On Being a Parent: My Story Published

Order a copy for yourself or as a gift
 for a parent or parent-to-be
in your life.

It's in book stores now.  Not Your Mother's Book:  On Being a Parent.

It's an anthology of 60 or so great stories about parenting.  It includes my story "Figuring It Out."  The story is about how I figure out how to be a parent while my son figures out the truth about Santa.  It's heart-warming and laugh-out-loud funny. 

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How to Be Happy

Catherine Giordano speaks
 at the Maitland Public Library

I’m going to be speaking at the Maitland Library at 2pm on Sunday, September 22, 2013 on “How to Be Happy: The 15 Rules of Happiness.” 

It is open to the public.  It is free and there will be free refreshments. The address is 501 S. Maitland Avenue, Maitland Florida 32751. Please call 407-647-7700  to reserve a seat. (Reservations are suggested, but not absolutely necessary.)

I describe this talk on my website and book as: A review of philosophy, science, literature, and the wisdiom of famous people on the subject of happiness.

I wrote this speech about two years ago. An essay based on this speech is included in my book, What Ifs, If Onlys, and So Whats. I always customize my speeches for each audience and yesterday I finished preparing the speech for the Maitland Library.

Last night, I came across The New York Times’ Science Best Sellers list.  Number five on the list is: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. The blurb is: In a hunt for happiness, the author consulted science, ancient wisdom, and pop culture.”  The copyright date is 2011.

What a shock to see my idea in someone else’s book. I had never heard of this book before.  Now I will have to check it out. It will be like a "who-wore-it-better" contest.

Please come to my talk about on Sunday September 22, 2013. It’s a fun informative talk. The last time I gave a talk at the Maitland Library, I filled the room and everyone enjoyed my presentation a lot. It would make me very happy to fill the room again.  Bring friends.

Click Here to look inside at amazon,com

A Beautiful Woman

by Catherine Giordano

A chance encounter in the supermarket with a gentleman who was a stranger to me reminded me that you are only as beautiful as you feel.

I wrote an essay about this and it has just been published in The Florida Writer Volume 7 Number 2.

Getting published makes me feel beautiful.

Plus, on Tuesday September 8th, the anthology Not Your Mother's Book: On Being a Parent will be released. It includes my story "Figuring It Out."  Being published and getting paid for it--it's a beautiful thing.

Also I'll never another story published in Not Your Mother's Book: On Being a Mom.  The book will be released November 2013. 

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Click Here to purchase Not Your Mother's Book: On Being a Parent 
.

 

Funds for Writers

by Catherine Giordano  

Why do you write? For personal expression and satisfaction? For money?  Who says you can’t do both. Moreover, nothing says your work is good better than someone wanting to publish it and give you money for it.

Click here to order
 Low Country Bribe

Besides writing is hard work. Maybe not the first rush of creativity, but the editing and re-editing again and again. When we work, we like to be paid for it, do we not.

“Funds for Writers” is a free online newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month. It is a great resource. Each issue includes information about publishers and contests for fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. It’s where I learned about Publishers Syndicate, and now they are publishing two of my stories, one in each of two of their anthologies.

But “Funds for Writers” is more than that. Each issue includes at least one inspirational and/or informative essay. You’ll get very good advice. Sometimes there’s a brief “success story”. You’ll be inspired by them also. There is also information about grants and agents.

It will take only about 10 minutes to read each issue and you will be glad you did.  Get more information and subscribe at www.fundsforwriters.com

The editor of “Funds for Writers” is C. Hope Clark. She is a writer herself so she understands writers. She is the author of two mystery novels—Low Country Bribe and Tidewater Murder.

You’ll like this newsletter even if you only write for personal expression and satisfaction.  You’ll like it even more if you write (or want to write) for money.

