Got a Bonus? Here's How to Make the Most of It

By Andrea Woroch
Guest Blogger

No matter where you work, there's always a glimmer of hope you'll find something extra in your paycheck around the holidays. In the event such dreams actually do come true, a windfall of cash can make us do some strange things. Suddenly, even the most frugal shopper is looking for any excuse to spend their extra money.

If you find yourself sitting on a pile of unexpected cash, don't start blowing through your reserves quite yet. While some may not be the most sexy options, consider a few of these possibilities to make the most of your year-end bonus.

1. Catch Up on Credit Cards
According to the Federal Reserve Board, December is when Americans acquire the most credit card debt. Last year more than $851 billion was spent using credit cards in the one month alone. If you contributed to this amount, keep some of your bonus in reserve to quickly tackle bills when they come due. Making small payments or postponing them into new year will cost you more in the long run.

2. Spend Some
No matter how financially responsible you are, it's human nature to want to treat yourself to something special. Since you worked hard to earn that bonus, there's no reason you shouldn't. However, don't throw smart spending out the window just yet. Your dollar will go further if you still take the time to compare prices and use coupons. For impromptu purchases, keep the Coupon Sherpa app installed on your smartphone for instant savings at hundreds of stores.

3. Emergency Fund
Though the Mayan apocalypse passed without incident, no one knows what the future will hold. There's no need to hoard canned food, but having an emergency fund helps ease the burden of the unexpected. Knowing you have the cash to cover repairs makes a burst pipe or car breakdown that much less stressful.

4. Plan for Taxes
Powerball winners and professional athletes are quick to tell you how distant relatives suddenly emerge from the woodwork when you make it big. Though your holiday bonus isn't likely to draw in conniving cousins, the government will still want a piece. If you're not sure what kind of tax burden to expect, hold off on most of your spending until you know what you owe. Paying taxes isn't an ideal way to use a bonus, but it's still better than dealing with the IRS.

5. Create a College Fund
For most parents, starting a college fund is always on the list of priorities. Despite the good intentions, life is filled with expenses that quickly sidetrack such plans. While you have the cash, consider setting up a 529 plan. These plans come with significant tax advantages, not to mention scholarship matching and exemption from financial aid calculations. For more information on how a 529 plan works, see what the IRS has to say.

6. Manage Your Mortgage
A mortgage is a scary commitment. Signing up to make payments for the next 30 years comes with a certain amount of stress. If you're struggling to keep up with the high monthly costs, you may want to use that holiday bonus to refinance. Mortgage rates are relatively low right now, and using that chunk of change to improve yours will keep more money around each month.

7. IRA Investment
Even if complex financial management makes your head feel like it's going to explode, a certain level of attention is still required. One of the easiest investments you can make is contributions to your individual retirement account (IRA). Those under 50 years old can contribute up to $5,000 per year, up to the amount of taxable income. Those over 50 are allowed to contribute up to $6,000 per year, not exceeding taxable income. You won't see the benefits now, but you'll appreciate it when you're retired and spending the day on the golf course.

8. Accelerate Payments
Maybe the reason so many people blow their year-end bonus is that managing money is miserable. Evaluating and improving your credit to debt ratio isn't glamorous, but it helps you get what you want in the long run. Consider doubling up on car payments or other loans you've acquired to improve your credit score and open up other financing options.

Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert who helps consumers live on less without radically changing their lifestyles. From smart spending tips to personal finance advice, Andrea transforms everyday consumers into savvy shoppers. She has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. You can follow her on Twitter for daily savings advice and tips.

How to Talk to Your Child About the Sandy Hook School Shooting

By Vivian K. Friedman, Ph.D.

Regular Birmingham Parent Columnist & Guest Blogger

Q. With all the frightening news reported through the media, can you guide me on how and how much to tell my children?

A. The age of the child is going to be the key to what should be shared. A three year old doesn’t need to know anything. He will not hear about the tragedy from other sources. A six year old, who attends school, will hear it from peers and adults at school, and so you will want him to know it from you. A teen can legitimately be exposed to bad news because he is able to process information and understand facts and feelings. He no longer gains all his information from the family and will know whether you tell him or others do.

