(And Finally … The bit at the end that doesn't fit anywhere else!)
How To Win Friends & Influence People: Dale Carnegie
When I was in my early Twenties and had just started work as a Trainee Manager for a TV rental company called Radio Rentals (some of you may remember them!), my father – who has never been known for his tact – said to me (in his own 'special' way) one day, "You should read a book called 'How To Win Friends & Influence People', it might help you get on better."
From having been bullied right since my first-ever day at school, and still being at an age where criticism really hurt me, because of the WAY he said it (sarcastically and bluntly), I heard the words: 'Nobody likes you; you need to learn to get on with people better', and it upset me so much that I flatly refused to ever read that book.
About ten years later, my stomach lurched as I recalled that moment when I spotted a copy of it on the shelf in a bookshop, and I picked it up – almost in anger – and opened it up. The words I read on that first page so engaged me that I had to buy it.
I still have that same copy (along with his other wonderful book, How To Stop Worrying & Start Living), and both 'live' on my bed and are still regularly dipped-into on nights when I need a bit of help or reassurance etc.
If I'd have read that book in my Twenties, I think my life would have been very different. If you haven't read it and struggle with lack of confidence on occasions, then there is no finer book (or its companion), out there, and I've never read a more modern Self-Help book that even comes close …
How To Win Friends & Influence People and How To Stop Worrying & Start Living, by Dale Carnegie.
More Stuff:
Mary Portas and her partner are expecting a baby (Mail 4/3/12) CLICK HERE TO READ
Mary Portas speaks of her love for her female partner (Mail 2/3/12) CLICK HERE TO READ and on the 21st October 2011, the Daily Mail published two articles that could have easily been Press Releases for my novel "Just Good Friends?"
The Daily Mail does a lot of articles on lipstick lesbians actually. Here's both these links:
WOMEN PREFER SPENDING TIME WITH THEIR FRIENDS and
MORE THAN HALF OF WOMEN ATTRACTED TO OTHER WOMEN
This is exactly the basis of the romance which develops between yummy-mummies Ruth and Helen, and their affair blows their lives apart. If you know of any Literary Agent, or have any contact, anywhere who you think might even be remotely interested, then please send them a link to my site. I'd be ever so grateful!
You can hear me talking Soaps on the Radio in Jane's Big Blog on Alastair Greener's Big Show: Thursdays 11.30-12.00; Jane's Soapy Slot is now in the TGI Friday show which I do with Paul Dawkins for an hour: 4.00-5.00 every Friday afternoon, and The Big Weekender with the brilliant Nick and Barry is on from 5.00-7.00 pm.
I'm an occasional co-host on Girls About Town: on Wednesdays 11.00-12.00 too; and it's all on Swindon 105.5 FM. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
All done, but here's the 'small print' – which may be useful (!) for newcomers to this blog:
If you're one of my more recent Twitter followers (I'm janereynolds8), and are wondering where I disappear to sometimes, let me reveal my secret. I pull on my yellow marigold gloves and go cleaning/ironing on Wednesdays.
I do one of my Radio slots on Thursday mornings then generally clean my dad's house and do a few 'chores' on a Thursday afternoon, then it's full steam ahead from Friday to Sunday as I prepare-for and write the blog, so I'm often a 'lesser-spotted Jane' during that time.
Same at night. I have to be sat there at 7.00 pm to do my Soap-watching (pen in hand), in order to be watch/make notes for my Sunday Soapy Corners. It all works well, unless I have to go out; something unexpected happens, or I have a rough day and end up eating pasta and drinking red wine (as it's hard to concentrate after that)!
I can just-about cope with missing one night (as I can usually find the time to catch up somewhere), but if I lose more than one - for whatever reason – it all gets very difficult, and there's been the odd occasion where I've simply just run out of time and had to publish the blog on a Monday morning (which I hate doing as I'm such a stickler for efficiency!).
That's a snapshot of my working week. Not much else happens to me, other than that!
There are several jolly good bits not currently listed on the right of this page: things like 'Celebri-teeze', 'Handy Hints' (some handier than others!), 'Moira's Corna' (Chris Evans' Radio 2 show's Newsreader Moira Stuart's Rasta Sista), 'Twitter-y', plus old posts on things like MasterChef, Michel Roux's Service, great Soap-y lookalikes and some recipes/cooking tips (with yummy foodie photos too!), so if this week's blog's left you hungry for more, why not take a look? Just click on 'Older Blog Posts' and have a good old scroll!
I'm very sorry to say that my 'Superhero' Jim Montgomery (who got this site purring like a Rolls Royce), is no longer able to be involved 'behind my scenes'. He's been wonderful, and I don't know how I'd have managed without him over this last 18 months.
It's a blow to lose him and I wish him all the best in getting back to full creative steam in the near future.
If you need a very reasonably-priced Accountant (who also plays the Saxophone – but not at the same time), mine's Swindon-based Len Morphew, and he's done a jolly good job for me.
(My debut novel "Just Good Friends?" follows the lives of wealthy South London families embroiled in a series of affairs, the most surprising of which being yummy mummy Ruth and Helen's, as – after sharing a drunken kiss – their close friendship turns into something deeper and threatens to destroy Ruth's seemingly strong marriage. Available from Amazon, Kindle or directly from any page on this site as a paperback or ebook.)
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