Many authors create fictitious names of businesses, entertainers, institutions and others in order to avoid using famous names without permission. It also helps not to use famous names of places, people, and things so it would not sound like an author is trying to misrepresent the like by the way they write about, whether intended or not.
I certainly did this when I created Richmond College in “The Dark Proposal”, the higher ed institution on Staten Island, where Claire graduated and worked part-time at, met her two friends, Samantha and Monica, and of course, met vampire Daniel Bertrand there. I clearly didn’t have the resources to use an actual college on Staten Island, nor did I want to ruffle any feathers. So I made up a name.
Well, to be honest, not really. Richmond College used to be an actual institution on Staten Island, starting in 1965. It merged with Staten Island Community College in 1976 to become the College of Staten Island, which these days is part of the City University of New York (CUNY). I chose this name for Claire’s school because I wanted something authentically Staten Island for my book, since I aim to bring attention to the borough where I was born and raised in.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
While also aiming to have something related to Staten Island, I chose an actual college on Staten Island as the setting for Richmond College. Meaning, in my mind, I used an actual campus. That college campus is that of Wagner College, until recently, the only school with dorms on the Island. I once taught ESL one summer at Wagner, and it is a very lovely campus, sitting atop of the highest part of Staten Island. Since I needed a college with dorms for “The Dark Proposal”, and in 2012, the year I wrote the book, Wagner was the only one with that, I chose its campus as the setting. Whenever I visualize Richmond College for my book, I picture Wagner College.
So, there you have it. The Real Richmond College(s).
I’m starting off the new year by doing something nice but may be also controversial for some. I’ve created a list on Goodreads’ Listopia. I did it to help Staten Island authors get some recognition, and to show that even a place like The Forgotten Borough can produce good writers. And since I am originally from the Island, I included my book on the list.
This isn’t something I thought up over night. When I first started out in 2012, I asked around Goodreads about adding my book to any of Goodreads’ lists that fit its description. I was told by other authors that while it wasn’t against Goodreads guidelines, it was frowned upon by other users. That made sense to me, because any author could put their books on the wrong lists or over vote their books just for exposure. In other words, they would promote their books in a poor manner that would turn off other readers.
But a couple of months ago, I saw this being discussed in one of the Goodreads groups and while it was agreed that an author could abuse Listopia, it was debated over whether certain lists were OK for an author to put their book on. This was when the Goodreads’ Director of Author Marketing, stepped in and said while it wasn’t advisable to add your book to any “Best of…” or a list that did not fit the genre or category, there was nothing wrong for adding your book to a list that fit its description.
So, let’s say your book takes place in Hawaii or delves heavily into astrology or has a main character with OCD. It is fine to add that book to a list that includes books with similar attributes. Even creating a list is OK if there isn’t one that exists.
I was intrigued. Especially since I was looking for a way to spread the word about fellow Staten Island authors. As some of you may know, I was born and raised there. I may currently live in Brooklyn now and loving it, but Staten Island still matters to me. It’s my hometown!
Now, Brooklyn is known for being the Writing Capital of the United States, or at least the East Coast. It does not need to let the world know about that. Even the other boroughs, Manhattan especially, have recognition as a place where great minds can create great books. Staten Island, on the other hand…
Sadly, it is known as the “armpit” of New York City. That meme above says it all, and many of my Facebook friends laughed uproariously over it. Staten Island is not recognized for anything artistic or intellectual. In fact, it has many negative stereotypes as being conservative and its residents being much like the cast of the Jersey Shore. While those labels may be true for some, you can’t say a place with nearly 500,000 people can’t have a good writer or two.
So why not make it be known?
I began making a list of authors who’s books I would include on my Listopia list. Some I met before when I ran my writing groups. Others I had heard about, like Paul Zindel. I actually read Zindel’s book, “The Pigman”, in junior high and loved that he was a Staten Islander and set that book there. It gave me hope of being an author myself. Because, you know, seeing one of your own succeed is inspiring. 🙂 I also included authors who while they may not have actually lived on Staten Island, they were closely associated with it due to their job.
But I was still hesitant because I’ve heard about authors adding their books to lists and getting labeled by Goodreads authors as an “Author Behaving Badly” because of their spammy promotion tactics. So I emailed Goodreads for a final confirmation, and their response was that my idea was fine, as long as my books were not the only ones on the lists.
