Kris was living an idyllic life. She and her husband Richard had a romantic marriage, two beautiful daughters, and - thanks to the success of Richard’s bestselling  Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series - all  of the comforts of the American Dream.

But on December 13, 2006, that perfect story took a sudden and heartbreaking turn when, on a typical flight to New York, a pulmonary embolism would take Richards life; catapulting Kris into heartbreak and uncertainty.

It was the end of life as Kris knew it, and the beginning of a journey through the depths of grief and mourning that would reveal to Kris her true strength and an immeasurable love that cannot be broken.

Kris shares her deeply personal and profound story in the new book Heartbroken Open, A Memoir Through Loss to Self-Discovery (Harper Collins, 2010). This book is a courageously honest memoir. It is the true story of a wife, a mother, a woman forced to come face to face with fear, insecurity, and the painful but ultimately precious teach­ings Kris Carlson discovered along the way.

This wise little book offers a timeless message of inspiration, empowerment, and courage for anyone that has experienced and endured any kind of loss or hardship.

During his life, Richard Carlson, PhD, was considered one of the foremost experts in happiness and stress reduction in the United States and around the world and was a frequent featured guest on such shows as Oprah, The Today Show, The View, NNC, CNN, Fox, PBS and over 2000 other shows. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff continued to be a publishing phenomenon with over 20 titles in the brand franchise, two of which were co-authored and authored with his beloved wife, Kris.

The words “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” have become a part of American Culture thanks to Richard Carlson’s book that became a runaway best-seller and made publishing history as the #1 best-selling book in the United States for two consecutive years. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff spent over 100 weeks on the New York Times Best-Seller list and is still considered one of the fastest selling books of all time and has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.

Today, Kristine Carlson continues to expand and deliver the Don’t Sweat message inspiring mil­lions with timeless wisdom and practical ideas to create a life of abundance. With over twenty three million Carlson books in print and published in over 130 countries, it remains an enduring and instantly recognizable brand that continues to touch the lives of people across the globe. www.kristinecarlson.com