Forget about those Santa Ana winds. Oscar's embers blew directly into Ann Blanchard's house Tuesday night as Hollywood honchos, TV execs, first and second wives, along with various and sundry well-wishers gathered for a reading of Mimi Schmir's fictional and hilarious "Hot Flashes" blog...

The confab, masterminded by the former William Morris überagent who's now with Mosaic Media, drew Hollywood's finest TV and film actresses who read selections from the blog which chronicles the rollercoaster antics of Schmir's heroine, Esme, a late 40s-ish divorced mother of two. While I wasn't in Ann's parlor experiencing the "Hot Flashes," faux and for-real, firstwivesworld.com's intrepid correspondent reports the evening was a scorcher. Yes, HOT or you know, HOT!

Actresses Amy Brenneman ("Private Practice" and "Judging Amy"); Dana Delany ("Desperate Housewives"); Kathyrn Morris ("Cold Case"); and Natasha Henstridge ("Commander-in-Chief") each morphed into Esme as they read portions of the edgy blog that began on firstwivesworld.com. And they say there aren't any good parts for women?? Huh?!

Schmir, a writer for TV hits "Grey's Anatomy" and "Shark," was feted for her fiesty and comedic portrayal of the daily exploits of a pre-menopausal late 40s mom who's trying to move on with her life after a divorce in which her husband leaves her for a younger model (surprise, surprise). "Hot Flashes" just may be the next "Starter Wife" but there's a difference: "Hot Flashes" started on firstwivesworld.com, yes, the Web baby, and is destined for episodic television.

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Oscar's afterglow may be fading but man-oh-man is it gettin' hot in here or what? Nah... it's just those damn "Hot Flashes"! Yeah, baby...

What, you say, am I talking about? Well, it's a reading of Mimi Schmir's fictional blog "Hot Flashes" that's getting firstwivesworld.com all hot and bothered. Mimi (pictured here) and a whole bunch of first, and most likely second wives will gather Tuesday night in Los Angeles to hear actresses Dana Delaney (ABC's "Desperate Housewives"), Amy Brenneman (ABC's "Private Practice"), Natasha Henstridge ("Dirty, Sexy Money") and Kathryn Morris (CBS' "Cold Case") read selections from the blog.

The reading, presented by First Wives World Productions along with the fabulous, Ann Blanchard, will feature the renowned actresses channeling the adventures of "Esme," Mimi's alter-ego, as she goes through a variety of pitfalls, hilarious escapades and twisted sexcapades. "Hot Flashes" appears once a week on firstwivesworld.com. Mimi also wrote for ABC's hit series "Grey's Anatomy".

There are more fictional series and episodic Webisodes planned on firstwivesworld.com. Now how's that for hot...?

 

Women's chances of getting remarried diminish after separation and divorce, according to the findings of a new study.

Their chances of moving on and finding a successful relationship can be particularly hampered when there are children from a previous relationship or marriage.

The study, conducted by Dutch researcher Anne-Rigt Poortman, revealed that the prospects of embarking on a new relationship are slimmer for women as compared to men. One reason for this may be that women are far more cautious after a failed marriage or cohabiting relationship than men are.

Hmm. From everything I've seen and heard, this tends to be true. I've noticed that men tend to remarry or secure a significant relationship within three years of being divorced or widowed. In my opinion, men tend to gravitate back to relationships quite easily.

Poortman also found that while separated or divorced, people still wanted a partner and furthermore, had a stronger desire for less committed types of relationships such as a living-apart-together relationship or unmarried cohabitation.

Interestingly, her findings reveal that divorced people preferred not to live with a partner, whereas people who have only cohabited in the past prefer that arrangement. The study also found that divorced men and women appear to prefer divorced partners. And people who have gone through a divorce are more likely to get divorced again.

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Love and marriage, love and marriage. They say it goes together like a horse and carriage until — uh — it doesn't.

And that's more often the case these days. U.S. census data revealed earlier this week that more than half the Americans who might have made it to their 25th wedding anniversaries since 2000 got divorced, separated or widowed before reaching that benchmark. The data reveals that for the first time since World War II, couples who got hitched in the late 1970s had a less-than-even chance of remaining married 25 years later.

You've heard of the seven-year itch, the restlessness that occurs in a marriage after seven years —allegedly — and if not, the brilliant movie starring Marilyn Monroe. These days, some experts think the seven-year itch is happening even earlier, say around three years. People start getting bored, they're looking for an adrenaline boost — a little romance and excitement — the kind you can get from a new partner.

