Teri Hatcher, author of 'Burnt Toast: And Other Philosophies of Life' and actress on 'Desperate Housewives' recently spoke with AOL Book Maven Bethanne Patrick. Here are excerpts from that interview:

Bethanne Patrick: 'Burnt Toast' is a book that lots of people out there are going to want to read. Tell us why. I know they're going to read it because you're Teri Hatcher, but what does 'Burnt Toast' mean?

Teri Hatcher: 'Burnt Toast' is really a metaphor for an idea that women, and moms and wives live in a society where we've role-modeled to each generation the idea that women take the 'least best thing.' The idea is that there's golden brown buttered toast on the table with eggs and bacon and fruit; if there's one of those pieces that's more charred than the others, the mom seems to be the one who says 'It's OK. I'll eat that.' My girlfriends and I find ourselves eating our lunch by proxy of whatever our children leave on their plate or in the carpet of the car as we're driving them to school.

I think that's the level that we get to in terms of taking care of ourselves: we eat the burnt toast. It really comes from a self-sacrificing, loving place of wanting to take care of our children and our husbands and our friends; but ultimately we deserve to be able to balance the fact that we can take care of ourselves and our family and not completely put ourselves last all the time. So the mission really is: stop eating the burnt toast. Find small ways to take care of yourself throughout the day so that you feel a little more even with the rest of the playing field, and that you are happier. You are living your life instead of just feeling like your life is living you and you're behind the eight ball and you can't keep up.

Bethanne Patrick: So this comes from this loving place of wanting to take care of other people, but there's another kind of love involved: self love.

Teri Hatcher: Absolutely. I think we forget that in the process of taking care of others. And it isn't an either/or thing. I'm suggesting that there is a way to have both; and that in having both you actually teach your children a good thing. You teach them that mommy isn't just a service maid that gets your every need met in an instant-gratification kind of way. You find a way to teach them that mommy has a value too. Ultimately if you teach young children that women and mothers have value, then they're going to grow up and understand that as women they have value. And the men are going to understand that women have value. It's a good cycle for everyone.

It's a serious idea. I've seen it implemented in my relationship with my daughter, which is great. But the fun part of the book is an inside look at me: I really do some revealing, honest storytelling about the things I've done wrong and the things I've done right -- the crazy kooky moments I've spent alone and with others. They're really fun stories that you can learn from and laugh with.