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Greetings!
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Welcome back to "Ask Angela Q", my inspirational and informative newsletter.
As many of you already know, the release party for "Mary's Christmas" was a wonderful success. Thank you for sharing tears, laughter and dreams come true. The only thing missing was the physical presence of my mom, but I know she is always with me in my heart. Between the release of "Mary's Christmas" and December the 25th, over 600 books were sold. Thank you! It took longer than expected to get the Spanish version out, but we finally did it, thanks to Jessica Hallmark and Ariane O'Pry. Visit
It appears more success is on the way, as I have been asked to present before the Archdiocese in Baton Rouge this fall. Could this be the catapult needed to launch me to a bestseller? I hope so. Thank you to Holy Ghost School for your support, your inspiring words and this wonderful opportunity.
Have you been inspired lately? Are you living your dreams? Tell us about it and be an inspiration. Send me your spiritual, physical, mental or financial success story and ask me to publish it. Your story might just be the Rx needed by someone who reads "Ask Angela Q". And as always, if it matters to you, it matters to us.
For reviews, advice, and news, scroll down or click the links to the right.
Click to ask a question for the "Ask Angela Q." column
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No Kindle? No Problem
| Some people have expressed interest in purchasing an e-book but have stated they do not have a Kindle. No Kindle, no problem. You can download the Kindle app for Free. If you have an iPhone, Windows PC, Mac, Blackberry, iPad, Android or Windows Phone you can enjoy e-books in Kindle version. Just click here.
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Cooking Tips to Savor for the Soul . . . the Taste Buds, and the Body!
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Do you love sweets but fear all the consequences of eating too much sugar? Well, try what I do. When making two of my favorite desserts, I cut the sugar every chance I get. However, my family still loves them and I often have others tell me, "Wow! That's the best I have ever tasted!" Here are just two examples of desserts you can improve with this technique.
First is the famous Karo Syrup Pecan Pie. Start by using 1/3 cup of sugar instead of one cup, and then add one extra egg, one extra tablespoon of melted butter (real butter, not margarine) and a couple drops of coconut flavoring with a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of salt. See if that is not the best you have ever tasted!
The next is Mississippi Mud Pie. Yum! This dessert has a shortbread or graham cracker crust and two distinct layers: a cream cheese bottom layer and a chocolate pudding top layer. For the cream cheese layer, use one cup of Cool Whip to one block of cream cheese, and do NOT add any confectioner's sugar. (The regular recipe calls for a cup of it.) You want the cream cheese layer to be a little tart. Add pecans or walnuts (chopped) to your crust for added flavor. For the top layer, use the Jell-O brand dark chocolate mousse instead of regular chocolate pudding. It has more chocolate flavor and less sugary sweetness. If you're a really creative cook, you can skip the mousse or pudding entirely and top the cream cheese layer with a special, healthier substitute. I like raspberries, blueberries and kiwi with a drizzle of honey. The recipe also calls for Cool Whip on top, but we skip it just to keep the sugar content down. (Cool Whip is not really good for us anyway.)
Try them and let me know what you think!
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Recent Reviews of "Good Mourning Sunshine":
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Last year I entered "Good Mourning Sunshine" in a contest. I did not win, but here is what one judge said. I think it was pretty good for my first work and first contest.
20th Annual Writer's Digest Annual Self-Published Book Awards
Entry Title: Good Mourning Sunshine
Author: Angela Q. Bertone
Judge Number: 22
Books were evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5. This scale is strictly to provide a point of reference; it is not a cumulative score and does not reflect ranking.
In some cases, you may see special or out of place characters/symbols in your commentary. For example, you may see that a character/symbol replaces an apostrophe, copyright, and other "symbols". These substitutions occur for various reasons - and are unavoidable. They are often [programming] misinterpretations due to encoding, installed fonts, web based content/sources etc.
Since the "content" [data] of the commentary is comprised of data sent from several different computers (programs, fonts, etc.) and from the internet (online entry system), you may at times see an interpretation of what had been an apostrophe, quotation mark, etc.