That was reassuring. And I can assure you that my book is not the only one on that list. Not only because it will be all alone, but it will just lousy to promote myself that way. And besides, why not give a shout-out to fellow Staten Island authors? This shows that we exist and may give some book loving Islanders some pride.
I know monitoring this list won’t be easy. I’m sure some spammy author will come along, and flood the list his or her work and abuse the voting. I’ll have to make it a twice-weekly effort to make sure that doesn’t happen. My list is free for any author who was born and raised, or lived, or is closely associated with Staten Island. Now, if you are an author who is none of these things, but can prove that your book is set on Staten Island – and Staten Island has to be a setting, not merely mentioned – I’ll add your work because you are closely associated with the borough in that way.
I’m nervous I may get flamed for making this list, but it seems that is all good. After all, I was told twice by Goodreads that my idea is fine. So if they say so, then I feel much better.
Whether a book is better than an eReader, or vice versa, will be discussed until one of them dies out for good. Recently, an article was featured on the Huffington Post about this topic, but with an angle that tickled my fancy.
Click here for original source
This article, written by a mobile and web design company, Fueled, talks about how New York subways riders do their reading while traveling on one of the world’s largest transit systems. It notes while many use Kindles or other tablets, traditional books are still the norm:
A typical subway experience can be an adventure: riders sitting in more than one seat, straphangers bobbing to their music, the crazies, the snoozers, the gamers and the readers. Some readers prefer their handheld devices, holding on to a pole with one hand and their tablet with the other. But many still crack open their books to escape into another world.
I am one of these commuters. I take the train to and from work five times a week, and on most weekends, I am using the train to get around the city. I’m part of both groups. I have the Kindle app on my iPhone, which I used to read Francis J. Franklin’s Suzie and the Monsters. I am now using it to read a book on personal finance and investment.
But I still bring a traditional book with me to and from work. I do this mostly because I have plenty of books to read, and they are all print books. I am not sure what I will do once I complete all the books on my shelf, but right now, I am not taking sides on the print versus eReader debate.
However, there has been talk that eReaders such as Kindles or Nooks are declining in sales. While eBooks are still popular, there is a sense that they will not put traditional books into extinction.
The aforementioned article makes these points:
There are a number of things to consider in the battle between paper and pixel: cost, physical limitations, reading comprehension and interactive capabilities to name a few. Paper prevails in every measure.
There is something about a bookmark sticking out of your novel that entreats one to pick it back up and give it more quality time. Yes it’s helpful to roll over a word for a definition; but life is about tradeoffs and for many the tactile pleasures of paper are priceless.
People approach computers and tablets with a state of mind that is less conducive to learning than the one they bring to paper. Some studies even suggest that people read slower, less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on paper because our brain processes printed digital and printed text in different ways.
I agree traditional books are better than eBooks, which sounds totally hypocritical of me since I self-published my book through Amazon Kindle and Smashwords – making my book exclusively for the eBook crowd. But despite this, I do think eBooks have a place in this world. I believe eventually, eReaders and tablets will find ways to make eBooks as personal as print books. I don’t know how exactly, because I am not a tech person, but I don’t think eBooks are a flash in the pan. They wouldn’t have lasted this long or have been this successful if they did not have an appeal.
As long as I am a self-published author, I will release my books as eBooks because it is much easier for me. However, I will use CreateSpace for special editions of my work. I am planning to release print copies of my vampire trilogy, The End of Eternity, once I published the third book, which won’t be for some time. Unless, however, technology changes or the self-publishing craze takes a dramatic turn. And it could, as I had discuss in a previous post where I compared the self-publishing excitement to the California Gold Rush.
These are exciting yet uncertain times for readers, publishers and the book industry. I think the HuffPo article mentioned here is showing New Yorkers, well known for reading during their commutes all over the metropolitan area, are an illustration of the uncertain future of books. The final paragraph sums it all up:
NYC subway riders embrace e-readers for a number of reasons, most notably: portability, accessibility and convenience. Is print dead? Not necessarily. Print doesn’t have to become obsolete for digital to flourish; they’re different and complementing experiences. Our world is increasingly immersed in technology. Let’s hold on to this special treasure for a little while longer. At least until the next stop.
