Lucy Maud Montgomery's novel Anne of Green Gables has long been celebrated as one of the most beloved young adult novels of the 20th century, and the classic Canadian tale about a red-haired orphan who comes to live at the Cuthberts' farm on Prince Edward Island is being adapted for television again — but this time, it's going to have a dark twist, thanks to CBC TV.

More: 5 classic books that have been mocked on Goodreads

The series, entitled Anne, has a Season 1 commitment of eight episodes, and producers are currently on the hunt for the next Anne Shirley. Award-winning writer Moira Walley-Beckett (who brought us hit AMC series Breaking Bad) is at the helm of the project, and according to Global News, she knows just what she is looking for in a star: "a 12-year-old female Bryan Cranston."

This role will be incredibly demanding — and it won't all be flowers and rainbows, because the series is going to be portraying the dark aspects of the novel, too.

"Anne is damaged; she never wasn't. I'm not reinventing the wheel here in that regard," said Walley-Beckett. "There's this one line that she says: 'Am I talking too much? Everybody always tells me that I do. It seems to cause no end of aggravation.' When you look at that, what does that mean? What's happened in the past?"

More: 13 beloved classic movies inspired by books

Walley-Beckett notes that lines like that allude to a tumultuous past. "What's happened in the past... is that she's been smacked across the face for talking too much or she's been punished," she explained. She wants to dig deeper into the story to find out why these characters are the way that they are, and it's these complicated and flawed features of the story that will help produce a more diverse, modern Anne.

And because the series will explore a new angle, the producers are looking for an extraordinary girl to portray her. Producer Miranda de Pencier told CBC News, "We are looking for a certain unique quality, a girl that can help define Anne for a new generation."

"She's a modern girl with a massive heart," said de Pencier. "She is also a deeply wounded kid — she bears the emotional scars of the abusive life she's led so far. Anne is full of contradictions."

More: Civilised Saturday sounds way more appealing than Black Friday

Of course, diehard Anne Shirley fans still fondly remember Megan Follows in the 1985 adaptation of the book, and hers will be a hard act to follow. The series was nominated for a slew of awards and took home a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program. Follows herself enjoyed critical recognition, winning a Gemini Award in 1986 for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Single Dramatic Program or Miniseries.

Follows depicted Anne as a classic heroine, but the new Anne will be all that and more: "contemporary: smart, quirky, fierce and spirited, but also insecure and wildly emotional," de Pencier said.

If you're wondering if Anne of Green Gables has relevance to today's audience, the answer is yes. According to Mental Floss, while the sales of the book have declined over the years (it was published in 1908, after all), Anne of Green Gables remains big business across the globe.

Cavendish (re-imagined as Avonlea in the books) has over 125,000 fans visit it on pilgrimages each year, with an estimated 20 percent of those fans coming from Japan (yes, the novel is massive there). The Green Gables farmhouse is a National Historic Site, and Prince Edward Island remains a popular tourist attraction. In addition, the novel has been adapted for the screen multiple times and has served as inspiration for Canada's longest running musical, Anne of Green Gables: The Musical, which in 2015 enjoyed its 51st season — making clear that it's a timeless story that still resonates with Canadians. But in order to appeal to a new generation, producers and writers of Anne have cleverly thought to add new dynamics.

Production is expected to begin this summer, with a debut in 2017, and the hunt is now on to discover a talented young girl who can bring this diverse character to life. According to The Anne Search, girls between the ages of 11 and 14 are invited to simply "sign up and show up."

Those trying out will be expected to try to make the lines sound natural, feel the emotions and "imagine the real circumstances of each scene."

Casting will be held in Toronto on May 7 and May 8, in Vancouver on May 14 and May 15, and in Halifax on May 29 and May 30. If you're a hopeful (or if you know someone who may be perfectly suited to fill this role), then head over to The Anne Search to find out more.

Before you go, share your thoughts with us: Is this a TV adaptation you're looking forward to?

Congratulations are in order for Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson, who welcomed a baby boy into the world. The Olympic swimmer and his fiancée, who won the Miss California USA 2010 pageant, are first-time parents who excitedly shared the news via his Instagram on Saturday.

Because keeping secret all the juicy details about your celebrity baby is so 2013 (just ask Chrissy Teigen and John Legend if you don't believe me), Phelps also treated us to an adorable photo of his son and himself topless (dads and babies benefit from skin-on-skin contact just as much as moms and their infants), and a glowing Johnson looks on from a hospital bed.

More: JWoww's baby name hits a trifecta of trends

And their baby's name is not one you'll hear every day:

Aww, baby Boomer! For those of you who live for baby name meanings, I'm sorry to say that there is little information about the origins of Boomer — which could be a plus if you're in the market for an original name. The meaning of Boomer is "loud or notable," and it originated in the good ol' U.S. of A. Its popularity hit an unexplainable peak in 2001, then dropped and kept dropping, but it seems to be (slightly) on the rise as of 2015.

More: 34 songs about motherhood because just one will never be enough

Of course, the first person who probably comes to mind when you think "Boomer," particularly if you're a sports fan, is Boomer Esiason, a retired football quarterback who played for teams like the Bengals and the Jets. His birth name is actually Norman Julius Esiason, but does that even matter anymore? He's "Boomer" to the nation, so Boomer it is.

Phelps and Johnson got engaged in February 2015 and announced her pregnancy nine months later. Judging by the fact that they both got their own separate baby showers (his was cowboy themed) and by his shirtless baby bonding, I'm going to go out on a limb and say Phelps is embracing parenthood. He had a rough few years with DUIs and headlines in the tabloids every week, but it seems like the swimmer is now a changed man.

More: If you just gave birth, avoid these movies at all costs

Congrats to both Phelps and Johnson, and welcome to the world, Boomer.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below:

Soft, runny eggs can come right out of your slow cooker — yes, it's true! You don’t have to use your slow cooker for just soups and stews.

More: 15 Pinterest-worthy brunch ideas

The next time you're throwing a brunch get-together, pull out the ol’ slow cooker; it will do wonders for you. You can make up to six poached eggs at a time, depending on your slow cooker's size.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to poach them.

You’ll need 5 cups of hot water, eggs, salt, pepper, cooking spray, ramekins and your slow cooker.

More: 14 slow cooker recipes that will make spring cooking easier

Turn the slow cooker on high, and add in the 5 cups of water. Cover with the lid, and let the water simmer for 30 minutes. This allows the water temperature to rise high enough to cook the eggs in 25 minutes.

