MORBID CURIOSITYBy Deborah LeBlanc

One of the wonderful things about the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit is the diversity of talent in the group. Deborah LeBlanc, for instance, is a highly-acclaimed, award winning writer in the horror genre. Here's are just some of the raves her latest book, MORBID CURIOSITY, has received:

“One of the best new voices of supernatural thrillers!”
--Cemetery Dance

“It’s now official: Deborah LeBlanc has become a master not only of good spooky stories, but also of crafting great characters to fill them!”
--Horror Fiction Review

“An imaginative chiller. Riveting!”
--Publishers Weekly

“Ms. LeBlanc’s tale is a powerful, gripping read, with an ever increasing intensity that forces you to the end without laying the novel aside.”
--Who Dunnit

I'm in awe of a writer who can generate that kind of enthusiasm from these tough critics. And now here's a brief synopsis of this extraordinary novel:

It seemed like the answer to Haley’s prayers. The most popular girl in her high school promised Haley that her life would change forever if only she performed certain dark rituals. And if Haley can convince her twin sister to participate, their power will double. Together they will be able to summon mystical entities they never dared dream of. But these are powerful, uncontrollable forces, forces that can kill—forces that demand to be fed . . .

If that doesn't whet your appetite enough, check out the trailer for the book:

MORBID CURIOSITY TRAILER

Here's a little bit about Deborah:

Deborah LeBlanc is an award-winning author from Lafayette, Louisiana. She is also a business owner, a licensed death scene investigator, and an active member of two national paranormal investigation teams. Deborah’s unique experiences, enthusiasm, and high-energy level make her a much sought after speaker at writers’ conferences across the nation. She also takes her passion for literacy and a powerful ability to motivate to high schools around the country.

She is the president of the Horror Writers Association, president of the Writers’ Guild of Acadiana, and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Women Writers, and International Thriller Writers Inc. In 2004, she created the LeBlanc Literacy Challenge, an annual, national campaign designed to encourage more people to read. Her most recent novels are: FAMILY INHERITANCE, GRAVE INTENT, A HOUSE DIVIDED, and MORBID CURIOSITY. Deborah’s next release, WATER WITCH, is scheduled to be on bookstore shelves in August ’08. For more information on Deborah or the Literacy Challenge, visit www.deborahleblanc.com

MORBID CURIOSITY (paperback) is in stores now. If you'd prefer to buy online, visit any cyber bookseller, such as Target, Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Swell blog review

So happy to find this excellent review of SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA posted on the Virtual Wordsmith blog yesterday!

"Harry Potter and The World's Messiest Girl"

An unillustrated picture book
By Ellen Meister

One day, The World's Messiest Girl turned to her mom and said, "There's a Harry Potter party at Border's tonight! Can we go? Please? Oh, please! Can we go?"

Now the mother, who was a kindly old mother, but also a tired old mother ready to settle in for the night in her cozy old bed, said, "If you clean your room, we can go."

You see, the kindly old tired mother was also a clever mother, and she knew that The World's Messiest Girl would never ever clean her room. She wouldn't clean her room for a tasty dessert. She wouldn't clean her room for a new Webkinz. She wouldn't even clean her room if her mom and dad threatened to take away all her favorite toys.

A short time later, the kindly old tired clever mother was about to undress for bed when The World's Messiest Girl came back to see her.

"I'm done!" said the girl.

"Done with what?" asked the kindly old tired and maybe not-so-clever mother.

"Cleaning my room!"

The kindly old tired and maybe not-so-clever mother went to check, and the bedroom of The World's Messiest Girl was sparkling clean.

Moral: Harry Potter really IS magic.

My Paradise

I recently finished stage 1 of draft 17 of my second novel, The Smart One. That means that I got to the last page and typed THE END, and then printed it out so I could edit it in hard copy.

I was so happy to get to this stage. Not just because I'm that much closer to sending it off to my editor, but because I'm no longer tied to my computer. I can take the ms. out into the world and edit wherever I want! (You might argue that I could have done this with my laptop, but you'd be wrong. Every try to reach a computer screen on the beach? Impossible.)

Anyway, for years I've been looking for a lush and solitary outdoor place I could sit and write, and this year I found one in a nearby park. I won't tell you where it is, but I will show you some pictures (click on images to enlarge) ...


Here is the bench where I sit. I put my blue backpack on it so you can see.

Though it looks kind of stagnant here, that water is actually a small running brook, right in front of the bench.

If you look carefully, you can see a wooden covered bridge that crosses over the stream.

My bench from another angle.

Today I went to the beach instead of the park. I got there before the crowds. The sky was very blue, the water was very calm, the air was very clear and I can still smell the clean brine. How I love this beach!

I go to a town beach in the Jones Beach area. Early in the morning, they drives special trucks through to rake the sand. You can see the tire treads.

I love the beach when it's empty.

My closest sand neighbors this morning.

DEMONS ARE FOREVERBy Julie Kenner

Today I'm thrilled to blog about one of my most delightful GCC pals, Julie Kenner. This talented and popular author has a new book out, DEMONS ARE FOREVER. It's the third installment in her Demon series, and readers adore it. (Seriously. Check out her Amazon reviews.)

