Page 58 March 2015 Author plans a date with the Arcadia News Book Club By Amanda Goossen In her 15th novel, author Beth Kendrick presents readers with an entertaining and emotional story of renewal, love and the path to success. New Uses for Old Boyfriends opens as Lila Alders packs her overpriced Cadillac Escalade and flees her life of luxury, heading to her hometown with a bruised heart and empty bank account. Her husband’s sudden epiphany that his love for her has run dry, topped with her cancelled TV show, has put an end to the life she knows, giving her one choice: She must return to the tiny seaside town where she grew up, and start a brand new life. On March 26, Arcadia News will have the honor of hosting author Beth Kendrick at our book club at the Saguaro Library at 6:30 p.m. Our discussion with this successful and funny author promises a night that cannot be missed. We’d love to have you join us. For more information or to RSVP, email amanda@ arcadianews.com Recently, Arcadia News had the chance to ask Kendrick a few introductory questions: AN: Can you tell us a bit about your path to becoming an author? BK: I love to read and always dreamed of becoming a writer, but I knew the odds were stacked against me so I tried to pursue more of a “practical” career path. (Spoiler alert: It didn’t take!) I was 22 and living in Los Angeles when I was invited as a “plus one” to a wedding where the bride was a successful romance novelist. Well, the second I heard that, I had to go. So I RSVP’d, sidled up to the bar at the reception, waited until the bride and all her author friends uncorked the good champagne, and then peppered them with endless questions about writing, editing and landing an agent. Next thing you know, I had joined a critique group and was knee-deep in the manuscript that would eventually become My Favorite Mistake . Ten years and 15 books later… I’m still going. AN: How has your life changed since that first book? BK: When I started out, I found writing to be a bit isolating and lonely, but over the years, I’ve become part of a community. I have an amazing editor I’ve worked with for eight years, and I adore my critique partners and beta readers. My writer friends are brilliant, hilarious and supportive, and they’ve been there with me every step of the journey. Writing opened the door for some of the most important relationships in my life. AN: Do you approach writing differently now than with book number one? BK: I strive to improve with every book. Overall, I’d say I’m less afraid. I used to cripple myself with perfectionism and it hindered my work. I was terrified of making mistakes (now I know I can fix BOOK OF THE MONTH New Uses for Old Boyfriends BY BETH KENDRICK BOOK CLUB MEETING MARCH 26, 6:30 P.M. SAGUARO LIBRARY Beth Kendrick them in subsequent drafts) and of criticism (now I accept the fact that I can’t please everybody). I write books that are true to my characters and my voice, I let bad things happen to good characters, and I have faith in my process, even though I do not 100 percent understand how it works. AN: Beth Kendrick novels are based on love and relationships (both successful and not). Are you a relationship expert? BK: I am definitely not a relationship expert, but I am fascinated by relationships in all forms – romances, friendships, families, even the bonds between pets and owners. I always want to know more about what draws people together and pushes them apart. Human connection is such an intriguing blend of science and serendipity. AN: Do you celebrate on the day your books are published? How? BK: When New Uses for Old Boyfriends came out a few weeks ago, I shared a bottle of lovely red wine with a writer friend. I try to give myself a day to savor that tingly, freshly published feeling, and then it’s back to the keyboard. The next book is always calling! AN: Where do you see yourself in 10 years? BK: I’ll still be writing in some capacity, I’m sure – I’m a lifer. I’ll still have my writing community and we’ll still be drinking red wine and laughing together. And I’ll still have too many dogs! AN: If you were not an author, what would have been career choice No. 2? BK: One of the best things about writing is that it’s allowed me to explore other careers as part of my research. I’ve shadowed a dog trainer (for The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service ), a fashion designer (for Fashionably Late ), a flight attendant (for Cure for the Common Breakup ), and a jewelry designer (for the manuscript I’m writing now). As much as I enjoy being a “career voyeur,” I haven’t found anything that hooks me quite like writing. Fiction: It’s addictive.

Page 59 March 2015 ARCADIA SPORTS Flag football coach possesses a unique coaching style By Nicholas Smith Moments from childhood sporting events seem to stay with us in a unique way as we age. Personally, I’ve always been able to recall specific moments from my youth sports career, even as other memories from the same time period begin to blur. I can’t remember what I packed for lunch any day of third grade. But I do remember one baseball game from that year. I stood at second base, hands on my knees, staring at the ground and trying to block out the sound of a grown man cursing. I remember pretending not to hear, acting like it wasn’t a big deal and, most of all, trying to avoid all eye contact with the third baseman. You don’t want to look at the kid whose dad is yelling at 8-year-olds. I’d like to say this was the only time I had to deal with an adult being out of control when I played sports as a kid, but it is sadly not the case. I watched coaches kick a dugout’s chain-link fence in a rage after a young child missed a sign. I sat next to teammates of mine who were in tears because they had been forgotten and didn’t get to play a single minute of a game. All those memories make what I watched on Saturday both unique and impressive. Around lunchtime, I walked down to Tavan Elementary School, where several flag football teams from the Gridiron Flag Football league were playing. All ages of elementary school kids were playing and it was particularly entertaining to watch 5-year-olds try to run with footballs that were nearly as big as their entire torsos. But what caught my eye was the behavior of the Buffalo Bills’ coach. The team was made up of 7- and 8-year-olds. Even a distracted fan could not have missed Pete TeKampe, with his blue Bills shirt and dark sunglasses. He was the loudest person on the field, pacing up and down the sidelines, never still for an instant. Not uncommon behavior from a youth coach. Then the team came off the field for a water break and I walked closer to hear what TeKampe was saying. As the players huddled together sipping water, TeKampe squatted down to their level and loudly Coach TeKampe focuses on accentuating the positive attributes of these young players. called out each player individually, in order to talk about what they were doing well. Each boy got his moment of glory, while the rest of the players got to hear what he was bringing to the team. When the boys went back onto the field, TeKampe went with them, standing behind his offense as they ran plays. When they scored a touchdown, he yelled with joy and high-fived his boys. When a catch was dropped, he clapped his hands in encouragement and patted the kids on the head. When the defense was on the field, he walked with them up the field from the sideline, shouting encouragement the whole time. He was with them every step of the way, a constant source of optimism and reassurance. Upon talking with parents of Bills players, it was evident that this was not an unusual occurrence. Multiple parents referred me to the emails TeKampe sends to parents for the kids after practices and games. In it he goes over what the team needs to improve upon and what they did well that week. Then he lists each player and writes a small paragraph about how he is excelling and what he specifically does to help the team. “We’ve been in leagues where people yell and can be real jerks,” said Andy Mellen, whose son, Luke, plays for TeKampe. “He has such a passion for each and every kid who is out there.” Elvis Scaramella, whose son, Carlo, is also on the Bills, agrees with Mellen. He noted that what I was seeing on the sideline was just another week for TeKampe. “He’s like this all the time,” said Scaramella. “He’s really great about how much he focuses on every kid.” The team responded to their coaching as the game when on, encouraging each other and celebrating each successful play. 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