My fantastic friends, seesters, Linda & Karen, granted me the honor of being the third author on their latest book “Meeting In The Ladies Room.” Our photo/art book celebrates women and their personal thoughts. During the work putting together this project Karen was diagnosed with and won her battle with cancer!

To honor Karen and women all over the world we are donating 30% of the proceeds of March’s sales to: Susan G Komen For The Cure.

Also: If you order your copy by March 22nd ~ we are offering FREE SHIPPING!

CLICK: BUY THE BOOK

Enter these codes at checkout for free Ground/Economy shipping:

USD $ promo code: WESHIP (Canadian orders use this code, too)
GBP £ promo code: WESHIP2
EUR € promo code: WESHIP3

P.S. If you read Linda’s latest post, my favorite number is also three

Thanks for supporting the cause and celebrating women everywhere!

Pam xo

It was with a heavy heart that I pulled the Christmas decorations from the storage closet this year.

To many people this will sound insane, but animal lovers will understand. For seven years Riley SweetPea was with me for Christmas. There were two years it was just the two of us. He loved the tree and he opened his own gifts on Christmas morning. This is the absolute truth. A cat that loved Christmas!

We lost Riley in July of this year. He died too young and is missed every day. Joey and I still tear up when we talk about him. One night at the beginning of December I opened the closet door to get the decorations out. I pictured him last year, jumping on the containers, waiting for the excitement to begin. I closed the door and cried for an hour.

I feel for people who have lost loved ones, and will miss them terribly at Christmas. To me, Riley was family and this has been a tough month. A few nights ago I put my feelings aside and started to decorate.

Well, it seems that Binky is a huge fan of the holiday too. She was into everything, lying under the tree, climbing in the boxes. Some of you may think that all cats are the same. Let me assure you, they are all unique. Rory Beanie loves Christmas music and loves to lie in a pile of bubble-wrap while I put things together. She has no interest in interacting or getting into things. She never did. Even as a kitten she watched as Riley got into things. The other night she watched Binky wreck the place.

I am relieved that Binky is breaking glass balls and into everything. Christmas is a time for celebrating and being happy. Many people are sad this time of year – due to expectations not met. The cold wet weather has me riddled with pain and house bound for days at a time. I am the “Cat Lady,” these little furries keep me company all day. They are much better company when they are interactive.

Riley will never be replaced. He was with me through the years following my car wreck. He never left my side when I was sick. He wore seasonal outfits and loved to have his picture taken. That being said: if ever there was a Riley clone it is Binky. The minute I opened the closet door, she was in there. Her days are spent napping with me, climbing the Christmas tree, breaking glass balls, napping, climbing the Christmas tree, breaking glass balls, trying to rip down the stockings, and napping. There are also breaks for pooping and eating. Her life is full. Beanie and I watch her, we both growl at her daily, and we both love her.

So the tree is up, after three days there are no ornaments left on the bottom third of it. Yet, it feels like Christmas because a small creature is very excited. That’s really all I need to make the season bright!

PART TWO:
Since it is Christmas, Hanukkah, the Holiday Season: the Ladies over at Visual Chronicles are having a gift giveaway! For your chance to WIN and AUTOGRAPHED copy of MEETING IN THE LADIES ROOM, or a piece of ART from Linda Woods, simply let the ladies know what you had for lunch (they love food) by December 20th: CLICK HERE TO ENTER

MEETING IN THE LADIES ROOM ~ Reflections Of Women In A Room Of Their Own

Almost two years ago a dear friend told me about her new book idea. California based authors, Linda Woods, and her sister, Karen Dinino, already had two bestselling books under their belts. They had been featured, worldwide, in magazines, and on TV shows such as THE VIEW. The new book would be a departure from their first two: No Rules How-To guides to creating art. This new project would feature women from around the world. It would be a photo art book of women in bathrooms.

I immediately LOVED the idea and suggested a few people they should approach for the book. I also offered to connect them with a few fabulous Canadian women. I figured that was that. My involvement would be a few contacts. Also, if there were Photoshop issues I offered to lend a hand (I also offered web guru and digital art master, Joey Wargachuk, to back me up on the technical stuff that was beyond my knowledge ~ Thanks Joey). As time went on my involvement morphed into hands on photo shoots, contacting lots of women: famous and non, and whatever the ladies needed me to do.

