Kathleen Recommends

It's late All Hallows Eve, and here be Wall-E, two witches, and a rock star, all safely tucked in bed now.

My granddaughters are the two on the right, their friend in the middle, and the amazing Wall-E costume hand crafted by my youngest for his son out of cardboard, paper and aluminum foil. The arms move. The front opens and the loot bag emerges. He was quite a hit on this beautiful fall night.

But for the cold nights ahead, I give you a couple of recommendations and ask for yours in return. First a DVD. "Leaves of Grass" must have moved in and out of the theaters like a hummingbird. We snatched it up the day it came out. Enthusiastic thumbs up from both the Indian cowboy and me, and that's unusual with a comedy. After the movie we played the bonus features, and Clyde googled on the laptop. Discovered the move grossed $68,000 at the box office. Sad, especially when you think about some of the poor excuses for movies that are making money.

And the talent in this one--Edward Norton, Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfuss and Tim Blake Nelson--is top notch. The minute Clyde saw Nelson, who played his favorite character, Delmar, in "O Brother, Where Art Thou," he was hooked. Turns out Nelson wrote and directed "Leaves Of Grass." But it's Edward Norton who brings this one home with his portrayal of identical twins as you've never seen it done before. Watching him play off himself, you'll swear there's been some cloning. Bill is the Ivy League classics professor who has done everything he can to divorce himself from his rural Oklahoma roots. Brother Brady is a genius, too. He takes his grass growing very seriously.

But this is not a Cheech and Chong-type comedy. Nelson has worked on numerous Coen brothers projects, and this one has a bit of a "Fargo" flavor to it. Apparently Nelson wrote the screenplay with Norton in mine, and he says in the interview that "there was no second choice." Norton is a favorite of mine, and he's great in this flick, which is downright funny.


Next, for your reading pleasure, I recommend COWBOYS NEVER CRY by Tina Welling. I read this one in advance, and my endorsement is quoted on the back cover. A good contemporary Western romance is hard to find these days, especially in single title. This is the second book I've read and enjoyed by this relatively new author.

The young widow of a mountain climber, takes a summer job on a dude ranch near Jackson Hole, where she meets and locks horns with the owner's son, a disillusioned and erstwhile self-destructive movie star. He's cool and cocky, but he's just out of rehab and still rocky. She's no shrinking violet, but putting her life back together has been a struggle, both emotionally and financially. Welling is a skilled writer, and she knows how to bring characters to life and tug at the heart strings. Good stuff.

It's comin' on cocooning time. What's the best book you've read lately? How about the best movie? Give me some titles to put on my list.

Willingham Winners!

Laurie is the lucky winner of a signed copy of Michelle Willingham's new release, SURRENDER TO AN IRISH WARRIOR! Keri Ford wins a free download of the linked novella "Pleasured by the Viking" !

Winners, please send your snail info in an e-mail to: michelle AT michellewillingham.com

Congratulations! Michelle, thanks so much for riding with us. You're welcome to hop in the convertible anytime.

Just Call Me Coupon Kathy

But first, a word about the new guy on the block. Logan Wolf Track wasn't born yesterday, but yesterday was his coming out party.

September 1 was the release date for ONCE A FATHER, but it's been in stock at Borders and Amazon for several days, and it's already doing nicely on both of their series bestseller lists. And Romantic Times magazine gave it a very nice 4 1/2 star review. (Check out my web site for an excerpt.)

So Kathleen is pumped!

The four books on the left are loosely connected, and I can't help noticing--because, yes, I let my fingers do the clicking at least a couple of times a day--that the first 3 books are also doing quite nicely on Amazon. I'll draw a name from today's commenters and let that person choose one of the first 3 books. And here's my question: Can we get as much of a kick out of saving money as we do spending it?

Have you seen the commercial for... rats, I don't even know what it advertises (must not be a great commercial) but it has guys (men!) whooping it up over saving money on an everyday purchase. Not a car or a boat, not even whatever they're advertising, but something somebody actually needed. I got such a charge out of it the first time I saw it. Guys scoring a BOGO, high-fiving over a $10 bargain.

