Think about all your favorite authors, and I bet the attribute they have in common is their willingness to put everything on the page. They have authentic voices, tell stories of unique, yet relatable characters who are challenged by a set of circumstances that, though they might not be yours, you could imagine what you’d do if life threw that curve ball. To put that kind of story on paper, you have to be wired in a particular way. This fact was taught to me by my kind, talented, incredibly smart daughter. A couple years ago (she was about sixteen), my daughter was asked to give a talk about mothers for a Mother’s Day event. She was nervous, but game. I spent all week looking forward to her magnificent dissertation on the glories of motherhood, using me, of course, as her shining example. I was very careful not to pressure her, not to even admit I was looking forward to this opus. Normally, as the writer in the family, I’d offer to edit the speech, but not this time. I wanted to be surprised, to hear it as a piece of performance art. My anticipation wasn’t giddy, but rather measured….

When I was in first grade, my mom made me a black cat costume for Halloween. It involved sewing a hood with cat ears and a tail onto one of my black leotards from dance class and a cat mask with a thin piece of elastic that ran went around the back of my head. I loved that costume. If memory serves, I wanted to wear the costume post-Halloween, because everybody wants to be a cat. Right? Since then there were gypsies and hobos and Indians. In college there was Marilyn Monroe, Cher, and the 80s-specific year I dressed as my Swatch Watch. I enjoy coming up with costume ideas as much as I enjoy wearing them which brings up a lot of questions about my identity. I’ve discovered that, when it comes to costumes, people fall into two camps: those who love them and those who don’t. There isn’t a lot of gray area. Being the former, I’ve wondered about the latter. Is it the trouble of putting together a specific look? Or have they only experienced uncomfortable costumes? Is the silliness of dressing as someone else off-putting? Or did they just not care about getting candy on Halloween?…

October is my favorite month in San Diego. The summer visitors and horse race crowds have gone home, leaving the beaches almost empty and relieving the traffic on the highways. Thanks to all the back-to-school sales, I’ve overfilled my file cabinet with cheap office supplies. The weather has become what everyone expects from Southern California – low 70s during the day and 60s at night. I only wish the days weren’t so short! I rely on walks on the beach to generate ideas and solve problems for my books. There’s something about walking in the sand and listening to the waves that makes my brain work better. I used to carry a digital recorder to take down ideas – in some ways it’s almost like a dream state and I’d easily forget the great plot idea that cleared my current red herring – but now I rely on my cell phone so I can take notes and keep going. Of course, one of the best parts of October is Halloween! Is there a better holiday than Halloween for a store that combines chocolate and books? In BEHIND CHOCOLATE BARS, chocolatier Michelle Serrano and book store owner Erica Russell are preparing…