 by Kathleen D. Mailer Today I am interviewing Dominique (Nik) Petersen. Nik's the book designer at New Author Publishing Services, the company she co-owns with her editor husband, Jens. I worked with her when she was the Vice-President, Production and Design, keeping Aurora Publishing going administratively as well as managing the work of our magazine, Today's Businesswoman. But today, I'd like to interview her as an author. Hi, Nik, and welcome. When did you start writing? I've been writing on and off all of my life, but I didn't really think there was a chance to get a book published—until I started working at Aurora Publishing and you encouraged me to write a book. I finished my first in 2006. What is the title of your first book and what's it about? The title of the book is Girlfriends Forever! It's actually a set of 2 books—part journal, part scrapbook, and part diary—with coil bindings that allow them to lie flat for easy writing. I call it an “interactive” book set because one person fills out one book and her girlfriend/mother/daughter/grandmother/sister/aunt/cousin fills out the other. Then, at a pre-arranged date, they exchange books.  What made you write this book? I had just become friends with a lovely woman and found myself wondering about some of her likes/ dislikes, etc. Since I live in Canada and she lives in the States, my husband suggested I write to ask her questions. It then popped into my head that this would be a great way for two people to become close by each answering questions in a journal about themselves—and at some set time in the future— exchanging journals. Who is the typical user? It's not just for girlfriends who want to know each other better. I've had mothers filling out books to exchange with their young daughters. My mother is filling out hers to exchange with her granddaughter. Women of ANY age enjoy filling them out, and it's a terrific way to bridge the generation gap. Daughters and granddaughters will treasure these personal revelations of the people they love the most, again and again over the years. How are you marketing Girlfriends Forever? My marketing has mainly been concentrated on the Internet—at my website, Facebook, and other author sites. I have recently joined Pinterest—so I'm anxious to see how that turns out. What's next for you? My latest book, The Dr. Hook Trivia Quiz Book, is out. Recently I wrote a book with my husband called Ideas and Tips for Marketing Your Book. It's available as a flip book on CD or an eBook, PDF version. They're available at our website: www.AuthorConsultants.org under the Marketing tab. So, what's next is a lot of book marketing! Thanks, Nik, for being with us today. To learn more about Nik's interactive books or to order a set, visit the website at www.NikDesignsGraphics.com. You can “Like” her page at www.Facebook.com/NiksBooks. Kathleen D. Mailer is the CEO of Aurora Publishing, the Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Today's Businesswoman magazine, Canada's leading authority on self-publishing, an author, and business coach.
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 A couple of years ago, I attended my high school reunion. To my surprise, I ran into a woman whom I hadn't seen in 40 years! We hugged, got teary-eyed with joy, and spent most of the afternoon together recalling all the fun and heartaches we'd shared as best girlfriends in high school. When we parted, we promised to keep in touch. What a great day that was! In one afternoon we were able to recapture that close relationship we had had in those important teenage years. That encounter got me thinking about the importance of relationships, especially our relationships with other women. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, mothers, grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all are so valuable and bless our lives. It takes another woman to listen to and understand our woes. Perhaps because she is a woman, she feels it in her soul when we share ourselves with her!Husbands and boyfriends may come and go in life, but girlfriends always seem to stick by us. What is cozier than a night in with your girlfriends, watching a “chick flick” and passing around a box of Kleenex—and a box of chocolates! A good relationship is based on mutual respect and trust. To be a friend involves sharing—sharing your time, your secrets, your support, and your life stories. You have to KNOW a person to be a friend. Sharing creates a bond with another woman and makes her special. Close relationships enhance our lives and keep us healthy. A study done by Harvard researchers showed that people who have relationships of friendship, love, or other positive bonding, experience emotions that positively affect their immune systems. Strong friendships help to protect us against stress, depression, anxiety, and some forms of mental illness, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is known that people who frequently interact with others, whether face-to-face, or by phone, mail or email, live longer and healthier lives than those who live in isolation. Sociable people get sick less often and recover faster when they do fall ill. Sometimes our relationships are interrupted when our girlfriends take different paths—get married, have children, or move away. Jeffrey Zazlow, in his book The Girls from Ames, followed the lives of 11 women for 40 years. He found that although these women moved apart, they managed to maintain their friendships. Not only that, their friendships sustained them through stressful times in their lives, such as battling cancer, losing a job, or going through a divorce. Again and again, they supported each other with phone calls, gifts, and emails. Girlfriends are there for each other, no matter how much time and how many miles separate them. Here’s to Meaningful Relationships! Dominique Petersen is a graphic designer living in St. Thomas, Ontario, and is the author of the interactive book set, Girlfriends Forever!
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