If you're interested in WHAT'S NEU, WRITE NOW, please read the fine print below:
Nov. 18, 2007:
Greetings from my packing break. If all goes well with the RV inspection/mechanic's check tomorrow, Monday, we will leave for Massachusetts in the evening. We know there's a bit of a fuel leak, a problem with the outside top lights in the front and back of the cabin, and a need for a tune-up and full fluid check. Fingers crossed that the list doesn't grow from there!
On Monday night we plan to drive to Franklin, NJ, home of a museum of fluorescent rocks. This isn't one of those excursions where I search for specimens while Gil searches his vocabulary for new and entertaining ways to complain. Instead, this is a museum that we can both enjoy; I'll ogle the pretty rocks and Gil will ogle the amazing science behind them. To see what I mean, go to http://www.franklinmineralmuseum.com/flroom.htm. I am not certain where we will park the RV while we snuggle up for the night because Walmarts in NJ aren't always RV-friendly. On the Florida trip and the Book Tour we always managed to find nice accomodations, so I'm not at all worried.
Our next stop will be in Connecticut, not too far off Route 84 which is the path to Massachusetts. We hope to visit some unusual tourist attractions. A couple contenders are the Otis Elevator Test Tower and an abandonned tourist attraction of long-ago, Holy Land USA. We should be in Massachusetts Weds. evening, give-or-take, considering any and all distractions of the expected, as well as unexpected, kind. We are now officially members of something called Coach-Net which offers roadside assistance and also has 24/7 telephone technical assistance. That should keep the unexpected distractions down to a reasonable roar!!
The RV repairs have been moving along, at a two-steps-forward-one-step-backwards pace. We (mainly Gil) patched the roof yesterday. A couple days earlier I had tried it and managed to waste about $80 worth of supplies. I cried and moped and said I wished we had never bought the RV. But an hour later I was already back to planning what to pack, which items would be stored in which cabinets, and researching where to visit during our maiden voyage. Without going into too many details of my fiasco, suffice it to say that if you should ever need to repair a rubber roof, definitely read ALL the directions first.
This morning we took a hose to the beautifuly patched roof. There wasn't a single leak inside for over an hour, but just as we were about to high-five ourselves, the skies opened up and one area started slowly dripping. Before long, the drips increased and we scurried to put towels, plastic bags, and sordid containers under the roof spots which were all along one line in the front of the RV cabin. Gil, not one to be defeated, even by Mother Nature, did what all good men would do: he grabbed duct tape and a garbage bag, and made a make-shift pocket under the line of leaks, leading all the water to the entry way so it could drip without messing up anything. It worked!! And we were able to finally sit at the table...
...and read the manuals to figure out what else did and did not work. The heat, stove, and oven are all great. The hot water heater can't be tested since we are in winter and a winterized RV doesn't use them. Warning to our family in Massachusetts: This means we won't shower from Monday night when we leave Havertown until we arrive at the Kramer's on Weds. evening. Please give us hugs hello at your own discretion!
This afternoon we bought windshield wipers and a GPS (to try to see if it saves us on gas since we typically get lost more than we stay on target - and if it doesn't work, it's going back at the very next Office Depot we spot). Then Dad and Rhoda took us out shopping for some interior things like a Dust-Buster, sheets, pillows, doormat, mattress pad. They have been so generous and we are so thankful and appreciative! I hope they'll come for a ride with us when the cabover is fixed and we can sleep four. And also when we have 100% working appliances.
The last owner told us there were issues with the refrigerator and radio, so we're packing a CD player and using the fridge as a cooler. We will tackle these challenges when we return from Massachusetts. The worst part of the entire RV is the cab over area. This is where there is usually a queen-sized bed, but in our RV it's a king-sized mess. The last owners had removed part of the outside and Gil nailed it back on. Then Gil removed lots of the insides, exposing rotted wood and insulation, and turning it into a construction zone. So we will be driving with a nice blue tarp covering that area. The blue in the tarp is a bit brighter of a color that the rest of the cabin furniture which is more of a teal. But it doesn't clash too badly! And, since there's a dedicated full bed in the back, so all we're really missing is storage space.
Upon our return we will locate a permanent parking place for the RV. While we've been fixing it, our friend Jeff Ransom has been letting us use his driveway and some of his tools. He also helped Gil change the alternator so wqe could get it from Collegecille to Havertown. Also on the thank you list is the Fisher-Vance family. They are our dear friends, Jeff's next door neighbors, and not big fans of money pits, aka RV's. For the last week, the view from their kitchen has been our tarp-covered RV work zone. They have greeted us with a smile, but I know it's gotten on their nerves. Alas, I hope that both Jeff and the Fisher-Vances will take us up on offers to use the RV (once we know its working) for fun trips.
Speak of, it's time to get back to packing.
More from the road...
With a huge smile,
Bonnie
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Nov. 11, 2007: Sorry for my silence over the last week or so, but I was busy on the RV hunt, spending countless hours surfing the internet for new blood. And when I wasn't hunting, I was so busy being despondent over my lack of success, that I couldn't conjure the joy required to post an update. I am exaggerating slightly, but not completely.
Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the hunt:
*Going for a test drive in an RV the size of the QE II on dark back roads that were too narrow even for a Cooper Mini... while the current owner kept shouting to Gil, "Watch for the deer!"
*Making an offer on a fold-down A-frame tow-along camper on our way to Rehoboth for a writing event, because I couldn't even put the hunt on the back-burner during work-time.
*Almost saying yes to the purchase of a conversion van, but seconds before we uttered the words of affirmation, we realized that Gil was 2-feet bigger than the bed-area, on all sides.
*Having Dad and Rhoda secretly scout-out an RV for us and, while Rhoda was on the phone describing it to me, stopping to yell, "Arnie, don't," as my Dad opened the door and entered the thing. Next thing I know she's saying, "Well let me in, too."
*Driving all over incarnation, straining our necks, almost to the point of whiplash, to find old-looking RVs on the side of the road that might be (but usually weren't) for sale. These split-second discoveries were always accompanied by screeching brakes or quick u-turns.
*Making so many calls that we lost track of them, to the point where we mistakenly called one guy 4 different times about the same RV.
*Posting 'Motorhome Wanted' notices on supermarket bulletin boards all around the suburbs and exurbs, but getting no responses at all.
*Buying an RV Trader magazine at 7-11, finding a listing for an RV a mere 2 miles from home, making plans to see it, only to be stood up by the owner. So I googled him to find his address, and we went to sneak-a-peek in his driveway, with flashlights, late at night.
*Discovering there are many RV sellers who seem to have the ability to stretch the definiton of the word 'pristine' to include vehicles covered in an inch of grime and dirt or ones with stained ceilings hanging down to where they meet up with the leaf-strewn floor. (Don't forget to factor in that I am a slob with a high threshold for mess and dirt.)
*Finding an RV that, although it was currently being used as a planter, was just the layout we wanted, and actually discussing how much money we should offer, until sanity took over.
*Being so desperate to find our chariot before Thanksgiving that we were close to handing over money for an 18' hunter's-cabin-on-wheels whose refrigerator had previously housed an elk the size of Montana. It was from 1974, the year I got my driver's license, and Gil was all of 10 years old!
Then, last night, tired from yet another day of hunting (this time driving though most of Philadelphia with Dad and Rhoda), yet still determined to discover that diamond-in-the-rough, I was back at the keyboard typing in my search parameters on ebay, rvtraderonline, toyota motor homes classified, wheelbynet, etc. Uncharacteristically, I didn't check my email inbox right away, probably because I had grown tired of getting bad news notes that we had been outbid, or that the unit we were inquiring about didn't have heat, or that the price was a typo and the unit was selling for $12,000 not $1,200, even though it was old enough to drink here in the USA, .
When I finally opned my email, there was a note from a woman who, a few weeks earlier, had broken my heart because she made a deal for her RV with someone else who had replied to her posting seconds after it appeared on craigslist, as opposed to my email which arrived minutes after it went online. When I say broke my heart, I mean it. For quite a few days before I found out about the sale, I kept commenting to Gil how we should be the ones to own that RV, and I couldn't understand why this woman wasn't writing back to me.
Her note yesterday mentioned that the original buyer fell through and that she had reposted the RV on craigslist. This time the motorhome was being offered for $4500, which was $2000 more than her original post. Because my original response had been for her post of $2500, and because I had mentioned how we'd give her RV a loving home, she said she would honor the original $2500 price. She also included a note with ALL the repairs that were needed. The list was short, but it included a major roof repair. Photos of the RV were also included and it was still the best one that had been posted in our price range since I began the hunt. I hit reply with lightening speed, and said that we wanted to come see the RV right away. Unfortunately she isn't compulsive about checking email every 10 minutes, like I can be when I want something, so I didn't hear back until this morning. She commented that unless we had someone to do the roof work, she was worried we couldn't afford it, since it was a $5000-$8000 job at an RV dealer. I was typing a return email back about how we didn't have anyone to do the work, so we'd have to sadly decline even though her RV was the one I really wanted, and felt should be mine... when Gil walked in and said he could fix it. I deleted my original note and asked for a good time to come visit.
