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Virtual Book Tour

My virtual book tour is shaping up. I don’t have events arranged in different cities, so a virtual tour will have to do for now. Starting on September 14, bloggers and journalists will be covering my book–posting an excerpt or Q&A, running a guest blog from me, doing a book review or hosting a giveaway.

Here’s the schedule for those of you interested in following it.

Friday, Sept.14: MetroKids MomSpeak — http://www.metrokids.com/Blogs/MomSpeak

Saturday, Sept. 15: Unconventional Librarian — http://unconventionallibrarian.com

Sunday, Sept. 16: Defeating the Squirrels — http://defeatingthesquirrels.blogspot.com

Monday, Sept. 17: Shannon Miller Lifestyle — www.shannonmillerlifestyle.com

Tuesday, Sept. 18: Whatever Works — http://whateverworks.typepad.com/

Wed., Sept. 19: Kids & Mental Health — http://kidsandmentalhealth.wordpress.com/

Thurs., Sept. 20: Girls Lunch Out — http://www.girlslunchout.com

Friday, Sept. 21: Math For Grownups —http://www.mathforgrownups.com/

Monday, Sept. 24: Say it Rah-shay — http://www.sayitrahshay.com/

Wed., Sept. 26: Mom-Blog — http://mom-blog.com/

Thurs., Sept. 27: Flexjobs.com — http://www.flexjobs.com/blog/

Friday, Sept. 28: Smart Spending Spot — http://smartspendingspot.com/

Monday, Oct. 1: Couponing 4 a Difference — http://couponing4adifference.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, Oct. 2: Homeroom At Home — http://homeroomathome.blog.com/

Wed., Oct. 3: Mridu Khullar Relph, Freelance Journalist — http://www.mridukhullar.com/journal/

Thurs., Oct. 4: Diapered Daze & Knights — http://diaperedknights.com/

Friday, Oct. 5: Living on the Cheap — http://livingonthecheap.com

Monday, Oct. 8: Land of Once Upon a Time — http://www.landofonceuponatime.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, Oct. 9: Michelle Rafter, business editor — http://michellerafter.com/

Thurs., Oct. 11: Fun Finds for Families — http://www.funfindsforfamilies.com/

Friday, Oct. 12: Yoke — http://2yoke.blogspot.com/

Wed., Oct. 17: MommaSaid.net — http://www.mommasaid.net/

Friday, Nov. 2: O’Boy Organic — http://www.oboyorganic.com

 

In addition, I’m doing a radio tour. I booked the following radio interviews for myself:

Sept. 11: WFIN-AM Toledo

Sept. 11: WAMV-AM Roanoke

Sept. 11: BEN FM In Studio Philadelphia

Sept. 14: WVNU-FM Cincinnati

Sept. 17: WSIU-FM NPR Harrisburg, IL

Sept. 18: WTBQ-AM Regional NY/NJ

Sept. 19: KJFF-AM St. Louis

Sept. 24: WDIS-AM Boston

Sept. 26: KDAZ-AM Albuquerque

Oct. 10: Cable Radio Network

Nov. 28: Baby and Toddler Instructions (http://www.toginet.com/)

More to come!

Working Moms Under Pressure

I’ve held off on blogging lately–I’m working, looking for new clients, networking, promoting my book. Getting my feet wet with media interviews.

This headline on today.com jumped out at me: “Moms are bearing the brunt of recession, study shows.” I just did an interview the other day with AdvisorOne and spoke about how working moms are feeling the pressure from their roles of breadwinner and caregiver. It’s this pressure on moms nationwide–and the economic downturn–that motivated me to write my non-fiction book.

I mentioned to AdvisorOne that many women were working with reduced salaries.

On average moms lost $175 per week more than dads, according to the new study that analyzed four sets of data from the Displaced Workers Supplement.

This 2010 survey included nearly 4,400 displaced workers who took an average of 17 weeks to find a new job. When the researchers broke down the data according to marital and parental status, they discovered that moms experienced a “motherhood penalty” while fathers got a “daddy bonus.”

Employers will choose a dad over a mom because they fear that moms won’t be as available or committed to the job, said study co-author Michelle Moroto, an assistant professor in the sociology department at the University of Alberta.

Moreto’s advice? For women who fear they might be in danger of suffering from the motherhood penalty when seeking work, don’t volunteer anything about your family in job applications and interviews.

I could not agree more with Moreto. Going forward, I will not be mentioning to prospects I have two young kids. In today’s economy, it’s a strike against you.

Do you think there is a “motherhood penalty”?

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

My Book

When I started writing this book, my daughters were ages three and one–challenging ages to say the least. I set out to talk to other moms who were struggling with the work-life balance as well as national experts who could offer solutions.

Mastering the Mommy Track is not a memoir, and I don’t share overly personal information about my family. I was fortunate to have no shortage of working moms who were willing to share their challenges during this down economy. My working mom contributors honestly shared their struggles and concerns. My expert contributors offered unique advice and knowledge. They helped me make this book a reality.

Research indicated no competitive books in this area, so I delved into it. I asked myself, “What are the 12 trigger areas that cause working mothers anxiety today?” These became my chapters. This was based on my personal experience, research, and feedback from friends and acquaintances.

I slotted the chapters into four core sections: (1) Home issues. (2) Health issues. (3) Parenting issues. And finally, (4) Work-Life issues. Then I arranged them so that the most fundamental issues came first: Mental health, communication, finances, and romance. These apply both to moms in committed relationships and those who are single.

I hope career moms across the US and UK will read Mastering the Mommy Track and take away insight that will help them improve all aspects of their lives–both personal and work related. It is a juggling act to balance home and work duties, and for a lot of women in 2012, it’s a walk on a tightrope–a fear their families will never experience the rewards (vacation, travel, time off) they so rightfully deserve.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net