Friday Update 4/ 2

If ever there was a spring that felt like a rebirth, this is it. That's my hope, at least. We surely need some new beginnings here.

The kids have been home this week, so not much is happening writing-wise, but here are some highlights ...

• We had our Passover seder here on Monday night, and it was pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself. Everyone participated in our seder, which was a super-abbreviated version--just enough for the kids to taste tradition. Food and company were divine, and my brother didn't send a single text message during dinner. I call that a success.

• Shout-out to the kids, who were especially well-behaved and got along magnificently.

• Found out almost by accident that a film agent is repping FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER. This is great news, as I think it's shaping up to be a pretty cinematic book, so fingers crossed. But in terms of timing, I'm more focused on the film rights for THE OTHER LIFE, which is repped by the same Hollywood agent.

And since I have no one to say this to, I'll post it here: Movie actresses always complain that there are no good roles for women. Well my dears, here it is ... a story with two kickass female roles--Quinn, the young mother who has to choose between two lives, and Nan, her powerful artist mother who suffers from bipolar disorder. (Read more about the story here.)

In my spare time (ahem) I daydream about casting this mother daughter duo. Some ideas include Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand (I know they're close in age, but Jennifer can play younger and Frances can play anything), Sandra Bullock and Cher, Kate Winslet and Susan Sarandon, Reese Witherspoon and Sharon Stone, Laura Linney and Meryl Streep. I could go on ...

• Took the kids to the Atlantis aquarium in Riverhead this week. It was a lot of fun. And yesterday we took advantage of the bright sunny weather and headed to Jones Beach. It was sweatshirt weather and we walked the boardwalk. Well, I ran one day and walked back. It was great to get the kids outside and breathing fresh air off the ocean.

Have I mentioned that I love the beach?

• Only other big plan for this spring break is a trip into Manhattan to tour NBC studios at Rockefeller Center. That should be fun.

Jewish Mama signing off, wishing her Christian friends a happy Easter and everyone a wonderful weekend ...

EVERYONE SHE LOVED By Sheila Curran

I've been holding onto a Borders gift card for a few months now, waiting for the perfect book to spend it on. I've just decided: I'm getting EVERYONE SHE LOVED by Sheila Curran, one of my fellow Girlfriends Cyber Circuit authors.


Here's the copy that pushed me over the edge, written by Sheila's publicist:

Books are born in strange places. Sheila Curran’s latest was conceived in the front seat of a car while her friend drove and their daughters chatted in the backseat. The women were discussing an article Curran had written about two young girls whose parents had died within months of each other.

While talking about the tragedy, Curran realized that choosing the perfect guardian for her kids—one that would raise them as she would--would be next to impossible. Even tougher to swallow would be the possibility that if she died first, her husband might marry someone awful, and then she’d have no control at all. Unless, she mused, she could get him to agree that if he remarried, her sisters and friends would have to agree to his choice of bride, just to prevent some wicked stepmother from moving in.

And thus was hatched the idea for EVERYONE SHE LOVED, an utterly engaging tale that explores the faith one woman placed in her dearest friends, the care she took to protect her family, and the many ways in which romantic entanglements can confound and confuse even the most determined of planners.

I hope you, too, will pick up this book the next time you visit your favorite chain or independent bookstore. In the meantime, PLEASE click here to visit Shelia blog and see what's been up to. Thank you!

One last thing. EVERYONE SHE LOVED is also available online anywhere books are sold. For more information, visit Sheila's website at sheilacurran.com.

Friday Update 3/26

It can't be Friday already, can it? Wow. This week was fast. Here's the latest ...

• There are two author blogs I really want you to click on this week. The first is Sheila Curran's. Her latest book, EVERYONE SHE LOVED, was released this summer to much fanfare, and you should to take a few minutes to dip into Sheila's world. I think you'll be inspired. Then if you'll click here to read a synopsis, you'll understand why bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson said, "Read this book. Then pass this on to your best friend. She will thank you."

Click here to purchase the book online. Click here to visit Sheila's website.


• The other blog I want you to visit is Susan DiPlacido's. Susan is a funny, sexy, bold, take-no-prisoners kind of writer, and she just published two new books: LADY LUCK and SHUFFLE UP AND DEAL. Susan's voice knocks me on my ass, and I have no idea why the big publishing houses aren't following her around with truckloads full of money. Susan rocks.

• And now at last I can announce my husband's news. He's accepted a job as a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. This isn't the end of our difficulties, but (we hope) the first step in overcoming them. My darling is one of the smartest people I've ever known and, without a doubt, the most honest.

Please wish him luck ...

• I want to add that he's also adorable. Yesterday our daughter was reading from a kid's joke book and asked, "What do you call a girl with a really big head?" My husband answered, "Honey." (I have a freakishly ginormous head, so it was a pretty hilarious response.)