For those of you who watch HBO’s “Girls” – or at least follow the criticisms of it – you might have heard about last night’s episode. Titled “Boys”, it followed two of the male characters, Ray who is Hannah’s boss and Shoshana’s boyfriend, and Adam who is Hannah’s ex-boyfriend. Because Adam had a dog he stole or borrowed or whatever, the two decided to return the pooch to it’s owner – who lives on Staten Island.
Click here to see a local reaction to that “Girls” episode via SILive.com
Ah, Staten Island – my hometown. Some people here love it, others hate it, while the remainder are neutral. We are the Forgotten Borough in so many ways, and only received national attention when Hurricane Sandy ravaged us last October. So when the Island gets lengthy mention on the news or even a movie or TV show, I take notice – which I did last night during “Girls”.
At first I was tickled pink to see Adam and Ray enter Whitehall Terminal to take the ferry. But as I watched their adventure on the Island, I raised raised one eyebrow sometimes, but other times it was both. Here is my reaction:
Watching Adam and Ray bring a big dog on a leash onto the ferry made me raise one eyebrow. I’ve been taking the ferry to and from the city for years, and never once have I seen a dog on a leash allowed on the boat. The most I’ve seen a dog on the ferry was when it was in a crate. So don’t think that because fictional characters on an HBO show were allowed to bring a big dog on a leash on the ferry, you can too.
Adam and Ray’s verbal assault toward Staten Island was…amusing at times. It really didn’t surprise me. Many people who don’t know Staten Islanders or haven’t really been here (using the ferry or driving through via the Expressway does not count) say practically the same things about the borough. We are looked down upon. We are seen as the “armpit” of New York City. Just go to the comments section of the Huffington Post whenever it reports on the Island – the attitudes people have are no different from last night’s episode of “Girls”.
This line from the show, spoken when Adam and Ray are walking down a street after getting off the ferry, speaks some truth: “All these people, they want to live in Manhattan but they end up on this … weird little island watching the city in the distance with this quiet rage burning in their hearts.”
Is that overall true or false? No. There are some Islanders who do wish they lived in Manhattan, or even Brooklyn’s hip neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Park Slope or Greenpoint. For some, and I confess I am one of them, Staten Island is not a good place if you are 30 years old and single. I believe this place is good for those who are married and have kids. It is a more family-friendly borough compared to the other four, but not so much if you are not at that stage of your life. Others may not agree with me, but that is my experience.
But our island is not weird. There is no quiet rage burning in our hearts. Many of us accept our corner of the world as it is, and some wouldn’t want to live in the other boroughs. Seriously, what is weird about Staten Island? Has anyone actually been here? (Again, using the ferry and the Expressway does not count)
Finally, the girl who was the dog owner’s daughter was embarrassing to watch, for two reasons. One, it was pretty lousy for the writers of “Girls” to think we are all shallow, foul-mouthed bigots who do nothing but party at Webster Hall. But honestly…there are some – SOME! – who are like that here. It is sad they give off this image of Staten Island.
But again, that stereotype is not so true. In fact, a lot of what was said about Staten Island was not true. We have a huge mix of people of various attitudes, interests and intelligence here. To say we are all low class fools who envy Manhattan and are trapped on this “little weird island” is unfair. Basically, it is the attitude of New Yorkers who know no one or nothing about the borough, as well as though who don’t live in the area, but heard through the grapevine about our stereotypes.
It really sucks that this is how Staten Island is perceived by others. I hope the way we were portrayed by the media after Sandy will enforce a more positive attitude about us. By the way, that “Girls” episode was written and filmed before Sandy hit – hence the summery look of it.
I mentioned once that I would like to help make my hometown look better through my books. While I have no intention of sugar-coating or using novels as an excuse to portray the Island, I will use my work as an opportunity to let readers know about the Staten Island I know. No, not all my future work will take place here nor will it overindulge in talking about here (my book, The Dark Proposal, partially takes place on Staten Island, but it is not a tour guide). But I will do what I can to give my hometown justice.
Because after all, this is not really that bad of a place 🙂
It’s been nearly a week since Hurricane Sandy unleashed her wrath and tore through the East Coast in the United States. It was week of so much emotions of all kinds and all levels, and I’ll never forget this event.
I remember last Saturday how chaotic the supermarket was with people getting much needed food and items, and how I was checking multiple times to see I was in an evacuation zone (I wasn’t).
