Reaching a crossroads is never easy.

That’s because with crossroads come major decisions, usually with life-changing implications. I’m there now, standing at that figurative place. I’ve battled an internal tug-of-war, and now feel stronger for reaching this point. More certain. And determined.

I wish I could say more, but I can’t. Even with all of the personal details about my life that end up going public, some things simply need to remain private. I hate to leave you hanging and hope that down the road, I can share more with you. Until then . . .

It was a long weekend in West Palm Beach, where I toured the local scenery, played in the waves in the Atlantic Ocean, and enjoyed time with family and friends. Throughout, it was punctuated with laughter, lots of warm and happy laughter. Now I’m back to work, writing and rocking and rolling—and preparing for a big announcement next Monday.

This coming weekend, on March 11, I’ll be reading from one of my books at The Stage in WPB. I’m not sure which book yet, as I only have 10 minutes. If you have a particular passage that strikes your fancy, please let me know. I’m always excited to attend any open mic event, and I hear this venue brings in a good crowd.

Then, on Saturday, I’ll drive to the Jensen Beach Barnes and Noble for a 2 p.m. appearance. If you’re in the area, please drop by and introduce yourself.

I miss my West Virginia friends, but have to say I don’t miss the bad weather. Of course, I heard it hit 60-degrees again today in Morgantown, so I’m happy you received that good weather I sent you from Florida. (But of course, as fickle as the weather is, by next week it might be back down to 30.)

I’ve plowed through several books lately, both print and audiobooks. When you drive 1,800 miles, you have no trouble making it through an entire book. I love long drives anyway, but listening to someone tell a story as you head down the highway definitely makes the time fly. I’m going to review these books, and others I read last year but haven’t written a review for yet. You can find my reviews at Goodreads or Amazon. If you’ve read a good book lately, thank its author by writing an honest book review. Reviews make our day. Sometimes, they make our month. Truly!

Finally, you may have noticed that my last few blog posts had no photos. Plus, they were filed under “uncategorized,” and I couldn’t add any tags to help people find them——all of which is terribly annoying. That glitch appears to be fixed but the media library won’t save my changes, including my byline for two of this week’s photos. (Just know I took them, to be honest and give photo credit where due.) I think I need to update my version of WordPress, but I don’t have my site backed up so I’m a little nervous about it crashing. Please bear with me, until I figure it out.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. More next Monday!

* * * *
My next Florida book event, complete with a discussion about my latest book and why innocent people end up in prison, a Q&A, and a reading, is at 7 p.m. Friday, March 4, at the Barnes and Noble in Wellington. The following Friday, March 11, you’ll find me reading at the open mic at The Stage, right here in WPB, and finally, Saturday, March 12, I’ll be at Barnes and Noble in Jensen Beach. More dates will follow, which you can find on my Facebook page.

My fifth book, Guilt by Matrimony, about the murder of Aspen socialite, Nancy Pfister, was released November 17. My memoir, Sister of Silence, is about surviving domestic violence and how journalism helped free me; Cheatin’ Ain’t Easy, now in ebook format, is about the life of Preston County native, Eloise Morgan Milne; The Savage Murder of Skylar Neese (a New York Times bestseller, with coauthor Geoff Fuller) and Pretty Little Killers (also with Fuller), released July 8, 2014, and featured in the August 18 issue of People Magazine.

You can find these books either online or in print at a bookstore near you, at BenBella Books, Nellie Bly Books, Amazon, on iTunes and Barnes and Noble.

For an in-depth look at the damaging effects of the silence that surrounds abuse, please watch my live TEDx talk, given April 13, 2013, at Connecticut College.

Have a great day and remember, it’s whatever you want to make it!

~Daleen

Editor’s Note: Daleen Berry is a New York Times best-selling author and a recipient of the Pearl Buck Award in Writing for Social Change. She has won several other awards, for investigative journalism and her weekly newspaper columns, and her memoir, Sister of Silence, placed first in the West Virginia Writers’ Competition. Ms. Berry speaks about overcoming abuse through awareness, empowerment and goal attainment at conferences around the country. To read an excerpt of her memoir, please go to the Sister of Silence site. Check out the five-star review from ForeWord Reviews. Or find out why Kirkus Reviews called Ms. Berry “an engaging writer, her style fluid and easy to read, with welcome touches of humor and sustained tension throughout.”

Editor’s Note: Daleen Berry is a New York Times best-selling author and a recipient of the Pearl Buck Award in Writing for Social Change. She has won several other awards, for investigative journalism and her weekly newspaper columns, and her memoir, Sister of Silence, placed first in the West Virginia Writers’ Competition. Ms. Berry speaks about overcoming abuse through awareness, empowerment and goal attainment at conferences around the country. To read an excerpt of her memoir, please go to the Sister of Silence site. Check out the five-star review from ForeWord Reviews. Or find out why Kirkus Reviews called Ms. Berry “an engaging writer, her style fluid and easy to read, with welcome touches of humor and sustained tension throughout.”