For those of you who have been following my scarcity of Newsletters, you know that Joe, my beloved husband and editor, passed away a year ago. While it has been a tough year, it has also been a year of introspection. Officially, I have completed all of my “first”…anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, etc. without the love of my life. The good news…I think I’ve come out the other side…whole!
I have now entered a new phase, and as I look at my surroundings with photos and memories galore, I am reminded of how fortunate I was to have had Joe in my life for so many years…forty-five to be exact. Yes, I was very young when we first met. 😉
While I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions, assuming they were meant to be broken, I decided this year I’d make one to keep:
to smile every time a thought of him passes through my mind,
to complete all the projects we started together,
and to believe he is still critiquing me as he smiles from above.
Joe knew how to live life better than anyone I’ve ever known. I need to learn by example. He is no longer my earthly friend, husband or editor — but he will always be my Muse.
It’s Time to get Back to Work
The first challenge is The Infiltrator’s Shadow. I’ve mentioned several times in past Newsletters that I was about to take my tome off the virtual shelf and give it a good dusting. And each time I mentioned it, I had all intentions of following through…but to no avail. The difficulty has been the ever-moving political landscape. I write provocative political thrillers steeped in facts, so the facts detailed in my plotlines must be accurate. But accuracy has been like a boomerang. Just as you think you’ve nailed it; it comes flying back with fresh revelations questioning your original assumptions. The second and most frustrating aspect is that I initially weaved in the conspiracy about the origin of the COVID-19 virus and the outcome of the 2020 Presidential election. Well, my election predictions went sideways, even though the origin of COVID-19 is reportedly unknown. So, I thought flashbacks might work for the election and then I’d do a repeat. Except the repeat changed mid-stream and Biden stepped out of the race to be replaced by Kamala. That one threw me off completely. However, my conspiracy surrounding the virus finally proved correct…it came from the lab in Wuhan. But it killed my first, and might I say quite intriguing chapter. The saving grace from my very dusty manuscript, however, is that the basic plotline with Max fighting to expose the Consortium holds, to complete the Max Ford Thriller series. Now, with a plethora of new facts whirling out of Spin City, I’m not sure where they will lead, but confident it will all shake out. The new Trump presidency, the diverse Cabinet picks, and let’s not forget DOGE, will certainly make it fascinating…no matter which side of the political fence you live. Remember, I write “speculative” fiction, so stay tuned…anything is possible!
Movieland is still in the Midst
I had my first experience on a movie set…actually, it was at my home. Film students from the Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota took over the house for two days to film their Junior project. It was a successful event, and I picked up a lot of insights. I look forward to seeing the completed film in April. Inside secret…a Vampire lives here!
As far as my movie, Climatized, the light at the end of the tunnel is shining a little brighter. Our director, Sean McNamara, had outstanding success at the box office for his movie Reagan raking in $30 million plus. Thanks to Noam Dromi, Evan Greene, and Ren Trella, the Climatized script is finished. Our producer, Stuart Pollok, is in a series of talks to finalize the financing…the last major step before our team begins casting. Rumor has it that some major actors are waiting in the wings!
In addition, Noam Dromi and I are collaborating on a project to bring The Simon Hall novels to your living room in a new TV Series.
Please remember, all reviews are more than welcome!