Crack one egg into each greased ramekin. Gently lower the egg-filled ramekins into the slow cooker, and cover with the lid. The water should be high enough to surround the ramekins, but not high enough to cover them. Let the eggs cook for 25 minutes.

More: How to make the perfect poached egg

When done, remove your eggs from the slow cooker, and season with salt and pepper. Your slow cooker poached eggs are done. I like mine with avocado toast and olive oil-marinated cherry tomatoes.

More: How to poach an egg

More: 20 times poached eggs proved to be the sexiest eats ever

Slow cooker poached eggs recipe

Prep time: 35 minutes | Cook time: 25 minutes | Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 5 cups water
• Eggs
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Directions: 

1. Turn the slow cooker on high, and add in the 5 cups of water. Cover with the lid, and let the water simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Crack 1 egg into each greased ramekin. Add the eggs into the slow cooker, and cover with the lid. Let the eggs cook for 25 minutes.
3. Remove your eggs from the slow cooker, and season with salt and pepper.

No doubt for many women, hair forms a vital part of how attractive they feel. Hair, when healthy, can make you look vibrant and can give a significant boost to your looks. Science is advancing every day, and measures like cloning, stem cell regeneration, gene therapy and other cosmetic treatments are gaining popularity. But even without those things, a little care and consistent effort can surely help to improve the texture of your hair to a great extent and help you maintain beautiful, strong and healthy hair.

More: The dos & don'ts of hair treatments during pregnancy

1. Identify your hair texture

Your hair texture may range from dry or oily to thick or thin, from dense or scarce to curly or smooth, or even to strong or fragile. Depending on the kind of hair, a proper hair care routine can be suggested.

You would need to pick up your shampoo based on your hair type and hair texture. Any popular brands are good enough to be tried, but make sure to apply the accompanying conditioner that comes with your shampoo. A lot of women skip the conditioning part of hair care, which is why their hair gets tangled, dry and fragile when exposed to summer heat and pollution. Conditioners also come in wide range depending on your hair requirements.

2. Ask for professional help

Seeking professional help is not a bad idea. A dermatologist will help you understand your skin requirements as well, while a general practitioner will give you a holistic view of your diet, hair care, fitness play and products best suited for your skin.

A lot of times multivitamins and B-complexes help provide you with the much-needed supplements, which can curb problems with hair falling out. Vitamins also improve the texture of your hair and skin to a great extent, but you should seek professional advice rather than just directly popping these pills.

3. Say goodbye to hot water

Avoid washing your hair with hot water. Hot water damages the skin and the hair follicles by making the hair roots weak and removing the necessary moisture from the scalp. It is always advised to use lukewarm water to bathe on a regular basis.

More: 5 ways to keep your skin healthy during long winter months

4. Massage your scalp

The fourth tip is oiling your hair at least once a week. Oiling might not be needed for all hair types, but it surely helps to give the right massage to your scalp and improves the blood circulation to the scalp as well. This increased blood circulation, in return, provides the hair with the required nutrition.

5. Use the right brush

Using the right brush or comb is a pretty simple hair secret. Using a wide toothed comb and a good quality brush is important. Brushes with soft, high quality bristles help to protect your hair from weakening.

The best way to take care of your hair is by balancing your diet, your work out, your hair products and your heat exposure. Always remember, it's never too late to start taking care of your hair.

More: Why you should add mineral makeup to your beauty routine

Last night, in a segment on Weekend Update, Sasheer Zamata spoke about Larry Wilmore’s use of the N-word to refer to President Obama at the White House correspondents' dinner last week. She spoke about how more white people than black people were upset about the usage, shared one of her own experiences being called the word and said she felt the word shouldn’t be ignored, lest we ignore the history associated with it as well. Finally, she ended the segment by casually using the word to refer to the segment’s host Colin Jost.

More: Justin Bieber issues heartfelt apology for racist joke, Use of N-word

Many fans were shocked and angered by SNL’s use of the word, which, of course, is valid. The word has an incredibly complex, dark history tied to slavery in the United States. It could certainly be triggering to viewers to hear it. And, really, it’s not within my power to say definitively when a term is or isn’t offensive to a community to which I do not belong.

It is, though, important to consider the context in which the word was said. As this article from NPR says, there are no distinct rules about who can and should use specific racially loaded words; rather, there are contexts in which the use is offensive or not. Anyone can use the word — but anyone has the right to get offended by its use.

Zamata is a black woman who was speaking to a white man when she said the N-word, so by using it, she was not reproducing the kinds of destructive power structures that originally made the word problematic.

More: 15 celebrity quotes about race relations in America

She clearly has her own relationship with the word, as she described a truck driver calling her that. For her to use the word is also a way for her to reclaim control over it on her own terms, which is a subversive and useful action.

Many people worry that those who are social justice oriented are policing comedy, making it so that no one can joke about anything anymore. But this is far from the case. Using Zamata’s case as an example, I argue that there are certainly people who can joke about racially sensitive material without allowing racism itself to continue. It is important that jokes challenge rather than reify inequality, though.

More: School decides 9-year-old black girl's natural hair violates dress code

Finally, however, it is also important to remember that Zamata is not working in a vacuum. It is possible, as this tweet suggests, that she was pressured into doing the bit and using the N-word for shock value. The word can be empowering if she is claiming it on her own terms, but if producers and her bosses are expecting her to do it, Zamata becomes tokenized and used for her position. Ultimately, again, it is most important to consider the conditions under which she was speaking.

I was looking forward to checking out Top Chef Masters' winner and James Beard Award nominee chef Floyd Cardoz's new cookbook, Flavorwalla, partly just for the name. And I also wanted to see it because the food he created for the movie The Hundred-Foot Journey looked incredible. But now that I've seen it, I'm staying for the candid opinions.

More: 23 Thai dishes you can make at home

Take that idea that you can tell if a piece of meat or fish is done just by pressing the flesh.

"These people are full of shit," Cardoz writes. "You can never tell if anything is done that way. The best way to tell when the salmon in this recipe is done is to set the timer and then look for the light mist on the plastic wrap."

Well, then! Without any further ado, here's the salmon dish Cardoz wants you to make... correctly. None of this fish-poking business. It makes a great dish for a larger family gathering or party.

