June 2007
News, updates, & pronouncements from Pat Ballard,
the Queen of Rubenesque Romances

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. 
Eleanor Roosevelt

Something to think about....

The human brain, then, is the most complicated
organization of matter that we know.
Isaac Asimov

As I was getting ready to work on this newsletter, I was a little tired and sleepy from my morning's activities and having done some research on the computer, so I rested my head on the back of my chair and closed my eyes. Sure enough, I started to doze a little.

Just as I dozed off, I had a memory flash of a scene from my early childhood. It was so plain that my eyes popped open and for a few moments I felt as if I'd been in a time-travel capsule and had actually gone back in time for a few seconds.

For years, there was a small pile of dirt beside our house. After a year or two, a few weeds and sprigs of grass started to grow on the dirt pile. One of the weeds was a plant that has leaves that look like a mimosa tree leaf. I have no idea what the true name for the plant is, but I called them "sleeping plants" because the leaves closed at night, or when you touched them.

So when I closed my eyes and dozed off, I had a pure photo of a "sleeping plant" on the dirt pile, gently swaying in the breeze. When my eyes popped open, I could almost sense the rest of the house and land around me. Could almost smell the spring day in south Mississippi.

Where did that memory come from? I don't know if I've thought about that little pile of dirt since it was leveled and disappeared. And why did it just suddenly appear when I was somewhere between awake and asleep?

So that set me to thinking―Does our brain store everything that we've seen and experienced during our lifetime? Is it like a digital camera that keeps all of life's photos on file and every once in a while a photo/memory appears?

If so, wouldn't it be fun if we could "download" all our memory photos from our entire life? We could delete the ones we don't want to remember anymore, but could keep the ones we really like. Then our memories would be as plain and vivid as the one I just had, instead of being vague and cloudy.

But I guess if we could do that, most of us wouldn't get anything done. We'd just sit and look at "brain photos" all day.
 

A Word From Pat

I hope May has been good to all of us, and everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day.

I had a book signing on May 12th, and was pretty happy with the results. I sold 14 books and handed out around 100 pens and bookmarks. I'd like to thank Joanne Morgan (JodE) for being at Borders with me and helping me hand out pens and bookmarks and for bringing in customers! JodE is a wonderful person to have in your corner.

After the book signing, I kept my grandchildren, Shaun and Kayla, overnight. I have to say I was pretty worn out by the time we all went to bed. The next day, Mother's Day, my son Eric and daughter-in-law Tiffany came over and we "played" outside all day. At noon we got Mrs. Winner's Chicken dinners with a gallon of tea and had a picnic in our back yard. It was a beautiful day spring day and we all really enjoyed it.

I have to tell this story. It's a family joke that at our house the "dinner bell" is the smoke detector going off. I have a tendency to smoke up the place sometimes (translate that as most of the time) when I cook. So Eric brought me a "musical" Mother's Day card. On the outside it said, "Mom, how does breakfast in bed sound?" And when I opened it up a smoke detector alarm was going off. He and his dad just thought that was so cute!

This past weekend I planted some yellow and gold marigolds, a lantana (butterfly plant), a cinnamon basil herb and a bee balm herb. The kids also gave me flowers for Mother's Day and Joe planted them for me. So we're beginning to bloom around here!

I hope everyone has a fantastic June.

                                               Love,

                                                                    Pat

Visit Pat's Place at www.patballard.com | Write me at patballard@bellsouth.net
 

New from Pearlsong Press:
Pat's new Romantic Suspense novel,
The Best Man

Sparks fly the night Lana Clarke meets to plan her sister's wedding―and not just because curvaceous Lana announces she's stopped dieting and doesn't care if she's fat as maid of honor.

The strong-willed sister of the bride attracts the attention of the groom's devastatingly handsome best man, Anthony Angelino. But when the sparks become flames, Lana's in trouble.

Tony's first wife died mysteriously. Will Lana be next?


Read an excerpt online  | More info at the Pearlsong Press website.

Links About The Queen & Her Books

Pat's Place website
The Queen's Blog
About Pat Ballard
Dangerous Curves Ahead
The Best Man
Abigail's Revenge
Wanted: One Groom
Nobody's Perfect
His Brother's Child
A Worthy Heir
Pearlsong Press blog posts about Pat

Weighty Matters

Have you loved yourself today?

Have you done anything good for you today?

Have you thought a good thought about yourself today?

Or did you get up thinking some negative thought that left you drained and tired?

Did you take time to put on a little makeup, fluff your hair and think that you looked nice? Or did you stand in front of the mirror and criticize yourself for gaining another pound, or for not losing one?

Maybe you need to take a moment and go look at the reflection in the mirror. Really look at the person looking back at you.

