This Self-Published Writer’s Dream Comes True: A Publishing House Contract.

Posted on May 14, 2014 by dianabletter

Itching to hear the story of what happens when a writer works hard, hard, hard and doesn’t give up, up, up? One day, she gets a letter in her Inbox from her agent, Steven Chudney, of Chudney Agency, saying that her novel, THE BURIAL CIRCLE, was accepted to be published by William Morrow/HarperCollins in the Summer of 2015! I can’t write these shout-out letters LARGE enough to express how happy I am.

THE BURIAL CIRCLE follows four women who are part of a unique Jewish tradition: they prepare and dress women for burial in a coastal village in northern Israel as they learn to accept death, and to appreciate the wonders of life.

That is the novel in one run-on sentence. Doesn’t it sound like a novel you’d like to read?

What I want to share with you today is what I learned about writing and the publishing process:

Don’t give up before the miracle. We just don’t know what’s going to happen next. That’s the most important part of this message. Whatever you do, whatever you want to do, do not untie your shoelaces and put on your slippers and a nubby bathrobe and sit down in front of the television, telling yourself it was not going to ever happen. It might happen. I have countless messages all around my office. The one that’s most important to me is the one I wrote to myself: “If you give up, you will never forgive yourself.” So I made a promise to myself not to quit. Not ever.

Keep writing. You are in it for the long haul. For every race you compete in, you have to run a lot of miles. Ernest Hemingway threw out hundreds of pages he’d written to get to the spare, very short The Old Man and the Sea. You have to be willing to write and write a lot and then willing to throw a lot of it away.

Allow yourself to write badly. This maxim freed me. I just wrote. I didn’t pay attention to whether it was good or bad. I saved the editing for later, when I could go back and be ruthless. But the first draft is the fast, creative, no-holding-back draft.

If you don’t get the book contract you want from a traditional publishing house, try something else. I didn’t just sit around singing the blues and kvetching about the state of publishing. Instead of waiting for The Mom Who Took Off On Her Motorcycle to be published according to my expectations, I decided to self-publish it. (You can order it here.) And I’m so glad I did. I learned a ton about marketing, social media, self-printing and advertising. (Oh, did I mention you can also buy it at Barnes & Noble here?) I realized that a dream might not happen the way you ordered it, but a dream can happen in an entirely new way. It is up to you to dream your dream in a different way.

Blob, blob, blob, as my mother used to say. Meaning, blog, blog, blog. My blog is my website. I created a platform for myself. I came up with the name, The Best Chapter, for writing and living my best chapter. This has become my motto. This has kept me going.

Get a platform. Publishing houses want that. They don’t have the money or the marketing teams to devote to every book. I am happy to promote my novel using the skills I learned promoting The Mom Who Took Off.

Have a concept. Maybe it’s trendy but it’s the truth. Editors say, “it’s important to have a good concept, and one that’s as unique as possible.” William Morrow’s big success now is Christina Baker Kline‘s Orphan Train. It is based on history: Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children. Often, people want to read a novel and learn something at the same time.

 

Stick with your dreams. A long time ago, I decided that even if I would never be published, I would keep writing. I realized I wasn’t writing for the recognition but for the joy of it. In The Burial Circle, I created four women characters along with a host of other characters out of my imagination. Instead of focusing on the destination, I really, really enjoyed the journey. The act of writing. Whatever you do, do with your full heart and stay in the moment.

Be professional. Take yourself seriously. Make time for your work, even if the people around you think it’s wasted time. Even if you secretly think you’re just wasting your time. Creating any kind of art is never a waste of time.

My college roommate Mary Eldred made sure I sat down and wrote when I was supposed to write.

My college roommate Mary Eldred made sure I sat down and wrote when I was supposed to write.

Stick with the winners. Stick with people who support and encourage you. Drop the “friends” who begin sentences with, “I hate to be the one to tell you this but…” Avoid them like carriers of the Bubonic Plague. They are the kiss of death. They want to pull you down into their boat of misery, keep you their captives and sail away. Stick with the people who tell you, as one of my friends did, “Keep the faith about your writing, and when you feel it waning, lean on my belief in you.”

In the upcoming blog posts, I will share the query letter I wrote to my agent, to help you write your own query for the book you are still writing. I will also share some writing exercises I did, the debate on self-publishing versus traditional publishing houses, and my schedule until The Burial Circle comes out in 2015. Stay tuned and now get back to your own work!

