Monday, June 24, 2013

GUEST POST - CHICK LIT AUTHOR DEE DETARSIO

There’s a Nap for That
by Dee DeTarsio


I’m a Virgo. What can I say? I’m already packed for my vacation in August. I pre-worry, because regular-time worry isn’t good enough.

I’ve passed this tightly wound chromosome to my offspring. I carry Kleenex and granola bars with me at all times. Kleenex, because I inherited that gene from my grandmother, and, granola bars, which are a little something-something I added to that just-in-case DNA. You’re welcome, kids.

They blame ME that they are always the first ones to show up for classes and work, and have all this time to kill! I goggle my eyes at them and allow my mouth to gape in disbelief. “You should try growing up like I had to,” I tell them, wavy lines and doo-doo-doo-doo music appearing on cue. “Four sisters plus one bathroom divided by one mean bus driver (who thought the saying was, ‘time and rides wait for no man’) and you do the math.” I don’t know what exactly would happen if I were to be late for something, and I sure don’t want to find out. Hip Hip Hooray for early birds!

It takes a lot of energy to be so perfect. In my quest for serenity (now!), I found a ground-breaking study from the Mayo Clinic which reports that napping “reduces fatigue.” From this No Kidding, Really? file, also comes claims that naps improve performance and lessen confusion. I always made my kids nap for improved mood, (theirs) and relaxation, (mine).

Call it whatever you want, (but if you call it meditation it sounds a lot better), there’s a nap for that. Anxiety, grumpiness, that three-o’clock afternoon biorhythm crash? Hit the nap app. With Jack Reacher-like precision, I am a napper from way back. I intuitively know when to turn my head before the earring dent sets in my cheek. (How’s that for meditation?)

When I’m not writing, I like to say I’m busy speaking, and cooking, fluent Italian, teaching yoga class and volunteering for the Peace Corps, but none of that would be true. I’m taking my nap. 

Do you nap? Please tell me I’m not alone and enter to win a copy of All My Restless Life to Live.

Thanks, Tracie!!

Dee has generously offered to give away a copy of her Chick Lit novel, ALL MY RESTLESS LIFE TO LIVE, to one lucky winner! (Signed paperback or Kindle e-book to US; Kindle e-book to other countries.) You can enter up to 5 times using the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway will end at midnight on Sunday, June 30th, and a winner will be announced on Monday, July 1st.



Author Bio:  Dee DeTarsio is a graduate of The Ohio State University and lives in southern California with her family. (She only goes back to visit Ohio for two days in early October because she is equally scared of tornadoes and getting trapped in a snowstorm.)

If you are having trouble sleeping, please check out her new novel, All My Restless Life to Live! (Oh, wait, that sounds boring!)



Book blurb:  Life is a soap opera, especially for Elle Miller, who writes for one. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashes, she borrows her recently deceased dad’s computer and gets way more than she bargained for.

Elle unravels mysterious communications from his computer, while her mom decides to give Internet dating a try. As Elle tries to save her career at I’d Rather Be Loved with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, she takes a trip to the Emmys, and finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life and living a good life.

Fans of Marian Keyes and Jennifer Weiner will delight in Dee DeTarsio’s sparkling prose and lively dialogue as she takes readers into the heart of women’s lives. Filled with friendship, love, loss, betrayal, and challenges that force her characters to find their place in the universe, Dee’s novels give us that hopefully-ever-after we're searching for.


Buy All My Restless Life to Live:  

Amazon


Connect with Dee DeTarsio:

Blog
 
 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

30 comments:

  1. What a great and funny post! Dee, I'm a Cancer, but I have that "better-to-be-early" gene, too. I can't stand the thought of being late (although I do have a few friends who think of making me wait 30 minutes - no, make that an hour since I was 30 minutes early).

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    1. Hi Martha! Thanks! (I am married to a Cancer, he's on my schedule, too, thank goodness!)

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  2. I'm Taurus but have Virgo rising so I too believe in the power of the nap - in fact, that's what I call it, a power nap. Just 30 minutes will do it and I'm good to go again! xxx ps I'm an early bird too and worry loads - oh, the curse of Virgo! xxx

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    1. Thanks, for your comment, Shani! (My sister is a Taurus and makes fun of me for my Virgoness!)

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  3. I'm a cancer. I'm punctual to a fault. I end up waiting around for an event to start because I'm ridiculously early.

