tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58895817514053992152024-03-04T20:01:24.351-08:00Mental PauseIn this blog I celebrate being 50+ To hell with hot flashes! I certainly didn't feel that way a few years ago when I was in the throes of it so now I'm searching for resources to share that shed some light on, or even make light of menopause. I will highlight books specifically focusing on that crazy time of life euphemistically referred to as 'the change'. I invite authors to email a synopsis of their books and readers to send me reviews. Email me at anne@ocpublishing.ca.Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-57537119585082934112017-04-16T11:29:00.001-07:002017-04-16T11:29:41.434-07:00WE: A Manifesto for Women EverywhereLong time no see! Thought I would pop in quickly to share this book I just came across...<br />
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From Amazon:<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"WE</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">: </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A Manifesto for Women Everywhere </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">is an uplifting, inspirational, and intensely practical manual for change, providing nine universal principles that offer a path for dealing with life's inevitable emotional and spiritual challenges. It's for anyone who wants to see her own life and the world around her change for the better."</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Let me know what you think! I'm going to pick up a copy now :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/We-Manifesto-Everywhere-Gillian-Anderson/dp/150112627X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjWv_E_6bLtaWYQG1Iu3SAbEYtBqNSIUWjam8NGOyXU6N3T20Y4YFcYgeX9JzdAPj1FoERFoQ_NK5DMqsf7HVSHOh34MICLlhcQ18SAHqN04yvBb8tx0h-N7UXrNMaDmEK6iBb0FSxcZN/s320/we.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-24062202463251778292015-12-20T05:24:00.000-08:002015-12-20T05:24:13.038-08:00My Menopause Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mymenopausemag.com/"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXQQpryYWNQKNZ287SVBTk-iIJ3Vsz850AIa3VnvJjG4-0-QW7klQB2G93Wu_wOxWdfFAgEIZMvlM2y-TLea0rKS9NQQYHfoVPPGo98g469JyVFUpLMK41symMtbPqW3UFwvSyM55uSIQ/s400/my+menopause+magazine.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Another great reference to check periodically to ensure you're not the only one! <a href="http://www.mymenopausemag.com/">My Menopause Magazine</a> is full of articles with expert advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle while keeping the symptoms of menopause under control. When you subscribe, you receive a free copy of the ebook, <i>Changes During the Change</i>.</div>
<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-32956523873796851902015-11-08T18:46:00.001-08:002015-11-08T18:46:17.264-08:00Top 7 Mistakes Made by Women in Menopause<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.activemenopauselifestyle.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0x9rGBH1BceF7zolb9gkVGfntalNoq0hxa2axORVrqXAT8K26w3km4kGdkbyGTLH24N_2DWqgYgUq-fml7H1Mj_LDSbBBCSUWyrOCAaF-lRKkExfwkEahAwIZqIBYugavhfVMzxAUxHCq/s1600/free-report-shot.png" /></a></div>
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I just found this great free report by Shelli Stein, Fitness and Nutrition Specialist that includes some great advice and other recommendations for books to read. </div>
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The mistakes she suggests we make range from not having enough information to not having enough laughter in our lives. I think I probably made all 7 mistakes and more :)</div>
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It's a <a href="http://www.activemenopauselifestyle.com/">free download</a> worth checking out!</div>
<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-28239107736293233572015-10-14T21:06:00.000-07:002015-10-14T21:07:50.159-07:00Bringing Menopause out of the ClosetThis isn't a book but I couldn't resist sharing Sarah Jane's words of widsom!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B1xXW0mQpfA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/B1xXW0mQpfA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-27827678592255314312015-08-19T05:33:00.000-07:002015-08-25T04:36:46.283-07:00Goddesses Never Age!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJI08oCydmixYRPp0QwICKmkeNm6y8ZgruR6slAIi3N2eOeZTFaaGRuztdoET0fM9xNA9NMyMVUhgKd68RB46NiAA3K5_crAxQUcpRCK58sDOfe3aGMw1vt1aG-BmGaPJqVxhoRJCdwi9/s1600/goddesses+never+age.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJI08oCydmixYRPp0QwICKmkeNm6y8ZgruR6slAIi3N2eOeZTFaaGRuztdoET0fM9xNA9NMyMVUhgKd68RB46NiAA3K5_crAxQUcpRCK58sDOfe3aGMw1vt1aG-BmGaPJqVxhoRJCdwi9/s200/goddesses+never+age.jpg" width="133" /></a>This is my new mantra... say it with me... <a href="http://www.hayhouse.com/goddesses-never-age-hardcover?utm_source=CN.com&utm_medium=Product_listing&utm_campaign=CN.com_GoddessesNeverAge&sp_rid=NTk5MjM5NTc1NjUS1&sp_mid=49348783&spMailingID=49348783&spUserID=NTk5MjM5NTc1NjUS1&spJobID=742863275&spReportId=NzQyODYzMjc1S0">Goddesses Never Age</a>! This is also the title of Dr. Christiane Northrup's latest book. Have you read it? What did you think? I'd love to hear how you're battling the 'aging' process... or is it beating you? I change my mind from one day to the next and I'm sure I'm not alone. I guess I need to meditate on it more and do a few warrior poses :)<br />
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I think I'll pick up a copy and see if I can get some more tips!<br />
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<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-46530081862861992022015-05-24T22:30:00.003-07:002015-05-24T22:30:39.275-07:00Menopause in Manhattan by Anne Kleinberg<i>As I was contemplating turning my mad ramblings into a novel, I wondered if there was actually a market for fiction where the central character is a menopausal woman. When I started my search I found that there weren't many books that fit the bill, but I did come across this one, read it and loved it! It was just another sign that I had to write my book. Certainly, there were other women out there, like me, who wanted to read this stuff! So, I do recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Menopause-Manhattan-Anne-Kleinberg-ebook/dp/B004QS91K2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1432567401&sr=1-1&keywords=menopause+in+manhattan">Menopause in Manhattan</a> and wanted to share the synopsis with you...</i><br />
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<b>Menopause in Manhattan</b><br />
<b>Anne Kleinberg</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshD3Skk3joLMLegluAQQz4Iuow_6FnepFwP4IFmT0G9RMd-mrQwc5wUsrOgGfOMAX6QuLnEOCkEGSRxSj-X9sDVuYgsKg-ZBb4VmcrA34K8IctpkPX8az3ymrKF2DG00RXXNjeA3FGV0p/s1600/menopause+in+manhattan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshD3Skk3joLMLegluAQQz4Iuow_6FnepFwP4IFmT0G9RMd-mrQwc5wUsrOgGfOMAX6QuLnEOCkEGSRxSj-X9sDVuYgsKg-ZBb4VmcrA34K8IctpkPX8az3ymrKF2DG00RXXNjeA3FGV0p/s1600/menopause+in+manhattan.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Welcome to New York City, and the world of publishing, interior design, fashion and food. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">As Elie Sands turns 50, she seems to have a charmed life. Executive editor of a top design magazine, she’s married to a furniture tycoon and the mother of two accomplished young women. She’s an avid cook, lives on Central Park West and owns a house in the Hamptons. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Syd Sorenstein is Elie’s mentor and upstairs neighbor. A chic, opinionated financial advisor, widowhood has not extinguished her lust for living. A workout fanatic and world traveler, Syd does exactly as she sees fit, with little interest in what others think.</span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Michael Delmonico, partner of Daniel, is entertaining and flamboyant. He is also self-centered and hopelessly disorganized, but has an eager list of clients waiting for his interior design services. Michael is Elie’s dearest friend, and Syd’s worst nightmare. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Life is good. Or is it? Elie makes a distressing discovery, Syd’s reputation is threatened and Michael gets shocking news from his past. Instead of easing comfortably into middle-age, each is forced to deal with unforeseen challenges, unresolved issues and reassessing what lies ahead.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So, if you've read a book (fiction or non-fiction) and would like to share a review here, please <a href="mailto:anne@globalwritingsolutions.com">email me</a>. If you're an author who has written a book that features 'the change' as a main theme or sub-theme, and you would like to do a guest post, please let me know!</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><i>If you’d like to receive my newsletter,
book launch announcements or information on upcoming writing retreats, go ahead
and <a href="http://bit.ly/1oPnK4e">sign up for my newsletter</a>. When you sign up you’ll also receive a free copy
of my ebook, 10 Steps to a Successful PR Campaign – a Do-it-Yourself Guide for
Authors.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-71488919024769352642015-05-17T19:24:00.000-07:002015-05-17T19:31:02.893-07:00Mental Author Feature #2 - Jan Emslie<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Monster The Mentalpause and Me<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Jan Emslie</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Book Blurb:</b></span></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Mentalpause-Me-J-Emslie/dp/1326246569/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431914929&sr=1-1&keywords=the+monster+the+mentalpause+and+me">The Monster, The Mentalpause and Me</a> is a satirical look at the life of 52-year-old Molly
McIntosh, a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> third stage
Mentalpausal, with a bitter and twisted womb. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She has to contend with
spontaneous facial hair growth, forgetfulness, and the Wicked Witch of the
East-rogen occupying her guest bedroom…her mother-in-law, AKA ‘The Monster’.</span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Xm1BlS46fZP0ZWRacOMxv9iCIGjoWlneJ-fYniIW58WPfhoZ8rOetmHIdJFXg8cgMLElLK1UJTVW2M9hsZJhmuuWraikQFBtWbcToBlo49dLULWBdaBrAMAm6LxXmkaWGrDr20BTfksX/s1600/monster+mentalpause+and+me+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Xm1BlS46fZP0ZWRacOMxv9iCIGjoWlneJ-fYniIW58WPfhoZ8rOetmHIdJFXg8cgMLElLK1UJTVW2M9hsZJhmuuWraikQFBtWbcToBlo49dLULWBdaBrAMAm6LxXmkaWGrDr20BTfksX/s320/monster+mentalpause+and+me+cover.jpg" width="225" /></a></i></div>
<br />
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Molly’s patience is
tested on a daily basis as she pits her wits against her scheming nemesis,
Annabel Lextor.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Molly’s newly retired
Mr. Husband seems oblivious to his mother’s malevolent ways, as Molly struggles
on, dealing with obnoxious neighbours, crazy work colleagues, and deranged
octogenarians.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The book spans a
hilarious year in Molly’s life. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19pt;">Ending with the
realisation that one of Monster’s husbands might not in fact be dead.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m a former accident and emergency nurse who went
back to a university as a mature student to study Psychology. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19pt;">I also ran kitten adoption in Dublin for ten years and
was actively involved in animal welfare in Ireland. Remember "It's cuter
to neuter." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Currently, I live in the Granada area of Spain with my
own long-suffering Mr. Husband of 30 ODD! years. Eight rescue dogs and eight
cats. Including the 28-year-old GRUMPY cat Alice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19pt;">"How did the Monster <i>The Mentalpause and Me</i> come
about Jan?" People are asking me ....Well, I </span><span style="line-height: 25.3333320617676px;">accidentally</span><span style="line-height: 19pt;"> wrote the book!
Then I also </span><span style="line-height: 25.3333320617676px;">accidentally</span><span style="line-height: 19pt;"> bought a cow at a market some years back, so that
shouldn't come as a surprise to those who know me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What's it all about?"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19pt;">It's in the genre of the "Sweaty, puffy, hormonal
stuffy AKA The Menopause and also known by its more descriptive moniker: 'The
Mentalpause.' That's where you leave your brain at....Well, leave it where ever
you wish because you are going to forget where you put it anyway, along with
keys, a chicken, and a very nice Spanish exchange student called Raul!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19pt;">The accidental book came from my </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mentalpause/214683625327710?ref=tn_tnmn" style="line-height: 19pt;">Facebook page uncannily called The Mentalpause </a><span style="line-height: 19pt;">where it evolved, when I started to write
about the daily trials and tribulations of a pastry </span><span style="line-height: 25.3333320617676px;">dependent,</span><span style="line-height: 19pt;"> 50 something-year-old
'GAL' and her Mother-in-Law ..The Monster. Egged on by my fantastic
Mentalpauser's. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19pt;">Uncannily similar to my own life, I avoided a lawsuit
for libel by changing my name to Molly in the book.(Joke). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19pt;">Mr. Husband is Mr. Husband. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm fond of animals but not that fond of people, which
was a drawback as a clinical psychologist. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19pt;">I spent most of my time plotting revengeful ways to
dispatch my patients, so I had more time to eat cake and put bows on kittens. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19pt;">Luckily my patients were very naughty people who were
locked securely up for the good of society.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I decreed there was not enough laughter in the
world, so joined up all the short stories "What I wrote." And the end
product, once it had a cover, resembled a book. People said it made them laugh
and pee~pee their pants a little, and that was good enough for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh! I also have the ability not to take life too seriously and have a
good laugh, mainly at myself. THE END....Or is it? I am currently working on
the second book in the series. <i>Molly's gone Mentalpausal.</i></span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-22327464370681625222015-04-25T21:45:00.000-07:002015-04-25T21:45:21.146-07:00One Night Sweat Over the Line<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought it would be appropriate at this point to share the story of how my debut novel, <i>Mental Pause</i>, came to be. It was published two years ago on International Women's Day. Parts of this post originally appeared on <i><a href="http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/2013/03/one-sweaty-night-results-in-debut-novel.html">It’s Not All Gravy</a></i> during the <a href="http://anne-writingjustbecause.blogspot.com/2013/03/blog-tour-stops.html">virtual book tour</a> when it launched.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JrMVow0aGbKwH-LDlgcVFqE-tCtEJC1FoFY4EylgrCHCjaaf4KFKotwG-SA_4J6d4gQkL1gv94UOgWXdSyxPIMGESR1vy6uy-4Cc-qY5eKoSDVssZjRZBtrCq4ZB2EAIftnEY0qBDD6v/s1600/Mental+Pause+gal+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JrMVow0aGbKwH-LDlgcVFqE-tCtEJC1FoFY4EylgrCHCjaaf4KFKotwG-SA_4J6d4gQkL1gv94UOgWXdSyxPIMGESR1vy6uy-4Cc-qY5eKoSDVssZjRZBtrCq4ZB2EAIftnEY0qBDD6v/s1600/Mental+Pause+gal+cropped.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Symptoms Come Creeping In</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been a writer all my life but mostly corporate communications
and PR but I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic and dreamed of one day
writing fiction. About five years ago I tested the waters and submitted a
couple of short stories to The Fiction Writers Platform (now The Writers
Platform) and both received an editor’s choice award!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Prior to that, I had started freelancing
and was doing corporate copy writing while thoughts and dreams of being a
novelist did a water ballet in the back of my mind. Simultaneously, I began
