WOOF: Woop-Woop Wednesday with The Pulpwood Queen!

She's the Pulpwood Queen and our most recent WOOFer (self-named Pulpwoody): Tiara-wearing book-sharing Kathy Louise Patrick!

Located in Jefferson, Texas, Patrick is a licensed hairdresser who READS (and encourages others to read).

"Reading is the key to educating yourself and helping you have a more authentic and purposeful life.

Who better than a beauty professional to tell you that beauty comes from within. I take great satisfaction in helping people look their best but true beauty comes from within. We are 'beauty within' queens, because we are readers and because we accept and respect each other's differences. God made us just exactly as we are and now it is our job to discover our talents, our gifts, and our purpose in this world. I just happen to believe that all those things are revealed when we become a nation, a world of readers."

In that spirit, this author of "The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life", Founder of the Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Clubs and the largest "meeting and discussing" book club in the world, does it again this year...

Beauty and the Book

Girlfriend Weekend

11th Anniversary
Author Extravaganza, Book Club Convention

January 13 - 16, 2011

She has an amazing author lineup including

Fannie Flagg, Cathie Beck, Cassandra King,

Pat Conroy, Rick Bragg...

to mention only a few!

It's not to be missed!

To get more info & sign up for this spectacular weekend,

go to Beauty & the Book

Enjoy this short informative video about The Pulpwood Queen & her vision.

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For Women Only Over Fifty thoughts & stories:

WOOF available through Amazon and Echelon Press!

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Accentuate The Pawsitive!

WOOFer Revolution: The March Women

WOOFer Revolution marches on! Here's our special take on the subject:

Meg, Jo, Beth & Amy March. Many Woofers, when we were young pups, grew up with these characters in Louisa May Alcott's novel "Little Women"! They were like our friends and neighbors.

Do you identify with one or more of the characters? Why?

Today some of us relate more closely to the author herself. She often said she modeled Jo after her own personality. Learning that Alcott was an advocate for women's suffrage and was actually the first woman to register to vote in a school board election in Concord, Massachutes, that's not too hard to believe!

So what would Louisa think of women in this the 21st Century? What would you tell her, or one of the March women, if you could?

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WOOF available through Amazon and Echelon Press!

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WOOF: 50 Women Over 50 - Toni Morrison

The list is endless. Women Only Over Fifty (WOOFers) who lead vibrant, meaningful lives and just seem to get younger every day. This week's Sister on the Frisky Side of Fifty:

Toni Morrison is winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize in Literature. Her Nobel citation reads: "[Toni Morrison]who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality."

Morrison's novels typically concentrate on black women, but she does not identify her works as feminist. She says, "It's off-putting to some readers, who may feel that I'm involved in writing some kind of feminist tract. I don't subscribe to patriarchy, and I don't think it should be substituted with matriarchy. I think it's a question of equitable access, and opening doors to all sorts of things."

Thank you, Ms. Morrison, for using your writing talent to open our minds and hearts to reality...both bitter and beautiful.

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For more Women Only Over Fifty thoughts & stories:

WOOF available through Amazon and Echelon Press!

Buy New WOOF Download Companion

Accentuate The Pawsitive!

Writing From An Empty Nest

Margot Finke is an Aussie transplant who writes mid-grade adventure fiction and rhyming picture books. For many years she has lived in Oregon with her husband and family.

Gardening, travel, and reading fill in the cracks between writing. Her husband is very supportive, though not interested in children's books . Their three children are now grown and doing very well.

Margot didn't begin serious writing until the day their youngest left for college. This late start drives her writing, and pushes her to work at it every day. Margot said, "I really envy those who began young, and managed to slip into writing mode between kid fights, diaper changes, household disasters, and outside jobs."

WOOF: Having put off your dream of writing for so many years, if you had it all to do over, would you begin writing at an earlier age?

Margot: As the Aussies say, "Too right I would, mate!" I would find a way to fit writing in-between kids, husband, cooking, gardening and breathing.

WOOF: What advice do you have for those empty nesters out there who believe it's too late to "follow your dreams?"