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You Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog

by Catherine Giordano

I searched all over the internet this morning to find up-to-date news about the Time Warner/Brighthouse v. CBS/Showtime standoff. It’s personal!  Not only do I like the series shows on Showtime a lot, but I review them on my blog.  I’m working really hard to expand the reach of my blog, and I will lose all momentum if I can’t review shows like Dexter, Homeland and Web Therapy.  (And all the other Showtime series that are fortunately on hiatus during this blackout.)

Finally, I discovered that the reason it was so hard to find news about this was because there is no news about this. Nothing is happening. They are not even negotiating. They are each just showing off about how little they are hurt by this blackout and vowing not to move an inch in compromise.  (Who do they think they are—Congress?)

And who is helplss caught in the middle of this battle. The innocent viewers who collectively put billions into the coffers of these companies.

I was reminded- of the old TV ad—“I want my MTV.” Well, I want my Showtime!

Then I thought of the old Elvis Presley song-“Blue Suede Shoes.”  You can do anything you wanna do, but don’t step on my blue suede shoes. You can do anything you wanna do, but don’t take away my Showtime.

From there I went to “You to you ain’t nothing but a hound dog.”  And I mean you Time Warner!  And I mean you Showtime!  I’d use strong words, but my advertisers say I can’t have obscene content.

And how about, “Don’t be cruel.” Bring back my Showtime!

Who knew Elvis Presley had so much to say about this dispute between Time Warner and CBS?

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Feeling nostalgic for Elvis.  Click Here

For the latest info on  Time Warner Brighthouse and CBS Showtime negotiations, click here.

For info on how to contact CBS executives, click here.

Sales Tax Holiday in Florida

by Catherine Giordano

Who wants to save some money? Everyone.

Sales tax holiday in Florida starts midnight Friday, August 2nd, 2013 and ends midnight Sunday August 4th, 2013. In Orange County, Florida, we save 6.5%.  In other places in Florida it ranges from 6% to 7%.

The best news is now in addition to clothing under $75 and school supplies under $15, you can buy some electronics under $750 (laptops, tablets, e-readers) and pay no sales tax.sales tax

Who wants to make some money?  I, for one, do.

I've been faithfully blogging and people often tell me that they like my blogs. I put a lot of hours in and don't make money. The ads aren't doing it for me, so here is my last ditch attempt to earn at least a little something. Please click the amazon shopping cart picture on the left whenever you need to buy from amazon. I'll get a small commission from everything you buy on that shopping "trip", even if it is from a third party seller. 

Just make sure that you don't exit the site before you buy. I was so happy when a friend said he bought three things with my link, but he must have left the site and then returned to place his order, because I never got credit for it.

BTW, I do not get info on who is buying, but since I had only started shilling for amazon, I only had a few orders. I did not see any new orders so that is how I knew that there was a slip-up.  

So please use my link whenever you buy anything that amazon.com sells. It doesn't cost you anything extra and I earn a small commission.  amazon.com does not collect sales tax in Florida because there is no warehouse in the state, but buyers are suppose to keep track of their purchases and remit the appropriate sales tax to the state. 

This may change soon.  Online purchasers will be taxed the same as in-store purchases.

I Get Mail--Fan Mail

by Catherine Giordano

Over the past two years, I have had four essays printed in The Florida Writer, a magazine for members of the Florida Writers Association. I have submitted to only three issues—I only submit when the theme appeals to me—and I have been accepted three times. Every time I submit I am worried about breaking my winning streak.

I was proud to appear in the magazine, and a few friends congratulated me and that was that.  However, my last submission generated fan mail.  One person sent an  email and one person sent a tweet to tell me how much they liked my essay “Yellow Bird.”  Only two people, but still it is the first time I have gotten fan mail for anything.

(Sometimes I get comments on my blogs or facebook shout-outs about one of my blog posts, but I’m not going to count those as fan mail, although I do love it when some one writes a comment on the blog.  I t shows me that someone cared enough to take a minute to do a comment.)

Maybe, I’ll be getting more fan mail when the two anthologies that include my stories are released in the fall. Did I say two—make that three. This week I received notice that one of my stories will be appearing in a third anthology.   

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