experiencing some rather uncomfortable peri-menopausal symptoms. I honestly
didn’t know what was happening at first, only that I was horribly irritable. So
much so that I couldn’t even stand being around myself. I was also having crazy
thoughts, tinged with paranoia, along with such startling memory loss that it
felt like I had had a lobotomy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
wasn’t until the night sweats started that it finally dawned on me that I was
experiencing ‘The Change.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
shocking revelation as I was still in my early-40s. It made me feel a little
better knowing there was an explanation for it all but didn’t make it go away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><b>Hitting the Keyboard</b></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Then one very sweaty, steamy night as I was
lying there in a disgusting pool of sweat, even though the A/C was blasting,
and trying not to slime my poor husband sleeping soundly beside me, I did what
any writer would do… hit the keyboard and poured out what I believed to be the
mad ramblings of a peri-menopausal woman. If anyone had seen me they would have
thought I’d lost it! I stifled the giggles so as not to wake my husband and
wiped the tears and just kept writing. I thought I might turn it into a blog
but wasn’t really comfortable exposing myself that openly. Then the idea hit. I
could have even more fun with it if I turned it into fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><b>NaNoWriMo to the Rescue</b></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">As luck would have it, I had recently heard
about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which was about to start, my
husband had recently retired and we had just moved to Thailand. I hadn’t really
met anybody and had a lot of time on my hands. I signed up and plunged in
headfirst.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I started segmenting the ‘ramblings’,
categorizing and developing a loose plot line. The first chapter sort of spilled
out and characters started to take shape. The more I wrote the more I dreamt
about my main character, Abbie, her thoughts and feelings, family and friends.
I’d wake up with a start and run to my computer to type out a description of one
of my characters that I had seen so vividly in a dream. The best plot twist in
the book (in my opinion) came in a dream!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Catharsis of Writing</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">It was really cathartic to write it because
no matter how bad I was feeling, how crazy my mood swings or wild my thoughts were,
Abbie’s were always worse. I could also live vicariously through her. Without
ruining the story for anyone who plans to read it, I can share that I’ve always
teased my mom that we’d both get tattoos when I turned 50 and she turned 90 (which happened just last year)! I’d
really never do it because I have absolutely no pain threshold and the thought
of even one needle makes me go weak in the knees, so I had Abbie get one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Focusing on writing and publishing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mental Pause</i> really helped ground me
and allowed me to face my change with a more positive attitude. The worst has passed and I can talk more
openly about it now and hope that, along with enjoying the storyline, my book can
help other women as well. My mood swings have tapered off; the night sweats are few and far between and the hot flashes are barely noticeable since
I live in a very warm and humid climate anyways. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I had so much fun writing <i>Mental Pause</i> that after it was published I immediately began working on my next novel with the hope that my diminishing symptoms wouldn’t limit my creativity! Fortunately my imagination seems to still be just as active and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1zZrxEU">Deep Deceit</a></i> recently launched to 5-star reviews!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">If you're an author and have written about Menopause or if you are experiencing 'The Change' and have come across a book that you found helpful, please feel free to send me a note (<a href="mailto:anne@gobalwritingsolutions.com">anne@gobalwritingsolutions.com</a>). I'm looking for guest posts from authors and reviews from readers so I look forward to hearing from you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy Flashing!</div>
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Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-16918565146551062252015-04-18T18:57:00.002-07:002015-04-18T19:02:43.549-07:00'Mental Author' Feature #1 - Samantha Bryant<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>So excited to welcome my first fellow 'mental' author, Samantha Bryant, as she prepares for the launch of her debut novel, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Going-Through-Change-Samantha-Bryant/dp/1620078414/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429444039&sr=1-1&keywords=going+through+the+change">Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel</a></i>, where she turns those pesky symptoms into super powers! Can't wait to read this one. Here's Samantha to share her journey...</b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Turn and Face the
Change: Writing Menopausal Superheroes<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Menopause and superheroes might not seem like a natural
progression at first blush. After all, most women in superhero stories are
barely dressed and eternally twenty-three. At mid-life, most of us have given
up spandex and clothing with peek-a-boo cut-outs. I know I have.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf55e1Pzm1Lox8c_6-NAtnrAlPtS7OqYrDIOmkM-ndETxr96v9AGdkwnD7Q3jFNTR-JQmd3zt9QHFyvCIRqHCmQ5Q3vRFG1YBOKu4ZSOs-Cv1GAeuJdyiDdqmpyfsvbG-dJwGD79opk5kx/s1600/samantha+full-swing-computer-shoes2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf55e1Pzm1Lox8c_6-NAtnrAlPtS7OqYrDIOmkM-ndETxr96v9AGdkwnD7Q3jFNTR-JQmd3zt9QHFyvCIRqHCmQ5Q3vRFG1YBOKu4ZSOs-Cv1GAeuJdyiDdqmpyfsvbG-dJwGD79opk5kx/s1600/samantha+full-swing-computer-shoes2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Samantha Bryant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But there's no denying that the feelings (physical and
emotional) that women experience during "the change" are powerful
indeed. Hormones are overwhelmingly strong at different times in our lives:
puberty, pregnancy, and menopause being the highlights in that particular movie
reel. (My personal hormone movie has been mostly a comedy, though it sometimes
feels like an overwrought drama when I'm living it). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p><b>Hitting 40 - Enter Night Sweats!</b></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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After I turned forty, I began to get my first direct hints
of what this journey was going to be like for me. I woke up hot and sweaty. My
skin did weird things. My moods shifted around me like sand on a beach. The
doctor says I am still premenopausal, but the writing is on the wall. The
process has begun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Honestly, it scares me. I remember feeling at the mercy of
my hormones and the effects on my body when I was a teenager and again when I
was expecting and nursing my children. I'm not looking forward to going through
more of that. I don't like feeling out of control. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, I wrote about it. That's what I do, as an author. I take
the things that scare the heck out of me and spin them into stories. Art is
cheaper than therapy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Hot Flashes or Power Surges?</b></div>
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This book took a lighter turn. Sometimes we need to make
light of the things that get under our skin to take away their power. So, when
I woke up sweating, I wrote a woman who could project the heat from her hot
flashes out of her body, giving her the ability to wield fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my back itched all the time from the
dryness of my skin, I wrote a woman who was transforming into a lizard
creature. When I felt depressed, I wrote a woman who became so light she flew.