• I was certain I'd have a pub date to announce this week, but alas I'm still waiting. Looks like it's going to be another two weeks.

• Today I start shopping for my Passover Seder. So much work ahead. But we always have a great time.

Wishing a zissen Pesach (a sweet Passover) to my Jewish friends and a good weekend to all ...

What's on my desktop

For inspiration ...



Now I'm not only hearing Dorothy Parker, I'm seeing her. It's a fine line between here and madness ...

And the winner is ...

Congratulations to Darah in California for winning the drawing for a $25 amazon.com gift card!

Many thanks to Darah and everyone else who signed up for my mailing list. Please keep an eye out for an even bigger giveaway offer coming your way.

If you haven't yet signed up, no worries. There will be another $25 gift card drawing in a few weeks. Click here, and don't forget to click through when you get the confirmation email. Thanks!

Friday Update 3/19

I was so busy this week it went by in a flash.

• My middle one had a health setback but he's feeling better now, so phew. Just a little bump in the road, according to his doctor, who was thrilled with his weight gain and overall appearance, not to mention blood test results.

• Because there's never a dull moment for a mother of three, the youngest developed a rash all over, which looked like prickly heat. But according to her doctor it's most likely the aftermath of Fifth Disease. In case you don't know, this is a mild childhood illness that's usually undiagnosed until a few weeks later when the telltale rash develops. By then it's not contagious ... but when it is, it's very dangerous for pregnant women.

Fortunately, she feels fine and today, finally, the rash is fading. Not a moment too soon, as she plays two parts in the school play tonight, and is receiving a "personal best" award this afternoon.

• I didn't get a chance to dig into FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER until yesterday because I was busy with a few other things, like filling out Putnam's Author Questionnaire (a bear!) and writing a press release for a friend. But I've cleared the deck and want to get serious now.

• If you haven't signed up for my newsletter mailing list, please do so now. Thanks! I'm trying to beef up the list in anticipation of my next book, THE OTHER LIFE. Sign up today and you'll be entered in a drawing for a $25 amazon.com gift certificate. But please, YOU MUST CLICK THROUGH WHEN YOU GET THE CONFIRMATION EMAIL. If you don't see it, check your spam filter.

Also important: if you are getting this blog by email, it does not mean you are on my mailing list. (The blog list is maintained by feedburner and I have no access to it or control over it.) Click here to sign up.

• Now that the weather's so splendid I'm dying to run on the beach. Going to take a ride out there today and see if the parking lot's open again ... and if the boardwalk is accessible. Oh, how I love the beach!

Have a great weekend ...

Calling all readers ...

As I blow the dust off my website and update my mailing list, I'm putting the call out to sign up for my newsletter. Please click here and fill out the subscription form. It only takes a few seconds.

In return, you'll automatically be entered in a drawing for a $25 amazon.com gift certificate. Just be sure to sign up by the end of this week (3/20) ... and don't forget to click through when you get the confirmation email.

Btw, I promise I send out very few emails!

Also note that if you get this blog via email, you are NOT automatically on my mailing list. (That list is operated by feedburner and I have no control over it.)

Thanks, friends!

WINGING IT By Jenny Gardiner

A memoir! This may be a first for our little Girlfriends Cyber Circuit group, as we're a cozy little bunch of novelists.

But I think WINGING IT by Jenny Gardiner is such a lot of fun it will grab hold of you and take flight as much as your favorite fiction. Check out the promo copy:

WINGING IT

A Memoir of Caring for a Vengeful Parrot Who’s Determined to Kill Me

Like many new bird owners, Jenny and Scott Gardiner hoped for a smart, talkative, friendly companion. Instead, as they took on the unexpected task of raising a curmudgeonly wild African grey parrot and a newborn, they learned an important lesson: parrothood is way harder than parenthood. WINGING IT: A Memoir of Caring for a Vengeful Parrot Who’s Determined to Kill Me (Gallery Books; on sale March 16, 2010; Hardcover; $23.00), is a hilarious and poignant cautionary tale about two very different types of creatures, thrown together by fate, who learn to make the best of a challenging situation.

A gift from Scott’s brother who was living in Zaire, Graycie arrived scrawny, pissed – off, and missing a lot of her feathers. Every day became a constant game of chicken with a bird that would do anything to ruffle their feathers.

The old adage about not biting the hand that feeds you—literally—never applied to Graycie.

But Jenny and Scott learned to adapt as the family grew to three children, a menagerie of dogs and cats, and, of course, Graycie. WINGING IT is a laugh-out- loud funny and touching memoir, Jenny vividly shares many hazards of parrot ownership, from the endless avian latrine duty and the joyful day the bird learned to mimic the sound of the smoke detector, to multiple ways a beak can pierce human flesh.