First Wives World's Debbie Nigro commented on the new census data and trends in a piece today on the "CBS Early Show." Debbie noted that one of the problems is that for some people, "commitment" doesn't mean "commitment" any longer, or doesn't mean "commitment" to a single person for life. "It's ‘commitment' until I say it isn't." Marriage, Debbie told the "Early Show," is a "work in progress." To be sure, it is a relationship that requires understanding, empathy and a commitment to working on it throughout your life.

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The results of First Wives World's latest poll are in and they're, uh, rather surprising. We asked you how much sex you're having each month and found that 55 percent of the 10,000 divorcées surveyed answered "none."

Another 22 percent of those surveyed said they were "lucky to get it" one to three times a month, 13 percent of the divorced women polled said they had sex three to six times a month. And 11 percent claimed they had "more than I'll ever admit to."

Well, you told us! Now your task for today, along with juggling job, kids, home, social activities and extended family is to go out and cultivate your inner sex goddess. Maybe it's dressing a bit more provocatively (okay, don't go overboard if you're in a conservative office!), saying hello to the guy at the coffee stand or just projecting a beautiful smile. But whatever it is, do it with positive energy and you'll be reeling in men before too long. At least that's what they say!

Click here for more about the poll in today's New York Post.

First Wives World readers have come to know that our Debbie Nigro is a multi-talented and versatile woman who loves to shake things up--on her show, on the blog, in her life...Now, she's shakin' things up in your underwear drawer!

Yes, that's right...Debbie's latest guest column on About.com's Divorce Support channel is about changin' it up and changing out your undies. Going through a divorce? Go through your underwear collection while you're at it and revitalize your stock of bras, panties, body slimmers and heck, don't forget the stockings and garters...!

One of the best ways to move on after a divorce or when you're in the thick of a split, is to scout out new undergarments for every occasion and every mood. You'll feel better, sexier and like a new person. Take it from Debbie! Check out her column, the first in a regular series on About.com...

From the U.K. comes a rather unbelievable story... Bert and Jean Jolley who were married and divorced TWICE, have decided the third time's a charm: They remarried recently for their third marriage to each other!

Bert, 59, and Jean, 54, hopefully have joined up for the last time. They have five kids and 26 grandchildren. So what made their relationship so on-again, off-again? It sounds like the typical rows and arguments couples have during marriage provoked each to file divorce papers on at least two occasions during their relationship.

"We have been on a bit of a merry-go round, but I think overall we have had a jolly good time of it," says Bert, in London's Daily Mail newspaper. "We have just had our ups and downs just like other marital couples but the fact is we are made for each other and this marriage is for keeps."

Aw...that's sweet. If only all splits ended up like this: Not splits at all.

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Actress Kate Hudson tells Harper's Bazaar that dating since her divorce from rocker Chris Robinson is "very different" since she has a three-year-old son. Dating as a single mom is, "like growing up. It's adult," she says.

Come on...! Doesn't Goldie Hawn's daughter have anything more insightful to say? Of course dating after divorce when you have a child, or two, or three, is challenging. For a high-profile actress, navigating the obstacles isn't necessarily harder, it's just different. Think of cameras trailing your every move and the fodder for supermarket tabloids. Who's Kate's guy of the week? Most divorced moms don't have to contend with that kind of attention.

As for another marriage, Hudson says she's checked it off her "list of to-dos." She does leave us with one key insight: "The idea of marriage, I realize now, no longer holds the answer to anything."

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Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' divorce troubles are heating up again. Seems that with Charlie on the verge of re-marriage—to Brooke Mueller—the estranged couple is battling over custody and visitation rights for their daughters Sam and Lola. Sheen and Richards are due back in court as Charlie seeks more freedom in his custody agreement. Currently, he has supervised visits with his daughters.

Honestly, aren't Charlie's hooker/drinkin'/druggin' days behind him? He would appear fairly stable. He has a hit show on CBS ("Two And A Half Men") or, at least what looks like enough of a hit these days. And who knows what broke up the marriage to Denise—uh well, I guess Charlie does love the ladies. :}

But supervised visits? Seriously... Come on...What is Denise afraid will happen? Or is she just jealous of the new gal?

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Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri and the state's Attorney General Patrick Lynch say that two women can be granted a divorce by a Rhode Island court. The case could have far-reaching implications for same-sex couples in other states who are splitting up.

The governor and the attorney general filed separate legal briefs in the case of Margaret Chambers and Cassandra Ormiston, who were married in Fall River in 2004 after gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts. However, Carcieri and Lynch continue to disagree on whether same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts should be recognized in Rhode Island.

For his part, Carcieri says the state should only recognize unions between one man and one woman, while Lynch has argued that same-sex marriages performed in Massachusetts ought to be recognized in Rhode Island.

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