Finally, I hope this post gives you encouragement. If it happened to me, it can happen to you. Let this push you on. Never feel you’re too old, too dumb, too untalented. Life is too short not to take a chance. Life is too short not to climb a tree.

I didn't shout from the rooftop about my novel. I shouted from the tree tops.

I didn’t shout from the rooftop about my novel. I shouted from the tree tops.

Today’s reminder: Make this day a page in the best chapter of your life by doing one small thing you’ve always wanted to do.

Here’s the announcement about THE BURIAL CIRCLE that appeared in The Publisher’s Marketplace. 

FICTION Debut

Michener Center for Writers fellow Karim Dimechkie’s LIFTED BY THE GREAT NOTHING, about a Lebanese-American young man coming of age under a loving roof and a devastating lie, to Lea Beresford at Bloomsbury, at auction, by Ryan Harbage at Fischer-Harbage Agency (World English).

Michigan MFA, Hopwood Award winner, and playwright Mo Daviau’s EVERY ANXIOUS WAVE, a love story interweaving time travel and rock music that spans from 980 AD Mannahatta to a waterlogged Seattle in 2031, to Brenda Copeland at St. Martin’s, in a pre-empt, by Jenni Ferrari-Adler at Union Literary (World English)

Operator of the blog Military Spouse Book Reviews, a resource and online book club for military spouses across the country, Andria Williams’ THE FALLS, set against the backdrop of America’s early nuclear ambitions and based on a little-known incident in American history: the only fatal nuclear accident to occur in the nation, which happened in 1961; where a young California woman is forced to move with her officer husband and struggles to assimilate to the claustrophobic culture of suburban military wives, realizing she is falling in love with another man at the same time her husband is trying to save both his family and the town from potential disaster, to Andrea Walker at Random House, in a pre-empt, by Sylvie Greenberg at Fletcher & Company (NA).

National Jewish Book Award finalist Diana Bletter’s debut THE BURIAL CIRCLE, about the lives of four women who are part of a unique Jewish tradition: they prepare and dress women for burial in a coastal village in northern Israel as they learn to accept death, and to appreciate the sorrows and wonders of life. The author herself is a member of the burial society in her village in Israel, to Rachel Kahan at William Morrow, by Steven Chudney from The Chudney Agency.

Operator of the blog Military Spouse Book Reviews, a resource and online book club for military spouses across the country, Andria Williams’ THE FALLS, set against the backdrop of America’s early nuclear ambitions and based on a little-known incident in American history: the only fatal nuclear accident to occur in the nation, which happened in 1961.

My original title was, The Women’s Burial Circle. Steven asked, “Are you wedded to the title?” I wrote, “I’m not wedded to anything except my husband, Jonny.” So, the tentative title is, The Burial Circle. What do you think? Will that attract more readers? Less women? More men?

Posted in Self-publishing, Writers, Writing, Your Best Chapter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Is It Happy or Unhappy Mothers Day For You Today?

Posted on May 11, 2014 by dianabletter

It’s my first Mother’s Day without my mother. She died September 13, 2013. So this post is for all those readers who:

Have lost their mothers, never knew their mothers, fought with them, ran away from them, were embarrassed by them, or were hurt by them.

This post is for the broken mothers, the ones sitting in jail, the ones who are too sick to hug their kids, the ones who hit and yell and scream at their kids because they don’t know any better, and then are ashamed when Mother’s Day rolls around and wish they could do it differently.

This post honors all mothers, no matter where they are, or what they’ve done.

It’s a depressing holiday, come to think about it, because there’s so much pressure on children to find a way to thank their mothers, and so much pressure on mothers to be perfect in their children’s eyes.

So here’s to sloppy, ambivalent, trying, intense, imperfect love between mothers and their children. Here is to learning how to mother ourselves. Here is to finding some kind of way to fill the void. And transforming our loss into…what? Strength. Perseverance. Poetry.

Here’s to recognizing authentic, honest mothers who are only human, after all. Which means that they’re here on earth for a while, and then they’re gone.

If you have lost your mother, I hope today is a day you feel her presence, and not just her absence. I hope her memory gives you some kind of strength. I hope she’ll always be, as my mother used to tell my kids, that little bird flying over your shoulder. Flapping away before you even know it, waving its wing, good-bye.

My mother, Gladys Katcher Bletter, holding me.