Graycie is a court jester, a karaoke partner, an unusual audio record of their family history, and at times, a nemesis. But most of all, she has taught the family volumes about tolerance, going with the flow, and realizing that you can no sooner make your child fit into a mold than you can turn a wild parrot into a docile house pet.

WINGING IT reminds us of the importance of patience, loyalty, and humor when it comes to dealing with even the most unpleasant members of the family.

“ …Graycie is as much a part of us as we are of her. Sure, she might be feisty at times. But who isn’t? Whether she’s yelling at the dog or answering the phone or bobbing to the beat of the kids clapping for her amusement, she’s one of us. Our parrot, petulant or not, is a member of our family for the long haul.” -Jenny Gardiner

I love this this description! And Jenny may want to kill me for this, but before I launch into the interview, I can't resist this old Jewish joke ...

A successful man is looking for a truly spectacular gift for his Yiddisha mama. But it's tough because he's already bought her everything. Then at last he finds it--a parrot that speaks Yiddish. It's insanely expensive, but he really wants to please his mama. So he has it shipped to her. Then he waits a few days and calls.

"Mama, what did you think of the bird?"

"It was delicious!"

I know. I should be ashamed. So without further ado, here's Jenny ...

Did you have any input on the cover of WINGING IT, and are you happy with the finished product?

My editor was great at collaborating with me on the cover. She really liked the idea of trying to do something sort of stark, playing up the contrast against the gray bird. I never saw the other cover options as it was being considered but she did check with me on suggestions and such. Funny thing is the graphic artist who designed the cover posted the various covers he'd come up with on his blog one day and I happened upon it because of Google Alerts. I really love the one that they settled on.

What do you think readers might be surprised to know about you?

I have this obsession with accents. Maybe not quite an obsession. But I love, love, love to hear accented English. I notice little nuances in how people speak English when it's not their native tongue. I get my fix by listening to the BBC, which has such comprehensive world news coverage, and NPR. My kids always mock me in the car because I always try to copy the way people say things when I hear them on the radio. Perhaps I'm a repressed actress? ;-)

Can you share some particularly memorable fan mail you received about this or previous books?

One of the first emails I got from a reader I thought was just so hilarious, because her point was that I must have been spying on her life, as what she was reading in Sleeping with Ward Cleaver was life as she knew it. I'll copy it here:

“Having read pages 1 - 15 in your new novel "Sleeping with Ward Cleaver" I must now ask that you immediately remove your little radio transmitter from my brain, as well as your cameras from my household. Until I have received notice that these tasks are completed I will have no recourse other than to wear my (almost) patented Brain-o-Matic Tin Foil Hat. This will ensure that my thoughts cannot be picked up by anyone. Not that they are by anyone in this household anyway.”

Another early letter that I thought was so sweet was from a woman who really didn't have the time to read or the money to buy a book, but did so anyhow and was glad that she did:

“I received a gift card for Barnes & Noble for Christmas....as a working mom, I hardly have time to read so I decided to treat a friend of mine to coffee inside the bookstore instead of buying a book. On our way out, there you were, and I happened to have enough credit to buy two books so I bought one for each of us. I finished mine in about two days...forgoing laundry and child care duties (my husband didn't mind, really...I kept reading some of the passages to him because they were so funny). It was hilarious! My friend finally started reading her copy this weekend....she called me to tell me how funny it was and that she was actually calling her husband at work to read some of it to him. She also cancelled plans we had together so she could finish her book. We're looking forward to more books from you. My husband is, too, because your book inspired me to go out and buy some sexy underwear!”

Do you pay attention to book reviews? If so, has there been any particular review that made your heart do a little dance?

It's awfully hard not to. I mean we writers revel in fabulous reviews, and by extension, a bad review can certainly drag you down. Of course books are very subjective, so I do try to not take things personally. Although it's a bit like someone telling you they hate your ugly baby--not like we'd take that criticism sitting down, right? I'm still waiting on reviews for Winging It (though did get one--and a lovely one, from Library Journal, who said, "Often comical and sometimes tragic but never dull, Gardiner's memoir proves that the hope of having a model pet (or child) is usually not realistic. It will speak to animal lovers and offer fair warning to anyone considering the 40-year-plus commitment of owning a parrot."

The blurb I received for my first novel from Meg Cabot did make my heart sing. She was just so amazing to have even agreed to take a look at my book and I was already thrilled that she'd even consider it. But then her blurb was so perfect, to boot:

"A fun, sassy read! A cross between Erma Bombeck and Candace Bushnell, reading Jenny Gardiner is like sinking your teeth into a big frosted chocolate cupcake...you just want more."
-New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot

And this review I just thought was so funny:

“If you want to laugh until you pee your pants, then pick up this book. If you want to gain some insight into what goes into a marriage, then pick up this book. I loved the character of Claire. She is someone that every woman can relate to, young or old. Jenny Gardiner has a gift for finding humor and at the same time tackling tough issues. This is a great mom lit book to read by yourself, or giggle about with your book club.”
-Book Room Review


What are you reading now?

About ten books at once LOL. But am racing through my friend Sarah Pekkanen's The Opposite of Me and loving it. She's such a funny, talented writer.


Thanks so much for having me!

Thank YOU, Jenny! Good luck with WINGING IT ... may it fly off the shelves.

WINGING IT is available at your favorite chain or independent bookstore. To buy online, visit amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com or any cyber bookseller. For more information, visit Jenny's website at jennygardiner.net.

Friday Update 3/12

At last it feels like the storm cloud that's been battering my sweet little family for the past two years is starting to lift. It's not like all our problems are over, but there's light at the end of the tunnel. Can't let the cat out of the bag just yet, so more on that next week.

In the meantime ...

• By the end of the month I'll have an actual pub date for THE OTHER LIFE. I made my pitch for a certain month that I believe would be best for me, but there are too many other factors to predict how that will play out. Like I said, it's been a hell of a couple of years here, so I'm greedy for more good news. Fingers crossed.

• Meanwhile, I'm blowing the cobwebs off my website and doing a bit of spring cleaning, which includes updating my newsletter mailing list. If you haven't signed up, I hope you will now. Click here ... and don't forget to click through when you get the confirmation email.

NOTE: If you signed up to receive this blog by email, it's not the same thing, so please sign up for my newsletter. Thanks!!

• My big news of the week was that my new book deal got listed in Publishers Marketplace. I already blogged about it, but in case you missed it here's how the deal was summarized (with a couple tweaks from yours truly):

Ellen Meister's FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER, a humorous and heartfelt novel in which a mousy movie critic accidentally unleashes the ghost of writer Dorothy Parker, whose caustic wit and wisdom helps change her life in all kinds of unexpected ways, to Rachel Kahan at Putnam, by Andrea Cirillo and Annelise Robey at Jane Rotrosen Agency (NA).

The title got an extra shout-out in a PM newsletter, and I guess it intrigued people because my sitemeter showed a lot of hits from people googling it. A good sign, I think!

• Kudos to Samsung for repairing my sweet little netbook and getting it back to me so fast.


• Between working on the new novel, filling out a bear of an author questionnaire for my publisher and a press release I'm working on for a friend, I am buried. So back to work for me ...

Have a great weekend. xo

Ask the Author 3/11

Here I go again ...



Hope you found this helpful ... feel free to send more questions! Thanks.
xo

PURE PRINCESS, BARTERED BRIDE By Caitlin Crews

My Girlfriends Cyber Circuit pals are such an impressive bunch ... and Caitlin Crews is no exception. She's not only a romance author who debuted on the USA Today Bestseller List ... but is also the alter-ego of the critically-acclaimed contemporary author Megan Crane!


Here's a quick summary of PURE PRINCESS, BARTERED BRIDE:

Bartered, betrothed and bedded!

As quiet and dangerous as a jungle cat, achieving the impossible is one of Luc Garnier’s defining characteristics.

Princess Gabrielle is invaluable – a pearl beyond price. Yet Luc has defied the odds, and a contract for marriage is drawn up. This will be a union on paper first, and of flesh later…

Except Gabrielle is just the same in private as in public – well-bred, well-behaved, and a credit to her country. Luc is determined to find the wanton within and leave his pure princess in total disarray!


And here's just the sampling of the book's great buzz:

“Debut novelist Caitlin Crews has penned a winner with her first novel for Harlequin Presents: Pure Princess, Bartered Bride! Sexy, intensely emotional and wholly absorbing, this beguiling marriage of convenience story features a deliciously Alpha hero and an smart and independent heroine readers cannot help but admire.” --CataRomance

“I will definitely buy any book that she writes.”--Adventures of a Gotham Gal

5 of 5 Stars: “This book has the right ingredients for a very good, entertaining Harlequin Presents.” --Danielle’s Book Thoughts

“Caitlin Crews has written a brilliant royal romance, a roller coaster romance with extremely intense emotions oozing from both Luc and Gabrielle.”--Marilyn’s Romance Reviews


No wonder it's selling so well.

And now here's Caitlin to answer some interview questions ...

Tell us a little about your book.
Pure Princess, Bartered Bride is the story of the arranged marriage of the ruthless Luc Garnier and the perfect Princess Gabrielle, and how they fall in love with each other despite that kind of beginning.

What got you writing in the romance genre?
I finally started writing romance novels years and years and years after I started reading them, and years after I was published, because I figured I had to at least TRY to write in my favorite genre. I have such high expectations about the romance novels I read that I had pretty low expectations about my own. I really didn’t think anything would come of the experiment. But it turns out that writing romances is almost as addictive as reading them!

What's your favorite thing about being a writer?
I get to make up stories in my head, and then tell them, and make my living that way. It’s more than a dream come true. And I don’t, in fact, need algebra, as I told my math teacher in high school long ago!

And what's your least favorite thing?
The blank page is usually filled with all my doubts and fears, and that’s not a whole lot of fun to sift through to get to the words I need to write. And you can never really take a vacation, because the work is always in your head. And I become a little bit of a crazy person as a deadline approaches. But I wouldn’t give any of it up.

Which comes easier for you, beginnings or endings?
Definitely beginnings. I like to launch myself into the beginning and write until I hit a wall, then go back and figure out what I'm doing.

What's your writing process/writing environment like?
I'm pretty fierce about my daily word quotas, which are really the only way I can write as much as I do. (I wrote five books last year and will write at least four this year.) I usually write 2,000 words a day--although at a certain point last fall I had to write 3000 a day to hit a particular deadline, and I found that dizzyingly difficult. The internet is my greatest time-waster. I'm starting to use Mac Freedom to turn it off for stretches here and there, because I can't be trusted--and I will often look up to see that hours have passed and there I am reading Jezebel and hitting refresh on Twitter... Not good.

I have written all my books (I'm on number 15!) on the same desk, which I'm a little superstitious about these days. It's currently located in the office I share with my husband, overlooking a pretty sweep of trees and mountains and the Hollywood sign here in Los Angeles. It's filled with books and pictures, and somehow, helps the words come.

What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?
Just write. No one can tell your story the way you can, and no one will get to read it until you write it.

Thanks so much Caitlin!

You can buy PURE PRINCESS, BARTERED BRIDE at your favorite bookstore. To buy online, visit amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com or any cyber bookseller. For more information, visit Cailtin's website at caitlincrews.com.

Announcement

My new book deal was just announced in Publishers Marketplace. Here's what it says:

March 8, 2010
		Fiction: General/Other		Ellen Meister's FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER, a humorous and heartfelt novel in which a mousy theater critic accidentally unleashes the ghost of writer Dorothy Parker, whose caustic wit and wisdom helps change her life in all kinds of unexpected ways, to Rachel Kahan at Putnam, by Andrea Cirillo at Jane Rotrosen Agency (NA).

Very happy to see this and I love the logline, which is much better than the one I was tinkering with. Only I do want to correct one thing--I have two agents, so it should really give deal credit to Annelise Robey as well as Andrea Cirillo.

Okay, back to work!

Friday Update 3/5

A few odds and ends for today ...

• Now that I've accepted an offer on FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER, I'm hard at work on it. I'm not laying down new chapters yet, but trying to work out the storyline. I had lunch with Susan Henderson this week, and when I told her I planned to structure the book by breaking the story into three acts, she sent me to this blog, from writer Alexandra Sokoloff. Very useful!

• Speaking of Susan Henderson, she not only got a kickass cover for her forthcoming debut novel, UP FROM THE BLUE, but is reeling in some astounding (and well-deserved) blurbs. Check out what Jamie Ford, author of HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET had to say:

“Susan Henderson’s UP FROM THE BLUE deftly portrays a family with contradictions we can all relate to—it’s beautiful and maddening, hopeful and condemning, simple, yet like a knot that takes a lifetime to untangle. This is a book that you will love completely, even as it hurts you. It is a heartbreaking, rewarding story that still haunts me. I absolutely loved this book…gushingly, unequivocally, loved it.”

Trust me, this is not empty praise. Sue is really THAT GOOD. No joke.

• Bad news this week? My netbook died. Urlg. Will call Samsung tech support today and PRAY I get someone whose English I can understand.

• I recently complained to a male friend about about how hard I'm working at losing weight. He responded by saying he lost 15 pounds last month by eliminating fast food, as if this advice would help me. As if fast food has ever been part of my diet. As if I might even consider eating at McDonald's. As if the golden arches would tempt me even if I was starving to death after crawling through the desert for 40 days. (Okay, I might pop in for a Diet Coke. But then I'd crawl another 40 days looking for a diner.)

Men. Sheesh.

I go to the gym every day, exist on spinach, air and the occasional orange, and am lucky if I lose one pound a week.

Of course, I blame myself for being in the situation where I actually need to shed pounds. Even after all these decades on the planet I have never learned how to maintain my weight. I am always either gaining or losing.

But of course, I come from a family of weight-obsessed lunatics. My mother has been on a diet since 1965. I don't know what her goal weight is or when she plans to meet it, but the last time she was here we lost her for a whole afternoon when she slipped between the seat cushions on the sofa.

