I belong to the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and have met so many good friends via that organization. Here’s a group that met in the Tampa area in early January. I was over on the other side of the state doing a presentation to the Marco Island Writers Group.

I’m grateful to have many Jewish friends. Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate.

I hadn’t read one of Elizabeth Berg’s books until she was scheduled to appear at my local independent bookstore. I loved The Story of Arthur Truluv. It’s a quiet, happy and wholesome story that definitely qualifies as a feel-good read. I’ll definitely be reading more of her books.

I love book signings at my local independent bookstore, which is The Bookmark in Neptune Beach, Florida. Here I am with New York Times bestselling author Karen White. She’s written many fabulous books, including The House on Tradd Street series.

I love to spread the news when I find a book I love. This one, by Katherine Center, was fabulous. The author did a particularly good job of letting the reader inside the protagonist. We were tight inside her, experiencing her visceral feelings and seeing her every thought. This would be an especially good read for those who like a good love story.

A highlight of my year is attending the Women’s Fiction Writers Association annual retreat each September. The group is made up of such savvy, smart, ambitious and generous writers. I was also honored to be the chairperson for their last two Agent Pitch Events.

Florida is so hot and sticky in the summer. Ugh! I’m grateful we can spend time at our cabin in the North Georgia mountains, where lower temps and lower humidity make life more bearable.

My adopted hometown of Jacksonville, FL, is the setting for my work-in-progress. The St. Johns river crisscrosses our city several times. Downtown Jacksonville, where much of my story takes place, sits right on the river.

I was honored to be the only Author Accelerator coach invited to their first ever in-person retreat for writers. Jennie Nash (founder and Chief Creative Officer), Laura Franzini (VP, Business Development) and I helped a group of twenty writers hone their craft. Four days of writerly talk was heavenly to me.

May is already a hot month where we live in Florida, so Hubby and I loved being in the cooler weather of southern Utah. We stayed in a small AirBnB cabin that was on a horse farm and visited Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, shown here. I am so grateful our country protects these beautiful landscapes.

Even Sedona, AZ, which is normally hot in May, was unseasonably cool. We loved it!