And when I bemoaned the strange growth of hair in new locations, I wrote a
woman who turned into a man!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course, there's more to my characters than just what
happened to them and what they decided to do about them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><b>We're all Superheros</b></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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I'm a long time reader of comics and fan of superhero movies
and television shows. As I developed the idea for what became <i><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Going-Through-Change-Samantha-Bryant/dp/1620078414/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429444039&sr=1-1&keywords=going+through+the+change">Going Through theChange: A Menopausal Superhero Novel</a></i>, I wanted to write a superhero story that
women like me could identify with. That meant developing characters who were
grown women with the problems and worries that grown women have: partners,
children, family, careers, feelings of self worth, ageism, weight gain, health,
and so on. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Each of my women is on a personal journey, one that just
became complicated by some more unusual symptoms of menopause. Writing this
series has been cathartic and, honestly, a great deal of fun. I hope my readers
will find it so, too!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnxoUehImxYGgjU3DfHFay_IFuQQiu2JgY146WB6wN1pWvFsKXxQAabY-O9gwmJoj7Z1ecw_b21bfJTxh_HNKT2oh7VrPpFBpNW8GCfJVxKUNVxFpC5t_OAAXTlxeAaaNTTe-tnKCg6ru/s1600/going+through+the+change+cover+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnxoUehImxYGgjU3DfHFay_IFuQQiu2JgY146WB6wN1pWvFsKXxQAabY-O9gwmJoj7Z1ecw_b21bfJTxh_HNKT2oh7VrPpFBpNW8GCfJVxKUNVxFpC5t_OAAXTlxeAaaNTTe-tnKCg6ru/s1600/going+through+the+change+cover+.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><i>Samantha Bryant is a middle school Spanish teacher by day and a mom and novelist by night. That makes her a superhero all the time. She believes in love, magic, and unexplainable
connections.</i></div>
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<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Samantha writes blogs, poems, essays, and novels. Mostly she
writes about things that scare or worry her. It’s cheaper than therapy! Someday, she hopes to make her living solely as a writer. </i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<i>Learn more about Samantha at <span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://samanthabryant.com/">http://samanthabryant.com</a> follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/mirymom1">@mirymom1 </a>and join her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/samanthadunawaybryant">Facebook</a>.</span></span></i><br />
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<b>Good luck with the rest of your blog tour Samantha!! Let us know where you're headed to next so we can join you there ;)</b></div>
Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-33807999090973848882015-04-13T20:06:00.000-07:002015-04-14T00:54:33.546-07:00Returning and Reinvigorating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8qaOgkFMiMYovwzzmT73SDqpXlZKot1uUU1xWLktq3eI_8YTxDpbi7RoKchFEr7M7cn3gQidkJC9h-yemCBPHKGbMsOwEd2U3T13ewk17NFtcVe63c2eMIgqmZQOdys0ZOCfx0PjP8hyphenhyphen/s1600/power+surge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8qaOgkFMiMYovwzzmT73SDqpXlZKot1uUU1xWLktq3eI_8YTxDpbi7RoKchFEr7M7cn3gQidkJC9h-yemCBPHKGbMsOwEd2U3T13ewk17NFtcVe63c2eMIgqmZQOdys0ZOCfx0PjP8hyphenhyphen/s1600/power+surge.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
I haven't posted here in a very long while but I have a very good reason (I know... excuses, excuses)! I've been working on my latest novel, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1zZrxEU">Deep Deceit</a>,</i> and it finally launched in March (same date as <i><a href="http://amzn.to/14rxkPQ">Mental Pause</a></i> two years ago, International Women's Day). The past couple of months have been a flurry of launch activities to get the word out so poor <i>Mental Pause</i> has sort of taken a back seat.<br />
<br />
I've been pondering what to do with this blog... forget about it or rejuvenate it. After long and careful thought, and seeing a pitch from an author whose debut novel, <i>Going Through the Change: A Menopausal Superhero Novel</i>, which is coming out soon, I decided I would bring it back alive but change the focus just a bit. I plan to use it to highlight other books about women going through 'the change' (both fiction and non-fiction).<br />
<br />
So, I'm officially sending an invitation to:<br />
<br />
1. All avid readers and women (or partners/family/friends of women) who are entering and/or in the midst of 'Mental Pause', or have left it in the dust (as mercifully I have done for the most part) to send recommendations on books you'd like to see featured and, even better, submit your own reviews. <br />
<br />
and<br />
<br />
2. Any authors who have written on the subject who would like to do a guest post or simply submit a synopsis of your book (complete with links, cover image and head shot).<br />
<br />
Email me at <a href="mailto:anne@globalwritingsolutions.com">anne@globalwritingsolutions.com</a> ... it's as simple as that! I don't have a huge following yet but I'm hoping that you'll be able to help me change that! If you'd simply like to leave a suggestion in the comments below, that's fine too! I'll take the suggestion, take a look and take it from there.<br />
<br />
In the meantime,<br />
Happy flashing!<br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><i><span style="color: purple;"><b>If you’d like to receive my newsletter,
book launch announcements or information on upcoming writing retreats, go ahead
and <a href="http://www.globalwritingsolutions.com/Newsletter_Sign-Up.html">sign up for my newsletter.</a> When you sign up you’ll also receive a free copy
of my ebook, 10 Steps to a Successful PR Campaign – a Do-it-Yourself Guide for
Authors.</b></span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-87286251744375009842014-07-13T07:41:00.000-07:002014-07-13T07:42:59.118-07:00Turning 50!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXy7S65VgJ8xc4As2NAxzNg94A70daeIe9Wafa0QiBIVpdeYdqy6QuvBm-ZTxScrTJLDQzlJ3upUu094v3qA1Q3vyRpNJ2PhEDN9woTeyXbM3Qh-MZwPjxcqLA7EutzJh_LMg03KBx4X9/s1600/Anne+and+Charlie0714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXy7S65VgJ8xc4As2NAxzNg94A70daeIe9Wafa0QiBIVpdeYdqy6QuvBm-ZTxScrTJLDQzlJ3upUu094v3qA1Q3vyRpNJ2PhEDN9woTeyXbM3Qh-MZwPjxcqLA7EutzJh_LMg03KBx4X9/s320/Anne+and+Charlie0714.jpg" height="233" width="400" /></a></div>
I just celebrated my 50th birthday! Hard to believe... but my mom (fondly referred to as Mother Theresa or M.T.) always says, "You're not too old for the years you've been born."
Here's what I did on my special day. There's nothing like a paddle on the lake with cool breezes flowing to ward off any hot flashes and keep the mental attitude on an upswing!<br />
<br />
What did you do?
Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-12429958441237370802014-05-24T02:09:00.001-07:002014-05-24T02:12:04.639-07:00Maxine Rocks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VymxT6iiLkEcFnak9p43wY2KS3cOSzdE_ypvkeYfjRz0I4_HTzN-wRNRdOCe1C975LkjP32Wa7i9gs_Fn7mgCP4BqJTF5p1nrS664Cksquskmqw3dovhfbdZmjzzLjxtzXgWY6htVdSS/s1600/maxine+and+power+surges.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VymxT6iiLkEcFnak9p43wY2KS3cOSzdE_ypvkeYfjRz0I4_HTzN-wRNRdOCe1C975LkjP32Wa7i9gs_Fn7mgCP4BqJTF5p1nrS664Cksquskmqw3dovhfbdZmjzzLjxtzXgWY6htVdSS/s1600/maxine+and+power+surges.jpeg" height="248" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
My main main character in Mental Pause, Abbie's, power surges literally drove her to drink! Have you ever felt like just getting the hell out of dodge, grabbing a couple of gal pals and hitting the town? That is, if you haven't been laying in pools of sweat, staring at the ceiling night after night, fighting insomnia and wishing someone would just knock you out. Ok, say on a good week... wine, good music and good friends (of the female persuasion who understand without having to explain) is the best escape.<br />
<br />
Here's an excerpt from Mental Pause where Abbie and her friends are heading out for a wild night on the town...<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>“It’s been so long since I’ve been to a dance bar I’m not
sure I remember how to act,” said Abbie uncertainly, shifting on the seat and
trying to stretch her skirt further down towards her knees. She didn’t remember
it being so short when she bought it. If there was anything remotely resembling
a hem she would have considered letting it down. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>“Stop fidgeting! You look incredible.” Joan playfully
slapped Abbie’s hand away from her skirt and clinked her plastic cup against
the one she held tightly in her hand. “Don’t worry, you’ll love it!” Joan had
insisted they take some ‘roadies’ and had made a pitcher of cosmopolitans just
before they walked out the door. A little pre-lubrication to kick start the
party, she said.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>“I’m so psyched I can’t stand it,” Rachel slung her arm over
Joan’s neck. “Take good care of us now. We’re a little out of practice.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Abbie rested her head on the back of the seat and closed her
eyes. She would have to slow down a bit on the drinking or she might not make
it to the first stop. Joan launched into a diatribe of advice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>“Now, the first place we’ll hit is more like a lounge. The
dance bars don’t get going until much later. I know the bartender and she makes
a mean kamikaze.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>“I don’t even know what that is but it sounds dangerous,”
Rachel took another swig of her cosmo.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Abbie opened her eyes and stole a glance at the tattoo on
the back of Joan’s neck. She had only just noticed it when they were getting
ready earlier. She wondered why Joan hadn’t ‘unveiled’ it when she talked Abbie
into getting hers. Abbie thought the angel wings on Joan’s ankle was the only
tattoo she had. Joan was now shifted a bit sideways facing slightly towards
Rachel so Abbie was able to study it without being obvious. It was the first
time she had seen it in full as Joan usually wore her hair down. Tonight it was
in a flattering upsweep fastened with a multicolored, randomly geometric,
tortoise shell clip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Even as a fairly new tattoo fan, Abbie could appreciate that
this one was a beautiful piece of art. It was a depiction of an angel, with
wispy wings and soft edges in hues of blues and pinks with her eyes raised to
the sky (or towards the top of Joan’s head). As Abbie studied the intricacies
of the tattoo she realized that the sweet, ethereal angel had two sharp horns
poking out of her curly golden hair and on closer inspection, she was gripping
a squirming serpent in her right hand, from which long, red nails sprung. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Abbie gasped. Rachel and Joan had been in a boisterous
conversation, planning the evening’s escapades and stopped and looked at her.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>“What’s wrong Abs?” Rachel asked.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Uh, nothing… just
sneezed.” She figured Joan probably had a dark side but she really didn’t want
to know about it so she tore her eyes away from the disturbing image and downed
her cosmo. She tried to stroke down the hairs that were standing on end on the
back of her neck and ignored the unreasonable feeling of doom that enveloped
her. 'It’s just hormones'.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<br />
Abbie should have listened to her intuition... Maybe she wouldn't have wound up on trial for murder ;)</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-12319380027204008792014-04-03T23:26:00.000-07:002014-04-06T02:12:55.733-07:00Latest review on Amazon for Mental Pause!<div style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">
<span style="margin-left: -5px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br /><img alt="5.0 out of 5 stars" border="0" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/stars-5-0._V192240867_.gif" height="12" title="5.0 out of 5 stars" width="64" /> </span>Introducing the meno-mystery!, <nobr>April 3, 2014</nobr></div>
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By </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AUP7QSQREPVCW/ref=cm_cr_rdp_pdp" style="color: #004b91;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jaxon</span></a></div>
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<b><span class="h3color tiny" style="color: #e47911;">This review is from: </span>Mental Pause (Kindle Edition)</b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I think this author may have created a new genre:
meno-mystery!<br />
Who would ever think of combining menopause and murder? Your answer to that
question probably depends on whether you have gone through menopause! Anne O'
Connell does a great job of describing the physical and emotional turmoil that
menopause causes. The fact that she manages to do this in a story that is both
humorous and suspenseful makes this an enjoyable read. If you have already gone
through "the change" you know that her descriptions of it are not all
that exaggerated. If you haven't, this book may cause you to go out in search
of some supplemental estrogen. Plagued by hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings
and anxiety, Abbie needs a break! What starts out as a lark with friends ends
