Category Archives: Vacation and Holiday Thoughts

Changing Direction

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During difficult times, we remain frozen in one place and moving seems almost impossible. We focus on what we can’t do rather than do something different, and yet changing directions may bring up new opportunities and open new doors.

A needed change, a ‘turning point’ in a novel, a ‘momentum shift’ in tennis games, a career shift or life change in real life. No one can predict if they will be good or bad, but rather than being stuck in a hole that can get deeper over time, why not try something else that can make us move forward?

I made several career shifts in my life. After graduating with a pharmacy degree, I trained in a local pharmacy and was bored out of my mind, filling prescriptions all day long. My first shift came as I enrolled in a master degree program in analytical chemistry, graduated and worked, and enjoyed life in the lab until the task took its toll on my back.

One day, I woke up with an excruciating pain in my back and left leg. Unable to walk, I crawled into my car and rushed to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. The x-rays and CT-scan showed a slipped disc in my vertebral column. Painkillers did not help. After a three-month bed rest, I had to wear a special brace around my lower back. The company granted me a six-month sick leave. “No more standing on your feet in a lab. Change career,” my doctor ordered.

As soon as I could walk without pain, I applied for the PhD program in Analytical Chemistry and threw myself wholeheartedly in the student life again. Dressed in blue jeans and t-shirt, I multitasked, driving the children to after-school activities and waiting for them with a book in my hand. Four arduous years, numerous exams, and several published papers finally led to graduation.

While still on campus, I received a phone call from a recruiter who wanted to interview graduating PhD students for a managerial position in the analytical laboratory of an environmental company. I was hired by the CEO to start a lab, buy the needed instruments, and hire the right staff.

From day one, I decided to never let anyone derail me from my goal: to make this laboratory productive and successful. While supervising the lab operations, I wrote many proposals and won several contracts. I convinced the CEO to build six new labs and interviewed many chemists and technicians, and carefully explained the pressure of laboratory life. To their credit, my chemists rarely complained about the long hours spent to analyze samples of hazardous water and soil waste materials. They did an excellent job, and the good reputation of our lab soon spread around. We received contracts from different government agencies, and applied for several state certifications.

International contracts took me to Minsk, Belarus; Kiev and Uman in Ukraine; to Almati and Stepnogorsk in Kazakhstan; to Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sergei Possad in Russia. Each new project presented more challenges due to clash of cultures, different languages, and work habits.

Soon I realized that I was at the end of my rope. Working an average of ten hours a day for so many years, I reached as high as I could go in my career in analytical chemistry. It was time to take an early retirement and fulfill another dream: I wanted to write and publish romance novels.

I gathered the staff for a last meeting and informed them of my decision. During the farewell speech, I could not hold my tears and many of my chemists cried too. They had become my second family.

Turning the page, I concentrated on my new goal. To write novels and compete in the publishing industry, I bought grammar and writing books, and once again I started at the bottom of the ladder. I sent an email to Debbie Macomber, my favorite romance author, who advised me to join the Romance Writers of America (RWA). At the monthly meetings of the RWA local chapter, I met published authors and beginners. We formed critique groups and helped each other, until I gathered the courage to submit excerpts of my writing to various publishers. After receiving my share of rejection letters for five years, one finally offered me a contract.

Through my first novel To Love a Hero released in 2008, I practically relived my fantastic trips to Belarus. Many of the adventures I experienced in Minsk are related in my book. Several more books followed, set in the fascinating places I visited during my business or vacation travels. In 2011, I tried my hand at self-publishing and was stunned by the amazing number of ebooks I sold on Amazon, and the enthusiastic reviews of my fans. But my biggest reward came from bedridden readers who said my novels brought joy to their lives and took them on an armchair trip around the world.

After publishing numerous books and contributing to several anthologies, I earned the top honor for a published author: the enviable status of “USA Today Bestselling Author,” and “New York Times Bestselling Author.”

My legacy to my children and grandchildren is the following: Set your goals high and work hard to follow your dream. Don’t be afraid to change direction. You can make a difference.

