In 2024, I featured Dr. Maria Simbra in This Awful Awesome Life.
Dr. Simbra is a neurologist. You probably know her from her tenure as Dr. Maria on KDKA News where she kept us abreast of medical innovations and ways to safeguard our health. She held our hands after 911 and through the pandemic.
After retiring from private practice and KDKA, she began devoting her time to writing and helping doctors improve their communication skills.
Dr. Maria On Speaking L.L.C. – helps doctors learn to communicate more effectively in front of an audience (lectures, podcasts, TV interviews). Through Ironed Words Productions, L.L.C., she mentors aspiring writers and established authors teaching them how to improve their writing skills and social media presence.
In addition to writing memoirs, non-fiction, and scholarly works as Maria Simbra she writes contemporary fiction using the pen name, Em S. A’cor. In May 2024, I reviewed Twitter Crush by Em. S. A’cor. Here is the link to that review, https://www.thisawfulawesomelife.com/home/2024/4/30/twitter-crush-by-em-s-acor-a-review-by-fran-joyce?rq=Twitter%20Crush
This month I’m reviewing Twitter Flames: Part I – Home by Em. S. A’cor.
Part II – London of this series launches June 1, 2025, to be followed by Part III – Nebraska on September 1, 2025.
In Twitter Crush, we’re introduced to Marisol, a widowed dermatologist with two daughters in college in Pittsburgh. Marisol has a successful medical practice in West Virginia. While visiting her daughters, Marisol meets her twitter crush, Dr. Greg Kaczmarek, a divorced dad who lives and works in Pittsburgh in the field of dermo pathology. They begin a longish distance relationship. The Twitter Flames series follows that relationship.
In Twitter Flames Part I – Home, we see how Marisol and Greg are handling long distance and the changing landscape of relationships among their friends and colleagues.
Many of the people in Marisol’s and Greg’s circles are widowed or splitting up and diving into the dating pool. A dating pool of people entering mid-life with all the baggage they’ve accumulated. Marisol and Greg, who haven’t officially become exclusive, are considered “fair game” in this dating world. Imagine sitting across from half of a couple you and your late husband or your ex-wife used to socialize with on a regular basis. Imagine them putting the moves on you.
Marisol and Grag bring their own baggage to the party as they try to navigate family, friends, logistics, career advancement opportunities, and a plot twist no one sees coming.
Em S. A’cor delves into realistic relationship problems often faced by men and women nearing or entering middle age. Sex is different when your characters aren’t in their twenties. Some things take a little longer and might not be as acrobatic, but A’cor refuses to let sex be boring or without the sizzle.
She also tackles the difficult questions about careers and planning. How desirable is a long-distance relationship? Logistically, it can be challenging, but daily routines remain intact. Can successful professionals afford to risk seniority, tenure, or their pension plans to relocate for love? Who makes the sacrifice? How will their families react? Kudos to A’cor for addressing these problems and giving her characters the wisdom to work through them if they want.
Her characters are witty and interesting. They’ve had to deal with past losses, but in this second installment we get to see how they handle adversity while it’s happening.
Books by Maria Simbra
Just a Moment of My Times: Memoirs of a Reluctant Doctor, TV News Convert, and Unusual Mother – for Kindle Vella
The Facts of Life: Friends with Tales -for Kindle Vella
Scoop M.D.: The Doctor’s Guide to Media Interviews and Opportunities – for Kindle Vella
Other Books by Em S. A’cor
Twitter Crush: a holiday, Gen X, medical romance
Greg and the Weddings: a medical romance, novelette prequel
Greg and the Jill of All Trades: A Gen X, May December, doctor romance, short story prequel to Twitter Crush
You can follow Maria on social media:
Facebook: By Maria Simbra
Twitter (X): @byMariaSimbra
Instagram: by_maria_simbra
Learn about her writing workshops and mentoring services at https://www.ironedwordsproductions.com/