One week ago yesterday was a full-circle, underdog moment. They say never underestimate someone who was underestimated as a kid. Or maybe I just say that, lol. Struggling to read and write early on felt like a label stuck to my forehead. It said, “not smart enough.” It followed me like a shadow through every grade and teacher. And as much as I tried to peel it off, a new label would appear, like “low reader’ or “low group.” Yes, that’s how they did things back then.
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That label sometimes felt like an anchor, and sometimes it felt like a torch, fueling my desire to prove them all wrong. Like every good story, there’s always a turning point. It was the summer of 1981; I was eight. I discovered my love of story when I was introduced to Judy Blume, and the rest was history. So to be asked to be on the romance panel hosted by the New York Public Library with myself, Cara Bastone, Amy Ewing, and Edward Schmit at Bryant Park was wow, to say the least. Being up there with these incredible authors, all I kept thinking was that my six-year-old self would be brimming with pride, not only because I proved them wrong but because I didnt give up on her.
By any statistic or academic measure, I’m not supposed to be here. But I am, and it’s because I didn’t give up. If you know someone who’s struggling to fit the mold, remind them that they don’t have to. They can march to the beat of their own drum, as my mother would say, and take their sweet time blooming into the person they’re meant to be.
I went into this BOOK launch, hopefully optimistic that by some miracle I would make the USA Today Bestseller list, but it just didnt happen(yet), and that’s okay. I’ve gotten to meet so many wonderful people along the way. And there’s no better feeling than when someone shares a positive review with me.
With that being said, I have a simple ask. If you read my book and enjoyed it, can you leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, etc., and tell your friends, neighbors, and friends! This girl still has some dreams to wrangle, and a bestseller list is definitely one of them! And a second book deal would be nice!
Here’s what readers are saying about my debut, The Summer I Found You, which is the quintessential beach read. It’s a Nancy Meyers meets HGTV second-chance beach romance where interiors come to life, houses feel like characters, and secrets have secrets.
Calling all fans of swoony summer romances who also live on Long Island. I’d love for you to come down and bring a friend for a fun evening at Walt Whitman B&N.
Have a happy day, friends!
