Janice Costa, who grew up in Plainview, recently released her first book entitled Everything and the Kitchen Sink: Remodel Your Kitchen Without Losing Your Mind. The book, which was published by Andrew McMeel Publishing and co-authored by Daina Manning, is a practical and humorous guide to remodeling the kitchen.

Costa said that she "tells it like it is" in her new book and said that her expertise is based mainly on the job that she has held for the last 12 years - editor of Kitchen and Bath Design News.

"Every month, I have the opportunity to speak with the country's leading kitchen designers about the hottest trends, their greatest challenges, their most successful projects - and the projects that went awry and why," said Costa. "I am happy to be able to share their insight with readers considering embarking on a kitchen remodel."

Along with co-author Manning, who is a contributing writer to Kitchen and Bath Design News, Costa put out a book that gives homeowners a common-sense approach to renovating with chapters that include Planning Your Kitchen: The Road to Kitchen Nirvana, Money Issues and Design on a Shoestring.

"A kitchen remodeling project is one of the best investments a homeowner can make," said Manning. "Kitchens remain a focal point and can often be the single reason a buyer purchases a home."

Everything and the Kitchen Sink has nearly 200 pages of innovative and practical ideas for creating a fabulous kitchen, according to Costa. "Kitchens have become the center of the home where families not only sit down to eat, they also watch television and even log on to the Internet," said Costa. "Remodeling a kitchen does not have to be overwhelming or impossible to afford.

Visit www.kbdn.net or local bookstores to purchase Everything and the Kitchen Sink: Remodel Your Kitchen Without Losing Your Mind.