September 2008
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....

And when you can look at yourself in a fitting room mirror and like what you see, you've passed the ultimate test!

I was in a Lane Bryant store Saturday night, trying on jeans for an upcoming event that I will talk more about later. Now we all know that those fitting room mirrors are not flattering for some reason. But the one in my dressing room seemed especially "out of sorts."

The dressing room was large enough and comfortable, but as I sat down to put on the jeans, I looked across at the mirror and almost got the giggles. I looked so large and so close to myself that it looked like I was sitting my own lap!

But not once did I think anything negative about myself.

Later, after picking out two pair of jeans that I liked, I spoke with the manager of the store about me having a "Love Your Body" day at the store with my books.

She said how much we need things like that because of the low self-esteem of so many people. Not knowing how aware of the problem I am, she added, "You wouldn't believe the things I hear people say about themselves when they're in those fitting rooms."

I was thinking later how easy it would have been for me to start picking myself apart in front of that mirror. And in my "old days," I would have done just that. In fact, I probably would have walked out and not bought anything.

So the next time you're trying on clothes, and you know the mirror has been fed steroids to make you look larger than you are, don't―I repeat, DON'T―stand there and find fault with yourself. Whether out loud or just thinking it.

Ask yourself, "Does the garment fit? Do I like the style, color, etc.?" If the answer is "yes," then take the garment home with you. You can see it in your "normal" mirror.

If you have to say anything, at all, just say, "Stupid mirror!" as you walk out.

A Word From Pat

I apologize for the newsletter being late this month, but a couple of things set it back a few days.

I hope everyone had a good August. Mine was busy trying to promote my new book, 10 Steps To Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are), plus I worked for a week and a half at the office where I fill in sometimes.

At the end of August, thanks to a lead from my publisher, Peggy, I got involved in a "piece" that First magazine is doing on "body appreciation" and comebacks that participants have used to people who tried to put them down because of their weight. I could only remember that happening to me on one occasion, so I sent that example in. I really wasn't expecting to hear back from them, but I did.

I've answered some interview questions, and sometime during this week I'll do a photo shoot. First is sending me three tops to wear at the shoot, and they'll have a hairdresser and makeup artist there to "fix me up." I'm a little skeptical of the hair and makeup, since I'm pretty persnickety about my hair and makeup in the first place. But I'll try to keep an open mind.

I'm very excited about this opportunity. First magazine is one of the worst about featuring weird, extreme diets. So I'm encouraged to see them giving credit to the "other side" for a change.

Everyone have a wonderful September. One of my favorite months is next. OCTOBER! YES!

                                                     Love,

                                                                    Pat

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

New from Pearlsong Press:
Pat's first nonfiction book,
10 Steps to Loving Your Body
(No Matter What Size You Are)

As a young woman Pat Ballard almost died trying to starve her body into a societally approved size. In 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are) she shares the steps she created―and took―to heal the damage of years of dieting. Join her in celebrating size diversity, self esteem, positive body image, and health at every size.

Your body is a unique work of art.
There never has been, nor will there ever be,
another body just like yours.
Learn to love it and it will love you back.

More info at the Pearlsong Press website. (All copies of 10 Steps purchased from the Pearlsong Press website are autographed by Pat.)

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

BETTER TO BE FAT AND FIT THAN SKINNY AND UNFIT
By Tara Parker-Pope

Last week a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine compared weight and cardiovascular risk factors among a representative sample of more than 5,400 adults. The data suggest that half of overweight people and one-third of obese people are “metabolically healthy.” That means that despite their excess pounds, many overweight and obese adults have healthy levels of “good” cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and other risks for heart disease.

At the same time, about one out of four slim people—those who fall into the “healthy” weight range—actually have at least two cardiovascular risk factors typically associated with obesity, the study showed.

To be sure, being overweight or obese is linked with numerous health problems, and even in the most recent research, obese people were more likely to have two or more cardiovascular risk factors than slim people. But researchers say it is the proportion of overweight and obese people who are metabolically healthy that is so surprising....

Read the article here
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/health/19well.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
 

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. 

The following review of 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are) was posted on the Amazon.com website by Susan Schulherr, author of Eating Disorders for Dummies.

If you're a woman, odds are you're not happy with your body. You probably can't remember when you weren't at war with your belly or your thighs. (Men are beginning to catch up with their own versions of body discontent.) Western culture provides you with a steady stream of images and advice about an often unattainable "right" way to look, feeding your feelings that you just aren't acceptable as you are.

Enter Pat Ballard with 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are) to supply a badly needed alternative voice! Ballard's easy-to-read, easy-to-use volume is like having your own personal coach and cheerleader for ending the warfare and making peace with the body you have. She's out in front to show you the way, behind you to nudge you forward, and beside you offering support and encouragement for every step (all 10!) of your journey. She accomplishes this with guidelines (" . . . our bodies know what they want to look like"), worksheets to practice new ways of thinking and behaving (". . .look for 10 good things about [your] body and try to develop them"), and the greatest collection of inspirational quotes for body-love and general self-respect you're likely to find anywhere (for example, from Gloria Steinem, "Each individual woman's body demands to be accepted on it's own terms." Or, from an unknown author, "It's not who you are that holds you back; it's who you think you're not.")

10 Steps is your body's best friend in pocket form. I'm delighted to have it on hand to recommend―personally and professionally―to anyone struggling with body image and the inkling that it's better to embrace than fight the one-and-only body you have.
 

Read a interview with Pat at The F-word (Food. Fat. Feminism.) blog.

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 (and first nonfiction) book, 10 Steps to Loving Your Body (No Matter What Size You Are).

See http://www.pearlsong.com/10steps.htm to order. All copies purchased directly from the Pearlsong Press website will be autographed by the author.

See Pat at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, TN the second weekend in October! She will be in the Pearlsong Press booth with publisher Peggy Elam, Ph.D. and author Bunkie Lynn. Pat, Peggy & Bunkie are on the festival schedule Friday afternoon (Oct. 10, 2008) at 3:30 p.m. for the joint presentation "Tell Me Why I Should Love My Body!"

Hear―and see―Pat on the air at Radio Free Nashville! Listen to or download the mp3 recording of Pat's June 23, 2008 guest appearance on the Health At Every Size show with Dr. Peggy Elam on WRFN Radio Free Nashville by going to http://www.healthateverysize.info/2008/06/june-23-2008-he.html.

Pat regularly guests on Radio Free Nashville's Health At Every Size show, which airs every Monday morning. She's usually in the studio on the fourth Monday of the month. The show is streamed live over the Internet 10-11 a.m. CST Mondays. You can also now subscribe to the podcast of the show (automatically receive the mp3 recordings of the weekly shows on your computer, iPod or mp3 player) via iTunes. Click on the "subscribe in a reader" button/link in the upper lefthand column, and select "Add to iTunes" or the podcatcher of your choice.

Listen to the live broadcasts over the Internet at http://www.radiofreenashville.org/. You can also listen to the live broadcasts through your telephone via UPSNAP.COM.  See the Health At Every Size show website or the Radio Free Nashville website for details. Davidson County, Tennessee residents can also hear the show live through the Secondary Audio Programming of Comcast cable's Channel 10.

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, including several with Pat, at www.pearlsong.com/audio.htm.

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

Top 100 Women Sites (http://www.top100womensites.com/contest.htm) has been purchased by someone who is in the process of changing the site a little. I'm not sure if he is going to continue featuring the book contest.

I'll keep you informed.
 

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

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