CANCER IS A BITCH:
Or, I’d Rather Be Having a Midlife Crisis

By Gail Konop Baker

I want to be brave. I want to be big. I want to be gracious and cool.
I want to be the Audrey Hepburn of breast cancer.

From Chapter Three

October 2009

Inspirational memoir available in trade paperback

On Valentine’s Day 2006, Gail Konop Baker found herself sitting topless in the oncologist’s office. Married to a doctor and a health and fitness devotee, Konop Baker assumed she would know when her body rebelled against her. And that, almost by virtue of her medical marriage, everything would turn out all right. While her cancer turned out to be highly treatable, she wasnít prepared for what happened to her during and after the experience. Emotionally, she became a changed woman, and chronicles the ups and downs of this transformation in CANCER IS A BITCH: Or, I’d Rather Be Having a Midlife Crisis (Da Capo Lifelong Books; October 1, 2009; re-released in trade paperback $14.95, ISBN 978-0-7382-1370-5).

Konop Baker offers the reader a window on her most intimate thoughts and fears, and writes without shame about the self-pity she felt when first diagnosed, the anger she felt toward her husband, the despair that wracked her when she thought about her children without a mother. And then, she becomes determined to fight. She researches carcinogens, becomes an organic food evangelist, steps her running and yoga up a few notches in the hopes that extreme health will ward off the disease. Throughout, she wonders when her lifeóafter years as a wife and motherófinally gets to be about her hopes, her dreams, her desires?

As I sit on the examining table in the internist’s office for my pre-op physical a day or two later, I think about Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, how it was praised for its lack of self-pity as I silently chant poor me poor me poor me, she writes. I am an armchair nutritionist, a person others consult for health and anti-aging tips, a lifelong subscriber to Prevention. I feel that I’m slipping away as I wonder how I could suffer a condition more serious than my chain-smoking nitrate-loving fruit-phobic non-exercising mother-in-law ever experienced.

There are more tests, talk of surgery, friends who die, and friends who have affairs for her. There is bickering and fighting and making up with her husband, her sex life comes and goes, and getting her first child off to college turns out to be an easier task than she thought. Konop Baker’s kaleidoscopic view of a real life, lived through a real scare, will ring true to any woman who’s ever been party to an uphill battle.

CANCER IS A BITCH is a rollicking, life-affirming read, by a true heroine for our times.

# # #

About the Author: Gail Konop Baker is an award-winning author,short story writer, poet, inspirational speaker, lecturer and health and patient advocate. Her work has been published in LiteraryMama.com, Talking River Review, The Potomac, Mota, The Danforth Review, Madison Magazine, Yankee Pot Roast, Wisconsin Trails, Xanadu, Womansong, Pudding Magazine, Glass Review, Health Magazine and an anthology funded by the Ohio Arts Council. Her LiteraryMama column “Bare-breasted Mama” made its debut in October of 2006. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her family.

CANCER IS A BITCH:
Or, I’d Rather Be Having a Midlife Crisis
By Gail Konop Baker
Da Capo Lifelong Books
Re-release date: October 1, 2009
New to trade paperback $14.95
ISBN 978-0-7382-1370-5

Author CJ Lyons’ Medical Drama URGENT CARE (November Release)
 

The third book in CJ Lyons’s fast-paced and thrilling medical drama series, following the lives (and loves) of four women in Pittsburgh’s Angels of Mercy ER, as a killer stalks the halls of the hospital…
Living with lies means sleeping with fear…
Angels of Mercy ER charge nurse Nora Halloran has a secret. A secret she thinks is the reason why her ex- boyfriend, Seth Cochran, cheated on her and broke her heart.
Three years earlier, Nora was the victim of a brutal, degrading assault that she never reported. Determined to put it behind her, she buried the truth and pretended it never happened, preferring to deal with her fears and anxieties alone rather than reveal=2 0her weaknesses. After all, forcing back emotions and taking control are what Nora does best. But it all comes crashing down when her attacker strikes again, this time killing his victim-a coworker at the hospital and a woman whom Nora knew all too well as her replacement in Seth’s bed.
With the help of her friends and co-workers-Lydia Fiore, an ER Attending doctor with a secret from her own past to uncover; Gina Freeman, the once-cocky resident who’s suffering from PTSD after a shooting, and suddenly questioning all of her life choices; and Amanda Mason, the med student caught between her career and her conscience-Nora must face her greatest fears, reveal all her lies, and unmask her deepest secrets if she is to redeem herself, save the man she loves, and stop a monster before he kills again…
CJ Lyons is the national bestselling author of Lifelines. She writes for Penguin Jove Mass Market Paperback.

