How do I delete Contacts in WLM that refuse to delete?

I have Windows 7, 64x and Windows Live Mail.  I do not have Skype, but I have tried to download it recently, thinking it was free.  Backed out and deleted when I learned otherwise (I say this because some help answers mention Skype as a possible culprit to my problem):

1.  I cannot delete any WLM contacts.  I go through the process, as I have in the past, and everything looks good, but when I confirm I want to delete the contact, it just doesn't go away.  I've tried several contacts and none of them will delete.

2.  WLM also won't let me add any contacts either.  I get the message, "The message could not be saved.  Check the contact's information and try again."  

Is there anyone out there who has had a similar problem and found an answer?