Structure and Organization: 4
Grammar: 5
Production Quality and Cover Design: 3
Plot (if applicable): N/A
Character Development (if applicable): N/A
What did you like best about this book? The writing sparkles with this authors passion for understanding the ways of the spiritual life and, in following one of its basic tenets, generously shares her wisdom in the pages of this well-organized book, displaying a real compassion for the human experience in all of its many shades. Ms. Bertone presents her observations in a way that should inspire in ways that can only benefit any reader willing to make the leap of faith and accept and follow her suggestions and the principles she conveys. The writing is clear and concise so as to be accessible to the experienced reader of such books also while remaining wholly accessible to newcomers.
How can the author improve this book?
From time to time during the narrative, the author could consider breaking up the long stretches of exposition with occasional snatches of spoken dialogue between the people concerned. This could be done, for example, with the incident with her sister in Chapter 6. Providing more of this could be beneficial in imbuing these incidents and people with an immediacy that would be more evocative rather than the present rather dry approach, which could have the adverse affect on less learned readers of being lectured to. It is suggested that the present approach be seasoned with a somewhat more novelistic approach along these lines to highlight key incidents.
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Ask Angela Q. Advice Column:
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Dear Angela,
I recently sold a piece of property that I have owned for less than one year. I just found out I am going to pay a lot of taxes due to short term capital gains. What could I have done other than keep the property longer than one year?
Signed,
Tired of Taxes in Small Town USA
Dear Tired,
I am with you on being tired of taxes. I must tell you up front that I am not a tax professional, and that you need to consult your tax professional for specific tax advice. However, there is what's known as a
like-kind exchange you could have taken advantage of had you been aware of it. The biggest mistake people make when trying to use this legitimate tax tool is trying to use the tool after the property is sold. This is not allowed. You must first set up the exchange and have a trust established to make the transaction or else it is not valid. I have used this before, and it works really well when done properly. Contact your tax professional prior to selling any real estate and ask him or her to guide you through the process. This will allow you to sell your real estate and avoid the taxes for the year it sold. Your taxes will not be due until you sell the newly-acquired property that was purchased in the like and kind exchange. Just remember, you cannot touch the money (that is why you need the trust), and it must be done beforehand. Good luck!
Dear Angela,
I have been in a committed relationship for 7 years now and we both really love each other. For some unknown reason it seems like we just don't have fun together any more, even when we do some of the things that we used to find fun. What is happening to us? Do you have any suggestions?
Signed,
Being Bored Makes Me Scared
Dear Scared,
The art of relationship is just that, an art. One mistake I have observed couples make is waiting for the other person to make them happy or make their lives fun. Lives are meant to be shared. When you depend on another person to make you happy or to entertain you, you are setting both of you up for disappointment. It is important that each of you has something that you are able to do alone or with other friends or family. I am not recommending you do anything that would cause distrust or disrespect, but rather just a hobby or an interest to express yourself and who you are. (If taken to an extreme, that too can become detrimental to the overall relationship.) Take a look at all of life. Everything has a rhythm. An ebb and flow; a pulling away and coming together. Take a look at your lungs. They come together and go apart. They take in what is new and breathe out the old. Take a deep look at yourselves and ask yourself, "What interests me?" Then give yourself some time to figure out the answer. I once asked this of a lady who had no idea what she might like. She said, "I don't know. Maybe fishing?" So I encouraged her to try it. She and her husband discovered they loved to fish, and they now spend lots of time fishing together--whereas before the question, they had never even thought about it. Get creative; find who you are and what you like. Then give yourself permission to try new things. And if either of you finds something the other doesn't like, give each other the freedom to enjoy it with or without your partner. One more thing: There may be some underlying problems that you have buried that are robbing you of your joy of today. So inventory your past and get help if necessary. Remember that lasting love is a work of art. Each one is unique, special and develops over time. There are no quick answers. My husband and I have one very important mutual agreement. When we "fight", we fight to stay in love, not to be right. So fight for love and staying in love, and then no matter what you do together, it is fun. Even something as simple as a coffee date in your PJs.
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Thank you for reading my newsletter. Share the inspiration with your friends via Facebook, Twitter, email and LinkedIn.
Sincerely,
Angela Bertone
Ask Angela Productions
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