Claire Cook never gets sick. But, like a storybook character caught in a sorry life plight, there she was with a fever and migraine just days before 'The Today Show' producer and camera crew were to arrive at her house.

"I hope I don't die before they get here," she quipped in her signature comedic style. But nothing-including Lyme disease-was going to stop her from living the dream! A few antibiotics later it was lights, camera, and action, she said, recounting the incident to a lawn full of South Shore Women attending her Reinvention Workshop last month at Front Street Bookshop in Scituate.

Cook's dream came true when she published her first novel, "Ready to Fall", in 2000, which she wrote in her minivan while waiting for her daughter at swim practice. Six novels later-including "Must Love Dogs"--  adapted for the big screen, and Cook is well on her way to superstardom. Yet, even with celebrity status, Claire remains down-to-earth, approachable, and connected to the South Shore. In some sense, she's still in awe of what's happening in her life. Who wouldn't be when you go from being 'just another mom in town' to having a camera crew follow you around for eight hours?

Walking the red carpet, meeting other famous authors, getting invited to swanky parties is fun, she admits. But her success was not a simple stroke of luck. It was, however, a simple formula: Passion + hard work.

"It's about the dream and evolving to become the person I really was...I knew I always wanted to be a writer, and then I choked," she said, recalling the 16 years she spent teaching and not writing.

She often got hung up on what she thought she couldn't do, rather than focusing on what she knew she could do. Many others on the road to reinvention stumble on that same negative intersection, she said. And, it's often fueled by family, friends, and colleagues. For example, when Cook finished her first novel, a friend-trying to be supportive-told her that, "Lots of good things don't get published."

"When you tell people about something you are going to do, they jump in to all of the things that can go wrong. You have to rise above the negativity," Cook said.

It can be tough to do. We are typically our own worst critics, and to have someone else slam something so sensitive and personal as a dream can be paralyzing. For that reason, Cook-who just published "The Wildwater Walking Club" in May-recommends keeping your work quiet for awhile until you are well on your way toward achieving your goal.

Cook also suggests you 'don't wait'. "If you wait for the right time, it will never be the day."

And, it doesn't have to be a genius work of art. Cook's books are all about everyday people with everyday problems (like getting sick before a big interview), and her stories are best-sellers. "Our lives are normal, relatively small lives, but [even though] we spend time in the kitchen, with the kids, or with friends, it's just as important as the big literary themes."

Anyone with any dream can succeed, she told her audience of women (and a few good men) all there listening intently on the lawn-with 'The Today Show' camera crew in their midst. You just have to remember the things you always wanted to do before life got in the way, she said.

To learn more about Claire Cook, visit her website at, www.clairecook.com.

Follow Claire on Twitter at WalkwithClaire, and join her Facebook Group, "The Wildwater Walking Club"...and, watch for her on The Today Show!!!

Claire Cook's Reinvention Tips:

-The troubled economy is creating a new generation of entrepreneurs as people shift gears to pursue a business based on their own interests and skill sets. Still, you'll be spending a lot of time on this business, so:  Don't Do It Unless You Love It!

-Procrastination is painful (and unproductive). You're never too busy....Busy people get things done! It's all about structure. How bad do you want it?

-Although creative people are always thinking up new ideas, pick one thing and focus on it.

-Rise above the negativity. Keep spinning things until it feels positive.

-Network and share ideas.

-If you start a business, you don't necessarily need a website, but you do need to be on Facebook, Twitter, and social networking sites.

-Confound expectation. (Don't do what everyone else is doing, you'll be a bore...For example, what's the book that only Claire Cook can write?)

-Do nice things for people. "Karma is a boomerang."

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil