Every novel is a mystery of sorts, but for a genuine whodunit, you need to discover the mystery series by Emmy-winning journalist and veteran investigative reporter, Hank Phillipi Ryan. If you live in the Boston area, you already know her name after watching her on the NBC affiliate for the past twenty- two years. If you are just discovering her, start with her latest thriller, AIR TIME (Mira Books) which was just released. This is the third in her series, following the very successful releases, FACE TIME and  PRIME TIME.

Catch the theme here? Ms. Ryan, from the Girlsfriend’s Cyber Circuit, knows all about the competitive, cut-throat field of broadcast journalism, and she proves that the pen is mightier than the gun. Here is the story:

Star reporter Charlotte (Charlie) McNally enters the glamorous and high-stakes world of high fashion . . . and soon discovers when the purses are fake, the danger is real.

To break her latest big-money blockbuster, Charlotte must go undercover—but what if the bad guys recognize her? This savvy TV journalist must face more than her fear of flying when her inside scoop on designer duplicates suddenly  turns deadly.

Carrying a hidden camera and dressing to deceive, Charlie finds she’s not the only one disguising her identity. Nothing—and no one—is what they seem. And that means nothing—and no one—can be trusted. In her high-risk job and in her suddenly steamy love life, how can she tell the real thing?

Charlie is forced to make some life-changing—and life and death—decisions. With only a split-second to act and with her own life in the balance, Charlie knows if she chooses wrong it will be the last decision she ever makes.

Real-life investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan devises a scheme so timely and innovative you’ll wonder why someone hasn’t tried it. AIR TIME takes you behind the scenes of TV news—and reveals what can happen when a savvy, sexy journalist turns from hard-working reporter into becoming a killer’s target.

“Sassy, fast-paced and appealing. First-class entertainment.”     **Sue Grafton

“I love this series!      **Suzanne Brockmann

“AIR TIME is a fun, fast read with a heroine who’s sexy, stylish, and smart. I loved it.”  **Nancy Pickard

Check out my “One-on-One” with Hank Phillipi Ryan.

• 1. Charlotte (Charlie) McNally is an investigative TV reporter, and so are you! What qualities do you share with Charlie, and how are you different?

When my husband talks about Charlie, he calls her “you.” As in—when “you” are held at gunpoint, when you track down the bad guys, when you solve the mystery . . . and I have to remind him, “Sweetheart, it’s fiction. It didn’t really happen.”

But a couple of things: I’ve been a TV reporter for more than 30 years. (Yes, really.) And so it would be silly, in writing a mystery about TV, not to use my own experiences. Think about it—as a TV reporter, you can never be wrong! Never be one minute late. Never choose the wrong word or miscalculate. You can never have a bad hair day, because it’ll be seen by millions of people! It’s high-stakes and high-stress—literally, people’s lives at stake—and I really wanted to convey that in the books.

And everything that TV people do and say in the books is authentic and genuine. (Of course, Charlie can say things I can’t say, and reveal things I can’t reveal.) We’re both devoted journalists, and over-focused on our jobs.

But Charlotte McNally is different, too. She’s single—I’m happily married. She’s ten years younger than I am, and so is facing different choices and dilemmas. She’s braver than I am, certainly. Funnier. And a much better driver.

• 1. Charlie has some exciting adventures in your mystery series—going undercover, confronting some really bad guys. Tell us about some of your adventures as an investigative reporter.

There’s a huge been-there-done-that element to the books—I’ve wired myself with hidden cameras, confronted corrupt politicians, chased down criminals . . . been in disguise, been stalked, and threatened and had many a door slammed in my face. I’ve had people confess to murder, and others, from prison, insist they were innocent. So when that happens to Charlie, it’s fair to imagine me. Although the plots are completely from my imagination, those are real-life experiences.

• 1. Your job sounds very demanding. How (and when) do you find the time to write? Do you ever take a vacation, and, if so, what do you do with your time off?

Short answer—no. I don’t take vacations anymore. We used to! We love Nevis, a tiny island n the Caribbean with empty white beaches and nothing to do. We love to go to western Massachusetts, to Tanglewood, to go to plays and the symphony and museums. We love to go to Cape Cod, to Truro, to sit on the beach with pals and read, then go out to wonderful dinners.  All in the past. Now, I write. And Jonathan lounges in the back yard. Luckily, we have a lovely yard, with a pool and beautiful gardens.

• 1. Charlie is afraid of flying, and the airlines are constantly losing her luggage. When you write in Charlie’s voice about these dilemmas, you sound like you’re writing from experience. Is this true?

Sigh. Yes. I am a luggage-loss magnet. If they can lose my bags, they will. It’s almost funny. Almost.   As for fear of flying, yes, I am afraid. (Although not as much has I used to be. I’ve worked very hard and tried a lot of things to get over it.) I was once covering a very bad plane crash, in a major airport, and was in a room with a lot of the bleeding and upset survivors of the crash. I often wonder if that bad energy someone affected me.

• 1. Even though Charlie has a love interest, basically she’s married to her job. You are married to a very successful criminal defense and civil rights attorney.  Is it difficult to maintain a balance between the demands of your careers and your relationship, or do your exciting careers help “keep the fire going.”

Fire? Well, hey. We both really respect each other, and we each think the other is really attractive and funny. We each understand when the other is immersed in work—in a story, or a writing a book, or handling a big case. We think each other’s work is fascinating. Jonathan is incredibly patient. An endlessly interesting. It’s wonderful for me to have in-house counsel to make sure my books are authentic when it comes to legal issues—and it’s fun for him to have a writer-wife who had advised him on his dramatic closing arguments.

• 1. Since you write about what you do, do you ever have ethical dilemmas of your profession that cause conflicts between Hank, the author, and Hank, the journalist?

Ah, no. The closest I’ve come to an ethical dilemmas trying to make sure that no one is the books is a representation of a real person. I’m careful about that. There’s no real Franklin. Or Josh. Or Penny.  (Is there a real Charlie? Well, that’s possible . . .)

• 1. You have won 26 Emmys and 10 Edward R. Murrow Awards. Tell us about the stories that won a couple of these distinguished awards for you.

Here’s a list!  We proved the state’s 911 system was sending emergency responders to the wrong addresses.  We found there was not one person of color on the federal jury pools in parts of Massachusetts.  We discovered why thousand of people were never called for jury duty. We found there were thousands of warrants for peoples’ arrests that were never served . We found people convicted of drunk driving who were still on the road. We found unsafe big rig trucks on the highways and found they were illegally ignoring the weight limits on the state’s bridges, thereby causing expensive and dangerous damage.  We found school buses with massive mechanical problems.  We found the unit pricing in stores was completely incorrect. We found unscrupulous mortgage companies luring people into foreclosure.  At least four—maybe five?—laws have changed as a result of our stories and people have gotten literally millions in refunds and restitution.

• 1. Tell us about your writing process. Are you a plotter, or do you wing it when writing? Do you work on one book at a time or more?

Such a great question. In PRIME TIME, I totally winged it. I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going, so I just blithely typed away. I typed The End, and then took it to be printed. It was 723 pages long! I had to cut half of it. Yikes.

It was a real editing education but also taught me I needed to be a bit more organized. And a lot tougher as a self-editor. (Now, I outline. Like crazy. My outlines are 60 pages long. I loathe writing them, but I adore it when I’m finished.)

I must say, though, that in writing PRIME TIME with no plan, I surprised even myself. I got about half-way through the book, and realized I’d chosen the wrong bad guy! I literally (as I remember it) sat up in bed, and thought—wait!  The person who I thought did it—didn’t!—and it just dawned on me who the real culprit was. It as all I could do not to run downstairs to the computer and see if I was right. The next morning, as I read over my 40,000 words—I barely had to make a change.

The real killer had been lurking in my very own pages—I just hadn’t realized it! Talk about a surprise ending.

And yes, I only work on one book at a time. Well, no, not really. The next book is always forming in my head and just pushing to come out. Sometimes I have to hold it back!.

• 1. Finally, were you always a public person, comfortable in front of the camera and with a microphone in your hand? Or is this a skill you had to develop? How early did you know you wanted to be a TV journalist? When did you have your first inkling you wanted to be an author?

You know, I have a funny juxtaposition of desire to be in the spotlight—and sheer terror of being in the spotlight. I love my job in TV—and have to go live and unrehearsed all the time. Confession: I’m still terrified every time. I want to be perfect, and when you’re on live, you can’t possibly be. That’s one reason why I love investigative reporting—there’s more time to work, and dig, and polish, and produce. It’s like making a little movie, and I can make it as perfect as possible.