up with Abbie being charged with murder and the story keeps rolling along at a
fast pace from there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-23754862589910097462014-03-08T08:00:00.000-08:002014-05-30T20:05:27.994-07:00Happy International Women's Day!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpewuZ-pIwp2CDKqSAeT5azFRMxpprhGq-vEemKdhad17CB794q8gTMa9tFLZkNDL9Pln_JnEctPMJ2SF82lYMpFZsFbBhJxDVTPOFXG2go9qRxX-kzs2RHxXf1EmXaP0eZzuvkHUjpU01/s1600/author+reading+laughing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpewuZ-pIwp2CDKqSAeT5azFRMxpprhGq-vEemKdhad17CB794q8gTMa9tFLZkNDL9Pln_JnEctPMJ2SF82lYMpFZsFbBhJxDVTPOFXG2go9qRxX-kzs2RHxXf1EmXaP0eZzuvkHUjpU01/s1600/author+reading+laughing.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing a author reading at the<br />
<div class="p1">
Keshen Goodman Public Library in Halifax</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
...And, Happy Anniversary to Mental Pause! One year ago today was the book launch of my first novel, Mental Pause. It's been a great year with amazing feedback and recognition with a 2013 Independent Publishers Book Award. I'm a proud Indie Author, still happily writing away on various projects and hope to launch my second novel soon (stay tuned).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP8oaOsnlT31JNKWZdby-s_o4KcbF3SR50H_3MIs8F3AvV4i7VTc6UrH38OMZaMiGJZhZ5qrBj6MlxiiCDxz2JTxTeBIJ3CuDxN3o8axerQNhFBG_krK9hYHG9iNpkSm_qMm5E13Jh4Kk/s1600/book+signing+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRP8oaOsnlT31JNKWZdby-s_o4KcbF3SR50H_3MIs8F3AvV4i7VTc6UrH38OMZaMiGJZhZ5qrBj6MlxiiCDxz2JTxTeBIJ3CuDxN3o8axerQNhFBG_krK9hYHG9iNpkSm_qMm5E13Jh4Kk/s1600/book+signing+2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Book signing at Stayner's Wharf on the Halifax, NS waterfront</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you've read Mental Pause and enjoyed it feel free to drop by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mental-Pause-Anne-OConnell-ebook/dp/B00BJDJUEO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393820828&sr=1-1&keywords=mental+pause">Amazon</a> or <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17562506-mental-pause?from_search=true">Goodreads</a> and share a review if you're so inclined ;)<br />
<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-55337665237258513422014-03-03T23:31:00.002-08:002014-03-03T23:31:22.813-08:00Top 10 Places to Turn when the Night Sweats are too Much <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RgpcxScsO1c7edhcFypSQuVMtVaKTlrnEWQpN2CNmqjNWdgKymbhvUGDBlyVHhdpbmcPNfimS8aMMJeIoZtblwyJkF2wQ7NRPo0pKlIuHz6Ze6mB4hQ_UlZSyJAtwqWQKFFY-LNlnWsE/s1600/maxine.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RgpcxScsO1c7edhcFypSQuVMtVaKTlrnEWQpN2CNmqjNWdgKymbhvUGDBlyVHhdpbmcPNfimS8aMMJeIoZtblwyJkF2wQ7NRPo0pKlIuHz6Ze6mB4hQ_UlZSyJAtwqWQKFFY-LNlnWsE/s1600/maxine.jpeg" /></a></div>
I have never been one for turning to self-help books when the world around me or inside me for that matter, seemed to be a little off-balance... that's what girlfriends and the kitchen table are for, right? However, when the peri-menopausal demon reared his (her?) ugly head, I still turned to the old stand-by remedies but also sought out resources to help me come to grips with what was happening (and also to help confirm my suspicions when doing research for my book, Mental Pause). I thought I would share my Top 10 favorites (not in any particular order):<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/">Menopause Matters</a> - a great website, which also has a facebook page and regular newsletter</li>
<li><a href="http://menopausechitchat.com/">Menopause ChitChat</a> - also a combo of resources and references to keep you reading for hours!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Menopause-Sucks/308857933931?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser">Menopause Sucks! </a>- a hugely popular Facebook page</li>
<li><a href="http://www.drnorthrup.com/">The Wisdom of Menopause</a> - Dr. Christiane Northrup - book, website, FB page, Twitter, etc!</li>
<li><a href="http://menopauseinmanhattan.com/author/">Menopause in Manhattan</a> by Anne Kleinburg - the first novel I found on the topic that convinced me that there really was a market!</li>
<li><a href="https://www.menopausetalk.com/">Menopause Talk</a> - a little more on the serious side</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Menopause-Maxines-Guide-Aging-Disgracefully/dp/B000B9RV2K">It's Not Menopause, I'm Just Like This</a> - Maxine's Guide to Aging Disgracefully</li>
<li><a href="http://www.menopause-exchange.co.uk/blog/">The Menopause Exchange</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.menopausethemusical.com/">Menopause, the Musical</a> - if you haven't seen it and it comes to your town, you've got to go!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.minniepauz.com/">The Road to Menopause</a> - Minnie Pauz cartoons by artist Dee Adams </li>
</ol>
<br />
Feel free to add your favorites... come on... don't be shy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-69193004422891119962013-12-17T08:25:00.000-08:002014-01-06T18:29:00.250-08:00A little holiday cheer!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta love those minions!</td></tr>
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Happy Holidays! In the spirit of GIVING,
and to celebrate the New Year I'd like to invite everyone to
share their best ‘Mental Pause’ moment here and then send me your email
address to... anne@globalwritingsolutions.com and I'll send you a FREE signed PDF of Mental Pause! Or, why not
gift it to someone else who’s going through ‘the change’? Just send me their
email instead and I'll let them know it's a gift from you! Hard copies are
available from <a href="http://amzn.to/Wy1BP5">Amazon </a>and <a href="http://bit.ly/13NEgbg">Barnes & Noble</a> and ebooks are available on <a href="http://amzn.to/14rxkPQ">Kindle</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/1eUIGCL">Kobo</a>.<br />
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Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-62226797017391658942013-09-22T21:47:00.000-07:002013-09-22T21:50:25.621-07:00Mental Pause - the book trailer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lLndFvKnsUI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pick up a copy on Amazon at <a href="http://amzn.to/Wy1BP5">http://amzn.to/Wy1BP5</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
or Barnes & Noble at <a href="http://bit.ly/13NEgbg">http://bit.ly/13NEgbg</a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-34609278041070797442013-09-22T00:10:00.000-07:002013-09-22T00:10:16.081-07:00There's always a bright side!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZxCIN_QaLV7bF1QEj6-emfoLNUouMF4N8V2iPuz9qmQLvrCG2Yu-l4fGa5EnjHY4tmkWhjZcBpjF34fiUAiAieXhid3dczW1ETYCuYUJRAEug7ANWxv2h0OIYCFeC-qRnnaIJMrtMMIj/s1600/maxine+and+the+change.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZxCIN_QaLV7bF1QEj6-emfoLNUouMF4N8V2iPuz9qmQLvrCG2Yu-l4fGa5EnjHY4tmkWhjZcBpjF34fiUAiAieXhid3dczW1ETYCuYUJRAEug7ANWxv2h0OIYCFeC-qRnnaIJMrtMMIj/s400/maxine+and+the+change.jpeg" width="313" /></a></div>
