Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

I’m Late….I’m Late!!!….

Posted on May 17, 2013

Hi Everyone,

I owe you an apology for not posting my blog on Monday, and being late this week. That hasn’t happened very often, but I have been so swamped with work and projects that for once I just couldn’t catch up!!! I really am sorry!!!

Last weekend, I spent time with my children in two cities for Mother’s Day, and this week I had so much work to do that it was like a giant snowball gathering momentum, the mountain on my desk just kept growing. We’re in the last stages of getting the music album I did ready to go online, I’m working on an art show I’m curating in August, I wrote an article for a magazine, a speech for a benefit, I’m starting a big re-write on a book tomorrow, and I’m thinking about an idea for a new children’s book, and working on an art project “for fun”. It has been a crazy week, and I looked at apartments with two of my daughters last week. » read more »

Filed Under Kids, Music, Writing | 1 Comment

Running Around

Posted on February 27, 2013

 

Hi Everyone,

Busy days for me, I’ve been in 2 countries and 3 cities in the past 5 days, flying between the cities where I live or visit, seeing my kids, and working. I am working on books in various phases, editing, re-writing, some fresh writing, and working on outlines. It’s still winter time, and this is when I do a LOT of writing. But I take time out to travel to see my children too!!

And speaking of wintertime—-no sign of Spring anywhere that I live. It has been bitter cold in Northern California, freezing cold in Paris, and snowing, and snowing and also freezing in New York. With some sleet thrown in for good measure. It has been bitter cold everywhere I’ve been. I am definitely ready for Spring and some warm weather. I’m tired of wearing layers of clothes and being cold wherever I go. Come on, Spring!!!

I’ve had some lovely time with my children, fun dinners with my youngest son, some good time with my youngest daughter (although she’s very busy), and some great time with my three next oldest daughters, some of it one-on-one, which is always very precious to me. Two of my girls and I are going to spend 10 days together. I can’t wait!!!! The greatest joy in my life is always my children, and then my work. And I am currently enjoying both!!!

Today I had a special thrill going to see a friend’s new baby. Without a tiny baby in your life, you forget how little they are, how sweet when they’re brand new, and how fascinating to watch. He was a week old when I saw him, as he looked around, listening to the sounds around him, looking peaceful in my arms. It’s a sweet feeling, and his parents were thrilled and in awe of him. It was nice to share a moment with them.

I have nothing new and exciting to report at the moment, but will have more to tell you next week. I just wanted to check in and say hi, and tell you that I’m thinking of you, as I fly from one city to another, and in between hunker down at my desk to work. Talk to you next week.

Love,  Danielle

Filed Under Kids, Travel, Writing | 3 Comments

Winter Daze

Posted on February 18, 2013

Hi Everyone,

As I’ve mentioned to you before, winter is heavy writing time for me. I work on outlines for new books, write a new book, and read research for books I’m working on for the future, and do a LOT of editing, as always. As I write this, I am waiting for a manuscript to arrive, with comments from my editor, which I was going to work on today, and it’s stuck in a blizzard somewhere in the East. (Which gives me a day off today, which is rare for me this time of year!!!) It’s a good time of year to write, it’s cold everywhere I live, the weather is usually lousy, snowy, rainy, cold, and I’m happy staying indoors to work, with the occasional break, having dinner with one of my kids, in whichever city I’m in. We celebrated my youngest son’s birthday last week, which was fun, and I’m enjoying spending time with whichever one is available and willing to share a meal with me, and the rest of the time I work. » read more »

