I recently attended a Trade Show at the Oakland Marriott Convention Centre sponsored by the NCIBA—Northern California Independent Booksellers Association, where traditional publishing conglomerates, independent and boutique publishers, distributors and authors exhibited. As a longtime features writer and debut novelist, my heart raced anticipating face time with decision-making publishers who may have the potential to …

My one and only resolution of the New Year was to not write a magazine article about New Year’s Resolutions. I’m one for one so far and feeling good. As I near my 50th birthday, I’ve determined that New Year’s Resolutions aren’t for me anymore. I find resolutions too be daunting and cumbersome, almost a …

  My father-in-law, Dr. Louis Warshaw, died on Sunday, December 12, 2011. Lou was an exceptionally good man who worked hard, traveled the world and was very giving to his family and friends. Not many people knew that Lou was my chief proof reader for the magazine articles I’ve written for ALIVE the past couple …

It’s February, a time when Valentine’s Day is celebrated and cupids abound. In fact, to get in the mood and begin writing this article, I decided to bask in the inspirational energy from a group of local cherubs. So, here I sit enjoying the ambiance of a darling cafe in Alamo—Cherubini Coffee House. As I …

As Yogi Berra taught us; “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” We are living through some tumultuous times. The world gorged on debt and times were good. Now we are paying the price for this excess and are in the midst of a painful worldwide de-leveraging process. Nobody knows how long this economic …

Now is the perfect time for a style makeover! January is resolution crazed—organizing, eating well, and exercising — if you’ve kept your promises, then you deserve a treat. Not chocolate, but the opportunity to take your style to the next level. How do you know if you’re in need of a style makeover? Answer these …

My old newspaper buddy Doug and I talk a few times a year. We used to work for the same paper in Sarasota,Fla; I covered crime and he still works there as a sports columnist. In traditional male mode, I am not super chatty. But I find myself in these calls talking for 10 or 15 …

Last month, I contacted our editor, Eric, from a KMart in Scotts Valley, California. Eric accused me of characterizing this drivel as a “Blue Light Special.” I’ll show him! In the 40′s, there was a song that advertised “Fryers, broilers and Detroit Barbecued Grits. What was the name of that eating establishment? Westinghouse sponsored the …

As of the first of this year, there was a big change in Probate law for the State of California. There are two standard types of Probate in California: a court probate, which typically last nine months to a year, or what is known as “summary probate.” Summary probate, also known as “small estates probate,” …

A mild warning – this is a sensitive subject which may offend some of my more gentle readers. Nevertheless, it is a topic that needs to be addressed by all faithful travelers. I bravely march ahead into this uncharted territory, hoping you will forgive me.  There are certain physiological activities we all have in common …