My sisters and I used to create shows when we were all young and perform for our parents in our back yard. I did acting in high school and college. I wanted to be a DJ on the radio for a long time!

My mother says she always knew I would be a television reporter—but I think that was just her way of rationalizing that all I did as a pre-teen and teenager was read books and watch TV.

I knew from my first Nancy Drew that I loved mysteries. Nancy was my first best friend—I was a geeky unpopular kid, and it was such a relief to go home and hang out with Nancy. She was smart and made it be okay to be smart. She was confident and inquisitive and resourceful. I loved that.

For more on Hank Phillipi Ryan, visit her website:

www.hankphillipiryan.com

Not every author I know loves touring, but for me it’s a joy. I love to talk books! In fact I love to talk period, and the nicer the audience, the happier I am. Well! My feet haven’t touched the ground since I returned from Miami yesterday, where I was invited to kick off their first event of the year for Sisterhood of Temple Beth Am.

Sisterhood President, Nanci Hellinger, her co-chair Ellen Genet, their board and programming committee did an amazing job getting the word out and creating excitement, but things got a little dicey an hour before when the skies opened up and down came the torrential rain along with Florida’s famous lightening and thunder show.  Oh crap, we all thought. Nothing like heavy rain to make people stay home.

But not these ladies. Oh no… they showed up in force. All 150 of them and they came ready for a fun night out.  They dined on a sumptuous  looking  dinner prepared by their caterer and board member, Sarah Davidoff. They also got to sample the heavenly looking Sistertini cocktail, which was pink and pretty and going fast at every table. I was offered one (every five minutes) and would love to have imbibed, but it’s not the best idea to have your dinner speaker passed out on the floor. On the other hand, I knew they more they drank, the funnier I’d be.

Sure enough, the program went off without a hitch and I must say, they were a fabulous audience. They laughed, they listened, they asked great questions, they bought books and mostly they let me know how much they enjoyed my stories and my sense of humor. Oh fine, it was a lovefest and I’d return in a heartbeat.

I met so many nice people, but it was wonderful to finally meet two people who have been in my corner for years. Etta Gold is the Temple librarian and she has been a fan from the beginning. Because of her support, when the group was looking for an author to speak, she urged them to get in touch. Thank you Etta, and your daughter Ronni, for your generous praise and best wishes.

I was also delighted to meet and have lunch with Lisa Payton, a woman who contacted me six years ago, before her twin daughters b’nai mitzvah. Back then, she had e-mailed me with a request to send a message offering them a Jewish author’s perspective on becoming a woman and apparently liked my reply so much, they read it to their guests during the service.  Since then, we have become e-mail pals. I’m so glad we finally got to put the name with the face, plus, how is this for irony? One of her daughters is now at the same college as mine… the Lord works in mysterious ways.

Another great moment was getting to read an excerpt from my new work-in-progress called Beat It! It got such a great reaction, I soared back to the hotel. No writer ever really knows how readers will respond to their novels, so testing the waters is a tricky task (say that three times fast). But once I heard the loud applause and so many asked about the publication date, what a huge boost!

If you belong to a club, organization, school or business that invites speakers, I would love to hear from you.  Aside from writing, there is nothing I like better than talking about books, the writer’s life and every day life. Life is not  a sit com, but it is sure better with a laugh track!

It is so great when a cyber-sister’s new book gets buzz and with Joanne Rendell’s CROSSING WASHINGTON SQUARE, the early praise is well deserved. Here is the story:

Some women follow their hearts; others follow their minds. In this “charming, witty, and cerebral” second novel from the acclaimed author of The Professors’ Wives’ Club, we return to Manhattan University, where two strong-willed women are compelled to unite their senses and sensibilities.

Professor Diana Monroe is a highly respected scholar of Sylvia Plath. Serious and aloof, she steadfastly keeps her mind on track. Professor Rachel Grey is young and impulsive, with a penchant for teaching popular women’s fiction like Bridget Jones’ Diary and The Devil Wears Prada, and for wearing her heart on her sleeve.

The two conflicting personalities meet head to heart when Carson McEvoy, a handsome and brilliant professor visiting from Harvard, sets his eyes on both women and creates even more tension between them. Now Diana and Rachel are slated to accompany an undergraduate trip to London, where an almost life-threatening experience with a student celebrity will force them to change their minds and heal their hearts…together.

