Today’s unboxing break belongs to my youngest, Nicky. He isn’t comfortable being on video, but I couldn’t leave him out of the fun. He’s been opening boxes every day behind the scenes. Most were duds, but a few were too good not to share. No video this time, but we’ve got photos, these three deserve their moment.
1) Hippie Overnight Bag
This adorable bag looks like a little Volkswagen bus with peace signs, bright colors, total retro vibes. It’s perfect for day trips, so I’m passing it along to my friend Diane, who just retired and will put it to good use.
2) Puppet Mittens
These might be the cutest thing we’ve ever unboxed. They’re mitten, but also hand puppets. Ducks, to be exact. Completely impractical but delightful.
3) Pink PJs
I don’t know who would actually sleep in these, but they were too funny not to share. Bright pink, feathery cuffs, and made from the cheapest polyester known to mankind. I tried them on for the photo, and I looked like Perimenopause Barbie.
And that’s a wrap on Nicky’s Top Three. Even off‑camera, he still brings the magic.
Today’s unboxing star was my friend Karen. Her personality lives up to the memes, and she is proud of it. She’s also the inspiration for Sidekick Karen in Wish on a Star.
Her haul did not disappoint. First, she opened three pairs of reading glasses. She tried them on like she was judging a PTA meeting.
Next up: a hair straightener, which she “might actually use,” which is high praise coming from her.
And finally, she unboxed a pair of cute casual shoes. They were too small for her, but I kept them.
Another day, another unboxing, and Karen delivered.
Today we took a little break from unclaimed mail and switched things up with a mystery clearance box from Michaels. My friend Heather and I couldn’t resist the temptation.
As expected, they were pretty much filled with Christmas décor, silk flowers, potpourri, and all the festive odds and ends you’d expect from a post‑holiday purge.
We kept a few things for ourselves, passed some goodies along to our crafty coworkers (you know who you are), and the rest is heading somewhere even better. Heather is donating the remaining décor to a local nursing home to bring them some holiday cheer next year.
Today’s unboxing featured my stepfather Fernando, who dove right into the mystery mail.
First up was a Bing Bong plushie. I had no idea what it was during filming, but my son Nicky squealed like a fangirl the second he saw it and explained it’s from a video game. Needless to say, Nicky claimed that one.
Next, Fernando opened a women’s bathing suit, and yes, he actually tried it on. The commitment to the bit was unmatched.
Finally, he got two measuring cups which my mom was happy to claim. Another day, another round of unclaimed mail, and Fernando officially earned his spot in the hall of fame.
Today’s unboxing featured our very first boomer unboxer, my mom, Maryann, who dove right in with confidence and curiosity.
Her haul included several pairs of brown and hunter‑green cargo pants. Next came a TV antenna that she said looks like a missile.
And finally, seat covers that will work perfectly on her dining room chairs. We needed these when my kids were little and always spilling stuff on her seats!
Grandma handled it all like a pro, laughing through every reveal. The boomer debut was a hit she might be our most efficient unboxer yet. Stay tuned tomorrow when her husband Fernando takes the unboxing throne.
Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth the price he's paying to be a player.
This story has been with me for a long time. I first wrote Player in 1994 when I was a senior in high school. Back then, Player started as a story inspired by real life, specifically, my friend George. At the time, he was my boyfriend and he’s still one of my best friends. Some things never change though. He’s also still a little bit of a player, though these days be prefers juggling men. 😄 Check out our prom pic from 1993.
Like most of my writing, Player pulled from the world around me. A lot of the characters were inspired by classmates and memories from those years. I created the detective character the same day I had my senior portraits taken, and ended up giving him the last name of the guy standing in line in front of me.
📚 The Publishing Journey
Player almost hit bookshelves much earlier than it did. In 1997, I had an agent. Contracts were signed. The book was about a month away from going to print, and then the publisher went bankrupt. The book got tangled up in legal issues for years, and it was discouraging. I did keep writing, but my biggest struggle back then was finishing anything. I had so many ideas, probably 20 different books started, but none of them made it all the way to the end. Thankfully, that’s something I’ve learned to change. These days, I don’t start a book unless I know the beginning and the ending.
✍️ Bringing Player Into the Modern World
Fast forward a bit, Destiny became my first published book. Then, while I was pregnant with my youngest son Nicky, I hit a bit of a creative wall thanks to pregnancy brain fog. Instead of forcing new ideas, I decided to go back to Player and give it new life. That meant pulling it out of the ‘90s and giving it a serious update. I swapped out corded phones for cell phones, changed some lingo, and added in computers and digital cameras. I also had to retype everything since it was original written on a Brother Word Processor. But at its core, the story didn’t change. It’s still about a guy juggling four girlfriends. He gets caught, and when one of them ends up dead, everything spirals.
📖 From Traditional Publishing to Indie to Audio
When Player was finally published in 2012, it was through Free Focus Publishing, my cousin Andrew DiPalma was the cover model. Later, when that publisher went out of business, I made the decision to go independent. The current cover was created by my incredibly talented editor, Anne Hoelz, and it gave the book a fresh new look. Which brings us to today! Player’s newest chapter is audiobook form. The best part is that the narrator Jeremy, sounds so much like George. Out of all the twists this story has taken over the years, that might be my favorite.
This book has had a long, winding journey, from a high school idea to a near-miss publication, to a revival, to self-publishing, and now to audio. I couldn’t be more excited to share it with you in this new way.
🎧 You can listen now on Amazon and Audible: If you check it out, I’d love to hear what you think, especially now that it’s come full circle.