<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-8663593052522334722013-09-16T02:58:00.000-07:002013-09-16T02:58:22.765-07:00I Have Arrived!Well, it's been a year this month since my 'Aunt Flow came to town. You know... since I had to call in a 'code red'. I mean since I was visited by 'the curse'... I mean the 'crimson tide', um, the 'M' word... errm, my 'monthly visitor'. There are so many euphemisms for menstruating no wonder people get squirmy when you talk about it. Did you ever call in sick to a male boss with 'menstrual cramps'? Works like a charm. No questions asked!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2LySEYGxCBfkI6ScrihQ9kFPobZn-NFi6AC0CMaJYrPcJ-kAkJvFBlms2i3u6SGwB7K-YHBvJArItYNnIfsWLH4bV2xsVB4VJpPRWLVKwdcOCAH0dtfBLjZjqHcGHUNvZ2DEFgUJEw6g/s1600/alaskasign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2LySEYGxCBfkI6ScrihQ9kFPobZn-NFi6AC0CMaJYrPcJ-kAkJvFBlms2i3u6SGwB7K-YHBvJArItYNnIfsWLH4bV2xsVB4VJpPRWLVKwdcOCAH0dtfBLjZjqHcGHUNvZ2DEFgUJEw6g/s320/alaskasign.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cartoon comes from Dee Adams at www.minniepauz.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Anyway, back to the point of the story... I guess, at the tender age of 49, I'm officially in Menopause! No more peri-menopause, no more 'I'm experiencing 'the change'... the eagle has landed (if the definitions I have read are accurate).<br />
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I don't know whether to laugh or cry (so I guess the emotional jags will continue). I know it's not over yet but the nights sweats seem to have abated and the mood swings have evened out (I tell myself that anyway). I hear that they can rear up again any time so I'll brace myself. The memory thing (what do they call it?) still seems to be a challenge but I'm finally going to throw out that little blue box in the bathroom cupboard that I've been saving 'just in case'.<br />
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I keep telling myself I'm too young for this but then again my mind hasn't caught up to my chronological age yet. I still see myself in my mid-thirties :) I did start peri-menopause early (43) and when I went to the doctor to have my hormones tested she said everything was normal so it hadn't started yet. I asked if she could explain my raging mood swings (I was having horrible night sweats too but for a long time I just chalked it up to living in the Middle East where the temperatures can hit 50 celsius). She suggested I was experiencing the typical stress of expat living and suggested I 'talk to someone' or consider an anti-depressant. I decided to 'talk' to my girlfriends over a glass of wine! I highly recommend that as a treatment when things get to be too much. I also wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mental-Pause-Ms-Anne-OConnell/dp/0984927220/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379325420&sr=1-1&keywords=mental+pause">Mental Pause</a>, which was very cathartic for me but not everyone has the time nor the inclination to do that.<br />
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I'm continuing by writing this blog so I hope you'll join me for a rant now and again and we'll all commiserate and realize that it's not so bad after all (until the next wave hits)!<br />
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<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-76469973523000394502013-08-25T19:04:00.000-07:002013-08-25T19:04:13.010-07:00The Hot Flashes - A Movie!Woo hoo! The cat's out of the bag and us 'flashers' are going to the movies ;) I've been told Mental Pause would make a great movie... now I just need someone to turn it into a screen play!<br />
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I'm definitely going to see this one:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/V8hjDrVPOJ4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Who do you think should play Abbie, Rachel and Joan? I had Julia Roberts, Jennifer Anniston and Angelina Jolie in mind!</div>
<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-91833935643885795752013-08-09T18:46:00.000-07:002013-08-09T18:46:29.260-07:00The Positive Side of Mental Pause Have you ever felt all of these at once?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoGmrYLajquHFgHilCDwfsR3-o2C8zTjbXVeiAQwlpJ0KNjx_qwTkDdCbaJKXAHiWot9i5eghdjJPuud6wukMF-tGatXEWWsA_jAY10uzLzHGHVTbkpzvVUyYblln3B_R7NKwiVDlnbJ8/s1600/seven-dwarves-menopause.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoGmrYLajquHFgHilCDwfsR3-o2C8zTjbXVeiAQwlpJ0KNjx_qwTkDdCbaJKXAHiWot9i5eghdjJPuud6wukMF-tGatXEWWsA_jAY10uzLzHGHVTbkpzvVUyYblln3B_R7NKwiVDlnbJ8/s400/seven-dwarves-menopause.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
The great thing about feeling these new sensations is that I can get into so many different character's heads when I'm writing and describe thoughts and feelings I could only imagine before :)<br />
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If you're a writer, it's a windfall! If not, well... I'm not sure there's a bright side then. What do you think?Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-82824265114659557852013-07-25T20:08:00.000-07:002013-07-25T20:19:22.923-07:00Boomer Lit Friday!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-Ol3Ld4hCiORkUcbK1CXxXag__AcuodfdJJcBMODg8UhEhnlX_YWPeCuUdrDyR6wC7GiDA7bz6ieVbuK-BN1ehyxunu-pynmV_ti3cCX9PVcQzGKVhlkDTw95cuQvwEwN-MiotMBrahi/s1600/shutterstock_991062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-Ol3Ld4hCiORkUcbK1CXxXag__AcuodfdJJcBMODg8UhEhnlX_YWPeCuUdrDyR6wC7GiDA7bz6ieVbuK-BN1ehyxunu-pynmV_ti3cCX9PVcQzGKVhlkDTw95cuQvwEwN-MiotMBrahi/s200/shutterstock_991062.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
Welcome to the <a href="http://boomerlitfriday.blogspot.com/">Boomer Lit Blog Hop</a>. This is my first time joining up and I'm happy to be participating. It's already Friday morning where I am so I'm getting a 'jump' on it.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">Here's a 'quick peek' into my novel, Mental Pause (from chapter 11):</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span>“Abbie,
you’re wanted on suspicion of murder back home,” Conrad caught her just as her
knees gave out, and eased her onto the step and sat down next to her. “Your
friend was found dead in a motel bathroom yesterday morning and you were the
one who was last seen with her.”</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span>
“Oh my God!” Abbie leaned over the side of the step and retched. “Oh God... How
did it happen? I swear I didn’t do anything,” she sobbed. </span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span>Conrad
rubbed her back. “I believe you baby but they’re going to have to bring you in.
Don’t say anything until I get you a lawyer. Abs, you’re in huge trouble.