It really sounds like the perfect novel to usher in Fall. Here is what Booklist had to say:

Rachel Grey and Diana Monroe are both professors of literature in the old boys’ club of Manhattan University, and while it should create a sense of solidarity, they are very much at odds. Rachel is emotional, tempestuous. She wrote a book, appeared on Oprah, and uses “chick lit” in her lessons. Diana is icy and calm, a scholar devoted to Sylvia Plath. But as is often the case, it’s a man that truly divides them. Smooth-talking Carson McEvoy, a visiting Harvard professor, has known Diana for ages, and now has his sights on Rachel. It isn’t until Diana and Rachel are chaperoning a study-abroad trip and one of their high profile students lands in the hospital that the truth about Carson tumbles out. Diana and Rachel band together for the student’s sake and to put Carson in his place. Rendell’s second novel is thoughtful and open, with plenty of interesting academic debate for truly bookish readers.

As a fellow scribe in the Girlfriends Cyber Ciruit, we ask each other questions about the writing life and our new novels. Joanne’s replies were fun and informative as expected:

Any fan/fan mail stories you care to share?

My first novel was The Professors’ Wives’ Club. A couple of months after its release, a woman contacted me and said she’d read and enjoyed the book. She told me she was a professor’s wife and after a few emails, she revealed that she was the wife of a very distinguished professor of cultural studies whose work I’d read, who I’d seen giving keynotes talks at conferences, and whose work greatly influenced the writing of Crossing Washington Square. Not really a “rock star” moment, but still exciting to know the wives of influential professors (professors I really dig!) read my book.

Where do you write?

I write at my desk at the front of our apartment. We live on a very busy street in Manhattan so my writing is “lulled” by taxis honking, firetrucks hooting, and jackhammers pounding. With all this practice, I could probably keep writing through a asteroid shower!

What was your inspiration behind your latest novel?

The idea for Crossing Washington Square evolved over a few years. As someone who has lived the academic life (I have a PhD in literature and now I’m married to a professor at NYU), I’ve always loved books about the university – novels like Michael Chabon’s Wonder Boys, Richard Russo’s The Straight Man, Zadie Smith’s On Beauty, and Francine Prose’s Blue Angel. But what I noticed about such campus fiction was the lack of female professors in leading roles. Even the female authors like Francine Prose and Zadie Smith’s novels focus on male professors. Furthermore, most of these male professors are disillusioned drunks who quite often sleep with their students! I wanted to write a novel with women professors taking the lead and I wanted these women to be strong and smart and interesting – instead of drunk, despondent, and preoccupied with questionable sexual liaisons!

What line or section of your novel are you most proud of?

Rachel Grey and Diana Monroe are both literature professors in the old boys club of Manhattan University. While this should create a kinship between them, they are very much at odds. Rachel is young, emotional, and impulsive. She wrote a book about women’s book groups which got her a slot on Oprah and she uses “chick lit” in her classes. Diana is aloof, icy, and controlled. She’s also a scholar of Sylvia Plath who thinks “beach” fiction is an easy ride for students. My favorite scene is where these two women face-off in a department meeting. Neither of the professors is a shrinking violet and thus sparks really fly! The scene was such fun to write.

If you were in charge of casting the movie adaptation of your book,who gets the call?

Crossing Washington Square loosely echoes Austen’s Sense and Sensibilty – with one professor being led by her sense, the other by her sensibility. I love the Ang Lee adaptation of Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet playing the two very different Dashwood sisters. I’d love Emma and Kate to play my professors too!

Is writing your main job?  If not, what do you do for your real source of income and how does it impact your writing?

When I’m not writing, I’m hanging out with my six year old son who is homeschooled. Although, “homeschool” is somewhat of a misnomer as we spend a relatively small amount of time schooling at “home.” We live in New York so are lucky enough to have an amazing array of fun and educational places on our doorstep. Benny and I, together with his homeschooled friends, are always out on trips to the Met, the Natural History Museum, aquariums, zoos, galleries, libraries, and parks. When we’re not out and about, Benny and I love to read – either together or separately. I’m so thankful he loves books like I do!

For you, what is the most difficult part of being an author?

