Wednesday, January 11, 2023 So 2022 has come and gone. I am amazed at how fast the year went. I must also admit that life commitments got in the way of my writing this year. I've decided that I can't let that happen again this year. I've begun a novel, working title is WHAT HAPPENED IN HEDDONBARROW. My plan is to finish at least the first draft in 2023. I have to fit the writing in around my full time job and some other obligations but I am determined this year. Wish me luck. Diane |
Wednesday, January 19, 2022 2022 has arrived. Stay tuned... |
Thursday, February 18, 2021 "I am that I am," said the character Gregory in Lawrence Durrell's novel The Black Book published in France in 1938. Published in France because at the time it was too sexual for England. If you've watched the British television series The Durrells of Corfu, you know who Larry is. He was Louisa's oldest son and already an aspiring writer when the family moved from England to Corfu in 1935. The television series is fabulous. It is well worth watching.
And The Black Book is well worth reading. Larry is an imaginative and lyrical writer. And profound. "I am that I am". The words are not only profound but they are inspiring. They stopped me in my tracks. They have altered my view of myself. They have opened a floodgate for my creativity. I am that I am.
Thank you, Lawrence Durrell. Thank you. |
Monday, October 26, 2020 I voted early. I went yesterday, Sunday, October 25, 2020. Please, all of you, do your civic duty. Please vote. |
Saturday, September 19, 2020 America lost an amazing woman Friday. Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. There are no words that can describe what a loss her passing is. For her family and for this country. She did so much for women's rights. May she rest in peace. |
Monday, March 30, 2020 I never thought that I would experience a worldwide Pandemic. My late grandparents lived through the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. And now that I'm in the middle of the Coronavirus Pandemic I wish I had asked them questions about 1918. But if wishes were horses....
I want to thank all the healthcare workers and first responders who are putting their lives on the line every day. I pray for you every night. One of those healthcare workers is my cousin Dr. Adriana Meholick. I pray for her every night.
Thank you Dr. Anthony Fauci for your honesty and knowledge.
Everyone, we need to be supportive of each other during this time. We can social distance and still be supportive and kind. Pick up the phone. Talk to each other. Text each other. Email each other. Help how you can whatever way you can. The United States can survive this.
Godspeed to you all.
Diane
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Saturday, February 1, 2020 I never thought that the United States could turn into a dictatorship in my lifetime but the nightmare is happening. We must fight back. We all must vote this November. Don't stay home. We must save Democracy. |
Monday, May 20, 2019 So I've got two different books going. And I'm not sure which one I want to finish writing first. Working titles are "The Body in Rotary Rink" and "All Things Right". One is a mystery and one is what I shall call a not-so-conventional love story. I keep jumping back and forth between them. I need to make up my mind. Or do I..... |
Sunday, January 27, 2019 Thank you, Nancy Pelosi. Thank you, Chuck Schumer. |
Sunday, February 11, 2018 I am writing again. I must admit that I stopped for a time. But one of my cousins, Dr. Adriana Meholick, inspired me to start writing again. I thank her and am amazed by all she has accomplished in her young life. She is in her twenties and she is a surgeon. She has pursued her dream and unlike me, she never gave up or wavered. I am proud of her. And, yes, as I already said, I am inspired. |
Thursday, September 28, 2017 Please find a way to support our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria devastated them. The island is a US Territory. They need all the help we can give them. Please find a legitimate charity and donate. Puerto Rico needs all of us now. |
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 A new era has dawned in the United States. It is not a good era. Join the resistance. Hear Robert Reich, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. I'm listening. |
Friday, August 19, 2016 My friend and favorite Buffalo, NY singer/songwriter recently won The Jim Lauderdale Songwriter of the Year Award at the Sportmans Americana awards. I am so proud of her. Check out her music on her website. Just click here Alison Pipitone |