We’re All Heroes — Released Today

They’re all heroes who pay a big price for freedom—The Ukrainian mom who spies for her country; her three small kids who struggle to survive; the wounded major who gets them out of a war-zone; Lauren, the flight attendant who brings them to the U.S.A. ; her parents who receive them in their home; and her ex-fiancé, Dr. Jake, who operates on the injured. And let’s not forget the two German shepherd puppies that dive in a pool to save a two-year old. Will the many crises they face head-on strengthen or destroy Lauren and Jake’s relationship?

We’re All Heroes is book 12 of the Love Plans Series.

Messy Plans — New Release

Dr. Matt Lopez is perfectly happy with his medical career until the new nurse practitioner turns his life upside down with her lovely smile and crazy ideas. When Cathy takes Tommy, a young patient under her wing, gets involved in his home situation, and discovers the truth, trouble follows. Life will never be the same for Cathy, her boss, or Tommy as they try to repair the mistakes of their pasts. Can Matt and Cathy reconcile their personal feelings and work obligations?

Messy Plans is book 11 of the Love Plans Series.

Travel with Mona to Estonia

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We visited Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, during a cruise on the Baltic Sea. I was particularly interested in this country that is quite similar to Latvia, my daughter-in-law’s country of origin.

I took this picture from the top of a hill. We can see the red tile roofs of old buildings and the tower — with its dark bell chamber– of the oldest intact gothic Town Hall in Northern Europe. Dating from the late 13th century, it is used now for festive ceremonies and public concerts.

After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Estonia is located in Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia.

A cobbled street in the Old Town
The oldest parts of the walls of Tallinn were actually built in the 13th century,
Toompea Castle is no longer a castle but it’s used as the Estonia Parliament. It was under renovation and we couldn’t visit the interior.

Estonia shares a similar geography and history with Latvia and Lithuania, but is culturally different. Its closest ethnic and linguistic buddy is Finland.

For 50 years, Soviet ruled Estonia and many people moved in from Russia or Belarus. Around a quarter of Estonians are native Russian speakers such as my son’s in-laws. Apparently, almost everyone is comfortable speaking Russian as a second language.

I think it’s the statue of a famous artist or philosopher– Not sure!
Russalka: a monument celebrating Estonia’s independence
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is an orthodox cathedral in central Tallinn. It was built in a typical Russian Revival style in 1894–1900, when the country was part of the Russian Empire. 
A wedding taking place in the cathedral while we were visiting. The bride wore a red dress–she was gorgeous!!!

A market area in Tallinn
The Viking Age was part of Estonia’s history.

If you have a chance to visit Estonia do not hesitate to go. You’ll enjoy it.

MESSY PLANS (Love Plans, book 11) was just released two days ago,

Dr. Matt Lopez is perfectly happy with his medical career until the new nurse practitioner turns his life upside down with her lovely smile and crazy ideas. When Cathy takes Tommy, a young patient under her wing, gets involved in his home situation, and discovers the truth, trouble follows. Life will never be the same for Cathy, her boss, or Tommy as they try to repair the mistakes of their pasts.

Two books on pre-order We’re All Heroes (Love Pans, book 12) We’re No Saints (Love Pans, book 12)
They’re all heroes who pay a big price for freedom—The Ukrainian mom who spies for her country; her three small kids who struggle to survive; the wounded major who gets them out of a war-zone; Lauren, the flight attendant who brings them to the U.S.A. ; her parents who receive them in their home; and her ex-fiancé, Dr. Jake, who operates on the injured. And let’s not forget the two German shepherd puppies that dive in a pool to save a two-year old. Will the many crises they face head-on strengthen or destroy Lauren and Jake’s relationship?
She’s a young widow with difficult teenagers and a company to manage. He’s a charming lawyer hiding secrets that could hurt her. He claims he loves her, but can she trust him?

Who says you can’t go to heaven unless you die? By Taylor Lee

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I’m here to tell you that old wives’ tale is simply not true. And I have the deets to prove it. Every August for the last ten years my guy and I take off for somewhere wonderful for the month of August. Given that we live in Phoenix, Arizona, you can understand why we choose that month to beat it out of Arizona. But this year Phoenix outdid itself. The Arizona Republic declared, “It’s official: July in Phoenix was the hottest month ever recorded in a U.S. City.” Yep. Seventeen days in July, Phoenix hit maximum temperatures at or above 115 degrees. And on three days in July we reached 119 degrees.