More: 25 drool-worthy dishes that will make you fall in love with Korean food

Slow-cooked salmon with fennel and coriander recipe

Serves 12

Salmon is a good fish to serve to a large group, because it’s pretty universally liked. However, there’s not much that’s worse than overcooked salmon, which is why this cooking method is great. The oven temperature is so low that there is practically no chance of overcooking it. I first prepared this for a Christmas dinner at home for about 40 people, and it’s become my favorite method for cooking salmon for a big group. It’s also good for a party because it can go straight from the oven to the table, served directly from the baking dish. Thanks to the low, slow cooking, it’ll be moist and delicious even if it sits for a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 pounds/680 grams center-cut salmon, 1-1/2 inches thick, cut into 12 equal rectangles
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small fennel bulb
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• Minced zest and juice of 1 orange
• 24 thin slices garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• Leaves from 3 tarragon sprigs, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground medium-fine
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground fine
• 12 thin slices serrano chili (about 1 chili)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Season the salmon with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Remove and discard the fronds and the tough tops of the fennel bulb. Thinly slice the bulb and the remaining tender stalks, keeping them separate. Set aside.
4. Brush the bottom of a large Pyrex or ceramic dish with the butter. Sprinkle the sliced fennel bulb over the bottom of the dish. Pour the orange juice over the fennel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half of each of the following: the orange zest, garlic, shallots, ginger, tarragon, coriander and fennel seed.
5. Arrange the salmon in a single layer in the dish. Place a slice of serrano and a slice of garlic on each piece of salmon. Sprinkle with the sliced fennel stalks and the remaining orange zest, garlic, shallot, ginger, tarragon, coriander and fennel seed. Drizzle the olive oil on top. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap. (The dish can be prepared to this point up to 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Before cooking, remove the dish from the refrigerator and, leaving the plastic in place, let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.)
6. Bake the salmon for 25 minutes. You don’t want to cook it so long that it turns opaque throughout and the white albumin comes out. Usually when the salmon is done, the plastic wrap is really tight and shiny, and there is a light mist on the underside. But if you don’t see the mist, just let the timer be your guide.
7. Remove the baking dish from the oven, remove and discard the plastic wrap, and serve. Cooking time: about 35 minutes.

Excerpted from Floyd Cardoz: Flavorwalla by Floyd Cardoz (Artisan Books). Copyright ©2016. Photographs by Lauren Volo

Before you go, check out 20 cauliflower rice recipes

Ariel Winter took to social media to share an emotional Mother's Day post wishing her sister, Shanelle Grey, a Happy Mother's Day. While this is definitely a sweet gesture toward Winter's sis, we can't help but feel like the Modern Family actress is also throwing shade at her estranged mother, Crystal Workman, who she hasn't spoken to in over three and half years.

More: Girl, do you! Thanks Ariel Winter for saying the words we all need to hear

"#HappyMothersDay to this insanely beautiful woman inside and out, my sister, my best friend. I love you so much," Winter captioned the Instagram photo of her sister. "You are the most amazing mother I've ever known and we are all so grateful for you!"

Winter went on to say, "Although I'm now 18 and mommy role is over, I will always have a special place in my heart for those years you raised me as your own. So this day is your day, because you deserve the world! I always feel so lucky that I have such an amazing role model. I hope one day I can be as wonderful as you."

"I love you more than anything and am so grateful to have you," the actress continued. "Thank you for being the most amazing person on this planet and for being my everything."

More: Ariel Winter's mom has an awful lot of opinions about her daughter's boobs

While we're sure Winter wanted to thank her sister for everything she's done for her, it also seems like this emotional post could be some slight shade in response to her mother's, Workman's, recent comments criticizing Winter's breast reduction surgery.

"I don't think anyone at that age should be cutting into their breasts," Workman told Inside Edition in a recent interview. "I am surprised she did it so young and that the doctor did it for her so young."

Workman went on to say, "I think Ariel is conjuring up stories to help her career at my expense and I feel as a parent like I'm being bullied."

More: Ariel Winter is a great example of body positivity for teen girls

"It wasn't a supportive loving home, I had a really tough time," Winter told ABC's Nightline about her relationship with her mom growing up. "[Acting] is what she wanted me to do and she pushed very hard for that and kind of put that in the forefront of her mind instead of what I wanted and I needed."

We can't help but feel like this mother-daughter back-and-forth is far from over.

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

This is a very busy and exciting season in my family's life. In the next few weeks, my oldest son will be finishing his last days of high school and celebrating everything that comes along with that, including prom and graduation. It is also a crucial time for discussing underage drinking.

As a parent of a graduating senior, I have a lot to do. Prom preparations include renting a tux, arranging for transportation and buying corsages. However, pinning on the corsage is not the most important task that I will have on prom night. My husband and I will need to go over with our son what our expectations and rules are about underage drinking. No doubt about it, it can be complicated to have these conversations with your kids. Therefore, I think it is very helpful that a website like Family Talk About Drinking is out there to help provide us with ideas of how to talk to our kids.

Family Talk About Drinking is an underage drinking prevention program for parents created by Anheuser-Busch in collaboration with certified parenting coach MJ Corcoran. MJ Corcoran is an educator and certified parent coach with more than 25 years of experience. First launched more than 20 years ago, Family Talk was enhanced and expanded in 2011 to be a comprehensive resource that parents can turn to throughout the parenting process, no matter how old our kids may be.

As parents, we are the biggest influence on kids' decisions in regards to underage drinking prevention. In our family, the conversations about underage drinking began way before this year. We have three kids, ages 10, 14 and 17, and we speak to them often about this topic. We have always thought that it is better to keep an open dialogue rather than only bringing it up when a problem arises. Also, as a police officer in our community, my husband is often involved in situations that involve underage drinking. When he comes home and discusses specific scenarios with our boys, it helps to get the conversation going about their experiences, what our expectations are and how they can react under peer pressure. Above all, we want to make sure our kids know that they can talk to us about anything and that we are always here to listen.

In our house, we have a zero tolerance policy for underage drinking. We want it to be clear to our kids that underage drinking is never OK under any circumstance. We talk about hypothetical situations when peer pressure will inevitably come into play. We have taught our boys to have a response at the ready so they aren't caught off guard when they are offered alcohol. Our boys have the line, "My parents are very strict and my dad would definitely find out!" in their back pocket for those circumstances.

