Danielle Steel's Blog, page 32

1/16/17, Writing

Hi Everyone,

I’m busy writing, trying to avoid the cold weather outside, and cozy at my desk, with my typewriter and notes all over the place, things to munch and a cup of tea, working on a new book. I’ll get back to the blog next week!! Stay warm and have a great week!!!

love, Danielle

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1/9/17, The Mistress

Hi Everyone,

I hope that January is off to a great start for you!!! Mine got off to an exciting start with the publication of my new hardcover novel, “The Mistress” on January 3rd. I hope you’ll have a chance to buy it, and curl up and read it on a cold winter night. It’s an exciting story, about the beautiful mistress of a Russian billionaire, with dark practices, and a dangerous life in a dark world. Natasha, his mistress, is a beautiful young woman, whom he saved from poverty on the streets of Moscow, where she worked in a factory and had no hope of a brighter future, until Vladimir rescued her, and brought her into his glittering world of dubious deals in a dangerous Underworld. She rapidly learned not to ask questions, and to keep him happy and entertained, while being discreet—-because her life depended on it.

She accepts the limitations of her life, and absence of any freedom in his world of extreme luxury, on fabulous yachts, in gorgeous homes, but always with the drumbeat of danger in the background. She learns to navigate the dangers she lives with in exchange for all the comforts she never dreamed of before. And how could she go back to starvation, working in a factory in Moscow? It would be a hard choice to make…..until she meets a fascinating artist who gives her a glimpse of another world and another life. The son of a famous artist, and a talented artist himself, he becomes obsessed with Natasha, is haunted by her, and dares to pursue her, putting them both at risk, until an important art theft exposes a criminal and very dangerous world, and risks her life, and his.

It’s about choices, honor vs comfort, freedom versus life in an unimaginably gilded cage, bad men vs. good ones, and the decision about what is truly important, and just how much one is willing to give up of oneself in order to be ‘safe’, in a world where danger lurks in every corner. Choices few of us have to make, in a world of luxury and riches so extreme that few of us will ever see. Which path is the right one, and will she survive if she escapes? Just how dangerous is the man who made her his mistress?

I hope you love it!! It was a fun book to write about an unimaginably complicated world. I hope you read it soon!!!

love, Danielle

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1/2/17, Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone,

Congratulations!!! You made it through the holidays. I had a really nice one with my kids. The best holiday of all is one with my children. I ignored New Year’s Eve, was working on a new book, which I really enjoy doing. It’s the perfect way for me to end the old year and start the new one.

There seems to be a lot of grumbling that 2016 was a dicey year. Life is a mixed bag….blessings, heart aches, problems, disappointments, happy times, and joys and great surprises. If this is multiple choice, I pick happy!!! But it’s not always (or ever?) up to us.

So today, as we begin the year, before the year is old enough to complain about—–I want to start with a clean slate and wish YOU THE HAPPIEST, BEST, FUN-EST, HEALTHIEST, RICHEST, MOST ABUNDANT, WONDERFUL-EST year EVER!!!!

I hope it will be a GREAT one with some wonderful times, and fabulous surprises in store!!!

all my love, Danielle

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12/26/16, Auld Lang Syne

Hi Everyone,

I hope that you made it through Christmas and the holiday with some warm memories, and a Christmas as close to what you wished as possible, though holidays are unpredictable sometimes as to how they will turn out. But however it went, you made it through, and you can heave a sigh of relief.

There are three holidays I find potentially difficult. I love Christmas, and despite occasional bumps, it’s usually a happy time. But I know how challenging it can be for many people, and it can be an opportunity for loneliness instead of joy. I hope that yours was happy and not lonely. The other two holidays that can be tough are Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Most of us associate those two dates with being in love, or at least in a couple, and you feel like the odd man out when you’re not either one of those things. It is not fun to be the one person on New Year’s Eve who has no one to kiss at midnight. And Valentine’s Day can be really painful without flowers, chocolates, or dinner with a person you love. For me, those two dates are a real opportunity to feel like a loser, and feel left out if I’m solo that year. And even in a good relationship, your partner can fail abysmally on Valentine*s Day, and not bother, or forget what day it is. I regard those two dates with caution, and even dread on some years.

I never cared about New Year’s Eve for most of the years I was married. We stayed home and watched movies on TV, and were often asleep before midnight when our kids were small (We used to cheat and serve them ginger ale at 9pm, blow horns and tell them it was midnight, and then we’d go to bed after we put them to bed). I also had some ‘glamourous’ years when we gave big black tie dinners on New Year’s Eve, with everyone in black tie and evening gowns, with a delicious meal and champagne. Actually, the best New Year’s Eve we had of that kind, there was a huge storm in San Francisco, and the highways and bridge were closed—-with our chef for dinner on the other side. At 6pm he called to say there was no way he could get through. I didn’t want to disappoint my guests two hours before dinner, and leave them without plans, so we did the only thing I could think of—-we rushed around to fast food places, Jack in the Box, Kentucky Fried, pizza places. My guests arrived all dressed up, looking very elegant, and when they sat down to dinner instead of an equally elegant meal, they got corn dogs, and hot dogs, pizza, tacos, cheeseburgers, and every kind of fast food. There was a moment of shock, and then everyone started to laugh. We had the BEST time ever, and I still remember one of my beautifully dressed guests with ketchup on his chin saying “Who has the Curly Fries??” It was really fun, totally silly, and everyone loved it so much that I served the same menu again the next year at a black tie dinner. Personally, I’d rather eat a hot dog than a fancy meal any day—I eat like a 5 year old, and I love Kentucky Fried, and peanut butter and jelly any time!!!

Once I was divorced and alone, the idea of giving a beautiful dinner for all my friends who were in couples, while I was alone, really depressed me, so I thought about what would be fun and NOT depress me. I love to play poker, so I organized a poker game on New Year’s Eve. It was fantastic, about 20 people, playing for low stakes, with fast food again, and no one cared about what time it was or who they were going to kiss at midnight. And on a good year, I made about twenty dollars for the evening. It was a super fun way to spend a dicey holiday. And I hosted a poker game on New Year’s Eve for several years—not a hint of romance, just good friendly fun with other friends who were also alone. (it was in the vein of “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade”, and we really had fun!!)

And last year, I shifted gears again. My ex husband, whom I often spent that evening with, was very sick, (and passed away this June), I didn’t feel like celebrating—–nor did I want to spend the evening mourning the past, and thinking of happier New Year’s eves. I decided to stay home, and started a new book a few days before. When midnight struck, I was plunged into the book, enjoying the work thoroughly, and didn’t care what day it was. Work is always a wonderful escape for me. It’s not a night I like being out, there are too many drunks on the road, and it seems dangerous. People try too hard at parties, and there is a melancholy feel to it when midnight rolls around. And if your life isn’t exactly where you want it, it’s too easy to see what’s missing, and remember happier times.

My children leave right after Christmas, and I’m going to spend New Year’s working again this year. For now, that really works for me. So there are lots of options on New Year’s eve, as a happy couple, at a party, at home with friends, tucked into bed with the person you love watching favorite movies or alone watching whatever you enjoy, playing poker, casually with a few friends, or all dressed up in a jazzy dress. I think the best way to spend it is doing exactly what you want to do, in whatever your circumstances are right now. And if it isn’t exciting for you this year, maybe it will be everything you hope for next year. In the meantime, I’m going to be working on a new book, and I hope you spend it some way you really enjoy. Have a great new year’s eve. Happy New Year!!

love, Danielle

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12/19/16, Merry Christmas!! Happy Holidays!!

Hi Everyone,

It’s Christmas week, and I know how exciting and fun the holidays can be—-and also how difficult, lonely, and challenging they can be. No one to be with, not enough money, alone in a new city, or at home with a family you don’t get along with, or in the midst of a divorce, just after a break up, or after you lose a loved one. The holidays are not as easy and simple as they look on Christmas cards, or in the movies. It’s a time when we are acutely aware of whatever is missing in our lives, or whatever is difficult. I’ve had my share of difficult Christmases too, a long time ago, when I was divorced, and barely three months after my son Nick died at 19. That was a brutal year. Oddly, I worked harder on making Christmas special for my family in the hard years, than in the easy ones. And sometimes those Christmases turned out the best—the ones I expected to be terrible, and then they weren’t. Trying to cheer up my children after Nick died, I gave a skating party that year for my friends and their children. It didn’t bring Nick back, but it was a warm, loving event that became a tradition we loved every year, until all my kids left for college and everyone else’s kids grew up too, and we stopped doing it. But it was a lovely time of families joining each other during the holidays. We’ve all had our tough years, they’re part of life.

We’ve always been about twenty or more, at our holiday table, for dinner on Christmas eve, they’ve always been loud, happy, fun events, with a visit from Santa during dinner. it’s a grown up, dressed up event, and on Christmas night, the next day, we have Christmas dinner with the whole family and all the children in the family, it’s more informal, and really a fun night. Five years ago, my ex husband John (whom we spent all holidays with even when we were no longer married) had recently died, and all my older children went to their in laws for the holidays, and instead of 20 at the table, and John being elegant and jovial and loving among us, we were going to be the 5 younger children and me for dinner on both nights: 6 of us, not twenty, no older kids, and no John. It was a radical change, and a sad time we were all wrestling with, and there was no way to pretend that it was going to be the same, or even a happy event, and we were all dreading it. So I decided to really turn it upside down, and told my 5 younger kids, in their early 20s, that they could do Christmas however they wanted that year. We could get dressed up, as we always did, and have a serious formal dinner, or wear blue jeans and eat pizza, or no dinner, invite friends or not, go to the movies, or go bowling, or leave town together—-if it was going to be different, I invited them to make it as different as they wanted. We didn’t have to please anyone but ourselves and each other. After discussing it among themselves, they decided they still wanted to get dressed up and stay at home, still go to mass on Christmas eve, and no one felt up to having friends over, but they wanted to play games at dinner, and we collected a bunch of ridiculous party games, including the White Elephant game, where everyone brings a gift of some kind, you don’t know who brought it, and you take turns and randomly pick a gift. If someone else likes the gift, they can steal it 3 times, and after that you’re safe, if you like the gift it’s yours. Let me tell you, it was ridiculous, the gifts were funny, everyone stole everything from everyone else, my youngest son flatly refused to give up his Chewbacca (from Star Wars) back pack, which he said he was going to wear to the office. We were loud and silly, had fun, we played lots of games, and cuddled up together and watched movies afterwards, and ate popcorn. Somehow just being together worked, we didn’t have to ‘behave’, and we all missed John terribly, but the love and laughter between us got us through the evening, and it was one of our sweetest holidays. I still have the pink ballet tutu that I stole from two of my daughters during the white elephant game. Sometimes you just have to make the best of what is, when things are different or not the way you hoped, like watching all your favorite movies on TV or DVD if you’re alone.

And I know it’s hard to be alone during the holidays. I hope that you can be with your family, or with friends, or people you like, or bring joy to someone else. And if Christmas isn’t quite the way you want it to be this year, I hope that you get through it peacefully, and that it will be better next year. Life changes, it flows, it gets better, and worse and better again, and everything does not depend on how great your Christmas is. I hope it will be a good one, even a great one, and if it is a small one this year, I hope that you can cherish it, and enjoy it anyway. I send you all my good thoughts, and thanks and love on this holiday, whatever your holidays, and I wish you a beautiful new year!!

with all my love, Danielle

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12/12/16, Wow!!!

Hi Everyone,

Less than two weeks til Christmas, I hope you’re enjoying it, and not dreading it, as some people do. I think I’ve almost finished my Christmas shopping. I’ve been seeing friends, a little shopping, and had an amazing invitation this week. I most enjoy seeing good friends around the holidays, and spending Christmas with my family, but as you know I go to fashion shows occasionally. They’re mostly in and out affairs, you dash in by invitation, sit down, the fashion show begins, and then half an hour later, after seeing some very pretty clothes, you leave. The locations and decor can be exciting and beautiful (like the year Chanel had flown in an iceberg from Sweden and placed it center stage for the models to walk around—-and then they flew the iceberg back to Sweden after the show. But this week I went to the fashion show to end all fashion shows, a MAJOR event. It took me by surprise, and was a real show stopper.

