By Celeste Friedman, author of Single 101: 101 Reasons to Celebrate Being Single

As a singer-songwriter, I can be guided by my muse at anytime of the day or night.  Several years ago, it whispered into my ear while I was on my way to join my friends for services at their church.  It was a two-hour drive on a brilliant, sunny Sunday morning in northwest Ohio.  Passing the cornfields, farms and grazing horses, I was simply enjoying the beauty of the day.  I thought of how sweet it was that my friends had invited me to share that wonderful summer day, and began to think about their amazing love story.  Suddenly, it hit me.  They had won the lottery in love and happiness.  Before I reached my destination, I had written the lyrics to the chorus and finished the song after returning home.

Tammy and Scott have that love that we all dream of or read about in fairy tales.  Whenever you see them together, they have contentment in their smiles and joy in their eyes.  On April Fool’s Day of this year, they will celebrate 14 years of marriage, and with three talented, growing boys, they still have “that love.”  Life’s challenges along the way have made them even stronger, and the light in their faces glows brighter.  However, their dream didn’t come true as they started out in life.

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By Krissy Dolor

If you’re single, February might be the month you dread your family’s seemingly harmless (but nevertheless annoying) questioning of your lifestyle, asking if you have a special someone to spend “that holiday” with.  Or, it may be the month you take out your reserved pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and watch sappy movies, wishing you had someone to cuddle with.  Either way, the “love” month shouldn’t be for couples only – singles need some love, too!  And who better than yourself to give you the love you need?  That’s the idea Celeste Friedman hoped to inspire with her book, Single 101: 101 Reasons to Celebrate Being Single, which explains why you should embrace your singleness, instead of looking at it like a a burden.  The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter claims that she has achieved more success flying solo than when she was married or dating.  A fun, easy read, along with personal anecdotes anyone can relate to, Single 101 shows you that you can do it alone (and enjoy it – really!) if you want to.  In addition, Friedman has created a Single 101 music CD, including original songs that were inspired by her book.  She even has a one-woman show that celebrates the single life live on stage.

I had a chance to speak with Friedman via email about her book, as well as her partnership with the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign, which launches on Valentine’s Day.  Take a look at what she had to say:

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