My husband and I take our job as role models in regards to our own drinking very seriously as well. Most importantly, we model responsible behavior like never drinking and driving, as well as drinking in moderation so that our kids will make good choices when they are of age to drink.

No doubt about it: This parenting gig is hard! Having an easily accessible resource like Family Talk is an invaluable tool. You can also connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Together, let's open the lines of communication with our kids. It will make us all better at the most important job in our lives — being a parent.

This post is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch.

For his family's first Mother's Day since Joey Feek's passing, Rory Feek found a sweet way to remember his wife. Feek has been open about his struggles with his wife's illness and passing on his blog, This Life I Live, and he used the day as an opportunity to share memories of their journey to parenthood with their 2-year-old daughter, Indiana.

"I love being a father. I always have. Joey always said that that’s part of what attracted her to me when we first met. But neither she, nor I, had any idea how important that would be to us years later," he wrote.

More: Joey Feek is still very much alive, both to her fans and her husband, Rory

When the couple learned that her cancer was terminal, Feek writes, his wife "cried because Indy was going to lose her mama, and I was going to be a single father again."

Feek already had two grown children from a previous marriage, he explains. Because of his difficulties raising them in his youth, "Joey knew how hard it had been for us for all those years before she came along and she was upset that she was going to leave me in the same situation. I remember her tears falling and her saying, ‘I don’t want you to have to raise a child again by yourself… it’s not fair.'"

More: Rory Feek announces Joey's passing, calling it her 'greatest dream'

Now, Feek remembers his wife through his daughter. "Sometimes when I’m driving somewhere and Indiana falls asleep in her car seat, I pull over to the side of the road and I just sit there and stare at her... And I still see Joey beside her."

More: Rory Feek reveals sweet way daughter is dealing with Joey's death

Beyoncé has fans in high places. In a commencement speech to Howard University grads this Saturday, President Obama emphasized the societal effect of her work. "American is by almost every measure better than it was when I graduated from college," he said, according to the Associated Press. One thing's for sure: We have more Beyoncé albums.

More: President Obama and FLOTUS celebrated May the Fourth better than you

"When I was graduating, the main black hero on TV was Mr. T. Rap and hip-hop were counterculture, underground," he said. "Now Shonda Rhimes owns Thursday night and Beyoncé runs the world."

"Today," said President Obama, "we're no longer entertainers. We're producers, studio executives. No longer small-business owners, we're CEOs. We're mayors, representatives." Someone in the crowd finished his thought by shouting out "President."

"I'm not saying gaps do not persist. Obviously, they do," he continued. "Racism persists, inequality persists. America needs you to gladly, happily take up that work... so enjoy the party, because you're going to be busy."

More: Prince Harry helps the Obamas officially reach the DGAF stage of presidency

"I used to joke about being old. Now I realize I'm old. It's not a joke anymore," he said, realizing the Class of 2016 was in high school when he was elected president.

In addition to giving the commencement address, President Obama also received an honorary doctor of science degree from Howard. He is also scheduled to speak at the Rutgers University and the U.S. Air Force Academy graduations this year.

More: I wanted my kids to take a gap year way before Malia Obama made them trendy

We met every Saturday morning to train. Black L.L.Bean fleece, old baseball cap and a brand new pair of Brooks on my feet. I was going to run a marathon. OK, it was a Turkey Trot, but Park Slope, New York, might as well have been Athens, Greece, because the feeling was the same.

“You have such natural athletic ability,” my father said when I gave up running. I had stopped lacing up and jogging with him by the time I was 12. As a child, I took to sports easily, winning races, swimming like a fish and playing catch for hours, never missing a single ball. Then I turned. Puberty and self-consciousness took whatever ability I had. I no longer accompanied my dad on his jogs around our neighborhood. I wanted other things, I thought.

More: 6 exercises that make you a better runner

As time passed, I hid my athleticism so deeply that it began to decay. I was no longer the young girl with endless energy but the all-black-wearing teenager who inhaled thin cigarettes and strutted instead of ran. I avoided jogging in college and beyond, but a part of me missed the way I felt when I was running. The way my mind and body connected. The peace I felt in the urban streets when I found a quiet strip to run on. I tried to figure out a way to get it back into my life before it was too late.

Eventually, in my 30s, I joined a gym and began to run on a treadmill, increasing the incline more and more until I nearly exhausted myself after each run. Yet it was different. I was running inside, safely hidden from the world around me. I wanted to get back the high I felt from being outdoors. I lived steps from Olmstead’s park, yet I spent my mornings running in place. I wanted to be like all of those people I saw running in Central Park — that was the new cool for me — but I did not know how.

When autumn arrived during my 38th year, some of my girlfriends began to talk about running in the park. It was just the motivation I needed to get out there. Just like that, our weekly runs began. Hung over, restless nights, rain or shine — it didn’t matter. I was committed. I was there every Saturday.

We started off slowly. The first few weeks were mostly walking. Eventually, it led to a quiet jog. Then, one day, we made it around the park — even up a monster hill. We could make it around most of the loop, but toward the end, the incline on the hill was so steep that we’d slow down and end up walking. Even experienced runners avoided it.

The first time I finally ran up it, I knew I could complete the trot. I knew I could do anything. I smiled the whole way home. I felt like a kid again. A funny thing started happening: My body started to crave it. I needed to run, to be free, to get going.

The race was nearing, and we were ready to take action. We signed up at the local sports store to get our badges to run the Turkey Trot. Five miles in total. A feat of Sisyphean tenacity. I was so nervous that I barely slept the night before, staring at my black numbers on the crepe paper, wondering if I could make it up that hill.

More: New running skirt has a trap door for peeing on your runs

My friends and I took a car service to the entrance. Real runners in laced up gear and wool hats surrounded us. I recognized a few. We took off, and before I knew it, we were all running in different directions. I found other friends and began to trot with them. One had run a marathon, so this was an easy feat for her. I looked over and saw a family I knew, and they cheered my name. I raised my hands up in the air like a champion. When we got to the end, I was not sure I could make it up that hill, but with some encouragement from my friend, I did it. I freakin' ran the trot, and I earned more than stuffing that day.

I took the train to Long Island so I could spend Thanksgiving with my relatives. I walked into a testosterone-filled room with a television set blaring the game. My uncle and cousins are former athletes. These men have played pro ball, and they were complimenting me on my run. “That’s great, Loni. Is it something you are going to do every year?” my uncle asked, digging into Aunt Mary’s famous clam dip. I chewed on a carrot for a bit. “I don’t know,” I said. “I hope so.” I smiled, and my uncle rubbed my head like I was one of his own.

