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AARP The Magazine has chosen Dr. Irene S. Levine's Best Friends Forever as one of the top ten "Books for Grownups" for their October 2009 issue: "Though popular culture pays lip service to the power of women's friendships, rarely does it acknowledge the great pain felt when such a bond is broken. Psychologist Levine surveys the grieving process that women experience when a close alliance collapses. She also counsels us how to revive a troubled friendship—and how to know when it's time to let it go."

Dr. Irene Levine, author of Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend and The Huffington Post's "Friendship Doctor," is on the radio and on the road in support of her new book, just released in paperback. Best Friends Forever was launched on September 2o - National Woman's Friendship Day - that was marked by fantastic gathering and celebration in Irene's home town of Chappaqua, NY.

Meet "The Friendship Doctor" at these upcoming events:

09/30/2009 - 7:30pm
Discussion and Book-Signing
Border's White Flint - 11301 Rockville Pike
North Bethesda, MD

10/11/2009 - 2:00pm
Discussion and Book-Signing
Barnes and Noble Palisades Mall - 4416 Palisades Center Drive
West Nyack, NY

10/27/2009 - 7:00pm
Reading, Discussion & Book-Signing
Greenburgh Public Library - 300 E Main Street
Elmsford, NY

Best Friends Forever is a groundbreaking and heroically honest book for abandoned friends seeking solace. Perfect for women of all ages and from all walks of life, Best Friends Forever covers: Why friendships fall apart; Coping with getting dumped; How to end a friendship that can t be fixed; Moving forward after a traumatizing breakup. Dr. Levine draws from years of research and the personal testimonials of thousands of women to provide anecdotes and solutions to these complicated situations. Full of tools for personal assessment, case stories, and actionable advice for saving, ending, or re-evaluating a relationship, Best Friends Forever is an indispensable addition to every woman's library.

Tune in tomorrow to radio stations all across the country - Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Chicago, Cleveland, Austin, Washington DC - to hear Dr. Irene Levine discuss her new book Best Friends Forever: Surviving the Breakup with Your Best Friend. Widely known to readers of The Huffington Post as "The Friendship Doctor," Dr. Levine will appear on many top rated programs to talk about the book.

Best Friends Forever is a groundbreaking and heroically honest book for abandoned friends seeking solace in the aftermath of a breakup of a best friend. Drawing on years of research and personal testimonials from thousands of women, Dr. Levine offers the first self-help guide for saving, ending, or re-evaluating a relationship. On sale now, Best Friends Forever is an indispensable addition to every woman's library.

ForeWord magazine reviews Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend, by Irene S. Levine , Ph.D. in the current issue: "Many women are brought up to believe that they should have one special friend in their lives, a BFF—Best Friend Forever. Unfortunately, this belief often leads to heartbreak, since friends are rarely forever. As people grow and change, so do the dynamics of their friendships, and many friendships lose their initial intimacy or fizzle out altogether. Levine, a psychologist and professor at New York University Medical School, guides women through the myths that set up unrealistic expectations of friendship. She discusses the various reasons a friendship can fail, offers suggestions for saving those worth saving, and tips on bowing gracefully out of those that are no longer working. “Most women relish being the chosen one, the best friend,” Levine writes about the BFF myth. However, chances are slim that one person can fill every niche in another’s life. It is more practical to think of having a close friend for different aspects of one’s life, she says, such as a mom-friend for play dates with the kids, a philosophical friend for intellectual conversations, and an outgoing friend who can introduce you to new people and experiences.

This book is of interest to all women. While much of it focuses on what can go wrong in a friendship and how to deal with endings, there is also great advice on how to make friends and keep them. Forgiveness, avoiding ruts, and apologizing when warranted are some of the ways to save a worthwhile friendship. After all, friendships are important even if they don’t last forever, and a BFF is a wonderful asset. As one woman put it, “Your best friend isn’t the person you call when you are in jail; most likely, she is sitting in the cell beside you.” - Christine Canfield

From Irene S. Levine, author of Overlook's forthcoming Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend, comes this this hopeful blog post: "Set your cell phone alarm, mark your calendar, and write it across the top of your hand in red ink. Get ready for Best Friends Day (BFD), sponsored by DoSomething.org and BFF Entertainment. The two groups have declared June 8th, 2009 a national day of celebration for best friends to do something together to change the world. What can two best friends do on that day to have fun, show affection for each other, and do something that has a larger impact by helping others?" Check it out on Irene's FracturedFriendship blog.

