My blog

Where to start?  From the awesome leather chair that they set up for me on the stage of their amazing theater, to the great breakfast/reception they had ready for when I arrived to everything in [...]

When I was in high school in Union City, New Jersey, there was a rundown old place called Roosevelt Stadium.  I don’t know when it was used as a stadium, because back then it just looked [...]

This past Saturday I sat on a panel with some big names in publishing.  Besides being honored, I also enjoyed hearing the advice they had for the many writers (published and aspiring) in the [...]

This morning I did something that anyone who knows me knows I would not normally do voluntarily

There are lots of great “firsts” when you publish a novel. Tonight was another cool one: a reader created the first-ever video review of THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY. I love it. Check it [...]

I am by no means a Twitter maven. I’m still figuring out hash tags and @ mentions. However, even I could have warned the NYPD’s social media managers that they should probably not [...]

I often wonder if people who meant something to me ever remember me.  Few things bring me more joy than a phone call from an old friend recalling something I said or did a long time ago that [...]

Hello dears. What have I been up to, you ask?  (You don’t?  Telling you anyway). Website:  I have been remiss in my posting, but it’s all for a good cause.  Have you noticed the new [...]

Today is Teen Literature Day, which means it’s time to #rockthedrop What is #RocktheDrop?  It’s the day when you grab a young adult book you think someone might like to read, print a [...]

The Voices of Youth Advocates have come in with a great review of THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY.  Here’s a snippet: “Andreu’s debut novel paints a realistic, yet hopeful, portrayal [...]

It’s nice when five minutes of talking results in a bunch of money being donated to a worthy cause.  It was my pleasure to go speak to the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood on April 6th and [...]

We’re giving away a one-of-a-kind, annotated version of THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY, full of margin scribbles by moi.  Notes on inspiration, behind-the-scenes info and just doodles in the [...]

People, there is SNOW ON MY DAFFODILS ON APRIL 15th.  Make that ten minutes into the 16th.  Do I live in Alaska?  The Arctic Circle?  NO.  Gardening hardiness zone 6B, meaning… Forget what [...]

Happy Tax Day for those of you in the U.S. Three things are inescapable in the life of a writer: death, taxes, and dissatisfaction with how much one has written.  Today, at the halfway mark of [...]

Anyone who knows me knows I am a dismal cook.  Start with a forgetfulness that requires timers to keep from burning things and a low tolerance for failure and drudgery and what you get is someone [...]

Castilleja School Library in northern California categorizes THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY as a book for fans of John Green.  (Author decides she can finally die happy).  Their blurb:  “If you [...]

This weekend I had the privilege of visiting Falmouth, Massachusetts to talk about THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY and meet a whole lot of cool folks. The event was organized by the awesome Eight [...]

It is officially spring when I can make a bouquet of daffodils and forsythia for my living room.  A slice of sunshine right on my antique reclaimed factory cart coffee table.  Few things can lift [...]

Maybe it was the crazy winter we just had.  Or the fact that my crocuses (croci?) were about a month behind schedule due to snow pack.  Or the United Nations report that said we are already at [...]

Keyless entry locks are great.  Until they’re not.  Much like so many things in life, I suppose. One of my first acts of husband-free independence was to install a keyless entry lock on my [...]

By far the best part of finally having my book out in the world is getting to talk to people about it.  And probably the best people to talk to about it are teenagers.  I love the honesty and [...]

Yesterday, on the 7th day of National Novel Writing Month, I went over the 10,000 word mark in my 60,000 word novel.  I’m just 2,000 words shy of being at 20% complete.  Yay me! There is a [...]

What an amazing weekend I’ve had so far!  This Friday I was invited to speak at TC Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia.  Later I signed books at Hooray for Books in Alexandria. [...]

2,010 words.  And not many more to wring out of myself tonight.  I was sure I wasn’t going to be able to do it, but I consistently forget what a stubborn old bird I am when I’ve [...]

Okay, so I’m a total geek.  We’ve established this.  Due to this total geekdom, I may from time to time click on links and surf the Googles and find out new things about my book. [...]

Today was Day 1 of my “Write 2,000 Words Every Day” challenge for National Novel Writing Month.  I wrote 1,139 on my novel, although if you count the two blog posts I wrote this [...]

I now have a location for the Writers Digest Conference where I’ll be participating on a panel on August 2nd.  It will be at The Roosevelt Hotel. Also, check me out third from the top on [...]

Today begins National Novel Writing Month, a completely made up excuse for writers to pressure themselves and each other to write.  I’m so totally in! Here’s the deal: I have 27,000 [...]

I’ve been asked to do a reading and signing at the New York Public Library and YOU’RE invited! Click here for more details.

There are many reasons to like OKCupid, the dating site created by Harvard students of SparkNotes fame.  It’s a fun and clever way to meet new people and attracts a brainier crowd that the [...]