The other day I shared some of my fav places in Miami with you and so I thought I’d share this photo with you today! We took it during a spring vacation at the Miami Seaquarium. We had so much fun there and hanging out in South Beach and on Calle Ocho.
#TravelTuesday – Miami and South Beach
I’ve got quite a number of books that are set in Miami and South Beach, including some new ones: SOUTH BEACH LOVE (May 2021) and EXILED HEARTS(Tentative title – Release Date TBD). One of the reasons why I’ve set stories there is to highlight are the interesting places in the area. Today I’m sharing some of my favorite places in case you’re able to visit one day.
La Carreta and Versailles Restaurants: Set on Miami’s Calle Ocho in the heart of Little Havana, these are two Cuban restaurants not to miss. La Carreta has a kitschy and very large sugar cart – la carreta – in front of the restaurant. Versailles is the place you’ll always see whenever anyone is reporting on happenings in Cuba. The press always goes there to get impressions from the Cuban exiles still living in Little Havana.
Vizcaya: Vizcaya is John Deering’s estate and an amazing estate right on the edges of Biscayne Bay. The home and gardens are gorgeous and speak to an era of opulence and elegance.
Jungle Island (formerly Parrot Jungle): The original Parrot Jungle was established in the 1930s and after it moved to Watson Island, was renovated after hurricane damage into an “eco-adventure” park. Still a fav place where you can roam and see an assortment of tropical plants and birds.
The Venetian Pool: Located in Coral Gables, this public pool was created from a coral rock quarry. It has a lovely Mediterranean-style ambiance and waterfalls for you to explore.
Miami Seaquarium: The Seaquarium holds a fond place in my heart. I remember sitting and watching “Flipper” do tricks in one of the large lagoons where portions of that television program were actually filmed. There are a number of different aquatic shows you can watch and a small walk along the edges of the bay.
South Beach: There is a lot to see in South Beach. The Art Deco hotels. Lummus Park. Lincoln Road. So much to see and do along Ocean Drive and the nearby streets. Lots to eat and drink as well since this is where a lot of the nightlife goes on. I’d recommend not going to this area at Spring Break times or on busy weekend nights to avoid the real party animals that can make it unpleasant.
#ManCandyMonday – Working on a New Project
I’m working on a new project and one of the romantic interests is the very successful founder of a hedge fund. I picture him as handsome and elegant. Very classy. While searching for someone who might fit the bill for this character, I came across Argentinean model Tao Fernandez Caino. I can totally picture him as a very successful executive in a bespoke suit. What about you?
#FreebieFriday – Darkness Calls Vampire Suspense
The Calling is Reborn is a series of my heart. The stories are a blend of paranormal and suspense, think Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The X-Files. The first book in the series, DARKNESS CALLS, was an RT Top Pick and introduces you to sexy Southern vampire Ryder Latimer and kickass FBI Agent Diana Reyes who you will get to see in all the other books in the series. To download the free e-book, please visit http://bit.ly/DarknessCallsFreebie. If you can, please leave a review at one of the retailers. Reviews really do help authors!
Elementary School #ThrowbackThursday
Part of what I’ve been doing now that we’ve downsized is gathering and scanning old photos in order to preserve them. I’ve found some fun photos that brought back memories of growing up in Queens and then Levittown. I’m pretty sure this is an elementary school photo, probably first or second grade. I did those two grades and third grade in Queens before we moved to Levittown. I seem to be wearing red in a lot of those early school photos I guess because red is my favorite color!
#WisdomWednesday – Small Steps, Big Changes
I’ve been hearing a lot about micro-goals lately, whether in relation to dieting or any other kind of task. Without really thinking about it, it’s something I’ve been doing for a lot of my life. While thinking about the big picture, like becoming a published author, I was setting smaller more achievable goals along the way. Write a chapter and the chapters became a book. Finish the book and look for an agent. Start the next book. Small steps leading to a big change. I took the same approach with my diet. Do ten minutes on the elliptical. Walk 10,000 steps. Lose 1 pound. Each small step leading to a bigger change.
Why is that so important? Setting goals that are unrealistic only sets you up to feel like a failure. No one is going to lose 100 pounds in a month or even a few months. It takes time. The same with writing. No one is going to become a bestseller overnight. It takes time and dedication.
But if you approach that goal with small steps, it not only seems more attainable, it is more attainable. When I do workshops and people say that they can’t imagine writing a book, I ask them “Do you think you could write a page a day?” The answer is invariably yes which prompts me to say, “Well if you did that, you’d have a book in a year, right?”
I’d like to think that my helping them think about doing such a big thing in small steps might help them reach that bigger goal, namely, writing a book.
#TuesdayTip – Cuban Flan
Flan is one of my fav desserts and a staple at our Christmas table and other holidays! It’s creamy, sweet, and oh so tasty. In SOUTH BEACH LOVE the two competing chefs make a number of different flavored flans, including a mango flan. Nom nom. Today’s tip is a recipe for a traditional Cuban flan and I hope you like it and try it. If you do, I’d love to hear how it comes out for you. To get the recipe, please visit https://www.caridad.com/2006/11/08/cuban-flan/.
