​Objects and images easily inspire me—often, they can spur me to create a full scene, if not the entire plot. While my brain is writing all the time, my keyboard is falling behind. In my mind I’m writing thousands of books… in reality it takes time to finish one. I always start somewhere. 
 
I invite you to join me at my desk where my creativity runs wild, where anything is possible and where rules are meant to be broken.
 
Take a moment and try to have some fun… If you like it I may invite you back.
 
So here we go, if this was the image on a book cover… 

A.     As Angela stood on the tracks, in her new red stilettos and watched the train get smaller and smaller, she wondered if it was possible to survive with her heart severed from her body and disappearing fast. 

B.     “Shoes?” Georgie turned on Amy and stabbed her with her glare. “At a time like this you take me shopping for shoes? Are you crazy?” Of course this would have been perfectly logical in Amy’s eyes. There was no problem that a pair of fabulous shoes couldn’t fix. She shook her head.
Amy turned to her in complete surprise. “But they aren’t just any shoes…” 
 
C.     Carley knew she should have worn her practical flats. She wasn’t even through the breakfast rush and her feet were already screaming. She sighed at her own stupidity. What kind of fool shows up for her first day of waitressing in red stilettos? What was she thinking? She had to make a go of this job. There was too much riding on it. She had to make smarter choices. She wasn’t the only one at stake here. 

Feel free to share your own opening line.

Michelle

​Let’s not get confused. Although Easter has already been celebrated, Passover is still due.
 
The fact that Jesus rose from the dead on the Sunday following the first night of the Festival of Passover leads you to believe that Passover should be celebrated first.
 
Obviously, the lunar calendar progresses separately from the Gregorian calendar, and most definitely doesn’t follow the Julian calendar. I’m not going there. I’m making my way straight to Passover. And not only because I’m Jewish, but more because of the complexity of the subject. 

This coming Friday, Jewish people will celebrate Passover. The significance of this holiday has endured, commemorating the story of the Exodus in which Israelites were freed from generations of slavery in Egypt.
 
Unlike other holidays, Passover is a weeklong festival with a number of important rituals, including a traditional Passover meal known as Seder, the removal of leavened products from the home and the retelling of the Exodus tale.
 
While modern life might make the Exodus story hard to believe, today’s life can easily remind us how blessed we are. With history that repeats itself we continuously see those who struggle and seek freedom.
 
This year, while celebrating Passover and expressing how grateful we are, let’s take the time to recognize the inherent right to freedom that others all over the world are entitled to.  ​

What more can a person or a nation ask for than their freedom?
 
Happy holiday,

Michelle

Spring is here—at least where I am—and with it comes the annual cliché—spring-cleaning. 

​If you are like me your spring-cleaning begins with muddling through drawers and cabinets, papers and clothes, junk and collectables, and likely a few surprises. Last week, as I pulled my sleeves up and began cleaning, I found my first surprise. Can you guess? A long lost book that I purchased several months ago--Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner. Not only did I not remember where I put it but I haven’t even read it yet—shame on me.

I was tempted to take a break and curl up in a comfy chair and delve into the book, but I couldn’t afford the time. I had to keep cleaning. 

​My exciting discovery got me thinking… There are undoubtedly countless other books scattered about my house where they shouldn’t be. Call me messy or call me an avid reader, I don’t care. Quite frankly, I’ll be surprised if I’m the only one.
 
I consider these forgotten books a better version of hidden Easter eggs to search for this spring!
 
Oh the joy! Instead of having to drive to Barnes & Noble, I only have to search between my couch cushions to find my next read, including the one for my spring vacation. Perhaps that will be my motivation to continue cleaning.
 
With this in mind, I wondered if this trait is also true for those who use e-readers. After a brief chat with my husband it turns out I was right—he does it all the time, buys, downloads and forgets about it.
 
Perhaps this year, spring-cleaning should extend beyond the dusting, the windows, and the floors and expand to finding your long-forgotten books. You never know how many unread books you will find. You might even run into an old favorite with a bit of life left in it, like running into an old friend.
 
This year spring-cleaning may cut the cost of your spring reading. You likely have new books right under your nose.

Happy cleaning—and reading!

Michelle

​Last week, I tackled April Fools’ Day, sharing writing prompts. I hope you found it helpful. Finding writing prompts that center around pranks and creativity is easy—but, as it turns out, finding books to read about April Fools’ is much harder. I purposely left this topic for after this so called holiday.
 
Other than children’s books, there isn’t much reading material focused on April Fools’. The holidays we celebrate most—Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and so on—all have a healthy collection of fiction themed after them. April Fools’ gets the short end of the stick.
 
But I didn’t give up. I wanted to find that one book that encompasses the theme of April Fools’—whether a general fiction book, a thriller, or a love story, I didn’t care. I just wanted something that told a story centered around April Fools’ Day.
 
And I found one—totally not what I expected. If not for its title, I probably would not have picked it up. 

​Ironically, the book is called April Fool’s Day. It was published in 1993 by Australian author Bryce Courtenay, but despite the title, it has nothing to do with the fun-loving pranks or practical jokes associated with the holiday. I was about to close the window and continue my search. Then, I realized that Courtenay’s book might have something better to offer than your run-of-the-mill April Fools’ Day pranks and hoaxes.
 
April Fool’s Day is Courtenay’s final gift to his son, Damon, a hemophiliac, dying of AIDS he contracted as a result of an infected blood transfusion. Damon died on the morning of April Fools’ Day.
 
As Bryce Courtenay honors his promise to his son, Damon, we get a book that focuses heavily on themes of love and forgiveness. 

It may not be your average April Fools’ Day material, but it’s certainly a book to add to your reading list. Instead of focusing on pranks and jokes, perhaps it’s a good opportunity to remind ourselves what’s important on April Fools’. Now that’s an idea I can get behind!
 
Add this modern tragedy to your reading list—make patience, love and forgiveness your priority.
 
Michelle