Where do I go?

Where do you write? Well I go to my most favorite place ever.



See the window?



I just moved into a new home and inside of my bedroom there is this small closet. Now the closet is suppose to be for clothes but it has a 32x28 sized window in there. My clothes would be visible and I couldn't have that.

So...I did what any clever minded individual would do.


I turned it into my own reading, writing room.
the whole little project cost me $35 dollars. Yes, can you believe it. 20 for the chair and 15 for the bookcase. Oh and do you notice that little green number? Hehehe, that's my stiletto shoe business card holder. See, it IS all about the shoes!

All of those books you see, FREE. I got them at Thrillerfest this year in New York. (see another reason to visit these conferences)and that isn't counting the other bookcase in my sitting room. Score!

So now I go into the closet and sit and create. My laptop plugs right outside of the closet, oh, excuse me; writing room. And the light is perfect. I can sit in there for hours, and I have. #dontjudgeme.

When and if I decide to come out of the closet, it's because I want something to drink. Now to figure out how to add my single cup coffee maker.

I think I got it!

Oh the joys of being an author! So tell me, where do you write?

Flip Flopped

On September 8th, I met this beautiful spirit named Jade Newman. First her earrings and necklace blew me away and secondly she spoke so eloquently that I knew she was a truly remarkable woman. She teaches yoga and it shows through her calmness. She had some great questions about the writing process and the dreaded editing process, that "has taken her more than a year to do because she always finds something wrong." She came up to me at the end of the presentation and we spoke about what she should do next. Instantly I knew I needed her to be a guest on my blog. Please welcome Jade Newman and her funny take on her journey into The Land of Flip Flops.
I am one of them.

You know, the mom roaming around Target weekday mornings in yoga pants and flip-flops; well after the workout is over. You see, I teach yoga. My yoga pants and toe liberating shoes are part of my work costume but even I realize that I’m trampling all over the sacred relationship between woman and shoe. I once took great pride in giving my 5’3 inch body a 4-inch boost in height. I wore black dressy stilettos traveling on the metro and turned my nose up at the sensible women in dress suits with sneakers. I used to drop it like it was hot to Biggie and Jay Z in the club wearing sexy leopard print pumps. Blisters were temporary, but the compliments I’d get about my shoe game were forever. Admitting the new, not so stylish, shoe attitude I’ve adopted is embarrassing but I have decided to be proactive and do something to get my feet back in the game.

            Most shoe lovers I talk to cannot imagine such a shameful decline into the shoe abyss. I had to give a lot of thought to how this happened to me. How could a woman go from owning a pair of shoes to go with every outfit to a woman who bounces between pairs of black, tan and magenta colored flip flops?

It’s as painful for me to write as it is for you to read.

I could blame my lazy shoe choice on the knee surgery I had back in 2010, but after I recovered, stylish platform shoes lined my closet. I can’t blame it on being a mom. I rocked heels at my baby shower eight months in. It all started when I realized that my feet are tools that need to be protected. I forced myself to believe my feet are just things I need to keep me mobile. I foolishly chose to ignore the beauty in my feet and focus solely on their function. That day is dead and I know now that I can do both.

            The first step to revamping my shoe style was to start appreciating the fly shoe swag of others. Not for biting purposes but for the inspiration and assurance that it is okay to flaunt your feet. I observed the confidence women with sassy shoes exuded as they strut down the street. They walk with their shoulders back and chests held high. Their posture is valiant and pronounced. It’s as if they’ve practiced yoga for years. Then I frequented every shoe store in a 20 mile radius. Wild Pair became an addiction. The ladies at DSW in Fair Lakes know my name. I researched the right shoe for my comfort level and struck up that love affair once again. I practice yoga at least 7 hours a week, but nothing makes me stand taller than a pair of sexy shoes. I flip flopped but this time it’s for the best.

Author Julius Thompson and Swangin Webster 03/09 by One Karma Authors Lounge | Blog Talk Radio

Author Julius Thompson and Swangin Webster 03/09 at 6pm by One Karma Authors Lounge Blog Talk Radio

Make sure to tune on Friday March 9th for the PWP take over with Authors Julius Thompson & Swangin Webster.

We will find out about their novels and whats in these two talented Authors future plans in literature. 

Call in to speak with the host and the authors.