I also sat in front of the TV, keeping an eye on the storm’s development. I wanted to believe it was all media hype, much like Hurricane Irene seemed to be last year. But the size and power of Sandy indicated that it likely would not be hype, and the destruction could be enormous.
I stayed in front of the TV on Sunday and Monday as the sky darkened and the winds picked up by the hour. I hardly spend much time in front of the TV, but there was nothing else to do but sit and watch as the storm roared closer to where I live, which happens to be Staten Island. There was no way I could tear my eyes away from the TV or the updates on Facebook and other websites. Sandy was going to be massive, and I had to be prepared.
By 6pm, Sandy was not too far away and the winds were beginning to scare me. They were so loud and so harsh, and I don’t think I ever heard them like that before. The lights began to flicker and the cable went out a few times. I wondered what could possibly the worst case scenario for me. I was several blocks from the Arthur Kill Kull in a hill-like neighborhood and my neighbors were smart enough to cut down their big trees nearly three years ago after a nasty Nor’easter struck in February 2010. So, I didn’t really think anything terrible could happen, unless Sandy was heavily miscalculated and my windows would smash from the wind.
The electricity officially went out at about 9pm and the wind was almost deafening, or at least to me. Nervous as I was, I didn’t know what else to do but to go to bed. The anxiety I was feeling all day had worn me out and I wanted to escape it.
At one point, at around 4am, I strangely woke up. It was so quiet outside. I figured the eye was passing over, though I knew that couldn’t have been possible because the eye of a storm doesn’t last several hours, and the hurricane was making landfall when I went to bed. With no real answer, and still feeling exhausted, I feel asleep again.
I woke up the next morning at about 9am. I surprised to find out that the power had returned and the storm was officially over. News reports said Sandy would end Tuesday afternoon, but that wasn’t the case. That was a huge relief, and even more so when I stepped outside to see that my street had little damage. Good to know, but I also knew other places on Staten Island fared much worse.
But I had no clue exactly how bad. As I went online to see the photos and reports of the damage in South Beach, Midland Beach, New Dorp and Tottenville, it was clear whole neighborhoods were completely destroyed. Houses were obliterated, flooding was unbelievable, and there were already reported deaths. I already felt guilty that I had not just power, but a roof over my head.
My guilt increased by Thursday when I was watching the local NBC station which a reporter talking to people in Midland Beach who literaly begged for help and were fearing for their health. Hours earlier, Borough President James Molinaro basically told the Red Cross to go to hell – and rightfully so. Staten Island’s bridges had been open since Wednesday and help could’ve come here during then. I’m sure the Red Cross and FEMA were aware how badly Staten Island was hit, unless they rely on media coverage, something my hometown gets little of, even from the local media. The day before, I was on Facebook talking to any friends who had power, and we shared complaints about how poorly the media paid attention to us.
Not that we should’ve been surprised. Staten Island hardly ever makes local news unless something serious happens. We’re the Forgotten Borough in ever sense, overlooked by the city and other governments. Pardon my cynicism, but I really did not expect any attention to come to us. If Molinaro hadn’t even the Red Cross the much needed tongue lashing, we still would’ve been ignored.
Anyway, after watching those residents in Midland cry and beg for help on live TV, I decided I couldn’t stay at home anymore. I was already planning to volunteer somewhere because it didn’t seem right to stay at home while others didn’t have a home anymore. Plus, downtown Manhattan – where I work – was without power and there was no transportation to get there. I was homebound for a week and I needed to do something productive.
I went to Mount Loretto which is not too far from Tottenville. Donations were being dropped off and they needed volunteers to sort and arrange the clothes, coats, toiletries, you name it. I cannot emphasize how much donations were inside this small gym on Mount Loretto’s grounds. When I say tons of clothes, I do mean tons of clothes were donated. It is amazing how thoughtful people can be.
I returned to Mount Loretto Friday morning with my mom. We first dropped off some blankets before helping out with the toiletries. We later moved on to the coats.
Now if Thursday seemed overwhelming, Friday was more so. Again, tons and tons of clothes were donated. People just kept coming in to drop off bags and bags of whatever they had that others needed. Some of them stayed to help out with the sorting and loading up the trucks, which delivered the donations all over the Island. It was heartwarming to see how great teamwork can be.
