A St. Patrick’s Day Storm…and a Love Story Begins!

Hello dear friends—

   Lots to talk about today, but first… 

   Many of you wrote after our last newsletter to ask whether we had heard from my family. I wish I had better news to share. Still waiting…

   As of today, we still have not been able to reach my mother, my brother, my sister, or their families in Iran. The silence continues, and like so many families around the world during times of war, we are left waiting and hoping for the moment when a message finally comes through.

   Your kindness during these past days has meant more than I can express.

   Since my last message, some people have chosen to step away because of what I wrote about war and the value of human life. But my belief remains unchanged: every child lost in war is a tragedy. Every civilian life destroyed is a loss that no politics, ideology, or revenge can justify. The people who start wars rarely pay the price. Ordinary families pay…dearly.

   Living with metastatic cancer has made it impossible for me to ignore how fragile life truly is. When you face that reality every day, life becomes too precious to treat as expendable.

   On the bright side, this week brings three reminders of renewal.

March gives us St. Patrick's Day, a celebration of Irish spirit and resilience. History shows that the Irish—perhaps because they have known suffering themselves—are often among the first to stand up for humanity when it matters.

   And just days later comes Eid, another celebration of renewal and gathering, observed by Muslims around the world. Around the same season arrives Norooz, the Persian New Year—the ancient celebration that begins on the first day of spring and welcomes light, renewal, and hope.

    Different traditions. Different cultures. The same quiet wish that winter will end and something better will grow.

   And speaking of traditions, it seems that every family we know has at least one love story that becomes a little more dramatic every time it's told. The Irish are definitely not exempt!

   Jim's family certainly has a few. Here's one…

   According to family lore (and by that I mean Jim and I apologize to all the friends who have heard this story before), his great-grandparents first met on St. Patrick's Day on an excursion boat traveling along the Connecticut River back in 1880s.

   Andrew Cody was a musician. A horn player. Possibly something of a traveling entertainer who could charm a room full of strangers. Mary Byrne, on the other hand, was a serious young woman. She was out on that excursion boat with her brothers that day. And she was not one to be particularly impressed by musicians with a reputation for hard drinking.

   Anyway, exactly how the meeting happened depends on which rendition of the story Jim is telling that day. Here's a brief version of his favorite...

   A storm suddenly swept across the river. The boat began rocking wildly. The band and their instruments went sliding across the deck, and passengers took shelter where they could. Bolts of lightning cracked overhead and, at one particularly dramatic moment, Andrew was launched clear across the deck…landing squarely in Mary Byrne's lap (somewhat to the chagrin of her brothers).

   But that, according to family legend, is how the romance began.

Whether every detail is historically accurate is still under debate. Even by Jim's mother.

   But the Irish have never been overly concerned with letting facts get in the way of a good story.

   The same spirit of love that is found in unexpected moments, with fate holding more possibilities than we dare imagine, is at the heart of the book we're sharing today.

   Jane Austen Cannot Marry is a time-travel story about agents sent back through history to correct humanity's mistakes. If only it were truly possible.

   We wrote the novel three years ago, not long after my metastatic diagnosis. In some ways, I wanted to imagine a world where history might be nudged onto a different and perhaps better path.

   That story continues into its sequel, Erase Me, in which the stakes grow higher and the past proves even harder to rewrite. Both are available wherever books are sold or at a deep discount through our online store. 

Enjoy them!

   As we move toward spring, whether you're celebrating St. Patrick's Day, Eid al-Fitr, Norooz, or simply the return of brighter days…with loving gratitude we wish you peace, good health and many stories to enjoy!

A Personal Note While We Wait...

Hello dear friend—

I’m very emotional, sitting down to write this difficult email. Many of you have been checking in with us, asking if we’ve heard any news from my family. My (Nikoo’s) mother, brother, sister, and their families are in Iran. And since the attacks began, we haven’t been able to reach them or get any word about how they are.

Those of you who have been reading and following us for years know that Jim and I do not believe in war. Human life is far too precious to be torn apart for profit, politics, or power. Children should never be blown to pieces or left traumatized for generations.

There are no real winners in war. At least, not among ordinary people. Wars do not liberate people, and lasting change cannot be imposed from the outside. It has to come from within. We were once told we were going to Iraq to bring democracy. In the end, a million people lost their lives.

Jim and I wrote Silent Waters and The Janus Effect during and just after the Iraq War. Tehran’s Daughters was written later, during Iran’s Green Movement in 2009. It was a time when many Iranians protested for reform and were met with a violent crackdown.

Some of the events in that novel are drawn from my own family’s experiences. Many of you who have read these books understand the emotions behind them and the difficult questions Jim and I wrestled with while writing them.

As we wait and hope for news from my family, we wanted to share a few books that speak to the human side of conflict. We’re recommending three of the novels I just mentioned, along with The Lion Women of Tehran, another remarkable book that portrays with great honesty Iran and the reality of life during times of upheaval.

If these stories resonate with you, we hope you might share them with friends and family.

Recently, I saw a meme that said: “Apparently there has to be a war before Western media looks at a map and learns something about the Middle East.” It made me pause. Stories, whether in books or in real life, help us see the people behind the headlines.

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WHIGGING OUT!

I’m wigging out for Little Pink Houses of Hope and for me, this is deeply personal.

I’m living with stage four metastatic breast cancer. In 2024, Jim and I attended our first Little Pink retreat together. We arrived carrying the weight that comes with this disease. The appointments, the scans, the uncertainty that never really leaves. What we experienced that week was something extraordinary.

For the first time in a long time, we were just Nikoo and Jim.

No hospital bracelets. No treatment schedules. No explaining ourselves. Just laughter, ocean air, shared meals, and families who understood without a single word needing to be said. Little Pink gives families like ours something that medicine alone cannot: rest, dignity, connection, and joy in the middle of the storm.

After that retreat, I knew I didn’t just want to benefit from this organization. I  wanted to serve it. Jim and I became a volunteers because We’d seen firsthand what these retreats do. They change how a family carries cancer. They create memories that outshine fear.

So yes. I’m putting on a pink wig. But what I’m really doing is asking you to help send another family like mine on a retreat where they can breathe again.

If you donate (or join my team), you’re not giving to an abstract cause. You’re giving a mother, a father, a partner, children a week of hope.

And I promise you, that hope matters more than you know. 💗

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when a reader signs up to get our newsletter, they get A free copy of dearest Millie.

Thank you!

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Thank you, my friend!

I Had No Idea… (They Actually Surprised Me!)

Hello dear friends—

     They surprised me!

  And if you know me at all, you know that’s nearly impossible.

   Jim always says I can read his mind (and it’s true). So planning anything behind my back? Nearly impossible.

   But my suddenly very sneaky husband somehow did it. With the help of two of our friends, he did it. For weeks, Jim apparently walked around the house saying “la-la-la” in his head whenever I tried to mind-read him.

   When I entered the room that night and saw everyone, I had to walk right back out. Tears. Overwhelmed. Grateful beyond words.

   Have you ever been truly surprised like that? 

Over the years, we’ve tried to surprise you too.

  Not with parties…. but with our stories.

   Somehow, over three decades, we’ve written in just about every genre imaginable:

✨ Young Adult
✨ Fantasy & Time Travel

✨ Pirates
✨ Cozy Ghost Stories
✨ Scottish Historical Romance
✨ Contemporary Fiction
✨ Thrillers

✨ Warriors
✨ Lawyers

   There’s something here for practically everyone.

   If you haven’t explored our backlist in a while, this might be the time.
   We’ve included a 25% off coupon in this newsletter — and if you’d like to share it with a friend, that would mean the world to us.

   (Word of mouth is always magic.)

On the health front…

I had another stent replacement last week. I try to put up a brave, positive face — but I won’t pretend each surgery isn’t getting harder to recover from. Next week I begin radiation. We’re hopeful it helps with the bone pain.

   As I travel this cancer road, people often ask, “What can we do? How can we help?” Jim and I are deeply moved every time.

   In December, a young author friend of ours, Elizabeth Briggs, died of colon cancer at just 45. Her family shared words that struck straight through us:

   “If you would like to support Elizabeth’s family, please honor her by buying her books… Some part of her will always be alive as long as her stories have readers.”

   Cancer robs us of so much — our energy, our plans, sometimes our identities. It takes from families emotionally and financially. It interrupts the work we love.

   So I’ll say this gently, while I’m still kicking around (slower, but still kicking):

   If you’re an author, maybe one day there’ll be a ‘Nikoo’ character in your book.

   If you’re a reader, maybe you'll recommend one of our stories to a friend or share this newsletter.

   If you're looking for a book for yourself or a friend, you'll use the coupon at our bookstore.

          Here's the 25% off coupon code…    THJVU9Y9I0  

   And you'll keep reading our stories…   

That’s how a writer will always remain alive. 

Thanks!

Happy New Year to our precious family and friends!

Happy New Year to our precious family and friends, 

As we step into 2026, we’re wishing you good health, deep peace, big laughs, and lots of love. May the year bring fewer worries, more reasons to celebrate, and just enough chaos to keep life interesting…but not enough to require a spreadsheet.

We’re so grateful for you, for your kindness, your support, and for being part of our lives. Here’s to showing up for one another, holding each other close, and finding joy wherever we can.

We’re so grateful for you, for your kindness, your support, and for being part of our lives. 

Here’s to showing up for one another, holding each other close, and finding joy wherever we can. 

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!

With love (and optimism),

Nikoo and Jim

A Quiet Thank-You, a Noisy Keyboard, and a Year of Stories

Hello dear friends—

As the year winds down and the nights crowd out the days, we wanted to pause and say thank you—for welcoming our stories into your lives, onto nightstands, e-readers, commutes, and those precious quiet moments you claim as your own.

Writing is supposed to be solitary… though in our house it rarely is. Our desks back up to each other, Jim crunches loudly on cookies, and Nikoo has full conversations with herself while writing. Somehow, amid the noise and life's commotion, the stories get written—and knowing they find their way to you is what makes it all worthwhile.

Every morning, we get up and focus on the day in front of us, on gratitude, and on the small, good moments…even though this year has asked a lot of us. I'm now in my third year of my cancer journey, and the past year brought a few hard turns. Still, we want to tell you that your kindness and support—your notes, prayers, and encouragement—have carried us more than you know.

 Stories mattered differently this year. They comforted, distracted, and reminded us we weren't alone. Knowing our books have been part of your year is a gift we hold close.

 If you ever feel like sharing one of our books with a friend, a book club, or a library—thank you. That kind of word-of-mouth is quiet magic. And if you'd like to support us directly (and browse some good reading), our bookstore is always the best place to do it.

Mostly, please know this: you matter to us—not as customers, but as fellow lovers of story.

From our family to yours, we wish you a peaceful Christmas, a warm and joyful holiday season in all the ways you celebrate, and a hopeful New Year filled with good health.

One more thing…as always, we'd love to hear from you—what did you read this year that stayed with you, or what kind of story are you craving next, and what are your plans for this Holiday Season?

Warmly,

Nikoo & Jim

A New Interview about My Cancer Journey

Nikoo here. In this interview I’m sharing something deeply personal—my cancer journey.

It hasn’t been easy. There have been dark days, times of uncertainty, moments of fear… but also sparks of hope, resilience, and immense gratitude for every single one of you who’s walked this path with me.

In this video, I open up about what I’ve been through. The struggles, the breakthroughs, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. My hope is that by being vulnerable, I can help others feel less alone.