Sunday, June 26, 2016 Yes, I am writing. I am working on the first draft of my Prohibition novel. I am very excited. For once, I am not working from an outline. I am letting my characters take me where they will. Writing like this is freeing. Can't wait to see how the story turns out. Stay tuned. |
Wednesday, April 27, 2016 So I've been wondering what I would have done had I lived during the Roaring 20's. I probably would have been a rebel, a flapper, a modern girl, and, yes, I would have still imbibed. I think I shall write about it. Yes, I think it will make for a very entertaining novel. |
Thursday, March 17, 2016 This is what I often wonder. What if I'd been a young woman during the Roaring 20's? When alcohol was banned but not forgotten. Speakeasies, bootleggers, and rum-runners. And money, mansions and fancy automobiles. What if..... |
Saturday, March 5, 2016 One word...Prohibition. |
Monday, February 15, 2016 So I was working on the short story anthology that I was planning and then it happened. What happened, you ask? My characters in the short story I was writing screamed at me. They screamed, "WE ARE NOVEL WORTHY!" And they meant it. Stopped me in my tracks on the short story anthology. Now I'm writing a novel. Amazing to me how the muse flies. Stay tuned. |
Tuesday, November 10, 2015 I have been in conversation with my dear friend and colleague Tom Waters regarding my next project. He helped me decide that the next project will be a second short story anthology. I have written two stories and started a third. The creative juices are flowing. Stay tuned. If all goes well, we may be looking at a 2016 publishing date. I will keep you informed. |
Thursday, September 17, 2015 Hi, Everyone, I have an event coming up in October with my friend and colleague Tom Waters. We will be at Milkies on Elmwood in Buffalo, NY. The event starts at 2pm. You can see more details if you click on the events tab. Hope to see you there. |
Thursday, April 9, 2015 On April 8th I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Tom Waters show "Big Words I Know By Heart". Tom and I, along with Diabetes Dave, had a great discussion covering a wide range of topics. You won't want to miss it. Just click here. EpisodeIX. |
Sunday, January 25, 2015 In winter I write. When the snow piles up outside I write. Wearing my favorite flannel shirt I write. My dog lying at my feet I write. A glass of wine at hand I write. And it is titled Helvetia.... |
Friday, June 27, 2014 It is officially summer in Buffalo, NY. Spent my lunch sipping a Very Berry Hibiscus drink on the patio at Starbucks. Sun shining down. Blue sky with white puffy clouds. An inspiring day. |
Friday, February 28, 2014 2014 has arrived and so have new ideas. How about a novel about a dog named Max? Or a book about a boy named Jedadiah living through Prohibition? Ideas, ideas, ideas. Creative life is good. |
Friday, August 30, 2013 So the writing continues. Working on something new. Something different. Stay tuned. |
Wednesday, May 29, 2013 Spring has sprung. New writing has begun. Stay tuned. |
Wednesday, February 13, 2013 So, it has been over a year since I've posted anything. Due to some crazy life turns, my writing has taken a back seat. I've got 4 books started but can't seem to finish any of them. My boy, Elvis, is now 2 years old. He is a very handsome Sheltie. He loves to play and he keeps me busy. I got a job with a great, prosperous, local Buffalo bank and I love it. But, again, there isn't much time to write. Still, I do have some ideas kicking around in my head and I'm sure I'll write them down in the future. So stay tuned. You never know when the writing muse will strike me again. - Diane |
Monday, January 9, 2012 Thought you would all like to know that I'm working on a murder mystery tentatively entitled THE BODY IN ROTARY RINK. It's time to write something different, creative and fun. I'll let you know how it progresses. Also, I posted a couple of pictures of my handsome Shetland Sheepdog, Elvis Aaron Presley Meholick. Check him out. He's in the misc. photos on the photo page. Love to you all, Diane
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Friday, October 7, 2011 Any film noir fans out there in Cyberland?
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Saturday, September 17, 2011 It has been quite a long time since I've written. I think I've said it before. I'm not very good at the blog business. Anyway, I am still working on a new novel. I am thinking of putting it out only as an e-book to start. If you read this and have an opinion you'd like to share with me concerning e-books vs traditional books, leave me a message on my message page. I am also thinking about putting one of my previous books out as an e-book as well. I'm trying to decide which one I want to do though. As always, decisions, decisions and more decisions. I hope you are all well and prospering.
