Fast forward to 1989…pursuing yet another dream, Rita opened an Italian-Japanese restaurant in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. She began writing late at night “to relax” from the long hours the restaurant demanded. She went on to write Sweet Bitter Love, published in 1997 by Rising Tide Press, (New York), contributed several short stories to magazines, and to two anthologies, Early Embraces and Beginnings, (Alyson Publications, CA).

Rita is a published songwriter and member of ASCAP. She co-wrote two children’s songs for Kids Terrain, Inc. — The Magic in Me and Tiny Acts of Kindness — the latter a tribute to the goodwill of children in the wake of the September 11 attacks. She is the host of the BlogTalk Radio show, "Talk To Me...Conversations With Creative, Unconventional People."

Upon selling her restaurant in July 2000, Rita went back to her first love: writing. In 2003, she bought back the rights to her novel, Sweet Bitter Love, and wrote the screenplay. Later that year, a mutual friend introduced Rita to Paul Gemme. Sensing they were kindred spirits, Rita and Paul be-gan writing as a team. T.I.M.E. Share, Inc., a television series project, and G.E.O.P.S., a full-length movie screenplay, are two of their projects.

Rita is working on her third novel, From Hell To Heaven In Five Hail Marys.

Rita Web Site

Publisher: The Reed Edwards Company

Rita's Not-So-Daily Word Blog