If you or someone you love is facing something similar, this is for you. You are stronger than you think. You are not alone.

Thank you to everyone who’s sent love, prayers, messages, and encouragement. You lift me up every single day.

Please feel free to watch, share, and comment. Your support means the world.

October: Pink Everywhere, But Pain for Many

This past Friday, I sat down for an interview with The Patient Story (the final video will be available October 10th). One of the questions the interviewer asked me was simple — but it cracked me wide open: Where does your support come from?

I tried to answer, but the truth hit so hard I broke down. (Hopefully, some of my crying jag will be edited out.) Still, what I shared was raw and honest.

Outside of my immediate family—Jim, my sons, and my amazing daughters-in-law—my greatest support comes from my MBC family. My sisters and brothers who walk this same unrelenting path. The ones who check in on me, whom I check in on. The ones whose voices and messages carry me through the darkest nights.

It’s the love we pour into each other that sustains me. A love born not of choice, but of necessity. A love rooted in shared pain, in knowing that our time is both precious and uncertain. This community is where I find strength, where I find understanding without words, where I am reminded that even in the face of Stage IV cancer, we are never truly alone.

Pink October, But Not for Everyone

Each year, October rolls in with pink ribbons on mailboxes, pink cupcakes at fundraisers, pink t-shirts flooding social media. At first glance, it feels hopeful. A month of awareness, of solidarity, of a message of ‘we’re fighting together.’

But for those of us living with metastatic breast cancer, October pink can be a trigger. Every billboard, every ‘Save the Boobies’ campaign, every cheerful pink post reminds us of what pink doesn’t say: that our disease has marched past early detection, that our story is more complex than slogans.

We don’t just want awareness. We need change. We need research for metastatic disease, for lobular cancer, for the patients too often left out of the picture.

The Hard Truth

Breast cancer is often survivable in many cases, thanks to decades of research, early screening, and targeted therapies.

But for metastatic breast cancer (Stage IV), the picture is starkly different:
The five-year relative survival rate for metastasized breast cancer is only about 32%.

That statistic is not just a number. It’s my reality. It’s the reality of my friends. It’s the shadow we live with every day.

Why We Push, Every Day

• Because “awareness” without action is hollow. Pink ribbons are not enough. We need more clinical trials, more funding for metastatic disease, more innovation for cancers that still don’t have good therapies. (In my own case, we need more clinical trials for invasive lobular breast cancer, for which there are less than a handful.)

• Because stories matter. Every time people say, “early detection saves lives,” they forget that early detection doesn’t save every life.

• Because hope must be real. We don’t need cheerleading. We need honesty, transparency, and investment in research that gives us more time and better quality of life.

• Because life is more than “cure or die.” Many of us live years with Stage IV, balancing treatments, side effects, and meaning. We deserve dignity, support, and compassion until better treatments are found.

• Because voices matter. We need you to ask the right questions, to stand with us, to be advocates for research, for trials, for real progress.

What You Can Do

Good work is being done. Real organizations are pushing for change and funding research. If you are donating, please consider giving to those that specifically support metastatic breast cancer research.

Your support makes a difference. Not in pink T-shirts or slogans — but in labs, in clinical trials, in real treatments that extend and improve lives.

Be a voice for change. Support us. Speak for us. Stand with us.

Because we don’t need more pink.

We need more progress.

These are some of the organizations our own money is going to this month: Please list yours in the comments.

• LBCA (Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance)

• METAvivor

• Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF)

• Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC)

Tagged: Cancer journey, cancer support, community, Breast Cancer Month, MBC, metastatic breast cancer, Pinktober

2025 is a Year of Milestones

Jim and I are celebrating 45 years of marriage.

Yesterday, I (Nikoo) turned 65.

Thirty years ago, our first book, The Thistle and the Rose, was published.

And this year, we’ll become grandparents again—twice!

Amidst these celebrations, there's also the reality that my cancer is on the move again. Milestones come in all varieties.

When I started this second line of treatment, my oncologist mentioned its expected effectiveness was around seven months. Well, my body must have been listening, because it’s time for a change. I’m still undergoing tests and considering the next course of treatment. But right now, Jim and I are focused on all the good things that surround us.

I want to share part of a message I wrote for World Cancer Day on our cancer blog:

“We don’t all have the same battles, but we all have the power to make a difference. Be kind. Help a neighbor. Support research. Lift someone up. Small acts ripple into something greater. For those wondering how to help: fund research, show up for a friend, spread compassion. Because hope isn’t just a word—it’s action.”

On the writing front (my anchor during stressful times), we’re making great strides with Harbor View, our cozy fantasy series. Set in a charming New England town, it features an eclectic cast of characters, two ghosts, and a murder mystery. We’re on track to complete the first book by March—and stay tuned, as we’ve already outlined five books in the series!

If you enjoy our books, please help spread the word—tell a friend, a neighbor, or your local library. Visiting our bookstore and supporting our work means the world to us. We appreciate you every day.

Holiday Wishes!

With the holidays upon us once again, we find that we are, as always, thankful for all the blessings, all the friendships, and all the love that you send us, day in and day out, all year long. As many of you know, metastatic breast cancer has been a major part of our life these past two years, but we now understand the challenging “what-ifs” of the disease.

What if the next scan shows more progression? What if we can’t afford care? What if I lose my insurance? What if… ?

Still, what if we let go of all that pain, sadness, and anger—just for a minute—without ignoring the reality that they can return any time. What if—for an instant—we let joy, love, hope, and happiness take over?

This past year, we expanded our knowledge about Lobular Breast Cancer. I (Nikoo) attended an in-person medical conference in Pittsburgh and felt like a new person afterward, armed with more knowledge and knowing that there are brilliant researchers working on this disease. The two of us also got involved with advocacy—patient-to-patient and caregiver-to-caregiver.

Eighteen months post-diagnosis, my prognosis is measured in three-month windows. Scan to scan. Still, our mantra is to wish for peace for all human beings and to count our blessings.

As always and because of life’s necessities, we’re writing and have a new novel scheduled for release in March. And our new online bookstore is fully operational through our website.

Our wish for you this holiday season is that your blessings overwhelm your shadows, that your good ‘what ifs’ overcome the bad, and that your lives overflow with peace and contentment.

Taking Steps — Empower, Educate, Advocate…

Fifteen months have passed since my life took an unexpected turn with a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer. Since then, anytime there is silence on our social media accounts, I get private messages asking, ‘How are you doing?’ And it warms my heart to know that you're with me on this journey.

My weeks are a symphony of scans and appointments, a continuous rhythm that has become my new normal. And yes, I will always be on one or another type of chemo. And no, I won’t be done with it. Ever. When it comes to discomfort, I have pain. I’ll always have some pain, but I can live with it.

To those friends and family who have followed my journey through this blog, you remember the challenging six months leading to my diagnosis. The confusion, the fear—those emotions were all too real. And the emotional toll that followed was profound. The statistics were terrifying.

“Only one-third of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the U.S. live for 5 years after diagnosis.”

I needed some space to get comfortable with my diagnosis. I needed time to find my strength and search for a purpose for the time I have left. Yes, writing is our profession. It pays the bills, so that had to continue. But there were deeper questions that kept me up at night.

What more can I do with the time I've been given?

How can I help people who are going through the often scary stages of diagnosis?

How can I support others living with MBC, now and in the future?

Jim and I have always believed in the power of giving back. Early in our marriage, our wise landlord, Tom Kepple, shared a lesson that stayed with us: "Always give more than you take." In a way, his words were an echo of Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?"

With those words as our guide, Jim and I decided to dedicate our time and energy to advocacy. I found my calling in patient advocacy, while Jim is getting involved with caregiver advocacy.

Advocacy starts with each of us, as individuals, speaking up. It's when the appointment schedules don't align with our lives, when medications bring debilitating side effects, when second and third opinions are essential. And later, it’s when we share our experiences, offering empathy and practical insights.

Breast cancer is a multifaceted challenge, and my focus is on helping patients ask questions and finding resources. I decided early on to share my journey, and hopefully, to inspire others in embracing life fully.

The realm of advocacy is vast and unending, but I'm committed to immersing myself in it, learning, and being a voice for change. As I prepare to attend my first in-person medical conference as a patient advocate, I'm mindful that there are no long-term guarantees for MBC patients like me. However, I refuse to let statistics define my path. I am a unique statistic, ready to empower, educate, advocate…and live.

All Things Being Equal...

Like many children, I (Nikoo) was a voracious reader growing up, and my favorite books were those in which I could see myself. I was born in Iran. My parents were Muslim, but we also had family members who practiced Judaism, Christianity, and Bahá’í, and we had our share of atheists. We respected and embraced all beliefs. My initial awareness of a lack of representation in literature happened when I was attending college in the U.S., and later when Jim and I were raising our two sons, also voracious readers.

What happens when the books children read are full of people who look nothing like themselves, whose families look nothing like theirs, and whose stories—while they might be otherwise relatable—don’t include people they can identify with?

In 2012, Columbia University in New York hosted “The Muslim Protagonist: Write Your Own Story,” its first annual symposium for Muslim writers, scholars, and filmmakers. By then, as authors of more than 30 books, we were honored to be invited to speak and take part in a panel discussion in a packed auditorium.

For us, the symposium marked what we hoped was the beginning of a sea change in publishing. And since then, there have been many changes. Mainstream traditional publishers are featuring more and more titles by Muslim writers, with stories about characters whose heritage can include nations and cultures that are not necessarily “Western”’ or Judeo-Christian. Stereotypes and literary tropes that have existed for decades are being identified, if not challenged.

So, do these changes affect us as working novelists? Are these changes just elements of a temporary “wokeness” in America? Or do they indicate movement toward more permanent change, more permanent awareness, more permanent inclusiveness? […]

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Happy Spring!

Happy Spring! Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Happy Norooz!

Yes, Happy Norooz! Whether it's spelled Nowruz or Norouz, it's the Persian holiday that celebrates the start of Spring. The date usually falls on the vernal equinox, which is around March 20th this year here in the US), and it has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

The word Norooz means New Day!

As we get ready to celebrate Norooz and the start of Spring, Jim and I want to share our own practices for this special occasion. And we DO celebrate. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to embrace this season of renewal and rebirth.

As you know, last year was challenging for us. We faced health struggles and the associated rollercoaster of emotions. But in the spirit of Norooz, we’re choosing to let go of the past and look forward to new beginnings and opportunities. We’ll hold onto all we’ve learned but allow ourselves to live each day as the gift that it is. That includes this coming Friday’s scan. A CT scan on St. Patrick’s Day requires the wearing of GREEN...and I’m wearing it.

We’re also practicing gratitude, taking time each day to reflect on the many things we’re thankful for. Whether it's the beauty of spring, the support of loved ones, or the resilience of our own bodies, we’re grateful for all the blessings in our lives.

Also, since nature walks have always been a source of joy and connection for us, we plan to take more walks, even if it's just in our own backyard or on a nearby trail. We'll take in the sights, sounds, and smells of Spring, and feel the rejuvenating power of the natural world.

Spring cleaning is another practice that we embrace ... clearing out clutter from our home. It's a metaphor for releasing old habits or thought patterns that no longer serve us and for making room for new growth.

Meditation and prayer help us connect with our inner selves, and we plan to spend more time in quiet contemplation. We think it's beneficial to reflect on our lives, our goals, and our intentions, and to stay connected with our spiritual beliefs.