Irene S. Levine declares February 29 "Make Time for Friends Day" in The Huffington Post. Levine, an award-winning freelance journalist and author who writes about health, lifestyles, travel and relationships, is the author of a new book on female friendship coming from Overlook in January 2009. Levine's book (and blog) explores the nature, meaning, and depth of female friendships. While many friendships last a lifetime---others blow up, fall apart or die on the vine. You’ll find a sprinkling of advice for women about how to nurture these vital ties, and how to move beyond the hurt and loss when friendships fail.

I've been awarded the Schmoozer Award by Adrian, the author of First Time Dad, and Diamondssapphire of Nonsense, fun, tears, happiness, and anger all rolled into one.

I have to say, I'm honored to be among such talented company! Adrian, with First Time Dad, wrote that he "was lost" when he first starting writing his blog, a fact this blogger finds hard to believe, since his blog is so well written. He is so real and warm, it seems like he's been tapping away on his keyboard for quite some time. From the moment you click on his link, you are drawn into the conversation all the way down the landing page! I was so surprised he gave me this award, I had to read the post several times. Since so many bloggers share my name, I had to be sure I was the right beneficiary! Thank you Adrian!


When I was happily mulling over my good fortune, I noticed that Diamondssapphire with Nonsense, fun, tears, happiness, and anger all rolled into one, presented me with the same honor! She offers her readers a honest insight into her world, making them feel they are sitting at the very table she has pictured on her title page! Thanks to you too Diamondssaphire, for your gift of gab and this Award! Many thanks to you both for noticing A Nice Place In The Sun's existence, not to mention giving me a prized possession to display on my blog!

Now about the Schmoozer, and the part of the tag that moves along with the recipients nominations; Copy and paste the paragraph below that is in quotations:


“As it goes, schmoozing is the natural ability “to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.” Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship. So how in the world I got this award I will never know LOL but I've thought of five great people who have made me welcome and schmoozed their way into my blog and life that I'd like to give this most prestigious Power of Schmooze Award!”

I believe this part you just read in quotations was written by Maurica, from Mariuca, Wishing On A Star,
who passed it onto Adrian.


The one thing that separates blogs from regular web sites, is the use of the comments feature, and our friends in blogging. I ‘m spoiled by this amenity; I don’t even look at web sites the same as I did before I started blogging. The writing profession is lonely; writers don’t enjoy the sense of belonging as people working in an office, or around other people everyday. There is no water cooler where you can share your opinion of the latest world gossip; where you find out the latest scoop on a book, movie, celebrity, or politician. Blogs have become the worldwide webs water cooler; I think it’s this characteristic that gives them such a presence on the Internet.

Blogs offer more than an avenue where web surfers are allowed to examine the world’s social, political, or cultural climate; they offer a platform for communication between writer and reader. The invention of the comments feature, which is well known by now, is changing the face of the internet, and the ways in which the entire world communicates. It’s through the use of comments, that blog authors are quickly developing rewarding friendships, and gaining supportive colleagues in an otherwise lonely, and fast paced profession.

I love to write, although I’ve always missed the social connection you get from physically working with other people, first as a stay at home Mom, and now as a full time writer. I’m grateful for all of the bloggers, and readers who take the time to read my material, and make use of the comments feature. I want to give all of my blogging friends this award, since so many take the time to leave comments, but for reasons that are obvious, I can't, so please know I'm grateful for all of you, and my readers who read my blog and leave comments. By leaving a comment on a blog you are contributing to an exciting medium on the internet, and helping build the confidence of a fellow blogger and friend.

Therefore, I'm proud to be schmoozer, and have the opportunity to pass this award to the following bloggers, whose names I find often in my comments, offering their invaluable support, and friendship.


I'm sure all bloggers with whom they've made contact feel the same way. Thanks to all of you and congrats-

Aussie Cynic-

Christy's Coffee Break-

Anything Goes!

Comedy Plus

Incinq


Happy Schmoozing and Congrats!