Family Milestone- Graduating College

CU- Business School Graduation May 2013
Coors Event Center

Thirty-two and a half years ago, my husband and I started our family. The birth of our eldest son, Josh, became the first of many family milestones. Within a span of ten and a half years, three additional sons were born. Each child created a unique set of special occasions. Some of these events were captured on film while others are delightful memories that remain housed in our brains.

Our trailblazing son, Josh, always led the way since he was the oldest. He set the pace for the other boys to follow. Whatever he experienced was always a “first.” He never had to play “second fiddle” to any of his siblings. His brothers consider him lucky since he never had to wear hand-me-down clothing. Some of his clothing choices were not fully appreciated by the others. Multicolored shorts and over-sized shirts immediately come to mind. Josh, on the other hand, felt that his brothers had the advantage since Ira and I became more flexible as the years went by.

Joys of Parenting- Sharing Children’s Accomplishments

Adam Bornstein (right) and John Romaniello (Left)

One of the joys of parenting is the opportunity to share in your children’s accomplishments. As a child matures, the achievements reach even greater heights. This past weekend, I was thrilled to be a part of a New York City celebration. Our second son, Adam Bornstein (BornFitness) and his co-author, John Romaniello (Roman), launched their book, Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha: A Real World Guide to an Unreal Life: Build More Muscle. Burn More Fat. Have More Sex.

Coping with the Uncertainties of Life

Monday’s terrorist bombing in Boston has left me shaken. I have uttered words of disbelief and cried when I listened to the victims stories. My heart goes out to all of the victims and their families. Their senseless pain and suffering is beyond comprehension. Although I am far removed from this latest tragedy, I am still coping with the uncertainties of life.

As I try to come to terms with this latest tragedy, I think back to the blog that I wrote just days after the February 2010 bombing in Pune. The blog was originally posted on my private travel blog. Today, I’m sharing it on this site.

Building An Author Platform

One year ago, I started my website. It was a major turning point in my writing career. It was the first step in building my author platform. All modern writers need a platform.  I read countless books and blogs that professed to know the ins and outs of building an author platform. All insisted that I had to establish a platform before my book was published. Did I have to forestall the publishing of my book, if my platform was too weak? My head was spinning.  I had so many questions and few answers.

• How would I start building my social media presence?
• In addition to my website, did I need Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, etc?
• What would I write about?
• How much time would I devote to my platform?
• Would it be a costly endeavor?
• Who would follow me?
• How long would it take to build a viable platform?

A year later, I am proud of what I’ve accomplished. Is my platform complete? The answer is no. It is still a work in progress, but heading in the right direction. The more I interact with other sites and individuals, the better I feel about my prospects. I welcome others to connect with me. Ultimately, I hope that anyone who enjoys my site will consider buying  May This Be the Best Year of Your Life.

Confronting an Irrational Fear

View from Wild Irishman Run at Keystone Resort

If you were asked to list 5 synonyms for the word fear, which words would you select?

Perhaps, your list might include apprehension, dread, terror, panic, trepidation or maybe qualm.

Every individual can relate directly to the overwhelming emotions that go hand-in-hand with all of these terms. Whether based on a real or an imaginary scenario, these feelings can be profound. One common reaction to fear is avoidance.

Empty Nester Roller Coaster Ride

Microsoft Clip Art

I woke up with a familiar sensation. My stomach felt like a near-empty tube of toothpaste that was being rolled and squeezed. Instead of being discarded, intermittent pressure was being exerted in order to remove the few remaining specks of gel.

Despite my discomfort, I got dressed and headed downstairs. Breakfast did little to alter my condition. I simply tried to ignore it. I hoped it would dissipate soon.

Within no time, I was driving to the airport. Small talk with my son and his wife could not forestall the inevitable. Soon I’d be dropping them off at the departure area.

We had shared another delightful Passover and a short trip up into the mountains. I was grateful for these wonderful memories. But now, our time together would abruptly come to end.

Being an empty-nester has its positive and negative aspects. At the top of my list is the freedom to pursue my ambitions and spend quality time with my husband. At the other end of the spectrum is the challenge of having adult children who live out-of-state and visit infrequently.

Social Media and Contests

February Winner

Yesterday, Sonia Marsh sent a congratulatory email. I had won the “My Gutsy Story” writing contest. I broke the record for the total number of votes. After congratulating me, she candidly asked- “How did you succeed in getting so many votes?” I answered her question with two words- “Social Media.” Yes, social media is a definite asset. There is no doubt that social media is a useful tool for getting your “tribe” to follow you. Did I use a social media strategy to win the contest? Yes.

February Guest Appearances

Munnar Tea Fields

As the month of February is quickly drawing to a close, I want to recap the guest appearances that I made on four unique websites. The women who manage these sites were gracious hosts. I met each through social media. After we started to exchange emails, our relationships grew. The physical distance between us was minimized once we found common ground.

7 Tips to Play It Safe While Skiing

Keystone, Colorado- February 2013

We couldn’t have picked a finer day to ski at Keystone. When I looked up, I saw a deep blue sky with a few white wisps. The snowcapped mountains glistened in the sunshine. Only a few tree branches flickered with the mild breeze.  The early morning temperature was in the single digits, but it was expected to rise to the 30s by midday. I could only hope that the forecasters were right because I don’t enjoy frigid temperatures. I was looking forward to a glorious ski day.

With less precipitation than normal, skiing has not been a priority. After last week’s snowfall, we felt the time was ripe to enjoy the Rockies. Indeed it was. I cannot think of another activity that awakens my senses to such an extent. Anyone who skis in the Rockies can relate to the sensation of gliding down a mountain while admiring the majestic beauty of mother nature at her best. It’s hard not to leave the mountain without an emotional high

8 Tips for Virtual Book Tours

Are you an author trying to promote your book?

Have you considered organizing a Virtual Book Tour that caters to your audience?

If so, continue reading.

If not, I would suggest exploring the pros and cons of a Virtual Book Tour. There is no shortage of marketing companies that will charge you a fee to organize a Virtual Book Tour. If you are on a tight budget or you would like to become more engaged with your social media contacts, research the ins and outs of the process and then decide if it is feasible.

After doing a Google search and listening to a couple of webinars, I streamlined the advice and started planning my tour. With considerable effort, I made wonderful connections around the world and was able to promote May This Be the Best Year of Your Life to my target audience. Patience and perseverance were my guiding lights. In the end, I was pleased with my tour and would like to share what I learned.