Bookie Goodness, Spring Edition

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Malena Lott

Sure, spring is wonderful and all that. If we’re hooked up on Facebook, you saw that I even posted a picture of monarchs mating in my backyard yesterday. Monarch, as in the butterfly, not royalty (But that would be more fun, wouldn’t it?)

But as much as I love the wisteria blooming and bees buzzing and azalea buds opening at my new house, I get positively psyched that books are in bloom year around. I know I sound like a total book geek when I say that, but it’s true. While books are more prolific than ever, thanks to Twitter, Facebook and great e-newsletters and blogs, I can always find just the right fit for my mood in the pages of a book.

I don’t get to thank my fellow bookettes often enough for their contributions on the blog. They blog because they love books, love meeting authors and want stories to get their due promotion. It’s tough in the book biz today, so we all need to “share” on FB, RT on Twitter and tell our real life friends about books we heart so much we stayed in the tub until our skin resembled great Aunt Fay’s. (Thanks, Sarah Pekkanen, SKIPPING A BEAT!)

Confession time: I haven’t had an in person book club party since 2010. With my house on the market and the move and now all the fixer upper goodness going on, I’ve put off something that makes my soul soar: getting the girls together to dish about books.

But, NO LONGER. I’m e-mailing my club this weekend and setting a date. I hope you’ll do the same with your girlfriends. I’ve also been way behind in sending out book totes and starter kits to the new book club chapters, so I promise I’ll get to that now that I’ve located the box that had them in it. (Nothing is easy, is it?)

Life is. What I mean by that is we have 24 hours in a day. We choose how to spend it and sometimes the universe forces us to spend it in ways we weren’t expecting. But we forge on and we MAKE TIME for our loved ones, including our girlfriends. That’s what this blog is all about. It’s also about ME TIME and connecting with stories that can make you laugh, cry and give you a-ha moments for life beyond the pages.

I hope you visit Book End Babes often, and remember each month you can click on the book covers in the sidebar for our top picks and read our blog entries for even more book recs in all genres.

Right now I’m laughing my hiney off reading Tina Fey’s BOSSYPANTS, and Rebecca Rasmussen’s THE BIRD SISTERS is so well drawn, I feel like I’m right there in the kitchen with the sisters. If you need a word pick-me-up, then try Sark’s GLAD NO MATTER WHAT. A lot of s*** goes down in life, and peppy people like Sark with her incredible insight into joy really is the icing on the cake some days.

Hugs to all my book-lovin’ friends. Books rock. Girlfriends rule.

Trip to Curacao, Gals?

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Malena Lott

Babes, we’d like to share a cool contest for The House of Six Doors by Patricia Selbert for a chance to win a trip for 2 to the Caribbean Island of Curacao if you purchase The House of Six Doors online and register on the book’s website.

About the Book
MAMA takes thirteen year old Serena and her sister to the U.S. in search of fortune leaving behind family, stability and the colors of the Caribbean. They drive from Miami to Hollywood where their money and luck run out, and the 1963 Ford Galaxie becomes their first American home. Guided by the memory of her native Curaçao and the words of her wise grandmother, Serena confronts challenges and grows up quickly. What gifts will this new country bring and at what price?

Here are the links and good luck!

To buy the book visit: http://thehouseofsixdoors.com/promo

To register for the trip visit: http://thehouseofsixdoors.com/promo/register.html

March (Book) Madness

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Malena Lott

by Malena Lott

Where I use to read and write in my former house. New one? No idea!

Besides the general confusion of not knowing where your things are, being in a new house is a kind of courtship – getting to know the sounds and space to be yourself. For me, high on that list is a) where I will read and b) where I will write. We downsized to upsize our life – slightly smaller space and in need of some renovation – so I miss having the floor to ceiling built-in bookshelves and a room we called the library where that’s mostly all we did. No TV in the space, just books, light and really comfortable chairs.

Fortunately, the chairs came with us, but they are now in the master bedroom. Thanks to houzz, I was able to see how one does a seating area in a bedroom, and I can always rely on my vintage glass nightstand to hold my current reads. You can see my top reads right here in the sidebar: THE OTHER LIFE by Ellen Meister (which was just optioned as a TV show for HBO), SKIPPING A BEAT by Sarah Pekkanen, THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eileen Brown and EMILY AND EINSTEIN by Linda Francis Lee. I was sent E&E first, and Lee’s writing continues to get stronger with each book. She does a nice job of blending humor and heartbreak. I can’t wait to dig in to THE BIRD SISTERS by Rebecca Rasmussen and THE HOUSE OF SIX DOORS by Patricia Selbert later this month, too. Thank goodness for spring break.

