The Pauses – Times to be Savored
Just like the last final exam or turning in that pesky paper that kept me up half the night, I love the pause that happens between turning my manuscript into my publisher and later its’s returned with edits. It is a relief beyond measure. My shoulders drop, my smile deepens, and I sleep better at night. I take guilt free morning walks outside or in the mall if it’s nippy, and catch up with friends. Oh how I love those lunches.
I’m in a pause now. And it’s timed exactly to the glorious changing foliage and planning for the holidays. I also have three very large program at venues in Cherry Hill, NJ, a synagogue in West Orange, NJ, Syracuse, NY and West Palm Beach, Florida. This time gives me the space to devote my time and energy to those important talks.
It feels good!
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Let me tell you about MICHIGAN BLUES, my latest work. The fifth and last novel in the Gilded City series is quite different from the others, set at the upper edge of historical fiction (1969-1972), is a fictional autobiography, and a thriller. Although it adds to the story of the Isaacson family, it is told through the older descendants: Gilda (daughter of Hannah), Robbie (Julian’s son), and his daughter, Sharon, the protagonist. Sharon is on the cusp of womanhood with large expectations to follow - with Hannah’s and Miriam’s shadows looming over her. Set against the pulse of Vietnam, a resurgence in women’s rights, high school secrets and a serial killer on the loose at the University of Michigan, Sharon struggles with her parents’ expectations and seeking her own identity.
This may have been my most difficult and rewarding book to write. It has been a nostalgic journey as I revisiting this transformative period of my life. College gave me my first foray into adult life, introducing me to independence without a parental oversight, My brain and body came alive as I discovered the joy of academics and love. I soaked in the music of the time and paid far more attention to the world news. Yet, unlike Sharon, who was bent of becoming a doctor, my energy was spent of figuring out a course of life that felt right for me.
More to come as a cover comes my way! Enjoy the Peter Max art - one of my favorite pop artists of that era.
In the meantime, on to my news:
Year-end programs - Did you know I have no jitters speaking publically? I love connecting with audiences about my health journey, offering hope to those with chronic illness, how that impacted my writing, the obsure history behind each novel, and the extraordinary joy I get from hearing your stories. Many of these events have admission open to the public. Just call to reserve a seat.
KATZ JCC, Cherry Hill, NJ | November 5th-6th
November 5th (interview with Paula Eiselt producer of: We met at Grossingers and November 5th - 7pm
Presentation of Mayhem in the Mountains - the Catskills before the Borscht Belt hotels - November 6, 9:15am
November 10, 11a
ACES, CONGREGATION B'NAI ISRAEL, MILLBURN, NJ
Presentation of The Gilded City series
November 15 | brunch - Keynote Speaker
TRADITIONS AT THE LINKS
Fundraiser for Hope for Heather and OCRF
Syracuse, NY
November 17 | Lunch - Keynote Speaker
National Council of Jewish Women
THE CLUB AT IBIS
West Palm Beach, Fl
Books I've read recently and recommend. You can find my reviews on my Facebook page ( a couple are still in process - that pesky manuscript slowed me down) - just click and follow my page.
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