My mother, Gladys Katcher Bletter, holding me.

Here are some fabulous New Yorker covers for Mother’s Day. And, a moving, beautiful piece, “The Unmothered,” by Ruth Margalit here.

Posted in Acceptance, Being a Hero In Your Life, Transformation | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

May You Have the Courage to Make Choices. Big and Small.

Posted on May 8, 2014 by dianabletter
This is the moment when you become the captain of your own life.

This is the moment when you become the captain of your own life.

This is the moment when you decide to be the captain of your dreams. This is the moment you wish yourself the strength to make this a habit.

May you have the courage and confidence to make choices, big and small, impulsively, irrationally, honestly, loyally. Decisions you made based on the way you were woken up in the morning, or the smell of the last almost clean T-shirt you have left. Maybe because it was rainy and you were wet. Or your coffee was terrible. Because somebody forgot to return your smile, because you remembered that moment you’d never forget, the one when you just couldn’t quit smiling and your cheeks were burning. Or you simply listened to your gut feeling, longing not for a place but for a feeling, a state of mind, that place you call happiness, where you are finally content.
May you take charge of your own life; let go of the need to please and the need to do what others expect from you. Say no to a friend, ditch a plan that was never right for you. Stop explaining, and no need to apologize.
May you smile to your reflection in the mirror, and be grateful for yourself and your wonderful company.
May you allow love to guide you to your next destination, near and far.

—I would like to say that I wrote these words. But they were written by my daughter, Libby Singer.

Smile to your reflection in the mirror, and be grateful for yourself and your wonderful company.

And just to remind us how free we are to make choices and live our own lives, here are two articles about women around the world.

Read here about the Islamic militants in Nigeria who kidnapped 200 girls.

Read here about the 11-year-old girl in Pakistan who was forced to marry a man to settle a crime her uncle had committed.

 

Posted in Acceptance, Being a Hero In Your Life | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Famous Because…Because…Of Absolutely Nothing Except Because…You are You.

Posted on May 4, 2014 by dianabletter

I was a celebrity in China. That’s how I felt, especially in West Lake, about an hour outside of Shanghai, when people clamored around us, wanting to take photographs with us. They saw us as novelties, as lucky charms, as photo ops to show to their friends.

At West Lake, China, where the paparazzi were going gaga

At West Lake, China, where the paparazzi were going gaga

It was a great lesson for me in humility. We were just us. That in itself was enough.

Just as an experiment, I stood, not moving, on the bridge. In China, the brides are always curved or turn in some way because ghosts and spirits only cross water in straight lines.

Just as an experiment, I stood, not moving, on the bridge. In China, the brides are always curved or turn in some way because ghosts and spirits only cross water in straight lines.

 

Wherever you are today, may you feel like just being you is enough. You are exactly where you are supposed to be. You have everything you need for today. You are being taken care of on your journey through life, whether you believe that statement or not.

Walking under banners and not knowing what they mean...We don't always understand the burdens we have to carry but we have to keep walking.

Walking under banners and not knowing what they mean…We don’t always understand the burdens we have to carry but we have to keep walking.

Sometimes we feel like we’re stuck in a very sad, bad chapter of our lives. So all we can do is pray to understand the spiritual lessons that accompany the difficulties.

Posted in Acceptance, Your Best Chapter | Tagged | 6 Comments

Pam Mingle: On Writing, Finding A Literary Agent–and Your Third Career

Posted on April 27, 2014 by dianabletter
PAM MINGLE, author

PAM MINGLE, author

I’m happy to welcome Pam Mingle, author of The Pursuit of Mary Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Novel, and Kissing Shakespeare.

Diana: The Pursuit of Mary Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Novel, like Kissing Shakespeare, your first book (which was for young adults) starts with a well-known story—in this case, Jane Austen’s fabulous Pride and Prejudice—and imaginatively takes off. Can you tell us a little bit about how you got the idea for this book?

Pam Mingle: Joining JASNA (the Jane Austen Society of North America)was a huge influence on me. I re-read all the novels and developed an interest in the Georgian and Regency periods in England. The members of JASNA introduced me to the world of Austen sequels, Austen scholarship—really, all things Austen. While I was waiting for the editorial comments on Kissing Shakespeare, I needed a new project and decided to give an Austen sequel a try. I wrote a good bit of the book while waiting to begin Kissing Shakespeare revisions. I should say, however, that even before JASNA, I loved Austen, especially Pride and Prejudice. It would have been impossible for me to write a The Pursuit of Mary Bennet without loving Pride and Prejudice.

