Dolly Parton's DREAM MORE, The Pulpwood Queen gives FIVE DIAMONDS in her TIARA!

Happy New Year You All!

2012 was a year of much joy and strife.  Reading has got me through a lot of things and this year more than others.  But I am the kind of girl that when gets knocked down to her knees, I just look at it as hey, I'm in a better position to pray.  I prayed a lot this year but I need to pray more.  New Year's Resolution #1!

Today I have set aside the day to read.  I began early this morning with Dolly Parton's latest book DREAM MORE as I just love Dolly.  I wrote all about how she is a hero and truly a role model for me in my book, "The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life" which is the first book you are to read when you join my Pulpwood Queens Book Club.  That little Tennessee girl just went for her dream and TA DA!  She did it!  But she didn't stop there, she started a wonderful reading endeavor called The Dolly Parton Imagination Library Project.  This not for profit, when you get on board her reading promoting train, provides a book a month to every child born in the county that you fund raise the money for, FREE from birth to kindergarten shipped right to that child's home.  Check it out at www.imaginationlibrary.com.

Marion County Texas where I live, is the second poorest county in the State of Texas!  We also have a 39% rate of illiteracy in our county of 10,000.  Just think of the handicap you would have in life if you could not read.  How would you get a driver's license, fill out a job interview, the list goes on and on.  This disturbs me.  I have lived here for over 25 years and I run the largest "meeting and discussing" book club in the world, The Pulpwood Queens!  550 chapters strong nationwide with members and chapters in 15 foreign countries, truly we are an international book club.  What could I do to stop illiteracy in my county?

When I was President several years back of our local Rotary Club of Jefferson, Texas, I started The Dolly Parton Imagination Library Project in Marion County. Perhaps if we started with our babies we could make a literacy difference.  I also hold a Author Silent Auction every year at our annual book club hosted convention which we call GIRLFRIEND WEEKEND to support this endeavor financially!  We have raised over $12,000 to support this pre-school literacy promoting program because I know this one true thing.  That if you teach a child a love of books and to read and read well, they have all the tools to educate themselves and lead a purposeful, successful, and meaningful life.  Reading is as important as all our basic needs, food, water, shelter and love.  I call it BIG BOOK LOVE and Dolly Parton's program is exactly that! I fully endorse this literacy program.

Besides having my two girls, starting the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program in my home county is perhaps my greatest accomplishment.  So when I read that Dolly had a NEW book, DREAM MORE, I knew it would become an Official Pulpwood Queen Book Club Selection.  It will be ours for February 2013, my Valentine gift to YOU!

I believe everybody at some point in their life has had the same dream as Dolly.  But sometimes our dreams just don't materialize for various reasons, Dolly has truly found the answer.  Our true gift of life is to be in service to others.  My greatest joy comes from sharing my love of authors, books, literacy, and reading.  And because I started this crazy book club, I am now a rich woman.  Not monetarily, but rich in friends, really, really great friends.  Friends I would never had met if it hadn't been for me starting the book club.  You can read all about it on our NEW website, www.beautyandthebook.com and in my book!  And do note I have a NEW official email at thepulpwoodqueen@gmail.com!

So here's Dolly Parton's preface to her book DREAM MORE to inspire all of you this brand spanking NEW YEAR!!!  Let that be besides READING be top priority on your New Year's Resolutions!

Truly, Tiara wearing and Book sharing,
Kathy L. Patrick
Founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club
www.beautyandthebook.com
www.beautyandthebookshow.com
www.pulpwoodqueen.com
Beauty and the Book
608 North Polk
Jefferson, Texas 75657
903-665-7520
Email: thepulpwoodqueen@gmail.com

DREAM MORE by Dolly Parton

There's a star in all of us,

We;re all diamonds in the rough,

We're little engines chuggin' down the line.

There are dreams we hold inside

Waiting' till the time is right.

So keep the faith, you'll have your time

     to shine.

Let nobody block your path,

Allow nothing to distract

The passion and desire inside your heart.

There is nothing you can't do,

There's no dream that can't come true

With faith and love and trust enought to start.

Only you can make it come true.

Dream more, learn more, care and be more;

Wishes do come true.

Celebrate the dreamer in you.

      From DREAM MORE by Dolly Parton, Celebrate the Dreamer in You

Dear Pulpwood Queens and my faithful Readers!

Meet my newest member of my family, Harper Lily Patrick, who was just sent to me as a present from my dear friends, mother/daughter Pulpwood Queens Margie Dilday of West Monroe, Louisiana and her daughter, Nancy Larson of Los Gatos, California with this message on the notecard:

Just thinking of you brightens my day

Dearest Kathy,

Mother and I recently met to see our first grandbaby! (great-grandbaby) in Austin -- she found these perfect socks and I made her just for you!!!! So she's from mother and from me -- with all our love, affection, and best wishes --
Nancy and Margie

Now I know their ears were burning as EVERYBODY and mean EVERYBODY as been asking me where has Margie been the last couple of years! Sharing as you now know, it's been family time for Margie and Nancy with all the baby blessings that God sends us.

But wait, this darling Pulpwood Queen TIARA'd Hot Pink and Leopard Sock Monkey came with a leopard coin purse and HOUSE OF SOCK MONKEY Gold Stamped Certificate with reads:

Harper Lily Patrick
sponsor: Kathy Patrick

Harper Lily was raised by her grandmother near Kilgor, Texas. She absolutely
hated growing up where "nothing was going on". To survive, she pretty much established her own imaginary world of glamour, literature, adventure, and love.
Her reat escape from Kilgore came when she talked her grandmother into selling
off some pasture land so she could go to a Girls School in New Orleans, where she met her best friend, Pinky Godchaux (sponsor, Margie Dilday). Harper Lily and
Pinkie are to this day, best of friends, and they only hope their sponsors will schedule regular trips and get-togethers so they can catch up on the gossip.
Harper Lily sometimes calls herself "Lil", and other times "Angel harp" and
otherwise, "Lily pad". It is rumored her mother, Evangeline Lily Harper, ran off with a sewing machine salesman from Lubbock and ditched her in Amarillo.
She left the baby with her mother in Kilgore, and never went back. Some say
Evangeline Lily currently sings in a band down at the dance hall in Gruene, Texas called The Stillwaters, but she has never investigated or tried to find out, as she still resents being abandoned. "No use crying over what you can't change," Harper
Lily says with a sigh, and re-applies her lipstick. She is a little vain about her
looks, so by all means, keep her clean and well-presented. She prefers to tide in
the front so she can see on car trips, but do be careful to not allow the sun to
bleach out her beautiful skin. Harper Lily is also extremely opinionated and
authoritative on most any subject, and it is suggested you simply let her have her
way. Her ability to pout is unbearable, and she can be a little vengeful. (don't be
surprised if you find things missing, or kicked to the floor) Her favorite scent is
coffee. She also loves to have a nip of bourbon in Dr. Pepper, a drink she calls her
"Mum nums time."

THE OATH:
Place your hand over your heart and look directly into your sock
monkey's eyes and say: "I do solemnly swear this day forward, to never,
ever abandon my sock monkey under a dark bed or throw her into a
washing machine." (sock monkey's two greatest fears) Good luck. You're
going to need it. November 2011

There was a lipstick kiss on my card and don't you think this would make the most adorable adult picture book, of course PERFECT is your very own sock monkey came with it!

I am absolutely a child again and filled with delight at this truly leopardlicious present that came for no other reason than knowing that I am thought of fondly and loved. Thank you precious Nancy and Margie! I knew the minute, no the second I met Margie we were friends for life and later on Nancy too.

So this holiday season I am sharing this joy of the "presence" of having ALL of YOU in my LIFE! Each one of YOU are near and dear to me and I never would have met most of you if I had not started this crazy wonderful world of The Pulpwood Queens Book Club! God Bless You ALL!

Love and kisses, XXXXXOOOOO
Kathy L. Patrick
Your flawed but loving Queen!
www.beautyandthebook.com
www.beautyandthebookshow.com
www.pulpwoodqueen.com
www.booksalivefumc.blogspot.com
www.girlfriendweekend.blogspot.com
P.S. And your Queen is also up on Facebook, friend me at Kathy L. Patrick and on Twitter under Pulpwoodqueen!

Books Alive in Panama City, Florida Literary Gala!!!

Books Alive in Panama City, Florida Saturday day events! My new girlfriend, Jamie!

Another new friend I met at Books Alive!

The wonderful booksellers at Books Alive! They were fantastic!

Author, Michael Lister!

Author, Olivia deBelle Byrd speaking to author, Michael Leleux~

Gerry Clemons talking to author, Kimberly Willis Holt!

Author, Olivia deBelle Byrd who is awesome!

More new girlfriends I met at Books Alive!

Only the best book people at Books Alive!

Here's Jamie with Kimberly Willis Holt!

Author, Robert Leleux and I at the booksigning!

Keynote Speaker Carl Hiassen had quite a line at Books Alive!

Carl Hiassen signing at Books Alive!

Carl Hiassen speaking at Books Alive!

Authors, Kimberly Willis Holt and Olivia deBelle Byrd!

Authors, Rick Howen, Karen Zacharias, Robert Leleux, and Jessica Wilson!

The luncheon during Books Alive!

Gerry Clemons Jr. and Senior at Books Alive!

Gerry, Gerry, and Scott Clemons at our booksigning!

Author, Rick Howen and Panama City Mayor, Scott Clemons!

what women write: The Pulpwood Queen fits right in with What Women W...

what women write: The Pulpwood Queen fits right in with What Women W...: "By Pamela I’m not sure I’ve ever met a woman who wears as many hats (or tiaras!) as Kathy Louise Patrick. Where to start? Author? Hair salo..."

Look out Oprah. Random House and Kathy Patrick--owner of Beauty and the
Book , Jefferson, Tex., and founder of
the Pulpwood Queens Book Club--are collaborating on an online book club
talk show that will feature interviews with Random House authors,
including Pat Conroy, Fannie Flagg, Lisa See and Susan Vreeland.

The 12-episode weekly series debuted yesterday on the Beauty and the
Book Talk Show website . Last week, a
special three-episode screening took place at Patrick's annual Pulpwood
Queens' book club convention, Girlfriend Weekend.

"We've seen increased demand for digital content from book clubs, so we
developed a program that would offer them more of what they love," said
Avideh Bashirrad, director of marketing for Random House. "Kathy Patrick
was our ideal choice for the partnership since she has been an advocate
of our books for many years."

"I'm thrilled and delighted to host a show that showcases my two
passions, beauty and books!" added Patrick. "This show encapsulates all
the things I really love--reading fantabulous books, meeting remarkable
writers, and introducing my hair salon/book store, Beauty and the Book,
and my book club, the Pulpwood Queens, to more readers."