Oina is the traditional national sport of Romania. I’d heard of it but I didn’t understand it until last week, when my Romanian teacher gave me a reading about it. Then all sorts of things started clicking. The title image of the vintage Romanian postage stamp is a big huge... read more
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, colors and creeds. They don’t all look, talk or act alike. However, they do have a characteristic journey. They also share certain qualities. Marcus Aurelius, in the title quote, calls for deeds not idle discussion of what makes a man good. Nevertheless, for... read more
You want your characters to face realistic obstacles. You want them to encounter challenges and meet adversity. These obstacles create the conflict you need for your story to progress. Since I write mainly romance, the central conflict will always be between the hero and heroine. They will have different motivations... read more
This past week I hung out in Balchik, Bulgaria. Thus I had the opportunity to speak with the locals about famous Bulgarians. Once again, I had lots of fun with my project. People the world over like to name who among them deserve a claim to fame. Famous Bulgarians Historical:... read more
Balchik, Bulgaria is a resort town on the Black Sea. The name has various spellings, which include: Balcic and Balchick. The reason for the variations derive from the fact that Bulgarian is a Slavic language written in the Cyrillic alphabet: So the name comes out as балчик. Thus, how to... read more
What place in the world is more romantic than the Caribbean? My latest romance, out next month, is The Hard Bargain. The middle third of the story takes place in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). I’ve been to the Caribbean four times: twice to Puerto Rico, once to Cuba, and... read more
My latest release, The Hard Bargain, is available on all platforms next month. I love the cover. Both crisp and dreamy. It is part of my Love and the City trilogy. The Hard Bargain: The Story The Hard Bargain a modern-day marriage of convenience story. Marriage of convenience stories are... read more
Acasă din nou în Bucureşti – Back Home in Bucharest. Note: acasă = ‘at home’ I’m in the fourth month of my around-the-world Adventures with a longish stay in Romania until the end of August. I’ve owned a condo in Bucharest since 2006. My current one is near Piaţa Dorobanţi.... read more
Title image for Hotels Around the World: the key card to my hotel room in Doha, Qatar I evidently forgot to turn the card into the front desk. It now decorates my desk in Bucharest. Travel tip: I have chosen an international hotel chain where I stay in big cities... read more
Title image: Doha, Qatar skyline seen from the balcony of my hotel room across the bay. Why Doha? From Myanmar I aimed for Romania for the rest of the summer. I figured I could fit in one more stop on my around-the-world ticket. Qatar Airways offered an easy flight from... read more