LIBRARY JOURNAL’S REVIEW OF TEARS OF PEARL by Tasha Alexander
(Sept. release, Minotaur)Reviewed: 2009-08-15
Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves are on their honeymoon tour, headed to Constantinople via the Orient Express. On the train, they assist Sir Richard St. Clare after he falls ill at dinner. In appreciation of their help, Sir Richard invites the couple to attend an opera at the sultan’s palace. As guests are leaving, the body of a harem girl is found. She’s identified as Sir Richard’s missing daughter, who was kidnapped by bandits over 20 years ago. Emily is determined to exhibit her sleuthing abilities and discover the truth, but is it worth the personal price she’ll pay? Because this is the fourth book in Alexander’s Victorian series (after “A Fatal Waltz”), characters have been well established, but their relationships and inner conflicts continue to develop in interesting ways. Curious facts about the Ottoman Empire, comparisons of women’s independence there and in England, and vivid descriptions of locations and objects add that little something extra. VERDICT The strong female lead and historically accurate details will please readers of Anne Perry, Laurie R. King, and Deanna Raybourn seeking a new fan-favorite author. [Library marketing campaign; see Prepub Mystery, "LJ" 5/1/09.]Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Tasha Alexander’s TEARS OF PEARL (Sept. release, Minotaur)

The Award-Winning Lady Emily Series Continues

Looking forward to the joys of connubial bliss, newlyweds Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves set out toward Constantinople for an exotic honeymoon. But on their first night in the city, a harem girl is found murdered—strangled in the courtyard of the Sultan’s lavish Topkapi Palace. Sir Richard St. Clare, an Englishman who works at the embassy in Constantinople, is present at the murder site and recognizes the girl as his own daughter who was kidnapped twenty years earlier. Emily and Colin pr omise the heartbroken father they’ll find her killer.

          As a woman, Emily is given access to the forbidden world of the harem and quickly discovers that it’s mysterious, sheltered walls offer no protection from a ruthless murderer. Soon, the Valide (mother to the Sultan) is found strangled with a silken bowstring and the head Eunuch, a scheming and powerful harem guard, is brutally killed. 

         Emily finds herself drawn into the dark intrigues of the Seraglio, among them trying to help a harem girl escape – a crime punishable by death.  But the kille r strikes again, kidnapping a concubine and threatening to kill her unless Emily agrees to meet him in secret.  She cannot wait for Colin or the authorities to save her and agrees to a rendezvous in the shadowy Basilica Cistern, a cavernous, echoing underground reservoir from which a victim’s screams would never be heard. In a heart-stopping finale, Emily must rely on her own sharp wits if she is to stop a killer bent on taking revenge no matter how many innocent lives he leaves in his wake.

Breast Cancer Survivor Gail Konop Baker on Training for Chicago Marathon Events

Q–What events are you running in Chicago and when are they?

Gail–I am training for the Chicago Marathon on October 11th. I also plan to run the Chicago Rock and Roll Half Marathon on August 2nd.

Q–How often do you run and train a week and what does it involve?

Gail–I run 4 days a week but work out every day. On Mondays I run 6 miles. On Tuesdays I cross train which usually involves hot yoga (I’m also a yoga fanatic) and now I’m adding cycling. Wednesdays I run 10 miles. Thursdays is Track Day meaning speed or interval training that might be 45 minutes to an hour of short timed runs with recovery time in between or hill repeats. I did hills today and ran 14 1.20-minute steep uphills using the downhill for recovery. Friday is another cross train day like Tuesdays. Will probably do yoga tomorrow and bike all=2 0my errands. Saturday is my long run day. I’m up to 11 miles this week but every week I will add 2 miles until I reach 22. Sunday is another cross train day when I usually do yoga and hike with my husband and the dogs.

