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Dancing With the Stars Season 13 Cast Announced

Alrighty all you dancing divas, it’s time to bust out the glitter and spray tans once again. That’s right, the next cast of Dancing With the Stars has finally been revealed, and it’s shaping up to be an interesting season. Here are the mirror ball hopefuls:
Chaz Bono- 42, LGBT activist and Cher’s….son
David Arquette- 39, actor and Courteney Cox’s husband (though the couple are currently separated)
Kristin Cavallari- 24, reality star and jilted fiancée of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler
Rob Kardashian- 24, reality star….and a Kardashian
Carson Kressley- 41, fashion guru and….
Ron Artest- 31, LA Laker player, currently trying to change his name to Metta World Peace (no joke)
Elisabetta Canalis-32, um….George Clooney’s ex girlfriend, also a model and actress
Chynna Philips- 43, singer-actress, husband Billy Baldwin is a DWTS alum
Nancy Grace- 51, TV host and quite opinioned former prosecutor
JR Martinez- 28, Soap opera star and veteran who was hit with a land mine in the Iraq War in 2003
Hope Solo- 30, US Women’s Soccer goalie, had an amazing save against Brazil that shot her to stardom
What do you think about the new cast? Who are some of your favorites to walk away as the winner? The pairings will be announced on Good Morning America tomorrow, and Season 13 will kick off on September 19th.

Alrighty all you dancing divas, it’s time to bust out the glitter and spray tans once again. That’s right, the next cast of Dancing With the Stars has finally been revealed, and it’s shaping up to be an interesting season. Here are the mirror ball hopefuls:
Chaz Bono- 42, LGBT activist and Cher’s….son
David Arquette- 39, actor and Courteney Cox’s husband (though the couple are currently separated)
Kristin Cavallari- 24, reality star and jilted fiancée of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler
Rob Kardashian- 24, reality star….and a Kardashian
Carson Kressley- 41, fashion guru and….
Ron Artest- 31, LA Laker player, currently trying to change his name to Metta World Peace (no joke)
Elisabetta Canalis-32, um….George Clooney’s ex girlfriend, also a model and actress
Chynna Philips- 43, singer-actress, husband Billy Baldwin is a DWTS alum
Nancy Grace- 51, TV host and quite opinioned former prosecutor
JR Martinez- 28, Soap opera star and veteran who was hit with a land mine in the Iraq War in 2003
Hope Solo- 30, US Women’s Soccer goalie, had an amazing save against Brazil that shot her to stardom
What do you think about the new cast? Who are some of your favorites to walk away as the winner? The pairings will be announced on Good Morning America tomorrow, and Season 13 will kick off on September 19th.

Celebrity Rant: Kelly Osbourne on Kate Middleton

I don’t usually take to my blog to vent about celebrities, but this article really had me stewing. I gave it a few weeks to see if I would become less angry, but…I’m still pretty angry when I think about it. Kelly Osbourne, who I have always been a big fan of, slammed Kate Middleton aka Duchess of Cambridge for Kate’s repeated use of, well, repeating outfits. The Duchess has often been photographed wearing the same labels and even the same articles of clothing. Oh the shock and horror. When Osbourne, who cohost the E! show Fashion Police, appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno earlier in the month, she took a stab at Middleton, saying, “In England they’re like, ‘Look how thrifty she’s being, showing the British public that the Royals are in a recession as well.’ Only in this country they call it a faux pas. I’m sorry, but if I had that job I would only wear it once. If I am going to be the future bloody Queen of England I’m going to wear that dress once because I’m giving up the rest of my life, all of my privacy. At least I can get a new dress every day!”

I kept digging deep to figure out why these statements bothered me so much. And I think it’s because I’m increasingly bothered by celebrities in general in our society. The USA was plummeted into a recession, is very well heading towards another one, have had horrible natural disasters strike, like the devastating tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, yet we “normal” folk have to watch the news about how celebrities spend their money. And talk about frivolous. It wasn’t too long after the Joplin tornado that Kim Kardashian received at 20.5 carat ring from Kris Humphries. I’ve read about Rachel Zoe spending $87,000 on her baby’s nursery. And then to read about reality TV stars such as the Jersey Shore cast and Kate Gosselin and the ridiculous amounts of money they pull in and spend all on themselves. It’s a little sickening. Maybe people like me look up to someone like Kate Middleton, who doesn’t let that fact the she is now royalty and can have anything she wants go to her head. Maybe we appreciate a real role model who we know we won’t see in a sex tape or doing cartwheels while wearing no panties while out wasted a bar some night. Does anyone else agree with me here? I’m just getting tired of seeing celebs feel the need to have three houses, ten cars, closets full of clothes they never wear, etc., while so much of the country struggles. Do I think celebrities are to blame or should single handily fix us? No, of course not. But I wish people that are more privileged than most could understand that not everyone lives their lavish lives. I personally appreciate Kate Middleton and what she stands for. The more you read about celebrities, politicians, athletes, and anyone else with a large bank account and have a media presence, you see they mostly care about themselves. Greed, lust, sloth, wrath, envy…anyone catching the Seven Deadly Sins here when it comes to them? And again, to make sure I’m not offending everyone with the title “celebrity” attached to them- I don’t mean all of them. There are certainly celebrities like the Jolie-Pitts, George Clooney, Matt Damon, etc. that are constantly in the news because they are giving back in some way or another. Even Drew Barrymore and Hayden Panettiere are making headlines for their charitable donations. Is it possible to be rich and famous without being a snob and inconsiderate? Yes. Is it possible to be royalty and still have a solid head on your shoulders? Yes. Thank you Kate Middleton for wearing the same outfits and showing that just because you’re famous doesn’t have to mean you’re out of touch with the rest of the world and have to succumb to the pressures that are placed on you. And shame on you Kelly Osbourne for calling her out because of it. I think we need more Kate Middleton’s for children and young people- and heck, even myself- to look up to. Who else is your ten year old daughter seeing on the TV- Snooki and OctoMom? What a frightening thought.

A Proper Charlie by Louise Wise

Charlie Wallis is hoping to luck out and finally land her dream job as a journalist, and lucky for her, best friend Melvin secured her a position at the London Core- a British tabloid newspaper. But not as a journalist, oh no, Charlie is simply the “clerk,” running mundane tasks for others in the office. But when the Core is bought out by Donald Middleton, things around the office begin to change. For starters, Donald’s son is brought in as the corporate manager, and Charlie is immediately gob smacked by him. Handsome, charismatic, rich, but Ben is dealing with some very personal issues. He has just lost his mother, his father is ill, and his sister cannot be found after a very hard family discovery. Charlie and Ben are brought together in the oddest way- both trying to track down the “Gentleman Abductor,” a kidnapper that is targeting prostitutes. But while they don’t realize they are both on the case-Ben searching for his sister and Charlie in hopes of being able to write an article on the kidnappings- their wires get crossed. Soon, Ben thinks Charlie is a prostitute, and Charlie thinks Ben is the Gentleman Abductor! While their budding romance has taken enough hits- Ben being from a well to do family, Charlie being an orphan from the opposite end of the totem pole is the biggest issue- now this latest development causes even more strife. Can Charlie and Ben find love together?
I had a lot of fun reading A Proper Charlie by Louise Wise. It almost reminds me of Prince William/Kate Middleton, with the backgrounds being so different yet they are obviously in love. Charlie is so likeable, sometimes a little dense, especially when it comes to her boyfriend/ex-boyfriend, Andy. There is one hilarious sex scene in the book with Charlie and Andy that absolutely had me cracking up! I like that the book focused so much on Ben and his family issues- and there are a lot of them! I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book, trying to hunt down the Gentleman Abductor and also Ben trying to locate his sister. There were times where I really didn’t like Melvin’s character, who was Charlie’s best friend and foster home comrade. He seemed really down on Charlie all the time, about her dreams of being a journalist and about falling in love with Ben. And when it came to Andy and his disgusting self-absorbed attitude, I really didn’t understand how Charlie could be so naïve to look past it all. Luckily, she gets to redeem herself in the end with that situation. Overall, I really liked this book and thought it was super funny- chick lit fans are sure to love!
[Rating: 4]

Beyonce is Pregnant!

Well, this news just excites me- Beyonce is pregnant! The dynamite pop diva, 29, showed off her baby bump at the MTV Video Music awards, teasingly saying, “I have a surprise!” This will be the first child for Beyonce and husband Jay-Z , 41, who have been married for three years. No word was given on a due date. What do you think about this breaking baby news?

Future Tour: Our Eyes Met Over Cantaloupe by Anne McAneny

Anne will be on tour October 17- November 7 with her novel Our Eyes Met Over Cantaloupe A wedding order at The Secret Lives of…

In My Mailbox: Week of August 28

In My Mailbox: Week of August 28, 2011

Title: Until Again
Author: Lou Aronica
Received: From Lou Aronica
Synopsis: Reviewers have called Lou Aronica’s novel BLUE “compelling,” “beautifully written,” “a story to remember and cherish,” and “one of those books that everyone should find a moment to read.” Readers have said it was “a great inspiration,” “I’ve never been more moved or inspired,” and “one of the best books I’ve read.” Now comes this prequel novella, a short work that provides the essential story behind the story. UNTIL AGAIN tells of a decidedly real-world event: the final weekend in the breakup of a marriage. For Chris Astor, the divorce is not something he wants, primarily because of the distance it will put between his ten-year-old daughter Becky and himself. Juxtaposed against this is a critical event in Tamarisk, the bedtime-story fantasy world that Chris and Becky created when Becky was much younger. Miea, the university-age princess of Tamarisk fears that her world has become a terribly dangerous place…but she could not possibly have imagined where that danger will lead her and the people she loves. These parallel stories converge, in a most unusual way, in a tale of change and new tomorrows. A powerful revelation for those who have read BLUE, and an emotionally charged introduction to these deeply relatable characters for those who haven’t, UNTIL AGAIN is a warm, engaging, and bittersweet work that promises to speak to your heart.

Title: The Divorce Club
Author: Jayde Scott
Received: From Jayde Scott
Synopsis: The Divorce Club’s personalized battle plan designed to suit your individual needs:

Put on weight and don’t shave your legs, or armpits, or any part of your body for that matter.
Don’t wash his clothes and cook rotten meals, preferably ones that’ll give him constant diarrhea.
Wear a thong with a mini dress and bend over in front of his friends, but only after gaining weight.

Don’t forget: if you’re moving, we’ll help you pack and unload. If he’s the one moving, we’ll help you throw his belongings out the window.

A bitter divorce from a two-timing husband leaves Sarah with no money to fend for her daughter, but she won’t be beaten, so she opens The Divorce Club, a meeting place for women who want to divorce their cheating husbands, but don’t know how.

Soon things start to go seriously wrong. A fake client and her rising interest in him isn’t Sarah’s only worry; there’s also the moody teenager, a stalker, and the club’s personalized battle plans that start to involve more than flashing a confident smile and running a 24/7 hotline.
When Sarah’s ex-husband moves in without her permission in the hope to patch things up, chaos seems complete.

Title: J’Adore New York
Author: Isabelle LaFleche
Received: From Book Sparks PR
Synopsis: Offered the chance to transfer to her law firm’s New York City office, stylish Parisian lawyer Catherine Lambert jumps at the opportunity—a fashion devotee with her finger on the pulse of style, she sets her sights on conquering Manhattan’s high-flying worlds of glamour, law, and love tout de suite. But soon, the non-stop New York minute filled with monster bosses, lecherous clients, and vindictive secretaries begins to take its toll. That is, until one handsome and powerful client begins to change her world for the better…only to throw it all into jeopardy with one surprising request. Perfect for fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Devil Wears Prada, and Sex in the City, Isabelle Lafleche’s breakout novel J’adore New York is a rollercoaster of struggle and romance from the city where dreams come true.

Merciless by Diana Palmer

I had a really difficult time getting into Merciless by Diana Palmer. The first two chapters sat well with me, but then it really went downhill from there. The two main characters, FBI agent Jon and single mom Joceline, are seemingly in love with one another but neither will admit it. When their lives are threatened and they are forced to hide out together, the two finally decide to be with one another and Joceline spills a big secret that is really pretty obvious from page one. The dialogue in the book really got me. The characters would constantly state the most obvious things, and the historical facts made it sound like they were reading out of a book. When the dialogue is discussing someone’s pregnancy and then the dialogue tag reads “she said, alluding to her pregnancy,” well, that is a little unnecessary. And maybe it’s just because I’m younger, but the old fashioned views that were constantly talked about seemed a bit overboard. In every chapter it’s mentioned that Joceline has a child out of wedlock and what a horrible person she is because of it. After the first few chapters I had trouble staying with the book, but the kicker was when (SPOILER-ISH ALERT) Joceline confides to Jon that Markie is his son. This happens right after Jon’s mother is shot and killed. What is the appropriate response? To have sex and really leave it at that. I was completely baffled. I can’t say I would recommend Merciless, but I have heard that Diana Palmer’s earlier works are said to be better.
[Rating: 2]

Guest Post on Health and Diet by Amanda Kidd

Foods to burn fat before a good night’s sleep Weight loss regimes succeed only when combined with balanced diet and regular exercise. The notion that…

Heather Hummel Blog Tour Sign Up

Whispers: The heart’s way of speaking…

Madison Ragnar is a high school English teacher determined to connect with her students, to finish the next running race with a respectable time, and to avoid ever falling in love again.

But life has other plans for Madison. A man named Michael shows himself in the most unexpected places, raising questions from her best friend, Olivia, and issues around Madison’s last relationship.

In the classroom, the death of a student prompts her grieving ninth graders to depend on her for answers. They turn to journal writing as a form of understanding the weight of what’s happened in the walls of their teenage existence.

When Madison meets Phil, who throws a wrench in her declaration to not fall in love, it seems that her escape through miles of running is the only real footing she has in life.

Will fate determine Madison’s life? Or will she have a say in its outcome?