Month: October 2022

It’s almost here. Please stop by and walk on the wild side. You can visit me any time you choose to come.

Halloween means different things to different people. To me, even though it’s been a long time, Halloween means candy my family couldn’t afford, a night spent with the most important people in my life and my cousin joining us always dressed as a bum. My sister and I wore different customs crafted by my talented mother. Chocolate was a special treat and we made sure those candies lasted past Christmas. My father would drive us to the new housing development where the candy was more forthcoming and the roads less dark. The candy was plentiful, the smiles few. A few non-smiling adults suggested we stay in our own neighborhood. There were less than ten houses we could walk to in ours. When our pillow cases were almost full we’d head to Central Falls, join my cousin and see what the poorer people could provide. There wasn’t a lot to expensive candy but there was candied popcorn, caramel apples which we ate before getting back into the car, and little toys that broke in a couple of weeks. All the goodies were given with love, always accompanied by the oohs and aahs we hoped our costumes deserved. When the darkness was too consuming and the voices of other kids faded away, we’d drop off my cousin and head home, always lying about how much candy we got. We had to have some mom didn’t know about.

I don’t remember thinking about how much money we did or did not have. What I remember is my sister’s giggles, my cousins full throated laughter and my love for them both.

Though times have changed and I’m a lot older what I wish for those who’ll trick or treat this year is not candy. I wish them the company of those around them, smiles at their costumes bought or hand made and the comfort of knowing they’re with the people they love, and who love them in return.

Does any other author cry when they kill off one of their characters. (I’m not telling you who, there are 7 books and plenty of characters to kill). Please don’t tell me I’m alone. I miss the characters I no longer write about, hoping to find someone I like/hate or both, as much as the ones I left behind. Then I get a review like this and I find myself smiling. “Started reading Dark Night of the Soul last night. I was ‘hooked’ in the first pages.” I can only hope that’s true for all my readers. The reviews I’ve gotten have all been good. Please keep reading and sending in those reviews. I’d like you to know there’s a lot of talk about making Dark Night of the Soul into a movie. The problem is it’s only me and my husband doing the talking. He wants the Ferrari I told him I’d buy him, if it were a hit. Me, I just want to see Marcus brought to life.

The first of the Darkness and Light Series is now available through Amazon in hard copy format. I know my mother’s smiling, just wish she could see it. I got my love of books from her. I’d watch her caress the hard bound book as she read to my sister and I, and I knew I would love books forever.

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup water 2 eggs

1 cup butter (2 sticks) 1 tsp vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

and approximately 3 1/2 cups flour.

Mix all ingredients except flour. Add flour a little at a time, until dough is stiff, amount varies.

Roll dough onto a waxed paper and cut into circles. Place on slightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until edges are golden brown. About 10-20 minutes. Cool completely.

Topping

Orange icing One – fifty count black candy, many use licorice, but my favorite is black candy melts.

Cut some of the candy into V’s

Spread icing to the outer edge of the cookie . Using candy V’s make jack-o-lantern mouth and nose, use rounded candy for eyes.

Eat the remaining candy

I’M SURE YOU’VE ALREADY MARKED YOUR CALENDERS, BUT JUST IN CASE:

I’ll be at the RHODE ISLAND COMIC CON on the 4th, 5th and 6th of November. It’s a fun way to meet some of the authors from the Association of Rhode Island Authors. Shopping from other vendors, meeting the attending stars, and seeing the visitors with their original costumes is a real treat. I hope to see you there.

THE RI AUTHOR EXPO is a great way to either start or finish you Holiday shopping. I’ll be there, I hope you will be too.

I will soon be releasing a hardcopy version of Dark Night of the Soul. I’ll let you know when the process is complete.