Preschoolers have “magical thinking.” If two events occur together, they may assume that one caused the other. For example, if their block tower falls when there is thunder outside, the preschool age child might assume that the thunder knocked his blocks down.

It is this magical thinking that can cause mis-perception and fears. Parents of children younger than  6 should be careful to check what the child has heard and to correct any misconceptions that might lead to irrational fears later on.

Young children need a protected childhood. Just as most sexual matters are not suitable for discussion in childhood, so is violence. Shield your young children from life’s horrific events and give them back innocence.  Don’t feel compelled to discuss the news with him. If possible, shield him from your tears. It is scary for the young child to see a parent cry. If he sees you cry, be sure he sees your recovery, as well.

Elementary school age children have concrete thinking. They need to be told the facts simply and directly without including too many “possibly” and “could haves”. The concretely thinking early elementary school age child will think that the man who shot the children was “more bad” for shooting 20 children than if he had shot only one. It’s the number that determines the badness- not the action he took.

Again, simplicity is the best way to tell a child, followed by asking him to repeat what he has understood. By asking him to tell you, you can avoid misunderstanding. Respond concretely, assuring him that you can protect him, even if this is not absolutely true. Children need absolute faith in the power of their parents to keep them safe. While I never advocate lying to a child, this is not the time to burden him with the limits of your power. You might want to read stories together in which the mama bear or papa tiger protects his cub. Make your child feel safe. Tell him his home and his school are safe places. Don’t forget that Sandy Hook was one event out of millions of school days and has never happened on that scale before.

Children older than 11 or 12 have abstract thought. They can understand causality and ambivalence. They can consider more than one set of facts at a time. For example, they can see that a child who breaks a whole stack of plates while helping a parent get ready for a party is less guilty than a child who breaks only one plate while getting a cookie he was not supposed to have. He can grasp that the motive- not just number of plates broken - determine the seriousness of the misdeed.

The family of a teenager should discuss the news and use it as an opportunity to talk about morals, anger management and topics like bullying. This is a teaching moment, as well as a time to share feelings and sadness with your teens. Sharing feeling about the tragedy can bring a family together. Sharing reactions to the tragedy can teach values.

 Vivian K. Fridman Ph.D. is a child and family pschologist at UAB, Department of Psychiatry.  She is a regular columnist at Birmingham Parent.

HOLIDAY RETURNS - HOW TO MAKE THEM PAINLESS!

By Andrea Woroch
Guest Blogger

With just a few short shopping days 'til Christmas, returning items while you're still in the process of buying gifts is likely not top-of-mind. However, it's important to know your options after all the presents are unwrapped and those that didn't hit the mark are revealed.

According to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation, 83.1 percent of retailers, indicated their return policies wouldn't change much during the holiday season. In fact, more than 10 percent of stores said they'd make it easier for shoppers and ill-received gift recipients to return unwanted merchandise.
Whether it's a return or exchange you have to handle, these six tips will help make the process less of a hassle.

1. Review Return Policies
First things first: take stock of the items you don't want and review return policies for the stores from whence they came. If it's an online return, be sure the original packaging isn't tossed out with crumpled gift wrap. Ideally, you can get all your returns knocked out in one day as soon after Christmas as possible.

2. Exchange Cards for Cash
Since 81 percent of shoppers intend to buy a gift card during the holidays, it stands to reason a few of these will miss the mark. Happily, unsatisfied gift card recipients can exchange their card for cash on the aptly-named Gift Card Exchange Day scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 26. Gift cards can be sold for up to 92 percent of their value, or in exchange for an Amazon gift card.

3. Organize Receipts
The best way to ensure hassle-free returns is to have your gift receipt or purchase confirmation handy. For quick access, download the OneReciept app to digitally store all your receipts. If you're returning something you purchased yourself, some stores like Banana Republic keep transaction histories which they can reference in lieu of a receipt.

4. Return to Store
If possible, try to dodge return shipping fees by returning an item in store. While this option is obviously not available for online-only purchases, most top retailers like Target, Walmart and Best Buy will accept merchandise returns for items purchased online. If you are doomed to ship the merchandise back to the online store, avoid long lines at the post office on January 3; this is historically the busiest day to return unwanted gifts by mail.

5. Card Protection
If you're missing receipts or attempting to return past a limited-time period, call your credit card company. Many cards offer extended return protection and other helpful return options for purchases made with the card. You will likely need to send the merchandise directly to the credit card issuer, but they will usually cover shipping costs. Just make sure the goods are in like-new condition.

6. Exchange Plus
Returning something is never a fun task, but it's certainly more bearable when you're exchanging it for something you like more. If that's the case, be sure to stretch your returned dollars with coupons. You can expect an abundance of end-of-year sales and promotions from your favorite stores, so hit the shops early for the best inventory.



- Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert who helps consumers live on less without radically changing their lifestyles. From smart spending tips to personal finance advice, Andrea transforms everyday consumers into savvy shoppers. She has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. You can follow her on Twitter for daily savings advice and tips.

A Deep Blue Christmas: Dealing with Extreme Grief at the Holidays

For those who’ve recently lost someone they deeply loved, this is the season

of struggles. I explain how to grieve when the world is trimming trees and singing carols.

By Arleah Shechtman

Guest Blogger

Most people agree: There’s an undercurrent of sadness to the holidays. We’ve all experienced losses, and residual grief tends to resurface when the garland goes up, the menorah is lit, and we notice grandma’s empty chair. But what if you’re suffering a fresh, profound loss? What if a spouse, a best friend, or—God forbid—a child has died during the past year?

While it’s hard to quantify grief, to say “my loss trumps your loss,” we all know there are losses that sadden and there are losses that devastate.  And the first Christmas or Hanukkah after a devastating loss—really any “first” without the loved one—can be almost unbearably painful.

My new book, My Beloved Child: My journey since the death of my daughter, traces my grief journey since my daughter’s death 35 years ago. In my experience, the holidays create idealized expectations that can’t possibly be met. For those experiencing extreme grief, the holidays aren’t just a letdown; they’re a painful reminder of what you no longer have.

I remember being so angry that first Christmas because everyone was laughing and sharing and I had to visit my child at the cemetery.

So how can those suffering from extreme grief survive the holidays? Here are a few tips:

Break down when you need to break down. (Yes, even in the middle of the office Christmas party.) Grief doesn’t always arrive at convenient times, but it shouldn’t be squelched. Find a bathroom or go outside, but cry and scream if you have to. 

Never fake it. Never soldier through it. Only by “riding the waves” of grief, even when it makes others uncomfortable, can you ever begin to heal.

If you feel like going to the holiday event, go. If you don’t, don’t. Grief ebbs and flows, and often after a period of intense crying you will feel okay for a while. If you’re in an “ebb” and think you might enjoy a candlelight service, then go. Take grief as it comes.

Forget seasonal “obligations.” Take care of yourself first. If you just can’t show up for a holiday dinner, it’s okay. If you can’t face shopping for your grandchildren, don’t. They have too much stuff anyway! Those who care about you will understand.

When you need to, call someone on your “List of 10.” Historically, extreme loss was handled in the context of family, friends, church, and community. In our current culture, families are scattered and fragmented, and communities and churches have been devalued. That’s why I suggest cobbling together a list of 10 people you trust who agree to be there when you need them—even at 2 a.m.

After Sharon died I would call the people on my list, one by one, to see if they were up to my grief at the moment. Grief requires comfort, a hard thing to keep asking for.

Find a way to honor your lost loved one during the holidays. Hang a stocking for her.  Prepare his favorite meal. Do something meaningful to bring the person’s presence into the holidays.

These rituals help you process the loss rather than trying to squelch or deny it.

Do something that brings you pleasure or comfort (even if it isn’t holiday-related). Go for a snowy hike, visit a spa, or pet cats at the local animal shelter. The fact that you’re grieving doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life.

This last point is the hardest to believe, but it’s true. You’ll think, I’ll never be happy again. You will. Maybe not this Christmas or Hanukkah. Maybe not next year. But eventually, you will.

Making the choice to grieve—and it’s one you must make again and again for the rest of your life—expands your capacity for joy and brings new richness to relationships. If nothing else sustains you this holiday season, hold on to this. Life will never be the same, but it will be good again.

# # #

About the Author:

Arleah Shechtman, M.S.W., A.C.S.W., is the author of My Beloved Child: My journey since the death of my daughter (Fifth Wave Leadership Publications, 2012, ISBN: 978-1-4750469-9-1, $13.95). She is a recognized expert on the impact of the death of a child, on marriages, families, and individual survivors.  

How to Have a Wickedly Successful New Year

 Nine Strategies to Help

You Stop Enduring and Start Creating a Life That REALLY Works

Looking for something with more impact (and sticking power) than the usual

doomed-to-fail resolutions? I want you to make 2013 the

year you finally buck up and start living the life YOU want to live!

By Vickie Milazzo

Guest Blogger

The year 2012 is drawing to a close and, for many recession-wracked American women, it feels like just another mile marker in an endurance race going nowhere. Depressing, but true. We trudge through the week at a dreary job, drive home fretting about money, and spend our evenings robot-walking through the usual haze of homework battles and half-finished chores. Passion and fulfillment? Nope, just sheer survival.  And the worst part is, most of us have meekly accepted that this is how it has to be right now.

I have a message for all you “endurers”: Buck up, girlfriend! You can do a lot more than (barely) get by—and 2013 can be the year you actually start living your life again.

I’m not talking about the kind of new year’s resolution that’s just wishful thinking pasted on top of your old lifestyle. I’m talking about truly changing the way you think about things, breaking old habits, putting some real boundaries in place and tapping into your determination.

I’m talking about taking responsibility for your own happiness. Don’t you think if someone was going to swoop in and rescue you it would already have happened?

I have earned the right to be a tough talker. In 1982 I faced the reality that I was unhappy with the direction my life had taken. I was a registered nurse with a bachelor’s and master’s degree. But after six short years of hospital experience, I felt like I was in a dead-end job. I still wanted to be a nurse, but on my own terms. Today I am the founder and CEO of a multi-million dollar legal nurse consulting education company.

It is possible to create a life that excites and energizes you. But first you have to make a conscious choice to step out of your old, unfulfilling one.  And it’s a choice you have to make over and over again—if you don’t your old patterns will suck you back in.

To achieve what I call “Wicked Success” you have to cultivate a new, wickedly resourceful mindset. I offer nine strategies that can help you do exactly that in 2013:

           

Break the feel-good addiction. Remember, where you focus is where you’ll yield results. And because we like to feel good, we gravitate toward what’s easy instead of what’s productive. We major in minor accomplishments, wasting time surfing the Internet, watching TV, hanging out on Facebook, trying to beat our high score on Angry Birds.

Here’s a news flash: There’s no real life prize for being great at Angry Birds. It’s time to let go of time-sucking distractions. The more superficial things you engage in the more superficial your life and accomplishments will be. So the next time you have a break at work or the next time all the kids are out of the house, instead of checking your email, Facebook or texts, use the time to take a step toward achieving one of your goals.

Stop being the Chief Everything Officer—don’t say “Yes” by default. It’s a hard lesson to learn but in order to be wickedly successful, you have to understand that by saying “no” to some things you will have the time and energy to say “yes” to the right things. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and pulled in every direction you won’t be able to lead yourself, much less anyone else.  

Stop committing your energy to every person or situation that demands it. You need to set your own expectations of what you want to accomplish. Don’t let your career or life take a backseat to everyone else’s. Yes, you have responsibilities to others. But you’ve also got a responsibility to yourself.

Do something big every day. You eat a whale the same way you eat an apple—one bite at a time. The wickedly successful understand that to accomplish any project you can’t expect to do it all at once.

This is often why our New Year’s resolutions don’t work out. You say, “I am going to lose 20 pounds!” And then you implement a new exercise regimen—or heck, just start actually exercising—and after two days of no weight loss you get discouraged. You aren’t going to achieve your goals over night. You have to work at it every day. Commit to doing something big every day towards that project or goal and you’ll reach it. Keep working out regularly and slowly but surely you’ll see the results. Find something you can improve and start improving it—one bite, one step, one day at a time.

Stop hanging with the biggest losers. When you choose to participate in negative behaviors they rub off on you. Think about it this way: If you’re struggling to achieve a goal, you shouldn’t hang out with someone else who is struggling to achieve that same goal. If you want to be great at golf, you don’t hang out with a bad golfer.