Life throws all of us surprises. Karen found out she had cancer. I was being tested for cancer and a number of things after a year of continued, escalating, illness, and Linda also had health issues. While we all faced our own “junk,” we continued to work on the SECRET PROJECT. It was delayed and took far longer than expected, but it was a positive collective endeavor that kept us laughing and focused. The distraction was a blessing to all of us.

We were thrilled by the rejections we got! Sounds crazy, but it was cool that we had gotten through the gatekeepers and in touch with some pretty famous women. Two of our favorite rejections were from Senaid O’Connor, who was “too shy to do the photos, but wished us the very best with the project.” Then we got through three levels of assistants to Maya Angelou; her personal assistant told us Ms. Angelou was very busy with speaking engagements, but thanked us for thinking of her. She also wished us success. We were elated that we were getting replies. They were as good as getting told: “Yes.” We knew we had something when people bothered to reply. Truth be told, we never expected Dr. Angelou to agree to being photographed in the shitter.

Linda and Karen have recounted the journey on their blog. I suggest you get the whole story there in parts 1-3. It includes the illness, the B.S., the cracker-jack publishers, how perseverance pays off, and how an independent publishing company got its wings:

PART 1 PART 2 PART 2.5 PART 3

About the book:

What do you see when you look in the mirror?
What do you think about when you are alone?
What’s the best ladies room you’ve ever been in?

Whether you are an idolized celebrity or a struggling single mother, the ladies room is where you create your make believe, and where you face your reality. Join 68 brave women from around the world for an empowering look in the mirror and a meeting in the ladies room.

Featuring Jann Arden, Amanda Palmer, Rosie O’Donnell, Jen Foster, Sarah Bettens, and SHeDAISY

Click: PREVIEW & BUY THE BOOK

Blurb is offering a special $10 discount to our readers until December 31st. At check out, enter the code below.

Orders from the US (using US $): GREATGIFT
Orders from UK (using UK £): GREATGIFT2
Orders from EU (using EU €): GREATGIFT3
Orders from AU (using AUD $): GREATGIFT4

Orders from CANADA (choose US$): GREATGIFT
*Note to Canadian buyers: your total is calculated at check out.

I’ve been an avid reader since I was a child. I have no idea how many books I’ve read. Sometimes certain books stay with us for a long time after we’ve read them. This list is in no way a ranking of the *Value* of these books. It is simply a list of ten books that have always returned to my thoughts. There are many more. For now – you get ten books I recommend and what they meant to me.

FICTION

1) Fall On Your Knees: Ann-Marie MacDonald (1996, Vintage Canada)

There are very few things in life that we will look back on and say… “I was forever changed by it”. As is the case for most, my life altering experiences have arrived unexpectedly and for the most part – uninvited. I have read and been moved by many great books, relating to characters, understanding their motivations, cheering for the underdog, and every now and then gained valuable insight. However… Never have I turned the last page, closed a book, and knew in my soul that I was no longer the same person. Not until December 1997 when I experienced “Fall On your Knees”.

2) The Bell Jar: Sylvia Plath (1963, Faber and Faber)

This is an excellent example of first person writing. I love the brutal honesty of the
main character’s thoughts. It’s a dark read, but not lacking wit. Plath has delivered an accurate account of mental illness. Having spent some time in the “Bell Jar” myself, I understood the character (Esther) and was comforted by her madness. I felt less alone in my own illness.

3) The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (1980, Bantam)

Introduced to Shakespeare at age 14, I was in awe of the lyrical composition of his writing. It was the most complicated writing I had encountered at that point in my life; I was determined to decipher it. His words were inspirational for a young would-be writer.

4) Edith Ann – my life, so far: as told to Jane Wagner (1994, Hyperion)

Hilarious! Makes me laugh every time I go back to it. Wagner’s humor translates from the page as well as it does from the screen, (she’s written for Lily Tomlin for decades), not an easy feat. If I’m having a bad day I flip to a random page and soak up some of Edith’s six-year-old musings about life… I always laugh.

5) A Tree Grows In Brooklyn: Betty Smith(1943, Harper Perennial)

I read this book when I was thirteen. I felt a connection to the character Francie, having also been raised in poverty. This is an honest story about childhood, growing up, and family relationships. I was moved to tears and made to laugh. It is a story about truth and love.

6) Virginia Woolf: Just read her damn-it!

When I read her work, both fiction and non-fiction, I am certain of two things:
1) I suck, how dare I continue to write.
2) I love words; I must never stop writing.

I’m well on my way to becoming the quintessential “tortured artist.”

NON-FICTION

7) From The Kingdom Of Memory Reminiscences by: Elie Wiesel (1990, Summit Books)

Holocaust survivor/ Nobel Peace Prize winner Weisel’s collection of essays and speeches is incredibly uplifting. The book covers a range of topics; one of my favorites is the essay “Why I Write”. Wherein he says: “Why do I write? Perhaps in order not to go mad. Or, on the contrary, to touch the bottom of madness.” I read this book at age 21, each time I revisit I’m astounded by his wisdom. I learned a lot about what’s important in life from this man.

Anything We Love Can Be Saved A Writers Activism: Alice Walker (1997, Ballantine)

Civil rights, feminism, families, politics, banned books: these are just some of the
topics covered in this collection of essays. Alice Walker inspires me in both her creative writing and her activism. This book is hopeful in that we all have the power to make a difference. Very inspiring!
(Also read: The Color Purple, The Temple Of My Familiar, and… hell, just read Alice Walker.)

9) The Serpent and The Rainbow: Wade Davis (1985, Simon & Schuster)

Harvard scientist Davis journeyed into the secret societies of Haitian voodoo, and
zombies. His goal: to explain/prove the existence of human zombification. This book reads like a novel. The author dispels a lot of Hollywood myths about voodoo. I was both educated and entertained by this book.

10) Power VS Force The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior: David R. Hawkins, M.D. (1995, Veritas Publishing)

Hawkins researched this book for twenty years. It’s a mind bender which often
reads like a textbook. It is the most interesting book I’ve read concerning science, religion, environment, human consciousness, and how everything is connected. It answers a lot of the
“Why?” questions about life. Not an easy read, but a powerful read.

The New York Time Best Selling Autobiography by Melissa Gilbert is a must read!

In Prairie Tale Gilbert shares the raw, honest, truth about real life in tinsel town, after the cameras stopped rolling. Many of us were introduced to Gilbert, when she stole the hearts of millions, in her role as Laura Ingalls in the hit TV series, Little House On The Prairie.

Growing up in Walnut Grove was a charmed experience. Though Laura learned many of life’s lessons the hard way she was surrounded by love, kindness, and the best Pa in the world. For Gilbert, real life was not as charmed.

For those of us who grew up with Laura Ingalls and assumed we knew Melissa Gilbert, Prairie Tale is a rude, but uplifting awakening. It is the story of a strong woman finding her path in life.

“A large part of my life has been an illusion – not an illusion crafted through controlled media, but more like light going through a prism in that there’s one story bent in numerous directions.” There’s my mother’s version, there’s the one in the press, there’s the one I lived, and there’s the one I’m still trying to figure out.” ~ Melissa Gilbert

“Prairie Tale” is at times heart wrenching and difficult to read. Yet, it’s chalk full of Gilbert’s fantastic wit, candor, and by the time the last page is turned it deeply inspires. Gilbert speaks freely about being adopted into a famous Hollywood family, her struggles with addiction, self-destructive behavior, toxic relationships, and the road back to honoring herself. It is a delight to read about her successes as a mother, wife, and businesswomen. More so, it is a delight to read about Melissa Gilbert: happy individual.

You can catch Melissa Gilbert on the road in the theatrical production “Little House On The Prairie,” where she comes full circle playing the role of “Caroline ‘Ma’ Ingalls.”

Little House On The Prairie Musical
Melissa Gilbert Official Website
Follow Melissa On Twitter
Join Melissa on MySpace
Join Melissa on Facebook

Listen to the “Off The Shelf” interview with Melissa Gilbert: