Three publishing industry insiders have been working behind the scenes for the past several months in a secret author lab. Well, not really, but they’ve kept the secret since December. Thomas Unstated, Jeff Gerke and Mary DeMuth have created Bestseller Society, and they’re really excited about it. Why did they create this site? Because they got [...]

Turning on the TV news or listening to a radio news report can ruin your day. I know I avoid them both on certain days I already feel overwhelmed or just can’t bear hearing one more story of heartbreak or tragedy. Politics, the financial markets, war, natural disasters, race relations, murder, drunk driving, rape, kidnapping—these [...]

I finally came up for air yesterday. During the week prior, I worked the Dallas gift market for some good friends of ours who own a showroom. These folks hire friends as their part-time help. We work cheap as a trade off so we can enjoy shopping at the cash & carry wholesale event. The [...]

New Year, new you, right? Or, at the very least a fresh start on some aspect of your life as you commit to some change or resolve to try something new. May I suggest writing? Perhaps I’m partial to the career that has brought me great pleasure and pain at various times in the decade-long [...]

QUESTION: We (my husband and I) have a single neighbor who relies on us for just about everything: free dog sitting, taxi service, tax advice, insurance advice, medical advice, love life advice, her problem adult children, etc. We truly don’t mind that she drops in at dinnertime just about every night. We’re retired, have no [...]

Can you stand one more holiday hint? My terrific tip is crafty, as in clever and innovative—no hot glue or grapevine wreaths required. But what it lacks in the hospitable department, it makes up for in the relational arena. I originally read about it in a Christmas issue of one of the popular women’s magazines. [...]

  Dear Leslie, I had lunch with a friend the other day. During our visit, she told me she and her husband would be filing for bankruptcy. She lamented the fact that they had to move away (from where we both live now) in search of cheaper rent. How can I best support my friend [...]