Beautiful beaches in Naples.

It all started during my first peek out the window as we descended to Fort Myers airport. My skin moistened in anticipation of the tropical environment; meandering rivers,lush green vegetation, gray bulbous clouds, and healthy mangroves. Had I finally found a more developed version of Belize?

I’ve landed in many airports around the world, but Fort Myers was a complete shock: wide open freshly polished marble floors, and live palm trees in bright glass enclosed hallways, reminding me of the lobby at the Ritz Carlton. A stop in the ladies room felt like I’d stepped back in time. I found eight sisters I never knew I had; same height, same age and same skin color. I’d forgotten what it felt like to be surrounded by people who smiled, made eye contact, and weren’t in a hurry.

I met my first blogger friend, Nancy in Naples, Florida. She sent me information about the Naples area before we visited, and is an ex-California resident. We had a wonderful two hour chat over a glass of wine at my hotel in Naples. Nancy gave me a beautiful photograph she took of birds on the beach. She loves photography and is very talented.

Why Florida? My husband, Duke and I love change, and are always seeking our “ideal” destination. We are beach people, and prefer tropical climates to four seasons with snow.

Happy couple on the beach.

California’s Pacific ocean is very cold, and unless you wear a wet-suit, love surfing or come from Scandinavia, you won’t be floating on the Pacific ocean.

California has become overly crowded, and the freeways in Orange County and Los Angeles are always gridlocked, in desperate need of repair.

Now the Gulf of Mexico is very warm, about 80-85F, and shallow for quite a ways out. The only thing you need to learn is the stingray shuffle: a dance move that protects your feet from being stung by a stingray.
We practiced the move, but never encountered a stingray, although a couple of dolphins swam within thirty feet from us.

I have so many things to share with you, that I have to break into other posts. For example:

The crazy things I saw and did:

I danced with a very talented singer, who happened to be a dwarf, and he kissed me. Duke sang karaoke, and I petted my first hairless cat and asked the owner if he put sunblock on its skin.

Have you ever considered moving to a place after spending 9 days there?
Did you ever follow through with the move?

Photo of Naples Marina, Florida, taken by seamermate on Photobucket. Our next vacation spot.

Since returning from our year in Belize in 2005, it seems that every vacation turns into a research project on where to relocate.

My friends have quit asking, “Why do you want to move away from southern California? We have the best weather, beaches, mountains, Disneyland and more.” So I ask myself why would I want to move? Perhaps you can help me?

During our first year back, Duke and I researched Albuquerque, New Mexico. Housing looked affordable, but the suburbs were too flat and desert-like for me. Also my gut told me this place is a little depressing.

People rave about the artsy town of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Sedona, Arizona, and there again, it was pretty, but not for me. I felt landlocked.

The following summer, we flew to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and spent a long weekend visiting Daytona Beach and driving along the Atlantic coast. The Atlantic was too cold and gray–yes, I’ve been spoiled by the nice turquoise Caribbean.

With hours, if not days spent on the Internet looking at places like Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Port Townsend, Washington, Austin, Texas and now Matlacha Island, Florida, I could have written a thesis by now.

This time, we’re leaving for Fort Myers, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico side, not the Atlantic side. If you don’t hear from me by September 7th, please check the hurricanes in that area.

I want to thank Tink and Nancy for their numerous e-mails on the Fort Myers and Naples area. They have been very helpful, since one relocated from New York, and the other from San Francisco area. Both love Florida.

Do you want to relocate? If so why and where?

SOME NEWS FOR BLOGGER FRIENDS WHO ARE WRITERS SINCE I WON’T BE HERE FOR A WHILE.

My friend Shirley, who has the marvelous blog 100 memoirs posted some very helpful blogs on reading challenges and blog carnivals, which I think many of you may want to check out.

I met Jerry Simmons at a writers meeting and he’s an expert on the publishing business, having 25 years experience with Random House, and the former Time Warner Book Group. He has a fantastic website for writers, and is more than happy to help all of us. Please visit WriterReaders.

Sorry if I did not respond to your comments on my guest post on Blogging’BoutBoys. Jennifer is on vacation and I haven’t seen all of your comments. I hope to respond when I get them.

These days, being a great writer will only take you so far. Good looks will get you media coverage.

In the September 2009 issue of, The Writer, I found an interesting article on page 8, about “The marketing of an author’s image.”

According to Harper Collins editor Gail Winston, attractive authors, “get a little bit of an advantage” when marketing their books.

Nicholas Latimer, director of publicity at Knopf, told National Public Radio what he heard from an editor at People magazine: “If you have an attractive-looking author, there’s a better chance that your book will get reviewed.”

This may not sound fair to struggling writers, but we live in a society where the media and consumers worship celebrity. So what can we do about it?

Perhaps authors should ask for a publicity and a plastic surgery advance in their contract with their publisher. (Yeah, right. I can just see that happening in the near future.)

