There’s a reason why I set my stories in New England.  I love New England.  Sure, I’ve lived here all my life, still I love it.  Doesn’t that say something?

Maine holds a special place in my heart for many reasons, only the most recent of which is that it’s the Not My Daughter setting.  Here’s a little history of Maine and me. (more…)

It started as a contest.  When I was in New York last September brainstorming a promotional plan for Not My Daughter, my publisher suggested running it on my website at the time of publication.  The goal was to tell people about this book, and the original idea called for a mother-daughter contest, with the prize being an all-expense-paid mother-daughter getaway weekend.  After all, Not My Daughter is about mothers and daughters, right?

Then I got to thinking.  Granted, with my readership being 97% women give or take, 97% of my readers either are or were daughters, right?  But moms?  Not all have children, and of those who do, not all of those children are daughters.  Hey, I have only sons.  So what would I do if I won?  My mom’s been dead for years; I couldn’t take her.  I quickly realized that if we wanted people to actually enter this contest, we had to cast a larger net.

Let me inject something here.  (more…)

If you’ve followed my countdown blogs, you’ll know that Mountain Colors, a Montana company that specializes in hand-dying yarn, has produced a colorway to honor Not My Daughter.  After reading early excerpts of the book, the masterminds behind Mountain Colors, Leslie Taylor and Diana McKay, designed Spring Eclipse, a breathtaking mix of fuchsia, copper, plum, sapphire, forest green, and teal, named after a colorway created by my characters, Susan, Kate, Sunny, and Pam, who have their own yarn-dying business in Not My Daughter.

"Spring Eclipse" from Mountain Colors

Getting to know Leslie and Diana has been a joy for me.  They are incredibly warm and wonderfully creative, representative of the best of the community of knitters that has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years.  What is it about knitting that’s so appealing?  (more…)

Today is December 5.  On January 5, one month from today, my newest baby, Not My Daughter, makes its debut to the world.  At this point, really, it’s all about promotion.  Here’s where we’re at.

The first two chapters of Not My Daughter are now posted on my website.  Other website changes include posting the cover of this new book in every strategic spot.  For instance, check out my HOME page.  There’s the new cover and – ta-daaa – the video trailer.

Media reviews are starting to come in, and, so far, they’re glowing. (more…)

Know the truism about giving a young child a toy and finding him more interested in the box it came in?  We had the Delinsky version of that over Thanksgiving, when the grands came to visit.  Oh, they loved their Legos, they did.  They built a road and cars and buildings, and, miracle of miracles, there were enough little bricks to go around.

But the biggest hit of the holiday were notebooks.  Well, not just any old notebooks.  I am a very organized person (how else to keep straight the details of my work?), so I have a closet filled with supplies that keep me organized.  The notebooks in question are ½” wide, 3-ring Poly-Binders that come in a variety of colors and sell for $1.59 each. (more…)

If you’ve listened to televised news this week, you know that the new Twilight movie debuted at 12 AM Friday morning.  You also know that fans – teens and their moms – camped outside theaters to be assured of seats at the first showings.

Vampire books and movies are hot.  What’s their appeal?  According to my agent, whose partner represents the author of the Twilight series, it’s about sex without sex.  The allure is there, the chemistry, the attraction, and the danger, but it’s safe.

Granted, not all vampire books and movies are sexless. (more…)

I love Legos   But I didn’t always.  When my kids were little and I had to build Lego sets for them at the same time that I cooked dinner, folded laundry, or made beds, I cursed those little bricks.  But I loved the concept even back then.  Playing with legos was creative.  It was quiet and intelligent.  It didn’t require batteries.

Why am I thinking about Legos now?  Two reasons.  (more…)

I know.  I missed the 2-month countdown blog for the publication of Not My Daughter.  It got lost last week, what with Chapter 1 of the book going up on my website and my emailing you all about that.  And yes, I want to talk about the countdown now, but a different one.

Holiday.  Season.

It’s upon us.  If the calendar hadn’t told me so, the stores would have. (more…)

Talk about the weirdness of publishing.  For months I’ve been touting the gorgeous cover of my forthcoming book, Not My Daughter – the cover with the vivid yellow band and the picture of the pregnant girl – and suddenly it’s no longer the cover!  What happened?

I wondered that, too, when, out of the blue, I got an email from my editor saying that the art department had come up with a new cover. (more…)

Last week, I posted the question on my Facebook page:  Do you have a pet?  Fans replied in droves, no pun intended.  Mention pets, and you hit a nerve.

What is it about them?  Is it the fact that they depend on us so completely?  That they offer companionship without demanding conversation?  Is it simply the unconditional love they give?

I can’t speak for other pet-owners, only for myself, but I had always wanted a cat. (more…)