Looking for Someplace Different for New Year’s Eve?

How about Cuba? Insight Cuba, the leading provider of U.S. authorized people-to-people travel to Cuba, has five programs running over New Year’s Eve, ranging in length and itineraries from a four-day Weekend in Havana to an eight-day trip to the infamous Bay of Pigs. Some departures feature free or 50% off round trip charter air from Miami. What better way to ring in 2012 than a trip to this once forbidden exotic destination?

Meet Cuba’s wonderful people at a roadside stop, on the city streets in Havana, at a jazz club, in the town square or at a school for special needs children. Small groups (max 16) enjoy a local host/escort, 4- and 5-star hotels, all meals, ground transportation, all the proper papers plus travel insurance.

Weekend in Havana (4 days/3nighs from $1,995), departing Dec. 29. Visit this cultural city, retored by UNESCO. Roam its iconic plazas, cathedrals, palaces and art venues.

Havana & Colonial Trinidad (8 days/7 nights from $3,295), departing Dec. 27. Double the pleasure in two well-preserved charming towns with cobblestone streets and pastel colored houses. Feel the beat change from Cuban salsa to Trini steel pans. Happy New Year!

www.insightcuba.com or call 1-800-450-CUBA.

BOOK CLUB APPEARANCE

Back from New Jersey and a very successful evening with a wonderful group of women who really liked my book. They were a lot of fun, and we spent an enjoyable evening devouring a splendid Caribbean buffet of Creole Chicken, coconut rice, saltfish cakes, mango/avocado salad, squash and banana bread with whipped cream. (Did I make you hungry, or are you full of turkey?)

It was another evening of surprises learning how other people view my first novel. Initial remarks from this group were about the solid left margin and spaces between paragraphs. I had to go looking through the books I was currently reading to see what they meant. Sure enough, there were all those antiquated indentations. Most disturbing was the continuation of a new paragraph right up against the old one. I like space between thoughts, and they all agreed that it was a much easier read. Vote #1 for me.

Along with all my other readers who have reported back to me, this group was also in the dark until the very end about the identity of my protagonist's secret lover. I had no idea I was masking him so cleverly. Maybe I should become a mystery writer!

GOING NATIONAL WITH MY BOOK

This coming week, I travel to New Jersey to meet and greet a number of wonderful book club people who have read my first novel. Am I going into the Lion's Den? No, I really need that feedback. They are going all out with a Caribbean buffet to get us all in the mood for the setting of my story. I'll let you know next week how it all turned out. Meanwhile, go on line to e-book sites (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple) or to my web page to order, and read along with us.  http://booklocker.com/books/5554.html