Diana: You were a teacher and a librarian and now you have a third career as a writer. How do you think your past careers have helped you in your writing and how did you take the leap?

Pam Mingle: All my careers have been centered on books. Like so many people, I’d always wanted to write, but never had the time. During my last few years of teaching, I asked myself when I ever thought I’d take the plunge if I didn’t do it now–which led me to take early retirement. Good decision, because it took nearly nine years to sell a book. As a librarian, you always have your finger on the reader’s pulse. And as a school librarian first, then a teacher, I knew what kids were reading and what appealed to them. The authors I read during my career as a teacher and librarian were my inspiration. But like most writers, I’m a lifelong devourer of books.

Diana: You have included in The Pursuit of Mary Bennet some surprising turn of events in the lives of the Bennet sisters. The language is vivid and real, set in the historical past. Can you tell us a bit about your writing style? What are some rules you follow for your writing? Do you write an outline? Did you know the end of your novel before you got there? And what are you working on now?

Pam Mingle: My writing style: I’m a good imitator! I’ve read enough historical fiction that I can do a decent job of sounding like the period–be it Elizabethan or Regency–to be credible. And works written during those periods, of course. For The Pursuit of Mary Bennet, I quickly discarded any thought of trying to sound like Austen. Instead, I went with a slightly more formal, British-English sounding narration, making sure to use words and expressions Austen would have used.

Kissing Shakespeare was unusual in that I had both contemporary and Elizabethan language to deal with. The main character, Miranda, struggled at first with understanding the language when she was in Shakespeare’s time, but that was part of the fun of writing the book. Stephen, her time travel guide and the man she falls for, had the same trouble when he traveled to the present.

Language is so intertwined with voice; it’s hard to separate the two. Voice really controls the language a writer uses.

As far as a routine, I write in the mornings. That’s when I do my best thinking. Often, after a break, I write into the afternoon as well. I revise the previous day’s pages each morning. I know some writers write until they’ve finished a first draft before revising, but I’m just not wired that way. I do pre-writing exercises, like writing character sketches, trying out different point-of-views, and the like, but I don’t outline until I’m several chapters into the book. That’s when I usually hit the wall. I outline from then on, but piecemeal. If I write a scene that’s not in the outline, I go back and put it in. When I’m done, I find it helpful to have that completed outline to check during the revision process.

This is not a rule, but it’s really important to me to be part of a critique group (I’ve been in mine for 10 years now). Aside from critiquing, a vital step in the process, we celebrate success and support each other during the tough times. Attending conferences and workshops is indispensable, in my view. There’s always more to learn.

I only have a vague sense of the ending. For me, the ending comes as a result of what has unfolded in the story, and sometimes I don’t know what that’s going to be. I have several writing friends who always write the end of their books first, however. I know that method works for some, just not for me.

My work in progress is a historical romance, also set in the Regency.

Diana: Your story of your writing success is inspiring. How did you land your literary agent, Steven Chudney? Do you have a snippet of your query letter to him that you can share? Can you share your thoughts or suggestions for aspiring writers?

Pam Mingle: I found Steven Chudney through the Publisher’s Marketplace “Who Represents Whom” feature. I was looking for agents who represented historical fiction. When I queried Steven, I decided to be concise and sincere. My query letter was very short, and in it I said something like this: “You love historical fiction. What more could I ask?”

Steven requires fifty pages of your manuscript, a paragraph on what you’re currently working on, and a brief bio. So I decided he had enough information without belaboring the point in the query letter.

I think writers sometimes try to include too much in their queries. Keep it as brief as you can and let your writing speak for itself. Also, make sure you’ve looked at the agent’s web site so you can follow the guidelines they’ve set out. Don’t query an agent who doesn’t represent your genre.

Diana: Finally, www.thebestchapter.com explores how to write your best chapter and also how to live your best chapter each day in the story of your life.  You said that you and your husband go on long walks. What are some of the things you do to take care of yourself each day?

Pam Mingle: I walk or go to the gym each day, and do relaxation exercises (while listening to New Age music!)

Thank you, Pam! Look for Pam’s books at Barnes & Noble here or amazon here.

Posted in Writers, Writing, Your Best Chapter | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Middle Kingdom: China, The Mountains and How To Find Joy In Our Own Lives.

