Joy Smith's Blog

My first writing project, Recipes from the Heart, a family cookbook for my to-be-married children, led me to collect and write down my original recipes as I cooked. I began to tinker with more creative dishes. My husband, Gil, whines about being a guinea pig once in awhile, but he's never eaten better! My background as a home economist has given me the knowledge to put food combinations together that work, and the wherewithal to manage meal planning.

My latest recipes have found a home in The Empty Nest Cookbook, which I wrote to help other parents going through this emotional “menopause” look at the bright side: not what they’ve lost, but what they’ve gained (and I don’t mean weight). Click on the cover picture in this site for details.

Keeping with the family relationship theme, I felt compelled to help other mothers deal with all the issues and emotions I found were typical of wedding planning. I all three of my children--two daughters and a son--were married within a two year period-the "wedding years." Oh, No, They're Engaged! will be available at bookstores soon.

Nautical Writing
Over the past 30 years, my husband, Gil, and I have harbor hopped our way throughout east coast waters, enjoyed annual charter vacations in exotic ports, and completed several offshore passages. A desire to share my hard-won boating solutions and cruising adventures compelled me to begin writing. My experiences have resulted in a multitude of articles, as well as two information-packed books: The Perfect First Mate and Kitchen Afloat.

Women's Fiction
Switching to a new genre was harder than I thought it would be, but I think I've got the hang of it. Gil's been telling everyone (even our dentist) that I now write about lusting thighs. I like to think my novels are more complex than that. I'm enjoying weaving intiguing plots around romance and creating realistic characters who speak to me as I write. Who knew that writing could be so much fun!