Creative expression is (of course) also a key part of our Norooz celebration. We're continuing to write, write, write, working on the sequel to “Jane Austen Cannot Marry.” And you’re going to need to hold onto your hats because “Kooks and Bad Karma” will be taking you on a wild ride! This romantic suspense novel is set in the beautiful Colorado Rockies, but that's not all...we've got an assassin coming from the future to correct history! But wait! This person is having way too much fun and refuses to follow orders. Chaos ensues as she tries to make sense of it all and navigate this crazy, kooky world the rest of us live in. So get ready for a fun adventure tale that will have you on the edge of your seat and chuckling out loud! More on that later…

We wish you all a happy and healthy Norooz and hope that this season brings you renewed hope, joy, and love.

Writing this with love and gratitude…

A Thousand Lives...

Before we ever became writers, Jim and I were readers. We remain devoted readers to this day, enjoying books across every genre. But how do we choose which books to read and authors to try?
 
We rely on recommendations from friends and family who share our taste in books and titles that our book club chooses each month. We also pay attention to a book's reviews and the author's personal story, particularly those who have overcome struggles like illness, loss, or life-changing events. These books, for us, are more about the "heart" behind the story.
 
At the end of each of our novels, we ask our readers to please leave a review and recommend our book to a friend, and we’d encourage you to do the same for any book you enjoy.
 
According to the National Endowment for the Arts, total book reading has declined significantly over the past 20 years. We understand that we all lead busy lives, but we believe that reading is worth the investment of time. Books introduce us to people and places we may not otherwise know, help us communicate better, and create empathy.
 
Reading also supports people like Jim and me, who have dedicated ourselves to storytelling for the love of words and to bring you hours of entertainment.
 
So, friends, we know we’re ‘preaching to the choir’, but we encourage you to continue reading, reading, reading, and to share your love of books with others. As George R.R. Martin said, "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."
 
And thank you, sincerely, for supporting us!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A special video message from Nikoo!

METAvivor exists to sustain hope for those living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer (MBC). They are a volunteer-led, non-profit organization that funds vital research to help improve the longevity and quality of life for MBC patients. Passionately committed patients, they rally public attention to the urgent needs of the MBC community, help patients find strength through support and purpose, and make every dollar count as they work with researchers to extend and improve quality of life for MBC patients.

Visit http://www.metavivor.org

And visit our Cancer Journey blog at https://www.maymcgoldrick.com/our-cancer-journey

Those wind chimes are driving me...!

Do you love (or hate) wind chimes?

Did you know wind chimes date back to 3000BCE Southeast Asia? They were initially made of pottery, bone, or shell. More modern versions, crafted from metal and with specific sounds in mind, made their appearance around 1100BCE in other areas of Asia. Eventually, they would spread to the rest of the world.

I’ve always loved them. For me, they're a treasured gift. And I've enjoyed giving them to friends and family for as long as I remember. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized wind chimes are regularly featured on lists of “Most Annoying Things About My Neighbors”! They're a major cause of noise complaints...and even a few 911 calls.

Here are some of the stories I ran across:

“…a neighbor near me had the bloody things and for several years I hardly got a wink of sleep on any windy night. I seriously considered a commando raid to steal the poxy things.”

“I’m a 911 dispatcher. I used to work in a shore town, where all the houses were right on top of each other. I dealt with two neighbors who for years fought about wind chimes. 'He' hated them. 'She' kept them because they were the last thing her husband gave her before he died. Year after year, I dealt with the arguments between these two. So one day, he called. I said, “let me guess. You’re complaining about your neighbor’s wind chimes making noise?” He said “they’re not making noise anymore. I went over with scissors to cut them, and she tried to stop me. So I stabbed her in the chest with the scissors. You should probably send an ambulance.”

“I was staying at a friend’s house one night. Starts pouring rain with heavy winds. As I’m falling asleep, I realize there is a huge wind chime outside my window. I go outside in the storm, spend several minutes taking apart the stupid thing so it doesn’t make any more noise. I leave it out there in pieces so it can think about its life choices. I go back inside and sleep like a rock.”

They all seem like good story candidates for a Jan Coffey novel, don’t they? 

Well, here are a couple of reasons why I like wind chimes. Maybe you could add why you do (or don’t) like them. 

• The melodious sounds are so soothing.

• They keep the birds away from the berries in the garden.

Feel free to share your stories with us...but please don't tell us if you've stabbed your neighbor!!

Who needs a bucket list?

How many times have you heard someone ask, “What’s on your bucket list?”

I’ve always been a fan of lists (not necessarily the ‘bucket’ variety…but lists). I find that writing something down tends to make my goals real and tangible and to hold me accountable. Also, it helps with remembering things. But that’s another story.

So, how about a bucket list? Do you have a list of things you want to do before you 'shuffle off this mortal coil'?

This is a concept so deeply ingrained in our current culture that there are multiple self-help books and websites dedicated to helping you create your own bucket list.

You don’t have one? No worries. You won’t have any trouble finding friends and family (along with those books and websites) who’d love to build or expand your bucket list. They’ll come up with things like visiting the Seven Wonders of the World, climbing the Swiss Alps, spending a week in a Buddhist monastery in Bhutan or at an all-inclusive resort in Bali, etc. Things to do before you die that will push your limits or broaden your horizons and help you live your best life...more or less.

• Well, Jim and I don’t have a bucket list. Now, why is that?
   Because in the course of working and raising our children, we wrote and we wrote and we wrote. Writing was something we could do together, help pay our bills with, and even ‘live’ the adventures of our characters. And we got to see a bit of the world through our research and the conferences we attended. We loved and still love what we were doing.

• Because for many people, making a bucket list has come to incorporate one-upmanship.

• Because no two people see life the same.

