God, middle age is an unending insult.

A new year was a chance to start over. Maybe even, just maybe, there would be a peace on earth for one entire day.

I have always loved to read, and now that I have penned 10 novels and a few magazine articles, I have fallen seriously in love with writing stories and seeing them go out into the world. It's magical, you know?

That's what I wanted for myself for even just a little while-to be unaware of the rest of the world. I needed some time.

And if you want to know why great editors scare the pants off of writers everywhere, read 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' by Lynne Truss. The punctuation police are everywhere!

I think I've learned that if you want to be successful, you have to tell your story honestly and from your heart - and I think a healthy sense of humor doesn't hurt either.

Isn’t it amazing how much good people can do for each other when you give them the opportunity to help?