Apologize to that person if you've mistreated her (or him) today, and promise her that you will do something good for her before the day is over. And that you will be more gentle with her tomorrow.

Just for tomorrow, you won't talk down to that person, make fun of her or think negative thoughts about her. And tomorrow, make her the same promise for the next day.

Soon that person looking back at you will be smiling at you. She (or he) will be thanking you with happy eyes that you're being better to her or him. And he or she will carry you through your day in a much better mood.
 

Reader Review of the Month

Editor's Note: We're now featuring reader reviews of Pat's books in The Queen's Proclamation. Post a review at an online bookstore, magazine, or public website and email us at proclamation @ pearlsong.com to let us know, and we'll consider yours for inclusion in The QP. 

This month's Reader Review of Wanted: One Groom was posted by Janeen on Amazon.com.

A must read for anyone looking for romance!

Excellent from cover to cover! I just couldn't put it down. To find romance....whether you are thick or thin is hard to do. Author Pat Ballard combines humor and sensuality in her tale of seeking true romance. A must read for anyone seeking a male suitor. You are an inspiration to romance writers across the globe! Keep up the good work :)
 

Communicate with Pat via her "Amazon Connect" blog on Amazon.com!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/blog/id/AC8LT66HFJQ1Y/ref=cm_blog_blog/102-0429066-5275365

Pat's romantic suspense novel Abigail's Revenge is featured on the Beautiful Portal website: http://www.beautifulportal.com/news.php?item.900034.8
and has been reviewed by AmaZe eMag: http://www.venusimaging.com/Magazine/2005/decjanrealistic/jennifer.htm

 An article on Pat has been posted at:
http://eastmanpublishing.com/epextra/articles/eparticle1007.htm.
And an EP Extra review of Abigail's Revenge is posted at
http://eastmanpublishing.com/epextra/articles/eparticle1011.htm 

Look for an interview with Pat on Lonnie Cruse's blog at
http://www.lonniecruse.blogspot.com.

Calendar of Events

New from Pearlsong Press—Pat's latest Romantic Suspense, The Best Man.

See http://www.pearlsong.com/thebestman.htm to order. Read an excerpt online at http://www.pearlsong.com/thebestmanexcerpt.htm.

Pat regularly guests on the Health At Every Size show with Dr. Peggy Elam on WRFN Radio Free Nashville. Check the show blog at http://www.healthateverysize.info for mentions of Pat's next guest appearance. The show is streamed live over the Internet 10-11 a.m. CST Mondays and now can also be listened to live over your phone via UPSNAP.COM.

Listen to or download the mp3 recording of Pat's April 23, 2007 guest spot on the show at http://www.pearlsong.com/audio/HAES04232007.mp3. (Right click on the link & "save as" to download.)

Listen to the live broadcasts over the Internet at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/.

To listen through your cell phone or any other phone (home, office, etc.), simply call 646-213-0005. After the prompt, enter the Radio Free Nashville code―9989―with your keypad. Listen and enjoy!

There is no charge for listening through your phone, and you don't have to register your phone with the service (as was necessary for the previous phone-streaming provider, Mobile Broadcast Network). Your usual long distance and/or cell phone charges will apply, however.

For more on the show, check out the show blog at http://www.healthateverysize.info. You can also listen to or download recordings of some of the shows at www.pearlsong.com/audio.htm.

Pat will spend the next few months promoting Abigail's Revenge. She's in the process of setting up booksignings with local Borders bookstores, and others.

You can still hear the taped radio shows from Size Matters with Veronica, WCRS Radio, on Pat's website.

Show #1 discusses Pat's romance novels
http://www.wcrsradio.org/RadioStage/size/SIZE051.mp3

Show #2 discusses women of size and their sexuality
http://www.wcrsradio.org/RadioStage/size/SIZE052.mp3

And check out the photos from the Nov. 6, 2004 Mississippi Authors Festival that are online at The Queen's Proclamation blog and The Pearlsong Letter blog. (Click on the Mississippi Authors Festival link under the "Photo Albums" heading in the lefthand column of either blog to view the photos.) While you're visiting, post a comment on the blog!
 

Give someone a good read as well as support in loving themselves.
Pat's books make great gifts!
 

Book Contest

Register to win a free copy of the Pat Ballard book of your choice at
Top 100 Women Sites: http://www.top100womensites.com/contest.htm.
 

Read previous issues of The Queen's Proclamation at http://www.pearlsong.com/newsletterarchives.htm.
 

The Queen's Proclamation is published by Pearlsong Press.
P.O. Box 58065 │ Nashville, TN  37205  │ www.pearlsong.com
©2007 Pearlsong Press