Kathryn Halberg

My son referred to an arcade as a kids' casino, and now I cannot think of it in any other terms.

Happy New Year!

Hoping you all had a magical, beautiful Christmas!

Started a new piece on my other arm tonight: Aphrodite and Ares, Greek gods associated with Pisces and Aries. My birthday falls right at the midpoint of that cusp. They embody love, beauty, creativity, and water… and war, courage, lust, and fire. And according to mythology, they also had quite the steamy affair — pretty on point for a romance author.

No matter how polarized, politicized, or pitchfork-driven the world becomes, we can each find moments to lessen the mental health burden on those around us.

Smile and befriend the most lonely person in the room.

Share companionable silence with your introverted friend.

Bring in an extra coffee or pastry to brighten your intern’s day.

Finish that report a day early and offer to help your colleague who is barely staying afloat.

Send a thank you note to someone whose work too often goes unnoticed.

Tell your higher up when they’re doing a great job. Praise shouldn’t just go down the chain.

Compliment a stranger’s hair or smile, just because. And in a non-creepy way ;)

Being a good person isn’t expensive and only takes a moment. Yet it can deliver a spot of sunshine to a struggling soul.

Sometimes a moment makes a world of difference.

If one of the following appear on the screen, they remain on. Indefinitely. It's the law.

Remember The Titans
House
Twister
Rudy
Scrubs
Dumb and Dumber
The Goonies
Indiana Jones
Any Mike Flanagan series
Cougar Town

If you’re like me, you have WAY TOO MANY books on your TBR list.

And if you’re like me, you sometimes squint at the fictional characters, wondering why you can’t relate to them.

So I want to warn you: do not add my books to your TBR. If you read the first one, Animal Attraction, you might find that the two sisters and their best friend are far too relatable. You might find the way they support each other, have their own careers, and don’t NEED a man to complete them a bit too easy to understand. And like your real life bestie, they’re going to make questionable decisions and occasionally p**s you off.

So don’t read Rachael’s story in Animal Attraction, because then you’ll maybe need to adopt a puppy or two, then have to read Hidden Agenda to see what happens to Carlie…then of course finish the trilogy with Lost & Found to see who on earth can put up with Kim’s sass and independence.

So here’s to not increasing your TBR list. 📚💗

Every so often you encounter a line in a movie or book that alters your behavior or beliefs. Three come to mind for me:

“You’re supposed to be the leading lady of your own life, for god’s sake.” (The Holiday)

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

[Be forewarned: This is a strange one, but the third changed my nightly routine. I still don’t understand why it struck me as so poignant—I can’t even recall the rest of the movie 🤣]
“Can I give you two a piece of advice? Floss.” (Prelude to a Kiss)

What are some of your one-line golden nuggets?

It isn’t the years behind you that matter most; it’s what you choose to do with the precious time still before you. When you encounter those who find joy in similar pursuits, you know you’ve added to your circle.

Why is it popcorn and not popped corn?

Things that keep me awake…

For how long have you had your current cell phone number?

A friend’s post made me wonder if you should change it at different chapters of your life. What say you?

Oh, I’ve had mine for 24 years, so I’m clearly in the “if it’s not broke…” category.