But it was also heartbreaking to hear the stories of those who came to Mount Loretto to get whatever they needed. The devastation was written all over their faces and they couldn’t emphasize how much they needed so many things. One teenage boy had a haunted look on his face and his eyes had a faraway look to them. One woman started to cry when she saw all the donations because the generosity overwhelmed her. She also seemed to be shellshocked. Her home in New Dorp was completely destroyed; she had lost everything. Her father died recently and she had a recording of his voice, and that was gone. I had to walk away from the group that was comforting her because I was about to cry. It really brings to light the reality of how people are suffering.
It was productive Friday. My mom and I spent nearly all day until her back started to hurt. We got there at 9am and left at 3pm, but we didn’t realize how long we had been there because we were so busy. Like I said, the donations kept coming and coming. There are truly good hearts out there, no matter how bad people can get.
Today, I decided not to volunteer because I was a bit sore from standing and lifting boxes all day yesterday. I just went about my normal chores, errands and writing. It’s likely that I would be back to work Monday, which I am looking forward to. Getting back to normalcy is much needed, at least for me.
But I still think about the people who literally have nothing. I’m sure they are strong enough to heal and rebuild their lives, but some won’t be so lucky. What about that woman who lost her two boys when the floods washed them out of her arms? I can’t imagine her grief, and I could only pray that God heals her as much as possible.
And I also pray that we all heal and recover as much as possible. Sandy has changed all of our lives here on Staten Island, and we’ll be stronger as a result.
Before I begin, I just want to say that this blog is primarily about my book, my writing journey, vampires and other paranormal creatures, and entertainment related to the urban fantasy genre. However, there will be times when I discuss issues related to my novel, such as abusive relationships and Staten Island, the primary setting of my first book, The Dark Proposal. Â
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Staten Island is in the local news these days – shocking, because even though it is the fifth borough of the great New York City, it is overlooked a great deal as if it doesn’t exist. I know many would argue that it really doesn’t, but that’s another bog posting.
Anyway, the city announced Thursday that it will build a 625 foot Ferris Wheel – said to be the world’s largest – not too far from the ferry terminal in St. George. The purpose is to attract tourists to Staten Island and the project will cost $230 million.
Now, I’m not usually a cynical person, but I couldn’t help but roll my eyes when I read about this.
First off, I really fail to see how this ride will encourage tourists to see Staten Island. Sure, they’ll travel across the New York Harbor on the ferry, ride the Ferris Wheel and then hop back on the ferry to return to Manhattan. In other words, they will only spend two hours the most in an area less than a square mile in size. There aren’t much other tourist attractions in that spot, save for the small Staten Island Museum and the St. George theater, which can have great productions at certain times of the day. There are a few good restaurants to dine at. But other than that, tourists will not get the whole scope of the borough, and it will remain a mystery to so many.
Which is why I think the $230 million should not have gone to this massive ride – which I predict will be an eye sore – but instead, should have gone to creating a much better transportation system on the Island. Right now, we have a single railroad line on the east side, and about two dozen city buses which can take you anywhere if you are willing to deal with constant stops and crowded spaces for a long period of time. If the city genuinely wants to showcase Staten Island, they ought to focus on making transportation easier so tourists will want to see this place.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
After all, some of the Island’s noted locations are out of the way. Snug Harbor may be the closest, but you still need to take a city bus over if you want to see any theatrical productions it puts on. The Alice Austen House is near the Verrazano Bridge, and this museum tells the story of the famed photographer who was ahead of her time in so many ways. Most especially, Staten Island has New York’s only living museum complex, Historic Richmondtown, which has about a dozen authentic buildings from the colonial era, plus volunteers dressed in costume and pretending to be shopkeepers, farmers, and so. Unfortunately, it must take 45 minutes by city bus to go there. I have seen tourists from all over the world take the long commute, but I’m sure many more will come if the transportation on the Island were a lot better.
Before the Great Recession, there were talks about improving the Island’s transportation by having a North Shore Railroad, a ferry to either New Jersey or Brooklyn (I’m not so sure) and other ideas were in mind. Those plans were shelved when all hell broke lose financially in this country, but it seems the city has money again.
And its all going to a silly Ferris Wheel.
Come on, what good does a Ferris Wheel do to a place so often overlooked and scorned by anyone from the outer boroughs? How will it help put Staten Island on the map and educate tourists about the Forgotten Borough? Even if thousands ride this thing everyday three years from now (it is expected the wheel will be ready by then), are they really going to want to see more and get to know more about this place? As I mentioned before, I really doubt it.
