Book

Colleen (Anthony) O’Dea’s life has been nothing short of chaos. A mom of three, Colleen started writing her blog, Curtains are Open, in 2010. Since then, this mom-blogger-turned-author has gained a large following while her blog continues to gain recognition. And now, she’s releasing a book about the journey.

Recognizing that many women were reading her posts to feel a little more “normal” while they battled through the craziness of life, Colleen put together a book that reflects her personal experiences and life-lessons. At forty, Colleen faced a profound change. Suddenly finding herself single, she tells the stories of slowly picking up the pieces, leaving the comforts of being a stay-at-home mom while she returned to school, and the joys of beginning a new and exciting career. Full Speed Ahead is about facing changes, accepting them…and moving on. It’s about trying things you never dreamt of…and discovering a new and wonderful you!

While Colleen forges ahead on her fabulous adventure, she spends a fair bit of time driving her son, “Spiderman,” from rink to rink while he chases a little black puck; taking her daughter, “Bones,” to the barn where she’d rather muck out a horse stall than clean her own bedroom; or grabbing a cup of tea and heading a few hours down the highway to visit her oldest, “The Tall Blonde,” who is working towards earning that coveted X ring. First and foremost, Colleen is a mom. Her stories of raising three children in the middle of chaos are at times hilarious, and more often heartwarming.

In Colleen’s words, “When life throws you curve balls, there’s really nothing you can do but stand there and try to catch a few…right after you take a number of hits…deal with a couple of cuts and bruises…and possibly get knocked off your feet.”

Made up of posts and updates from her award winning blog, Full Speed Ahead is Colleen’s first book. It’s separated into sections including Hockey, Friends, Divorce, Moving on, Being a Mom and Tough Stuff. “It will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you feel like you’re not alone in this insane world. While leaving you feeling inspired…and quite possibly, a little exhausted!” says Colleen.

So, what do you do when it all falls apart? Just keep moving…Full Speed Ahead.

TO PURCHASE:

Full Speed Ahead is $25.00 (taxes included). Shipping within Canada costs $4.00 per book. For orders outside of Canada, send me an e-mail and I’ll head to the post-office and find out the exact price for you.

E-mail me and we’ll arrange a date so you can either pop by my office for a visit or I can deliver the book myself. If you’d like, you can email transfer or send through PayPal and I’ll have them shipped out. You can also just pay me when I drop the book off!

Full Speed Ahead is also available at; Mills Halifax, Mudwraps to Manicures, The Monkey Show and Tattletales Books.

24 Replies to “Book”

  2. Congratulations Colleen! I can’t wait to read it, put me down for one and I will pop by for a visit and pick it up. So proud of you!

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  4. By the way I’m crying right now, you’d think I’d written the damned book! Congratulations on this amazing achievement…and thank you for letting me be a small part! I know the book will be a smashing success! TLH

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    • I’ve been on the edge of tears so often it’s not even funny! Today, I’m actually on my knees. It’s overwhelming. And Thanks for EVERYTHING you’ve done to bring this to reality! xo

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  7. Way to go Colleen! That is soooo awesome! I’ll be ordering one by Paypal as I’m in New Brunswick and am not coming home to Halifax during the Christmas holidays this year. Congrats!!!

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  8. We are so proud of you and your great success. You have met and over come many challenges along the way. This is the first step of a very long ladder.” WAY TO GO” Colleen. We will start with one! Love Liz&Bryce

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  9. Absolutely awesome Colleen! And I think you’re cover is just beautiful and oh so clever. The illustrator did an amazing job. I would love to support you so save a book for me…. not sure what the best route is to get it from you. Let me know. Lots of love Fran

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    • Thanks Fran! I’ll put you down for one and let you know when I get them back from the printer so we can meet. It will be early next week. xo

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