Q–How has time speed training helped and how long have you been doing it?

Gail–I started the speed training about 4 weeks ago (in May) and I love it! It makes me feel stronger and faster and it gives me an amazing endorphin rush that lasts for hours. I told my husband I love it so much I wish I’d been on the track team in high school (even though I didn’t run then nor was I very athletic). Then I asked him if there was a track team for 40 something women… He sort of rolled his eyes… I think he thinks I’m getting a little compulsive about my training…

Q–Were you a runner before you had cancer?

Gail–Yes. I started running after the birth of my third child. I was 37 and I’d had an emergency c-section and lost a lot of blood and was very weak. I’d sit on the couch nursing my son and watching people run up the hill that ran next to my house and I thought, I want to run. I want to be a runner. As soon as I had my strength back, I started jogging. Slowly with a lot of walking in between. It took me a about a year to work my way up to 3-4 mile runs. Then about 7 years ago I started running with a woman who had a reputation as the neighborhood athlete and I asked if she wanted=2 0to run together (I guess I was looking for another challenge!). At first I could barely keep up but eventually she pushed me to run longer faster and harder than I ever had or thought I was capable of. She also got me into racing. I ran my first 10k with her and also my two half marathons.

Q–How did cancer change your running ritual?

Gail–While I was recovering from surgery I didn’t feel like running. Didn’t really feel like a runner. But I knew my kids thought of me that way. My son had always bragged to his friends, “My mom is an athlete. She can run up all the hills in the neighborhood.” And even though I didn’t feel like running at all, I forced myself in order to prove to him and my daughters (and myself) that I was strong and would be not only survive but thrive. So maybe 6 weeks after surgery, I started training for my first half marathon at the urging of the friend I mentioned. The following year I ran another half with my two teen-aged daughters. Now I’m training for my first full. And feeling stronger and healthier than ever!

Q–How did you perform in the recent Madison, Wisc. Race For The Cure 5K?

Gail–Better than I expected. My time was 24.21…9th in my age group (and I’m at the very high end of my age group!!). So I was very happy about that but as soon as I crossed the finish line, I also came up with a million reasons I could have been faster and strategies for shaving off a few minutes from my next race. I say I’m not competitive and don’t care about my race times… but I’m lying…

Q–How big a role does your diet play in your training?

Gail–I’ve always been very careful about my diet… not that I diet. I don’t believe in dieting. I love food and eating and cooking and the ritual of sharing of meals too much to diet, but I do believe in making healthy choices and that includes mostly organic and lots of fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains (and red wine and chocolate of course!). Since I started training for the marathon, I’ve had to be careful about what I eat before my longer runs and before races and that’s something I’m still perfecting through trial and error. I’m learning for me, less is more. I run best if the night before a long run or race I eat an early dinner and no wine and hydrate with a watered down sports drink (an all natural one) and in the morning eat a banana and drink a cup or two of coffee about two hours before I run and keep hydrating. If the run lasts longer than an hour, I’ll eat some Gu (special kind of gross tasting energy packs designed for endurance athletes) and electrolyte water or watered down sports drink every 15-20 minutes depending on the heat and humidity. And after a hard long run I try to eat something within 30 minutes since that helps your muscles recover for the next run and it also burns at a much higher rate so it’s almost like calorie free food. Gotta love that!–

Gail Konop BakerAuthor of CANCER IS A BITCH: Or, I’d Rather be Having a Midlife Crisis

“…smart, funny, hopeful… I loved this book: Read it!” –Sara Gruen, author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

   www.gailkonopbaker.com

RED, WHITE & DEAD

August 2009
An Izzy McNeil Mystery
“A few short months before, I’d juggled three men in my life, and then suddenly there were none. Today, one was staging a comeback, and I wasn’t sure what to do about that. In the meantime I was free to date whoever I wanted. Even a ranking member of the mafia as part of a part-time job.”RED WHITE & DEAD (MIRA Books, August 2008, $7.99 U.S./$8.99 CAN.) is the final book in a new back-to-back-to-back trilogy from critically acclaimed author Laura Caldwell that includes RED HOT LIES (June 2009) and RED BLOODED MURDER (July 2009).Izzy McNeil is hot on the trail of one of Chicago’s most notorious gangsters. Not that he realizes the crimson-tressed enchantress, a self-proclaimed “lapsed lawyer,” is moonlighting as a private investigator. But when an unexpected run-in trashes Izzy’s cover, she’s swept into an evil underworld where she is definitely not safe. That is until Izzy receives help from an unlikely source: the ultimate guardian angel. And the last person she ever dreamed she’d see again. Now Izzy is racing from Chicago to Rome, all the while battling personal demons, Mafiosi killers and red-hot emergency desires.As a Chicago resident and former trial attorney Caldwell brings her vast knowledge of the city’s unique character and the legal system to the pages of her mystery trilogy that continues to gain wide acclaim. In describing the trilogy debut, RED HOT LIES, Publishes Weekly said “Former trial attorney Laura Caldwell launches a mystery series that weaves the emotional appeal of her chic lit titles with the blinding speed of her thrillers…(a) headlong chase…readers will be left looking forward to another heart-pounding ride on Izzy’s silver Vespa.”RED WHITE & DEAD is available August 1st wherever books are sold and at www.MIRABooks.com.

RED WHITE & DEADLAURA CALDWELL$7.99 U.S./$8.99 CAN.ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2666-3

A blog post on the recent passing of author Paul Hemphill.

http://bookpage.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/the-moon-just-went-behind-a-cloud/

(A September release from St. Martin’s Minotaur)

Q–In Tears of Pearl we find Lady Emily and Colin now married. Who changes the most?

A–They’re both steady individuals, and wouldn’t have gotten married if they thought it would change them. It took a lot to persuade Emily to get married again–she’s not about to give up freedom for a husband and isn’t willing to compromise herself, a position that can be difficult for a Victorian woman. Any tension between them comes from the dangers inherent in the investigative work they do. But in TEARS OF PEARL, they’ve just embarked on their honeymoon–they’re happy and romantic and not planning on getting embroiled in intrigue. The best laid plans….

Q–This is the fourth book in the Lady Emily Ashton series. As a writer was it more challenging to grow the lead characters and how did you work with growing them?

A–Characters grow as you write them–it’s what keeps the work interesting. And it happens naturally. The longer you’re friends with someone, the better you know her—the same is true with characters. Put them in more situations, you learn more about them.

Q–How did your trip to Turkey impact your writing of this book?

A–Going to Istanbul was absolutely essential to writing TEARS OF PEARL. The city is so very different from what we’re used to in the west–it would be impossible to adequately capture it without experiencing it firsthand. Maps and pictures can tell you where things are and what they look like, but cannot give you a feel for the atmosphere. 

Q–This is your first book with St. Martin’s Minotaur. Can you touch on the transitioning process of working with a new editor on your fourth installment of the series?

A–Leaving HarperCollins was a very difficult decision–and one I thought about carefully. I loved working with everyone there, but I’m beyond excited at the direction Minotaur is taking me. My editor, Charlie Spicer, is a dream to work with, and Andy Martin has a focused vision that makes him an amazing publisher. 

Q–If you could give a piece of advice to a debut novelist about development of lead character for a series what would it be?

A–Don’t write yourself into a corner–leave as many options open as you can. You don’t want to limit yourself. It’s impossible to predict while writing Book One where you’re going to want to take your protagonist in Book Five. I made Emily young (but was vague about her age) and keep the time that elapses between books to a minimum because I don’t want to all of a sudden realize she’s ten years older than I was imagining her.

Jennie Bentley

D-I-Y Mystery Author Returns With SPACKLED and SPOOKED In August 

Author Jennie Bentley, the fresh,  new voice of Do-It-Yourself mysteries, returns in early August with the second book of the Avery Baker series when SPACKLED and SPOOKED (Berkley Prime Crime, $6.99) hits the bookstores. It promises to pick up where last year’s successful Bentley debut (Fatal fixer-upper) left off.

