Permission to Party: Taking Time to Celebrate and Enjoy Life

by Jill Murphy Long

Probably the most pressing need for women today is to take a little time for themselves. Weighed down with the demands of dual careers, household responsibilities, child rearing and marriage, today's busy woman lets her friendships suffer, and she never feels she has the time to nurture herself. Third in the Permission to... series, Permission to Party is a beautifully illustrated book that gives women permission to enjoy life to the fullest.

Permission to Party lets women know it's OK (and even necessary) to take care of themselves and also tells them how to carve the time out of a busy schedule. It then gives them a plethora of imaginative ideas and techniques to use.

This elegant, fun book includes ways to nurture relationships and foster self-expression by bringing people together for meals and celebrations in intimate settings or large groups, as well as how to create your own quiet or playful celebration rituals to mark either special occasions or accomplishments. Plus, Permission to Party includes simple recipes, aromatherapy tips, uplifting music recommendations, party themes and party decorating ideas.

204 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Author of several books in the Permission to...Book Series, Jill Murphy Long is a professional writer, certified yoga instructor, athlete, and writing instructor. She owned The Ad Group, was a partner and creative director/copywriter for ten years at Murphy & Watt Advertising, and worked for Foote, Cone and Belding, ADWEEK, and The Advertising Center. As a former advertising executive, she realized the importance of taking time each day to nap and play. In 1997, she quit her day job to write books for those who needed permission to take this time the most—American women.

A graduate of California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing/Communications, Ms. Long’s best-selling first book, Permission to Nap, Taking Time to Restore Your Spirit received the Excellence Award, a distinguished recognition presented by the Chicago Book Clinic and the 2003 Benjamin Franklin Award by the Publishers Marketing Association.

Interviewed by NPR and other major metro radio stations, the author has also spoken at five-star spa resorts, universities, bookstores, libraries, and many other, diverse retail locations. Press coverage of her first book included articles in: Better Homes & Gardens, USA Today, Dallas Morning News, Los Angeles Times, American West In-flight Magazine, Chicago Sun Times, and international spa magazine, Pulse, to name a few.

The second book in the Permission Books Series, Permission to Play, Taking Time to Renew Your Smile, was published in April 2003 with 20,000 copies in the first printing. Permission to Play has been featured in publications such as: Women’s Health & Fitness, Delicious Living, Women’s World, Inside Borders, Christian Science Monitor, and Philadelphia Daily News. The author has appeared on CBS and Fox television stations and has been interviewed by hundreds of radio stations throughout North America.

Permission to Play shows readers many ways to fit active, creative, and mind play in their days with the same convincing prose and beautiful artwork found in the first book of the series.

The author has played all of her life both dabbling in the arts and trying new sports. This former collegiate alpine ski racer, Professional Ski Instructor of America (PSIA certified), and bike racer licensed under the United States Cycling Federation, speaks from experience of starting a new healthy habit and staying with it. An avid skie and now a member of the Courtesy Ski Patrol for the Steamboat Ski Resort tallying 100+ days a year on the slopes, Ms. Long still reserves time for naps and play between her writing and book tour schedule.

The third book in the series, Permission to Party, Taking Time to Celebrate and Enjoy Life is available at fine bookstores and gift shops nationwide including e-retailers such as: Amazon Books, Barnes & Noble, Booksamillion.com, Walmart, Target, and in gift direct mail catalogs such as: Isabella catalog, Femail Creations, Paragon, Victorian Trading Company, and Stampington & Company and online at their websites.

A bibliophile herself, the author belongs to a reading club and has organized and led weekly writers’ groups since 1998. She is a writing instructor at the Arts for the Soul Creative Symposiums and has led writing workshops at the Colorado Mountain College. Ms. Long plans to pen nine more books in the Permission to...Book Series and is currently writing book four, Permission to Risk, Taking Time to Live Your Dreams. Excerpts from the books and the author’s tour schedule can be viewed at: www.permissionbooks.com

The author happily makes her home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with her husband and daughter, writing, and skiing or cycling—weather permitting—almost every day.