New York City. The Big Apple.

What a place. And I’ve only been here 2 days.

I left the house at 6 a.m. on Monday, went straight through the Starbucks drive-thru and got an iced coffee to keep me awake as I headed to the airport. So glad I allowed for time because the security lines were ridiculously long. Wrapped around the atrium several times long. It reminded me of seeing the Empire State Building the last time I was in New York. There’s a line. To get to another line. To jockey for position in yet another line.

Note to self: do not try to go see the Empire State Building at sunset, and do not be fooled by short lines. They are never short. How Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks ever got up there at the perfect sunset moment to meet up for Valentine’s Day in Sleepless in Seattle is a Hollywood hoax.

Anyhoo, there’s much construction going on here in NYC so even the air conditioned taxi only moved at a snail’s pace to get us to Times Square. The President was also in town so that only added to streets being blocked off and more crowds.

After getting settled into our Times Square hotel and vegging, I met up with some local friends here and we visited a few familiar haunts. For those travel oriented, here you go:

• Monte’s in The Village. Fabulous Italian, a family run place for close to 100 years. How a family has worked together and maintained a business for almost a century is a testament to how well it is run. Most families wouldn’t even want to work together in a professional way.
• La Lanterna, also in the Village and closer to NYU. Wonderful and intimate cafe for coffee, gelato, anything you want. Those of you who read my 2nd book in the Elemental Clan Series, RAGING FIRE, this is the place my characters frequent. It’s an essential part of the NYC experience.

Tuesday was filled with more sightseeing, including a lovely place to have breakfast and coffee in the West Village called The Bus Stop Cafe. I love the West Village. It’s the only place I’ve been in New York that doesn’t feel as crowded and crazy as NYC can seem (especially in the Midtown/Times Square area). It’s also one of the few areas where you’ll see people walking their dogs. Everyone just seems more laid back here.

Did I mention people walk dogs here? I even saw a couple walking a Great Dane. A GREAT DANE. In New York City!!!

Then we went to see the High Line. For those who don’t know, the High Line used to be a train line but after years of being abandoned, the city turned it into a park, walking path, and great place to enjoy views of the Hudson River while surrounded by flora and fauna.

Here’s a few pics near the 14th Street entrance:

We did the Circle Line boat tour later in the day. Even though I’ve done the abbreviated tour (1 hour) before, this 2.5 hour one still had interesting info and fun tour guides. They pointed out popular spots in movies, where Sigourney Weaver lives, and we also saw the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. Some photos:

And then came Tuesday night. Broadway. The best night I have ever experienced on Broadway.

My friends had somehow managed to snag 2nd row seats at Studio 54 Theater where ACT OF GOD, starring Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory, is playing. So we go inside the famous old club from the 70s and go to our 2nd row seats.

Blog coming soon, telling the fun of seeing Jim Parsons on Broadway…

Hi all,

I’m guest blogging for a fellow writer today. We’re talking about all things haunted, spooky and pre-Halloween. She is running a month-long Halloween themed blog.

Read my post / Q&A here. 

Thanks all!

People ask me all the time, “Where do your story ideas come from?”

My answer? “Everywhere.”

That’s partially true. But ideas are like ingredients in a big recipe that all work together. They have to marinate with each other and occasionally you toss in some of that spiced pepper “just because” you wanted to see how it would flavor the soup.

Many news stories, particularly the ridiculous ones like those mentioned in the Huffington Post, are complete fodder for fiction ideas. So is any kind of special on the History, Nature, News channels on TV.

Someone mentioned there is a place on Earth where there is a higher population of twins than anywhere else. This is a documented fact. Take that bit of info and see how many places you can go with it!

1. Is there something in the water?

2. Is there a supernatural phenomena going on?

3. Is there a hidden ancient culture of people who produce twins? What happens when the twins grow up? Are they stronger than anyone else in their village?

And you just keep adding, flavoring, marinating until a storyline starts to form.

More tomorrow!

Now I have the Disney song in my head, the one that goes, “It’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all….”

Anyhoo. Yes, we live in a big world with many countries, languages and cultures. But I love how sometimes, paths cross and we see how small of a world it really is.

Last night, I met a colleague and friend who I used to work with for dinner. She said she was bringing someone, a person who is interested in writing and wanted to meet me. I thought sure, why not? Food? Talk about writing? Friends? What else is there?

So it turns out…I already knew the person she wanted me to meet. She is part of my regular writer’s group and I’ve known her for years. My friend was baffled that we already knew each other, but hey, it’s a small world.

What are some instances of when the world seemed smaller to you?

Happy Monday all! This summer is going by way too quickly!

I’m blogging over at Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal (FFP) today on characters and getting them to talk to you again! Check it out here.

We celebrated our granddaughter’s first birthday over the 4th of July weekend; a great time was had by all. I will be at the RWA National Conference in San Antonio, TX, and will be signing at the Indie Book Signing there.

Have a great week!