August Vacations

Okay so you know why we fled Phoenix on August 1.

For the last four years we have gone to extraordinary places in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. I’m in love with the four corners region. My two latest series, ten books in all, take place in one of those gorgeous states. But this year we opted for something different and headed to Sonoma, California in the heart of wine country. To be truthful, I was a tad worried that Sonoma couldn’t possibly compete with thee extraordinary mountains, red rocks and stunning vistas I’m infatuated with. BUT…  drum roll please.

Enter Glen Ellan, California. To begin with, Sonoma, particularly Glen Ellan couldn’t be more different form the Four Corners region if it tried. To begin with if I had to choose a single word to describe where we are staying it would be verdant. Seriously after the red rocks and mountainous climbs, I marvel at how green everything is. But it’s more than that. It’s as if everywhere you look something is growing. Lush flourishing vegetation as far as the eye can see. Having grown up in northern Minnesota, I’m accustomed to trees and farmland. But Sonoma is different. Miles after miles of “growing” things. Vineyards of course, but small farms growing every kind of vegetable you can imagine. I’ve obviously seen vineyards before but I’d never driven for mile after mile in wine country.  I’m infatuated with the rows of vines that look like they have been painted on the ground they are so perfectly manicured. And trees! I know, I know. How can a Minnesota chick marvel at trees? But after living in the desert for the last twenty years, I’m overcome by the trees. Everywhere you look that isn’t rows and rows of vines there are trees.

About Sonoma.

In Phoenix, after being forced to drive at least seventy miles an hour or be run off the road by irate drivers who think the seventy-five mile limit is the least acceptable lowest speed one can drive, the roads around Sonoma produce culture shock. Seriously, the two lane roads with no shoulders dare you to drive faster than the 20-30 mile maximum speed. In that my guy was doing all the driving, after the first week of white knuckles and closing my eyes for the most part, I’ve now become accustomed to being terrified but at least now appreciate the gorgeous countryside as we peel down the ads at a rousing 35 mile per hour.

Back to verdant.

The charming village of Glen Ellen (pop. 784) has one grocery store.  But given the annual household income of Sonoma County residents of $100,000 K plus plus, it isn’t surprising that the one grocery store competes well with the swankiest upscale markets I love. But then who needs grocery stores when you have Farmers Markets. Honestly I’m a Farmers Markets aficionado but I have never seen anything like the ones in Sonoma County. As a one time vegetarian, I’m in awe of the variety of the fruits and vegetables that fill the rows and rows of vegetables and fruit at the markets. Good grief, I was even introduced to a fruit I had not eaten…. I learned that a “pluot” is  a first-generation hybrid between  a plum and an apricot parent. Delicious.

And Glen Ellen makes it clear what they think about visitors. The frequent signs stating “homes not hotels” indicates that the long-time residents aren’t enthralled with the hordes of visitors that come their way. An indication that Glen Ellan has warded off the hordes is that our charming VRBO required a minimum of a thirty-one day stay.

We are coming to the last week of our extraordinary vacation. But maybe there is hope for us. According to the weather gurus, when we get back on Sep. 1, it will be a balmy 102°F to 95°F, unlikely to exceed 108 °F.  Ahhh, yes! Balmy indeed.

Now, onto books.

After all writing is my life. Be sure to check out the cool collection my author friends and I created! Snippets of great books that you will absolutely pique your interest! And right now, it’s FREE.

 

Inside this collection you’ll find chapter samples of eleven incredibly exciting books. Our hope is that you’ll be so thrilled, you’ll have to continue reading.
Many of the authors are NYT & USAT bestselling authors who understand that a reader loves to get snippets of a story before clicking that buy link. We’ve gathered these together to make the journey easier for you.

Since this is the perfect way for you to find your next book, we also hope it becomes a trail of discovery to a fresh author and her backlist.