 What does that last point mean? How many times does someone recommend and really pump up a book, a movie, a vacation package? Then, you take the recommendation and go into it with high expectations, only to be disappointed. Basically, your experience does not live up to what you imagined it would be. Now, if you read that same book, watch that same movie, or go on that trip without all the buildup—with only the mindset that I’m going to enjoy this, for there’s no high expectations—then the chances are that you’ll really enjoy that experience.

Now, are there places we’d like to visit some day? Yes, absolutely. Are there things we’d like to do that we’ve never have done before? Yes, for sure. Do we make a list of them? No. Especially not now.

These days, my bucket list couldn’t even include going to the dentist for my semi-annual cleaning. My oncologist finds that too compromising for my condition.

I recently read this passage in a Psychology Today article: “Building up the items on your bucket list in a way that your life is not complete [without them] is bound to leave you disappointed.”

No disappointments here. My life is complete, and I have so much to be thankful for. But Jim and I are definitely interested in going on spontaneous (and planned) getaways…oncologist permitting. Bali and Bhutan are not in the cards, but we might take that road trip up the Pacific coastline…

How about you? Do you have a bucket list? What do you think of it?

A friend has been kind enough to set up a GoFundMe fundraiser.

Here is the link to that page.

Thank you!

The Giving Tree...and the Tree that Fell from the Sky

Jim and I have always been tree lovers (at risk of being called ‘tree huggers’). And we mean that in the literal sense of word. Every house we’ve lived in, we’ve always planted a tree, or at least had a tree adventure.One of the favorite books we used to read to our sons when they were younger was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Regardless of how many times we read that book, I always sobbed through the very last page.

Did I mention tree adventures?

There was a giant mulberry tree at our first house in Westerly, Rhode Island. Before we moved in, it was scheduled to be cut down. Hundreds of birds sat on that tree, ate the colorful berries, and then proceeded to poop on the neighbors’ cars. It took some friendly interaction from us – followed by cooking and delivering mulberry jam every year – to save that old tree’s life.

When we bought our home in the Point section of Newport, RI, the courtyard shaded by our white lilac became the fragrance-filled gathering place for countless neighborhood get-togethers.

The apricot tree we planted in our house in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, was a source of great amusement for the neighborhood kids. When it started bearing fruit, they looked like bees working around the hive. (The Shakers had a saying about the importance of growing enough for the neighbors too!) The kiwi wasn’t as successful, but we did have some luscious-looking branches.

And then there was the gigantic weeping willow tree in our backyard in Connecticut where our sons and their friends played volleyball and basketball for days on end. There was even a mini-tornado that brought down spruce and white pines along the property border, but the weeping willow survived.

Of course, soon after moving to California, we had to plant our pomegranate and avocado trees. Our granddaughter harvested two pomegranates this past month. And there are more than a dozen still growing on the tree!

In each case, with all of the planting and occasional pruning, we’ve done our share of sweating, hard digging and constant attention. We’ve had days of pondering whether the hole was deep enough or if the soil was fertilized enough. Once we considered if we should remove a boulder three feet down. But when it's all said and done, our trees have given us so many days of fun and conversation and adventure...and an occasional piece of fruit. (-:

But this week, we got an entirely new view of how someone else approaches the job.

A house recently purchased in our neighborhood had a half dozen VERY large, mature trees and at least a dozen shrubs planted yesterday. It took the workers less than a couple of hours. And how did they get it done? Take a guess after looking closely at the photo we took from our kitchen window. We're talking about seriously large equipment! Yes, that's the mother of all cranes in the left corner.

The couple moving in undoubtedly paid a great deal of money for this lightning quick landscaping...and that's great for them. But we still prefer the memories of our own giving trees much better than the tree that fell from the sky.

The Doctor in the House

This post is as much about the love of my life, Jim, as it is about me. And for those of you who know us well, there’s some things here that YOU don’t even know.

To begin, Jim knows facts. His incredible brain is packed with information, much of it random. Ask him anything and he knows the answer. If he doesn’t, he’ll never admit it. He just makes it up. Then, he goes on Wikipedia and makes a page for it...or doctors up a page that’s there. One time, we were talking about a 19th century writer. Jim said he was a recluse, and when he died, his dogs ate him before the authorities broke in and found the body. Ten minutes after our discussion, Jim showed up with a printout of the Wikipedia page “proving” it. Well, he doesn’t do that anymore...not since I reported him. ;-)  

But honestly, he’d be a perfect candidate for Jeopardy.

Some years into our marriage, before our writing career took off, Jim went and got his PhD while I was working as an engineer. Right out of graduate school, he got a job teaching college in Pennsylvania. After that, the mail that came for him was generally addressed to ‘Dr. James McGoldrick’.

The first challenge to Jim’s doctoral status came from our mailman who stopped him one day by the mailbox. The man wanted a second opinion on some over-the-counter medication he was taking for an illness. Jim politely said that he should consult his own doctor.  

The mailman (disappointed): “What kind of doctor are you?”

Jim: “A word doctor.”

The mailman then proceeded to show Jim a suspicious mole on his nose. Our mailman was sort of hard of hearing.

It was right about then that I started saying that we have a doctor in the house. It actually started right after I bought Jim a book about Reflexology and Acupressure. Of course, he memorized it all after one reading.

From then on, from bumps and bruises to colds and stomach aches, our boys grew up running to Pop to fix it. They trusted him to have answer to any illness in the universe. Again, if he didn’t know the answer, he’d either look it up...or make it up. Somehow, the boys survived.