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    1. Right? (I am trying to back-time my schedule this morning to get to my destination and will probably leave 50 minutes early for a 20 minute drive.) There could be traffic, I'm just saying! Oh, who am I kidding? I better leave an hour early!

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  4. I am a professional napper too. My eyes start closing every afternoon about the same time.

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  5. I'm a Virgo and I'm never late...for anything!! Ha!
    Yes, I'm a napper!

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  6. Let's hear it for naps, being on time, and thanking (or blaming!) our lucky stars! Thanks so much, Tracie!

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  7. I'm an Aries and I used to be early all the time. But then we moved and went from 2 min. to the freeway to 15 min. to the freeway, so I'm usually a coupla min. late. Can't get used to how long it takes me now to get to the freeway!

    I love a good nap, but we usually only nap on the weekends. My hubs LOVES to nap, and i feel too guilty napping without him during the week while he's at the office. So no naps on weekdays (unless I'm sick)!

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    1. Hi Jackie! Hope you get that freeway thing figured out, ha ha! (And never feel guilty for napping! It's a good thing!)

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  8. I love this post!! :) As a Pisces, I'm not expected to be punctual (in fact, I think I'm expected to be half asleep and dreaming all the time) but I am always on time. Love naps too... the best part of having a day off from the day job is a nap whenever I want one! :) Great post!

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    1. Hi Cat! OK, another sister of mine is a Pisces, and yes, she is a dreamer, too! Long live naps! Thanks for your comments!

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  9. Dee, what a great post! I echo your comment "Hip Hip Hooray for Early Birds!", for I'm a power napper, too. Getting up at 5 am every morning, I find that I need that nap at 5 pm to make it through to the end of my day (or should I say 'evening'?) And just like you, I HATE HATE HATE being late for anything. My husband shares my frantic fear of being late, so we're always the first ones to arrive for anything.

    P.S. I'm from Northern Michigan, and while I don't need to fret too much about tornadoes, I DO worry constantly about snow! We had 2" of snow on Saturday, May 11th this year.

    ~ Kathleen

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    1. Thanks, Kathleen! Cheers to Early Birds! And I hear you about the snow--which is why I love southern California! I never need to see snow again!!

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  10. Hells yeah, I'm a napper! I wish it were an Olympic sport; I'd bring home gold for the U.S.A. I'm not an early riser or a Virgo, but I come from good Virgo stock and am obsessed with punctuality. I think lateness is a sign of disrespect. Thanks for writing such a funny post, Dee, and for making some of us feel more normal.

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    1. Brea takes it for the Gold!! That's awesome! I'm still working on my technique, ha ha!

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  11. Great post! I'm a Pisces and I love to nap, nap, wake up for an hour, and then nap again. It's a shame that I probably nap more than my 17 year old cat!

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    1. That's funny, Diana! Thanks for your comment! (Cats can teach us a lot, right?!)

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  12. I'm a Capricorn, a terrible worrier and I could nap anytime. I wouldn't like to think I was a goat though!!

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    1. Thanks, Amanda! And yet another sister of mine is a Capricorn! (She's also the oldest and thinks she's the boss!) (She is!)

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  13. I wish I could still nap! I seem to have lost the ability because I can't turn off my mind. I'm going to try again. Right now. This is a great post, Dee, and I adore your writing.

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    1. Hi Samantha! Thanks so much for commenting! Good luck practicing your napping skills, ha ha!!

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  14. I'm a Libra - and I wish I could nap :) Cute post!

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    1. Hi Lauren! Maybe if you stopped Dancing Naked in Dixie you'd have time to nap! (Hee hee!)

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  15. I'm a classic Gemini -- super chatty, always ready to argue both sides of an argument and constantly changing my mind. Great post!

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    1. Hi Laura! My son is a Gemini, and he changes his mind, a lot! (But I think he goes back and forth on if he should nap in the first place!) Thanks for your comment!

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  16. Tracie, thanks again so much for hosting! What fun comments, and I am seeing a trend here: A. That napping rules! and B. How invested we all are in our horoscope signs!

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  17. Love the post! I'm a classic Virgo and yes I love my naps. I usually take one every thursday as I have to be up by 5am for work though I did have to take one Monday as I was up at 4am!

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  18. I wish I had more time to take naps! Love all the comments :)

    xoxo,
    lyndsey

    www.theeyelinermanifesto.blogspot.com

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