The Land of Oz has been turned on its head by Danielle Paige

The Land of Oz has been turned on its head and it's up to the girl from Kansas to set things to right... No not that one, she's the problem and must DIE. Danielle Paige has delved into the dark side of magic in the first of her Oz series.

The mystery of who is good, who is bad and what or who really controls Oz is fascinating with twists and turns keeping me on the edge of my seat. The reveal at the end of Dorothy Must Die leaves me intrigued and impatient for book 2.

As Rumplestiltskin from Once Upon a Time says "magic always has a price." What is the price Dorothy must pay for her use of magic? Only Daniellle Paige can say.

Wondering how Dorothy got back to Oz? Check out Danielle's prequel No Place Like Oz. No little dogs were harmed in the writing of this blog.

I Love Living in a Small Town

Tonight was a wonderful example why I love living in a small town. Our town’s kickoff to summer is the Roxbury Arts Alliance’s Annual Beach Blast. Rain delayed twice the event which is why we’re kicking off summer in the middle of July. Several community groups, local businesses, recreation and police came together to create a fun filled evening of food, music, fireworks, and friends. Residents brought their beach chairs and blankets to the only NJ park listed in the top 15 best parks in the Take it to the Park, Coca-Cola Park Contest; Horseshoe Lake Park. Lounging in the sand, we caught up on our summer activities and commiserated about this blasted heat wave while we enjoyed a local band play. As darkness approached, the excitement grew for the start of the fireworks. Local businesses stepped up a few years ago to pick up the torch after budget cuts forced the town to drop the annual fireworks display. While the fireworks weren't as splashy as Macy’s they were still wonderful. Oh did I mention it only took me 5 minutes to get home after the show?

A Parfait Murder ~ Appearances can be deceiving.

Wendy Lyn Watson recently sent me a ARC of her upcoming book “A Parfait Murder”. Parfait is the 3^rd serving of a Mystery a la Mode series.  We open to find Sonny Anders, Bree’s ex and Alice’s daddy, strolling up the midway at the Lantana County Fair after a seventeen year absence. On his arm is his new lady, Char. Char is an enigma dressed up like a church social lady but with a walk that would give the Devil pause. The duo is back in town with a sweet deal for the business folk of Dalliance. But first Sonny’s lawyer, Kristen Ver Steeg has papers served on Bree challenging Alice’s paternity. The stage is set for an epic battle when Kristen turns up dead with Bree holding the gun.

Meanwhile Tally, the owner of Remember the A-la-mode and Bree’s cousin, has begun to date her childhood sweetheart Finn who roared out of her life after high school only to re-appear last year.  Their romantic adventures throughout the fairgrounds leave your head spinning like a Tilt n Wheel. Riding through the Haunted House moves their relationship closer.  Then a ride on the ferris wheel serves up a scene worthy of your favorite soap opera. While at the top of the ferris wheel a romantic moment is interrupted by a life changing event. When the Tally gets off the ride her family’s lives will never be the same again.

Things are not what they seem in this tale. Is Sonny really in town to disown Alice? What’s the scoop on his and Char’s business, is it the real deal or just a scam? Just who was Kristen Ver Steeg and why would anyone want to kill her? Will her latest family drama be enough to tear Finn and Tally apart or bring them closer to the cherry on top of the sundae? It’s up to Tally & Finn to get to the bottom of Sonny’s reappearance and Kristen’s murder before Bree finds herself frying for murder.

“A Parfait of Murder” is more delectable than a fudge sundae with double whipped cream on top. It has more surprising twist and turns than a Vanilla/Raspberry Twist cone. Pick up the book this summer for a cool treat at the beach.

Changing Shoes

Today is the official release of Tina Sloan’s new book “Changing Shoes”. Lucky for me my copy arrived yesterday. Curled up in bed I began reading Tina’s journey of growing older in the spotlight of celebrity.  I barely started chapter 2 and already I’ve been inspired to get out of bed and moisturize my face. Ok, I know that sounds nuts. I have been really lax lately in my personal grooming. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ve had a crappy stressful year – but that’s not a good enough excuse to wallow in self pity, ignoring my personal appearance and living inside myself. It’s time that I pull myself out of my funk and re-engage life. My short term goal is to look glamorous for Tina’s one woman show on Monday. Alright, that might be a tall stretch since I’ve probably only been glamorous about twice in my life. I’m going to have to work up to that and 4 days just isn’t going to be enough time – instead my aim for Monday will be to look pretty.

Now for the To Do List:

            Hair – color & deep condition

            Manicure – I’ve got zero talent for doing my own nails, so off to the salon I go.

            Skin – Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! It really stinks to have gone through 40 years with one kind of skin & hair and suddenly have completely different textures. What do I know of dry skin & hair? I’ve always had to worry about too much oil, detangling rinses and adult acne. Now I’m trying to figure out face creams and what to do about straw hair. Oh, and I still have adult acne. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?

Clothes – What fits and what looks good rarely are the same thing for me lately. I see myself burrowing into my closet in a quest to find something appropriate. I also see a large pile of clothes that will be donated to charity come Monday morning.

            Shoes – The easy part is there won’t be any heals, sorry Tina. I’d like to enjoy the evening, not worry about my ankle collapsing.  I did get a cute pair of silver sandals; maybe I can make an outfit around them.

            Inspiration – Finish Tina’s “Changing Shoes”

I’d love to lose a 5 to 10 pound before the party, but since that’s not realistic; everyone will just have to take me as I am.

Happy 4th of July

Sunday is the 4^th of July, a time to celebrate with family & friends the start of this great nation. I’ll be celebrating by watching one of my favorite movies 1776. 234 years ago, the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence. 1776 is a musical comedy that recreates the days leading up to the signing. It reminds me that We the People can unite to create an amazingly special country.

Visioning the Future

The entertainment business is awash in cancellations that are hitting the NY Area TV & Film community hard. Guiding Light, Mercy, Law & Order, and as of September, As the World Turns, to name a few shows cancelled in the past year. New Jersey is about to drop tax breaks for production in the state, which can only further curtail production in the area. Given the dearth of available work in the area, I began the process of figuring out what I want to do next. One thing I know is I wanted to leave the door open for production work. However, those pesky bills are clamoring to be paid, so I’ve got to create additional streams of income. One of the avenues I chose was to become a Certified Vision Board Counselor.  As a Vision Board Counselor, I can help you create your own vision board by guiding you in life visioning, designing your vision collage whether by hand or computer.

Beginning Monday, my mentor, author Joyce Schwarz, is hosting a once in a lifetime event to Make Your Dreams Come True in 6 weeks or less with the Vision Board Bootcamp. I will be joining with like-minded-people seeking to start living our dreams now. Check out this virtual bootcamp:  Vision Board Bootcamp

Are you ready to live your dreams?