Then there’s all the posts that the bookettes write recommending fabulous reads I want to get my hands on! March is indeed book madness – so many great choices and I look forward to turning every delicious page. As soon as I figure out where I’m going to sit.

In other news, if you’re an aspiring author or an author who would like some more exposure, please check out my passion project, Buzz Books, where we are running three writing contests which will all be turned into books this fall. We offer custom promo materials for authors with specials all March long. I’m also pleased my ebook FIXER UPPER is available for the nook now.

Remember, real babes read books! Thanks, ladies!

Love ’80s teen flicks? Win the book.

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Malena Lott

I’ve read some Book End Babes have been putting together girls nights out and hitting the multiplexes to see Pretty in Pink, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. (Can it be? Seriously?)

Today marks the paperback release of Susannah Gora’s book, “You Couldn’t Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation” which was a BEB Top Pick last year. Leave a comment about your favorite ’80s movies or if you’ve recently rewatched Pretty in Pink tell us in the comments how you’ve felt its held up over time and you could win a copy of the book!

More?
www.bratpackbook.com
Get the book here.
“A must-have for fans of 80s teen flicks.” –Associated Press

Naked Fitness

Posted on January 17, 2011 by Malena Lott

Are You an Emotional Overeater?
By Andrea Metcalf, Author of Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body

Take this short quiz to find out.
I turn to food when I’m sad, disappointed, or lonely. Yes ___ No ___
I often eat past the point of fullness. Yes ___ No ___
When I’m upset, I crave sweets or salty snack foods. Yes ___ No ___
When I go to parties or dine out with friends, I tend to overeat. Yes ___ No ___
If I eat too much, I feel guilty afterwards. Yes ___ No ___
I eat more than I should when I’m home alone or bored. Yes ___ No ___
My moods have the biggest influence on when and how I eat. Yes ___ No ___
I like to nurture family and friends with food. Yes ___ No ___
I think about food a lot. Yes ___ No ___
I am unhappy with my weight, but I overeat anyway. Yes ___ No ___
Eating is my favorite activity. Yes ___ No ___
I tend to clean my plate; I don’t like to waste food. Yes ___ No ___
I binge habitually. Yes ___ No ___
The large amount of food I eat embarrasses me. Yes ___ No ___
Sugary foods tend to calm me down. Yes ___ No ___
SCORING
Count up your yeses and your noes.

If you answered yes to eight or more questions:
Your feelings of anger, frustration, loneliness, sadness, boredom, or even happiness might be causing you to overeat. And you are probably an emotional overeater. You may be eating too much or eating chaotically, but what you are really feeding is something in your life: relationship problems, broken dreams, financial worries, or problems at work. Try the strategies in this chapter, but don’t be afraid to seek professional help.

If you answered yes to four to seven questions:
You may be struggling with some emotions from time to time. You are a borderline emotional overeater. At this point, it will be easier to get your eating habits under control by applying some of the strategies in this chapter.

If you circled three or fewer yeses:
You probably aren’t an emotional overeater. You may occasionally use food to cope, but for the most part, it doesn’t interfere with your ability to manage your weight.
The above is an excerpt from the book Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body by Andrea Metcalf. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Author Bio
Andrea Metcalf, author of Naked Fitness: The Proven 28 Day Lifestyle Program for a Slimmer, Fitter, Pain Free Body, has been teaching fitness, training clients, and coaching on subjects of nutrition and health for the past 27 years. Her inspiring and approachable personality has helped build her reputation as a nationally known fitness expert. Andrea is a regular contributor of MORE, Self, and Women’s World, among other magazines, and a regular blogger on Oprah.com. She frequently appears on Today, Good Morning America Health, NBC5 in Chicago, and the nationally syndicated Better TV.

Andrea holds a BS in Exercise Science and has grown her career by creating unique programs of her own including Paws-ilates, Sil-ilites, and Live-ilates, featured on Oprah.com. Over the years, Andrea has written numerous articles on health and fitness. She is a national fitness presenter, motivational speaker, and has a series of fitness DVDs.

She also counsels and trains individuals, leads “Naked Fitness” groups, and speaks to companies across the country, and is a national spokesperson for Sketchers Shape-Ups, Elations, Sears, The American Heart Association and others. Andrea has three children and lives in Chicago.

For more information please visit: http://www.andreametcalf.com and follow the author of Facebook and Twitter. Learn more about Naked Fitness at http://www.nakedfitness.com

Browse or buy the book here or at your favorite retailer.