Margot: It's never too late. All you need is a bit of talent, a strong will, stick-with-it-ness, and LUCK. Sending the right book, at the right time, to the right publisher, is my idea of luck. Of course being a famous pop star helps. So does knowing someone who knows someone in publishing. Join SCBWI and go to all their conferences - network with other writers, join a critique group, and listen to the wisdom of visiting editors. Read children's books. Join a couple of great online writing lists, and eavesdrop on the vast amount of writing information that flows through them.

WOOF: How has writing for children benefited your life as a WOOFer?

Margot: One thing I have as a WOOFer is TIME to write. And these days, I not only write, I do a lot of professional Manuscript Critiques. Sometimes I am swamped with them, and it's like the old (pre -WOOFER ) days, only now it's not kids and husband gobbling my time, it is critique clients wanting their manuscripts returned. That old refrain, "will I ever find the time to write" still echoes through my head.

WOOF: Besides writing, what is your passion?

Margot: Two new and utterly delightful grandkids, gardening, and reading, reading, reading. Travel too, if we have the time.

WOOF: Passions many WOOFers share, Margot! Would you also mind sharing something funny you've noticed about yourself as a direct result of aging?

Margot: I find myself feeling closer to my mother - she has been gone for many years now, but her wisdom has begun to resonate loud and clear - like a drum beat! One of Mum's gems I have come to appreciate:

"If you get up in the morning dear, and feel really terrific, don't look in the mirror - it will spoil everything!"

Fairdinkum, mate, she was right!"

Margot's latest rhyming book is "Rattlesnake Jam" - Guardian Angel Publishing - Illustrated by award winner Kevin Scott Collier. Available in both soft cover and e-book format.

This fun romp follows Pa catching rattlers, and Gran, as she cooks up her yucky green rattlesnake jam. But Pa's longs for rattler pie. Can he get Gran to bake it for him? ** Reluctant reader friendly! See Trailer Here

She also writes "Musings" - Where children's writers can find great writing help. To read more about this author and her books, go to: Margot Finke Website

As an extra bonus, Margot will give away FREE AUDIOS reading from her "Wild and Wonderful" rhyming series, to 2 people who comment or ask questions, after reading this blog interview! So, make you comment, now!

Margot, you've been a complete delight! Thanks, so much for sharing your love for writing and the passion for persuing your dream.

Mary Cunningham - Milkbone

Mary Cunningham Books

Say Cheeeeeese!

(Picture taken by adorable waiter...young enough to be our grandson!)

I know we promised NO MORE BIRTHDAY POSTS! But, yesterday was a special day!

WOOFer, Bev Bruemmer (aka Bubbles - on left), took Diana and me out for a belated birthday brunch. Aren't belated gifts great? Your birthday is but a recent memory and Zap! You get another gift! In this case, it was not only the gift of a fabulous meal of spinach omelets, stupendous spuds, biscuits and homemade peach preserves to die for...it was the gift of friendship.

We laughed and talked non-stop. Well, we talked when we weren't shoving food in our mouths and slurping freshly brewed coffee!

To top off the day, we were privileged to attend an author reading at the Carroll County Library by Sandra Novack . She read from the compelling first chapter of her newly-released book (Precious, Random House), then cheerfully answered all questions from the crowd. A delightful experience!

How could you ask for a better day? Friends, laughs, great books and...FOOD!

Got a great friendship story to tell? Let us know and we might publish it on our blog!

Mary Cunningham (Milkbone)

Coming Soon! Red Dress Diary! (Mad Dog's gettin' married! Read from her secret diary as the big day approaches!)

It's My Life

Bon Jovi sings about it. Life. Well, this is my new life. Book fairs and conventions. And oddly enough, I love it!

Not so much the concrete floors, which are hard on WOOFer feet and legs. But I love, love, love meeting new people!

Who knew a writer could come out of her shell and enjoy interacting with people...instead of putting words on paper (or computer), forming words in her mouth and speaking them. Maybe it's the instant gratification thing.

I don't know, but it has quickly become one of my favorite things. People are fascinating and basically share the same needs and wants. Who knew?

And sometimes they actually buy a book or two.

Sweeeet.
---d.d. dawg