Posted on April 25, 2014 by dianabletter

 

The mini-van that got us to the mountains on roads the width of golf paths.

The mini-van that got us to the mountains on roads the width of golf paths.

So we were somewhere in the mountains of China. China in Chinese means the Middle Kingdom and you could sense an other-worldly air to the place. I don’t know exactly where we were, and if I did know, I wouldn’t tell you. Why? Because last time that our tour company found a place and it became famous via some tour companies, the Chinese Government evicted the people out of their houses, and turned the houses into museums. There are now tours showing how people used to live in the houses.

At first I thought I would try to do a travel article, which is what I did when I went to Alaska. But I am happy that I just went and did not write anything. I did not even bring a book, which was a first for me. I wanted to just to be. There is great value in just being. (I will, however, write a blog soon about pitching a travel article.)

Bamboo forests holding up the mountain (really–to prevent mud slides) and subsistence farming. The people we stayed with picked the vegetables and then cooked them in a very large wok over a wood-burning stove. Or they bought them from traveling salesmen. They made their own honey; one woman had wooden bee hives right next to her front door. The honey tasted like flowers.

See the chicken feet in the back?

See the chicken feet in the back?

There are more than a billion people in China but each person has a story to tell.

Marking the bamboo trees.

Marking the bamboo trees with their names so that people know which ones they can cut.

When I think about how to change my life, I think about the little moments that make up life wherever we are. I think about being aware of existence. I think of the memorials for the ancestors set up in the mountains. (They follow a feng shui idea that graves should be in the mountain side with a view of the river.)

Ancestors' graves in the mountains of China

Ancestors’ graves in the mountains of China

Which reminds me that we are here for only a short time but our eternity is endless. So we have to live it up. The Talmud asks, “Who is the rich man? He who is happy with what he has.”

Inside the beekeeper's house.

Inside the beekeeper’s house.

How to change our lives? How do we transform ourselves and make this our best chapter? Bring awareness into each moment. Celebrate being alive. Feel grateful for all that we have. Do you see the little bamboo chair? That is about the extent of their sofa collection. Ikea has yet to conquer inner China.

Here is the thing: Gratitude makes us  aware of all we have. Awareness makes us aware of all we have to be grateful for.

Chairman Mao's pictures are everywhere.

Chairman Mao’s pictures are everywhere.

Grateful for all we have: laundry on the line.

Laundry on the line.  Gratitude makes us  aware of all we have. Awareness makes us aware of all we have to be grateful for.

Posted in Acceptance, Transformation | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Tool For Tuesday: Looking For Fifty Shades of Grey

Posted on April 22, 2014 by dianabletter

Sometimes we see the world as black or white. We want either all or nothing. We want things to go the way we think they’re supposed to, the way we’ve thought of them, according to the way we’ve planned for them to go in our own heads.

But there are fifty shades of grey. Fifty ways of looking at a situation. We can choose to how we look at things. We can decide not to say something that might sound smart and sharp but is actually nasty and undercutting. We can decide to focus on the upside of a situation and not always look at the downside. We can practice cognitive intervention on our own brains and divert our thoughts from the negative and find something, one thing, any one little thing, to make us think of the positive.

The other day, I found myself in China. (Yes, really.) I had signed up for a trek with one of my kids and the weather was so drizzly, gloomy and grey.

Take the road not taken, China April 2014

Take the road not taken, China April 2014

I could have chosen not to go but I reminded myself, there are fifty shades of grey.

I just have to look for them.

The mountains in China, about 4 hours outside of Shanghai

The mountains in China, about 4 hours outside of Shanghai

Life is full of surprises and we never know where we’ll find ourselves. Sometimes changing our life means changing our perceptions. We might expect to be somewhere, and find ourselves some place completely different. So we have to stay open to all opportunities and trust the journey.

Tool for Tuesday: There’s beauty even in the dismal. There are fifty shades of grey. What? I didn’t say that first? You mean it’s the title of a novel about S&M? Oops!

 

Posted in How to Change Your Life, Tool For Tuesday | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Tatiana de Rosnay: On Writing Sarah’s Key, The Other Story, and Revealing Family Secrets

Posted on April 6, 2014 by dianabletter
Tatiana de Rosnay

Tatiana de Rosnay

I’m delighted, honored and enchantée to host Tatiana de Rosnay, author of Sarah’s Key (which has been translated into 38 languages) and who will publish her latest novel, The Other Story, on April 15, 2014.

