I’ve been an avid reader and writer for as long as I can remember. When I was younger I thought it made me a geek — now I couldn’t be more proud. I was fortunate to have a high school English teacher, Glen White, who required his students to read a book a week. For two years in his class I was introduced to the classics — this is where I first fell in love with Charles Dickens, who was the greatest soap opera writer of his time — and also more contemporary authors like James Michener. And I wrote — a lot.
Mr. White was definitely a taskmaster, but his encouragement was a key factor in my majoring in English at Vassar College. I took dramatic writing classes and also intensive seminars in Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, American Literature and more. I honed my appreciation for the way novels are constructed, what makes dialogue truly memorable, why certain characters seem to jump off the page, and how the emotional response a book stirs in a reader is sometimes such a mystery.
Despite my parents and grandparents wanting me to become a doctor or lawyer, it was really no surprise that I ended up making a living playing with words. In addition to being an Emmy Award–winning writer for my work on the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light, I have also worked as an editor/writer at The Palm Beach Post and Sun Sentinel and served as editor-in-chief of Soap Opera Magazine. In my spare time I write novels (I’m currently working on my fifth) that I hope to have published one day.
And I read — a lot. While I still enjoy the classics, I gravitate much more toward the kind of books that people like to read on the beach. Those are the books and authors I will introduce to you in this blog. My passion for reading and writing — along with my educational background and work experience — qualifies me. But I also hope to learn from all of you. What are your favorite beach reads? Who are your favorite page-turning authors?
I’ve been lucky to live near some of the most spectacular beaches in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and South Florida, and also to visit beaches from California to Maine and my beloved Spain — with many more on my bucket list. While the primary focus of this blog is going to be about the best beach books and the authors who write them, I also will take you to some of the most scenic and beautiful beaches in the world. Maybe you can visit them yourself – with your bag filled with hot new books to read – or maybe you can just dream about reading on them. Plus I will introduce you to the latest beach-related gifts and gadgets and other things to make your beach experience a truly memorable one.
When I’m not reading or writing or spending time at the beach, I can be found at the gym, riding my bike, doing yoga, watching movies — or spending time with the sweetest rescue cat in the world, Katie. You’ll get to know more about me as we go along — but for now let’s “stick our feet in the sand & escape!”
Feel free to contact me with any questions or just to say hi!
Stick Your toes in the sand & escape 