With advances running between $500-$2,000 for unknown authors, it seems that writers today, not only have to be extremely talented, but also millionaires before they can get published.

Example of a writers out-of-pocket expenses:

1) WRITING CLASSES

University extension classes: $1,000
Local writers conferences, including hotels: $2,000
Freelance editorial fees: $1,500-$3,000
Other workshops, writers’ retreats, writers’ clubs: $800
Total: $6,000

2) PUBLICITY

Hiring a publicist: $3,000-$5,000/month. Easily $15,000 total
Media Training? no clue. Perhaps they’re included in publicist’s fees. Anyone know?
TOTAL: $15,000

3) PLASTIC SURGERY

If you’re over 40 and you want media coverage, maybe you need to budget. If you’re under 40, then no worries.
$15,000-$25,000 Facelift
Botox, Juvederm, MicroDermabrasion
TOTAL: $30,000

4) DENTAL

Teeth Whitening, other dental work, depending.
TOTAL: $500-$3,000

5) CLOTHING

Suits, clothing, accessories:
TOTAL: $2,000

If my calculations are right:
Author pays out $56,000, and receives $500 advance from publisher.

$56,000-$500 = $55,500 total out-of-pocket expenses for author. Sounds FAIR to me (Ahem!).

Please share your thoughts on this topic, whether you’re an aspiring author, already an author, or if you care to share your opinion.

I’m curious if this is the same for writers in other parts of the world.

Mix blogging, cooking and Paris, and what do you have? A recipe for success.

As an avid blogger, and an optimist who plugs in her cell phone every Sunday night, just in case Random House calls first thing Monday, I’m convinced Nora Ephron made “Julie and Julia,” just for me.

When I first saw the trailer for “Julie and Julia” two months ago, Meryl Streep, in the role of Julia Child, propelled me to my kitchen where I circled Friday August 7th with a giant red Target-like ring. Thanks to Meryl, I forgot my twenty-third wedding anniversary on August 10th.

What fascinated me in Julie and Julia, wasn’t only the life of Julia Child in Paris, but the way the publishing world works, and how an ordinary employee, bored with her day job, could get 70-80 publishers, agents and media people calling her, thanks to her blog being discovered, and one interview.

According to Drew McWeeny from HITFIX “Nora Ephron, thanks to this film and “You’ve Got Mail,” has emerged as one of the few filmmakers who seems to be actively chronicling the way the Internet is changing us socially. I don’t think anyone’s captured the lifestyle of a blogger on film until now, and the little ways they get it right impressed me.”

Catherine Sanderson, an English author I blogged about here, also succeeded in receiving media attention from her blog as an English expat living in Paris.

I’m trying to follow the footsteps of both Julie and Catherine Sanderson, and on Sunday, August 9th, received the best present I could wish for when my blog post was picked up by the OC Register, The Mom Blog. My wedding anniversary gift in disguise.

If you’ve seen the movie, what did you think?

Do you like the way the Internet is changing how we promote ourselves as writers, business owners, professionals?

Please add any other thoughts or comments that can stimulate a discussion.

Jordan still groggy, woke up to say “goodbye” to his brother Austin, on the right.

Driving Austin to his first day of college at the University of California Santa Barbara required leaving our house at 5:45 a.m., to beat traffic through the heart of Los Angeles.

As with most activities in California, freeway driving takes patience. I’ve spent years of my life standing in line, especially at Disneyland and Universal Studios where lines are so long, I’ve witnessed the birth of several new varicose veins on my legs. Patience is the only way to stay sane in Los Angeles.

According to my husband, I still haven’t mastered the art of patience, but what do you expect after living in Paris for 15 years where cutting in line, is an art in itself.

With a bicycle and a surf board attached to the roof of my husband’s yellow Chevy Aveo, Austin had all he needed to start a successful college career at UCSB.

Once on campus, we followed signs and waited patiently in snake formation, to off load Austin’s belongings. Staff and students waved us along, welcoming us with warm smiles. This made the waiting rather pleasant.

With giant hampers on wheels waiting for each student to dump their stuff: computers, printers, bikes and suitcases were being tossed inside. Everything ran smoothly.

Austin checked off items on the list. The lights worked, the bed and mattress were there etc.

The bike made it.

The nine foot surf board made it. Basically all the important stuff for college at UCSB, made it.

When I said “Goodbye,” to Austin during lunch, I didn’t want to embarrass him in front of his peers, so I hugged him and turned away.

Two days later, I walked past his open door and peeked inside. Everything was missing except for his electronic keyboard, and the lyrics and notes to Bob Marley’s song, “One Love,” which Austin had been practicing the week before. The tears started as I looked at his favorite childhood photo from pre-school: the one with him sitting cross-legged and smiling, holding onto some giant crayola crayons.

It finally hit me that he was gone. Soon he will grow up to become a man, a husband with a wife and his own family. My little boy is now gone.