Last week I came home from grocery shopping with a cash register receipt that merited center stage under a refrigerator magnet. I had saved more than I spent. It was double coupon day, and I had coupons for quite a few items on my list that were also on sale. There were a couple of items I got free because the double coupon was worth the whole sale price. I also had a "$10 off your next shopping order" coupon and a few more perks, so on a $115 shopping order I paid less than $50. At Rainbow the cashier calls for a supervisor's approval when that happens, and everyone oohs and aahs. And then there's the "fuel perks" reward on top of it all, and on that register receipt we were up to 70 cents a gallon. Clyde used to disappear when I whipped out the coupons at the register, but he's finally gotten over it. He's all "Coupon Kathy counts another coup!" And he loves the fuel perks card. If there's one price guys watch, it's the one outside the gas station.

I've always used coupons, more or less. Mama grew up during the Depression, and she knew how to stretch a dollar. I was the oldest kid--the one whose parents are "starting out." I helped Mama fill the Green Stamp books and learned about outlet shopping back when outlets were attached to mills and factories. We used to buy fabric at the knit mill and hats at the millinery outlet--hats were big in the 50's and 60's--and shoes at the factory outlet. (Yes, children, there was a time when there were actual textile mills and shoe factories in Massachusetts.) So shopping sales and using coupons is in my blood. I adore the triple whammy of double coupon on top of weekly sale.

Admittedly my coupon clippers languished during the boom years, but with the recession, I've come to my centses. Just because money is tighter than it used to be doesn't mean there's no fun to be had with it. Ohhh, it feels so good to stretch. It's all in the attitude.

Here are some other savings measures I've taken lately:
--Craig's list (stuff like bicycles)
--sharing a premium Costco membership with dear daughter
--trying generics, sticking with good ones (Target's especially)
--Blockbuster online (1 dvd at a time works for us)
--get magazine subscriptions for as little as $5 a year online
--never use vending machines (grandkids don't ask anymore)
--use the Sunday paper
--trim the fat, spend on what nourishes (like BOOKS**)

What recession-busting tips do you have to share with us? Any lessons learned from generations past? Any hard lessons you've learned from our times that you want to pass on to the next generation?

**Mama watched the budget like a hawk, but I was always allowed to order 3 books from the Scholastics Book Club flier. Thanks, Mama. Not only for the books themselves--although I remember many of the titles to this day--but for making them a priority.

P.S. Don't forget to scroll down a put a firm click on the mammogram button!

Kathleen's List of Splendid Things, Chapter 1

I'm going to give a book away today, and this is a splendid thing.
I have a new book out, and this is a many-splendored thing. The book is splendid, of course, but don't take my word for it. Get yourself a copy and see for yourself. Horse trainer Logan Wolf Track teams up with Army Sergeant Mary Tutan to train a wild horse as part of "Mustang Sally's Makeover Challenge." There's an excerpt on Amazon along with a brand new review to give you an idea of the story. My web site features the book, too.

I haven't had a chance to check the stores--September 1 is the official release date, but Amazon is shipping already--but one of the first things on my list of splendid things is seeing YOUR book with YOUR name on the cover sitting right there in on a bookstore shelf. That thrill never gets old.

ONCE A FATHER is the perfect title for this story. I love it when the editors like the title that I chose for the simple reason that it fits the book. Logan has two adopted sons--both prime candidates for books of their own--and once a father, always a father. We've probably mentioned a time or ten that writers don't always get the final say over their babies' names, er, their books' titles. Marketing gets lots of input, which is cool because we all want to sell books, but sometimes not so cool when you have to tell an audience what the title of your latest book is. Certain words sell Romance, and that fact has become increasingly important as key words become keys to the information kingdom. Father happens to be one of those words, along with cowboy, baby, bride, wedding and like that. Magic words come and go, but the aforementioned, like certain thrills, never seem to get old. Try to jam too many key words into a title and it can get pretty silly, even though they say it works in the marketplace.