There are moments in my life that I can return to easily. I don’t have to close my eyes or envision the surroundings or what it smelled like. It might be a moment I can sit in effortlessly because that was what I was doing — sitting on an old love seat. My daughter and I had just moved in to a little place that was part of a row of cabins that made up the homeless shelter in Port Townsend, Washington. I had $100 dollars, no job and no self-worth.

Mia, my daughter, was already asleep in her Pack 'n' Play, and I had a book open in my lap. It was required reading for anyone seeking services at the local Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services. I’d only gotten it yesterday and was already halfway through. Lundy Bancroft was like a voice of reason, but also left me with quaking realizations. His book, so aptly titled, Why Does He Do That?, showed me, gently, that I’d been in an emotionally abusive relationship for the last year and a half with my daughter’s father. More importantly, he showed me I wasn’t crazy.

More: If equality means sending my daughters to war, I want no part of it

I entered my new life as a single mother having not worked for a year, and without savings, since he’d spent the few thousand I’d blindly put into a shared account. This is often the case with women running from abusive relationships, where they escape with the clothes on their backs and not much else, if they’re lucky. Getting out puts the victim in the most danger, or the choice to leave is often from a climactic event where she feels she doesn’t have a choice, and flees in fear. But abusers can still have control and use that power, keeping victims in a financial state of uncertainty and poverty.

Sixty-four percent of domestic violence victims report that abuse kept them from working all or some of the time. Causes for their decline in productivity were "distraction" (57 percent); "fear of discovery" (45 percent); "harassment by intimate partner at work (either by phone or in person)" (40 percent); fear of intimate partner's unexpected visits" (34 percent); "inability to complete assignments on time" (24 percent); and "job loss" (21 percent).

“I think the important thing here, and the thing that society tends not to fully recognize, is that domestic violence isn't just about physical violence,” said Erica*, a single mom to two girls and domestic violence survivor, in a recent interview. “Domestic violence is a means of power and control, and there are so many different ways of exerting power. And so in my case, this power and control, though not absolute, was intense enough to keep me from having the resources I needed.”

Erica’s story began when she was young. “I entered into the relationship with absolutely no resources, no work experience and no college under my belt. I got pregnant within a year.”

More: How I went from protesting at Planned Parenthood to using its services

By the time Erica’s husband left for another woman, she had a 4-year-old and 1-year-old and nothing to her name. The divorce left her with a car and some pots and pans, but that wasn’t the end of her legal battles.

“He took me to court eight times in five years,” she said. “I came out of all my court battles with $60,000 in debt for my lawyer's retainers, court-mandated mediation and expert testimony that I once had to pay for in a particularly nasty court case.”

Legal fees are only one aspect of the financial cost of abuse that keeps survivors in poverty, or struggling to make ends meet. Victims could have mounting medical costs for physical and mental health. They could live in fear from being stalked, or from threats of violence, and it keeps them from work. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control, women stalked by an intimate partner averaged the largest number of days lost from paid work. “U.S. women lose nearly 8.0 million days of paid work each year because of violence perpetrated against them by current or former husbands, cohabitants, dates and boyfriends,” researchers note. “This is the equivalent of 32,114 full-time jobs each year. An additional 5.6 million days are lost from household chores.”

After the homeless shelter, I moved into transitional housing and started doing part-time landscaping work. When I tried to get extra hours on the weekends, he refused to help me out, and said it just like that. He stole things off my porch, he blamed me for our then toddler’s illnesses, he recorded our conversations, he called me, screaming about me wanting more child support. I started to have full-blown panic attacks, and at one point saw three therapists at once.

Amanda, also a single mother to two children and a survivor, speaks of the same issues. Her children, like Erica’s, were also young when she left. “Multiple court appearances to continue the restraining order, adjust parenting time, child support, were bad enough,” she said. “But then he abused our children, so in addition to our trauma, there were three therapy appointments a week, CFI evaluations, CPS visits... I was responsible for all of their transportation during this time and he got to dictate when the therapeutic visits would be, so holding down a job full time would have been impossible for a period of a couple of years.”

More: What it's like to grow up knowing you were an 'oops baby'

“It is difficult to consider where I might be in my life if I hadn't had those financial obstacles to overcome,” Erica laments. “And it makes me angry all over again to think of the ways he exerted control over me even after our divorce.”

Erica just completed her graduate studies, but still lives under the poverty level despite working three jobs. Amanda was lucky enough to find resources to help with the legal costs, but she added, “I'm tens of thousands of dollars in debt due to things he was supposed to pay and didn't. My credit is shot. I'm only recently off of medical and food assistance.”

If you or anyone you know may be experiencing emotional or physical abuse, please don't hesitate to contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE).

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

*Names have been changed.

Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian are engaged and having a baby together — so why should Blac Chyna wait until the wedding day to change her name? She's already gone through a name change before, from her birth name, Angela White, to Blac Chyna and now to Angela Renee Kardashian, TMZ reports.

According to TMZ, Chyna has filed the legal documents to take her fiancé's last name for "business purposes."

More: Blac Chyna is pregnant; we repeat; Blac Chyna is pregnant!

Her new documentation allows Kardashian to make money the way many celebrities do — by lending herself and her new name to promote brands. She'll be able to go on personal appearances as a "social media celebrity" with her new name as well as "conduct parties" and promote brands.

More: Kris Jenner finally speaks on Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna's relationship

With the couple also considering a reality show with E!, it's clear that they're willing to use their names to help pay for their new little one's college education. It's only natural for someone who grew up in the reality TV spotlight to "go back to work" when he needs to start providing for his family. Rob Kardashian is already back in the spotlight on this season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and I have a feeling we'll see an appearance from Blac Chyna before the end of the season. Oh sorry — I meant Angela Kardashian.

More: There's one Kardashian sister who Blac Chyna won't tolerate at her wedding

Before you go, check out our slideshow below.

Planning a wedding can be infamous for a couple of different headache-inducing and premature wrinkle-causing ways. For example, becoming your own wedding planning guru can make you too wedding obsessed, to the point where you find yourself doing nothing else but pinning things on Pinterest and ordering personalized party decorations off Etsy.

