Hi Everyone!


Love is in the air, so it must be February. While February is the shortest month of the calendar year, it sure is one of the busiest from the Superbowl, to Groundhog Day to Valentine’s Day.

This month is also a milestone for those of us living in Arizona. The Arizona Cardinals have actually made it to the Superbowl, and lost. Sigh. I did like watching most of the commercials and my man Bruce. Timeless. Or maybe I’m just getting old like the rest of us.

Will we have six more weeks of winter? For those of you who aren’t lucky enough to live in a warm state, I certainly hope not. Did you know the first official Ground Hog Day in the US was celebrated on February 2, 1886.

I have a release date. My free read, Wallflower, is scheduled for release on February 23rd. to coincide with Sweetheart month over at The Wild Rose Press. Until then, make sure you check out some of the other authors who have contributed to this wonderful program. www.thewildrosepress.com.

If you live in or around the Phoenix area, I’ll be out signing my books and appearing at the Chocolate Affaire in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday February 8 from 12-4. At 4:00 I’ll be giving a workshop on Blogging 101 with my blogmates Tina LaVon and Carol Webb.

And speaking of blogs, make sure to stop by my group blog this month Much Cheaper Than Therapy. For readers, I’ve interviewed some talented authors and some of them are giving away free reads. I’ll also be posting some information on some wonderful on-line classes. Kathryne Kennedy will be posting an interesting article, and I’m sure Tina will come up with another episode of the Neurotic Writer.

On February 6th, we have Helen Scott Taylor talking about her book THE MAGIC KNOT.
On February 13, we have Celia Yeary talking about her book ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS.
On February 20, we have Charlotte Hughes talking about her book NUTCASE.
And on February 28, we have Tracy Madison talking about her book A TASTE OF MAGIC.

www.muchcheaperthantherapy.blogspot.com.
Have a happy Valentine’s Day. Until next time….Kim Watters

Happy New Year. Phew. We made it. I don't know about you, but I'm glad the holidays are over. I ate too much, drank too much and had way too much fun this year. Now its back to the grind and time to set some goals. Mine are to write 3 books and sell them this year, so you'll have something else of mine to read. Lofty? Yes. Doable? Depends on the day job and family schedule. Crazy? Hey, I thrive on chaos! Check back mid year and see how I'm doing.

Don't forget to start looking for my free read "Wallflower" over at The Wild Rose Press starting in February.

As always, don't forget to stop by my group blog Much Cheaper Than Therapy www.muchcheaperthantherapy.blogspot.com and check out the author interviews every Friday.

Have a safe, happy, and healthy 2009.

Kim Watters

Happy Holidays Everyone! Since everyone's minds are on the holidays right now, I thought I'd share a few tips on how I conquer stress this time of year. Although it might be a bit late for this year, as they say in Chicago, there's always next year.

Relieving the stress is always a challenge to say the least. Especially when the
Christmas stuff hits the stores before Halloween is over. Between parties,
functions and shopping, not to mention a full-time job as an administrative
assistant/accountant, writer and a mother, time moves very quickly.
That's why I plan everything out way in advance.

*Christmas menu? Done. Feeding twenty people on Christmas day is always
interesting. Since my husband's family is mainly Greek, I plan the same menu
every year and start the preparations the weekend before. Greek meatballs and
spinach pie actually taste better when the ingredients have a chance to really
blend together. Try to find things you can pre-make and thaw and bake on
Christmas day. You'll have more time to spend with the family instead of
slaving away in the kitchen.

*Christmas portraits? Get them done before Thanksgiving. You'll beat the
lines and get the pictures back in plenty of time to give out as gifts. Same
thing for the Christmas cards. I ordered mine through Vista Print this year
but Walgreens does a great job of getting then done in an hour, especially
if you get them in early.

*Newsletter? I do a two page newsletter every year to keep family and friends
updated. I use the same format from year to year so it's basically cut and
paste the new information in. Enlist your kids into helping you put on the
stamps. This year I'm even e-mailing some of them out to save the postage.

*Shopping-Probably the most stressful thing. Big hint. Shop throughout the
year. When you see something on sale that you know someone you buy for
will love, get it. I have a box specifically designated for presents. This also
works for birthday presents. Especially if you have kids and Target is having
an amazing clearance. I'm pretty much done shopping by October so all I
have to do is wrap. Not only does this a huge stress reliever, you don't have
huge bills coming at you in January.

And yes, just so you know, I've accomplished everything now. Go ahead
and throw Aunt Mary's fruit cake at me. All I have to do is wrap the gifts and
enjoy the many wonderful things this season has to offer.
Make sure to stop by my group blog this month Much Cheaper Than Therapy. For readers, I've interviewed some talented authors and some of them are giving away free reads. We also have Susan Meier stopping by on December 15th to talk about Christmas. For authors, we have Tina Gerow
talking about Goal Setting on December 23rd because it's not too early to start thinking about what you want to accomplish in the new year.

On December 5, we have Cynthia Eden talking about her book Midnight Sins.

On December 12, we have Linda Andrews talking about her book The Christmas Village.

On December 19, we have Donna Hatch talking about her book The Stranger She Married.

www.muchcheaperthantherapy.blogspot.com.

Have safe, happy and healthy holidays. Until 2009….Kim Watters