But you know what sells non-fiction? Numbers in the title. 10 Ways. 20 Secrets. All too often the "ways" are pretty much common sense, and the book could have been published as a pamphlet, but it makes a catchy title--always catches my eye. Recently I saw a TV interview with Neil Pasricha, author of THE BOOK OF AWESOME. Now, the word awesome is about as tired as I am right now (It's 2 A.M.) but the book grew out of a blog called "The Top 1000 Awesome Things," and it's about small miracles and everyday joys, sort of like the little book "Happiness Is..." from way back in the day. Thinking them up is a feel-good exercise. Totally awesome.

Want to play? Let's play. I'm saying Splendid Things in honor of my son, who likes to say "Splendid!" I'll start.

--watching bats darting to and fro overhead at dusk (vacuuming up mosquitoes!)
--finding the clothes you left in the dryer folded and stacked on the bed
--a good blood pressure reading
--old toys
--the prairie sky on a clear night
--the prairie sky anytime
--exchanging a taste of what I got for a taste of what you got at a restaurant
--a full moon on a warm night
--the smell of cinnamon
--a really good down pillow
--the scent of snow
--a chorus of frogs
--a movie that has you clapping at the end
--a horse's ears
--a baby's feet

Once you get going it's hard to stop, so it's your turn. Splendid Things. I'll send an autographed copy of COOL HAND HANK--the book that precedes ONCE A FATHER in my Special Edition series--to one of our commenters.

P.S. While you're here, scroll down and click the free-mammograms-for-those-in-need button. The site is getting enough clicks to donate an average of 1 1/2 mammograms a day. That's splendid!

Stressed - Who me???

Yeah, me. And probably you. I’ve got to tell ya, these days it really does seem that ‘the hurrier I go, the behinder I get.’ We make the best laid plans … to meet a deadline, to lose a few pounds, to treat ourselves better, to appreciate all of the good things life has to offer, to make better use of our time. It all looks good on paper and then, blam. Life interrupts.

I was having one of those days today. I had a book due, our son is about to have surgery, my DH is suffering with some heavy duty back pain, I still haven’t de-Christmased our house, or solidified plans for my next book, or figured out why I'm having such difficulty all of a sudden with computer related eye strain, why I don't get Twitter, AND I had a bad diet day. And just for good measure, add in a generous dose of guilt over feeling put upon by my minor problems in light of the horrendous suffering in Haiti. In any event, I was about to head for bed and attempt to sleep the pressure away when I realized, whoops, I had a blog post to write for tomorrow. I felt stressed. But I figure you already got that.

So, I bop out onto the web to troll around for ideas on a blog topic when what to my wondering eyes did appear but an article tailor made for my current situation: Stress. I know. It’s like kismet, right? Anyway, it was just what the doctor ordered and I figured why not share what I learned with you all. So here goes.

According to a recent article by Drs. Stephanie McClellan and Beth Hamilton, the intense demands of modern-day can and do take their toll on women (and men) in many ways. Okay, so these days we’re not bouncing across the prairie in covered wagons sans microwaves and dishwashers or giving birth without benefit of anesthetic or sterile birthing rooms, but, that’s not to say we don’t have our own unique set of stressors. Since stress can play a heavy duty role in the way we manifest disease, getting a grip on the issue is crucial. Stress can make you feel pressured, rushed, edgy or just totally exhausted. It can cause sleeping problems, loss of sex drive, weight gain, chronic pain or heart problems.

Conclusion: We need to do something about it. Ever searching for ways to help a girlfriend out, I’ve done the research for you (I know. I’m a gem) and have come up with a list of suggestions to help you untie those knots, lift those spirits and diffuse that tension. Ready? Here goes.

1. Take a calming Breath: This is a fundamental relaxation technique that all stress types should practice. You have probably taken a deep breath before plunging into something – a difficult conversation, serving a tennis ball, trying not to cry. This will work while standing in line, sitting at your desk or preparing a meal. When you sigh, you are unconsciously using a relaxation technique by inhaling more air than usual and exhaling. Breathing deeply has a calming and centering effect, and you can do it anyplace, anytime for a quick fix for acute stress.

2. Smile or Laugh: When you smile or laugh, endorphins are released from the brain. These endorphins are naturally produced chemicals that make a person feel good. A hearty laugh can also give the body an internal workout. The process of laughing instigates a cycle that makes you breathe faster and makes your muscles tense. Then your muscles relax, your breathing slows and your heart rate decreases. Smiling and laughing allows you to connect with something other than tension or stress, so think of a fond memory or focus on someone or something that makes you happy.

3. People Watch: Take a moment to enjoy the energy and excitement occurring right in front of you. During your lunch break or while running errands is a great time to let go of yourself, take in your surroundings and watch others. Even if just for a moment, this will help you to refresh and regroup.

4. Go Nuts Over Chocolate: (Yeah baby!!) To boost your brain and calm stress, eat a handful of walnuts and a piece of dark chocolate. Walnuts are full of omega-3s, essential fatty acids that elevate the mood, and tryptophan, an amino acid that, when combined with dark chocolate, provides your brain with the soothing effects of the beloved anti-stress messenger serotonin.

5. Listen to Music, flip Through a Magazine or read a chapter from a super hot romance novel (How convenient: You’ll find several GREAT titles right here on Topdown) Sometimes allowing yourself to be distracted momentarily is a helpful way to refocus in moments where you feel stress building up. By withdrawing your senses from life’s demands and what is troubling you, you can gain control over your attention. Honing in on the music playing in a store or flipping through a magazine while in the checkout line is a great way to relieve whatever might be provoking stress in the moment.

6. Practice these Eight Words That Can Change Your Life: It’s not all that difficult when receiving an invitation or a request to say, “Let me get back to you on that,” then look at your schedule and see if the invite warrants the effort. It’s a great way of managing your time and giving you the space you may need to reflect on the importance of every event you are invited to.

Okay. Wha'da ya think? Can you work with these ideas? Do you see value or benefit in them? I figure they're a good start but surely we can expand the list. How do you combat stress? What’s your ‘go to’ ‘sure fire’ ‘never fails ya’ technique to deal with stress? I want to know. We'd all like to know. And since I'm dealing with yet one more stresser this month (oh, no, another birthday!!!) I'll give away an autographed copy of FEEL THE HEAT (or a book of your choice) to some generous commenter.

Kathleen's Mixed Bag Friday

It's been such a newsy week. The only way you can get a real perspective on what's been going on and the relative importance of events is on "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." Not that the big stuff hasn't been covered on the "real" news and information programs, but there's just so much. Thanks to DS and CR for the highlights. For example, did you know that one of the major news sources located Bubbles, Michael's famous chimp, at an animal shelter in FL? And Brian Williams toured the Neverland mansion and told us what used to be in this corner, on that wall.

And you knew that Jon Stewart would come up with a cover for the Luv Guv's story. This isn't it--found this one on Flickr--but there was a photoshopped beauty on DS Thursday night. It really was funny, but it isn't up on the site at this writing. You also knew that the comparison of the now infamous e-mails to Harlequin novels was inevitable. I googled Sanford romance novel, just out of curiosity. Tons. Interestingly enough, many bloggers point out that our fiction is far better than the guv's "love story." Repeated mention is made of the fact that he had a book deal in the works, but the publisher backed out. Of course, the deal was for a political tome. Sadly, the offers for his personal story, his wife's, and his girlfriend's are undoubtedly already piling up. Seriously. Imagine the book tours!

I watched the pilot for the new HBO half-hour series "Hung." Yes, that kind of hung. It's about a high school history teacher/BB coach, Ray, whose luck has been so bad lately that he attends one of those cheesy motivational seminars where participants are encouraged to figure out what their best "tool" is and how they might capitalize on on it. One of the other participants had a single but memorable encounter with Ray's biggest asset, and she offers to help him market it. Pilots aren't always the best indicator, but this one was pretty funny, so I'll tune in again. There's a Pimp Ray contest on the HBO website that might provide a bit of creative fun for a hot summer day.