We went to see the RV at 3:00 this afternoon. With the exception of the gas mileage (8-13 mpg), the RV had everything on my wish list: roof A/C, a generator, a separate bed, a table with bench seats, less than 26 feet long, no mold or mildew, good cabinet space, no exhaust odors, a pleasant color-scheme, modern-looking, able to make trips to Massachusetts, Florida, and Arizona, and so on. With one glance at my eyes when I entered the RV, Gil knew that I was in love with it. He whispered that he could replace the alternator and do a patch-up roof job in time to take it to Massachusetts for Thanksgiving. I knew I looked like a total fool because I couldn't wipe the smile from my face!
We hung out in the RV with the sellers for like an hour, just shooting the breeze, and sharing travel stories. They could easily become friends! Then Gil wrote up a cute, little receipt on a piece of scrap paper, and Karen (the seller) and I (the buyer) signed it, and I handed over a deposit. We have plans to go back tomorrow at dinnertime to pay the balance, take care of transferring the title, and the rest of the paperwork. Then we will drive it home. Hopefully the alternator will hold up for the 45 minute drive. The seller is giving us an extra battery to swap out mid-ride if it starts to fade. I wish I could ride in the RV, but I will have to be in my car, with Gil all alone in the RV behind me. Our maiden voyage, after inspection and repairs, will be Thanksgiving week.
I took Gil out for a celebratory dinner this evening, hoping to ply him with good food so that he starts his week of repairs as happily as possible. He ordered a million-dollar, 5-inch high Reuben sandwich and could only eat half, it was so packed. I could barely eat anything at all because it's impossible to smile and chew at the same time!
And so, my friends and relatives, the saga of the hunt for an affordable RV has come to a most happy close. I still can't stop smiling!!!
Bonnie
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October 31, 2007: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Gil and I have been on a major RV hunt. Below you will find some anecdotes from our search that I emailed to a small group of friends and family. Hereafter I will post our escapades right here. Here's your chance to catch up and ride along with us from the beginning.
GIL AND BONNIE'S GREAT RV HUNT
October 18, 2007
Hi!
We're going to Baltimore tomorrow afternoon to see a vintage trailer (14' from the 1950's or 1960's). It's priced within our budget including an allowance for a few repairs. The guy selling it didn't post pictures but after he described it, I looked online, found some, forwarded them to him, and he confirmed that it does look like the photos of a half-piece of bread, but with a brown stripe. Supposedly it has a little bathroom with toilet, sink, stove, oven, fold down bed, refrigerator, and working lights. I am very excited and hope we like it, that the needed repairs are minimal, and most important of all, that Gil will fit in the bed!! We won't be bringing it home tomorrow because we need to have a trailer hitch put on the Subaru Forester first. Gil has a buddy who can do that for us at his shop on Monday.
If we buy it, its maiden voyage (after the haul home from Baltimore) will be to Sutton, MA for Thanksgiving (maybe with Booger and Coolio!!) where we will hopefully be able to sleep in it so that Kim's house doesn't explode from too many people. Then we'll be taking all sorts of little trips, and if we believe we can live in it for a few weeks, head down to Florida as soon as we save up enough to afford to take the time off from work.
Alas, I am getting ahead of myself, as I am wont to do. I'll keep you posted about what happens tomorrow. Keep yor fingers crossed that it's a good one. Thanks!
Love,
Bon
P.S. If we buy this one, or another vintage trailer, we will officially be Tin Can Tourists. I like the sound of that!
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October 19, 2007
To make a long day short, the camper did not look like the pictures at all. It wasn't the same manufacturer. It was 12' feet insted of the listed 14'. It was filthy even though the ad said it was clean. There was no fold-down bed as described, there was only some open plywood over both wheel wells. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Needless to say we didn't buy it. We might have taken it for free, but then again, maybe not.
I was totally disappointed when we drove away. That soon turned to anger at having been misled and having taken a 1.5 hour drive in order to get lied to. I sulked for a while but eventually Gil broke my mood. We stopped at some RV places on the way home and poked around. Then, over a late dinner of burgers and fries (from Chee Burger Chee Burger) in the car, we fired up Gil's laptop, accessed the internet courtesy of an unknowing car dealer, and looked at many-an-ad for other campers. We looked on RV Trader, Craigslist, ebay, and many more.