Mimi Barbour – Special Agent Walker
Patricia Rosemoor – Fake ID Wife
Rachelle Ayala – Preying Heart
Dani Haviland – The Midwife’s Son
Rebecca York – At Risk
Denise Devine – Small Town Girl
Susanne Matthews – Sworn to Protect
Calinda B. – Gravestones
Taylor Lee – Forbidden
Cynthis Cooke – Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies
Susan Jean Ricci – Evasion

Travel with Mona

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Visit Prague

When my daughter was at university she took a year off and spent it in Paris. Before flying, she booked a train-pass for $200 that allowed her to hop on a train and travel anywhere in Europe. One of the places where she went with a friend was Prague. Do I need to mention that during that year, half of my hair turned gray! When she returned home safe and sound, she had a lot of stories to tell us. Two of them practically gave me a heart attack.

The first one was that she saved a lot of money by not staying in a hotel in Prague. “So where did you stay?” I asked a bit worried. “There were people at the train station showing us cards with pictures of their apartments and a room we could rent for $10 per night.” Try to imagine my gasp of terror. “You stayed with people you didn’t know???” “They were very nice and had two adorable little girls. Besides, we were two. So I only paid $5.”

The other story was even worse. She and her friend were eating dinner at a café. They lost track of time and suddenly realized the place was closing. They were walking toward the train station when they noticed a car following them. The girls panicked and started running in the deserted dark street. The car followed them slowly. Finally they found a lit pizzeria, and banged on the closed doors. For their good luck, the owner spoke a little bit of English. The girls explained that they were afraid and wanted to call the police. The two men in the car came behind them to the store. It turned out that they were secret police and thought that the two girls were gypsies trying to attract men!!! No need to write here my reaction and my response.

My husband and I visited Prague twice, in more classy ways, staying in hotels. We loved Prague. So let me tell you about this beautiful city.

Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic, is bisected by the Vltava River. Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” it’s known for its Old Town Square, the heart of its historic core, with colorful baroque buildings and Gothic churches. My favorite sites were the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated hourly show, and the pedestrian Charles Bridge which is lined with statues of Catholic saints. 

Charles Bridge is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava river in Prague, Czech Republic. Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the early 15th century. 

The first statue to be erected on the Charles Bridge is made of bronze. This is the statue of St. John of Nepomuk, the patron saint of Bohemia. According to legend John of Nepomuk refused to reveal the confessions of the wife of King Wenceslas IV, and was thrown off the side of the bridge to his death.

Charles Bridge is an icon of Prague and the Czech Republic. For many centuries until 1870, it was the only way for people to cross the Vltava. It is also one of the few Medieval bridges still standing and in use today.

The Prague astronomical clock or Prague Orloj is a medieval astronomical clock attached to the Old Town Hall in Prague. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest clock still in operation. It shows the relative positions of the Sun, Moon, Earth, and Zodiac constellations. It also tells the time, provides the date, and, best of all, provides entertainment for the tourists on the hour, every hour.

Old Town Square in Prague.

I bought a gorgeous crystal vase and a wooden old-fashioned clock hanging on my kitchen wall.

New Release– On Pre-Order MESSY PLANS, Love Plans Series, book 11

Fully dedicated to his patients, Dr. Matt Lopez, Chief of the ER at St. Lucia Hospital spends his free time on his boat and dates nurses from the hospital—but not from his own unit. Rule number one in his ER: never mix work with pleasure, thereby avoiding a conflict of interest. When the lovely Cathy Cooper joins the ER staff, every doctor, including Matt, is ready to break the rules. The new nurse practitioner is too gorgeous for her own good and too independent for Matt’s peace of mind.

Cathy Cooper goes an extra mile for her patients, especially for the children of the public school where she subs. When Cathy takes Tommy, a young patient under her wing, gets involved in his home situation, and discovers the truth, trouble follows.

Life will never be the same for Cathy, her boss, or Tommy as they try to repair the mistakes of their pasts. Can they reconcile their personal feelings and work obligations?

Messy Plans is book 11 of the Love Plans Series.