Settling down to write. Once I get going, I love it. But there’s just that hurdle of getting going which is so hard — especially these days when there are so many demands on authors to go online and promote our books. It is wonderful to meet people and connect and learn through the internet, but the web is also a huge procrastination vortex! I sometimes kid myself I’m doing promo work, but really I’m just wasting time snooping around on Facebook or reading other people’s tweets about what they ate for breakfast!

CROSSING WASHINGTON SQUARE is on sale now (NAL Trade, $15, ISBN-13: 978-0451227843). For more on Joanne Rendell and her work, visit her site. http://www.joannerendell.com/

Meet Taryn, our youngest child. She was the surprise blessing who never got to nap because we needed to pick up her brother or sister. The one who learned to eat on the run because we were always running late for something. The one who got to travel, eat out and join the party well before her older siblings because she’d cry if we left her behind. The one who observed and considered and pondered life from the back of a minivan and had much to say when she finally began to talk … The one who is leaving for college in a few days.

When the first one goes, it’s exciting and nerve wracking and mind blowing that you’ve reached this stage, but if you’re lucky, there are younger ones at home who still need you and maybe now you’ll get through a whole dinner without someone leaving the table in tears because they were called a dumbassmoronloser.

Then the next child leaves and that’s exciting too, though the shock is not as great. You know the drill, you know they’ll survive and you know they’ll be home for Thanksgiving just about the time you clear out the closet from summer. Even better, the laundry pile no longer resembles a landfill.

But then it’s the baby’s turn to leave and though you know this day is coming, you tell everyone that it’s about time you got to walk through the front door without tripping over six pairs of boots and a pile of sweatshirts that have been there since Clinton was president, about time that you got to eat for dinner what you wanted, when you wanted, about time you got to relax in the evening without having to worry that someone was lying about not having any math homework. About time you got to watch TV without the sound being drowned out by kids who are crying, cursing or slamming doors all because somebody got punched in the arm for being an annoying brat.

The truth is, I’ve been telling everyone that I was ready for the peace and quiet. Ready for the clean house. Ready for the freedom to come and go as I pleased. But I lied.

A mother who has been on duty for twenty-six years, who has worried herself sick when her children were upset, who has shlepped and shopped and cooked and cleaned and sat through mindless movies and read the same stories over and over again, who entertained a million friends and made sure that teenagers had a safe place to hang, a mother who has survived teaching three kids to drive and waiting for their SAT scores to arrive, a mother who loves and supports her children unconditionally- doesn’t go out of business overnight.

I know it’s only late August, but Thanksgiving isn’t really that far off.

Many novelists, myself included, troll the news for ideas and inspiration, but there are some stories that should be off limits, no matter how captivating and intriguing.

For me, it’s the Diane Schuler story. When the story first broke that this devoted, hard working mother of two had somehow entered the windy Taconic Parkway in the wrong direction, and that eight people died instantly as a result, including four young children, there were no words. None. Like everyone else, all I could do was stare at the haunting images of those beautiful babies and pray for their souls, pray for their families, pray for the Bastardis and the Longos, the victims in the other car, and pray for everyone who had to clean up the carnage.

For days I tried to imagine how the Schuler and Hance families were enduring- what possible comfort family and friends could offer, how they were even managing to eat, sleep, function, care about living. I tried to imagine Jackie and Warren Hance, the parents who lost all three of their stunning daughters in a fraction of a second, walking into their girls’ rooms and seeing the litany of still possessions, the stuffed animals, the clothes, the music, the photos- and not begging God to take them as well. I thought about Diane’s husband, Danny, who lost his wife and best friend, his daughter, Erin, but was spared his five-year old son, Bryan, who continues to heal in the hospital. At least Danny had a living legacy in which to hold on, I thought.

Then word came that the tragedy was still unfolding. Diane Schuler was discovered to be drunk and stoned- well beyond the legal limits- when she crashed her brother’s minivan. It explained everything and it explained nothing.

What now should her family and the world make of Diane Schuler? What were the thoughts of all those people who had attested to her being a responsible, caring mother, aunt, co-worker? The people who said goodbye to her at the campgrounds and saw nothing amiss, including the woman who was swore that “she was as sober as a judge.” The friends and neighbors who never so much as saw her with a drink in her hand?

The demolished, half- drunk bottle of Absolut found in the wreckage tells another story- the truth. And you can be assured that more of that will be spilled onto the front pages over the weeks and months to come, all while the victimized families try to regroup.