The publishing community is also quick to praise. Two examples:

“Ninety-nine percent of the wives and moms in the country will identify with this heroine.”
-Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author of FALLING AWAKE

“What would happen if Buffy the Vampire Slayer got married, moved to the suburbs and became a stay-at-home mom? She’d be a lot like Kate Conner.”
-Publishers Weekly

Here now is the synopsis:

Kate Connor is the busiest – and most dangerous – mommy on the block! Having traded in her professional life for the rewarding (yet arguably less glamorous) duties of a stay-at-home mom, Kate – Wal-Mart shopper, loving wife – has recently rejoined the workforce. Reconciling her home obligations with the demanding needs of her job has proven tricky, however. Kate seems to have not one but two full-time jobs, and there’s no telling which takes more work: being a Level Four Demon Hunter or a Stay-At-Home Mom!

DEMONS ARE FOREVER: Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (Berkley Trade Paperback; July 3, 2007; $14.00), by Julie Kenner, is the third installment in the devilishly funny Demon series, which has become a favorite amongst young mothers —demon-loving or not. These days, Kate Conner has a lot on her plate. Her daughter has figured out what she’s been up to, and wants to grow up to be just like her mom. Kate also has a sneaking suspicion that her dead husband is using the forces of darkness to filch the body of another human being. And her living husband isn’t exactly acting like the man she married either.

Moreover, Kate’s acquired a precious but deadly item that every demon within commuting distance wants. With husband woes wrecking havoc on her emotions, and an ambitious teenage protégée at her heels, this stay-at-home mom is putting in a lot of overtime.

A new take on the demons that moms fight everyday, from car-pools, to chaperoning, to growing pains, DEMONS ARE FOREVER is a fun, fast, smart and entertaining adventure in mommy-lit.

DEMONS ARE FOREVER is a available in bookstores everywhere, and from online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Powells. For more information, visit Julie's website at juliekenner.com.

To make Julie your MySpace friend, click here.

My trade paperback arrived today!

I just received an early copy of my trade paperback. Happy day. I love it!!

Tagged by Susan, Dennis and Tracer

Within two days, three people have tagged me with the same meme. Guess that means I have to play. Here goes ...

I was tagged by Susan DiPlacido, Dennis Mahagin and Tracer. The rules:

1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are my eight things:

1. Years ago, I had hypnosis to overcome my fear of needles. When I told a friend I thought the hypnotist was weird she said, "How so?" "Well," I began, intending to enumerate, "he has a handlebar mustache--" "Nuff said," she interrupted. In any case, it worked. Though I'm still squeamish, I can get a shot or have blood drawn without fainting. Most times, anyway.

2. I once had dinner at the home of Terry Jones of Monty Python fame. I was actually an invited guest. This is a long story that begins with my friends and I sneaking into the Broadway rehearsal of Monty Python Live at City Center when we were teenagers, and ends with me doing a semester abroad in London.

3. I believe that chocolate-covered Halvah is tangible proof that God loves me.

4. I used to write Pan Am's frequent flyer newsletter, WorldPass. They were my client at the time that Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie. My friends at Pan Am--some of the smartest and most dedicated people I've ever worked with--were more devastated than you can imagine.

5. Sometimes I put things on my To Do list after I've already done them, just so I can cross them off.

6. I can never remember where I parked my car, but I can recite the whole opening to Superman (faster than a speeding bullet ... more powerful than a locomotive ... ), all the words to Meredith Wilson's "Trouble" (right here in River City), numerous Dorothy Parker poems, Miniver Cheevy, and a bunch of other stuff that does me absolutely no good.

7. I can draw a passable Mickey Mouse.

8. There's a word in my first novel that I made up. So far, no one has caught it, though I'd like to offer my apologies to the woman who had to translate the text into German.

I tag:

Dr. Joy Browne
Paula Chase
Tish Cohen
Patry Francis
Jane Green
Lee Goldberg
Richard Lewis
Roger Morris

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a GirlBy Tanya Lee Stone

Exciting news for teen readers! Tanya Lee Stone's critically-acclaimed A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL is now available in paperback. I'm excited that Tanya agreed to participate in my GCC Does Hollywood blog post, but before I get into it, I want to give you the chance to pop over to Amazon and see the reader reviews this book's been getting. Incredible! Everyone loves this book.

And now, here's in Tanya's fast pitch to our fictional movie producer:

Three girls. One guy. Who comes out on top?
When can a bad boy be good for a girl?
Don't let the title scare you. It’s a cautionary tale. About how the choices girls make shape who they want to be. Going in with open arms and open eyes. Empowerment.

Perfect pitch, don't you think? And now here's how Tanya would cast it:


I think Vanessa Ann Hudgens from high school musical could do a great job being a tough, powerful chick who learns something about herself. Let’s see her bring out her bad side and play Nicolette.

Miley Cyrus, minus the accent, would be a great Aviva. She would do well playing a girl who’s on the fringe but still totally cool, and she can sing.

And Dakota Fanning, in a couple of years, would be perfect as Josie. Clean-cut, confident, and ultimately not letting a guy sway her from who she really is. And let's face it, movies take awhile to be made, so the timing could be just perfect!

The paperback edition of A BAD BOY CAN BE GOOD FOR A GIRL is in stores now, so I hope you'll pick up a copy. At very least, head over to the YA section and check it out while you're there to get your copy of the latest Harry Potter. Of course, it's also available from online booksellers, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and BookSense. For more information, visit Tanya's website at tanyastone.com.