My writing life: Lately I’ve been writing about sustainability—the effects of mosquito spraying on pollinators, the need to save a local forest—as well as consulting on Eileen' Fisher’s B Corp report. I am an Eileen Fisher alum (longtime senior brand writer) and former magazine editor (House Beautiful, Victoria, Working Mother), as well as a co-author of three books on US history.

My environmental life: Locally, I chair the Madison (N.J.) Environmental Commission and am on the board of Friends of the Drew Forest. Together with amazing colleagues, we’ve passed a tri-town plastic bag ban, run eco house and garden tours and won six consecutive Environmental Achievement Awards from the Association of N.J. Environmental Commissions.

My book publishing life: My father and I published three books on American history, the most recent of which is Real Life at the White House (Routledge). Dad, a high school history teacher, was interviewed on CBS Evening News; I appeared on the History Channel. We both were featured on Entertainment Tonight and the NBC Radio Network, as well as in USA Today, the New York Post and numerous other venues. Working together was amazing. I miss him.

My latest project: Seven years in the making, The Heartbreak Whale is a novel about a suburban mother who is swallowed by a whale. Deep in the whale’s belly, Shelly Brewster finds a white room, a small desk and a white notebook. A voice says “write.” But when she puts pencil to paper, her words vanish. The story brings together three generations of strong women with a talent for heartbreak and a psychic streak that’s nearly as treacherous as the ocean the whale must navigate.

Contact info: My agent is Barbara Hogenson of the Barbara Hogenson Agency, (212) 874-8084, barbarahogenson@gmail.com.