Take care,
Diane
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011 Well, according to the calendar, Spring is here. However, the weather here in Buffalo has not been cooperative. We are still dealing with snow here. Ugh. I also wanted to let you all know that I've taken down my Myspace and Facebook profiles. Both of these services are becoming too intrusive into privacy areas for my taste. And, I have a new puppy. His name is Elvis--yes, named after the King--and he's now 4 1/2 monrhs old. He is in obedience training at present. He is, at last, housebroken. His colors are Sable and White. That's all for now. More later. |
Monday, December 6, 2010 I can't believe that it is December and I haven't made a blog entry since May. Yikes. Guess I'm not very good at this blogger business. Anyway, hello to you all. There have been some changes in my life. First and foremost, I lost my sweet dog, Tess. She died peacefully in my arms on November 9th. She was 17 years old. I miss her very much. She was the best dog. Second, I am once again working as a Title Examiner for my favorite boss, Ms. Beth Schumacher. On the writing front, I now have five novels started and I'm not sure which one I'll finish. But whichever one it is, I'll have to hunt down a new publisher. Ahh, the trials and tribulations of writing. Lastly, my short story Waiting For William has been published in the short story anthology, VOICES FROM THE HERD. All proceeds from the book benefit the Just Buffalo Literary Society. Pick up a copy at Voices. I shall try not to take so long to post again. -- Diane |
Thursday, May 6, 2010 The Producing and Selling Music II seminar was a smashing success. All the speakers shared valuable information with the attendees. I'm already looking forward to next year's event. Also, my Just Plain Folks musicians group is planning some summer events. I'll post them as they come up. On the fiction writing side of my life, there's not much to report. I'm still trying to find a project that excites me. I've started a novel inspired by the 1920's but I'm not sure if it's something that will eventually be published. I've decided to just have fun with this story and see how it ends up. That's all for now. Peace. - Diane |
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 Hi, Everyone. Spring has sprung here in Buffalo, NY. The sky is blue. The sun is shining. It's in the fifties temperature wise. I'm loving it!!!! I must confess, however, that I have not been writing much. I have decided to re-arrange my writing studio and to get rid of papers upon papers of research I've saved over the years. With the modern invention called "The Internet", I no longer need to save all of it. Once this task is done, I do believe I'll get back to my writing. And speaking of writing, if anyone is interested in songwriting and you live in the Buffalo, NY area, you will want to attend the PRODUCING AND SELLING MUSIC II seminar. There will be some great guest speakers and handouts. Check out the website at www.producingandsellingmusic.com.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010 As I sit here in the Clarence Center Cafe watching the open mic performers, I find myself thinking about 2010 and where my writing projects stand. "Time in Buffalo" has been put on the back burner. In trying to cut the book in half, I found that the story was getting lost. So I've opted to set it aside for now. I thought about the offer to do another short story anthology but my head is not really into short stories right now. Another novel is brewing in my mind. In fact, I've written the first few sentences and I think this has promise. I also plan to post some more works both on this website and at fictionpress.com this year. I'll let you know when I do. I also plan on performing with Just Plain Folks again this year so I'll post those dates on the Events page as they come up. And I hope you all have a good 2010. I'll be checking in again soon. Diane |
Friday, November 27, 2009 Hi, Everyone. Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas season is upon us. And, yes, I did shop on Black Friday. But not until the afternoon. No 4 a.m. wake up calls for me. I wanted to let you all know about my latest online endeavor. I signed up with Fiction Press and posted a new story there. Check it out at www.fictionpress.com.
Let me know what you think of the story. |
Saturday, October 24, 2009 Well, October is coming to a close and I have decision to make. I've been approached about doing another book of short stories. If I decide to do it, I will have to once again put Time in Buffalo aside for a while. Ahhh, decisions, decisions, decisions. I shall mull it over for a bit. Also, my friend John Kloberdanz has been recording his first CD. Alison Pipitone is producing the record. John and Al make a great combo so I know the CD is going to be awesome. You can learn more about John at his website www.johnkloberdanz.com. That's all for now. I'll let you know what I decide about doing another short story anthology.
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Tuesday, September 8, 2009 Well, summer is coming to a close here in Buffalo, NY. And while it wasn't the best one weather wise, it had two great things occur for two of my colleagues. First, my friend Alison Pipitone and her band released their new CD, Me and Miss Grimes . Of course I've listened to it. Of course it's incredible. Second, my friend Tom Waters released his new book, Slapstick & Superego . It's a must read if, like me, you love rants. Tom is a gifted writer. I am still plugging away at the rewrite of Time in Buffalo. Also, I have some new events posted on the Events page. You may also what to check out the pics I added from my Colorado trip this summer. I put them under Misc. photos. To learn more about my colleagues' respective new releases, check out their websites:
tomfoolery4.wordpress.com and www.alisonpipitone.com. That's all for now. |
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 Hi, Everyone. I can't believe how quickly this summer is going. Lots happening. Festivals and free music shows galore. Speaking of which, I added the annual Just Plain Folks Songwriter Showcase to my Events page. Check out the date and time. The first draft of Time in Buffalo is completed and edited. I have much revision work to do. But I shall keep plugging away at it. And great news for my fellow Alison Pipitone Band fans. Their new CD comes out August 8th. You can learn more about the CD and find out the release party date on the band's website: www.alisonpipitone.com Okay, that's all for now. Talk to you soon. |
Tuesday, June 9, 2009 The open mic run by Alison Pipitone on Wednesdays at Roz's Bar and Grill in Hamburg, New York is both entertaining and fun. I played there last week and really enjoyed myself. I plan on going again on June 24th. I listed the details on my Events page. If you write songs or even if you like to play cover songs, come out and join Alison at the open mic. Like me, you'll have fun, and stage experience is invaluable. Hope to see you there.
