Kaylin's January 2011 Newsletter

"We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential." ~Ellen Goodman

Hello Readers and Fellow Authors:

With the New Year unfolding its fresh virgin leaves, it's time to seriously consider (or in some cases, reconsider) that ambitious resolution you announced to your friends while heavily intoxicated or blinded by hope. Some individuals think choosing a resolution is much easier than attempting to keep it, but actually the goal you set at the beginning of the year has as much to do with your success as anything else in your life. That’s why it's wise to choose a New Year’s resolution you might actually fulfill. Keeping this in mind, here's a simple plan that might come in handy -- if not in 2011, then definitely in the years to come.

The four steps to choosing a successful resolution:

1. Choose a two-word resolution - Quit smoking; lose weight; go green, etc.
2. Include numbers and dates - Save $2,400 by December 31st; lose 25 lbs. by August 1st, etc.
3. Define how you're going to accomplish your resolution - Put $200 in a savings account every month; walk 40 minutes every night with my husband, etc.
4. Add why you want to achieve your goal - So that I can take that Hawaiian vacation; to fit into that cute size 8 dress...and so on.

You don’t want to create your New Year’s resolution in an effort to please someone else (because my boyfriend thinks I will look better; because my dad wants me to buy a house, etc.). Your resolution should be strictly for you, and adding a “because I” statement to your resolution will be the best way for you to articulate your personal motivation. So stay focused and follow through. You'll be amazed by what you can accomplish!

Quote of the Day:

"I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second." ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary

So what's on Kaylin's Horizon?

I'm currently involved with final editing on my latest creation -- an action, adventure romance titled Severed Threads. This fun, engrossing romp takes a group of unusual characters into treacherous waters, searching for a Chinese Emperor's lost merchant ship and the priceless treasure in her hold. Here's the synopsis, which just might perk your interest:

Believing herself responsible for her father's fatal diving accident, Rachel Lyons has withdrawn from the world and assumed a safe position at a foundation office. When called upon by a museum director to assist her former love interest with the recovery of a priceless artifact from a sunken galleon, she has no intention of cooperating - until her brother is kidnapped by a drug-dealing gangster. In order to save him and gain control over her own life, Rachel must not only overcome her greatest fears, but also relive the circumstances that lead to her father's death.

Would you like to read more? Visit my website at www.kaylinmcfarren.com and enjoy a tantalizing excerpt!

Kaylin's Recommended Reads for January:

* Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane - The political upheavals in Northern Ireland are the backdrop to the life of the young narrator, who tries to puzzle out the nature of love, the effects of violence, and the secrets his family carries.
* Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough - A marvelously readable biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt, from his birth through his marriage to Edith Carow and his unsuccessful run for mayor of New York. Winner of the National Book Award.
* Songs of the Gorilla Nation by Dawn Prince-Hughes - In her memoir, the author describes how her work observing and interacting with gorillas has helped her to cope with her form of autism -- Asperger's Syndrome.

Kaylin's Recipe of the Month: Buffalo Chicken Stromboli

Yield - 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken
* 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
* 3 tablespoons Frank's® RedHot® Sauce
* 1/2 (17.3 ounce) package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets, thawed

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stir the chicken, cheese and hot sauce in a medium bowl.
2. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10x14-inch rectangle.
3. With the short side facing you, spoon the chicken mixture down the center of the pastry. Fold 2 opposite sides of the pastry to the center over the filling and press to seal. Place the pastry, seam-side down, onto a baking sheet. Tuck the ends under to seal.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cut the pastry in quarters to serve and enjoy!

So remember ... Stay positive. Give happiness away and be sure to recommend Flaherty's Crossing to everyone you know!

Have a great month!

Kaylin