WHERE’S MY WALKMAN, DUDE!

It’s wonderful to see my first novel back on store shelves after all these years! It’s hard to believe that fifteen years have passed.

In preparation of the re-release of THE LONG ROAD HOME, I re-read the book for any possible editing. I enjoyed immersing myself again in the story of Nora MacKenzie’s struggle to rebuild her life after her husband’s suicide and shady Wall Street dealings; a socialite forced to flee her prominent big city lifestyle and learn how to live off the land at her small Vermont farm.

Despite the passage of time, the story remains fresh and timely, especially considering the 21st century Wall Street scandals that dominated newspaper headlines not that long ago. While some things always stay the same, other things do fade away into oblivion. And because of that, I did change just a few anachronisms.

In my original story, one of my characters is listening to her Walkman while walking on the farm. They were so popular when I included it in my story. Everyone either had one or wanted one back then. How obsolete they are today!

And remember when folks said the word “dude” practically as often as they said “hello”? That word ended up on the editing room floor this time around, dude.

They were the most minor of changes, but I learned something from the process that’s good for all writers to keep in mind. Avoid dating your work with trends and fads-- be it electronics, fashion or slang. They can be distractions. 

You want your story to resonate with readers today and in the future. And that is my hope, fifteen years after the privilege of getting my first novel published.