Author Archives:
The Silent Blogger
Okay. Anyone who has even halfway followed my blog knows I am terrible at it – blogging, that is. I’ve resisted the social media surge that precedes the publication of a novel, have tortured my PR guys with my adamant and (stupid) refusal to cooperate with well-intentioned plans to sell, disseminate, conjure interesting online articles […]
Anatomy of a Great Radio Interview
I had the great fortune recently to be interviewed by Bob Edwards of NPR fame. To say that he is one of the very best is an understatement. I have had many radio interviews and have listened to a few in my day, but I’m no expert, you might say. No, but I know when […]
What do you mean you’re moving into your own apartment? My Asperger’s son goes out on his own!
Okay, I’m a helicopter mom. I’m in recovery with other afflicted mothers and have actually been doing better. I don’t ask my son if he’s shaved or brushed his teeth EVERY time he comes home to visit. Or tell him how to make scrambled eggs. Unless he does it wrong. Or… let’s just say my […]
The Dreaded, Beloved Pink Bathrobe
I refuse to call it writer’s block. That would be passé. That would make me like any other writer and, of course, I’m special. It’s just a pink bathrobe day. You know, one of those gray, wet mornings when you haul yourself out of bed, stumble into the closet and stare, un-caffeinated, at your options. […]
Writers as Recluse
Is it possible for an author to achieve notoriety without prostituting themselves under the cloak of social media? Has social media and internet ephemera made it harder for us as authors to focus and do what matters – write? And I wonder, is it even possible for someone my age, getting into this game now, […]
How Living Abroad Changed My Life And My Writing
When dinosaurs roamed the earth in 1974, I charged off to Europe the summer after high school armed with a passport, a Eurail pass, some travelers checks, and the addresses of some relatives I’d never heard of given to me by my Dutch parents. Back then you could travel around Europe, hitch, take the train, […]
Snapshots of World War 2: My Parent’s Documents
These documents are letters of commendation and praise by the Dutch government and the department of the Dutch Interior Forces given to both of my parents after the war, thanking them for their service to their country. My mother is identified as having been a courier, my father commended for his courage in the service […]
Today is the Day!
As I sit here writing this, I still can’t believe that today has arrived! There is nothing like the feeling of pub date. Sending your baby off into the world, hoping your readers will fall into the story as you did when writing it. I am already so gratified that readers of SAVING MAX have […]
Snapshots of World War 2: My Grandfather
Johannes Hurkmans, my grandfather, was born in 1889, a tall man with piercing hazel eyes. As you can see from the document, he became a naturalized American citizen. He had a tough life, never getting beyond a sixth-grade education because he had to go to work to help support his family. He became a waiter […]
Snapshots of World War 2: My Grandmother
Here is a nice shot of my grandmother, Jacoba Stoltenkamp Hurkmans, leaning against the balcony. She was 41 when the war began. My aunt Netty (which is where my “Antoinette” comes from) was seven years younger than my mother and was sent away to the country for the better part of the war so she would […]