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Thursday, May 28, 2009 Well, May is quickly coming to a close. During this month, I participated in the Local Author's Day event at The North Tonawanda History Museum. Had an outstanding time! Read from all three of my books and sold some copies as well. This summer I will be concentrating on writing the new novel and writing some new songs. I also plan on performing at some open mics. I'll list them on the Events page as they come up. That's it for now. I'll try to write more often. Talk to you soon.
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Sunday, April 26, 2009 I'm fresh from a great Monsters of Verse event last night at the Caz Coffee Shop in South Buffalo. I shared the stage with Kyle Kaczmarczyk, J.R. Finlayson and Tom Waters. It was a great night. We had a wonderful audience. And books were sold. We've had a beautiful weekend here in Buffalo, NY. It has inspired me and this afternoon, I spent 3 hours working on the next book, Time in Buffalo. My next event is coming up on May 16th at the N.T. History Museum in North Tonawanda, NY. I'll be giving a talk and of course I will also be selling and autographing copies of my three books. You can learn more about this event if you check out my Events page or you can go to http://www.nthistorymuseum.org/ |
Monday, April 6, 2009 As I sit in my writing office and look out the window, I see falling snow. Yes, it is April 6th here in Buffalo, NY and it's snowing outside. And yesterday it was 50 degrees and sunny. Go figure. Ya gotta love Buffalo. Anyway, the Aprilfool Fest 2, hosted by Tom Waters, was an incredible event. Tom read some very funny rants from his upcoming book, Slapstick and Superego. It is coming out in August. You will definitely want to get your hands on it then. And check out the cover. Too funny and rather brilliant.  I also enjoyed the piano playing and singing of local musician Lenny Revell. Great guy and great music. You can learn more about him at myspace.com/lennyrevell. That's all for now. Talk to you again soon. |
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Just wanted to let you know that I posted some new pictures on the Photos page. They are from the Buffalo Small Press Book Fair event. And speaking of events, a couple of new ones have been added. So check out the Events page while you are here.
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Sunday, March 22, 2009 Last week, the Entertainment world lost not only an actress, but a wonderful and beautiful woman. Natasha Richardson died after suffering a severe head injury while skiing. She was the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave, the wife of actor Liam Neeson, the sister of Joely Richardson and the mother of two sons. She was only 45 years old. She was loved by all who knew her. My heart goes out to her family. They are in my thoughts and prayers. Her death has saddened me. And it has also reminded me of how precious life is. Natasha left this world far too soon. Let us keep her family in our hearts.
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Friday, February 20, 2009 Hi, Everyone. Yes, the website has changed. It’s been re-designed and we added a message board. So, people, leave me a message. Since last I wrote, I survived being downsized by SecoLink Settlement Services and I got a new day job with Old Republic Title. I’ve written a few more songs, one of which was inspired by the SecoLink layoff. You can read the lyrics here on the website under the Works tab. I also made a discovery. That discovery being: I was finishing the wrong novel first! A short time ago, I told you all that I had two novels close to completion and that I’d decided to finish Loving Kyle before Time in Buffalo. Alas, the other day I was hard at work on Loving Kyle and right in the middle of a chapter I realized that Time in Buffalo has to come before Loving Kyle. Reason being, as the stories developed, the same character fit in both books but since the events in Time in Buffalo occur before those in Loving Kyle…well, you see what I mean. Anyway, I hope you like the new site. Talk to you again soon. |
Saturday, February 14, 2009 First off, Everyone, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. Cupid is out and about today I'm sure. My friend and fellow author Tom Waters invited me to join him at Borders Books and Music this past Friday (Feb. 13th) to promote our respective books and to do another one of his Monsters of Verse podcasts for Think Twice Radio. We had a smashing good time meeting people and putting together the podcast. And we sold some books. Tom is currently promoting his two poetry books, Breathing Room 1 and Breathing Room 2. They are both amazing books. Ones you definitely need to add to your poetry collection. On March 21st, Tom and I are teaming up again at the Small Press Book Fair at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum on Porter Ave. in Buffalo, NY. Click on the Events tab to learn more about this event. Come out and see us that day. You can learn more about Tom's work at tomfoolery4.wordpress.com. |