I will continue to pray for them, and I will add another prayer. I hope that Jodi Piccoult, the best-selling Queen of Tragedy, and others who toil in this field, don’t go down this road with the Schuler and Hance families. I hope that they don’t find inspiration and ideas from the underlying causes- the hidden addictions, possible money and marriage woes and whatever else is revealed. All I know is that there is some material, as rich as it would be to mine, that should not be cannibalized for the sake of hitting the best-seller list.

Going forward, these families will suffer enough without having to watch the books and surely the movies, force them to relive the day their hearts were forever broken.

To these writers I say, long may your fingers fly across the keyboard, and long may you share your insights and stories, but please, don’t even think of giving this tragedy your revisionist’s touch. If not for the sake of the victims and their families, then for the sake of little Bryan Schuler. Who among us doesn’t hope that he will somehow carry on; that he will have the love and support he needs to enjoy  life; that he will discover the decency and goodness of the human spirit?  He does not need to ever learn which child actor was cast to play him in the film.

Rejected Pages!

What’s it like to write a novel? For me it’s a lot like being in labor. I’m nervous, excited, tense, happy- and that’s just the first half hour.

By the end, I’m cursing at everyone within two feet (unless they’ve showed up with pain meds), and wondering why I ever thought this was a good idea. Then after the novel is published, the pain and suffering become a distant memory and before I know it, I’m pregnant again.

To date I’ve had three babies and eight books and lived to talk about all of them. What’s ahead? No more babies unless Medicare pays my medical. But write more books? Never too old for that and thank God! I love the process, even when those nasty twins, Doubt and More Doubt, sit on my shoulders and try to drive the train.

I’m sharing this because I’m back to square one. I’ve just started a new novel and feel as giddy as if I just started dating someone I really like (Doubt: You’ve been married to the same guy for over 30 years. How much do you actually remember about dating? More Doubt: Yeah. Your memory is so bad, you can’t recall where you left your cell phone an hour ago. Doubt: Plus,you’re mixing metaphors! More Doubt: Yeah. Readers hate that!)

I’m at that fun stage where I get so  excited thinking about spending time together, I dream about the adventures ahead, and can’t wait for everyone to meet my new love (Doubt: You call it fun working six hours straight without a break? More Doubt: Nice of you to forget that there’s laundry to be done and kids to feed).

Of course I’m nervous. I’ve been down this road before where I was so sure that this was my best story idea ever, then suddenly I lose interest or discover it’s not what it was cracked up to be (Doubt: Of course you quit. Some of your ideas are just dumb. More Doubt: Are you familiar with the terms unoriginal, hackneyed and Jodi-Piccoult-already-went-there?)

But with this new novel, I know I am on to something special because I am at that magical page 70 where I have heard the natal heartbeat.  This means that the characters are so funny and  real to me that they’ve taken over, and my job is to keep my butt in the chair and become the designated typist. I created the characters, yes, gave them their share of demons and dreams, but now they’re telling the story in a way that I couldn’t envision in the outline. They understand their journey and are taking me down paths that are blowing me away (Doubt: Actually, I’ve read it and it’s amazing. Maybe the best thing she’s ever written. More Doubt:  I do love her mother-daughter sagas, sniff. They get to me every time).

This doesn’t mean that every day is bliss. My early/gentle readers pointed out some huge red flags  (thank you Ellen Meister and Christine O’Hagan) and so far I have filled up an entire garbage bag with reject pages, just to get through the proposal and the first six chapters. When I write,  I re-write and re-write again, so if you step foot into my office, you’ll ski across (Doubt: Great. She writes a book and we lose two trees in Oregon. More Doubt: Oh shut up, you think greatness happens overnight?).

In case you are curious, here is a first look at BEAT IT!:

In this quirky but empowering tale, a restless young mother who aspired to be a drummer/rockstar, travels to New Jersey to audition for Bon Jovi. Though she doesn’t get the gig, she never returns home. Seventeen years later, she finally strikes it rich with a hit record, giving her hope that her now grown children will welcome her back. Perhaps she shouldn’t have mentioned that she asked a documentary filmmaker to chronicle a family reunion, and that her affair with him was the real reason she left.

Told in a honest, heartbreakingly funny voice, this “bookumentary” about the imperfect boundaries of motherhood, weaves a rich narrative with documentary-style scenes, vis-à-vis the TV hit, “The Office.”

