Hello Beautiful Readers, It's time for another Hot Mess Haller Moment and this one is a double feature because my husband, Mike, and I were BOTH hot messes that night. So sit back, relax, and picture yourself on the wicker couch with the Golden Girls as I tell you my best Sophia Petrillo story. Picture it: Hartford, Connecticut. September 2026. I'm sitting next to my bestie, Deb, at a mock jury trial. We're deciding whether a company should be held responsible for a c

This morning, I was watching the Today show when Craig Melvin asked Aaron Sorkin if there would be a West Wing reboot. Now, I still need to watch The West Wing (I know, I know!), but what caught my attention was Sorkin’s response. He said he wished there was, but he’s living in a state of writer’s block. And while I am certainly no Aaron Sorkin, I felt that. A LOT. My mind is constantly swarming with scenes, thoughts, ideas, and conversations between characters. I can s

Hi Beautiful Readers, I’m spending September feeling a little all over the place. Come along with me while I talk in circles for a minute… When I think of September, the first word that comes to mind is busy. The lazy mornings of summer, lounging in the sun throughout the day are gone. If you’re a parent, it’s back-to-school time—getting kids out the door with everything they need, adjusting to new schedules, new routines, and all the stuff that comes with a new school

Hello Beautiful Readers, This month feels especially significant. I'm celebrating my birthday and I'm launching two babies into the world. One is twenty-three years old. The other is 234 pages. I'm not sure what makes me feel older the gray hair I found in my eyebrow this morning, turning 53, or watching my oldest move to New York City for his first post-college job. Whatever it is, July has me feeling all the feelings. Last week, I drove my son into the city, u

Last week, I shared what a magical experience I had at the Nantucket Book Festival. Being included in the Local Author Showcase was such an honor, and I wanted to make sure the organizer knew how grateful I was. Now enters this week's Hot Mess Haller Moment. On Monday, still exhausted from the weekend but determined not to forget, I sat down to send the organizer a thank-you email. My brain was already overloaded with to-dos, so I figured I'd send it while it was fresh in

Last Thursday, I had the honor of watching my son graduate from college—a huge milestone for him and for our family. As I sat there watching him cross the stage, I found myself thinking back to a moment this past December. He was home for holiday break, and we were sitting side by side on the couch. My 6-foot, 22-year-old son leaned his head on my shoulder and asked, “Mama, am I going to be okay?” I answered without hesitation. "Of course you're going to be okay. You're going

I was reading an ARC—Loving Mr. Impossible by Anastasia Alexander—when it hit me. Not the story itself, but something it stirred loose. A memory. The kind that doesn’t knock first. Just a flash of an image that rolls into a movie picture. My great-aunt Genevieve’s house. Her living room. Plastic on the furniture. You’d hear a faint squeak when you sat down. If you wore shorts, you’d have to be careful to not lose a layer of skin when rising. Then there was the plastic runner

Anyone who is short like me (4'11") will absolutely relate to this story. I ran into Walmart with a mission: two items. Get in, get out, get on with my life. Simple. Efficient. Foolproof. (We all know where this is going.) The store is currently being redesigned, which means shelves are half-stocked, things are moved around, and nothing is where it should be. I weave my way to the paper goods aisle, already mentally checking off item number one: napkins. I get to the

I'm off my schedule and here's why...I've been running out of spoons lately. In the chronic illness world, we call ourselves spoonies. Because being in pain is exhausting. And if you live with chronic illness, you know it’s not just the pain—it’s managing it. Planning around it. Anticipating it. That alone takes a toll on your mental and physical bandwidth. So let me ask you—Are you a spoonie? If you’re not sure what that means, here’s a simple way to understand it. The Spoo

Not Everyone Gets a Trophy — And That’s Okay The Olympic Games have always reminded me of one simple truth: not everyone gets a trophy—and that’s okay. When I was a kid, I dreamed of going to the Olympics someday. Not as an athlete, but as a spectator. I wanted to feel the electricity of it all—the roar of the crowd, the unity of nations, the way competition and camaraderie somehow coexist in the same moment. What fascinates me most isn’t just the pursuit of gold. It’s the sp

Merriam-Webster defines… Resolution (noun): a firm decision to do or not to do something. Intention (noun): what one intends to do or bring about. Resolution is a fighting word. It reminds me of a little kid standing at the bottom of a hill, arms crossed, feet planted, absolutely not wanting to climb. And then—after a long sigh—they ball their fists at their sides and mutter, “Fine. I’ll do it.” That’s resolution. Forced. Reluctant. Heavy with expectation. An inten

Happy Kegsgiving! Last year, I told my family that all I wanted for Christmas was joy — and my family delivered it tenfold. This year, my wish feels a little different. This year, I want tradition. With so many changes on the horizon, I find myself craving the comfort of the familiar — the rituals that anchor us, the moments that remind us who we are. And in our family, nothing marks the beginning of the holiday season quite like our beloved tradition: Kegsgiving. I’m not ent

💌 Dear Readers, This month has been emotional. My husband and I are in the sandwich stage — caring for our college-age kids while supporting our aging parents. There have been many tears — pride for our kids stepping into the world (please be kind, world!) and worry as we navigate next steps for our parents. I’ve leaned on my ride-or-die friends — my college crew of 30+ years. They’ve seen me through wild college days, career changes, marriage, and motherhood. On November

From Ramona Quimby to Nantucket summers— why we crave stories that feel like home (and which ones I can’t put down) That was the catchphrase of my college journalism professor, Linda Levin. If she said it after we pitched an idea, we knew we had struck gold. I can still hear her voice in my head whenever I stumble across a book or story that sweeps me away. I’ve always loved a good story with characters I could imagine knowing in real life. Back in college, I worked one holid

The Third Book Slump Club I’ve been in a writing slump. Not for lack of ideas—they’re all in my head—but I can’t seem to wrangle them onto the page. I’ve done the research for Regret No More, I know the story, and yet… nothing. Turns out, I’m not alone. I met with two other authors who are also on their third books, and we laughed (okay, half-groaned) about how hard this one has been. So, we made it official: we’re in The Third Book Slump Club. The funny part? The ideas

What brings me the most peace is also what scares me the most I’ve always been drawn to water. I grew up in Rhode Island—the Ocean...

When my publisher listed From This Day Forward as a romance , I cringed a little. I don’t think of myself as a romance writer. I didn’t...

Embracing the Uncomfortable: My Journey Through Book Launches As a new author, I’m still in the “throw spaghetti at the wall and see what...