Nevada

One of my goals is to visit to every state in the union and, to date, I have traveled to 15 of them.

Last year I crossed Nevada off my list when I attended a convention in Reno. The first thing I saw when I walked out the Reno-Tahoe International Airport was a rainbow. If I was a gambling woman, I would have considered this my lucky charm.

Music

I am not musically inclined. I sing off-key, I can't play an instrument and I couldn't find a beat if it walked up to me and shook my hand. But, that does not stop me from giving it my all when my favorite songs come on the radio.

Before I start writing, I create a playlist of the songs my characters would listen to. Since I write historical fiction/romance, this means hours of researching the songs that were popular during the time of my novel.

Each song on my playlists are chosen, not only for their ability to transport me back in time, but their ability pull me into a scene (whether it is a repast or a street party or the moment my characters decide to be together for the first time).

My current work-in-progress has a lot of dance hits, including I Like What You're Doing to Me by Young & Company.

Linkin Park

R.I.P. - Chester Bennington

Kate Bush

When I don't know what to write, then I'll turn to music.

Running Up That Hill was the first song I heard by Kate Bush. Though it is not my favorite song by her, the vocals along with the video have always touched me.

Jane of All Trades

Over the past ten years, I have taken up:

Drawing

Stone Carving

Photography

I have also learned how to draw, refurbish furniture and create pottery.

Most recently, my son introduced me to model building when he gave me Beargguy.  Since then, I have built Papa'gguy, Beargguy P (Pretty) and Beargguy F (Family), along with several of the Petit'gguys to create a Beargguy Army.

Into the Badlands

It seems like I'm always late to join the party. I did not start watching Leverage until the end of Season Four. It also took as many seasons before I got into Flashpoint.

With each show, I could only enjoy one full season before the series finale. Yes, I am able to watch the reruns or purchase the series, but there is nothing like having a new episode to look forward to each week.

Unfortunately, I recently learned that I will be facing the same loss with Into the Badlands, which I was not introduced to until the marathon that led up to the Season 2 Finale.

Early that day, my son held the remote control hostage, leaving me with little choice but to watch the series. I did not pay much attention to the first couple of episodes. However, as the show progressed, I got pulled into the story and, by the end of the evening, I was hooked on the action filled show and looked forward to the next Season.

During the first eight episodes of Season 3, my son and I carved out an hour each week to watch the show. Eventually, there was a break and we had to wait approximately a year before the announcement on the ninth episode and the cancellation of the show.

While I am looking forward to the final episodes that I had to wait a year for, I wish I had more time with the characters I have grown on me.

Happy-For-Now

When I was a child, a story had a satisfying ending if the hero and heroine "lived happily-ever-after." However, as I grew older, I realized there was no such thing as a "happily-ever-after." Couples constantly faced challenges and sometimes questioned their relationships.

I write stories that end with a "happy-for-now," because it allows me to continue to explore the relationship and the challenges the couple faces as they grow old together.

Gene Loves Jezebel

Another one of my favorite bands from the 1980s was Gene Loves Jezebel. I attended several of their concerts and always left the venue mesmerized.

My favorite song is "Maid of Sker," which still soothes me whenever I'm stressed.

Fishbone

As a fan of Fishbone, I attended many of their New York City concerts in the 1980s and 1990s. I even worked a 1988 concert NYU that featured Spy vs Spy, 24-7 Spyz and Fishbone.

I stopped attending their shows after the birth of my son in 1995. However, I did not stop listening to them.

In 2017, my son told me Fishbone was going to play the Gramercy Theater and he asked if I wanted to attend a concert with him. I wasn't sure he was serious and did not give him an answer right away. When he came back a week later and asked again, I said why not.

Though I spent the entire concert sitting in the back, I enjoyed show. A year later, I saw them at Brooklyn Bowl and watched to show from the front like I used to.

Empire State Building

I spent 25 minutes on the corner of 34th and 5th to capture the clouds surrounding the Empire State Building.

Aside from taking this picture, I never had an interest in the building.  However, after considering all the other landmarks I have visited in New York, I decided to the observation deck to my Bucket List.

Of course, I will need to get over my fear of heights to enjoy the view.

Denver

As a fan of American Westerns, I looked forward to RWA's 2018 Conference in Denver, Colorado. I arrived several days early to explore the city and I continued sightseeing up until it was time to leave.

Besides touring Molly Brown's House, I visited the History of Colorado Museum, the Governor's Mansion, the Black American West Museum and the Firefighter's Museum. (which gave me an idea for a future novel).

As with most trips, there was more to see than I had time for. But, at least I have something to look forward to in the future.

Cats

Sammy came into my life on August 3, 2013 at the age of six weeks. Curious from the start, she is always getting into something.

Every night after I climb in bed and she settles on my hip. In the morning, she stands on my stomach and paws at my face until I get up.

Bridges

I crossed the Williamsburg Bridge for the first time on August 11, 2017. Earlier that day I had been informed that my father had passed away. The information, along with my fear of heights, almost led to a panic attack as I started across. After I made it Brooklyn, I swore I would never walk across that bridge again.

I broke the vow in the summer of 2018 when I decided to see how long it would take to walk home from work using various routes. Each week, I crossed a different bridge to achieve my goal and by summer's end, I had  decided that the graffiti-covered Williamsburg Bridge was my favorite.

Atlanta, Georgia

I flew to Atlanta in 2013 to attend the Romance Writer's of America Conference. At the time, I was still getting used to flying. However, I had discovered that taking pictures during take-off and landing helped relax me.

When booking my flight, I try to reserve a window seat and I always make sure my camera is ready.