It can also feel like a full-time job, as you’ll find yourself draining your cellphone battery daily, calling vendors and managing a bridal party of your nearest and dearest gal pals who have no idea what they should and shouldn’t do for you.

But what many people don’t tell you is that planning your own wedding can often bring out the best in you — not just the Bridezilla in you.

1. It’s your time to be creative

Even if you don’t think you have a creative side, you do. If the thought of managing an Excel spreadsheet makes you more giddy than the thought of doing a DIY wedding project, you may be shocked to see what happens when you have a pair of scissors and a hot glue gun in your hand. The more wedding crafts you research and ideas you collect mentally, the more you’ll find yourself with an urge to create and personalize your wedding, yourself. It’ll be a good excuse to feel like you’re back in elementary school art class. Except this time, I hope you know better than to eat the Elmer’s glue.

2. You can kick out the old-school stuff

When your wedding is in your hands, you have the chance to do what you want and have only what you want. Not what age-old wedding traditions tell you that you need to have. If you don’t like the idea of tossing the bouquet or wearing white, guess what? You don’t have to do either of those things. Your wedding should make sense to you and only you. So create your own traditions and laugh away the old-school ones.

3. You’ll fall in love all over again

Wedding planning can be stressful. I won't sugarcoat that for you. But it can also be a chance to grow closer to your fiancé. You can laugh over the ridiculous decisions, conversations and family drama that crawls out of the woodwork during wedding time together. You’ll even start to see that planning your wedding together will reignite the reasons why you grew close together in the first place.

4. You'll have a justified reason to be on Pinterest

Before your wedding, you had to constantly minimize your browser when people walked by so they wouldn’t have an intervention with you and try to label you as Pinterest obsessed. Now, people will expect you to procrastinate your day away, pinning things that will make your wedding the greatest day of your life. They may even ask that you share your boards with them, and when that happens, play it cool. Just share one, or two — max.

My 11-year-old daughter is gay. Lesbian. She is lesbian. A lesbian. Is it an adjective or a noun? This is how much I don’t know, because this is new terrain not only in our personal lives but within the context of the broader culture. You see, my daughter is part of this new crew that is blowing the hinges off of everything — the doors, the windows, the churches and schools — removing the ceilings and smashing the floors. America has never had a junior high generation that doesn’t believe in binary identifiers until now. Straight, gay, boy, girl? Whatever. They don’t want our limits. They reject our definitions. They are superhero children floating in space. They are who they are, and they are phenomenal.

Some nights I wrap my child in my arms and coo, “My butchy little baby,” and I give her a squeeze. Neither of us knows if this is politically correct verbiage or not, but we know we both laugh when I do it. Like everything else in a typical prenager’s life, we’re figuring this out together.

More: A school just banned kids from voting a lesbian prom queen

My daughter’s confession didn’t surprise me. I’d been waiting for it. Ever the outsider, always certain that she didn’t fit in — victim of the self-imposed Otherness that springs from secrets — my baby’s whole demeanor would lift when she’d say, “There’s this show I’m watching, Mom. It’s called The Fosters. It’s about a family. I mean, the parents are two moms — they’re lesbians — but they’re a family. It’s a really good show.” It was then, there in the way her shoulders relaxed, present in the fluidity of her words and the note of joy in her voice, that I perceived it: My daughter is gay. I had to wait for her to tell me.

Meanwhile, in another spiral of my daughter’s galaxy, she loves church. Born and raised for her first eight years in Kentucky — the land of church buses navigating neighborhoods to gather up children every Wednesday night so they can eat ice cream and memorize scripture — church is an important part of her universe. I wasn’t raised with it, but I know the sanctity and sustenance of ocean waves and sun heat (the beach is my cathedral), and I never want to deprive my daughter of the communion she desires. She wanted church, so she would have it. We started searching.

How, though, does a parent with a gay child walk their offspring through the doors of any place with a history of persecuting homosexuals? Or a place that considers homosexuality a disease of the heart and mind? My maternal grandmother, dubbed Racist Granny by my children (another topic for another time), once bragged to me that her pastor delivered a whole sermon on how wrong it is to be gay. “It was just really great,” Racist Granny said. “I was so happy to hear him say that.”

More: High school's breastfeeding room brings out the internet pearl clutchers

So I immediately crossed off the Baptists, despite their potlucks and hymns. And no matter how much I like Pope Francis, I couldn’t get past the other delegates from Rome. The Presbyterians seemed all right — less ritualistic than Catholics, more accepting than Mormons — but then I spotted them: the Episcopalians. Openly in support of gay marriage, female clergy... This is it, I thought. We’ve found our people.

We went expecting banners. Well, maybe not banners, but a banner. A rainbow, perhaps, hung near the door to signify that our family was welcome there too. What we found instead was a church like any other. There was a chapel populated with people and prayer, a pipe organ, a choir. Brown beams, high ceiling, white walls. It felt like a place where one could be quietly gay, but my daughter — being at such a crucial age — needed a rally.

“Let’s try the Unitarian church,” I said to her. Unitarian was a word I’d only heard whispered in Kentucky; I doubt my daughter had ever heard it before. I think we knew at first blush that we’d found our church home. Last month, the congregation’s adult LGBTQ support group threw her a surprise coming out party.

More: No one showed me how to be a mom, but I did it anyway

These are tough times, I want to say, to raise a gay child. Politics are polarized, the old guard isn’t going down without a fight, and everything about our culture is changing. It’s never easy, though, and children are children no matter who they love. It is always our strongest impulse as parents to protect our young. As the parent of a gay child, it is my duty to build her up so strong that when people tell her she’s wrong to feel the way she does — and they will — she’ll know that they’re the ones with the wrong idea. And now, I have a whole church family behind us, helping in that endeavor. In that, we are blessed. We are lucky. We are grateful.

Now that it's looking like Trump will be our Republican presidential nominee, many Democrats and Republicans alike are considering alternative plans if he actually gets elected, aka moving to Canada. I have to admit, should that nightmare come true, I would be totally amenable to the idea. I've visited the great country only a handful of times, but it's always been a pleasure. It's brimming with scenic beauty, the people are bend-over-backwards polite, and their prime minister is the dreamiest.

More: 6 tips for discussing intimate issues with your partner

However, the idea of moving to a new country might be a bit daunting to some, especially if they're single and don't know anyone in the Land of Canucks. Thankfully, some clever folks have already come up with a solution for all those wayward single Americans seeking solace in Canada's chilly embrace.