There are a few ads that look promising that I am going to further investigate tonight and tomorrow morning. Actually, there's one I really like that's called a Skamper. It's almost 4X the cost of the one we saw today, but you never know. So, I am going to send the seller an email.
As you can see, I am back to being jazzed about the idea of owning a little camper to tow with the Subaru.
Until the next installment....
With a smile,
Bonnie
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Oct 22, 2007
Hi!
I forget where I left off in the SAGA OF THE RV HUNT, but suffice it to say that since my last communiqué we have:
*Searched hundreds of classifieds, visited numerous RV dealers, and stopped at quite a few used car lots
*Ogled at photos of new, used, and one-of-a kind vehicles
*Bid (for fun) on an eBay auction for something Gil called the "War Wagon" which looked like a cross between a silver tank and a
Siamese cat
*Panicked because for 3 days straight we were the high bidder on the War Wagon - which is probably worth more in scrap
*Read about all the places we will go (thank you Dr. Seuss) when we have an RV and all of N. America is our backyard
*Had an RV dealer agree to have Bonnie help his daughters learn to love to write and look at one of Gil's grandfather's collectible shotguns as part-barter for a fold-down A-frame camper.
*Vacillated between towing a cute vintage camper behind the Subaru, getting a light-weight fold-down that's a couple years old, or going with our original dream of a semi-old, small, all-in-one unit.
*Decided to end the search and wait until we can afford something better - Reconsidered the decision to end the search - Continued the search - And then officially ended the search last night.
And then, this morning, I continued to look at new classifieds even though I promised Gil I would put my obsession to bed. And that's when I found a Toyota Savannah Travel Master from 1986 that may be the exact match for our wants, needs, and limited budget. We are taking off from work (this is the last time) tomorrow morning to head to Newton, NJ to take it for a spin. The seller is moving and is a bit desperate so we will have cash in hand. Frankie is coming along for the ride, so that if we like it, Gil and I can ride together in Savannah (it's a nice name, don't you think?) for her maiden voyage back to Havertown. So, we're on the road again (literally and figuratively)....
With an optimistic smile,Bonnie
P.S. You'd think we would have learned from our Maryland disaster, but once again we are going to look at something that has no photos in the posting.
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Oct 23, 2007
Today's trip to NJ (near the Delaware Water Gap) netted lots of beautiful fall foliage, rolling hills, grazing animals, a mediocre lunch at a roadside cafe, and no motorhome. This RV made the last camper we went to see look like the Taj Mahal. It was completely trashed. I was okay with it, but Gil, on the other hand, was not. That makes us even in the disappointment department. He was definitely pissed at how the guy lied and misrepresented the vehicle. The man and his wife were both argumentative, and I just prayed that we could get out of there before a melee began. We did, and Gil fumed a bit. Then we had a nice return trip where we stopped at an RV Superstore as well as at some RVs for sale on the side of the road. We didn't find anything worthwhile...
But we did notice a trend. It seems that everywhere we look, a certain type of RV keeps appearing. It's called a Winnebago LeSharo. Ironically it has a Renault engine. For those of you not in the know, my first car (a cute, little, urine-colored thing that lacked in heat but compensated for all shortcomings with its character) was a Renault. I think it was an R10, but only my Uncle Dave knows for sure!! The car had a love affair with the AAA tow truck. It was small so I am not certain how it could have been attracted to such a big rig. (Wait, that scenario sounds pretty familiar!) There were only 15,000 LeSharos manufactured and we have seen at least a dozen of them. They are 'for owners who are mechanically inclined' and who 'enjoy a challenge' according to a website I found. We are happy to invest some time in upkeep, but aren't too happy with the thought of weekly breakdowns as one woman posted on a forum bulleting board. It's too bad, because we like the style, and they seem to keep finding us.
Anyway, to bring my long and drawn out story to a close, we are still in the market for a motorhome. We have a bid (eBay) on a Toyota that is currently in a place called Spotsylvania, VA. I plan to search more classifieds and Craigslist, and keep up with new eBay listings within our budget and within 60 or so miles from our home. No more fruitless long rides. We might end up as RV owners in the near future or it may turn out to be the distant future. But one thing I know for sure is that it WILL happen.
Thanks for sending fun comments in response to the hunt. More in a few days.
With a smile,
Bonnie
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Oct 27, 2007
Hello again.
What do the following 2 things have in common?
1. One of my favorite childhood Halloween candies
2. The two RVs we saw today
Are you ready for the answer?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
They are DUDS!! (Anyone else out there a fan of Milk Duds? If so, did you like Sugar Babies, too?)