Fast forward to 2003, the first time I was diagnosed with breast cancer. (And no, Jim was not allowed to open up either the Reflexology book or Wikipedia.) However, my oncology team at Yale/New Haven Hospital believed that a patient benefits greatly with a wide range of complementary therapies. A dear friend of mine, a Reiki master, drove all the way from Rhode Island to Connecticut numerous times to administer Reiki to me during course of my treatments. Well, Jim watched closely and started reading up on it. Pretty soon, I was reaching out to him for the Reiki. Needless to say, my sweetheart’s reputation grew (both in our household and amongst the local letter carriers). Not only did he know facts, now he practiced complementary medicine (without a license...but don’t report him; the statute of limitations has run out.).

That brings us to now.

All of you who have been following our blog know that I went through four months of testing, with inconclusive results. The imaging tests—like MRI, PET and CT scans—were mostly clear but I continued to have medically unexplained symptoms. I was sick, and I knew I was sick. Thankfully, I wasn’t brushed off by my doctors. My oncologist said at some point that something was definitely wrong, but to pinpoint it, a biopsy was needed. So they went in, found something “concerning” on the kidney. But the results came back, “Nada.”

When my team of doctors came up with the suggestion that since they couldn’t find anything, they’d repeat such-and-such a test in three months, I reached for my in-house doctor. The two of us rolled up our sleeves and went to work. If there’s one thing we know how to do, it’s research. And I do live with a human encyclopedia.

We both knew the Internet is filled with misinformation, especially about cancer diagnoses and care. But at the same time, one can find research articles such as this one from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston:  https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/What-is-invasive-lobular-carcinoma-8-insights-on-lobular-breast-cancer.h00-159539745.html

“Lobular breast cancer spreads to the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. Lobular breast cancer tends to spread to unusual sites, such as the lining of the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. Patients often notice they feel constipated or have changes with urination. Like in the breast, the cancer cells grow linearly and cause these tracts to narrow. It’s like a lasso that tightens over time. Because the cells grow in sheets and not a mass, metastasis is also difficult to detect.”

I had Lobular Breast Cancer nineteen years ago. All my recent troubles have been gastrointestinal. After more research, we learned that imaging wouldn’t identify Invasive Lobular Cancer (ILC).

What did we do next? Made appointments with doctors outside of our team. And couple of weeks later, exploratory surgery found the cancer. Yes, MD Anderson’s article was correct.

Did we diagnose my situation before the doctors did? Certainly not.

Were we proactive in terms of making sure no stone goes unturned? Yes.

Did I have a great doctor in the house? Absolutely.

And the day we sat down with my oncologist to go over the treatment plan, Jim and I pulled our chairs up to the table. The conversation was respectful, with relief all the way around. We knew how hard the team worked to diagnose my cancer, and they knew that I—with Jim beside me—was going to be a hands-on and educated patient.

Since then, I’ve seen how closely Jim paid attention to things when the nurses worked on the port on my chest. And how he watched the dozens of needles going in during my acupuncture session.

I wonder what’s running through his head… 

A friend has been kind enough to set up a GoFundMe fundraiser.

Here is the link to that page.

Thank you!

To Pseudonym or Not to Pseudonym: A Question of Lying (and Usefulness)

George Orwell was a big liar. So was George Elliot. And Dean Koontz. And all three of those nefarious Brontë sisters. And Mark Twain. And Agatha Christie. And George Sand. And Nora Roberts, of course. And that most insidious of liars, Dr. Seuss.

So was Jane Austen, though to a lesser extent. When Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility came out in 1811, the phrase “By a Lady” was printed in place of her name on the title page. Anonymity was important at the beginning of her career, even though her authorship later became an open secret. But why not divulge her real name? Was it protection for herself or her family, was it the importance of propriety, or was it business?

All of the authors mentioned above are examples of writers who have used pseudonyms. Some of those pen names are actually the names we know them by. Okay, using a pen name is not exactly lying. There are lots of reasons for using them and “hiding” one’s identity.

George Orwell wanted to save his legal name for when he did his “serious” writing. Sand and the Brontës and Elliot and Austen were publishing at a time when it was difficult for women to get into print, never mind being taken seriously as writers. Or they wanted to protect their families or themselves, for a variety of reasons. Roberts and Koontz and Christie wanted to tell stories in other genres. Theodor Geisel was banned from submitting stories to the school newspaper for some infraction, so Seuss was born.

We’re liars too. When we published our first historical romance, the publisher insisted that we use a feminine pseudonym for business purposes. They even went so far as to invent a bio for us in the book that said something to the effect that “May McGoldrick lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with her cat, where she is working on her next novel.” No picture. Our real names didn’t even appear on the copyright page.

That was okay with us. We were delighted about being published. Plus, those first books were romance, at that time the “infamous shady lady” of literature. Nikoo was working as an engineering manager with men reporting to her. Jim was teaching at a Catholic college. Oddly enough, our fiction turned out to be no problem there. The college administration embraced the novel, and we found out that the chaplain was even reading passages out loud at lunch in the school bookstore to groups of students.

About the cat business in the bio, however, our dog was seriously displeased. He sulked for months.

A few years later, another publisher wanted us to use the pen name Jan Coffey when we branched out into contemporary romantic suspense and thrillers. Jan is an acronym for Jim and Nikoo, and Coffey is an anglicized version of her Persian family name, Kafi. Fast forward to a couple of years ago. A publisher asked us to write a series of Westerns, and we needed a male pseudonym. So, Nik James was born.

For us, each choice was publisher-driven, with serious consideration about competition, book sales, crossover readership, and chain store retailer purchases.

So, the question for today is, are these factors for using different pen names relevant for writers in an increasingly post brick-and-mortar bookstore era? Or is it more important to have a single name so as not to cause confusion? After all, the goal is to bring the most eyes to our stories.

Issues to consider about pseudonyms

Protecting identity
Using a pseudonym is still a valuable tool for protecting someone’s identity. Susan May Patterson, who openly employs four different pen names for a variety of genres, says that the pseudonyms she uses for writing erotica are “known only to me and God.” Jennifer Ashley’s traditional publishers had a “collective cow” when she decided to write erotic romance, so she came up with a new pseudonym. Mary Bly was an untenured college professor at a Catholic university and saw the need to separate her fiction writing from her academic work. She chose the name Eloisa James.

