Welcome to my adventures in publishing, where I share my experiences as an independent author with all its frustrations and glory. Here you will find stories about my writing life and what I’m working on, reviews of Books I Love, New Release Spotlights from authors I enjoy, and The Grief Diary, where I explore the aftermath of love and loss.

I’m not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, I dreamed of becoming an author when I grew up but became a nurse to avoid poverty. I later brought my two passions together and write about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. My stories are considered “clean,” meaning free of overt sexuality, graphic violence, and offensive language.

You can find my books here. 

Everything I know about publishing I went out and learned on my own by reading books and blogs, joining writers’ groups, and attending writers’ conferences. How I wish I’d had someone to take me by the hand and show me the way. This led me to share my knowledge via my blog and my Facebook and Twitter accounts. And, before the pandemic, I teach classes at three colleges. I’ve also guided aspiring authors to publication through personal coaching.

My debut novel Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story is a Kindle bestseller, IndieReader Approved, a 5-star Reader’s Favorite, a Library Journal Self-e Selection, and a BookWorks featured book. It’s available in digital, paperback, and audiobook on Amazon and many other retailers. A prequel to the novel, Christmas at Blue Hydrangeas, is available in ebook, paperback, and audio. In 2019 it was a Solo Medalist Winner in New Apple Literary’s Summer E-Book Awards in the Short Story category.

My Young Adult novel Swim Season is the fast-paced drama driven story of Olympic hopeful Aerin Keane, starting senior year in her third high school and trying NOT to win. But can she hide her natural talent and competitive streak with a 50,000-dollar scholarship on the line? Swim Season was an Official Selection in the 2017 New Apple Book Awards: Young Adult General Fiction, and is a 5-star Readers’ Favorite and a BookWorks Featured Book of the Week. Available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook on Amazon and all the usual spots.

I’ve published three short stories in ebook and audio: “Ino’s Love,” the award winning “Collection,” Daisy Hunter Story No. 1, and “Birthday Party,” Daisy Hunter Story No. 2. The third in the Daisy Hunter Stories, “Dinner at the Tamarack Inn,” published in ebook last summer.

My writing and publishing career has led me to become a founding member of AlzAuthors, the global community of authors writing about the dementias. Our goal is to raise awareness of these diseases and to spotlight carefully vetted books and blogs recommended for caregivers and others looking for knowledge and support. I have since retired from this project but you can still visit the website, discover the books, and listen to the podcast at alzauthors.com.

A native Bostonian, I live in New York’s Hudson Valley.

You can find my books here. 

Author Interrupted  

To learn how repetitive strain injuries and thoracic outlet syndrome interrupted my writing life please visit My TOS Life  or Broken, Not Bitter. An Author’s Life with Repetitive Strain Injuries

Bunky Press

One of the wonderful things about being an independent author is that I get to publish with own imprint. Bunky Press is named after my father, Ted Kasica, who passed away in 1976 and is not forgotten by anyone who loved him. Here’s a brief article about him, the fisherman, written by my talented brother Kenn Kasica. Enjoy! It’s a great read. The cast out, the bite, the reel in – 35 years later.

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