Stay tuned! Not only am I just getting warmed up, I sent Doubt and More Doubt on vacation (I found out where Jodi P. summers, lol)

The new novel by Carleen Brice

What to read next? That is always the question, especially during summer when the need for a mental vacation hopefully converges with time off for good behavior. Here is a recommendation for something new from the Girlfriend’s Cyber Circuit-  a heartfelt tale of two sisters that sounds captivating and memorable.

CHILDREN OF THE WATER by Carleen Brice, is her second novel after her wonderful, award-winning debut, ORANGE MINT AND HONEY (OneWorld/Ballantine).

Check out these great reviews:
“In Children of the Waters, Carleen Brice manages to explore the difficult, messy and unpleasant details of life with both humor and wisdom. The parallel journeys of sisters, Trish and Billie, will resonate with everyone and anyone who has questioned their identity and place in this world. Once again, Carleen Brice has crafted a thoroughly enjoyable novel that gets at the heart of the human experience.” – Lori Tharps, author of Kinky Gazpacho

“I was exhausted and singing the blues the hour I began Carleen Brice’s new novel, Children of the Waters. Five hours later, I’d finished this fresh, free-rein novel about mothers’ secrets and children’s sorrows and was shouting ‘Hurray!’” – Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean

“In Children of the Waters, Carleen Brice deftly explores issues of family, identity, and race with a wonderful abundance of humor, forgiveness, and grace. This moving story of two sisters separated by prejudice will open minds and touch hearts. —Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters

“Carleen Brice highlights the effects of America’s complicated relationship with race and identity…a clear and insightful depiction of what it means to be American at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Brice knows how far we have come and how far there is left to go, and in Children of the Waters she deftly lays it all out for the reader to see.”—Matthew Aaron Goodman, author of Hold Love Strong

More About Carleen Brice

Carleen Brice’s debut novel, Orange Mint and Honey, was an Essence “Recommended Read” and a Target “Bookmarked Breakout Book.” For this book, she won the 2009 First Novelist Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and the 2008 Break Out Author Award at the African American Literary Awards Show. Orange Mint and Honey was optioned by Lifetime Movie Network.

Her second novel, Children of the Waters (One World/Ballantine), a book about race, love and family, just came out at the end of June. Booklist Online called it “a compelling read, difficult to put down.” Essence says, “Brice has a new hit.” You can read an excerpt at her website www.carleenbrice.com.

She is at work on her third novel, Calling Every Good Wish Home, and she maintains the blogs “White Readers Meet Black Authors” www.welcomewhitefolks.blogspot.com and “The Pajama Gardener” www.pajamagardener.blogspot.com.

I asked Carleen to share her thoughts and answer some fun questions. Here is what she said.

Q. If you could get a rave review in “People” magazine, what would you want it to say about your new book?

A. “After Michelle Obama recommended it to Oprah, the country has gone mad for CHILDREN OF THE WATERS. And we see why.” A girl can dream, right?

Q. Writing a letter can be daunting. How do you even begin the process of writing a novel? Does it start with a title? A character?A plot? All or none of the above?

A. For me it starts with a premise. Something happens to people and there will be consequences. So I start a little with characters and a little with plot.

Q. I have to print off every draft page, which means that by the time I’m done, I’ve gone through two trees in Oregon. What is your process of getting out a first whole draft? How long might it take?

A. I’m bad about printing out too. Too old-school. It might take months or years for a first draft depending on whether there’s a deadline and what else I have going on in life. My first book took a year for the first draft. My 2^nd novel had a deadline so I got a very messy first draft done in a few months.

Q.  Do you have show and tell with your first draft? Who do you trust for honest reaction, or is so fragile you show it to one you love who you know will be kind?

A. I have an excellent reader (also a published author) who is excellent at seeing what I’m trying to do with my writing and giving advice for helping me get there.

Q. What is one of the nicest compliments that you have ever received about your book(s)?

A. I’m proud to say I’ve made quite a few readers cry. Even better, I’ve received emails saying I’ve made people think.

Good luck Carleen! We look forward to hearing more from you.

I don’t really think I look 35. Probably couldn’t get away with having anyone think I’m 45 either, but it’s fine. I’m almost 55 and nobody has carded me yet- for AARP that is. Still payin’ full price at the movies. Meanwhile, I may think I’m not aging, but my kids are reminding me every year that the clock is ticking, ready or not.