You’ve crossed state lines. This is going to get ugly. Promise me you didn’t
have anything to do with this.”</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ... there are more excerpts in <a href="http://mentalpause-thenovel.blogspot.com/2013/01/mental-pause-chapter-1-excerpts.html">previous posts</a> and if you're hooked you can pick up a copy on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mental-Pause-Ms-Anne-OConnell/dp/0984927220/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362727534&sr=1-3&keywords=mental+pause">Amazon</a>! Don't forget to visit the other authors participating in <a href="http://boomerlitfriday.blogspot.com/">Boomer Lit Friday </a>:)</span></div>
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Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-2588031974257523822013-07-15T06:04:00.001-07:002013-07-23T20:39:17.181-07:00The Mood Swings"I'm out of estrogen and I have a handgun... any questions?" This is on the front of a t-shirt my big sister gave me when I started 'flashing'. It appears in the first chapter of Mental Pause and I read that particular excerpt at a recent author reading in my hometown of Halifax, NS. It got a great laugh:<br />
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I guess we all feel that way occasionally (at least those who are in the throes of menopause, peri-menopause, or what's euphemistically called the 'change of life'). My sister-in-law said to me the other day that she wished there was an official slap day! Then we could get it all out and return to our normal, sweet selves the next day. Hmmmm.<br />
<br />
How are you handling the swings? I wrote a book! No matter how crazy I was feeling, Abbie was always having a much harder time. I highly recommend writing... it doesn't have to be a book and you don't have to share it with anyone if you don't want to. It's just a great release that doesn't hurt anyone (especially you) and you'll feel so much better. I'm working on my next novel because the first one felt so good! And, I will keep sharing a rant or two here on Mental Pause! <br />
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Here's the actual t-shirt:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBhmYqwr71Ez699wrHvuNsGtFAQtJG_Z44UAQwVnk0h5daKENR2EpNZVucsAVBvC5ulO65sVmm41Y2Cg8PVr4uGadKtTaafih0nVHBJbKsVla3kC3teZpT2ZC_pmL-Xb_pPxG3GDrJBem/s1600/cat+shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBhmYqwr71Ez699wrHvuNsGtFAQtJG_Z44UAQwVnk0h5daKENR2EpNZVucsAVBvC5ulO65sVmm41Y2Cg8PVr4uGadKtTaafih0nVHBJbKsVla3kC3teZpT2ZC_pmL-Xb_pPxG3GDrJBem/s640/cat+shirt.jpg" width="480" /></span> </a></div>
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I have been told that reading the book is even a release, so feel free to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mental-Pause-Ms-Anne-OConnell/dp/0984927220/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362727534&sr=1-3&keywords=mental+pause">order a copy </a>and share your feedback and comments here or, if I may be so bold as to ask, do a review on Amazon! And, don't be afraid to talk about it... especially with the male members of your family. They'll never really understand but if you try to explain how it feels at least they can be empathetic. I guess part of the fear is that if we talk about it, we have to acknowledge that we're of a certain age. Well, as my wise mother (fondly known as MT) always says, "You're not too old for the years you've been born!" By the way, she's 89, soon to be 90, so I can't really complain to her about getting older, can I? However, I'm very fortunate that she's a great listener... and my best friend :)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Happy Flashing!</b></span></span></div>
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<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-48780916945645059672013-07-02T09:02:00.000-07:002013-07-02T09:04:55.090-07:00Nerves or Hot Flashes?Honestly, I really thought that since I started having peri-menopausal symptoms so early that it would end early too! A couple weeks ago I noticed that the night sweats and hot flashes seemed to have petered out a bit. I thought Hallelujah... it's over! Well, the last couple of days they seem to have returned with a vengeance! As a matter of fact, they seem to be happening on the hour today. Then it dawned on me... maybe it's just nerves.<br />
<br />
See... I have my first author reading/book signing tonight and the butterflies have begun. I guess the little fellas were cold because the hot simmer under the skin is joining the party. Oh well, I'll have lots of copies of the book to fan myself with (hopefully a lot fewer at the end of the evening).<br />
<br />
If you're in Halifax, NS and want to 'come go mental with me' tonight (July 2nd) I'll be at the Keshen Goodman Library (in Clayton Park) at 7 pm.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow night (July 3) I'll be at Stayner's Wharf from 4-6 pm signing books and raffling off goodies as well. Everyone's invited.<br />
<br />
Here's a little tune to entertain you whether you're coming or not. I've decided it's my Mental Pause theme song ... love Boy George!:<br />
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<br />Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5889581751405399215.post-25489226909122392632013-06-13T07:48:00.000-07:002013-06-13T07:51:18.737-07:00Amazon Reviewer Compares Mental Pause with Thelma and Louise!<style>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Okay... I have to share this review because it got me grinning from ear to ear! I'm pink with delight!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Anne ;)</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QulfnmcfDjspnYSaI3_bNJ55FYhidUxRwM5KgSs0SXwTwx4EJOwtjDGMWQwlkpcdIlVaXIQW1VkBcFdpoTN5iXw7bdB_fZ0NCi46aKT_5TasR1srlQsK2RNqNFA_k7YY4H5GHDTjmI1L/s1600/thelma+and+louise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QulfnmcfDjspnYSaI3_bNJ55FYhidUxRwM5KgSs0SXwTwx4EJOwtjDGMWQwlkpcdIlVaXIQW1VkBcFdpoTN5iXw7bdB_fZ0NCi46aKT_5TasR1srlQsK2RNqNFA_k7YY4H5GHDTjmI1L/s320/thelma+and+louise.jpg" width="277" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">5.0 out of 5 stars <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R27LV82H5U3I5N/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0984927220&nodeID=283155&store=books"><b><span style="color: blue;">Fast and furious!</span></b></a> March 15, 2013 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">By <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A1V0QUIG8YFB6P/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp"><span style="color: blue;">Jennifer Elizabeth Hyndman</span></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times;">First of all, it elaborates on a
very real and misunderstood medical condition that is more often the brunt of
jokes rather than sympathy. Menopause is a life-altering change to the human
body and this book combines that aspect with how it affects the soul of the
body. In this book, Abbie will take you through this change and more!<br />
<br />
With a Thelma and Louise type of abandon (minus the abuse), the character is
confused at whether she is being redefined or being smothered under the change.
I can only hope to have the support she has because without it, this change in
life can/will change a person's life itself forever. You can/will lose friends
and family and even lose your sanity. So, it makes perfect sense that the book
developed from a girl read to a murder mystery. Entertaining as high-speed all
the time, this is a one-two sitter. That means you'll read it in one-two
sittings.<br />
<br />
It's educational to those whom have yet to experience menopause and it should
be given to your husband so that he can understand that the craziness is to be
expected.<br />
<br />
The author does an incredibly detailed job of explaining and describing
symptoms and emotions. While reading this, you will also experience this. Fact.
You can't help it. The author plants things into your mind so that the depth of
the symptoms are at least attainable. A glimpse of the unknown and a touch of
the hem of the garment of the robe.<br />
<br />
With Thelma and Louise I was able to connect deeply deeply deeply with the
characters and unbelievably I did so with the same depth in this book with
Abbie. The author writes very well and any formatting errors were few and far
between. I did not find this distracting because I expect that with ANY book from
anyone even J.R. Tolkien I mean come on we are all only human.<br />
<br />
At times a bit gritty but not dark at all. It's not what I would call a light
read, but a fast read. It wasn't light, but I still read it fast because it was
intense and I HAD to know where the author was taking me. It's really that
simple, she writes a story like a pirate makes a treasure hunt; the treasure is
elusive but the clues are excitedly honing you in and you will work feverishly
to get there. Try to read it any other way lol.<br />
<br />
I don't even know how to place this in a genre so I'm having to split it as a
Crime Drama/Family/Mystery/Chic...it's a weird combo but it works. </span></span></div>
Anne Louise O'Connellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466905565637673954noreply@blogger.com2