarian if the hubby wasn't such a meat lover!

The final choice was a tough one. I kind of wanted to go with the everything weird, wild and wonderful run, but the hubby reminded me I'm not exactly the most adventurous eater on the block. Had to admit he was right, so settled on the bacon run.

Not the biggest fan of it, but put it on for the hubby who is the true foodie in the family and would love to take my seat on the Munchmobile.

Sorry, honey, but I will bring you something back!

Murder on the Munchmobile

Murder on the Munchmobile? Is that anything like Murder on the Orient Express? Well, no not really, but it is definitely tastier!

If you aren't from New Jersey, you probably do not have any idea what in the world a Munchmobile is. The Munchmobile was the brainchild of Star Ledger reporter and author, Pete Genovese. Genovese commissions fellow foodies to accompany him on various jaunts in a van with a humongous hot dog on the roof throughout the Garden State in search of the best foods New Jersey has to offer.

It has become a summer phenomenon and this year will be its Sweet Sixteen. The Munchmobile has scoured the state in search of the tastiest pizza, cakes and well, you name it and they've eaten it or would like to sample it.

This year 500 applicants campaigned for the chance to ride along on one of the delicious excursions and yours truly was one of the chosen!

As a mystery writer, the plot lines are many. I mean what is better than putting together five strangers in a van with a hot dog on top and eating foods from all over New Jersey in one day. It really is better than fiction!

I don't know yet what trip I will be going out on, but I am hoping it will have something to do with cookies or maybe Italian food. Either way, I am really looking forward to blogging about my experiences as well as doing research for a Munchmobile mystery. So stay tuned for some tasty blog posts!

Wanderlust

Hindsight is twenty/twenty and it is like armchair quarterbacking, there is little point to looking back because you need to look forward.

However, if I could do as Cher sang, Turn Back Time, there are definitely two things that I would have done differently.

First and foremost is that I would have stuck with journalism. Sure, I may not have had the most outgoing personality in the world, but teaching forced me to come out of my shell just as writing would have.

Now, I am not saying that I did not enjoy my years in the classroom because they did serve me well. The district where I taught gave me a truck load of story ideas and a cast of characters that Dickens would have loved. It is just that writing has always been my passion and you shouldn't turn your back on your passion. That is a lesson I will always remember and pass on to my children.

The second thing I would love to change is travel. If there is such as reincarnation, I hope I come back as a travel writer.

Recently, I read a quote where the writer basically compared life to a book. A book is more than a page, so why would you spend your whole life on the same one.

Very profound and true. The world is full of so many beautiful places to see and explore. I definitely regret letting my shyness get in the way of doing a year abroad in college. That would have been a wonderful opportunity to stretch my wings and explore Europe.

I'm not sure that I get the point of Pinterest, but one thing I do enjoy is all of the incredible travel pictures. I've also seen that I am certainly not the only one who has a little wanderlust and yearns to see greener pastures.

A recent writing opportunity may allow me to contribute travel pieces, a position I would relish. My bucket list is already full of spots and this is another piece of hindsight I will pass on to my little ones. Life is like the Dr. Seuss book The Places You'll Go and you should take that thought with you  as you navigate the many paths you will travel along the way!

While you can't turn back time, you can learn from it and pass that lesson on.

Deadlines

I really love the fact that I now have deadlines and yes I love to see my byline in print. However, I find that while my freelancing is motoring along, I have less and less time to spend on my fiction.

Since, I thoroughly enjoy writing, I don't mind the topic. Right now, I am writing primarily hockey articles which works since I have two sons and a husband who play. It really wasn't a stretch to find ideas since it seems like our house is hockey twenty-four/seven. Even the little one runs around with a stick in her hand.

I'm also pleased to be able to put my education experience to good use by writing blog posts for a new site devoted to helping teachers and parents navigate a sometimes difficult path.

Of course, in between are the job applications for other freelance jobs. Unfortunately, this is leaving me very little time to devote to my fiction. Yes, I have been neglecting my characters and I miss them especially since the school year started with my plan to finally finish my Cape May mystery!

A couple of freelance jobs came my way and my plan got placed on the back burner.

Recently, I read an article about one of my favorite Irish authors Maeve Binchy where she said that your goal should be to write five pages a day. Before you know it, she reasoned, you will have your finished manuscript.

I love this idea and I really want to put her advice into practice, but the only problem is where is the time?

She Liked It!

Now if you are a writer, you are used to those form rejection letters because you receive them a lot.  Yes, the form ones even come in the age of e-mail submissions as well.  So when you get one that actually has the human touch, it can be cause for a little celebration if you will.

Secrets, Lies, and Trash has been searching for a home for a while.  Last week, I submitted it to a publisher who was interested in cozies.  Surprisingly, I received a prompt response from the editor.  Usually, it takes months and then you still sometimes do not get an answer.

The response was not what I was hoping for.  Apparently, my mystery wasn't cozy enough.  My protagonist gets himself into too many perilous situations.  Who knew?

However, the editor remarked about how much she had enjoyed the manuscript and my garbage guy hero, Russell Waverly.  Unfortunately, it just didn't fit into the category of books they publish. 

It was without a doubt the nicest and most hopeful rejection that I have received in my somewhat lengthy journey to mainstream publication.  Her parting words were that if I had another softer mystery featuring Russell that she would love to read it.

While it was a no, it was a no with hope for the future.  Perhaps there is a home out there somewhere for Secrets after all.  An actual book publisher read it, enjoyed it and told me I shouldn't have any trouble finding a place for it.  Okay, so that hasn't happened yet, but I appreciated her pep talk.

It also gives me some incentive to get to work on the sequel.  I am about half way through Russell's Cape May adventure and this one just may be the cozy she was looking for!

A rejection is a rejection, but this one came with a much needed silver lining.

It Was Fun While It Lasted

Now you think as a writer, I would be used to rejection.  Why with my novels and short stories alone I could probably wallpaper my house and part of my neighborhood.  However, when one rolls your way it still bums you out no matter how many you have gotten in the past.

In September, I got my first opportunity to write as a freelancer, putting together news and opinion pieces for RantPolitical.com.  While I am not the most political person on the block, I really appreciated the chance to dive into the field of journalism.  It certainly renewed my vigor as a writer and I was thrilled.  I got to do some interviews and even wrote a couple of sports features.  Way cool! 

Before I sat down today to write a piece on the downsizing of newspapers due to economics, I decided to check my e-mail.  How ironic was it to discover my new position was about to become a similar victim at the end of the month.

Thus is the life of a writer.  A job is here one day and gone the next.  It is why writers never truly hang up the typewriter and retire.  They can't afford to.

Now I am not anywhere near the age of retirement just trying to find my way as a writer.  I have put my fiction writing on hold for the past few months because I was loving the opportunity to actually be paid for my words.

My characters have been patiently waiting for new mysteries to solve and hopefully they will one day find an audience a little broader than my first two novels.

Tomorrow is another day and there are more stories to write, more chapters to create, and more jobs to apply for.

However, it was fun while it lasted.