3. The Shared Traits in "The Self-Empowed Woman"

Dear Followers,

So far I've been quizzing you about American women who are high achievers and today I'll answer the first two questions.

Do you know what writer Maya Angelou, comedienne Ellen DeGeneres, singer Gloria Estefan and actress Demi Moore have in common? They all fall under the category of accomplished women who learned - at an early age - that they couldn't depend on Dad. There are countless reasons why a father might be unreliable - death, illness, divorce, distance, you name it. But a lot of admirable women learn that losing a father's support usually brings with it hidden benefits.

(Photo by WNYC)

Do you know what author Judy Blume, actress Geena Davis, TV newswoman Andrea Mitchell, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have in common?

These women (who have each succeeded in areas that seem to have nothing in common) share a love of and involvement with music. I found it amazing that close to the surface of many Self-Empowered Women is an enduring relationship with music, and in my book I explain this connection.

Intrigued? Today I'm going to go abroad and ask you about women from foreign locales. Do you know what Czechoslovakian tennis player Martina Hingis, Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector, Canadian singer Anne Murray, and Italian film director Lina Wertmuller have in common?

The idea here is to convey the idea that when it comes to women of achievement it doesn't really matter where they come from or what they set out to accomplish because they all share certain traits.

One trait I wish I had a better grasp of is the new, high-tech world of e-publishing. This week's main activity has been re-re-re-reading the manuscript for The Self-Empowered Woman so that it can go on sale in September. Meanwhile, poor Tony types my blog at the end of each day and I try not to be like Julie Powell (Julie & Julia) as she wonders if any readers are really out there in cyberspace...

2. 17 Traits of "The Self-Empowered Woman"

What do author Judy Blume, actress Geena Davis, TV newswoman Andrea Mitchell, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have in common?

On each blog entry I plan to tweak your curiousity about the women I've included in my soon-to-be published book The Self-Empowered Woman. By this time next year, I predict that much of the "mystery" about high-achieving women will become mere common knowledge. Finishing the book and sharing my research with all of you is a real thrill, and I'm counting the days until I have a finished book in my hands.

Who would have ever thought that Ms. "I hate computers" would be looking forward to each evening's blog time with Tony, my very supportive husband. A million years ago when I lived in L.A. I had a newspaper column called "A Woman's Place" that ran on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When a visiting publisher from NY read my pieces while at his breakfast table he decided that the story they told deserved to be in book form, which is how Diary of a Divorced Mother came to life.

When Tony and I went to see "Julie & Julia" over the weekend I realized that composing a blog and writing a column are pretty similar. So here I am, anxious to share with you the decades worth of research and reading about high-achieving women that will soon be published in book form.

Before you know it, you too will begin to keep track of which traits (from the 17 included in the book) apply to which women - or even to yourself.

I really look forward to your feedback.