Empty Arms Author: Erika Liodice Website: http://www.erikaliodice.com/books/ Reviewed By: Anne Holmes for the NABBW This is the story of Catharine Chase, an ordinary woman, except for the fact that her entire life is built on a secret: She fell in love at 16, got pregnant, was exiled to a maternity home and wasn\’t allowed to keep her daughter. Prior to delivery, no one had told her the maternity home would separate her from her child. As a result, she\’s never been able to forget her child\’s first cries – or her screams as the baby she named Emily was forcibly removed... Read More

Dream New Dreams: Reimagining My Life After Loss Author: Jai Pausch Website: http://www.tworoadsbooks.com/index.php/books/dream-on-jai-pausch/ Reviewed By: Anne Holmes for the NABBW Jai Pausch, the widow of Randy Pausch -the Carnegie Mellon professor best known for authoring THE LAST LECTURE after his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer – gives us a remarkably frank, deeply moving and thematically rich memoir about death, dying and the grieving process. In Dream New Dreams, we hear her story for the first time: her emotional journey from wife and mother to full-time caregiver, shuttling between... Read More

Last Chance for Romance in the West By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Expert Aspen leaves spinning in a stout wind rattled like castanets. I found shelter beneath the spreading arms of an ancient spruce from the intense sun on a ledge overlooking the Platte River Valley. The ceaseless chatter of the river on its merry way to Denver kept me company. Below, nestled in the cleft of the blue mountains sheathed in Ponderosa pine, North Fork Ranch rests hidden from the modern world. People come here from around the globe to breathe the crystalline air, fish in the clear waters, and let... Read More

Three Cheers for the Sandwich Generation By Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. and Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. July is Sandwich Generation Month, a chance to pay tribute to adult children who are juggling the demands of raising kids while taking care of aging parents. The number of Americans 65 and older is projected to increase from 40 million in 2010 to over 88 million by 2050, doubling the ranks of those experiencing this stressful combination of responsibilities. We expect to take care of our growing children. After all, isn\’t that part of the parenting job description? Even after the last kid... Read More

Finding More Time and Saving More Money with PERK By Jan Cullinane NABBW’s Expert on The New Retirement We can all use more time and more money, right? Well, I stumbled across an acronym that can help us do both. The acronym is PERK, and credit goes to Robert Pagliarini, an author, a certified financial planner, a columnist, and the President of Pacifica Wealth Advisors. Here\’s how it works: Think about all your activities and all your expenses (current and upcoming). Write them down. For each activity and expense, apply “PERK”: Postpone: Want a new car, but still... Read More

Bouncy Bouncy By Leigh Anne Jasheway NABBW’s Boomer Humor Expert I bought a mini-trampoline this weekend. I was looking for a piece of home fitness equipment that met one specific requirement – it had to fit into a 3-foot square area of my bedroom. All those infomercials that promise muscle toning, core-strengthening, and cardio training neglect to answer the most important question: Will the device fit in your house? Or will you have to remove a major piece of furniture such as the sofa, requiring your guests to perch along the edge of the AbFlexGlideRowArator whenever they come over... Read More

50 Shades of Grand By Dr. Dorree Lynn, Ph.D. NABBW’s Expert on Boomer Women Sexuality “He follows with two sharp thrusts, and he freezes, pouring himself into me as he finds his release”… Shocked? Irritated? Excited? This quote is from the Book, “50 Shades of Grey” by E.L. James, which gives us explicit erotic scenes and a look into a world full of racy sexual fetishes. Whereas Harlequin novels once grabbed the hearts of so many women reading in private, this New York Times Bestseller now grabs the attention of women of all ages who, thanks to e-readers and a simple cover, are... Read More

Women and the Retirement Ripple Effect By Pamela J. Sams, CRPC NABBW’s Retirement Planning for Women Expert Women today are an integral part of our economy and key financial decision-makers in their families. In the last 40 years, women\’s incomes have risen more than 60% according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and women control 51% of the private wealth in America1. Despite this influence, there are certain factors distinct to women that create challenging retirement realities for them. As a group, lower wages on average and more time spent out of the workforce than men... Read More

Book Marketing Power Tip: How to Write a Book Pitch that Sizzles By Ronda Del Boccio NABBW’s Entrepreneurial Authoring Expert This true story about an encounter at a writer\’s conference demonstrates how critical it is for any book author to have a good “elevator pitch” for in your book marketing plan. One of the most common conversation starters at any conference, meeting, or even personal encounter is, “Tell me about your book” This happens way too often. I asked Joe about his novel. He should have told me to pull up a chair and sit awhile, because his description... Read More

2012 College Graduates are Moving Back Home By Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. and Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. This year over 1.75 million college students walked across the stage to pick up their diplomas. Seniors everywhere were excited to graduate as parents were thinking about words of wisdom to impart. With the scarcity of jobs and school loans due, it\’s going to be harder than ever for these kidults to engage in adult roles. If your brand new graduates are boomeranging back home, here\’s some practical insight to share with them: Face uncertainty with a positive attitude. You can\’t... Read More