Claire Cook's Blog, page 18

Power!

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“Power’s not given to you. You have to take it.”—Beyonce

Here’s to a powerful week, everybody!

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Weekend Reading Sale!

 

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If you’re looking for a fun and inspiring book to curl up with this weekend, I’m thrilled to tell you that The Wildwater Walking Club has been chosen for a BookBub promotion. That means you can buy the ebook for just 99 cents in all formats all weekend long. So grab yours while you can!

Buy The Wildwater Walking Club

(SALE! 99 cents thru the weekend!)

Paperback

Kindle

Nook

iBooks

Kobo

GooglePlay

 

#1 Amazon Bestseller in Walking!

“The Wildwater Walking Club is a quick smart read that will get you thinking about walking, friendship, and making time for the things you love.” – Bookreporter.com

A fun and inspiring novel about women and friendship – and how even big changes happen one step at a time.

After losing her boyfriend and her job in one fell swoop, Noreen has no idea what her next step is. So she puts on a new pair of sneakers and a seriously outdated pair of exercise pants, and walks. Before long she’s joined by two neighbors as lost as she is and figures out time flies and fitness is actually fun when you’re walking with friends. Throw in a road trip to Seattle for a lavender festival, a career-coaching group that looks like a bad sequel to The Breakfast Club, some terrific romantic comedy twists and turns, a quirky multigenerational cast of supporting characters, and the result is a tribute to female friendship that will inspire you to pick up the phone and call all your old friends–or maybe even start your own walking group.

Join Noreen, Tess and Rosie as they walk and talk, talk and walk, tally their steps, share their secrets, and begin putting their lives back together. You’ll be lacing up your own sneakers in no time.

“Lively and inspiring!” – Hartford Courant

“A great feel-good story.” – Philadelphia Examiner

“Readers who enjoy a celebration of friendship will want to walk the beach alongside the Wildwater trio.” –Midwest Book Review

“The Wildwater Walking Club reminds us of what’s important in life – the joy of friendship, the power of a brisk walk, and of course the importance of a good book. I couldn’t put it down. –Anisha Lakhani

“The woman of The Wildwater Walking Club are a delightful trio, full of heart and determination. As they – literally – put one foot in front of the other, the three new friends find unlikely paths that point them toward more fulfilling lives. Their journey left me genuinely inspired (and with the curious urge to go out and buy a clothesline).” –Jean Reynolds Page

Walking Group Guide and Book Club Questions included.

Don’t Miss Book 2, The Wildwater Walking Club: Back on Track!

 

 

[image error]Buy The Wildwater Walking Club: Back on Track

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And if you want to make sure you never miss a BookBub promotion for one of my books, you can follow me at BookBub.com/authors/claire-cook.

Claire Cook wrote her first novel in her minivan when she was 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the adaptation of Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack. She is now the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of 17 books. Be the first to hear about new releases, giveaways, and insider extras at http://ClaireCook.com/newsletter/.

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New Must Love Dogs Boxed Set!

[image error]Buy the Must Love Dogs Boxed Set Books 1-3:

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YAY! Books 1-3 of the Must Love Dogs series are now available as a brand new ebook boxed set! You just download once and get all three ebooks in one file for the cost of two. So if you haven’t jumped in to the Must Love Dogs series yet, now’s the time!

If you’ve already read all five books in the Must Love Dogs series, don’t worry, I’m writing away! And in the meantime, I hope you’ll spread the word to your family and friends who might be looking for some fun reading. Thanks so much!

About the Must Love Dogs Boxed Set

Books 1-3 of the bestselling series (turned romantic comedy movie starring Diane Lane and John Cusack) by New York Times Bestselling Author Claire Cook. Dogs, dating, adorable preschoolers, and meddling family in every book. This special boxed set offers the first three full-length novels in the Must Love Dogs series. Each book is filled with Claire Cook’s unique blend of humor and heart—unforgettable, page-turning stories to make you laugh out loud and believe in your own second chances.

MUST LOVE DOGS (#1):

“Voluptuous, sensuous, alluring and fun. Barely 40 DWF seeks special man to share starlit nights. Must love dogs.”

Divorced preschool teacher Sarah Hurlihy’s first mistake is letting her bossy big sister write her personal ad. Her second mistake is showing up to meet her first date in more than a decade. Now she’s juggling her teaching job, her big, rollicking, interfering south-of-Boston Irish family, and more men than she knows what to do with. And what’s up with all these dogs that are suddenly galloping into her life?

MUST LOVE DOGS: NEW LEASH ON LIFE (#2) :

Life after divorce for Sarah Hurlihy used to consist of juggling her job as a preschool teacher with the demands of her interfering family. But after a rocky start, Sarah and John Anderson have shared six months of dating bliss. Now their relationship is basically on hold because Sarah’s brother Michael and his dog are staying with her. And John’s new puppy Horatio hates Sarah. With a passion.

