Maria's Journal

     Columbia Daily Spectator  Some of you may be surprised to learn that all throughout the Coronavirus pandemic single Americans took to online dating, yes, single Americans got creative and began virtual dating. So, while the pandemic brought us so much despair others found hope and real love. Months back, a television special showcased a woman who documented her experience with virtual dating. One of the many reasons why virtual dating - the woman pointed out - works is because virtual dating is fundamentally different. See, she discovered that virtual dating made her focus on a real conversation which allowed her to get to know the other person more intimately. If you ask me, finding your other half isn't easy so, anything that will give us an edge is worth trying, don't you think? For those who found love during this crisis, I'd love to hear from you! Be well friends, Maria

                        Photo by Dainis Graveris from Pexels Most young adults (under the age of 35) are very familiar with this pop culture reference. The middle-aged person I am, of course, I didn’t know what the terminology meant until two years ago, yes, I’m so over the hill.  Wikipedia explains: "Netflix and chill" is an Internet slang term used as a euphemism for sexual activity, either as part of a romantic partnership or as casual sex or as a groupie invitation. What I’m I getting at? The pandemic has changed every aspect of our lives and that includes, sex and dating. You may imagine that in today’s environment the Netflix and chill situation may not fare safe if it ever was considered safe. Recently, an email circulated among friends provided guidelines for safe sex in the age of Coronavirus. At first, I chuckled at the mention of self-pleasure, but really, self-pleasure is the safest sex around....

Now, that most New Yorkers are confined to their homes, we have to think creatively and come up with ideas on how to keep busy. Personally, I’ve been able to keep up with my one-blog-a-week challenge (in March). If you happen to want to write more, consider signing up for Camp Nanowrimo , the program starts in April. Whether you’re writing, reading or just working on a DIY project, remember New York: we’re all in this together. #alonetogether Stay healthy and keep writing friends, Maria

                         Photo by Claudia Barbosa from Pexels A lot can be said for writing through stressful times, like when a loved one is sick or worse yet, has died. Having lost two close family members back to back, I can say that those were the most emotionally exhaustive days of my life. And yet, even then I found comfort in writing. Whether you’re journaling or writing toward a deadline, let's consider writing as an activity that can help us cope and heal, or at the very least help us stay sane. And, yes, we hear so much in the news and wonder, how much worse can it get? The honest truth is that this crisis has had a tremendous negative effect on the U.S. economy. In NYC the subways are half empty, restaurants are deserted, and the lights on Broadway have gone dark. The Coronavirus has brought our lives to a standstill. But, please remember, this too will pass. As many experts suggest, in spite of so...

                         Photo by Leah Kelley from Pexels Years ago, I wrote for hours on end in complete silence, just my dogs by my side. In recent years, I have switched over to writing with background music. So, which one do I prefer? Both, actually. Writing in silence gave me a quiet space to think while listening to music helped stimulate my creative side. In the vein of uniqueness, there are also those writers who instead of writing at home prefer to write in coffee shops and/or libraries. There’s no one is better method, just different methods. It seems logical that we should all have our own style, yet, often we compare our processes to that of other writers.  What I think is important is that we continually assess our writing skills because understanding our strengths and weaknesses helps identify a path toward improvement. And so the sooner we can admit to a deficiency the sooner we can address...

I’ll tell you friends, yesterday – Leap Day – I spent several hours not only reading but also devising a new writing plan for 2020, what a great way to spend the extra day! In this revised plan of mine I'm dedicating more time to romance writing, journaling and submitting to magazines. Admittedly, I've been stagnant for a while and for my own sanity (as artists we need to give the creative outlet room, lots of room) I need to write and often. Adding to my excitement is knowing that the romance writing community is being revitalized; there’s light at the end of the tunnel, folks. In closing, I want to remind my followers that my quarterly newsletter will be published at the end of this month, so please subscribe if you haven’t already. Oh, and as a thank you for signing up you’ll be able to download a free flash fiction story. Happy Sunday! Maria

In Ancient Greek folklore, a phoenix is a long-lived bird that cyclically regenerates. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by rising from the ashes of its predecessor. Over the years, I have thought about this folkloric tale time and again. Perhaps, it's the thought of being reborn that makes the etymology so captivating. After all, who can honestly say they haven't thought about being 'renewed' at least once in their lives. This leads me to the subject of starting fresh. In the world of romance writing much has transpired in a sixty-day span (and yes, it feels like it's been much longer than that). One can only hope that what remains of our former agency can survive by 'rising from the ashes of its predecessor'.  The task of correcting systemic issues won't be easy and even more challenging: the task of restoring trust with the writing community, talk about a tall order. The optimist in me wants to believe that there's a g...