Tomorrow we are going to see the RV I am pretty sure we are going to buy - if we win the ebay auction, OR if the seller lets us pay the reserve price tomorrow when we see him and then end the auction early. We are currently the high bidder ($2275.00 - I TOLD YOU WE HAVE A LIMITED BUDGET!!!!) and our guess is that the reserve is $2500.00. We will have cash in hand so that if the RV looks as good as it does in the pictures, and the seller agrees to end the auction early, we can pay up.
The RV is in a town that 2.5 hours away, somewhere between Harrisbug and State College. The main store in town is Sharar's Grocery and Video. Sounds pretty happenin'!
I am attaching a Word Document that has photos of the RV so that you can picture us in it because... If we don't get this RV, I am pretty sure we are going to hold off until we can afford something that doesn't look like Herbie the Love Bug at his worst and sound like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at its best.
So, once again, please keep your fingers crossed.
Until tomorrow,
Bonnie and Gil (who isn't obsessed at all and has been the voice of hesitant reason throughout this fun game.)
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Oct 29, 2007
We decided to pass on the RV near Harrisburg because it had nasty exhaust odors that nauseated me. Two hours after we left the place I kept telling Gil that I could still smell the fumes. Otherwise, for the money, the RV was pretty good. The guy selling it kept referring to us as you'uns which led me to appreciate the experience on a linguistic level.
The whole way home I did my best to get into my new mode of no-RV hunting (as promised in my last missive to you'uns) until we save up enough for one that isn't stinky on the inside or the outside. But going cold turkey is a pretty rough thing. I only lapsed a few times making Gil pull over to see some RVs in a couple used car lots.
But then, when we were on West Chester Pike, a mere 2 miles from home, there was an RV parked on the side of the road. We drove many, many miles only to find that (as the founder of Temple University always lectured) there are acres of diamonds in our own backyard. We called the seller who came right over. The motor turned and it didn't stink. The inside was pretty decent. The downside is that it's from 1976, the year I graduated from highschool, and probably the year Gil started puberty!! Downside #2 is that the guy is asking an astronomical price. Gil thinks he'll come down in a couple days. We'll see! With that in mind, I said the only smart thing to do is go home and look online to see what a fair asking price would be.
That was 4.5 hours ago. So much for ending the hunt. I always reheat my Thanksgiving leftovers and tonight's resumed RV search is further proof that I like my turkey hot rather than cold.
Thanks for keeping your fingers crossed for today's RV. You can uncross them for the time being, but probably not for long since I just sent a bunch of inquiries to Craigslist RV sellers.
With a tired smile,
Bonnie
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Oct 31, 2007
Hi. If you're wondering why you haven't heard anything from me about the RV hunt in the last few days, here's the story:
Before we went to see the RV a bit above Harrisburg, I placed a bid on it on ebay. I was so convinced that it was the perfect motorhome for us, I bid fairly high. When the RV turned out to be a nausea-enducing, asthmatic's nightmare, a.k.a. the stink-mobile, I was still stuck with my high bid... and with Gil's constant glare of utter disbelief that I would do such an impulsive thing! As the end of the auction got closer and closer, I remained the high bidder. My current bid that was showing wasn't even the highest amount I had input, so we would need a few folks to bid to beat us.
After reading some ebay fine print, I learned that I was still safe because the reserve hadn't been met. In ebay terms, bids aren't legit until the reserve is met. With that knowledge I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
The next morning, a couple hours before the end of the auction, I got an email that the seller lowered the reserve to exactly $1 above my bid. I panicked because the highest bid I was willing to make, already in the ebay system, was $24 higher than the new reserve. That meant that I was an OFFICIAL bidder... and obligated to confess to Gil that the current bid showing on ebay wasn't really my final bid.
After a lot of sweat and anxiety, and reading some more ebay fine print, I learned that when the seller lowers the reserve the high bidder's bid is erased so that is stays $1 below the reserve. I WAS SAFE!!!! My highest bid remained below the reserve and even if I was the high bidder at the end of the auction, I wasn't obligated to buy. PHEW!
As it turns out, someone bid the exact amount I had originally bid (that amount that was wiped out because of the lowered reserve) and won the auction.
I've been a bit gun-shy about the whole bidding process... until Gil's dream RV was posted: an Itasca Phasar. It supposedly gets 20+ miles to the gallon. It has a Renault engine which makes me question those stats.
But I went ahead and placed a bid without seeing any interior shots. We are currently the high bidder. There is no reserve. But the auction still has a number of days to go. Here we go again!
