goal sisters

What Are the Latest Happenings, Sister?!
3rd Edition

Time marches on and there’s much progress to report about Goal Sisters. But first, we want to offer you our heartfelt thanks for all the congratulations, encouragement, and prayers we’ve received. We’re grateful to have so many people, from so many different corners and connections in our lives, standing behind us and cheering us on.

We Asked and We Sure Received!

Not only are you standing behind us, you’re also sending us addresses and phone numbers of your favorite gift shops and book stores! We’ve entered information in our databases for stores hailing from Pacific Palisades (thanks, Susan!) and the Bay Area in California (thanks, Nee!); Seattle (thanks, Sheryl!); Denver, Oklahoma City, and Galesburg, IL (thanks, Karen!); Branson, MO and Eureka Springs, AR (thanks, Linda!); Park Ridge, IL (thanks, Trish!); Madison, WI (thanks, Cory, Rob, and Nancy!); Philadelphia (thanks, Paula!); and Tampa (thanks, Susie!). If you haven’t yet sent us the addresses and phone numbers of your favorite gift shops and book stores, don’t fret - you have until March 14th to do so. Thanks in advance!

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Endorsements Roll In!

In our last newsletter, we shared with you that Tamara Traeder, co-author of the best-selling "Girlfriends" book, had agreed to write our Foreword after receiving a copy of our book’s galley (an almost final proofread copy without a cover) from our New World Library editor, Georgia Hughes. Tamara wasn’t able to write us a Foreword because she ran out of time during the holidays. We understand, Sister! Thankfully, Tamara liked what she read and sent Georgia the following endorsement:

"What woman has ever achieved a goal, made a change or survived a transition without the support of her friends? 'Goal Sisters' sharpen our friendships into powerful tools for change - both for yourself and the chosen women around you. In their process, Michelle and Ann anticipate every obstacle, reason, and excuse you and your friends find to thwart your dreams, and cheerfully dispel them. You will have no choice but to succeed!"

Georgia also pursued other authors and received two more terrific endorsements:

"My heart sinks when I see how hard it is for many women to ask for and receive help. My heart soars when I see women supporting each other to create lives they love. This step-by-step kick butt guide is exactly what we need to help us learn how to ask for help in healthy ways and utilize the power of female wisdom - while having a blast!"

- Jennifer Louden, author of "Comfort Secrets for Busy Women"

"If you're ready to create the life you've been waiting for, 'Goal Sisters' is the guidebook for making it happen. You can do anything if you know you’re not alone, and 'Goal Sisters' will show you how to shift from solo to soul sister- a change that can make the all the difference."

- Jan Phillips, author of "Marry Your Muse"

All this praise without even seeing the book’s front cover!

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Speaking of the Book’s Front Cover. . .

Way back in October 2003, our New World Library designer, Mary Ann Casler created the first version of the front cover. We liked the clean lines, lettering, and colors, but went back and forth on the photos until Michelle found two photos that we all liked. Version two of the cover was used in New World Library’s Winter/Spring 2004 catalog. It included an alternative subtitle (“Achieving Your Dreams With A Little Help From Your Friends”) and our first endorsement from Ms. Sam Horn. We didn’t revisit and finalize the cover until January 9th, when we changed the subtitle back to the original one (“Live the Life You Want With A Little Help From Your Friends”) and moved Sam Horn’s endorsement to the back cover, replacing it with a portion of Jennifer Louden’s endorsement. Thanks to terrific teamwork, we have a terrific front cover!

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About the Back Cover

We received the first version of the back cover via email on January 23rd, and were asked to provide Georgia and Mary Ann with feedback by January 26th. No problem, right? Well, not exactly since Michelle was vacationing in Las Vegas with her husband and friends, and Ann was enroute to Las Vegas for a 15 hour visit.

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Why the Heck Were You Both in Las Vegas?

To take our author photo for the book’s back cover! If you happened to be in Las Vegas on January 24th at the Sears Portrait Studio around 10:30 in the morning, you would have seen us striking a pose for Bernie Lopez, Studio Manager and Photographer extraordinaire! You and the unhappy toddler waiting to get his photo taken. Thankfully, several of our photos turned out well (don’t ask about the one of Ann prone with Michelle leaning over her!!) and we found a FedEx site that guaranteed a Monday delivery of our photo disc to New World Library. We celebrated over a champagne brunch at the MGM Grand before Ann zipped off to her awaiting airplane.

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Back to the Back Cover

Once we were back home to our computers, we reviewed the back cover, shared our feedback with each other, and sent off our comments to Georgia and Mary Ann. During a three-way phone call on January 26th, we clarified our comments and listened to Georgia explain why they were standing their ground on certain design elements. Made sense to us! Georgia informed us that they selected an author photo (not the prone one!) and included it on the final back cover. The entire cover was sent to the printer on January 27th. It was another book moment!

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It’s A Bird! It’s A Plane! No, It’s Monique, our Marketing Maven!

Our New World Library publicist, Monique Muhlenkamp, who joins us on our weekly marketing calls to answer questions and share her latest news about media opportunities, is definitely a woman of action! She’s landed Michelle a book signing at Barnes and Noble in Honolulu on April 17th, and is working with Ann and a number Southwest Missouri locations, including Effie Jane’s, the John Wise Home, Hastings bookstore (all in Joplin) and Barnes and Noble in Springfield. Monique has sent out galleys to magazines with long lead times, arranged for someone to help us land radio interviews, gotten the attention of Publisher’s Weekly (our book was announced in their Spring issue), and did whatever she did to make our book available online.

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The Book’s Available Online!!

Yes, you read right - you can see the first version of the front cover of "Goal Sisters" online at Amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. Type in “goal sisters” in the search box and scroll down to find the book. If you feel so inclined (and we’re hoping you do), you can even pre-order the book online! It’s being offered online at dirt cheap prices. Plus, Monique encouraged us to encourage our friends, colleagues, family members, church members, sorority sisters, team mates, book club members, pizza delivery folks (okay, we added them to the list!), and neighbors to pre-order the book because it will help New World Library to track the early success of our book. So, if you want to be the first one on your block to own a copy or two of Goal Sisters, pre-order it online and help us keep Monique busy counting all the sales!

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Overnight Adventure a Winner!

As reported in our last newsletter, the Goal Sister group took their first Overnight Adventure on January 17th to Zeno’s Motel in Rolla, Missouri. Motel owner Tracey Sheffer welcomed Ann, Cindy, Deborah, Joy, Karen, and Nelda with a wonderful dinner and a complementary glass of wine. Tracey plans to sell the book in their gift shop and host a book event. Thanks, Tracey! The Sisters reviewed their 2003 goals, began creating their 2004 treasure collages, exercised together, and wrote down their 1st quarter goals. It was a successful, high energy weekend!!

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Blazing Along

Getting our website up and running by April is the primary focus of our current efforts. We’ve decided on the site’s features and contacted a few web developers for estimates and availability. Michelle is drawing mock-ups and we’re both writing material for the site. We’re also planning a book signing tour in Missouri and Illinois (and possibly Iowa and Nebraska) at the end of May/beginning to middle of June. We’ll let you know more details about the website and our tour in our next newsletter! Until then, take care.

Onward and Upward,
Ann and Michelle

Copyright © 2004 by Ann Leach and Michelle Beaulieu Pillen, Ph.D. All rights reserved. No part of this Web site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise.