Sheila Rabe | Resolutions I'm Not Going To Keep

Every year it’s the same old, same old. I resolve to eat less and exercise more, manage my time better, get organized, be a better wife, mother, friend, and person. Be noble, and never get grumpy or lose my temper. In short, be perfect. This year I got in touch with my inner Doctor Phil and asked myself, "How’s that workin’ for ya?"

Well, in spite of my resolutions, my caboose has gotten big enough that every kid in the neighborhood could ride on it - at the same time. I’ve lost many an hour of productivity to Facebook and Twitter. (So why I still can’t figure out how to post pictures on my Facebook fan page or decipher half of the shorthand I read on Twitter is a mystery to me.) My daughter complains that she has to check my FB page to see what I’m doing and as for the better wife goal, let’s just say that it’s a good thing my poor husband Gerhardt is longsuffering.

So, in light of all that, what are my resolutions for the New Year?

1. Buy bigger clothes. That way I can eat and not feel guilty. And I’ll remind my husband that these days a lot of men like women with junk in the trunk. Gerhardt needs to keep up on trends.

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Sheila Roberts | Sheila’s Recipe For A Fun Book

Good deeds, good lovin’ and good recipes--I thought these sounded like a winning combination for a book, so I incorporated them all into my latest novel, Angel Lane. In the book three girlfriends decide they need to do something to keep the heart in Heart Lake, the small, lakeside town where they live. So they come up with their "Have a Heart" campaign--asking neighbors to commit one random act of kindness every day . . . and then learn that no good deed goes unpunished. Sarah Goodwin, suffering from granddaughter withdrawals after her daughter moves, delivers a coffee cake to the new neighbor only to realize she’s just fed a hungry lounge lizard. (Something her husband does not appreciate!) As if she doesn’t have enough troubles with lover boy, she is also finding the cooking classes she started for some of the town’s little girls to be, well, challenging. Emma Swanson is becoming the town soft touch and slowly running her quilt shop into the ground. And Jamie Moore, who owns the town’s new chocolateria, is fighting feelings for a certain cop who’s developed a sweet tooth. (A fight she’s determined to win now that she’s sworn off men.) What I love about this book is that by the end the three friends learn that the only way to get a better life, a better town, a better world, is to give your heart. I truly believe that.

I also believe that nothing says fun like food. (Okay, there are other things, but that’s such a cute little saying, I’m sticking with it.) I mean, who doesn’t like to eat good food? And who doesn’t enjoy finding a fabulous recipe . . . or at least sampling one. That’s why I included recipes in the book, both from Sarah’s bakery and Jamie’s chocolateria. Creating and testing those recipes was definitely fun. And . . . interesting.

Intrigued? Read the rest and get a recipe...

Sheila Roberts | Dieting

Dieting can be hazardous to your health. Take exercise for example. A girl could get Plantar Fasciitis jogging across the mall to Cinnabon. She could sprain her wrist fighting with her husband over the last piece of chocolate. You’ve got to be careful. Okay, you’ve got to be serious, too, which is why this last year I finally brought in diet reinforcements: my girlfriends. Dieting is something a woman shouldn’t do alone. It’s too hard, too lonely, too discouraging. But with girlfriends along for support, you’ve got a fighting chance to win the fat wars. The power of female friendship is huge. At least that’s what I’m betting on.

And that’s why I wrote my current book Bikini Season. I know I’m not the only one out there who struggles against the call of chocolate éclairs, potato chips, and banana cream pie. I’m hoping that after reading about my characters’ diet adventures women will get inspired to start their own diet clubs. I’ve offered plenty of great recipes in the book to help you on your way. And, speaking of helping, feel free to visit my website (http://www.sheilasplace.com/) and enter the diet tip contest. Let’s keep the girlfriend power going.

Sheila Roberts