Diana: The Other Story, like Sarah’s Key, deals with revealing a disturbing secret. Can you tell us a little bit about your interest in personal and national mysteries?

Tatiana de Rosnay: I find family secrets to be incredibly romanesque and inspiring. There is indeed a secret in every single one of my books.  I am however aware of the suffering and pain that longtime secrets can cause when they are finally revealed.

Diana: You were born to a French father from Mauritius, and an English mother born in Rome, giving you a wealth of nationalities.  How has the confluence of countries impacted your writing and language?

Tatiana de Rosnay: It’s true to say that because of my mixed heritage and the fact that so many different nationalities are the background to my family, this has given me the advantage of an open-minded culture and being able to read and write in two languages from very early on.

Diana: You write in The Other Story about Nicolas, the main character, “needing to turn away from his own story to spin another tale.” Does that idea resonate with your own work?

Tatiana de Rosnay: Yes, I’m not the kind of writer who talks about myself directly, but I like to start with something personal and then make it into someone else’s story which is exactly the case in this book.

Diana: Can you tell us a bit about your writing style? What are some rules you follow for your writing? Do you write an outline? Did you know the end of your novel before you got there? And what are you working on now?

Tatiana de Rosnay: I have been writing fiction since I was 11 years old so I guess you can say writing is part of my life. I work every morning and sometimes later into the afternoon. I edit myself ruthlessly. I do write an outline but sometimes when I’m actually writing the book another idea comes to me. I do allow myself some freedom from my basic outline! I describe all this in The Other Story, as the main theme of the book is the exploration of the writing process and how different it is for each writer. I’m working on the biography of a writer I admire.

Diana: Finally, www.thebestchapter.com explores how to write your best chapter and also how to live your best chapter each day in the story of your life.  You have a family and I’d like to think you cook (or eat!) mouth-watering French food. What are some of the things you do to take care of yourself each day?

Tatiana de Rosnay: I hate to disappoint you, but my French blood does not make me into an excellent French cook, I’m afraid! However I do love my city, Paris, and walking along its streets and by the river Seine are one of my greatest pleasures. I love posting photos of Paris to my Instagram account: http://instagram.com/tatianaderosnay

Thank you so much, Tatiana de Rosnay!

You can find The Other Story as well as de Rosnay’s other novels wherever you buy books, including Barnes & Noble and amazon.

Thanks to all of you for reading. Please write and let us know when you get your copy of The Other Story and what you think!

This interview was conducted by Diana Bletter, author of The Invisible Thread: A Portrait of Jewish American Women, and The Mom Who Took Off On Her Motorcycle, which you can order here.

Read my other interviews with authors Molly Antopol, Phyllis Chesler, Dara Horn, and Dora Mossanen Levy.

 

 

 

Posted in Writers, Writing, Your Best Chapter | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Oscar Wilde: On Being Yourself.

Posted on April 4, 2014 by dianabletter

I couldn’t pass this one up from Oscar Wilde:

“Be yourself: everyone else is already taken.”

Wilde could have written not only, The Importance of Being Earnest, but The Importance of Being You. And just think, he was jailed for his homosexuality. (Good thing he’s not in Iran today, where he might be hanged for that.)

Coming up soon! An exclusive interview with Tatiana de Rosnay, author of Sarah’s Key. Her latest novel, The Other Story, has just been published by St. Martin’s.

And if that quote still didn’t have you convinced, here’s another one of Wilde’s quotes: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

 

 

Posted in Self-care | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Tool For Tuesday Via Sheryl Sandberg: Ban Bossy.

Posted on April 1, 2014 by dianabletter

 “When a little boy asserts himself, he’s called a ‘leader.’ Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded “bossy.” Words like bossy send a message: don’t raise your hand or speak up. By middle school, girls are less interested in leading than boys—a trend that continues into adulthood. Together we can encourage girls to lead.”

Ban Bossy. That is the slogan of a new campaign and it’s a great message for all gals of all agesCheck out the great youtube video here starring Beyonce and Jane Lynch. The idea is part of LeanIn.Org, the nonprofit organization founded by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, to empower all women to achieve their ambitions and follow their dreams.

Tool for Tuesday: I’m not bossy. I’m the boss of my own life. Not anyone else’s but my own.

Posted in Acceptance, Being a Hero In Your Life, Tool For Tuesday | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments