March FORTH!

Left. Left. Left-right-left.
The misspelling in the title is deliberate. After Feb. 29th, I'd have to say March 4th is my next-favorite date -- for its built-in, homonym-like call to action: "Get going," this date seems to say, "March forth!" So I had better, right?

Here are the headlines in the world of 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s:

THE BOOK IS HITTING THE STREETS. Even those who declined amazon's offer of overnight shipping are by now receiving their orders. Amazon sold out -- there's news! -- and were expected to have the book back in stock today. (March forth!) Oh, and the book has RECEIVED ITS FIRST CUSTOMER REVIEW!!! From Colleen Anderson, the sparkling soul who delivered the Answer of the Gods (in the form of the book's title) not one hour after I scribbled the Big Question: "I must write a book! What shall it be about?"

Yes, Colleen Anderson, whose own creative gifts are so numerous as to defy comprehensive description, did bestow FIVE FULL STARS on "50/40." Wanna read all about it? Click here then scroll down a ways. Thank you, Colleen! And give my love to Michael (Davis, her sweetie, and the guy who channeled The Answer in the first place.) Blessings on you both. Congratulations: You're GodParents!!!

BURIED LEAD (there's always at least one in my blog posts): The Chicago Tribune this past Sunday ran our book's FIRST MEDIA REVIEW. We haven't seen it --- HAVE YOU SEEN IT??? Peggy drove all over town looking for it on Sunday, but Albuquerque came up empty. Kim Corbin, our publicist at New World Library, has a call in to her contact at the Trib. And I, meanwhile, put out the call to a select subset of my email address book, whereupon Marty Ronish forwarded the request to her Chicago buds. Fingers crossed that someone will produce the clip --- and that what it has to say about the book is, you know, good!

Finally, what about those DAFFODILS in the photo up there? Well, I am kicking myself for not fetching my camera earlier and oftener, but this is how last Friday's (LEAP Day's) fistful of buds looks today. Actually, there were two fistfuls of buds, one of which I delivered to the doorstep of my beloved coauthor, Peggy Spencer M.D. Because I didn't know for sure she'd be home, I opted for buds rather than blossoms, lest they wilt and die before she discovered them. Of course, as soon as I did select buds about to bloom, I saw in them the perfect metaphor for our book going out into the world. "Let the blooming begin!" I wrote on her card --- and then on another one, for my family, more of my beloveds.

SURPRISE! They turned out to be daffodils. On a guess, I'd said tulips. But no. Sunshiny daffodils. So much did I regret the missed opportunity --- woulda, coulda, shoulda had a fabulous time-lapse film of "Bud to Blossom in Two Days Flat" -- that I went back over to the shop where I bought them, hoping to score another fistful. Again no. Sold out. (Another metaphor for the book, perhaps?)

OK, gotta go. Got a zillion things to do to be ready to be an author. Too late, I know, but I still "gotta." Keep in touch! PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT -- this blog could use a lot more comments! Take a moment, would'ja? Pop in and say hey.

EVEN BETTER: Join Colleen and leave a CUSTOMER REVIEW about 50/40 at amazon.com. There's also a place to enter useful KEYWORDS to help 50/40 come up when amazon's customers are looking for a particular kind of book. THE MORE THE MERRIER!

Whatever's on your agenda for today, do be sure to March FORTH! Ready to put your best foot forward? Left. Left. Left-right-left...

Love, Love, Love (a.k.a. Way #47)
Sheila