Mariposa's Musings

One of the more unusual assignments in my college literature classes was to write a cocktail party scene involving the various characters from the stories we had read during the semester.  I heard the murmur of collective dismay from my classmates.  I could hardly wait to start writing.  All semester I endured the harsh glare of reality as reflected by American literary icons, Theodore Dreiser and Sinclair Lewis. Now it was time to have some fun. I don’t remember the final grade on that paper only that my ruddy-faced professor with a Hemingway complex noted positive comments in the margin instead of his usual acerbic barbs . I intended to end the Rhythm & Romance series with Wedding Tango . After all, how do you top a whirlwind adventure in Buenos Aires?   One of my girlfriends who’s strictly Ballroom mentioned that her group’s dance socials featured a live band.    Hmmmm…a live band could be interesting.   I started Lovestruck Two Ste...

Dakota Blues : In this award-winning debut novel, workaholic Karen Grace is fired after attending her mother's funeral in her Midwestern hometown. Now Karen is fifteen hundred miles from home, just one more middle-aged worker out of a job in a tough economy. To make matters worse, her husband recently left her for his pregnant girlfriend. At a crossroads, Karen must find the courage to change. Needing time to think, she agrees to take an elderly neighbor on one last road trip, but on a deserted highway in Wyoming, Karen is forced to make a lethal and life-changing decision. What inspired you to become a writer? I’m one of those kids who wanted to write from the time they were old enough to hold a pencil. I kid you not: I invented a genealogy chart for my plastic horses! But even though I craved writing, I wasn’t able to publish my first book until I was 58 years old. With work and parenting and life in general, I just couldn’t do it, although I took classes an...