Monthly Archives: April 2023

Crops

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First paragraph from Chapter 2 of upcoming novel: What They Did Instead

It was a slow-moving summer morning of no plans. Juliette, on the third of her twelve daily cups of black coffee, was carefully

slicing a bowl of slippery peaches. Picked from their acreage that morning, the fruit was juicy, the size of softballs,

and would spoil them for all other peaches the rest of their lives. When the phone rang, Hedy plucked a couple of slices from the

bowl, handed one to Bridget and slid the other in her mouth. Juliette rinsed her hands at the sink and by the fourth ring, grabbed

the receiver. It was her mother, Ruby, calling with a medical report she knew was coming.

In Search of Sonic Booms

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First paragraph from Chapter 1 of What They Did Instead

Truck logo, midtown Manhattan

 Juliette Hart climbed the carpeted steps to the attic room where her daughters were asleep. Never mind the time, she was wide awake, needed to get out, and she couldn’t very well leave her girls alone in the house. The best remedy for what she was feeling was a country drive with a dramatic destination. They had no choice but to join her.    

What I Did Instead

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Smoking Mount Etna, a night in Sicily

Dear Readers nd Followers:

In November, 2019, when we all imagined life would go on as usual, I announced a book was brewing in my head and on my my computer. The original and guiding title was The Deeds of Desperate Women, imagined as a volume of short stories. But in the organic process of writing and the long and insular quality of the pandemic, I ended up taking a much deeper dive. To my delight, and I hope yours, the project turned into a novel. It is called What They Did Instead. 

It’s near completion and time to begin the practical phase of writing: getting readers interested while exploring publishing options. To that end, beginning April 20th, and every Thursday for twenty-six weeks, I will publish a paragraph or two from each chapter.

Until then, I’m back and thanking you for being here, Stephanie Urdang