It's called Maple Match, and it's an online dating service specifically designed to help Americans find a Canadian soulmate while escaping the impending Trump-pocalypse.

Or as the site describes it: "Maple Match makes it easy for Americans to find the ideal Canadian partner to save them from the unfathomable horror of a Trump presidency." Now that's a life-saving service if I ever heard one!

While the whole thing might sound like a delightful ruse, I, and the CEO of Maple Match Joe Goldman, can assure you the site is very real. "Donald Trump is a joke. Finding true love in a place where you can be happy is not a joke," Goldman told Cosmo.

Granted, there is currently a waiting list because of course there would be — did you see how quickly "Canada" jumped up in Google search frequency after Trump was announced the GOP candidate? But just like waiting in line for the newest Star Wars movie, you will get in eventually. You'll just have to wait awhile in a state of constant fear that all of the seats will be taken by the time you get in.

Until then, if you're still on the fence about why living (and dating) in Canada would be the best, here are a few reasons that I think might sway you toward the north side of the border.

More: 24 facts about Canada you probably didn't know

1. Canadians wait till they're good and ready to get married

If you're thinking a match on Maple Match will just lead to a shotgun wedding, and a subsequent divorce, think again. Canadians like relationships to mature, like a fine cheddar, before jumping into a lifelong commitment. According to a government poll, the average marrying age in Canada is 29.1, which is more than two years older than when Americans generally prefer to tie the knot.

2. Sexual education is far superior there

Sure, this might affect your kids more than you, but it's still important to note how much better Canada's sex ed program is than the nonsense we get in America. While America has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and STDs out of all the developed nations worldwide, Canada has one of the more comprehensive mandatory sexual education curriculums. This includes lessons about sexting, gender identity, consent, LGBTQ relationships and masturbation. So they're all about safety, acceptance and self-love — who wouldn't get on board with that?

3. The hottest celebrities are Canadian

OK, so you might not be able to date any of these smokin' hotties, but it's good to know the country has an knack for producing super-attractive people. Here's a small sampling: Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, Drake, Rachel McAdams, Justin Bieber, and my personal favorite, Taylor Kitsch (aka Riggins from Saturday Night Lights). Oh, also their Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is beyond foxy (but sadly taken).

4. They legalized gay marriage way before we did

Canada truly is the land of acceptance. They legalized gay marriage in 2005, a full decade before America did, and they were only the fourth country in the world to do so. That makes them unassailably awesome in my eyes.

5. They're super romantic

Finally, Canadians understand the importance of romance, so you know dating life up there will be filled with flowers, candy and nice restaurants. According to a 2015 survey, 80 percent of Canadians celebrate Valentine's Day, which is almost double the percent of Americans who celebrate the love holiday. However, can you really blame us for our jadedness? Have you seen the political absurdity we're up against this year? It's enough to sterilize Pepé Le Pew!

So let's all move to Canada before it's too late. They may buy their milk in bags, but at least they're open to an American/Canadian dating site rather than talking about building a wall to keep us out.

More: The real reason women want 'bad boys'

Another day, another deadly recall. Is anyone else getting tired of these and losing more faith in our food system each time a new outbreak, contamination and death is announced?

Last week we wrote about a recall that affected more than 350 frozen fruit and vegetable products sold by 42 different brands at major grocers in the U.S. and Canada. The foods were processed at CRF Frozen Foods in Pasco, Washington (the source of the outbreak), and the listeria contamination was discovered during random testing by the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Now the recall has gone from bad to worse.

More: Expanded: Widespread frozen food recall could put the freeze on dinner

It turns out that eight people have fallen ill due to consuming the listeria-tainted foods, and unfortunately two of them have died.

Trader Joe's is also having listeria problems. Its Broccoli Slaw and Kale Salad with White Chicken Meat with use-by dates of May 2 – 7 are being recalled due to a possible listeria contamination linked to sunflower seeds.

Listeria, while not as common as E. coli and salmonella, is actually a lot more dangerous. One in 5 people who contract listeriosis (when the bacteria enters the bloodstream) dies, and listeriosis is most likely to be contracted by people with weakened immune systems. That means babies, the elderly, pregnant women and people who have weak immune systems for other reasons are especially at risk.

More: 15 fruit-infused waters to make you feel like a springtime goddess

It's also dangerous because, unlike other bacteria, listeria can still flourish in cold temperatures.

The recall is far-reaching for this very reason. CRF is recalling all of its organic and conventional frozen fruit and vegetables that were processed at the plant any time from May 2014 to the present. Even if you haven't bought any frozen fruit or veggies recently, check your freezer. I think we all probably have a wayward bag of frozen peas that's been sitting in our freezer for an embarrassingly long time, and it's not worth the risk to just leave them there without checking.

In the meantime, if you think you may have eaten any of the recalled items and start experiencing flu-like symptoms, you should head to your doctor and let them know.

You can see the full list of recalled products here.

More: 12 butter substitutes to make you a better baker

Ah, prom. Of all the extracurricular activities that schools put on for students, are any more fraught than a night of awkward pelvic bumping and slow hug-shuffling under a sky of cardboard Party City stars? It's a rite of passage that comes with all that it implies: anxiety, excitement and a photo album full of memories that might have you cringing when you've got the benefit of hindsight.

The thing is, it's tough to make those memories if you're not actually allowed to go in to prom. Sometimes it happens. One too many F's and a senior prank that turned out to be less funny than you thought it would be could get you banned. But more often it's dress code violations that get kids girls sent home on prom night, and that's exactly what happened to Pennsylvania high school student Aniya Wolfe.

More: How to save money on prom and still make your kid feel like a million bucks

The teen attends Bishop McDevitt Catholic school in Harrisburg, and now that you've read that, you probably think you know why she got the boot: a too-high slit, perhaps, or a hint of boob. It wouldn't even have to be that bad — maybe just a bit of clavicle that flirts with scandal.

While we understand why you would think that — girls get sent home for doing gross things like having a body all the time, even in secular schools — you're actually very wrong. Wolfe was impeccably dressed: covered from neck to ankles and even down to the wrists.

In a classic black tuxedo.

Wolfe looked amazing, by the way. She's a lesbian who prefers to dress on the more masculine side of the gender spectrum, and she definitely would have turned heads at the prom if she'd been allowed to go inside:

More: Labiaplasty, vodka tampons and more scary teen 'trends' your kids are sick of hearing about

She wasn't allowed, though. While girls attending Bishop McDevitt are allowed to wear dress and khaki pants during school hours, the dress code for the high school's prom specified that for girls, only dresses were to be worn.

