My Books
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Thorny Seduction
Doing this in pieces was not how I planned it, but life is not a straight road in the desert; it is a busy street under construction in New York City! And I’m trying my best. What I’m trying to say is, my writing projects keep getting interrupted because sometimes I have to work on other equally crucial projects — such as a day job. But as the teacher takes her break, the writer is back at it to pick up where she left off. Last year, I started working on something I called Seduce Me to Use and I’m very excited to get back to it this summer. I…
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The Art Teacher Who Couldn’t Draw – Excerpt
For my short stories, please visit Books Once upon a time, I signed up for a foreign program to become a language teacher assistant. The program would allow me to work and live in Europe. I was hired and, despite some doubts, in the end I said, why the heck not? My role was described as “prepare activities that focused on language and culture (based on the United States, in my case).” Essentially, I had to recreate the American English version of everyday lessons, adding a touch of their own culture. Of course, this was flexible; every school made use of their assistant differently. Piece of cake, I thought. That…
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Breaking: Indie Writer Finishes Book
Available at stores below: Smashwords | Amazon | iBooks One thing every independent author knows is how darn hard it is to go from idea to writing to publishing, all on our own. Whenever any non-writer says, oh I could totally write a book, I have to imagine they’re not aware of all the snags that come with the territory — writer’s block, the lack of time, the sleepless nights, the urge to edit as you write, the pain that is the formatting, the marketing… which one can only put up with when the passion for the art is bigger than the desire for the money. That’s why it’s a BIG deal…
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When He Wants Out – Excerpt
Maybe we can get together tonight or sometime this weekend? That’s not a text you send to a woman you claim to be in love with; that’s more appropriate for a hookup. And, ending it with a question mark…so typically him. It means it won’t happen. Sometimes, I wish I didn’t know his grammatical personality so well. Even though I suspected he wouldn’t show up that Friday night, when he sent me that text, I wore my blue satin slip dress, his favorite dress of mine. My willpower got drowsy in the end, anyway, and I ended up passing out on the couch, without him by my side, and I…
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Where He Goes – Excerpt
“By the way, you like pasta, right?” “I do.” “Perfect. Wine?” “Please.” Talking about world news and the occasional nonsense, we sip on wine and snack on veggies while waiting on the water to come to a boil. It’s so surreal to be here with him and not FaceTiming or texting. I’m close to finishing my first glass of wine when Dante, in his suave way, comes closer and tries to remove a string of moist hair from my left eye. “You know you could just ask me for a hairdryer, right?” he whispers in my ear. “And you couldn’t get any closer if you tried,” I tease him. But…
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Compilation of Best Posts
To whom it may concern: I compiled my favorite and best blog posts from the past six years and they’re now in this eBook format, for the avid reader on the go. You can make them your kill-time stories if you want. I always love hearing from new people outside of my regular blog postings. It is free, of course. About SayEtcétera: I came up with the word around 2014, when I started creating greeting cards and needed a catchphrase as a signature for my store, something that summed up my work. Its meaning is very literal: “…and so forth.” Basically, say everything, anything that you need to say.…
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Letters to Ex Lovers – Excerpt 1
I couldn’t understand your urgency that night, wasn’t it past your bedtime? “Is it true, you’re seeing someone else now?” you asked. I was so confused. But, “yes,” I replied. “Do you love him?” “Of course not.” I laughed. “I just met this guy.” You never called me before that night. You never showed interest in anything other than back-alley encounters at midnight. Why did you care if someone wanted more of me, more than you ever did? Why did it matter to you now? I was confused because I felt nothing for you then and I’d thought it was a mutual thing, but little did I know you felt…
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Would You Be Proud of Your Naked Soul?
Will your eyes be as pretty if you removed the lashes? Will your chest be popping without the silicone? Will your hair make waves if the extensions came off? Will they be enchanted if you showed your true soul? These are questions I wish every girl asked herself. I guess it pains me to hear a 12-year-old say that she has to get her eyebrows done so that her peers don’t make fun of her, or a 16-year-old think her world will come to an end if her nails aren’t done for the first day of her last year of high school. (True story.) What have we become? I’ve traveled…
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You’re the Real Deal
What some men say, or what you think men say about your chest, is bringing you down. Don’t let this fiction influence your reality. Remove everyone’s eyes from you. Forget about everyone’s views on the “ideal” breasts and you’ll be alone in the room with the only critic that matters: yourself. It’s important that you understand that you’re not a walking magazine cutout. You’re the real deal, the full 3D experience, if you will, with working organs that cannot be trimmed down (or blown up, in our case) just to fit the mold. Love your assets — they’re beautiful the way they are. Bringing women a bit of inspiration on this start…
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Affirmation of the Obvious – Excerpt
He makes questions, he seems curious, intrigued by me, as am I by him. He listens to every word I say as if he’s hearing it for the first time. He stares straight into my eyes with those deep hazel eyes and it’s almost threatening. He pays attention to me in a way that nobody ever has… His company is comforting. It’s as though we’ve known each other for a long time. They say vibes don’t lie, and I agree with the energy here being all positive. As I’m thinking how I don’t want to be released from this moment, I hear Maggie tell Pablo, “I need to leave you…
