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Tosca’s Home Gym Makeover

Author — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:00:13 +0000

by Tosca Reno, author of Your Best Body Now (Harlequin Nonfiction)

Editor’s Note: For each New Year, New You post we’ve asked a Harlequin Nonfiction and fiction author to share their New Year’s resolution. For today’s post authors Tosca Reno and Rebecca Winters have shared theirs!

Tosca Reno’s resolution:

“New Year’s resolutions for me are critical to get the next 12 months on the right track. This year I will simply hit the RESET button on last year’s goals to cement my plan – avoid sugar, work out even if I only have 15 minutes, train at home, on the road and in the gym and remind myself at every turn to do it all over again the next day, BECAUSE IT FEELS SO DARNED GOOD – better than the chocolate chip cookie I was just about to eat.”

Rebecca Winters’ resolution:

“I’m going to send a card in the mail to my family members at least once a month they have to open, so they’ll know how much I love them. Take the time to travel to a new place I’ve never seen before within my own state of Utah. Imagine living here all my life and not having driven to Capitol Reef. I’ll have to do some walking. That’ll be good for the body. Instead of emailing a good friend to say we’ve got to get together soon, email her with a specific time and date to meet at a favorite lunch spot and go! Being with her will refresh my spirit.”

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Don’t forget to also renovate your fitness space and gym bag as part of your healthy new you makeover! Even though I love how exercise makes me feel, I’ve created a zone in my home and gym so it’s always easy to say yes to workouts. Everything is ready for me at any time, so all I need to bring is my best effort. Here are my workout tools that have given me my Best Body now – they can do the same for you.

A BENCH for inclines, bench press and countless exercises.

A SET OF DUMBBELLS ranging from 5 to 40 pounds. If you’re a beginner, you can begin with 2 to 3 pounds for arm exercises.

MEDICINE BALLS are perfect for abdominal moves. I have them in various sizes.

RESISTANCE BANDS are smart for travel.

A MAT inspires me to do my yoga moves, stretches and floor work.

WATER BOTTLES are always in my gym bag, tote and workout area.

MUSIC. nothing can get your game on faster than energetic, heart-pumping songs.

DREAMBOARD. This is a collage that represents your personal goals. One hangs in my space to remind me of my goals.

MOTIVATIONAL MANTRAS. Keep a few posted in full view so I can be inspired by them at a glance.

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New Year, New You, New Yummy Ingredient!

Author — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:01:18 +0000

by Sarah Matheny, author of Peas and Thank You (Harlequin Nonfiction)

Editor’s Note: For each New Year, New You post we’ve asked a Harlequin Nonfiction and fiction author to share their New Year’s resolution. For today’s post authors Sarah Methany and Shannon Stacey have shared theirs!

Sarah Matheny’s resolution:

“This New Year, I resolve to drink more water and less coffee, to read more books and not get sucked in by the new season of The Bachelor, and to find new ways to show others that eating a plant-based diet isn’t as kooky as they may think. Oh yes, and eat fewer cookies.”

Shannon Stacey’s resolution:

“When work and home occupy the same space, it can be very difficult to maintain a healthy balance between the two. My resolution for 2012 is to put the work away on Sundays, disconnect from the internet and not only give my family my undivided attention, but give myself a day to rest and refill the creative well.”

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Heard all about how tofu is a delicious meat alternative but afraid to cook with it yourself? Well buckle up, here’s your tofu crash course!

- FIRM OR EXTRA-FIRM TOFU: These varieties come in water and, when you order tofu at a restaurant, this is the kind of tofu you’ll get. If you drain and press this tofu, and then marinate it, you can grill it, bake it, sauté it, et cetera, just like meat. It has a dense, chewy texture, and personally, I love it.

- PRECOOKED TOFU: These are often offered in several flavors and have already been pressed, marinated and baked. While precooked tofu is often more expensive, and might have extra sodium, it can be a great alternative if you are in a pinch.

- SILKEN TOFU: This tofu has the moisture left in the soybean curd and isn’t pressed at all. It has a silky texture, hence the ingenious name of silken tofu. I like to use it in smoothies, puddings and other deserts, but it can also be used as a binding agent in cooking of baking. It is shelf stable and doesn’t have to be refrigerated.

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Fruit: The Ultimate Beauty Food

Author — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:00:26 +0000

by Kimberly Snyder, C.N., author of The Beauty Detox Solution (Harlequin Nonfiction)

Editor’s Note: For each New Year, New You post we’ve asked a Harlequin Nonfiction and fiction author to share their New Year’s resolution. For today’s post authors Kimberly Snyder and Maureen Child have shared theirs!

Kimberly Snyder’s resolution:

“I believe every day is an opportunity for all of us to create new patterns and accomplish our health and beauty goals. But New Year’s is a special time to refocus on what we want, and my personal resolution is to be more present while eating. It is easy to eat while working on the computer or on the go, but fully committing to eating is better for digestion and helps us respect the food we eat.”

Maureen Child’s resolution:

“I resolve to spend more time with my family and to remember to be grateful for all of the gifts in my life…”

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Fruit is the most life-enhancing food we can put into our bodies, and it’s an easy, delicious way to get a new glow for the New Year. It has the highest water content of any of the food groups and supplies us with vital amino acids, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. Because fruit breaks down the fastest in our system, while leaving no toxic residue, it supplies us with readily available energy that can be used to immediate fuel. Of all foods, fruit is the strongest cleanser. We can think of fruits as the cleansers for the body and greens and other vegetables as the builders. Fruit helps to dissolve toxic substances and cleanse our tissues and system, stirring up old toxic residue inside of our bodies.

Best Beauty Fruits:

Acai berries,
Cranberries,
Kumquats
Plums
Apples
Cucumbers
Lemons
Pomegranates
Apricots
Currants
Limes
Prunes
Avocados
Figs
Mangoes
Raisins
Bananas
Goji berries
Nectarines
Raspberries
Blackberries
Gooseberries
Oranges
Strawberries
Blueberries
Grapefruits
Papayas
Tangerines
Cantaloupe
Grapes
Peaches
Tomatoes
Cherimoyas
Guavas
Pears
Watermelon
Cherries
Honeydew melon
Persimmons

July 18 Digital News Round-Up: Hot Child in the City

Olga — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:00:05 +0000

We’re nearly through July and I’m lucky I haven’t melted. I’m close to it tonight, really, really close. The only thing keeping me alive is the desire to bring you the latest news from the world of Harlequin. You’re welcome!

1. We have a winner!

Cowboy Appreciation Week was fab! We’ve given away books for each author’s individual blog post and now we’re giving away a prize pack with ALL of the books to…

Deborah Rudd, who commented on Donna Alward’s blog post. Congrats Deborah! We’ll send out the books to you this week.

2. Congratulations on entering the New York Times bestseller list, Shannon Stacey!

Shannon Stacey’s YOURS TO KEEP, part of the Kowalskis series from Carina Press debuted this week on the New York Times bestseller list at #33. This is a milestone as it is the first Carina Press title to enter the list. Congratulations to everyone involved in this milestone! We hope this is a first of many, many more.

3. Julie Kagawa’s Big Announcement

If you missed Julie Kagawa, author of the Iron Fey series, livestream on Facebook last week, never fear, we’ve got a blog post coming this Friday with all of the details, including a behind the scenes look at the Iron Knight cover shoot AND an excerpt from the book. That’s right, an excerpt from the book. For now, I’m going to tide over your eager little hearts with the back cover copy:

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn.

I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl—smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end—a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron Realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

4. Royal House of Shadows – Nocturne Quartet Book Trailer

Once upon a time there were four royal siblings, lost…cursed… Except that’s not where this story begins. Introducing a new Harlequin Nocturne series from Gena Showalter, Jill Monroe, Jessica Anderson and Nalini Singh. You’ll want to learn all about these fairy tales after you see the trailer below. Hope over to the Paranormal Romance Blog afterwards.

New York Times Bestsellers, November 28

Olga — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:00:50 +0000

Congratulations to all of our authors who are on this week’s New York Times bestseller list.

Hardcover:
#32 Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber (MIRA, week 7)

Paperback:
#8 Christmas in Cedar Cove by Debbie Macomber (Mira, week 3)
#17 The Christmas Brides by Linda Lael Miller (HQN, week 3)
#27 Cold Dawn by Carla Neggers (Mira, week 3)
#26 Someone Like You by Susan Mallery (HQN, week 3)

Enjoy a sample of some of our bestsellers with the Browse the Book widget!

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Harlequin Blog » Bestsellers

Tosca’s Home Gym Makeover

New Year, New You, New Yummy Ingredient!

Fruit: The Ultimate Beauty Food

July 18 Digital News Round-Up: Hot Child in the City

New York Times Bestsellers, November 28

New York Times Bestsellers, November 21

New York Times Bestsellers, November 8

New York Times Bestsellers, October 31

New York Times Bestsellers, October 24

New York Times Bestsellers, October 17