A Writer's Life

We Are Family

The Goldberg siblings were out in force signing our latest books at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Tod and I were signing at the Mystery Bookstore while my sisters Linda Woods and Karen Dinino were over at the Borders booth. As usual, women threw their underwear at Tod and me while my sisters were deluged with cakes made by their fans. The cool Goldberg kids are wearing shades. Afterwards, Tod  hid out from Dr. Laura, who has been emailing him since he besmirched her on his blog, while my sisters were busy stalking Julie Andrews, who was taking the necessary precautions. I took the high road and had a cheeseburger with my daughter.

My Sistahs

My sisters Karen Dinino and Linda Woods, authors of the bestselling books VISUAL CHRONICLES and JOURNAL REVOLUTION, can teach you to be an artist. All it takes is an ironing board, a glue stick, and a little imagination.

Join the Journal Revolution

My sister Linda and Karen's "Journal Revolution" has been selected as a Typepad Featured Blog. The blog is an outgrowth of their soon-t0-be published book of the same title, the sequel to their bestselling VISUAL CHRONICLES. Rosie O'Donnell, who had my sisters on THE VIEW, wrote the introduction. Check it out!

Journal Revolution

JOURNAL REVOLUTION, the new book by my sisters Linda Woods and Karen Dinino, is now available for pre-order on Amazon. It's the follow-up to their best-selling debut VISUAL CHRONICLES, which landed them a six minute segment on THE VIEW:

Journal enthusiasts of all levels will learn how to cut through the daily clutter in their minds to access deeper emotions, creatively express a wide range of moods and boldly record their deepest secrets. The authors' honest humor and extreme affirmation will entertain and reassure the reader as they participate in fun, easy projects such as: · Me: UNdecorated: Revel in your uncensored thoughts by using paint, ink, papers and more to convey your edgiest feelings--the `you' your parents may not know! · Save the Date: Use a calendar to create a vibrant visual journal that embraces even your seemingly mundane days. · Fauxlaroids: Journaling on Polaroids and other photos. · The Writing's on the Wall: Decorating with journaled ephemera, and creative ways to frame it.

You are Art

My sisters Karen Dinino and Linda Woods were interviewed this week by the Santa Clarita Valley Signal. It's not The View (where they recently were guests), but every little bit helps.

Expression and individuality were coin of the realm in the universe where Dinino and Woods grew up. Their father Alan Goldberg was a newscaster for KPIX Channel 2 in Northern California and a documentary filmmaker, and their mother, Janice Curran, is a reporter for The Desert Sun in Palm Springs. Dinino was a journalist for Newsweek on Campus. Both brothers, Lee Goldberg and Tod Goldberg, are writers. "In our family, if you're not published by the time you're 40, you're kicked out," said Woods.

Lee Said Read

My Uncle Burl Barer has just landed a contract with Kensington for two more of his true crime books, the first of which has the great title MOM SAID KILL:

[It] will detail the shocking story of Barbara and Heather Opel, mother and daughter, who murdered Barbara's generous employer in front of his elderly mother, made off with his furniture and $40K from his bank account. Heather was about fourteen years old at the time, and Mom promised her a new dirt bike for helping in the murder. The kid never got the dirt bike.

You are Art

You saw it on THE VIEW...now you can own one, too. I'm talking about my sisters Linda Woods and Karen Dinino's hot-selling I AM ART t-shirts. The shirts are doing so well that now my sisters have expanded the line to other kinds of clothes and accessories. Check it out at their store.

Scrap Tales

For some time now, Alan Barer has been sharing memories on his blog about our family and his life selling scrap metal with my grandfather Dave in Walla Walla, Washington. Although he's talking about my family and not yours, I think you'll enjoy the rememberances as much as I do...and agree that he's a natural-born storyteller.

One thing Frank did do for me was to advise me never to eat food at the home of one of our clients who lived at and operated the city dump in a small eastern Oregon town.

I arrived there late in the afternoon. The table was set with stew, milk, etc. My host invited me to join for dinner. Hungry as I was I declined. The next morning when I arrived to load, the same food was sitting on the table at room temperature. I also declined the invitation to breakfast.

A View to a Goldberg

If you missed my sisters on THE VIEW, here's your chance to see the clip:

Visual Chronicles is HOT

After their appearance on THE VIEW, my sisters' book is #32  on Amazon and #45 on B&N. That is the power of Rosie.