In SPACKLED and SPOOKED: “Home renovation is never easy, especially when the home’s inhabitants are dead. Avery’s hunky boyfriend and business partner, Derek Ellis, wants to flip a seriously stigmatized ranch house where murder occurred two decades ago. It’s a good thing Avery has more faith in her boyfriend than in ghosts.Their renovations are quickly interrupted when a presence is felt–and it’s not happy with the new alterations. Could it really be that the property is possessed? If they’re going to flip this house, all the outdated fixtures—including the supernatural squatters—must be disposed of, or else this project will haunt them forever…”

Once again Bentley’s story takes place in the fictional town of Waterfield, Maine. And like her debut novel of last fall, SPACKLED and SPOOKED will include home renovation tips in the back. 

“I’m really excited about this second book in the series because now the readers will see Avery begin to grow as a character,” said Bentley. “She will mellow, somewhat, although not totally or she wouldn’t be Avery. But she starts to gain confidence in her career of renovating, until another murder throws a wrench into things for her and Derek.”

The renovation tips in the back of this book focus on updating bathrooms. Bentley is no stranger to home renovations. She and her husband, who reside in Nashville, TN., have renovated 9 homes. So she was a logical choice to write this D-I-Y series.  Bentley’s Fatal fixer-upper enjoyed great praise from reviewers and wide acceptance from readers of this new mystery genre.  Romantic Times called Fatal fixer upper “…a first-rate mystery and a frightening surprise ending.” Nashville Scene said Bentley’s debut was “a cozy whodunit with many elements familiar to fans of Agatha Christie or Murder She Wrote.” The Nashville Tennessean called Fatal fixer-upper “an ingenuously plotted murder mystery…”, while the Bangor Daily News proclaimed “…there’s a new contender in the do-it-yourself home renovation mystery field.” The third book in the series, Plaster and Poison, will be released next spring.

Media Contact: Tom Robinson www.authorandbookmedia.com 615-794-2998 tcr811@aol.com 

RED-BLOODED LUST LEADS TO COLD-BLOODED MURDER

IN THE SECOND BOOK OF NEW MYSTERY TRILOGY!

By Critically Acclaimed Author and Law Professor 

Laura Caldwell

RED BLOODED MURDER

July 2009

An Izzy McNeil Mystery

“Red Blooded Murder Aims for the sweet spot between tough and tender, between thrills andthought – and hits the bull’s-eye. A terrific novel.”

–Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author

RED BLOODED MURDER (MIRA Books, July 2008, $7.99 U.S./$8.99 CAN.) is the second book in a new back-to-back-to-back trilogy from critically acclaimed author Laura Caldwell that includes RED HOT LIES (June 2009) and  RED, WHITE & DEAD (August 2009).

Chicago is the Windy City, and these days the winds of change are whipping Izzy McNeil’s life all over the map. A high-profile job on Trial TV lands her in the hot seat. After a shocking end to her engagement, she finds herself juggling not only her ex-fiancé, but a guy she never expected.  And a moonlighting undercover gig has her digging deep into worlds she barely knew existed.But all of this takes a backseat when Izzy’s friend winds up brutally murdered.  Suddenly, Izzy must balance the demands of a voracious media and the knowledge that she didn’t know her friend as well as she thought.

As a Chicago resident and former trial attorney Caldwell brings her vast knowledge of the city’s unique character and the legal system to the pages of her mystery trilogy that is gaining wide acclaim and praise.  In describing the trilogy debut, RED HOT LIES, Publishers Weekly said “Former trial attorney Laura Caldwell launches a mystery series that weaves the emotional appeal of her chick lit titles with the blinding speed of her thrillers…(a) headlong chase…readers will be left looking forward to another heart-pounding ride on Izzy’s silver Vespa.”

RED BLOODED MURDER is available July 1 wherever books are sold and at www.MIRABooks.com.

RED BLOODED MURDER

LAURA CALDWELL

$7.99 U.S./$8.99 CAN.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2658-8 

PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF LAURA CALDWELL:

Red Hot Lies                                                                                                                                

“Red Hot Lies is a wonderfully plotted story, smoothly crafted, filled with striking characters and great narrative.  Caldwell slips seamlessly between voices to deliver an emotional roller coaster of a thriller.  A legal lioness – Caldwell has written a gripping edge-of-the-seat thriller that will not disappoint.”