Successful people tend to hang out with other successful people, not with losers who whine about someone else’s success. Stick with the winners. The view from the top is meant to be shared. Find someone who’s already there to share it with, not someone who’s never seen it.

Expand what you’re willing to believe about yourself. Studies show that women will underestimate their own abilities, judging themselves lower than their skills prove, while men overestimate their abilities, judging themselves more competent. If you see yourself as powerless that’s what you will be. Anytime you find yourself entertaining doubts or trying to limit what you think is possible, remind yourself of your past successes. Let them infuse you with confidence and bolster your resolve.

Believing you can do it—whatever “it” is—is 90 percent of the win. When I walked into my first meeting with a potential client, my legs were literally shaking. I forced myself to remember that this attorney needed specialized knowledge that only I—a critical care nurse—could give him. That reminder didn’t banish all of my nervousness, but it did enable me to make the points I wanted with my first client. I learned that when you expand what you’re willing to believe about yourself, you can transform who you are and what your life looks like.

Don’t wait for conditions to be perfect. Along the way to becoming wickedly successful, you may have to redefine what success looks like for you. Conditions will never be perfect – there will always be something muddying the water, even if it’s just a little muddy.

The real challenge is accepting that you have to keep on giving your best even when things aren’t perfect. Misguided perfectionism can keep you from stepping out and going for what you want. Perfectionism can also rob you of the enjoyment of experiences. Distinguishing what does and doesn’t require perfection is the hallmark of wickedly successful women.

Surround yourself with as many successful mentors as possible. Inept coaches don’t fail to help you—they help you to fail. Look around you for others whose work you admire and model yourself after them instead.

Get out of the rut of your own habits. Take your advice from people with a proven positive track record. Accepting the leadership of others does not make you less capable of achieving your goals. It actually boosts your abilities. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. And when you get good advice, don’t be too proud to follow it.

Regenerate your passion for work. Do you remember why you wanted the career you have? There aren’t many jobs that offer easy hours and easy money, so that probably wasn’t it. It was probably the love you had for the profession whether you get to help people everyday, use your creativity, crunch numbers or whatever your passion is. Tap back into the frame of mind you had when you were just starting out. Ask yourself, What can I do to become passionate about work again?

When you take this inward look, it is entirely possible you’ll see the path ahead going in an unexpected direction. Your passion might lead you somewhere else. That’s what happened to me when I started my business. I was a registered nurse and I realized I wanted more passion, more joy in the part of my life that sucked up 10 hours every day. That journey led me to pioneer the profession of legal nurse consulting. You’ll know passion when you’ve found it because you’ll feel amazingly engaged and energetic. Desire will become energy and you’ll have plenty of it to create your new life—your real life.

Take care of yourself first. If you stepped back and looked at your daily routine objectively, as if it were happening to your best friend, what would be your advice? Slow down? Take a few deep breaths? Spend a few moments enjoying one day before another day crashes in with new demands?

We need to give ourselves such loving advice—and listen to it. We need to thrive, not just survive. To have healthy, exciting and fulfilling relationships with others, we must first have a healthy, exciting and fulfilling relationship with ourselves. Don’t be so busy taking care of others that you forget to take care of yourself. You can’t be your best self if you’re not your own self.

There’s no reason why 2013 can’t be your biggest, boldest, most wickedly successful year yet. But for that to happen you have to match your big goals with some real changes. You have to take on a wickedly successful mindset that doesn’t take “no” or “I can’t” or “I’m too tired” for an answer.

# # #

About the Author:

Vickie Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD, is author of the New York Times bestseller Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman (Wiley, 2011, ISBN: 978-1-1181-0052-3, $21.95, WickedSuccess.com). From a shotgun house in New Orleans to owner of a $16-million business, Wall Street Journal best-selling author Milazzo shares the innovative suc­cess strategies that earned her a place on the Inc. list of Top 10 Entrepre­neurs and Inc. Top 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies in America.

Vickie is the owner of Vickie Milazzo Institute, an education company she founded in 1982. Featured in the New York Times as the pioneer of a new profession, she built a professional association of 5,000 members.

About the Book:

Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman (Wiley, 2011, ISBN: 978-1-1181-0052-3, $21.95, WickedSuccess.com) is available at bookstores nationwide and from major online booksellers.

7 Critical Conversations for the Season of Now

                                                                                                         

NEW BOOK BY PASTOR AND FINANCIAL PRO OFFERS ADVICE ON HOW TO  MAKE END-OF-LIFE PLANNING A GIFT TO THOSE LEFT BEHIND  

By Stan Craig 

Yes, you are here today.  You can pay your bills, plan dinner, get the kids off the bus, and take your parent to the doctor…. everything goes according to plan.  But what if you were gone tomorrow?  No warning, no planning, no you.  Gone. 

Based on the popular seminar the same name, ForeTalk: 7 Critical Conversations for the Season of Now, is a unique new book by Stan Craig, a financial and religious advisor, which will be released in February 2013.  It provides direction on how to outlive your life and create a positive and lasting legacy.  In ForeTalk, Craig offers levity and sensitivity while addressing an issue that no one wants to talk about—death.  From health care directives, durable powers of attorney, wills, hospice and ways to celebrate a life well-lived, to conversations about end-of-life issues, insurance, childcare, trusts and philanthropy, ForeTalk is the complete, must-have guide for anyone who has anything or anyone that will be left behind.  It encourages action on a topic that begets ignorance. 

“When my younger brother was dying of lung cancer, I quickly became aware of all the things we had never discussed during his forty one days of hospitalization,” said Craig.  “Even with all my experience as pastor and financial professional, I was totally unprepared and had no knowledge of all that is required when death comes unexpectedly to someone you love.  I couldn’t find guidance in any book.  ForeTalk has answers to help ease the anxiety that every family experiences when illness and death come near.”
ForeTalk is made up of nine easy-to-read and uncomplicated chapters.  Each chapter ends with a guide for the reader to complete.  There are seven critical conversations that we all must have with our loved ones—the messages apply to newlyweds, new parents, boomers, single people, veterans, anyone with a pet, the sick, healthy and the elderly.  Each of the seven is presented with ideas to make every conversation one of ease and grace.  The themes are complete with personal stories, humor, quotations and practical suggestions to help begin the dialogue. The seven critical conversations are designed to change what is often seen as a difficult task to a series of easy and meaningful conversations with those you care about most. From how to begin the conversations to how to make each day count, the chapters and guides make what was once difficult and challenging, a pleasant and life-affirming experience.  ForeTalk is a much-needed gift for those you love most. After all, ‘foretalk’ is much better than hindsight.

ForeTalk includes the following themes and more:

• Ways to identify financial strategies to create a lifetime income for your heirs
• How to find the right attorney for your family’s needs
• How to create a well-written will which will withstand challenges
• How to find the right person as your executor, power(S)of attorney for finance and health care
• Tips to plan a funeral or memorial service that will tell your own story
• How to save thousands of dollars for your family on funeral expenses
• What a Living Will, Hospice and Palliative Care may mean to you
• How to draft the most important letter of your life
• Truths and myths about burial and cremation
• Ten estate-planning mistakes 

Stan Craig is a pastor, financial professional, author, speaker and the executive director of a non- profit foundation.  His new book, ForeTalk: 7 Critical Conversations for the Season of Now and the ForeTalk Seminar are the direct result of his personal experience when his younger brother died of lung cancer and Craig was unprepared to handle his brother’s end-of-life planning. 

Craig holds degrees from University of Kentucky, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div. and Th.M.) and the Wharton School. Craig has served as minister of youth, associate pastor and senior pastor of churches in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Vancouver, BC, Canada.  He took early retirement from Merrill Lynch in 2001 and is currently a Financial Advisor Consultant for Supernova, Inc.   Craig is a fifteen-year member of the National Speakers Association and has presented to executives and dignitaries in every U.S. state, Canada, Europe, Africa, Middle East, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.   He is co-author of the books Leadership Defined and One Best Idea and serves as a seminary trustee and member of the financial board. He and his wife, Gloria, have six children and eight grandchildren and currently live in Louisville, Kentucky.

ForeTalk is available for pre-order now or purchase in February 2013 at Amazon.com, as well as other online booksellers.  To learn more visit: http://foretalkseminar.com/