Now we make her wear bells.

• No careers news update on my husband just yet, I'm afraid. Soon, I hope ...

• Also still waiting for a pub date for THE OTHER LIFE.

• Check out this flyer for the BOOK AND AUTHOR TEA on Sunday, April 18 at the Hofstra University Club. To register online, click here. To R.S.V.P. via Facebook, click here.

• Don't forget, the wonderful new NBC show, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? (produced by my cousin, Lisa Kudrow) premieres tonight with Sarah Jessica Parker's episode.

• Have a great weekend. I'm off to the gym ...

Ask the Author. 3/3

Here are five tips on writing better dialogue ...




Please send more questions! And guys, where are you? All the questions so far have been from women.

Feel free to post your questions in the comments section below or email them to me at ellen (at) ellenmeister (dot) com.

Friday Update 2/26

At last I have good news to report! My brilliant (!), visionary (!!), market-savvy (!!!) Putnam editor made an offer on my new proposal. (I would add that she's also cute, but I don't want to lay it on too thick.)

Anyway, I'm thrilled that I still have a career and am so damned excited about this book. The working title is FAREWELL, DOROTHY PARKER, and it will be published in hardcover by Putnam in 2012, with a Berkley paperback to follow.

More details, soon.

That's about all I want to say about my week, except for one more thing, which I offer with a big kineinahorah poo-poo ... it looks very much like I may have good news to report next week for my husband's career as well.

Enjoy your weekend.

Ask the Author 2/24

Here I go again ...

DRIVE TIME By Hank Phillippi Ryan

This is a first for me--I actually get to blog about a member of the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit right after attending an event.


If you're not from the Boston area you might not know that in addition to being an award-winning mystery writer, Hank Phillippi Ryan is an Emmy-winning investigative reporter and a TV icon in Massachusetts.


She's also a charming and inspiring speaker ...


And a warm, delightful person.
Plus, she just found out that AIR TIME, the third book in her series, was nominated for an Agatha Award. Way to go, Hank!

But today I want to talk to you about the latest book, DRIVE TIME, which could very well go on to win an award of its own one day. Here's the synopsis:

Investigative reporter Charlotte McNally is an expert at keeping things confidential, but suddenly everyone has a secret, and it turns out it may be possible to know too much. Charlie's latest TV scoop--an expose of a dangerous recalled car scam complete with stakeouts, high-speed chases and hidden-camera footage--is ratings gold. But soon that leads her to a brand new and diabolical scheme (incredibly timely!) that could put every driver in danger.

Charlie's personal and professional lives are on a collision course, too. Her fiancé is privy to information about threats at an elite private school that have suddenly turned deadly.

Charlie has never counted on happy endings. But now, just as she's finally starting to believe in second chances, she realizes revenge, extortion and murder might leave her alone again. Or even dead. Emmy and Agatha award winning reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan proves that when everyone has a secret, the real mystery is knowing when to tell.

Hank was kind enough to answer some interview questions about the book, so here goes ...

I can't help noticing that your main character, 'Charlie' McNally has more in common with you than a boyish name--you're both investigavie journalists. Are you and Charlie very much alike in other ways?

When my husband talks about Charlie, he calls her “you.” As in—when “you” are held at gunpoint, when you track down the bad guys, when you solve the mystery… and I have to remind him, “Sweetheart, it’s fiction. It didn’t really happen.”

But a couple of things: I’ve been a TV reporter for more than 30 years. (Yes, really.) And so it would be silly, in writing a mystery about TV, not to use my own experiences. Think about it—as a TV reporter, you can never be wrong! Never be one minute late. Never choose the wrong word or miscalculate. You can never have a bad hair day, because it’ll be seen by millions of people! It’s high-stakes and high-stress—literally, people’s lives at stake--and I really wanted to convey that in the books.

And everything that TV people do and say in the books is authentic and genuine. (Of course, Charlie can say things I can’t say, and reveal things I can’t reveal.) We’re both devoted journalists, and over-focused on our jobs.

But Charlotte McNally is different, too. She’s single—I’m happily married. She’s ten years younger than I am, and so is facing different choices and dilemmas. She’s braver than I am, certainly. Funnier. And a much better driver.

You’ve got four books under your belt, you’ve won an Agatha, and been compared to Lisa Scottoline. Will there come a time when you say goodbye to journalism to focus full time on your fiction?

Ain't that the question! I still smile in delight every time I see my Agatha teapot. And when the starred review in Library Journal for DRIVE TIME compared me to Lisa Scottoline, well, I burst into tears. But I still love my job in TV. So--you could ask me that question every day, and every day I'd have a different answer. And I guess the bottom line is: who knows?

Any plans to write a non Charlotte McNally novel?

Yup. Absolutely. It's in the works. You heard it here first.