Filed Under Fashion, Kids, Writing | 14 Comments

The Process and The Team

Posted on November 26, 2012

Hi Everyone,

As some of you know, from reading my Blogs on a variety of subjects, I’ve reacted with amazement, shock, and outrage when people have asked me in my fan mail, who writes my books.  WHO writes my BOOKS??? Are you kidding? Who do you think writes my books, as I hover over my typewriter for weeks at a time, working on a first draft, with unbrushed hair, in an ancient nightgown, with every inch of my body aching after typing 20 or 22 hours a day at a stretch. That’s who writes my books: Me. and in recent years, I’ve discovered from my agent and publisher that it has become common practice for some very well-known successful authors to write the outline for a book, and hand it over to a team of writers to write the book. Holy Sh–!!! How do they do that?? Both the author and the elves. I have a fit when a copy editor fiddles with a word, or moves a comma. I WRITE EVERY WORD of the books myself. And believe me, by the end of the book, I look it, and am pretty beaten up and look like I’ve been through the wars, it’s hard work!!!. But bleeding fingers (for real!), aching hands (I popped a vein in my hand on my last book, which has happened before), » read more »

Filed Under Writing | 54 Comments

Playing Catch Up

Posted on October 8, 2012

Hi Everyone, I’ve been busy writing, and catching up on work. It’s a sharp contrast to my Paris life where I work, but I play too. When I get back to California, it’s nose to the grindstone time!! But I wanted to check in with you.

I had some legal things to take care of when I got home, which is never fun. I went to the dentist, not highly amusing, but only a cleaning. I go to the dentist, (with terror), always prepared to hear that my head is falling off—-you mean you didn’t know? It’s silly of me, because I have an incredibly nice/good dentist, who has a wonderful hygienist, but I get nervous anyway. I guess most people do. (My late husband John was one of those people who made 5 hour dentist appointments, just to get it all out of the way at once (I would rather go 10 times for half an hour!!).   I went to pick him up once after some rugged dental surgery, he was fine, and I passed out cold in the elevator just thinking about what they’d done to him.  But anyway, I got my teeth cleaning out of the way when I got back. » read more »

Writing!!

Posted on October 1, 2012

Hi Everyone,

As you read this, I am busy working on a new book. It’s been months in the making, gathering information, doing research, conceiving of and refining the outline, and now here I am, pounding away on my 1946 typewriter that I love. Including children’s books, poetry, nonfiction, and novels, it will be my 128th book. » read more »

Filed Under Writing | 8 Comments

Responses To My Readers

Posted on September 3, 2012

To those of you who wrote to congratulate me on my daughter’s wedding: thank you for your good wishes and prayers for a happy marriage. I was very touched to read what you said, and for your loving comments.  And to those who wanted to see a picture of the bride—-we don’t have the wedding pictures yet, but when we get them, I’ll try to find a nice one and post it later. She was a beautiful bride!!!

One of you asked if I ever teach classes. » read more »

Filed Under Writing | 6 Comments

The View

Posted on July 31, 2012

Hi Everyone…I was just on The View yesterday and had such a great time! If you’re interested, you can check out the full interview here:

http://abc.go.com/watch/the-view/SH559080/VD55223121/the-view-730

Love, Danielle

Filed Under Writing | 4 Comments

Precious Moments

Posted on January 23, 2012

I just had such a sweet experience that I had to share it with you. One of my daughters went skiing for the weekend, she lives in LA, and I volunteered to baby sit for her very elderly 15 year old dog. And tonight, someone had to meet her at the airport between two flights, to bring her dog for the trip back to LA.  I started a book yesterday, and usually when I write, I don’t leave my office (or my home) until I finish. I don’t get dressed (I wear warm old nightgowns with sweaters over them—not a pretty sight, but cozy on cold nights), I don’t go out, I don’t see anyone, I often don’t even read phone messages. I just lock myself up until I finish the first draft, because if I stop, » read more »

Writing

Posted on January 2, 2012

Hi everyone,

I get so busy sometimes, talking to you about other things, holidays, children, new dogs, relationships, travel, music, art that I rarely talk to you about writing. And in reading your comments at the end of my blogs, I see that you have a number of comments and questions that I thought I’d address here.

Most of you wrote extremely kind comments about my work, which really warm my heart. I work incredibly hard on the books, I try to make them varied and different on different subjects (you noticed!!! thank you!!!), and do very, very thorough research, whether they are historical or contemporary books. » read more »

Filed Under Writing | 44 Comments

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