Happy Housewives (ReganBooks, $24.95) also is the name of her just-released book, subtitled I was a whining, miserable, desperate housewife — but I finally snapped out of it ... You can, too!

Shine, 39, lives in Head of the Harbor, N.Y., with her husband, Bill, a programming executive at Fox News, and their two children. She says she was provoked into writing her book in part because of the women of Wisteria Lane.

"I feel a little bit upset over what I call the hoopla over Desperate Housewives," she says. "Stay-at-home moms get no respect, and then this TV show comes along which portrays women as stupid and strung out and cheating on their husbands. More women are associating themselves with that."

The cover of Shine's book, as well as her photo on the book jacket, are reminiscent of the 1950s ideal woman. They're meant as a spoof, but maybe today's women can learn something from those housewives, she says.

"I'm not saying you have to be June Cleaver. Believe me, I'm not. All I'm saying is maybe we can learn something from them. Look at the girls in those shows: They looked beautiful. Their houses were together."

Shine, a former TV producer who is now a stay-at-home mom to her children, Connor, 8, and Hannah, 5, wrote Happy Housewives earlier this year in the afternoons when her daughter was in preschool. She also does a radio segment from home on the syndicated Good Day.

"Girls are afraid to say, 'You know, I am happy to be home,' " she says. "I took it upon myself to lead this movement and say, 'You know what? We are taking back the power. We're happy. It's time to admit it and be proud of it.' "

"After women have a baby, we all go into schlep mode. I did it. I walked around in my sweats and not wearing makeup. It makes you feel frumpy when you're like that."

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