Today my blog is 10 years old! I'm excited and proud because this blog represents my longest commitment and the creative outlet I've never abandoned. Since I started this blog I've been through two apartments, five jobs, been married and divorced, I've gotten down to...
For a blogger who likes stories and films that scare the crap out of her, it's shameful that I just discovered the following website: www.creepypasta.com. It's a strange name, but here's the explanation from their latest post: Creepypasta comes from the word...
If I'm known for nothing else, I'd like to be known for this original statement: You can't cure families; you can only prevent them. Thank you.
Seven years ago I recorded a bunch of original songs from when I was a singer/songwriter. In 2013 I finally had them mastered, copyrighted them as an album and started selling them digitally on CD Baby (my album is called Going of Age and is only available as a...
I just sent my first query letter to my first potential agent with my first manuscript. Since it can take up to two months for an agent to get back to you, it will probably be a slow process of trying a couple of different agents before I get on with self-publishing....
Image from valeriekingbooks.com These days I consider my manuscript finished, so I'm excited to be working on my first query letter. That's the letter you send an agent to get them interested in your book. A friend of mine with a lot of publishing knowledge listened...
I did it: I spent five hours on Sunday working on my dog ebook! It felt great. I once again plugged into memories, revelation and syntax, smoothing out the paragraphs and fleshing out details. I felt grateful that I didn't have children, pets or even a husband to...
My employer just announced that we're getting July 3rd and 4th off this year. I felt excited about this four-day weekend at first. But now it sinks in: what will I do with four days off? There was a time when I'd spend such a weekend with my husband, getting away from...
On my divorce day, several songs helped me through. Just in time, a friend introduced me to Rilo Kiley's song that repeats the words "It's so good to be free." I also played some of Paul Simon's songs about divorce and I got stuck on Josh Groban's "You're Still You"...
Today marks the beginning of the Chinese lunar year and this year it's the year of the horse. I happen to be a horse, so I'm excited about it. It feels like excellent timing for this to be my Chinese year because this is the year I get divorced, launch an Arbonne...
This is my CD cover (the photo was taken in 2005 at age 39. I'm 47 now). My first and final album is up on iTunes right now! I can't tell you how excited I am. You can buy the whole thing or individual songs, but I encourage you to go to CD Baby.com to actually...
I love black frosting. I haven't posted a cake in a while. This cake is from my favorite bakery Central Continental Bakery in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, USA. They don't have the most sophisticated website, but they have the best buttercream frosting (vanilla and...
Some of you know that years ago I used to step up to microphones wearing my Fender Mustang bass on a purple strap and announce, “I am Regina Rodríguez and I sing songs I made up out of my own head.” For many years writing and performing songs was the main way I coped...
A rare short story by me.
Last spring I created a first draft of my memoir with the working title "I Never Wanted a Dog." I found some readers to give me feedback on it, thinking I'd start revising at the end of June. Then I found myself facing divorce, my mother reached the final weeks of her...