Yesterday our daughter, the middle child ,celebrated her 21st birthday. We reminisced over breakfast at the diner about her early baby days (OMG was she cute!) and about how I went into labor while shopping at the late Fortunoffs for a new patio set.  A few hours later, I had a beautiful daughter and a nice new lawn set with a free umbrella. A good day indeed!

Then, on a whim, we took a drive to Garden City to visit an old friend- the carousel she rode on at Nunley’s Amusement Park in Baldwin, Long Island until it closed when she was nine. Thanks to Billy Joel and some other generous donors, money was earmarked to restore the beautiful Merry Go Round to its original luster- and maybe even nicer.

What a great stroll down memory lane. Honestly, she was a kid all all over again, riding around and around like she did at her 3rd birthday party. It’s not true. You can go home again, as long as you don’t mind relocating.

Meanwhile, our son is approaching 26 and our youngest, the baby (sigh) is 18 and headed off to college next month. Don’t ask me where the time went because  I give up. I have no idea. All I know is that if I think of my kids’ ages, I have to do the math and come to terms with the fact that I’m aging right along with them. Not that they haven’t noticed. They tell me I can’t see, I can’t hear, I don’t remember a damn thing and I clearly have forgotten some of the most basic mom skills, like how to make a good grilled cheese sandwich.

My Grilled Cheese Masterpiece

Really, I thought the Panini maker was an inspired way to make it. Anyone can throw it in a small fry pan,but no I had to get fancy. Trust me, once you’ve seen American cheese bubble up like the Marshmallow Man in Ghostbusters, it’s time to turn in the spatula.

I guess in the end, age doesn’t matter, just the blessings of love, laughter, family, great memories and the chance to wake up and get to live a good life for another day.

My favorite Long Island authors Carol Hoenig, Ellen Meister, Brenda Janowitz, Debbi Honorof and Moi

Several months ago, I received an email from the very enthusiastic Tony Iovino  of the Oceanside, Long Island Kiwanis Club. He is the Event Chair of the now third annual Summer Gazebo Readings in the park and was hoping I would join him on June 29 to read from one of my novels. You know I said yes because there is nothing that I love more than meeting and greeting readers (especially the ones who laugh at my jokes). I also love appearing with my Roadie Author Friends, Carol Hoenig, Ellen Meister, and Brenda Janowitz. We were joined by our friend and mentor, Debbi Honorof, Book Editor of Long Island Woman magazine.

Truth be told, Debbi was the matchmaker that brought us together for lunch only a year ago and we have  been moving about the cabin as the four Musketeers ever since. These are great ladies, talented authors, and downright funny people. Every gathering means lots to talk about (this week it was the fallout from bestselling author Alice Hoffman’s gone postal fiasco); laugh about (our shared experiences getting our parents to take their cell phones); ask about (kids, parents, husbands, agents) and think about (”What do you think about this device for my novel?). Honestly, I can’t remember life before I met these wonderful friends.

Anyway, the evening was a huge success (in spite of the poorly timed downpour that started an hour before show time). The sun came out, a nice crowd showed up with lawn chairs, refreshments were served, raffles were sold (Ellen Meister won $27!!!!) and then Debbi Honorof introduced each of us with a very warm welcome.

I read a few pages from Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead, but was very excited (and nervous) because I also decided to read the first few pages of my new novel, Beat it! This is a rip-roaringingly fun and touching story that I think readers will love. Here is the idea:

Seventeen years after a deadbeat mom runs away to become a rockstar/drummer, a hit record makes her rich and gives her hope of reconnecting with her three grown children, one of whom is expecting her first baby. A documentary filmmaker the mother commissioned to videotape the reunion is unfortunately too slow to duck. Perhaps he was ill advised to mention that his affair with h er was one of the real reasons she left.

I am happy to report that the reading got a huge applause and I was blown away by how many people came up to me afterward to tell me to keep going- they loved it! Believe me, it made a huge impact on me. The next morning I got right back to work with uplifted spirits.

Tony, please ask me back for next summer’s Gazebo Readings. The answer is yes!

The crowd gathers after the rain stops

A very pregnant Brenda toughed it out and the audience loved her!

Ellen Meister reading from The Smart One (You must read this!)

Carol Hoenig reading from Without Grace, her award winning debut novel