From approximately 1940 to 1970, it is estimated up to 4 million mothers in the United States surrendered infants to adoption. Most of these women relinquished their babies under societal pressure while being told to forget what happened to them.  This shameful period in our history was shrouded in secrecy. With the overturn of Roe…

A brief encounter with a woman with cancer recently reminded me to slow down and acknowledge what is before us — even if what we see is hard to accept or comprehend. It was Sunday morning and I was walking through the Berkeley Rose Garden with my husband and son. I saw a woman sitting on a…

Writing requires compassion. Writers not only need to show tenderness for the characters and people they write about but compassion for themselves through the creative process. As the year comes to a close, perhaps you, too, find yourself frustrated by the state of your manuscript or creative project. I want to be ready, but I know…

Recently a friend asked me, “What is your writing process? How did you decide to leap from one career to another?”  ​ Initially, my writing process required committing to the voice in my head that said, writing a book is something you have to do. It was a must-do calling. Taking a creative leap requires us…