(646) 200-4542

One size DOES fit all

What a wonderful weekend it was! I attended the LIM conference. Love Is Murder is an annual conference held over the super bowl weekend and it was a blast!

I met some wonderful people but that will be a different blog, different day.

What I wanted to tell you was that one size DOES fit all. There was a vendor who sold shoes. Imagine my giddiness but then imagine my disappointment as shoe after shoe after boot was "not available in your size".

What! What! I could hardly breathe. I'm not sure, but I think I blacked out for a second. She went behind her 'magical' curtain to see if she had more in 'stock' but she peeked her little blond head out after almost two minutes and said, "can you wear a 10?"

I wanted to scream! NO, now find me a 9 in that red/black stiletto or at the very least in the red ruffle topped boot! After five LONG minutes she finally came out and said. "Sorry hun, we only have an eight."

She then told me, "well come back in ten minutes, I'll check my stock and see what I have in a nine." Armed with that, I went to my next panel discussion; apatly titled, how to lift fingerprints; which might have come in handy. Or at the very least show me what NOT to touch. I walked happily back to the 'vendor' room and looked for the little blond haired woman, who I might add was wearing the red ruffled topped boots that I wanted. She looked at me sympathically and said, "Sorry Hun, I don't have any size nines."

It all became a blur. My eyes went crossed, my breathing quickend and I believe I was in a state of shock.

What! What! What the heck has happened to all the little feet people? Have they all grown a size larger? I used to find size nine all day, every day and now you are telling me that a size nine in your 'traveling' shoe store is 'not available." At that moment, I became a mystery author. Plotting how I could get my hands on those size nines. I innocently asked, "well do you know who bought the last size nine?" Imagine my surprise when she told me,his name and room number; "because he bought them for his wife."

Hey we are at a mystery conference, what better way to end it, than with a TRUE mystery?
Who killed the man in room 211 with a stiletto shoe to the back? Perfect crime, right? Well it would have been had I not announced, "Well, I think I can take him." Yeah, I doubt if I would have made it to the lobby with my new red/black stiletto shoes.

So I guess the saying IS true, one size DOES fit all. Much to my chagrin, but there is ALWAYS next year...

Christmas Spirit?

Now that we have eaten ourselves into oblivion; are we in the Christmas spirit yet? I know I am. The way that I get ready is to put up Christmas decorations. This year it was a little different because I am not where I was last year. My residence has changed but I still got into the holiday spirit and what better way to do that then to start a friendly 'competition' amongst the neighbors to see if they will take the unspoken challenge.
Since I'm a writer, I know how to draw out a story by painting a picture that you want to reach out and touch. I did this with my new neighbors by sending the message: "Christmas is here, where are your lights?" Now I didn't go knocking on doors, I simply took my cue from the sad little neighbor two doors down who put up a sad little lonely red bow. However the message was clear, so I stepped up to the challenge. I then enlisted the help of two others and off to Home Depot we went. We picked up solar candy cane lights, potted red poinsettas and clips for the many lights that would be hung.
Then it was off to Micheal's Art/Craft store for the finishing touches of BIG red bows, WITH bells. See I saw the sad little bow as a challenge, and I think I met it; head on!
So after all was put on the house and the lights are twinkling; wouldn't you know that all of the neighbors were 'raking leaves' or so they wanted me to think. But by Sunday evening, three more houses had stepped up to the unspoken challenge of Christmas decorating. Now granted, they are NOT on my level. When I take on a challenge, I TAKE on a challenge. Ok, granted someone tried doing the lights on the deck railing...but honestly, that isn't even worth my time because I KNOW I could blow them out of the water with the bows, lights, and holiday table setting on the table.
Now the Christmas spirit to me doesn't mean shopping on Black Friday, although this year I did and had a ball at noon instead of midnight. Yes, there are still bargins at noon and I didn't have to stand in line outside to get them.
Being in the Christmas spirit means, bringing out the 'friendly competition" amongst neighbors and seeing who will reign supreme.
And the winner is....well if you want to know that, I'll post some pictures of my decorations next week and if you are up to it, submit yours too; I'll gladly hand over the crown, kicking and screaming of course, but I'll hand it over and then I'll go shopping again. After all, I'm up to the challenge that anyone puts out there.
So get ready, set, decorate!
Happy Holidays!