Any mistakes you’ve made along the way, have you learned anything from them?

Hah. That’s another long blog for another day. Mistakes? Ah, on a huge level, people always yell at me for working all the time. ALL the time. Is that a mistake? None of this would have happened without that. Would I change it? I have to say no. So is that a mistake? I'm not sure. On a tiny level, I should have put together a mailing list of bookstores. Still haven’t done that. Wish I had.

Any advice for fledgling writers and journalists?

For journalists: Don’t be afraid. Be very afraid. Be scrupulously careful. Think. And think again. Never give up.

For writers? On my bulletin board there are two quotes. One is a Zen saying: “Leap and the net will appear.” To me, that means: Just do it. The other says “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” And I think that’s so wonderful—just have the confidence to carry on. Writing is tough, arduous, not always rewarding in the moment—but no successful author has ever had an easy path. When you hit an obstacle, pat yourself on the back. You’re a writer

Great advice! Thanks so much, Hank. It was great meeting you in person and I wish you tons of luck with your wonderful books!

You can buy DRIVE TIME at the your local chain or independent bookstore. To buy online visit amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com or any cyber bookseller. For more information, visit Hank's website at hankphillippiryan.com.

Friday Update 2/19

Kids were home all week ("Presidents' Week" here in the Northeast), so not much to report in terms of writing. Just a few odds and ends ...

• On Monday I took the three kids into Manhattan to the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, and then to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch. Would not have been my first choice for how to spend the day (Wouldn't you guys rather go to an ART museum?!?!!!), but the kids were thrilled.

• Lovely Valentine's Day all around. Hope yours was swell, too.

• Still impatiently waiting for something to happen professionally, either for me or for my husband (preferably both), but in the meantime a bit of fun news. Thanks to my pal Debbi Honorof, the BOOK & AUTHOR TEA is all set for Sunday, April 18, at Hofstra University. For me, the super-exciting part of this is that the program opens with one of my all-time favorite writers, the witty, wise and wonderful Elinor Lipman. And guess who gets to interview her for the crowd? Yours truly!

Following our talk will be a most excellent panel discussion between mystery writers Cynthia Baxter and Anne Canadeo, moderated by Debbi Honorof.

And this is also very cool--the opening remarks will be made by KJOY radio personality Maria Garcia Kalb.

Mark your calendar now ... registration information to follow soon.

• If you haven't seen the new video feature I added to my blog, please check it out. And send questions!

• That's about it. Stress level still off the charts. Appreciate any positive energy you can send my way.

• Have a great weekend ...

Ask the Author, 2/17

Here's a new blog feature I'm going to try doing once a week. People send in questions, I answer them via webcam. If you have questions on writing or publishing, please post them in the comments section below or email me at ellen (at) ellenmeister.com, and I'll try to answer in a future installment.

And now for the debut ...

Friday Update 2/12

Alas, another week has passed with no career news for either me or my husband. If the universe is testing to see how tightly I can be wound before snapping, it had better take a big step back.

Meanwhile, my week ...


• The big news, of course, was the massive snow storm that closed school for two days. We passed the time doing all the normal stuff ... and even making one snow princess.

• The other big news is that my fist born turned 18. Happy birthday, Max! Where did the years go?

• Forgive the bragging, but with all our woes this year I think I deserve to make my bits of nachas public ... all three kids brought home straight A's again. Way to go, my darlings, my heroes ...

• CafeMom interviewed me via webcam about parenting issues and posted it on their site. Check it out.

• Edited to add: Just discovered this second video interview with me from CafeMom.

• My friend Michael Palmer, the bestselling thriller writer, was interviewed on WEEI radio about his forthcoming novel, THE LAST SURGEON. One of the best author radio interviews I've ever heard. Do take a listen ... and also check out this link to the charity event/party-of-the-year that will launch the book.

• The big Author Tea at Hofstra this year is going to be on Sunday, April 18. Stay tuned for more news about the featured authors.

• Sorry I didn't start the video blog feature I promised. Things got a little out of hand this week with the school closings ... and next week all three kids are home, so it might take a bit more time. Bear with me.

• Slogging through Thackeray's VANITY FAIR, which is truly wonderful ... but I'd never make it if I didn't have a cheat sheet helping me understand which character is which.

♥ Enjoy your weekend ♥

Friday Update 2/5

Another anxious week of waiting for news on my career and my husband's. I'm holding on with the thought that one day I'll look back on the period we're in now and wonder how the hell we lived through it.

Meanwhile, stray thoughts and updates ...

• Lots of fun Saturday night with Delores and Claude, their lovely pal Laura, and all the kidlets.

