My blogs have migrated!

Here's the link to my new blog (my design blog and writing blog are now accessible through the same link). Hope you stick with me, followers!  :) I appreciate every one of you!

Magazine Readership INCREASED!

According to an ad run by ESPN magazine in the April 19th issue of US magazine, magazine readership has increased 11 percent during the 12-year life of Google. Just as movies didn't kill radio, TV didn't kill movies, the Internet will not kill magazines. As a writer I find this news inspiring! Hope you do too.

3 more magazine articles!

Check out the latest issue of The Resident magazine! Click on the magazine cover at the top left column (the handsome Kristoffer Polaha—in a blue shirt) for the pdf of my 3 new articles. Thanks for your interest! The first page of the pdf is an author profile of Daylle Deanna Schwartz called Get Amped Up!, next is a guide to Spring Fun in NYC, the third is a travel piece called Puttin' On The Ritz about an upscale hotel in Laguna Niguel, California. Comments always welcome. Thanks so much for your interest.

"How to Get Your Book Published" panel

My latest adventure was attending an authors/editors/agents event at Barnes & Noble on 6th Ave and West 8th Street. It was coordinated by Susan Shapiro, author of 8 books including Speed Shrinking, 5 Men Who Broke My Heart and Lighting Up. The discussion covered topics such as getting an agent, working with an editor and how the heck does a person decide on writing a book when they're doing other things in life.

Each author started out in one direction in life only to end up as an author of book(s). One of my favorite moments was when Shapiro asked an author how long it had taken him to write his novel. He didn't want to answer at first, but she coaxed it out of him. "15 years." he said sheepishly. I heard the whole room of writers utter a sigh. It sure took the time pressure off. While it's best to go Shapiro's route: "One page a day is a book a year," there is still hope if you're like me—juggling multiple careers to pay inflated NYC bills while you're plugging away on your book. The crowd lol'd when the panelists listed odd jobs they'd worked—from digging ditches, fetching dry cleaning to interning for free.

C'mon writers, let's have a cumulative woo hoo for ourselves and keep on truckin'.

Mr. Beller's Neighborhood

Last night on Broome Street near Grand I went to a Mr. Bellers Neighborhood reading. I was especially taken with Marilyn Horan's reading of her true story of a wedding (not hers) that broke out in a brawl. I laughed loud during quite a few parts. It was a big, warm friendly crowd. It makes me want to read more stories on Mr. Beller's Neighborhood website. Here's a link to the site: mrbellersneighborhood.com Check it out!

Suicide Bombings in Moscow — Dozens Dead, Many Injured

According to the BBC World News, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov told reporters gathered outside Park Kultury, "According to preliminary information provided by the Federal Security Service, two female suicide bombers were involved." BBC also reports the subway system in Moscow "is one of the most-used underground railways in the world, carrying some 5.5 million passengers a day." The bombings were in two different train stations—the first was at Lubyanka station during the peak of the rush hour, the second was at Park Kultury. These trains are six stops apart.

May 1–4

I just found out I'm getting an all-expenses-paid trip to Puerto Rico! It's for writing a travel piece for The Resident magazine. woo hoo!