Still, the teen is not comfortable in dresses and had no interest in suddenly toeing that particular line. She wore the tux, and she was kicked out. Wolfe says the school principal even threatened to phone the cops if she didn't kick rocks.

And you know what? That sucks. It's 2016, and formal wear should mean formal wear. A tuxedo is formal, and Wolfe was clearly not trying to be funny or rile people just to rile them. She just wanted to be comfortable and look good on a fancy night. And it's probably also true that both she and her mother — who told a local news outlet that she thinks her daughter looks beautiful when she dons a dapper suit — almost certainly knew that the school would stick to its guns on this one. And that's why we have to hand it to Carolyn Wolfe for sticking with her clearly very kick-ass kid on this one.

More: School decides 9-year-old black girl's natural hair violates dress code

It's no small act of bravery for a kid to be out and proud in a religious environment. That takes guts even if you do live in more liberal pockets of the country and even if that environment says it "practices love and acceptance for all students," as the high school in question here says it does.

For that reason, all teens, but especially LGBT teens, need allies at home, and it's clear that's what Wolfe's mom is and that she's raising a principled kid. It is very easy to just go along to get along sometimes, and there are even situations where that's what we want our kids to do. But then there are the biggies: sticking up for what you think is right even if you know you'll be penalized for it.

As parents, there are times when it's tempting to say to your kid, "Why can't you just...?" or "Do you always have to be so stubborn?" or maybe even "It's only one night — can't you just wear a dress?"

But sometimes it's not just a dress. Sometimes it's a huge deal. And in those moments, if we want our kid to do what they know in their hearts is right even when there will be fallout from it, maybe we ought to ask Carolyn and Aniya Wolfe for a few pointers.

We did not, as feared, witness the series finale of Criminal Minds last week, when Season 11 ended with a reminder that the work of the BAU (and possibly this show?) will never end. Now that Season 12 has been locked down, I feel safe in imagining/predicting what we might find come September.

In the season finale, after a lovely gathering which included sweeping shots of the team laughing and being happy together for 10 minutes, Hotch got a phone call informing him that during various prison breaks, many serial killers had escaped. While several were apprehended, there are 13 still at large, including Peter Lewis (a.k.a Mr. Scratch), a Season 10 unsub who used mind control to commit murder and played a significant role in the most recent season finale. We don't know who those other 12 killers are, if we've seen them before, or if they'll be new to even the most loyal Criminal Minds viewer. Escaped murderers could easily fill a season or at least provide some insane cliff-hangers. We've seen what unsubs on the loose can do, especially when they're intent on stalking BAU members (see Seasons 2, 5, 6, 10, etc.), so this plot could result in some serious carnage for the team.

More: 7 ways Shemar Moore to Y&R after Criminal Minds exit

There's also the matter of BAU team members tending to come and go, and the Criminal Minds showrunners love to replace them with people who then go on to leave after one or two season (they're usually women): Rachel Nichols as Ashley Seaver in Season 6, Jeanne Tripplehorn as Dr. Alex Blake in Season 8 and 9, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Kate Callahan in Season 10. In Season 11, the addition of Dr. Tara Lewis has actually been pretty graceful — she's been in a few episodes here and there, she has a role outside of the BAU that takes up time and she hasn't been marketed aggressively as a substitute for any other team member; she's just herself. Let's hope the writers decide to maximize what they already have and that there isn't another character awaiting us at the beginning of a new season.

More: Prentiss' Criminal Minds return makes nostalgic for a superior cast

Speaking of other characters, if you've been watching this show for more than one season, you've probably noticed that Reid is the only character whose story line involves perpetual misery. Even Hotch, who got held at gunpoint in front of his kid, and Morgan, who was the latest team member to get kidnapped and almost murdered twice over the course of two episodes, have had romantic relationships and can at least pretend they aren't tormented by their pasts, whereas Reid just cannot seem to catch a break. I wouldn't be surprised if something about Reid's romantic life gets conjured this season, but I also wouldn't be surprised if the writers shirk it in exchange for continuing to remind us that his mother is sick, he's super emotionally vulnerable, and he is never going to be allowed to experience joy in any long-term context.

Of course, there are one million other directions Criminal Minds could take next season, and even though we've already been set up for a certain angle, the writers are known for leading viewers in one direction and then totally subverting that direction, and that subversion tends to happen mid-season. Also, though, there's a whole summer between us and the new season, so let's spend that time considering more of the possibilities for the Criminal Minds future.

More: Criminal Minds: 20 bucks says Antonia turns on the BAU in the finale

What are you looking forward to in Season 12 of Criminal Minds? Tell us in the comments!

Before you go, check out our slideshow below!

Selena Gomez thinks it's way past time for people to see her as her — and not Justin Bieber's ex-girlfriend.

More: Selena Gomez DGAF about Justin Bieber's lame attempts to get her back

Gomez shot to stardom as the 14-year-old star of Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, after a recurring role as a guest star on Hannah Montana. Now, she's 23 and about to embark on a world tour and film project. So why does the world still insist on making her only about Justin Bieber?

It's something Gomez says she's been dealing with for much of her career. In a new interview with Marie Claire — she covers the May 17 issue — she discusses what it was like to try to promote her own career and have interviewers make it all about the Biebs.

"I would try to promote something that I loved, and the entire interview would be about my personal life," she says. "I would leave a room feeling defeated, feeling embarrassed, but I would always make sure to put that smile on my face because I wasn't going to let them get to me."

More: Sorry, Justin Bieber — Selena Gomez is taken by another pop star

And Gomez isn't stopping there. During a recent concert, where a fan was flashing a sign that read "Marry Justin please," Gomez called the fan up to the stage, took the sign, crumpled it up and threw it to the side.

Clearly she means business when it comes to leaving Bieber behind.

In the interview, Gomez also dishes on how she felt about taking control and planning the next stages of her career.

"I had to not be afraid to ask dumb questions, which means I asked a million things about every single step that I was making," she says. "I finally just wanted to go for it. I wanted to do things that I knew were going to be me. I don't want people to look at me as someone who is just this celebrity person."

More: If you're an adult, Selena Gomez wants you to stop obsessing over child stars