If I Was Writing the Next Sequel in the Twilight Series…

I’m a Twilight addict. I’ve watched most of the five movies in the series (Twilight, Eclipse, New Moon, Breaking Dawn part 1, Breaking Dawn part 2), made from the books written by Stephenie Meyer, 10 times, and that’s just in the last two months. That’s not counting the last few years. 

I’ve become so engrossed in the story lately that I feel like I’m a part of it. So it stands to reason that at the end of Breaking Dawn part 2, after Bella becomes a vampire and she, Edward and Renesmee live happily ever after, I didn’t want it to end. 

So I started thinking, what if it didn’t end? What if there was a 5th sequel? And what if I could have a say in what was in that sequel, what would I want in it? And the first thing that came to mind for me was completely obvious. I didn’t even have to think twice about it. 

The first thing that would have to happen to give me total and complete satisfaction is that Jane would have to die. I don’t like the control she has over other vampires with her power to cause pain, and for me, I would like nothing more than to see that little red-eyed bitch get her head ripped off.

So then, what would come next? Well, Jane’s death could be the beginning of the end for the Volturi. I’d like to see the entire Volturi coven spiral downward and get destroyed. But ripping their heads off would be too boring and ordinary. Instead, I’d like their Italian castle to go up in flames and have Arrow and his coven melt in the flames, like they were descending into hell. 

Of course, Edward and Bella would have to continue to be the stars of the show so I’m thinking they could rise to power in some way and take over where the Volturi left off. But they wouldn’t be bad vampires, they would be good. They would fight injustice and kill serial killers like Edward did when he was a newborn. 

The story could pick up 100 years after the last one, so that Bella’s parents and friends are all dead. And it’s just the Cullens now who know their truth. 

And the last idea that I have is for Jacob and Renesmee to marry and have children. It would be the ultimate way of bringing the wolves and the vampires together as a family. For the first time in their history, their bloodlines would actually mix. It would be really interesting to see what kind of children they would create and what magical powers they would have.

Do you have an idea for a Twilight sequel? If so, describe it in the comment section below. I’d love to hear about it. 

If you like a good book that keeps you on your toes and surprises you at every turn, please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon. It has 11 5-star reviews!

Why My Female Characters Are Such Strong Independent Women

People say write what you know, and we are what we write, whether we realize it or not. I would be the first to tell you that my characters are not about me or my life, but subliminally, there is a connection. For instance, I was raised by a single mom who worked two jobs her whole life and raised four kids on her own. While cooking and cleaning and teaching us our prayers and helping us with our homework, she also climbed the corporate ladder and became a homeowner. To my siblings and I, she was a superwoman, always larger than life. Even when she died, my siblings and I agreed, we were shocked. It never occurred to us that she was ever going to die. 

But I'm a lot like her, good and bad, and the strengths I picked up from her naturally come out in my characters. Tracey is a businesswoman, climbing the ladder to the top of her field. She's a decision maker, a multitasker and a forward thinker. Kara literally pulled herself out of the gutter to achieve her dreams, starting with nothing but guts and grit, and treating every moment as a learning experience and absorbing knowledge like a sponge. Allison, on the other hand, knows that her dream is "all or nothing," and she has put every ounce of energy and time into being the best because she knows it won't happen if she gives anything less. 

Some of this character development is very intentional because I want the reader to feel motivated when they close the back cover and put the book down. I want them to know that they can be their own person and stand on their own and walk away feeling that if the character they just read about can do it, then they can do it too. 

What kind of characters do you write? Are they mirror images of yourself and the people around you or do you prefer to create characters that are nothing like yourself, perhaps someone you want to be or someone you know you can never be except in your fantasies? 

I challenge you to analyze your characters and find the similarities and differences between you and them. I think you may find more similarities than you think. I did. Are you happy with the direction you took them in? What do you think would have happened to your book or story if you took them down a different path? 

As writers, it's good for us to look at our work from a different point of view once in a while. It gets us out of our comfort zone and stretches our capabilities so that our next work is different, new, and exciting. 

Happy writing!

If you like a good book that keeps you on your toes and surprises you at every turn, please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon. It has 11 5-star reviews!

How I Secured a Writing Assignment About My Caribbean Vacation

Pitcher Bobby Ojeda and
center fielder Lenny Dykstra
playing volleyball on the cruise.

Seven days and seven Caribbean Islands by themselves would have given me a lifetime of memories for this cruise, but what made it even more special was the fact that it was a publicity tour for the New York Mets and I got to meet a few players as well as other members of the team.

The year was 1986 and the Mets had just won the World Series. It was their first World Series win since 1969. I was 28 and a dedicated Mets fan at the time. (I actually switched teams years later and became a Yankee fan.)

At the time, I worked for the Stamford Advocate, my local newspaper, but in sales, not editorial. I had written a couple of freelance pieces for the paper and I secretly wished I could get them to approve an article about my cruise for the sports desk.

On Friday, the day before we were to leave on the Cunard Countess out of Puerto Rico, an editor came over to the sales department and said there was going to be birthday cake for a reporter named Eileen at 3:00 and invited everyone in the sales department to come down. I ended up standing right next to Bob, the sports editor, as I ate my piece of cake so I made my move. Only half-joking, I said, “You should have me write an article about my cruise with the World Series winning Mets.”

I went back to my desk thinking nothing was going to come of it, but 10 minutes later, Bob came over to me and said “yes, we want you to write the story.” I was walking on cloud 9! In the end, the newspaper gave me almost a full page. And to this day it is still my favorite article, even though I’ve written as many as 2,000 pieces of content.

Are you interested in writing about a travel destination?
Don’t be afraid to solicit publications—there are plenty of opportunities out there for firsthand travel experiences, but you should do it at least two months before you leave to ensure they can fit you into the schedule. If you get approved, be sure to ask the editor what key points he or she would like you to focus on and who the audience is so you know who you’re writing for. Finally, once you hand the article in, be sure to have another idea ready to pitch. In other words, “strike while the iron is hot.” It doesn’t have to be a travel piece unless the publication is travel niched. Check the website to see what other opportunities exist and say, “I see that you cover a lot of… I have seven years’ experience in that area…”

Good luck and happy writing!

If you like a good book that keeps you on your toes and surprises you at every turn, please check out my novel, In Fashion's Web on Amazon. It has 11 5-star reviews!