We Staten Islanders know we are not as glamorous or exciting or diverse as the rest of the city, but its not like we want to run and hide. I’m sure plenty of us would like to let the world know that we exist, and this ride does not help. We are an isolated island despite having a ferry system, four bridges and being part of one of the greatest cities in the whole world. This Ferris Wheel will not help end our isolation.
That’s probably a question some of you might wonder if you read my upcoming eBook The Dark Proposal. Some of you might have heard of the place from somewhere you don’t remember, while some of you won’t have any idea.
That’s OK. Staten Island is used to being called the “Forgotten Borough” of New York City. I should know, because I have lived here all my life.
Yep, I was born at the Staten Island University Hospital in 1982, grew up – and still live – on the South Shore, and attended all of its schools, including the College of Staten Island for my undergraduate degree. I take the ferry nearly everyday, and I feel like every time I go into the city, I have to represent my hometown. After all, in my experience, most New Yorkers haven’t met someone who’s actually from the Island – let alone lived there all their lives.
So, when my book is released and readers find out about the fifth borough of New York City that no one seems to have heard of, I have the feeling they are going to want to know more about the place.
Well, let’s start with the beginning. It was home to the Lenape Native Americans before the Dutch came along in the 1600s. It was later Tory territory during the Revolution (meaning, Islanders supported the British).
In the later 1890s, Staten Island was incorporated with Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Brooklyn to form New York City.
For most of the 20th century, the borough was empty compared to the rest of the city in terms of population. Then the Verrazano Bridge was built in the 1970s, and the population exploded. It continues to explode to this day.
Staten Island is known for its large Italian population, though in recent years it has gotten more diverse with the influx of Russian, Sri Lankan, Liberian, Mexican, and Arab immigrants.
Although we are nearly 500,000 people strong, we can only one Congressional representative – and that politician has to also represent western Brooklyn. We also only have three City Council representatives while the other boroughs have three times as much. Oh, in 1993, we tried to secede from the city but because of some political leaders in Albany, that has yet to go through. There has been talk of reviving the secession these days.
There’s a lot of parks here, a lot of trees and lawns. Not too many tall apartment buildings; you’d find those on the North Shore but not a lot compared to the other boroughs. Some people would say Staten Island is more suburban than urban, and should belong to New Jersey instead (for the record, I say no because there’s no need to pay all those taxes).
Staten Island is the birthplace of Christina Aguilera, Joan Baez, Ricky Schroeder, and Alyssa Milano. One of the Jersey Shore cast members hails from here. There was a movie about the Island a few years ago, but it was lousy. The MTV series Real Life did an embarrassing episode about the Island. Oh, Madonna and Lady GaGa filmed the videos to their songs, “Papa Don’t Preach” and “Marry The Night” here and on the famous ferry.
Another thing Staten Island is famous for? The friggin’ dump. We are home to the largest landfill in the world, believed to be seen from space. I remember watching that thing grow from my parents’ bedroom window as a kid. It’s closed now and they’re aiming to make it like Central Park in about 20 years. Yeah, a landfill and toxic waste dump will be a place to have family picnics one day. Go figure!
So, why did I choose to have my hometown as the location for most of my book, you might be wondering? Well, besides the fact that I am most familiar with the Island, I also want to use my skills to put Staten Island on the map. Like I said previously, I always feel like I have to educate people about the Forgotten Borough whenever I go into Manhattan. I’ve been asked dumb questions like, “Wow, people actually live there?” Incidents like that drive me to want to let people know that the borough does exist and what it is like there. At the same time, the main character, Claire McCormick, attended college on the Island at the fictitious Richmond College, which is modeled after Wagner College, the only sleep-away higher institution here. It was at Richmond College that she met and befriended two other girls – Samantha DiCarlo and Monica Alejandrez – who become her roommates post-college and play a vital role in The Dark Proposal and its two future follow-ups. Also, Monica is going for her master’s in education at Richmond, so it makes sense for the three to stay on Staten Island.
I don’t tell too much about the Island in this book because there wasn’t any real room to delve deep into life here. That will come in future books. No, I don’t intend to have every book I will ever write to take place on Staten Island, but a good portion would. After all, this is my home and has been all my life. It would be nearly impossible to ignore this place and not give it a major role in my work.
Happy 2014 everyone!