MUST LOVE DOGS: FETCH YOU LATER (#3)

Sarah Hurlihy knows how to move on to the next guy. But she really, really doesn’t want to do that anymore. What she wants to figure out is how to stick around and make things work with John Anderson. But John’s suggestion for a romantic trip to canine camp before Sarah’s job as a preschool teacher gears up for another year is sounding anything but romantic, and Sarah and her sisters are worried about their father’s new girlfriend, Sweepstakes Sally. And there’s a hot new male teacher at Bayberry Preschool. Could it be that what Sarah wants and what she needs are two entirely different things?

Also available in the MUST LOVE DOGS series:

MUST LOVE DOGS: BARK & ROLL FOREVER (#4)

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MUST LOVE DOGS: WHO LET THE CATS IN? (#5)

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Praise for MUST LOVE DOGS:

“Reading Must Love Dogs is like having lunch with your best friend—fun, breezy, and full of laughs.” –Lorna Landvik

“Funny and quirky and honest.” –Jane Heller

“Funny and pitch perfect.” –Chicago Tribune

“Wildly witty” –USA Today

“Cook dishes up plenty of charm.” –San Francisco Chronicle

“A hoot.” –The Boston Globe

“A hilariously original tale about dating and its place in a modern woman’s life.” –BookPage

“If Must Love Dogs is any indication of her talents, readers will hope that Claire Cook will be telling breezy summer stories from the South Shore of Massachusetts for seasons to come.” –The Washington Post

“a light and lively read for anyone who has ever tried to re-enter the dating scene or tried to ‘fix up’ anyone else.” –Boston Herald

“utterly charming…perfect for whiling away an afternoon on the beach.” –Library Journal

“Claire Cook’s Must Love Dogs, a book that’s got more giggles than soda bread has raisins.” –Hartford Courant

“Claire Cook (Must Love Dogs) has built a brand writing light-hearted women’s fiction blending kernels of the absurd and comedic in compulsively readable combinations.” –Shelf Awareness

“The exuberant and charming Claire Cook is one of the sassiest and funniest creators of contemporary women’s fiction.” –The Times-Picayune

Claire Cook wrote her first novel in her minivan when she was 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the adaptation of Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack. She is now the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of 17 books. Be the first to hear about new releases, giveaways, and insider extras at http://ClaireCook.com/newsletter/.

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10 Tips For Starting a Walking Group

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The simplest thing really can change our lives. Walking is free. It’s easy to do. It makes us feel better—way better! Walking gives us time to spend with our friends and catch up on all the latest news. It increases our mental well-being and focus. It helps control body weight and reduce body fat. Walking reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, reduces high cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, increases bone density, improves osteoarthritis, and reduces risk of colon cancer.

So what are you waiting for—take a walk on the wild side! Here are my tips for starting your own walking group:

1. Are two enough? Are six too many? Sometimes more is not more, so if two works for you, there’s your 
walking group. Big groups sound great in theory, but once you get more than five women involved, someone’s always getting lost or run over. I hate that.

2. Joy, oh, joy. How can you not smile when you pass a group of laughing women? Moods are contagious, so fill your walking group with people who make lemonade out of lemons, see the glass as half full, not empty, or (fill in your own cliché here.)

3. Sisters of synchronicity. Consider stride length and willingness to sweat. I’m not saying short people can’t walk with tall people, but if you walk with me, you’re going to have to move.

4. Going my way? Who’s on first? What’s on second? Make sure you have a plan for where and when and how often you’re going to walk, as well as what your route will be, and perhaps most important, how many bathrooms you’ll need to pass along the way.

5. You’re wearing that? I have kids to insult me, so I don’t need it from my walking group. Critical, negative people sap your energy, so just walk away!

6. One bad apple. (See Number 5.)

7. The dog ate my sneakers. Stuff definitely happens, but if it happens to one of your members every other time you walk, you might want to think about an 
accountability intervention. In a good walking group, you’re in or you’re out!

8. You’re late, you’re late, for a very important date. I admit that I just hang up if someone puts me on hold for longer than it takes to find out that the other call is not from a child in a burning building. I’m busy. My time matters. Don’t put me on hold and don’t keep me waiting to walk with you. If there are only two of you and you don’t live far from each other, you might want to consider leaving your homes at the same time and walking toward each other. A bigger group could meet at a parking lot or track, so members can keep circling until everybody gets there.

9. Chemistry is everything. Life is short, so if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Find another group of women to walk with.

10. It’s your walking club. So cry if you want to! Okay, please don’t cry, at least every time you walk, but 
beyond that, the rules are yours for the making.

Let’s start a walking revolution—one step at a time!

If you’re looking for some more inspiration and haven’t read The Wildwater Walking Club books yet, here are the direct links to find them:

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Buy The Wildwater Walking Club

(SALE! ebook 99 cents thru the weekend!)

