I realize this is a departure from my Motivation Monday norm, but as you know, I’m a big proponent of mixing things up.

I’ve been invited to participate in a “blog tour” by writer and blogger Paula Rizzo. I guess you could call it a sort of chain letter for blogs. However, unlike the chain letters I usually ended up tossing as a kid, I thought this would be a bit more fun. I have to answer four questions about my writing process and introduce you to three bloggers who will pick up the baton next week. They’ll introduce you to another trio…and so on, and so on. Ready…set…go!

1. What am I working on?

Along with my Motivation Monday posts and other social media outreach, I’m in the infancy stage of writing a proposal for my very first book. Without giving too much away, my goal is to draw on my personal experience – including more than a few mistakes- to write an easy-to-follow blueprint for people of all ages and skill levels. On the non-fitness front, I’ve been keeping a journal since the age of 12. One day, I hope to draw from some of the events in my life to create some form of realistic fiction, but that’s down the road a piece.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

While there is no shortage of fitness experts in Cyberspace or on TV, I can’t truly relate to many of them as a 40-year-old woman. I don’t believe you have to go to injury-inducing extremes to make positive, healthy changes in your life at any age. I promote choices that people can live with for more than a few days or weeks at a time and promote finding fitness routines and diet regimens that make you feel good so you’ll stick with them for the long haul.

3. Why do I write what I do?

I’ve loved to write and I’ve loved to exercise for as long as I can remember, so bringing the two together feels natural. At the age of 40, I can honestly say I’m stronger than ever. By taking better care of myself physically during the last five years, I know I’ve also gained strength mentally and emotionally. I share my favorite workouts, foods and even some fitness faux pas in an effort to inspire others to find their own path to leading a healthy lifestyle.

4. How does my writing process work?

Each workout, each trip to the grocery store and each week can present its own inspiration. If I enjoy a particularly grueling Central Park workout or add a new item to my fridge, there’s a good chance you’ll read about it here. I also rely on the calendar to address timely topics like staying healthy through the holidays or hydrated through the summer.

Who’s On Deck…

LoriAnn LaRocco (Lori Ann LaRocco.wordpress.com) Lori Ann is one of my dearest friends and the author of three books including her most recent, “Opportunity Knocking” (Agate Publishing).  She is also the Senior Talent Producer for CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” Lori Ann has used her “trillion dollar” Rolodex to gain real-world insight into business and finance. Her work, including her blog, is an inspiration for all entrepreneurs or anyone who needs a swift kick in the you-know-what to stop dreaming about what you want to do and put a real plan into action.

Lauren Muscarella (traumatoart.org/inspire/) Lauren and I met several years ago at a NASM workshop while preparing for our personal training certification exams. Along with sharing a passion for health and fitness, I soon learned Lauren lost her mother to breast cancer at a very young age. She eventually found comfort for her grief in writing a blog called MamaQuest. After receiving countless emails and letters expressing how her blog inspired others to use creativity to cope with their own losses, she wanted to do more. Lauren founded TraumatoArt.org to help young adults find their own unique path through grief using creativity, rituals and community contribution.

Stephanie d’Orsay (itrainthereforeieat.com) Stephanie is certified as an athletic trainer and strength and conditioning specialist and has a MS in Applied Nutrition. We met in Twitterville and in addition to falling in love with the name of her blog, I appreciate her love of food and her outlook on what it means to follow a healthy lifestyle. We share a common belief that there is no one-size-fits-all diet and fitness plan and Stephanie’s blog offers an honest and uplifting approach to reaching goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks for reading and as always, I wish you all a great week filled with tons of chances to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!