The following years brought more memorable lines: Clara looked thoughtfully at a piece of broccoli and remarked, “If you painted this pink it would look like your taste buds.”

The day Billy learned how to ride a bike he confided to me, as I tucked him into bed that night, “I was scared and I had tears in my eyes but I didn’t let them fall over the edge.”

That book of early quotes is still an adored artifact in our home. It has been read and re-read dozens of times, mostly by the twins themselves.

When I went back to work fulltime and regularly spent hours traveling across country, I would use the airplane time to pen a story; faxing it home to my husband so he could read it to the kids before they went to sleep. Those early bedtime stories always included twins who saved the world. Looking back, I’m not sure if I did the writing more for them or for me. The travel was tough on all of us and connecting with the kids through words made me feel like a better mother, or at least one who wasn’t quite as absent.

A decade later, on a whim, I entered a short story contest sponsored by the Marin Independent Journal. It was to finish a half-started “Christmas story” in 500 words or less. On Christmas morning my most surprising gift was seeing my name next to “First Place” on the cover of the Lifestyles section along with my story and two lovely four-color illustrations. My tears did fall over the edge when I realized I just might be a writer.

The next year I entered the contest again and won with a story entitled “Surrogate Santa.” With a little more confidence, I responded when the sports editor of the IJ asked readers to write his column while he was on vacation. My entry was published in his section, and the sports editor asked me to write a second one. During that same period, a women’s professional organization on whose Advisory Board I served, asked me to write for their glossy-four color magazine. That turned into a recurring volunteer ‘job’ composing  quarterly articles about business topics like meeting facilitation, how to become invaluable at work, and the best ways to look for a job in a tough economy.

A surprise call from a dear high school friend, now an Emmy-award winning screenwriter in Hollywood, prompted me to join him in entering a playwriting contest. I wrote a one act play based on the Pilates class I was taking in Mill Valley with eight hilariously wacky women. It was the kind of class that was equal parts psychological therapy, physical exercise and comedy. My play—and my friend’s too—was selected to be produced. There are few things better than hearing people laugh, sigh, and react emotionally to your words while sitting with them in the dark. I was a playwright.

Shortly after the premiere, a friend of a friend who occasionally showed up for Pilates class, approached me about teaming up to write a novel. Sue had seen my stories in the IJ and had a plot in mind. My first thought was to say ‘no’ but Sue was so persistent, funny and interesting, I said ‘yes.’

It took almost three years to complete—there were lots of starts and stops due to job changes, kids being sick and injured, Boy Scout campouts, band concerts, SAT tests, driving lessons, birthday parties, deaths in the family, and the general chaos that is married life with kids. More surprising yet, it’s selling well on Amazon (Kindle), Nook, iBooks, and in paperback.

Meant To Be is a story about a family. It’s funny, sad, truthful, a bit steamy, and, ultimately, shows how resilient people can be. Sue and I would love to know how members of the Southern Marin Mothers’ Club like it. Check out the website at www.meant-to-be.net or share your thoughts with us via Twitter:@meantotobebook or by email at meanttobebook@gmail.com.

This article was published in the September Issue of the Southern Marin Mothers’ Club.

When you travel to get to your vacation location, a book passes the time, distracts you from perhaps your not-so-ideal surroundings (man, those airplane seats are tight), and keeps you company until you get to your destination. Hours in a car, plane, or train? A book is a great way to pass the ime. A book is something familiar that you brought from home or a purchase to remind you of the place you were visiting.

Staycations are becoming even more popular, as more people stay at home doing fun things around town. How about laying in a hammock in the backyard sipping on some iced tea with past issues of your favorite magazine? A trip to the library or bookstore to grab some books that you have been meaning to read? An afternoon slumming on the couch with your favorite reading material piled high is exciting, cost effective and sounds to me like heaven!

After a day of sight seeing, hiking, or family gatherings I long to hop into bed and read a local paper to see what is going on in the town I’m visiting. It’s a great escape from the sights and sounds of a new location and a fabulous way to unwind. Isn’t that what vacation is all about, relaxing from the daily grind? Gather your favorite book, and even if it’s just the afternoon take a vacation with your special text and escape!

What do you like to do on vacation?

That’s the way Sue and I feel when people ask, “Is the book autobiographical?”

Despite being very different from one another, both our lives are full of working crazy hours, raising amazing kids, being in relationships, making mistakes, having fabulous jobs, doing too little of one thing or too much of another; it’s all material for infusing the characters with the traits and flaws that make them human. We pulled from our individual and shared experiences to create people and plot.

It’s the highest compliment when readers tell us they relate to Judith; or how people in the book remind them of people they really know. Actually, some of the characters are based very closely on real individuals and some are more like Mr. Potato-head; real parts but all rearranged.

As they say in the news business: Why let the truth get in the way of a good story?

Tell us if there is a character in Meant To Be you recognize or feel you have met before!

Here’s what one “real man” (a broadcast journalist in the Bay Area) recently said about Meant To Be:

“I read it, EXPERIENCED “Meant To Be,” sweated every epiphany, every steamy moment with Judith’s character, as she twisted-and-yearned, looking for lov(ers) in all the wrong places — wow, my fingers burned as I turned the pages, the book was that HOT!  I wanna see the movie … now!  This is like ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ … on drugs!“
–Christopher S., San Francisco CA

So, let’s just say that Meant To Be pleases a variety of palates, carnivores as well as vegans. Men and women. Married and single.  Over-21 and vintage.

Get your man to read Meant To Be and see what he thinks!  Would love to have you post a comment about it!!

Everything sounds better with song, right? The adorable fellows at wesingyourtweets honored Meant To Be by performing a tweet from the other week. You can listen to it here. Better yet: download the book and read what all the singing is all about!

Be like Lori Howard: “Just finished Meant to Be. LOVED it!!! Couldn’t put it down!” (From Meant To Be site)

We like to “figure things out”. With the tenacity of pit bulls, we figure things out. I’m writing this 1^st post, to tell others that if you have a desire to write (or read), it’s later than you think and you need to  “figure it out”.

Here’s my tough love speech. It’s really fun to let your imagination go wild! You don’t have the time you say? Sleep less. Eat faster. Write poolside/in the bleachers while little Mike or Sally have 30 seconds of playtime in a several hour game. Bring your e-reader and read. Bring a notebook and write. (Note: Clap at appropriate moments). My favorite suggestion might be to put the clocks ahead a half an hour and put the kids to bed early and sit down and read or write! Here’s the big one, KILL THE T.V.! You will be amazed at what you can get done.  I’d love to hear where or when your favorite place is to read or write!