#ThrowbackThursday #RWA2016 Literacy Signing

Counting down the minutes until I leave for San Diego. I am so excited to not only be going to RWA, but baseball fan that I am, I snagged tickets to go to one of the All Star Game Fan Fest events. SO EXCITED!!

I will be sharing lots of photos from all the events next week when I get back.

Today’s Throwback is to the 2012 RWA Literacy Signing. My buddies K.M. Fawcett and Cathy Tully are taking a moment to drop by and lend their support to a worthy cause.

The 2016 â€œReaders for Lifeâ€ Literacy Autographing will be held on Wednesday, July 13, from 5:30 â€“ 7:30 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina in San Diego, California. It’s RWA’s goal this year to reach the 1 Million Dollar Mark in donations for literacy!

I’ll be donating copies of ONE NIGHT OF PLEASURE to be sold to raise money and I’ll have some special goodies for those who come to the signing!

July 6, 2016June 28, 2019

#WriteWed Need #Fashion Inspiration What to Wear for my Keynote Speech

Counting down to the RWA National Conference and really really excited about the keynote speech I will be giving at the 2016 Neilsen Romance Book Summit which will be held on July 14th in San Diego.

I hope you some of you can make it to either the RWA Literacy Signing on Wednesday or the Romance Summit.

Today, I’m asking for some Fashion Inspiration on what to wear to present my keynote speech. Should I be all business-like in a suit, less formal in my little black dress, or casual and colorful in a bright tunic with black pants beneath? I really really need your help with this!! So is it 1, 2 or 3 below?

Many thanks to Gisela for the little black dress and wonderful tunic! Also bought two of their bathing suits. Their stuff is fabulous and you can get it locally at OG Surf & Skate.

July 5, 2016

4th of July #JerseyShore

Hope you all had a great 4th of July! We had lots of fun down the Shore! Beautiful beach days, being a part of the 4th of July Parade in Ocean Grove and fireworks. I love fireworks!

So today I’m sharing some photos from the weekend!

Day at the Beach

Sunset over Ocean Grove

The OG Surf & Skate Gang at the Parade

Waiting for Asbury Park Fireworks

Fireworks Bradley Beach, New Jersey

If you can’t see the photos below, click here to see the photo album.

June 30, 2016

#ThrowbackThursday Me and My Curls

I think this photo was taken in Cuba before we escaped to the U.S. Those years in Cuba were tough times for my family. My parents and brother were already in America, my brother to avoid being conscripted into the militia and my parents to avoid jail for turning against Castro. It took my parents nearly two years to get us out of Cuba. During that time, Castro’s men would regularly come by the house and toss it. My grandmother would hide us under the bed while that happened.

I’m told that for years I was afraid of anyone in a uniform, but I don’t really remember much about those years. My first memories are of being in the United States, my new home. Of being both sad, but happy to finally be with my family.

When you think of booking a trip to Cuba, please think about the decades of misery heaped on others by the Castros who will be the ones benefiting from your trip.

My hair was a lot lighter in this photo and I only have a little bit of blonde left in the front. The curls are gone, although I still have wavy hair when it’s a little longer.

June 29, 2016June 29, 2016

#WriteWed Jersey Girl Bridemaids #JerseyShore Mansion

I love my little part of the Jersey Shore and you’ve seen lots of it in various stories, like the Sin Hunter series and the Take a Chance series. The heroine of the first book in the Jersey Girl Bridesmaids may live in New York City, but her heart is on the Jersey Shore in the mansion where she used to spend summers with her grandparents.

That mansion is going to be set in Sea Girt, an absolutely lovely community in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It has a restored lighthouse, a National Guard Training Center, the beautiful Beacon House Inn, and many wonderful beach homes, including ones with direct access to the beach (something you don’t have in many of the other towns in this area).

Both the hero and heroine have homes here, large ones with lots of space around them. I imagine the homes being built right around the time of Prohibition, with a Victorian feel. Who knows if their ancestors even made some extra money running rum or other alcohol along this part of the shore!

For my #WriteWed this morning, I’m sharing with you some photos of homes in the Monmouth County area so you can get a feel for the architecture of this part of the Jersey Shore.

June 28, 2016

#TransformationTuesday #TuesdayTip Walking Your Way to Better Health

A little while ago I posted a photo of myself and my transformation. 40 pounds lost and working on losing another 30.

Of course, a large part of that is diet and anyone that tells you that you can lose weight without eating healthier has a bridge to sell you (will kids even understand that saying today?).

Exercise, while important for losing weight, is also important for improving your overall health. It’s not good to be sedentary and even the smallest amount of movement will benefit you.

When I took the first step in my transformation, it was literally a first step: walking my way to health. It’s a great form of exercise and little by little I built up to how much I walk. Today I usually do about five miles a day (if not more) over the course of the day. How do I do that? Walking everywhere I can and having my Fitbit buddies challenge me to new goals.

My favorite place to walk is the beach, of course, but anywhere will do and it doesn’t take much. Just 15 minutes a day has been shown to improve your overall health.

If you’d like to get started, here are some links with good articles on the benefits of walking!

The Benefits of Walking by Real Simple
Benefits of Walking by Arthritis.org
Trim Your Waistline, Improve Your Health by Mayo Clinic
This is Your Body on Walking by Prevention Magazine (I personally love this magazine!)
3 New Walking Workouts to Blast Fat by Prevention

Another hint for those who work in an office and sit all day: Buy a cheap kitchen timer and set it to go off every half an hour. Get up, walk around, move, squat, lift, do anything! Be Mobile. You will feel the difference in your body once this becomes a regular habit.

June 27, 2016

#ManCandyMonday Hottie Zac Efron

When my daughter and I first saw Zac in SUMMERLAND (which had a lot of really cute guys), we both thought he was adorable and now he’s grown up into a major hottie. I almost feel a little guilty choosing someone so young, but he’s definitely Man Candy material nowadays. I’m looking forward to the reboot of BAYWATCH with him and Dwayne Johnson, another total hottie.

Plus, not only does Zac look good in a bathing suit, he really knows how to dress. Check him out at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. And those baby blues. . . Just love them!

Many thanks to Eva Rinaldi for use of this photo!

Eva Rinaldi [CC BY-SA 2.0]