Finding a good name
Our first publisher wanted a female pseudonym because they were afraid women would not buy a romance that a man had a hand in writing. When we suggested Nikoo McGoldrick, they said it wasn’t feminine sounding enough. If Reedsy were around then, we could have used their Pseudonym Generator to come up with something other than Jim’s grandmother’s name. Also, you might want to choose a pen name if your legal name is too common or difficult to spell or happens to be...um, William Shakespeare or Virginia Woolf or Gabriel García Márquez.

Copyrighting and the pseudonym
If you decide to copyright your work on your own, the US Copyright Office is very accommodating for authors with pen names. If you write under a pseudonym but want to be identified by your legal name in the Copyright Office’s records, give your legal name under Individual Author and click on Pseudonymous and provide your pen name, as well. If you don’t want to have your real identity revealed, then click on Pseudonymous only and leave the individual Author blank. If you fill in your name, it will become part of the public record. Either way you want to do it, they’ll be happy to take your money.

Collaboration
If you’ve collaborated with a partner on a novel and have decided to use a pseudonym, decide in advance (and in writing) who owns the name. After all, one or both of you may want to write a sequel.

Cost and time
Suppose you publish a series of books using a pseudonym and then decide to write in a different genre. Should you use a different pen name?

One thing to consider is the cost and time involved in developing your online presence. Jennifer Ashley, whose various pseudonyms were (like us) driven by publisher involvement, has said that her preference would have been to put “all my books under one name.” Developing an online presence for several pen names is a major pain.

We think of it this way. Do we really want to have two (or three or four) different websites and Twitter and Instagram accounts that constantly need to be fed? We won’t even get into the nightmare of additional TikTok accounts. Seriously, how much dancing can a working writer manage to do? And one last thing. Distinct autograph signatures for each pseudonym! Enough said.

Pseudonyms for nonfiction
A pen name for a how-to or other nonfiction book doesn’t really work. The success of these books depends, for the most part, on the recognized expertise of the individual writing the book.

Discoverability
Something we’ve known from the beginning of our career was that readers buy books by authors they know or have heard about from someone they trust. What we’ve learned is that having two pen names doesn’t facilitate crossover.

When J.T. Ellison decided to write in a different genre, she didn’t foresee a large crossover in readership and felt that using her name would screw up the algorithm for Also Bought suggestions on the online retailer page. So, she used a new pen name. M.L. Buchman disputes that position and believes you should go with one author name. He cites Kindlepreneur creator Dave Chesson’s research (shared at the last NINC conference) that “the shopper’s eye [on those product page suggestions] will mostly skip to see only the genre they’re interested in.”

Barbara Keiler (writing as Judith Arnold) and Brenda Hiatt each chose to write under a single name. Like us, both established their readership while writing for traditional publishers. They assert the belief that their name recognition and the consistency of their approach to storytelling across genres draws and satisfies readers, despite the different types of stories they tell.

Branding
For the 21st century novelist, branding is essential.

Elaine Isaak, writing in multiple genres, wanted “more separation when the books came out,” and is working on better branding. On the other hand, M.L. Buchman uses one name and “brands the crap out of it.” His branding efforts focus on a specific hierarchy: author, genre, then series. Buchman’s bottom line, “One name, one website, court the superfans who pay me the most money and buy everything I write.”

So, where does that leave us? Using your own name or a single pen name or several, the choice is individual. But for us? NO more multiple pseudonyms. If we had a do-over, we’d follow Buchman’s route.

And by the way, Eric Arthur Blair—you of the Animal Farm—we know who you are.

The Linen Skirt is Back!

Do you have a piece of clothing in your closet that is over a decade old? Maybe two decades? Did you contemplate donating it but at the last minute the sentimental value had you bury it deeper in there? Even though it no longer fit. Or the color was faded. Or the fabric was just a little frayed along the edges.

For me, this precious piece of clothing is a long linen skirt that I bought back in 2002. Moved across the country, washed so many times, packed and repacked and pushed to the darkest corner of the closet, this was the skirt that I wore to thirty sessions of radiation while I was going through treatment for my first bout with breast cancer. The skirt was my good luck charm, my happy skirt, my I’m going-to-surface-on the-other side-okay garment.

So, guess what I was doing this morning at 6:00 am, deep in my closet? Looking for that linen skirt. And I found it. And I wore it. And it fit! After a thirty-pound weight loss over the past four months, a lot of clothes now fit.

This morning, I wore it to my first ‘official’ chemo treatment.

Many of you have either been through it yourself, or you have family or friends who have gone or are going through cancer treatment, so let’s not talk about the side effects (though some of them appear to be instant and affecting me right now). Instead, let’s talk about the kindness and compassion of nurses and doctors who work in oncology and how I truly believe these people are angels on earth.

They get your name right. They have a sense of humor and make you laugh. Before walking into the treatment room, they read about you and then they ask about books and grandchildren and weekend plans. They treat you like a friend and not only a patient. At our request, they even take the time to bring in Marilou (the oncology pharmacist) so I can meet her and thank her in person.

And, of course, they say, “What a cool skirt. Where did you buy it?”

Then Jim and I come home and see all the messages and contributions and love that you have sent us during these few hours that we were gone. Here, today, we are blessed with so many more angels. Every one of you.

Thank you, friends. I’m a writer, but right now I’m a little short on words to express my gratitude for everything that you’re doing for us.

All I can say is that I’m looking forward to the day when I can fold up that skirt and tuck it away until the next battle.

Take a mental survey of your closet and tell me what’s the oldest piece in there. I’ll bet there’s sentimental value attached.