I guess I really didn't learn a lesson from the last bidding fiasco, except that now I wear lots of deodorant so that no one else will know that I am in a sweat because once again I went out on a limb and bid on an unknown entity.
Gil just got out of the shower and I am debating whether to tell him we are the high bidder, or just let it ride and see what happens....
With a smile,
Bonnie
NOW YOU ARE CAUGHT UP!!
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August 15, 2007: Since I last wrote, Writer's Digest Books bought my second book of creative writing exercises titled Take Ten. It has over ten hundred, ten-minute exercises designed to help you build momentum and keep writer's block at bay. The entire manuscript is on my editor's desk. My next step is to sit and wait... not one of my strong suits, but I will do my best.
This weekend I am off to present at the week-long Cape Cod Writer's Conference. It's at a very cool-looking place called the Craigville Conference Center. If you're in the area, please stop by. I believe you can attend the whole thing or 'pay by the slice!" I will post my other workshops on the Appearances page.
March 20, 2007: I just returned from the most wonderful Writing Conference. If you are anywhere in the Rohoboth Beach, DE area next March, definitely make it a point to attend this one. The organizers, volunteers, attendees, and presenters are all top-notch. And the best part is that it's a fundraiser for Mitochondrial Disease which has touched the family of the organizer, Maribeth Fischer. Read all about it at www.writersatthebeach.com. I hope to atend again next year... and for every year hereafter!
Other news: Last week I sent the follow-up book to Write-Brain Workbook to my agent. It's current title is Take Ten, Ten hundred writing exercises to build momentum in just ten minutes a day. I tried some of the new exercises at the Rehoboth Writer's Conference this past weekend and they were a big hit. Fingers crossed that Writer's Digest picks it up and gives it the same wonderful visual treatment as Write-Brain. I am very excited about this book and can't wait to see it in print so I can go on the road again.
On the game invention front, I invented a romantic game to paly with my husband on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately he came down with a nasty cold and we had to put off the play-test. This past weekend while in Rehoboth we played it in our hotel room. It was a fun, funny, sexy, seductive hit. I need to do some research now to see who licenses games like this. It will make a great bridal shower or wedding anniversary gift. And, the best part of all is that a knack for word games will help you win. Maybe that's why I beat Gil (my husband) during the play-test. It's also possible that I knew all the rules ahead of time and relayed them as we were playing. He was at a disadvantage, but even the loser in this game is a winner.
September 27, 2006: Ahhh... it's the fall... my favorite time of year. This season I am taking a fossil collecting class (one of my life dreams is to find an American Indian arrow head) and a yoga class. Hopefully the yoga will help with the nasty computer mouse elbow (aka tennis elbow - but if you know me, then you know it's impossible for me to have a sports injury!) I've been plagued with for months now. I also have bone spurs and degenerative arthritis in my cervical spine. That's the bad news. The good news is that I have been happily inventing a game called Fast Fifteen as well as a new creative writing kit. I so love being in creative mode. It's like being in paradise! If you've never been there, it's really easy to get a ticket. Simply follow your passions, and all the doors magically open for you! Check out the Appearances page to see where I will be this fall so you can come meet me and at the same time, give your creative side a nice spark.
July 31, 2006: I've spent most of the summer out of the haze, heat and humidity and inside inventing a new word game called Five Hands. There's an official play-testing this week where I will invite critiques. Based on the number of changes needed will determine how mny more play-tests there will be before I submit it for licensing. Five Hands is my kind of game because it balances skill and luck while still being a word game. Usually word games are heavy on skill abd that leaves out a lot of players. Gil and I have also been playing games from www.cheapass.com and have been loving them. He prefers Agora and I totally love The Very Clever Pipe Game. The games are hard to find in stores, but they are available locally (to me) at Showcase Comics in Bryn Mawr, PA. You can always order them online. The premise behind the games is that they are inexpensive and kept that way because you supply your own markers, money or dice. I hope it's been a playful summer for you, too.
May 31, 2006: It's been a long couple months. First I had to recover from the let-down of being home from the book tour. (If I had the money I'd go back on the road again tomorrow.) Then we had to deal with a court case that wrongly accused my husband. The good news is that the jury found him not guilty on one count and the judge found him not guilty on the other count. What a relief! Following that, I was supposed to go to present at the Writer's Digest Conference and autograph books at the F&W Publications booth at BEA. Instead I spent the entire week in bed with bronchitis and aggravated asthma. It has taken two weeks for me to sort of sound like my old jolly self. Now I am busy working to catch up and earn more money to go on another tour. I am also procrastinating over sending a couple book proposals to my agent. Something is missing from each and I need to figure out what it is. That's the state of the nation here. I will be more diligent about posting now that life is back into some sort of flow.