Once a year, Chanel does a special collection of ready to wear clothes (as opposed to Haute Couture, which is made to order and all hand made. Ready to wear is what you find in stores and can buy off the rack). They do the once a year special collection in an exotic location: Beijing, Dubai, Venice, Dallas, Cuba last year—-and the influence and style of the clothes is influenced by the location. They are called Metier d’Art shows, and are then referred to as the Paris/Cuba show, or the Paris/Dubai show or Paris/Dallas a few years ago, with a kind of cowboy theme. The fashion show introducing the collection is held in the location being honored. And although I’ve been to a lot of fashion shows, I’ve never been to one of these, and had no idea what a massive undertaking it is. They invite well known people in the city where it’s held, and their good customers, and they also fly in hundreds of glamourous women from around the world. So there are women there from South America, Asia, India, Hong Kong, Dubai, all over Europe, the USA, some famous, others just fashionable women. And I discovered that they pick up all the expenses for the women they fly in, airfare, hotel, etc. In this case, the fashion show was held at the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris, and the women invited stayed there too, for four days of related fashion events, all hosted by Chanel. They were given limousines, several of them borrowed clothes to wear to the show, and many of them were also all decked out in fabulous jewelry also by Chanel. Not knowing how elaborate this was going to be, I dressed in ‘grown up clothes’ (black slacks and a sweater, my uniform) wore a pale pink coat, and black suede high heels—-all my own not borrowed. The show was at noon, and I was stunned when I got to the Ritz Hotel to find that there were about 800 women there, at tables all over the lobby floor and restaurants of the hotel, for a noon lunch, followed by the show at 2pm. (There is normally no food served at fashion shows). The luncheon was very elegant, and the women (no men invited that I could see) were dressed to the nines, some even wore evening gowns, and floor length fur coats at lunch time, and tons of jewelry. I felt like a bumpkin from the country in my lunchtime clothes. Several movie stars were there, and the singer Farrell Williams. Lunch was elaborately served and very diet conscious, since probably all of those women were on diets!!! And champagne flowed. I don’t drink, so it was wasted on me. And finally, the fashion show started, it had a jubilant exciting feeling to it, and the theme was “Cosmopolitan Paris” this time, so they were mostly dressy city clothes, and some very glamorous creations—-and the usual beautiful models. It was definitely “A scene”, and not at all what I expected. There was a breakfast the next day, which I didn’t go to, where people could try on the clothes the models had worn the day before, as they threaded through the tables to bouncy music, and looked like they were having fun. Apparently, Chanel spends millions on those events, for publicity. It was dripping glamour, and I had fun, even though I didn’t know anyone there, except a friend of one of my daughters, and I was happy to see her. I was seated at lunch with four very nice Parisian women, and an Italian woman, wearing a gold evening gown, floor length sable coat and a ton of jewels. I looked a lot more subdued in my pale pink coat. It was definitely an experience, and I felt a little (or a lot) like Cinderella after the ball, when I went home to my dogs and my typewriter. And yes, one could think that there are more important ways to spend money, for charity, but in reality this is business for Chanel, great publicity for them, and I’m sure they donate to charitable causes during the year as well. So I had my moment of glamour, and had to share it with you.

Have a great week!!!

love, Danielle

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12/5/16, For all you TV Series addicts.

Hi Everyone,

I hope that all is well with you, and you’re enjoying getting ready for the holidays. Although I start shopping in August, putting aside things I see to give people as gifts, I always need a few more gifts for my children, so I’m still doing a little shopping. I wrapped gifts for my Godchildren this week, and I’d forgotten how much work it is crawling around on the floor, trying to figure out how to assemble toys, and then trying to wrap things in unwieldy shapes and sizes. I looked like I’d been mugged by the time I finished wrapping a big stuffed toy tiger lying down, a unicorn to ride on that’s the size of a small pony, and a dancing Minnie Mouse, who kept springing to life and jiggling around every time I tried to wrap her!! But I have to admit, it was a lot of fun. And true confessions, when I shop for others, I tend to spoil myself too and find things I want. As I said to you in a blog a while back, “life is short, buy the shoes!”. Spoil yourself when you can!!

I’ve had a lot of fun recently, watching 2 new series I really love. I still miss Downton Abbey, and watch an episode or two now and then. I wish that series hadn’t ended after 6 fabulous years. I think there are a bunch of new series, but it’s hard to believe I’ll ever find a series I love as much as Downton. But the British have come up with two wonderful new series. One is “The Crown” on Netflix, with 10 episodes about the current Queen Elizabeth, from her childhood to her marriage, her coronation (which was dazzling) in about 1952. The series continues into the l950’s, and gives you insights into her, her personal life, her seemingly not easy marriage to Prince Phillip (played by incredibly handsome young actor Matt Smith), it also shows her sister Margaret and their relationship. Princess Margaret was very glamourous and lively in her day, Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister. And it shows the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Duke had been King briefly and abdicated so he could marry a divorced American, which he could not have done if he stayed king, so he gave it all up for the woman he loved. The series is dramatic, true to life, and beautifully done. There is a wonderful portrayal of Winston Churchill, fascinating glimpses into Buckingham Palace, and terrific clothes of the 1950’s. I’ve had a ball watching it, and you might like it too.

