CONTEST

This January win an UCLA coffee mug in honor of BECOMING AMERICANA's protagonist--Lupe's University.

Sign up for the contest at www.lara-rios.com

 BECOMING AMERICANA

I hope you've been enjoying BECOMING AMERICANA this month.  I've had a busy November, chock full of book signings and appearances.

One of the events I attended was the first ever NLBWA (which stands for National Latina Business Women's Association) event on the Queen Mary with a couple of other Latina authors.  The day was spectacular.  Warm and perfect.  Long Beach is awesome year round, of course, but this day was like a Spring day--just amazing.  The guest speakers were inspiring, and the attendees were a blast to meet. 

Here's a pic.

Author Lara Rios, Author Reyna Grande, Actress Lupe Ontiveros, Author Sylvia Mendoza

NEWS

For end of the year news, I have nothing extra-ordinary to report.  However, I would like to say that BECOMING LATINA did very well this year--thanks to all of you!

I'm currently working on my Warner book--THE FAT CONTEST.  The release date has been pushed back from 2007 to 2008 because Warner Books will actually be changing its name after being bought out by the Hatchett Book group.

But Warner is not the only one undergoing a name change.  I will also be taking on a new pseudonym!!  As Lara Rios, I will still be writing for the late teens and young 20 year-olds, however Warmer would like a new name to differentiate the more mature books I'll be writing for them.  This is where the fun part comes in for you! If you are a Lara Rios Ayudante, you can vote for the new pseudonym next year.  It's very easy to become an Ayudante.  Just sign up on my website and I'll add you to my Yahoo Group.  It will ask what you've done to help--you can write anything, even reading and receiving this newsletter.  Then early next year when I narrow my name choices down to two or three, I'll put it up for a vote, and you can help me choose my new pseudonym!

2007 UPCOMING EVENTS

Would you like to chat in person? I'd love to meet you at any of the upcoming events!

February 13 at 2:00 p.m. - Book autographing -- Barnes & Noble, Riverside
                                       3485 Tyler Street, Riverside, CA 92503
                                       951-358-0898

March 28-31 -- PASIC Conference, New York City (more info to come)

April 18 -- Ontario City Library, Ontario, CA (more info to come)

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
The Way I See Them

We're approaching the end of 2006 already.  Where did the year go?  Did it zip right by you the way it did me?

This is the time of year when you're probably looking back at what you've accomplished and deciding what you're going to change or do different for next year.  Let's see, if you're an author you're thinking about what new book you'd like to write, what publisher you'd like to approach, or maybe what contest you'd like to enter.  If you're a parent, you're deciding on what you're NOT going to let you kids get away with next year (fast food for my little sweeties), and how you're going to be the super mom or dad that you've always dreamed.  And we all are going to vow that we're finally going to lose those annoying few pounds that we've carried around for decades.

But you know what?  I'm going to suggest you don't bother with those resolutions.  I learned a few years back that it's a complete waste of time to write down a few lofty goals that, really, I'm not going to accomplish.  Instead, I do something different.  About this time, I look at where I'm at  in all the areas of my life that are important to me.  For example, as a mother, wife, financially, physically, etc., and I decide where I'd like to be next year at the same time.  Then I list three or four ways that I can get there.  And I focus only on those things that are going to get me where I want to be.

So I don't list 25 random resolutions (like I used to).  I list only one goal per life category.  This makes my accomplishments a little more well-rounded.  Rather than doing super at my work and really stinking as a parent, I know I'm going to do at least one great thing in both areas.

This is how I do it.  Let's say I'd like to lose weight.  I might decide the three things I can do to achieve this goal are to 1) exercise, 2) avoid junk food, and 3) eat healthy home cooked meals.  Since these are three very broad sub goals, I will break them down even further.  I divide my year into four quarters where I write down specifically what I will do.  For #1 I will go to the gym twice a week and walk for 20 minutes every morning (this is hypothetical--I actually do not have the luxury of going for a walk every morning because I can't leave my children alone while I go for a walk).  At the end of each quarter, I reevaluate where I am--just like businesses do with their business plans.  This keeps me focused year round on my goals and forces me to think it through more thoroughly than just writing down some wishes at the end of the year.

New Year's Resolutions, the way most people do them, seem to be nothing but a dream list of what people would like to see happen if they didn't have to do anything to get these goals.

So this yea, you might want to give 2007 some thought.  Don't write out a dream list, but really think about what you'd like to see happen in your life in the coming year.  Who and where would you like to be next year at this time?  Lt's see if you can make it an awesome year!

CONTACT ME

Do you have questions or comments or do you just want to say "HI"? I'd love to talk to you. Email me at: lararios@earthlink.net I promise to get to your email within a day or two!

Until next month!

Much Love,

Lara Rios

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