16. I am back from the wonderful whirlwind workshop tour where I met many amazing writers and aspiring writers. More details as soon as the piles of laundry, email, bills and work settle down to a reasonable roar.
15. Last night was the last of the local (to me) workshops. The event in Wilmington, DE was the perfect way to bring them to a close. Why? Because a dear friend (known fondly as Edgar Allen Pat) surprised me by attending. He had been a willing guinea pig and avid supporter of my workshops when I was developing the exercises that are now in Write-Brain Workbook. It was great to see him.
Now I am reading travel books in the Off The Beaten Path Series for all the states I will be visiting. If you know any places that are free, odd, interesting, and intriguing in North Jersey, Hudson Valley NY, South CT, Central MA, Southern NH, Warwick RI, please send along suggestions! I can't wait to hit the road.
14. With the generous help of Maddie Hjulstrom, Regional Community Relations Manager for Barnes & Noble, and all-around super-phenomenal woman, the norhteast corridor tour of free writing workshops and promotion for Write-Brain Workbook has gelled into a whirlwind of stops from New Jersey to new Hampshire. All the dates, times and places are posted on the Appearances page of this website. Please spread the word to everyone and anyone you know in these areas. I am relying on your word-of-mouth to fill the stores. No guilt, just honest fear of talking to a bunch of empty chairs!
13. Free writing workshops exclusively at Barnes & Noble last between 1.5 to 2 hours. The basic line-up is a short talk (by me) about writing and my history in the land of writing, group introductions, quick overview of writing rules, writing, writing, writing, sharing if you like, interactive discussion about writing practice and changing the way you look at your writer-self, more writing, more reading, more writing, Q&A, drawing for a free Story Spinner, book signing. Writing in a group setting is invigorating and we always have a few laughs along the way. Visit the Appearances page on this website for dates, times and locations.
12. Hi... again. It's been way too long since I've posted. I've really been enjoying the promotion part of the publication (thank goodness, because it is all-consuming) of Write-Brain Workbook, 366 Exercises to Liberate Your Writing. Here are some of the highlights: ***The official book tour of free writing workshops began on Weds. Jan 18th with a nice bunch at the Barnes & Noble in Marlton, NJ. My prop that I made of a brain with pens sticking out of it (a write brain!) was a just what I needed to set the mood and jump-start the tour. ***The second day of the tour (Thurs. Jan 19th) was at the Barnes & Noble in Exton, PA where I presented to a great group of teachers. They got credit, I got to share the fact that when I was a student I hated to write, and we all did some writing and sharing about the discipline behind disciplines. The wind-up brain that I bought off the internet was such a big hit with the librarian who organized the event, that I let her take it back to school. *** THE BOOK LAUNCH PARTY ON FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 20th at the Barnes & Noble in Bryn Mawr was fantastic. There was a standing-room-only crowd of at least 120 and we sold out of books. My Mom flew up from Florida for the big event and even invited old neighbors from my childhood (Mah Jongg ladies) who I hadn't seen in decades. What a blast it was, from my earrings that Gil (my husband for the uninitiated) made with replicas of the book cover to the scrumptious food provided by Whole Foods Markets in Wynnewood to a word game demo of Jot! by inventor Dan Cooney. My favorite part was definitely when everyone lined up to buy books. *** The next free writing workshop was at the Barnes & Noble in Wilkes Barre, PA (Jan 24) where we were so engrossed in writing that no one noticed the blizzard-like weather that had appeared out of nowhere. The ride home was hairy with only one lane on the northeast extension of the PA turnpike, trucks travelling at 20 mph with flashers on, and all the signs covered with snow. I ate a whole bag of sugar-free cookies from nerves while driving. A very late-night, 1.5 hour stop at a rest area while the roads were salted and plowed was a great idea because the balance of the ride home was nice and smooth. *** Gil accompanied me to the workshop at Barnes & Noble in Deptford, NJ on January 26th. Beforehand, we had dinner at a diner where we played backgammon. I can't seem to recall who won, but that unto itself hints to the fact that it probably wasn't me! The writers in this store were really enthusiastic. And the person who won the Story Spinner (I have a drawing for one at each workshop) was someone who was in the store and happened to walk by when the workshop was half over. She found it so interesting and engaging that she grabbed a seat and stayed until the end. ***
On January 30th I was interviewed for Comcast Tonight, a show out of Reading, PA that was rebroadcast all week to promote upcoming workshops in Lancaster (Feb 7) and Allentown (Feb 18). They are supposed to mail me a VHS of the show. I am heavier than ever and I know that TV adds 10 pounds, so I am a bit hesitant to watch the tape when it arrives. I wore my tutleneck with the wind-up brain on it (god bless ink jet printers and iron on transfers and having a husband with the patience to cut and iron!) which isn't the most flattering of tops, too! Enough whining.... The ride up was in pea soup thick fog. Everytime I had to make a turn I had to drive under the street sign in order to see it. If it was a left turn, I had to go through the intersection and then make a u-turn. It was the only way. Perhaps this was some sort of foreshadowing??
