Reading Time Redux!

You may have noticed my "Save the World" icon on the right side of this page. Contemporary romances, women's fiction and mysteries are my favorite casual reading material. Why? Because so much of my time is spent reading dry non-fiction, educational books and research. I like a little fun in my reading. I also buy a lot of books online because you can get them sooner (they ship to arrive on or before the release date) and with some e-books you can read up to a month before the hard-copy release. One of my favorite places is Buy.com's books because they have a great selection, great pricing and their shipping is reasonable. Check 'em out the next time your up for a great read!

Pricing Sites!

I've been devoting a little more of my daily Internet time to product research, including price research. Why? Because I like to save money but clipping coupons isn't my idea of a good time. If I can research online instead to find the best prices and then place my order, I save money and I save time and gas because I don't have to drive all over town for the items I need. One new site I've come across has pricing help for weight loss pill but what I really like is they compare packaging, consumer reviews and a lot of other categories so that you can research in one place to get the information you need. Cool deal!

The building, the building...

I'm not incredibly hands-on with most project that go on around our house. I have the ideas and them I hire someone to implement them. Why? Because ideas are great but carrying them out ... not so much. I can do some things (hanging pictures, painting, etc.) but when it comes to the big projects I'd rather have someone around who knows what they are doing. I came across these material handling the other day. Their company is on a larger scale than what I would ever need around our house, but if we ever buy that office building ... yeah, you get the idea.

What I like about their site is that everything is so easy to navigate. You can find pricing, research products and plan your own projects fast. Which is exactly what we need, right?

New Year's Resolution Time?

If you're like more than half of the world's occupants, you made a resolution (or twelve) as the clock struck midnight just a couple of weeks ago. Did you resolve to become self-employed? Devote more time to your family? Get that raise? You know what I find interesting - about half of all resolutions are about weight loss or getting a better body. Too many people will turn to surgeries or pills to get the results they need when really they only need to work at adding in more exercise (taking just 1,000 more steps each day could help you lose 10 pounds... did you know that?), taking a nutritional supplement and watching the caloric intake.

As I was geekin' around this morning, I found a good link to discount supplements; looks like really good deals and it could help with that weight loss!

A Publishing Update...

...snagged from Publisher's Lunch -- a publication that every freelance writer should subscribe...


The Key
"nice deal" $1 - $49,000
"very nice deal" $50,000 - $99,000
"good deal" $100,000 - $250,000
"significant deal" $251,000 - $499,000
"major deal" $500,000 and up

NONFICTION
Advice/Relationships
Once Upon a Tandem author and producer of the national radio show "Today's Father," Jay Payleitner's 52 THINGS KIDS NEED FROM A DAD, giving men real-life reminders and ideas for ways to connect with their kids and fill their homes with laughter, mutual respect, shared values, and a bond that lasts a lifetime and beyond, to Nick Harrison at Harvest House, in a nice deal, for publication in in time for Father's Day, 2010, by Sandra Bishop at MacGregor Literary (World).

History/Politics/Current Affairs
OBAMA: The Historic Journey, a heavily-illustrated book covering Barack Obama's life, from his childhood through his inauguration as the 44th president of the United States, with a final chapter that includes the inaugural address and a 32-page photo essay by 12 New York Times staff photographers, with an introduction by NYT executive editor Bill Keller and essays from Times staff and contributors including Frank Rich, Thomas Friedman, Paul Krugman, Maureen Dowd, David Brooks and Gail Collins, to Geoff Kloske to Riverhead, for publication on February 16, 2009, by Scott Moyers at The Wylie Agency, produced by the New York Times and Callaway Arts & Entertainment (NA).

A separate young readers edition written and designed for children ages 8-12 age will be published as well.

How-To
Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Cho's CREATIVE, INC., in the spirit of Craft, Inc., this time exploring how to create a successful career as a freelancing "creative," to Jodi Warshaw at Chronicle, by Lilly Ghahremani at Full Circle Literary.

Pop Culture
Host and star of Country Music Television's COWBOY U Rocco Wachman and Matthew Pellegrini's HOW TO BE A COWBOY, an exploration, with a pop-culture lens, of the many facets of the cowboy life, with chapters on campfire cooking, the cowboy uniform, horses and trucks, cowboy economy, the three Rs: "ranching, roping, and rodeo", country music and dancing, and of course, the indefatigable cowboy spirit, to Adam Korn at Harper, by Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary Representation.
sorche@fairbankliterary.com

True crime
Anthony Flacco's SANFORD CLARK AND THE TRUE STORY OF THE WINEVILLE MURDER, a psychological drama about the true crime story that also inspired the recent film, Changeling, to Philip Turner at Union Square Press, for publication in fall 2009, by Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary Management (NA).
Sharlene@MartinLiteraryManagement.com

TV
Kathleen Flinn's THE SHARPER YOUR KNIFE, THE LESS YOU CRY, about a journalist-turned-corporate exec who falls in love, gets downsized, cashes in her savings and heads to France to pursue her lifelong dream of studying French cuisine in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu, to Fox TV Studios for Lifetime, by Sarah Self at The Gersh Agency, on behalf of Larry Weissman at Larry Weissman Literary.
larryweissman@earthlink.net

Great Deals!

If you're considering finally taking off those 10 or 15 extra pounds, check out this weight loss products website. Seriously, they have product reviews, great prices and advice on everything from colon cleanses to acne relief. I love finding websites like this that list all kinds of helpful information in one place. Why? Because I don't have time to surf 20 different websites looking for a tiny kernel of information. If you're looking for help to lose weight or just want a more healthy body, check out the offers on the site...but remember to talk to your doctor before trying any weightloss program.

Did You Know...

speaking of year beginning tasks, we always check on our credit report at the first of the year. Another year-beginning task that is simple to remember. Did you know, by the way, that slow payments (those that arrive within the grace period) can hurt your credit as badly as late and non payments? Yep, they can. I learned that when I applied for my first apartment lease. I didn't have any slow or late payments, but the landlord and I started talking about credit reports and that is what he told me. I never would have known that otherwise. So, I've always paid early, just in case. Hey, that is one more way to keep the commercial collection agencies off my doorstep, right?

One New Year's Project ...

out of the way. I've talked about this before, but seriously, the new year is the best time to begin comparing your insurance options. Why? Rates won't really vary throughout the year, but doing things like this at the beginning of the year is much simpler to keep track of than checking insurance randomly throughout the year. If you do it every January, you'll remember. At least that's how it works for me. I got one job out of the way this morning by checking on term life insurance quote comparisons. I found that our current life insurance (which is whole life) is okay, but by adding another policy, we will have a bit more security down the road.