Guest Author Catherine Larose

Today the ladies of WOW Tours are stopping by, and once again, introducing us to one amazing woman.  A world traveler and now an author.   Since I did read her book, I can say, it may be her debut book, but put her on your radar because I doubt this will be her only novel.  Sp please help me welcome Cat Larose and the ladies of WOW!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine is one part hot blooded Latin and one part wild eyed Celt. She’s the oldest of seven children raised in a large Irish/Italian family – Catholic, of course. But family and friends think of her as the gypsy. She’s spent her life studying, living, and working all over the place. Cat is forever destined to wander incessantly as a person currently without country(CWC), or with no fixed address(NFA). Blessing or curse? Grandma V had her pegged long before she ever left Clevleand, Ohio when she gave her red-headed Italian granddaughter this advice , “All you need is a place to hang your hat.”

As she was traveling the world, Cat managed to acquire a husband. A rather beige husband. Not a good match considering the fact that Cat sells color for a living. What does that mean? When you go to a home improvement store and to choose a paint color, those little color chips are made by Cat’s company. They produce color chips for the automotive industry, cosmetic industry and of course your local Home Depot. While in Paris on business, Cat decided that life was too short to be beige. Her memoir is a record of her escape from the beige tinge of her marriage to the wild colors of singlehood.

You can visit Catherine at her website here.

GUEST POST

Any Color but Beige: Living Life in Color

By Catherine Larose

 In her memoir, Any Color but Beige: Living Life in Color, author and color marketer Cat Larose finally comes to the realization that the picture-perfect life she created was missing something essential – color.    Once she identified what was wrong, Cat found happiness by living life in color. Use the quiz below to determine if you need to add more color to your life. 

Start by answering “yes” or “no” for each question.

1.            Can you name the last time you felt a rush of happiness?

2.            Do you like to try new things?

3.            Is there at least one person, place or activity you are passionate about?

4.            Do you indulge in that passion often?

5.            Can you laugh at yourself?

6.            Do you have a short bucket list?

7.            Have you done something spontaneous in the last week?

8.            Have you laughed or shared a laugh in the last day?

9.            Do you smile for no reason?

10.        Do you have a curious mind and an open spirit?

11.        Do you make yourself a priority?

12.        Do you know your favorite color and indulge in it?

13.        Do you enjoy your own company?

14.        Do you treat yourself to little (or big) things on occasion?

15.        Do you have one true friend you can turn to in joy or despair?

16.        Do you nurture your spiritual side?

17.        Do you give back, even in just a small way?

18.        Do you live in the moment?

19.        Are you a work in progress, learning and growing with every experience?

20.        Do you have a personal mantra, motto or special book or song that defines you?

Scoring

For each “yes” response, give yourself five points.  For each “no” response, subtract one point.  Add up the points to reveal your color score. 

Color Lost: less than 25 color points
Oops! Looks like you’ve misplaced your color compass. A little Meditation Mauve (from the Any Color but Beige color palettes) would serve you well as a starting point to get back on track. Leonardo da Vinci believed that meditating in a purple light increased effectiveness tenfold.  Hang a purple crystal in your window and bask in its beams.  Now that is a mood swing for the better!

Color Roadblock:  26 – 50 color points

Time for a makeover – just add color.  You are eyeing that box of crayons, poised and ready to choose your signature color.  Who would have thought such a bold, marvelous creature was hiding behind all that sensible beige?  Try adding some Marvelous Darling (from the Any Color But Beige color palettes) with clothing or accessories, to get moving again.

Flying Down the Highway: 51 – 75 color points
You are officially on Adventure Road. If color were a country, you would have a passport! Whether it’s from around the corner or around the world, you collect colorful souvenirs and use them to decorate your inner and outer space.  Seize opportunities to bring colorful pieces of your travels and adventures home. Who says you can’t take it with you?

End of the Rainbow: 76 – 100 color points
Congratulations, you have a rainbow in your pocket! Your life encompasses a full spectrum of color experiences.  Time to take all that Zenergy (from the Any Color but Beige color palettes) and share it with others.  Start a blog, write your memoir or just find time to share colorful experiences with others.  Keep focused on living life in color to continue to reap the benefits.

Cat's Top 10 Tips for Living Life in Color:

1. Take time for pit stops of happiness. Pull off the road every now and then and be good to yourself. Even if it is just for a quiet moment of coffee.
2. Add discipline--it provides proportional returns. What you get out of anything is equal to what you put in.
3. Realize that advice is just a validation of the decision you are about to make.
4. Ask, "Would I rather be right or happy?" If you want to be happy, then be willing to change your mind.
5. Accept the consequences of your decisions and move on.
6. Live (temporarily) with your fear, guilt or embarrassment until you get over it--and you will get over it.
7. Overcome analysis/paralysis.
8. Ask the right question--not "why" (blame) but "how" (action).
9. You do not have to be an expert. Just be honest with yourself.
10. Take advantage of new opportunities. If not now, when? 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Synopsis:

After years of living a beige existence, Cat Larose, international color marketing expert, finally added a little color to her own life. All it took was a Paris sunset and a little red suitcase.

Everyone wanted Cat's life. She had a handsome husband, a stylish home and a fascinating career as an international color marketing consultant. Work took Cat to some of the world's most beautiful cities but something was missing: ironically, it was color. One day she found herself in Paris watching a sunset and, in a moment of clarity, she caught a glimpse of her sepia-toned future.

When Cat got home, she did what she'd longed to do for years. She decided to paint her bedroom a magnificent Bordeaux red and put an end to her beige existence and her marriage. That was the beginning of a new life.

Any Color but Beige is a bright, funny, genuine account of one woman's search for love in the deep end of the dating pool. None of the self-help books prepared Cat for the often funny, occasionally puzzling, sometimes sad but always colorful dating adventures with an international cast of frogs, princes and players. Cat makes the classic female mistake of thinking that love is a life preserver. Until one day she learns to swim.

Just Thought You Should Know:

At the end of her WOW Blog Tour, Cat Larose will be awarding a special Book Club Prize which includes 10 copies of her memoir Any Color But Beige, a guide on how your book club can enjoy Any Color But Beige, any several other surprises. If your readers want to enter this contest tell them to leave a comment at your site with the words “Book Club Contest” in the message. If you’ll be giving away a copy of Any Color But Beige, have your followers leave two messages: one to enter your blog’s contests and one to enter the Book Club Contest.

On Monday,December 19 at the end of her WOW Blog Tour, Cat Larose will be awarding a special Book Club Prize ! The prize includes 10 copies of her memoir Any Color But Beige, a guide on how your book club can enjoy Any Color But Beige, a virtual visit from Cat Larose, and several other surprises. If you want to enter this contest just leave a comment after this post with the words “Book Club Contest” in the message. You can enter to win both the individual contest for one copy of Any Color But Beige and the Book Club Contest but you have to leave two different comments. Don't forget to tell everyone who belongs to your Book Club to enter the contest!

Watch the trailer:

THANKS TO AUTHOR, CATHERINE LAROSE,

AND THE LADIES AT WOW, I HAVE ONE (1)

COPY OF THIS MEMOIR TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO 

THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,

in exchange for my honest review.

No items that I receive

are ever sold...they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.