My Life in Argentina and Beyond

Friday, January 30, 2009: The other day there was an article in the New York Times about self-publishing. The title of the article was Bright Passages: Authors Who Pay Their Way. What is so bright about having to pay to get published? What is so good about having to fork money over to see your book in print? I see nothing good about this. In fact, I find it very sad. It is the same old story of many years ago. Nothing has changed. Yes, famous authors in the past have had to pay initially and they they became famous. But how many of them are lucky enough to have that happen?
I looked high and low for a publisher for my novel Different Flags. it was rejected everywhere. Sometimes reasons were given, sometimes not. When I finally found a small publisher in Florida, it received excellent reviwes. Some of the reviewers were: www.knowbetter.com, www.amazon. com/reader, www.compulsivereader.com, among others. I was proud of my novel and all the effort I put into it didn't mean a thing to me. But I did not pay to get it published. That was my choice. And I will not pay to publish my other 3 novels: To Find a Dead Woman, Rubio, My Dog, My Life and Roof Less, Being Homeless on Park Avenue.

I just read Climbing Down the Ladder by Bob Herbert. It was a touching article, and it is very close to home. I am one of the people that Mr. Herbert talks about. My case was not like the one he describes, but the realtor and the loan officer I worked with lied to me. This happened over 6 years ago in Atlanta and I lost my condo in November 2005. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. Something should be done so that we can get our money and our homes back. Eugenia Renskoff

I am writing about the stepfather convicted of manslaughter in the beating of the 7 year-old girl.This case is one more reason why things have to change in NYC and other parts of the country. Sometimes stepfathers are just plain mean with their new spouse's children. To beat up a little girl because she took a yogurt out of the refrigerator is simply horrible. I was appaled when I read that she was tied to a chair with duct tape and made to use the litter box. This little girl was not a wild animal. She was a human being with rights and feelings. Her misbehavior from time to time is obviously no reason for her stepfather's violence. If he had problems, why take it out on the little girl? Now she's dead and he will spend most of the rest of his life in jail. A life sentence would have been better. Eugenia Renskoff