–Steve Martini, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow of Power and Compelling Evidence

“Laura Caldwell writes remarkable, sexy, razor-edged thrillers that race to the finish and yet always make you stop to think. Chicago is brilliantly illuminated in Red Hot Lies, a book bursting with scandals and secrets. The Izzy McNeil trilogy [is] a riveting must-read.”

 –David Ellis, Edgar Award winning author of Line of Vision and Eye of the Beholder

“Caldwell’s writing is always smart, sassy, and sexy, with more suspense than a celebrity murder trial. In Red Hot Lies, her prose burns up the page, and you’ll be still reading waaaaay past your bedtime. Highly recommended!”

 – JA Konrath, author of the Lt. Jacqueline Daniels thrillers

Red Blooded Murder

“Take Izzy McNeil to bed tonight.  You won’t get much sleep, but you’ll spend tomorrow smiling.  At once a novel of sexual politics and an intricate thriller, Red Blooded is smoking hot and impossible to put down.”

– Marcus Sakey, author of Good People and The Blade Itself

“This is a Red Blooded thriller that keeps you turning the pages. But there’s more –  the wonderful surprise is that these characters will matter to you. You feel for them and fear for them and that’s a serious achievement. Caldwell’s writing is at the top of her game and just about everyone else’s in this compelling novel that I dare you to put down!”

– International Bestseller, M.J. Rose, author of The Memoirist

“Laura Caldwell’s Red Blooded is a smart, stylish, and sexy thriller. Picking up in Chicago where Sex and the City left off in New York, the series features a fearless but appealing protagonist who will earn your respect as well as your heart. Caldwell’s smooth prose sparkles with wit and sophistication.”

- Libby Fischer Hellmann, author of Easy Innocence and the Ellie Foreman series

The Good Liar

“Laura Caldwell’s The Good Liar strikes like an assassin’s bullet:  sudden, swift, precise, deadly.  Here is a taut international thriller certain to keep readers breathless and awake until the wee hours of the morning.  Not to be missed.”

– New York Times bestselling author, James Rollins

“In the field of mystery, women are excelling in all branches of the genre, from forensics to private eyes to kick-ass heroines to police procedurals.  But we haven’t had a top notch female thriller writer.  Until now.  Laura Caldwell’s, The Good Liar is a massive achievement, in one novel, launching a woman right up there with the top thriller writers around.”

–International bestselling author, Ken Bruen

“Red Hot. Laura Caldwell’s latest is an international thriller that just may put her in position to compete with the big boys… A good read, with interesting characters and short, fast-paced chapters that keep the action moving.  Caldwell writes with as much authority in the Vietnam chapters as she does in the Chicago chapters.”

-Chicago Sun-Times 

The Rome Affair

 “This is [Caldwell’s] most exciting book yet, with a plot that begins with an extramarital affair and develops into a tale of betrayal that makes an affair seem like the least of one’s worries. It’s a summer must-read.”  

–Chicago Sun-Times 

Look Closely                                                                                                                      

“Riveting.  Laura Caldwell has weaved a haunting story of suspense and family secrets.  If you pick up Look Closely, you won’t want to put it down.”                                                                     

–New York Times bestselling author, Mary Jane Clark

The Night I Got Lucky

“Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive…writers around, and her latest features a likable heroine in an unusual situation and ends with a clever resolution.”

–Booklist 

The Year of Living Famously

“Caldwell’s snazzy, gripping third novel gives readers an exciting taste of life in the fast lane, exposing the truth behind the fairy tale.”

–Booklist 

A Clean Slate

“A Clean Slate is Laura Caldwell’s page-turner about a woman with a chance to reinvent herself, something most of us have imagined from time to time.”

–Chicago Tribune 

Burning the Map

“This debut novel from Laura Caldwell won us over with its exotic locales (Rome and Greece), strong portrayal of the bonds between girlfriends, cast of sexy foreign guys and, most of all, its touching story of a young woman at a crossroads in her life.”  

–Barnes & Noble.com on Burning the Map, selected as one of “The Best of 2002”