The other series I’ve been watching has been a big hit in England too, “Victoria”, about Queen Victoria. Her reign began in the 1830’s, so it has an even more historical flavor than the Crown, but both are terrific shows. There are 8 episodes, that cover the early years of her reign. She became Queen at 18, married Prince Albert of Germany at 19, and they had 7 children. The show so far covers the beginning of her reign at 18 (with a scheming mother and the mother’s boyfriend trying to control her), a prime minister she was in love with when she became queen, and apparently she had a wonderful and happy marriage with Prince Albert. The first season goes as far as the birth of her first child, when she must have been about 20 or 21. And both shows have plenty of history and intrigue, upstairs and downstairs among the servants and employees, to provide material for many more seasons. For the next month or so, the show will be harder to view in the States. The whole season is available in DVD on Amazon.UK, but European DVD’s are not compatible with American DVD players. I was lucky, because I live in France part of the time, so I got it and played it in Paris. But the show will be aired in the United States in January, so watch for it, its wonderful historical drama at its best, with some terrific actors!!!

And if you haven’t read my new hardcover The Award, I hope you read it, and give it to lots of people as gifts, and my paperback “Blue” is on the bestseller lists too. I’m always grateful for your support.

As the countdown begins toward the holidays, I hope you’re in good spirits, enjoying this time of year, and have some holiday plans that make you happy!!! And I hope you enjoy the series I mentioned too!! Have a great week!!

love, Danielle

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11/21/16, Happy Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone,

I hope you had a good week—Wow the year is whizzing by. I’m always stunned when the holidays roll around. The year has really sped by. I had a VERY busy week this week, editing some writing, adding research to two books, working on a new outline, picking book covers, doing errands, Christmas shopping, going to the dentist, meeting with a new attorney to replace one who retired, and working with the puppy trainer to introduce Minnie and Blue to the new puppy in the least stressful way for them. I had dinner out with friends three times, and also dinner with my youngest son. AND I did something really fun—-a woman friend invited me to a matinee of the King and I, one of my very favorite musicals. She asked me months ago, and the day finally came, and I just loved it. I love the songs and know them all, and it was a really lovely, happy interlude in my week. So it’s been a very nice week, and next week my children will be home for Thanksgiving, which is always a wonderful time for me.

Thanksgiving is always a lovely way to spend time with family and friends, but what I like best about Thanksgiving (even more than all the yummy food) is what it symbolizes: gratitude, being grateful/ thankful for the good things in our lives, whether family or friends, our jobs, or opportunities, or the good things that happened this year. We don’t always have the time to think about what we’re grateful for, and to count our blessings. Thanksgiving is a day dedicated to that. I know it can be difficult too, with challenging families, or no families, or difficult families, or hard circumstances sometimes. Its nice spending the day with people we care about, but sometimes we find ourselves alone, thinking of what others have and we don’t. If we can take time out to be grateful for what we do have, to give thanks for the small things in our lives, our lives become richer from that gratitude. So whether you are alone, or surrounded by loved ones, in a good space, or not having a great time, I hope that all of us will find the time and the grace to be grateful for even a few things, even one thing in our life. Gratitude is like a seed that you plant, that becomes a tall tree eventually, with leaves of gratitude that grow and multiply. Gratitude is an enormous blessing available to all of us.

I was alone one Thanksgiving many years ago, in a new city, divorced, with no friends yet, and my daughter was visiting her father far away. I came across the Bible verse “God places the solitary in families”. And I’ve had many occasions to remember that, grateful for my family, and the friends I’ve made over the years. May your Thanksgiving be filled with warmth and blessings, and good people. And may we all remember to reach out to those who are alone. And on the list of things I am thankful for, you, my readers are high on that list. Thank you!! I am VERY grateful to and for you…..I hope you will have a wonderful holiday!!!

with much love, Danielle

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11/14/16, Books and Puppies!!

Hi Everyone,

I hope you’ve had a relatively peaceful, and productive week!!! With emotions running high both before and after the elections, some people are elated, some disappointed, others worried about the future, protests in many cities, both before and after—-I find that in times of stress, whether personal, national, or international, what grounds me and centers me and calms me is always work. I’d rather focus on that than turmoil around me, that I can do nothing about. I’ve been concentrating on finishing a book all week, which requires immense focus—I always say that writing the end to a book is like trying to land a 747 airplane on a coffee table, and it’s an incredible feeling of victory when you do. You have to keep a tight grip on it, and tie up all the loose ends to get the ending right. And this one came in for a nice smooth, tight landing after an all-nighter, at 6 am on Friday morning. I just can’t let go and go to bed when I’m that close to the end, and I’d rather just stick with it in the final hours (although I will confess that once in a while, I’ve been known to fall asleep at my desk when I work too long!! But I was wide awake for this one!!!)

Other than that, during breaks in my writing, I’ve been playing with my new puppy, she is 11 weeks old and full of beans, racing around when we let her play in a safe area where she can play in the house. She has charmed everyone who comes in and out of the house!!! Who can resist a tiny one pound puppy!!! We have an epidemic of puppies right now. My youngest son got a new puppy, a Boston Bull (black and white with a smooshed in face,) who is 10 weeks old. He is adorable, and will grow to be about 12 to 15 pounds, although the one he already has is only 7 pounds, and is tiny for the breed. The new puppy’s name is Francis. My new ‘baby’ is another teacup Chihuahua, and weighs only a pound, and will weigh about 3 to 4 pounds as an adult. She’s in that phase of needle sharp baby teeth right now, but really sweet, she’s kind of a pale beige pink color and white, and I think her coat will be medium length, I can’t tell yet. Her name is Lili. She met Minnie and Blue briefly this week, who weren’t too impressed. Minnie being a long hair wags her tail a lot, so it kind of waves like a white flag, which the puppy thought was some kind of fabulous toy which she kept trying to catch. Minnie was not too amused by that, and Blue hopped up on a couch and observed her from the heights. The new puppy’s name is Lili, I’m keeping her in a separate room and trying to introduce them slowly til they get used to each other. I hope that happens soon, so I can have them together all the time. And my oldest daughter is getting a new miniature Brussels Griffon puppy this coming week. She lost her beloved 14 year old dog a few weeks ago, and this one just happened into her life last week, from a breeder who knew her other dogs. So it was meant to be. And my daughter who just got married is looking at Yorkie puppies. So it’s puppy season and dogs galore for us!!! Nothing makes one happier than a puppy, and we all love our dogs, though undeniably they are a lot of work. Lili is not shy at all, and seems happy in her new home. She sleeps with a stuffed toy dog I gave her that’s about ten times her size, she must think it’s her Mom, she climbs into its arms and passes out!!!

I hope you have my new hardcover The Award by now. I’m proud of that book, and I hope you love it, and consider it for your Christmas list. That book is a favorite for me!!! Take good care, Have a terrific week!!

love, Danielle

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11/8/16, In the eye of the storm

Hi Everyone,

I hope you’ve had a good week. I’ve been flying from one place to another, so I apologize for not getting the blog up yesterday. While the whole country is in an anxious frenzy over the elections, I am dealing with much smaller, less important, but enjoyable pursuits. A visit with one of my daughters in New York, and a quiet weekend with her, then back on a plane again. I came home to my brand new tiny Chihuahua puppy. She is so cute and lively and fun, she plays like crazy and then goes back to sleep.

On a more personal level, I hope you’ve read my newest book, it just came out, “The Award”, I’m very excited about it, and I love the story about a young woman who fights in the Resistance, and then is mistaken for a collaborator at the end of the war. Many, many years later, her grand daughter fights to clear her name, and have her grandmother recognized as the war hero she was. It’s a very touching, poignant story, and I hope you will love it!!!!

Over the weekend, with my daughter, we watched a fantastic new British series, “The Crown”, about the early years of Queen Elizabeth II.   It is remarkably well done, my daughter and I loved it.  It’s available on Netflix. And it tells about a fascinating period of history, right after the war, and is a fascinating glimpse into the monarchy. It’s amazing to think that the queen is still on the throne 65 years later, and going strong. We loved the show!!!

I hope that whoever wins the election is the right person to run the country. We can only hope….

And if you need some distraction from it all, I hope you read my latest book, “The Award”.

Have a fantastic week !!!

much love, Danielle

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