the RUSSIANS are COMING the RUSSIANS are COMING!!!

Ever seen that movie? With Alan Arkin? And Carl Reiner? Me too.

Russia is certainly in the news a lot lately - and is ALWAYS in the mind and books of Minnesota author Robert Alexander. His third historical fiction novel in his trilogy is "The Romanov Bride" (previous books were The Kitchen Boy and Rasputin's Daughter).

"The Romanov Bride" (see a cool video/movie of the book here) is the story of the Grand Duchess Elisavyeta who is ensconced in the most lavish court in the world - the Romanovs. In that same city, Pavel is a simple village man who is moved to overthrowing the Romanovs when his young bride is killed during a peaceful political demonstration.

I asked Robert about the current climate of Russia and President Obama's trip there. He told me,

"There are 4 things to remember about Russia. 1. they are hard negotiators 2. in Russian NO is the BEGINNING of negotiation 3. They are drama queens from the get-go. 4. Russians are fearful of us; there is a central premise that the U.S. has a hidden agenda to destroy Russia."

He went on to explain this assumed agenda,

"That was sort of played up in the cold war era and in early 90's it faded away.... but after the collapse of the Soviet Union we didn't do much to help it get up. In fact, we offered NATO membership to 1/2 of central Europe and 1/2 of the former allies of Russia... but we haven't offered NATO membership to Russia itself."

Tune in for our conversation this week - about the book - about the various names he writes under and his mix-up with Robert Zimmerman late at night on the phone.

Help celebrate the new Pequot Lakes library!

Pequot lakes is a small town in Minnesota, population 1956. It's a little over 20 miles north of Brainerd. You'll notice it because of the bobber water tower right in the middle of town. Another thing you should know about Pequot Lakes is their cool library. It's a volunteer library, run by 30 volunteers. There are over 1800 card holders in the library, and they average 50 patrons a day!

They are in the process of change at the Pequot Lakes library! Soon they'll be moving to a new location and this weekend, to raise money for this move, they are holding a book sale.

It'll take place Friday July 3rd from 7:30-4pm and Sunday July 5th from 7:30am-3pm. They are located in the Pequot Lakes city hall at 4638 County Rd. 11. (It's the big white house with the pillars!)

Diet? Milkshake! Diet? Milkshake! Diet? Milkshake...

It's the eternal struggle, isn't it? Succumb to your summer desires of cool ice cream coupled with chocolate sauce or fruit or caramel or basil/lemon, served in a metal cup OR stick to your new food attitude, where milkshakes, while not exactly "evil", are not really on the program.

This week's Realgoodwords battles it out between body image issues and milkshakes. Okay, not really. But somehow, these 2 interviews work well together, kinda like peanut butter and chocolate.

Adam Ried is a cookbook and kitchen equipment junkie. He's the food columnist for the Boston Globe Magazine and the equipment expert for American's Test Kitchens and Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchens.

His new book is "Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes" and along with the standard chocolate milkshake Adam's got some doozies like Shot in the Dark Coffee Shake and Peanut Molasses Shake and Sweet Corn and Basil Shake. Tune in for some fun conversation and memories of those perfect shakes. See the photo of one of Adam's favorite's: the Lemon Buttermilk Shake. See here for the recipe.

Stephanie Klein is a very popular blogger who "tells things straight up and unfiltered". Her first memoir came from that, called "Straight Up and Dirty" and is being made into a 1/2 hour comedy for television. Her latest is another memoir, this time about her childhood as an overweight kid. It's called "Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp".

I asked Stephanie about being a mom and how she is going to deal with weight issues and her own kids.

She said, "I don't just tell them they are beautiful - I make sure they see that I tell myself that I'm beautiful - even if I don't feel it."

I asked Stephanie if changing the negative self talk to positive helped her in weight loss. I expected her to say yes. Instead she said,

"I don't think petting my arms and complimenting them on what a great job they are doing staying attached to my shoulders worked for me. The whole 'love yourself in the mirror' didn't work for me. What actually worked was seeing my before pictures when I was a kid and really looking at them and taking a step back. Just look at that form, that person, that girl - if she were your daughter...is she beautiful? I look at them and say YES! You WERE beautiful, you were pretty, you were energetic, you had this amazing personality. I wished that someone would have focused on that and focused on bringing out all of my talents instead of "you're the fat girl" and my father puffing out his cheeks at me at the dinner table when I'd go in for seconds. Because I think it all of my energy were focused on singing or painting or learning photography I wouldn't be so apt to sit down in the front of the television and eat a third bowl of cereal."

Or a third milkshake? It's almost the 4th of July, I think ONE milkshake is okay. Don't you?

If only we could all learn to share...

On this week's Realgoodwords we're learning how to share our toys with others. No really. Janelle Orsi is the co-author of the new book "Sharing Solution: How to Save Money, Simplify Your Life and Save Money". Janelle is a lawyer and in the book she offers ideas on how we can share with our neighbors, friends and families in all kinds of ways. Like:

-share tools....lawnmowers, saws, rototillers, washer & dryer, exercise equipment, you name it.
-share food.... agree to grow certain things and then trade with your community. Start a potluck club. Make lunch together at your workplace.
-share services....like babysitting - nannies, dog walkers

On the Sharing Solutions blog they talk about a way you can share your stuff online. See SwapTree for more information.

cool video from MN author Scott Muskin

books coming up on RGW

MN author Scott Muskin will be on Realgoodwords next week.. I'm enjoying reading his novel, "The Annunciations of Hank Meyerson, Mama's Boy and Scholar". It's making me laugh!

The Star Tribune said, "That's where the delight in Muskin's writing lies, in the lightning-quick shift from micro to macro and back again....You'll see yourself, and your loved ones, in his near pitch-perfect characters."

Also next week is author Rachel Simon (She wrote "Riding the Bus with My Sister") and her new book, "Building a Home With My Husband - A Journey Through the Renovation of Love". Author Daniel Gottlieb said, "This book is a treasure the likes of which I never expected. Rachel Simon is a great writer and has incredible skill. She is a wise soul." I'm hoping this one is a how-to book!

What are YOU reading?

Wednesdays with Willard

This week on Realgoodwords you'll hear about a couple of very different books....Duluth author and judge Mark Munger talks with me about his book "Mr. Environment: The Willard Munger Story". This is a comprehensive biography about one of the most influential legislators in Minnesota state history.

Former MN governor Arne Carlson said "He unleashed the notion that the legislature could listen to and use new ideas in the areas of the environment and conservation."

My other guest is Meg Waite Clayton. I'll talk with Meg about "The Wednesday Sisters: A Novel". It's the story of a group of young mothers who meet in the park weekly and start writing. We being the story in the late 1960's in California and see the changes in history through their eyes - the first man on the moon - the Vietnam War - the Women's Movement....

"This generous and inventive book is a delight to read, an evocation of the power of friendship to sustain, encourage, and embolden us" Karen Joy Fowler, author of "The Jane Austen Book Club"