Paperback

Kindle

Nook

iBooks

Kobo

GooglePlay

 

 

 

 

[image error]Buy The Wildwater Walking Club: Back on Track

Paperback

Kindle

Nook

iBooks

Kobo

GooglePlay

 

 

 

Claire Cook wrote her first novel in her minivan when she was 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the adaptation of Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack. She is now the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of 17 books. Be the first to hear about new releases, giveaways, and insider extras at http://ClaireCook.com/newsletter/.

The post 10 Tips For Starting a Walking Group appeared first on Claire Cook.

Cat Pile of the Day!

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Happy Friday! Left to Right: Sunshine, Pebbles (mom) and Squiggy.

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In Bloom: First Rose

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The first rose of the season is in bloom in my garden! So nice to be out there digging in the dirt again.

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Happy National Pet Day!

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Sunshine, Pebbles and Squiggy, three of our five rescue cats, celebrating their favorite holiday!

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5 Reasons I Loved My First River Cruise

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For years, readers have been asking for another adventure for the three women in The Wildwater Walking Club. If you’ve read the book, you’ll know, as I did, that any follow-up to Noreen, Tess and Rosie’s story would have to be about walking and lavender and friendship—and how even big changes happen one step at a time. So I decided a Viking River Cruise to Lyon and Provence would be the perfect trip for The Wildwater Walking Club: Back on Track.

The bonus was that I got to go along with my characters. And I loved every minute! Here are just a few of the reasons why:

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1. I didn’t have to do all the work.

For me, and maybe for you, too, vacation means planning, planning and more planning. Flights, hotels, restaurants, trips within the trip. I’m good at it, but I have to admit Viking Cruises is better, way better, and it was such a tremendous relief to leave it all to them. They booked the flights that made the most sense, and Viking representatives magically appeared at the airport to take us to our transport vehicle that brought us to the ship. Where more smiling people greeted us. And on and on, every step along the way. All beautifully orchestrated and much appreciated.

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2. Your room travels with you.

It’s so great not to have to pack up everything and schlep it all to the next hotel. Our ship, the Viking Buri, was sleek and minimalist, and our stateroom was well designed and had plenty of storage, plus the perfect little balcony for sipping coffee or wine. The bathroom made the most of the space—again, great design, including a pocket door. Tip: A friend, who knows I’m an overpacker, suggested bringing some kind of organizer to free up counter space. I ordered this from Amazon, and it hooked right over the glass shower panel and worked beautifully. (It’s now hanging over a door in my own bathroom, I liked it so much!)

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3. It’s a great way to make new friends.

My husband Jake came with me on the cruise. He’s used to that glazed look in my eyes when I’m trying to figure out a book, which makes him not just a good husband, but the perfect travel companion. The cruise had a nice mix of couples and friends traveling together and solo travelers and families. So it would be a great idea for a family reunion or a girlfriends’ getaway. But it was also really easy to make new friends, both in the dining room and on the excursions. (In fact, I just heard from one, who emailed to ask me to Skype in to her book club!)

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4. You’re never far from shore.

I didn’t think about this ahead of time, but this turned out to be one of my favorite parts. It was like taking a road trip without the traffic and the crazy drivers. The shoreline was endlessly fascinating and a great backdrop for some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. We docked in cities and tiny towns and in the middle of nowhere. I’m no stranger to motion sickness, but I didn’t have any seasickness at all, I think in part because I could see the horizon at all times. And also because the ship was so well designed.

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5. I experienced some cool new things.

I’m not exactly a history buff. There, I said it. I can appreciate the beauty of Roman columns and medieval villages and seventeenth century churches, but my attention span is limited, and it doesn’t take long until it all starts to blur. But I’ll never forget taking a painting class in Arles before seeing the Van Gogh in Provence exhibit, or walking through the lavender fields in Sault. I’ll never forget hanging out with the goats at the goat cheese farm or getting to play with the truffle dogs at the truffle farm. I would have missed these on my own, but Viking went above and beyond to whisk us off to authentic, off-the-beaten-track experiences like these.

Thank you to Viking Cruises (http://www.vikingcruises.com/) for hosting me on my very first river cruise. And a huge thank you to all the readers who’ve read the Wildwater books!

If you haven’t read them yet, here are the links:

Buy The Wildwater Walking Club

Paperback

Kindle

Nook

iBooks

Kobo

GooglePlay

Buy The Wildwater Walking Club: Back on Track

Paperback

Kindle

Nook

iBooks

Kobo

GooglePlay

Claire Cook wrote her first novel in her minivan when she was 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the adaptation of Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack. She is now the New York Times, USA Today, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of 17 books. Stay in the loop for new releases, giveaways, and insider extras at http://ClaireCook.com/newsletter/.

The post 5 Reasons I Loved My First River Cruise appeared first on Claire Cook.

Happy National Walking Day!

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I managed to get my walk in today just before the rain hit in Atlanta!

 

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Crossing Monkey Bars

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“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”—C. S. Lewis

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