SURE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN ME AT AN UPCOMING WORKSHOP!!The next post will have all the dates and times.
11. It's already the end of December and my signings are over. I really enjoyed meeting so many writers and aspiring writers. I can't wait to hit the road and start my workshops. First one is on Jan18th. Go to the Appearances page for a complete schedule. I look forward to meeting you and writing with you.
10. After days and days of obsessive calling to various and sundry Borders and Barnes & Noble Bookstores.... And making a conscious choice to call out-of-state stores rather than have to change my voice... This morning I discovered that the very first copy of Write-Brain Workbook to arrive in a bookstore in the greater Philadelphia area was at an Independent Bookseller called The Chester County Book & Music Company. This evening Gil and I took a ride to see it. When we arrived at the store, Gil asked the bookseller for the book, and we were told that it was still in receiving and not yet on the shelf. After a bit of cajoling and explaining that his wife wrote the book and that I had dragged him away from work (or TV, which is how I would have told the story) to come see it, the guy went into the storage room and found it. He placed it on the shelf and only then did Gil allow me anywhere near the aisle. It took me a minute (or two) to spot it on the very bottom shelf. But when I did, I grabbed for it as a huge smile overcame me. Gil captured the smile on film. That picture is on the blog. Click above to see it!
9. Write-Brain Workbook can now be ordered from online booksellers. It will be available in stores any day now. I CAN'T WAIT! I posted some pictures of pages on Amazon.com. To see them, go to www.amazon.com, search for Write-Brain Workbook, and then click on it to get to its page. The link for the photos is right under the image of the cover.
8. November 5, 2005: Thanks to the generosity of our wonderful friend, Ellen Fisher of the Women's Yellow Pages, Gil and I had the opportunity to take an airplane ride over the Brandywine Valley. I even got to steer the plane! To see a couple photos, click here to go to my blog.
7. November 4, 2005: I just heard from my editor at Writer's Digest, the wonderful Amy Schell. Write-Brain Workbook is EARLY. It was due in stores December 20th. Now it will be on shelves before Thanksgiving. I hope you will consider giving copies to all the creative people on your holiday list. Click here to go to the Write-Brain Workbook page on this site. Then click the Amazon link for easy, 24-hour, at-home ordering. THANKS for supporting my creativity.
6. October 28, 2005: Dressed as Chicken Gumbo, I won first prize at a costume networking party last night. Click here for some Punny Costume ideas that will hopefully win prizes (or at least groans) for you.
5. I received an advance copy of my book, Write-Brain Workbook. The design elements on each page are phenomenal thanks to Writer's Digest. It's due in bookstores on December 20th. You can pre-order now if you like - through this link to Amazon.com. .
4. Come February, in conjunction with Barnes & Noble, I am planning a book tour of the southestern states. Each stop on the tour will include a FREE workshop using exercies from the book. If there's interest, I will also do a Q&A about the how-to's of publishing based on my experience.
3. I am applying for a Leeway Change Grant to finance the tour. Keep your fingers crossed that I get it!
2. SimplyFun sent me a contract to license my game, Solidare. More news will be posted after my agent, Jennifer DeChiara, negotiates.
1. I had a great weekend at the 6th Annual 6th Annual Infinity Publishing Express Yourself Conference. I did my first-ever PowerPoint Keynote speech. Infinity Publishing is a great print-on-demand publisher based in Conshohocken, PA dedicated to helping their authors succeed. If you didn't attend the conference, here are links to the websites of the presenters where you can get a taste of their expertise: Penny C. Sensevieri, Melanie Rigney, Brian Jud, Dan Poynter, Tonya M. Evans-Walls, Jennifer Thompson, Drew Nederpelt, Cat Wong, Barbara Bailey, Eugene G. Schwartz, John Harnish, Jane Martin, Judith Trustone, Debra Berndt. Not present due to health reasons was John Kremer. His site is overflowing with info.
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