Think of an orange. The bright, pebbly skin. The sweet, juicy insides. Oranges pair well with foods like chocolate, toast and vodka. But, how about with mozzarella? Or tomato? Olive oil and capers? Garlic and red onion? Absolutely. Do not be fooled by its breakfast and sweet persona. Oranges play well with more savory items also. In Sicily, from where a portion of my ancestors hail, oranges are used in salads with lettuce and shaved fennel. Since that salad is delicious, we decided to change it a bit. My mom has the best food ideas. There are many times where we sit around and talk about different recipes. This recipe is one of them. Take a Caperese Salad. All it is is sliced fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Now let’s look at our more Sicilian version: Sure we have slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato. But we also have sliced red onion, black and green olives, sliced garlic, and slices of supremed cara cara oranges. ...
My first published novel started with notes about a man learning about a woman who lived a world in-between reality and fantasy. Before I knew it, I had names, places, a plotline and subplots. I never intended to write a series. Yet, I had. My initial draft was penned on unlined printer paper. When I finally sat to type it, I needed to learn how to format a manuscript. Title page, slug lines, double spaced true type font all stuffed into a tidy package. The easy part was over. I had to write query letters to agents who I thought might want to represent my baby. The hook was written and re-written. My author bio drove me crazy. The synopsis haunted me. Still, I wrote them. And out they went. I waited and I waited. Some had the courtesy of sending a reply, even if it was a canned one. Many did not. The noes poured in. The most heart wrenching replies were the ones who said that they enjoyed my work but, it wasn’t a good fit for them. Onwards I pressed. I believed in my wo...
Pain has been my constant companion for almost a year. Like a character in an adventure novel, life keeps throwing obstacles at me. Since the release of Hope (The World In-between 5), both my parents passed away and I got divorced. As I have been healing emotionally, my body has been going the opposite direction. Specifically, my back. I am under doctors’ care, and I have seen a reduction in pain. However, my journey is far from over. Perhaps it would be best to explain how I got here. Back pain seems to have been a steady thing for me for years. I always thought it was my stress residing in my back muscles. My back was so bad last year that my boyfriend got me a massage for my birthday. It was glorious. Then, a month or so later, the pain started to return. Not just in my shoulders, but in my lower back as well. After a couple more massages, I decided that I needed to do more for my back. I started yoga. I love yog...
Comments
Post a Comment