Speaking of internet entertainment, here's one for the kids, courtesty of the Minnesota Zoo. It's called Who Pooped? (Are all kids of a certain age fascinated with the sight, smell and general hilarity associated with this bodily function? Or just the ones I know?) So the game, of course, it to match the animal with its excretion. Not only will the kids get a kick out of it, but poop identification is a useful life skill.

Our raised bed garden is coming along nicely. The tomatoes are as tall as Elton John, er, my grandson. The kids love to take the scissors to the lettuce and spinach and pluck a few onions for salad. That's all we're harvesting so far. After Michele's review of "Food Inc" I'm repeating the mantra often: This is how real food grows.

My bookend for today is the real thing. The bloggers and commentators who throw around the comparison between the Luv Guv and a Harlequin romance have not read Make Me Yours by Betina Krahn. I bought it ($3.74 at Target, mind you) this week with the intention of rewarding myself when I finish the WIP, but I couldn't wait. You'll love this one, folks. It's a delicious premise, wonderful characters, engaging dialogue, sparkling prose--such a treat!

Comments on the week that was? Summer projects in progress? Discoveries? Recommendations? Pitch something into the bag.

Kathleen Celebrates Earth Day

I have a full schedule today. As usual reading and writing are front and center, kids and family at the heart. I have a book due to my publisher in a month, so I'll be working on that this morning. Tonight we kick off a new class at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. Conveniently enough it's called "Book In a Month," and we've never taught it before. I've never done it before, but I know how I would do it if I had to.

Oh, yeah. I have to. Should be an interesting trial by fire. I'll keep you posted.

Between the writing and the teaching, I'll be paying my regular "Book Nook" visit to my granddaughter's first grade class. Last time we read Library Mouse. The night before we'd made mouse ears for everyone out of pipe cleaners. The story is about a mouse who lives in the library and writes little books, so we also made blank books and handed them out to everyone, just as Library Mouse does at the end of the story. My girls love to make books. (The older one is helping me read. That's the little one looking this way.) That's exactly what I did when I was their age. (Actually a little older. These kids are way ahead of me.) My first fiction featured a girl who solved mysteries with her cat.

Today is Earth Day, so we chose a couple of books about critters. We'll do some masks first, and then we'll let the wild rumpus begin. We're also donating a book to the class library called It's Earth Day. I'm one tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie-at-heart Boomer who never forgets Earth Day. Ah, 1970. The year I graduated college. The year I got married. The year I started teaching two of the three R's. Full circle--back to reading and writing.

A big part of the legacy we bibliophiles give our children and grandchildren is surely born of the books we loved as children. Let's say we're giving a baby shower for a dear friend's first child or grandchild, and guests are to gift the child with 3 wonderful children's books. Which ones will you bring? I'll draw one name from today's comments and offer that person a book from my backlist--winner's choice.

I'm celebrating the birth of a new book baby. Sam Beaudry's due date is April 28, but I see that he's already in stock at Amazon. If you're of a mind to check him out, we'd love it if you'd take our sidebar link (right) to our Amazon shop, Reading In the Fast Lane. The first couple of pages are available on the listing. You can find a few more tidbits on my website. But here's the cover blurb:

Keeping the people of his Rocky Mountain hometown safe is Sheriff Sam Beaudry's top priority. But his quiet life suddenly comes under scrutiny when a young stranger shows up at the door of his mother's store, claiming that Hilda Beaudry is her grandmother.

Maggie Whiteside has never known a man like Sam--the kind a woman and her young son might truly count on. But their budding relationship will be put to the test when his past rides into town on a Greyhound Bus. Now Maggie must decide for herself who Sam really is. As for Sam, how much of his battered heart is he willing to risk?

This book is the first in a trilogy. One Cowboy, One Christmas follows in December.