Good Morning,

Thank you for visiting my page. Like many of you, the pandemic has made it difficult for me to think, write, and come to terms with the new world.

Before the outbreak of COVID, I had been doing research for a book about suicide. I’d sought a tattoo dealing with suicide. I’d selected the one in the illustration, and hoped I’d find a publisher that would allow me to use a version of it.

To my horror, mental illness and suicides increased during the last year when most of us were quarantined and then forced to work from home. I found it difficult to write at the time my book was most needed. 

During my last book launch tour, two friends said, “You should write a book about suicide.” The requests prompted me to write a few poems about suicide, but I couldn’t write the novel when I was in what we called a funk when I was a young adult. I’m out of the funk thanks to my husband, Barry Dimick, our backyard birds, our second COVID shot, and President Biden’s promise to end the war in Afghanistan by September 11. 

I’m happy to say I’m two-thirds of the way through the first draft of the manuscript. At this point, I must tie all of the plot strands together and make sure my characters change–show growth. 

When I finish the first draft, I shall put the manuscript through editor “Lorin Oberweger’s “Slap System for Breakout Success “ and then send it to my copy editor Beth Mansbridge. 

Now here’s what Shakespeare called the rub. If my agent, Joyce Sweeney, finds a publisher, I don’t get to choose the cover, but I’ll push for this illustration created by tattoo artist, Sharon Omarro. When the book is published, you’ll learn why.

Thank you for visiting My News.