In the enormously popular PBS series, Downton Abbey, cousins Mary and Matthew fall in love and eventually marry. In England through the time of Downton Abbey, it wasn’t unusual for cousins to marry, and many of the Jane Austen novels involved cousins marrying. Many countries and about a third of the American states allow marriage between first cousins. It’s become more controversial in recent years because of the slight genetic risks involved.
In the opening scene of Boundaries, there is a hint of attraction between 16-year-old Kaia and her 22-year old cousin Mark. Where will this lead? Will this be a tragedy? What’s your initial reaction?

In light of the recently re-ignited controversy over women choosing to be full-time mothers rather than devoting themselves to competing in the workplace, the theme in my upcoming novel, Boundaries, of parenthood vs. career may be of interest to readers who face this dilemma or who have already made their choices in this regard.

I’ve been writing and reading fiction for many years, and I’m always learning, finding new modes of expression. As writers, we know we have to keep doing that. I’m now reading Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending for the third time, discovering more that I like about it each time. I’ve also recently listened to Prof. Brooks Landon’s (University of Iowa) course, Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer’s Craft (The Great Courses) on CD. He makes a strong case for longer, more eloquent and complex sentences than some of us were taught to write–and argues that simplicity and conciseness often do not produce the most effective and elegant writing. . . SEE FULL POST BELOW