A Friday Update ... of sorts

Hard to figure out what to say for a week that seemed to go by in five minutes. I did a lot of writing on this new project, The Cousins' Club. I'm still at sea in terms of how the story is going to play out, but have been getting lots of exciting ideas and I might actually show my agent something soon. I just feel like I need some feedback around now.

Meanwhile, I've been going to the gym. Not just running on the treadmill, but pumping iron using a routine my husband mapped out for me. And I'm actually seeing results. You know that obnoxious thing guys do when they flex their arms in front of the mirror? I did that today and guess what I saw? Something resembling bicep muscles.

You probably think that shouldn't shock me, but understand that I'm not genetically prone to muscle definition. We are a soft people. (I guess survival of the fittest in the remote shtels of the Ukraine depended more on layering on fat than any athleticism. "Yacov, how will we get through the winter? There is no food." "No food? Why, just last month when the goat died I emptied the contents of its stomach and got almost a whole bowl of half-digested grass! My shana Mindel, you can make enough schav for the whole village!")

That's about it, but if you're anywhere near Paramus, New Jersey, please set Sunday aside for the first ever NEW JERSEY BOOK FESTIVAL. It's going to be huge, with tons of authors, readings and panels. I'll be presenting at 3:00 pm, with Saralee Rosenberg, Carol Hoenig and Brenda Janowitz. Our panel is called "Women are Characters: Exploring Heroines Who Matter." Click here for more info.