“What do you want to be when you grow up?” One question. That’s all it took. I knew from a very young age that the answer was ‘writer.’ But I wanted to be a screenwriter. I loved television and film so much and was always writing stories and scripts. When I was about 10 years old, I mailed my first script about a hero-dog (think Benji) into Channel 5 in New York. I had no idea what I was doing, but I did it. The station mailed it back with a ton of compliments and a polite rejection.
As I got older, I kept writing and kept learning. I attended the New York Institute of Technology where I majored in communications. My favorite part of college was anything that had to do with writing screenplays or tv scripts. In my senior year a long time ago, my screenplay was one of four chosen to be produced that year as part of our graduation requirement.
After graduation, life took me in a different direction. I was hoping to get a job on the production side of CBS, but nothing was open. So I took a job on the magazine side hoping to transfer over. That never happened. I started working for Home Mechanix magazine as an editorial assistant. I learned a lot but a few years later, I got married and after the birth of my first child in 1992, I took the plunge into full-time freelance writing. I haven’t looked back since.
Some of My Credits
I have written hundreds of articles for many consumer and trade magazines, newspapers, and websites, including The Los Angeles Times, Parenting, Parents, Shape, Bride’s, Muscle & Fitness, Travel Pulse, Syfy.com, USA Weekend, Next Avenue, Weight Watchers, Writer’s Digest, and so many more. Although I write about real estate, health, and business, my favorite part of my career is writing about television and movies. I’ve interviewed many celebrities too. Here’s just a little name dropping:
Candace Cameron Bure, Deidre Hall, Tim Matheson, Mayim Bialik, Tia Mowry, Jane Lynch, Taylor Hicks, Dorothy Hamill, Vanilla Ice, Amy Grant, Brandy, Jane Seymour, Kevin Bacon, Jo Dee Messina and so many more. My dream interview? Garth Brooks.
Some of My Books
I have authored, co-authored, contributed to and ghostwritten more than 20 books. Here are just a few of them and what they are about:
Whether you’re a film fanatic or just want to see a bit of Hollywood in your neighborhood, On Location: A Film and TV Lover’s Travel Guide is the quintessential resource for visiting the locations of your favorite films or television series. In this guidebook, I take you across the country with over a hundred profiles about famous movie and television locations from Star Trek to I Love Lucy. Add this book to your carry-on or toss it into your glove compartment and you’re ready to see some of the iconic settings from the silver screen up close. On Location: A Film and TV Lover’s Travel Guide also makes a perfect gift for road trips or film trivia lovers!
Road Trip: The Sports Lover’s Travel Guide to Museums, Halls of Fame, Fantasy Camps, Stadium Tours, and More! breaks down–state by state—every place a sports fan will want to visit. Included here is everything from restaurants owned by sports celebrities to sites as the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The latest trend–celebrity cruises with your favorite team—are also detailed, as are both birthplaces and gravesites of the stars, and such obscure museums as the Ted Williams Hitters’ Hall of Fame in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Will Smith: A Biography portrays Smith’s West Philadelphia upbringing, his arrival and ascent in Hollywood, and his family life with his wife and fellow actor, Jada Pinkett, and their children. It covers Smith’s successes in three mediums: music, where his partnership with childhood friend DJ Jazzy Jeff culminated in the first-ever Grammy for rap; the wildly popular television show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air;” and his movie successes, from roles in blockbusters like Independence Day, Men in Black, and I Am Legend, to critically acclaimed, award-winning performances in Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness.
More of my books can be found here (the children’s books are not written by me).
You can find me in the A&E Biography on Ellen DeGeneres as well as the German version of Will Smith’s biography. I have appeared on many radio shows promoting my books.
I’m not only the founder of The Write Start podcast, but I’m the founder of the Reel Travels podcast, where I talk about traveling to see your favorite film and tv locations, film festivals, movie museums, and more. You can find that podcast here. You can find my personal travel blog, The Virgin Traveler, here.
On a personal note, I was a young widow after losing my husband to cancer in 1999. I raised my three amazing children who are now incredible adults. I am a two-time cancer survivor, including breast cancer. I live in the Hudson Valley, New York area and I love to watch television and movies and I enjoy sketching. I’m finally getting back to screenplays.