• Sunday we had family over, and Adam (my sister-in-law Donna's boyfriend), brought the most delish appetizers ... including clams casino. I was in heaven! The weekend before, sister-in-law Barbara and hubby Neil brought over a pot of chili and all the fixin's (beer included!). Do I know how to pick my in-laws or what?

• Hugs to all who asked about my boy. He's feeling better and gaining weight.

• Somehow I missed posting a link to this incredible interview between Jordan Rosenfeld and Susan Henderson. If you're a writer, you'll want to read Susan's thoughts on revision. She is always an inspiration.

• With all due respect, I think the 6th grade teachers in my daughter's school are completely heartless in the amount of homework they assign these kids. Don't they realize the children have other classes? After school activities? My poor kid was weeping in exhaustion last night.

• I started doing a bit of freelance writing for a new community site called Patch.com. Turned in my first article this week. I'll post a link when it goes live.

• Great lunch last Friday with Long Island literati pals Carol Hoenig, Debbi Honorof, Brenda Janowitz and Saralee Rosenberg. Special guest appearance by baby Ben. Fun!

• Next week I'm going to start a new weekly video feature on this blog called "Ask the Author." So if you have any questions--either about the creative or business end of writing and publishing--post it below or send it in an email.

• My cousin Lisa Kudrow produced a terrific new series called WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE that airs on NBC starting March 5. She's even featured in one of the shows. Here's a preview:



• Have a great weekend!

CATCH OF A LIFETIME By Judi Fennell

Judi! Judi! Judi!

Today I'm happy to blog about the third book in Judi Fennell's Mer series, CATCH OF A LIFETIME. Here's a little tease to give you a taste ...


She’s on a mission to save the planet…

Mermaid Angel Tritone has been researching humans from afar, hoping to find a way to convince them to stop polluting. When she jumps into a boat to escape a shark attack, it’s her chance to pursue her mission, but she has to keep her identity a total secret…


When he finds out what she really is, they’re both in mortal danger…

For Logan Hardington, finding a beautiful woman on his boat is surely not a problem—until he discovers she’s a mermaid, and suddenly his life is on the line…

And here's what people are saying:


"Fennell's got detailed worldbuilding, creative secondary characters and an impressive use of mythology in this great read. While this title is part of a series, it works well as a stand-alone. Angel and Logan are both incredibly textured characters.
-RT BookReview Magazine 4 Stars

"Judi Fennell has extraordinary imagination and has certainly used it in creating this exciting and colorful story. Her characters are wonderful."
-Fresh Fiction

"The best blend of both worlds. I... love each and every character in Catch of A Lifetime (and) found (it) well worth diving into."
-Long And Short Reviews 4.5 Books


"Catch of a Lifetime is a heart warming tale. Ms. Fennell Ms. Fennell has created a delightful world that, I have enjoyed escaping to. It is both dangerous and fun."
-Anna's Book Blog



Judi was kind enough to answer some questions, so here goes ...


How would you describe the genre of CATCH OF A LIFETIME, and what pulled you toward it?

All of my stories (so far) are tongue-in-cheek, light-hearted paranormals, mainly because that's what I've loved to watch and read over the years. I grew up on I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched and all the Disney movies: Escape to Witch Mountain, the princess stories… Then came Enchanted, which, I swear, Disney made JUST for me! Ever After is another one that I love. Nope, not a stretch to see why I write what I write.


What can you tell us about the genesis of the idea for this book?

My first story, In Over Her Head was a Top 5 finalist in the Gather.com/Pocket Books First Chapters Romance Contest and I wanted to show the final judges that I had more than that one book in me, so I came up with the subsequent two books in the series. What made me choose Angel instead of Mariana, her older sister, was that I felt she had more of a story to tell at that point. Now, Mariana is poking me in the shoulder, demanding hers be told.


If your protagonist could change one thing about herself, what would it be?

That's actually what is driving Angel in this story. She's sick of being "Just Angel" to everyone. "Oh, it's just Angel." She's the quintessential middle child and is trying to make a name for herself in a family over super-achievers. Is she successful? You'll have to read the book to find out.


What do you love most about CATCH OF A LIFETIME?

Does "everything" count as an answer? Seriously, I loved putting Angel in a Human world and skewing what she thought she knew. I loved writing Michael, the six year old who's the only Human who knows what Angel is. I love Logan, so out of his element with a kid and a mermaid, but valiantly trying to keep control when it's just spiraling all over the place. The villains were fun to write and Ginger the flamboyant flamingo and Stewart the stubborn anole were a hoot. All in all, it was a great ride.


Is there a story behind the title?

I love playing with language, and puns, and double entendres. Given the fact that she is, sort of, part fish, the title tickled my funny bone.


Did you have any input on the cover, and are you happy with the finished product?

I sent in a "what this story is about" type of write up for the Marketing/Art depts. Where I mention any special themes (in this one, Angel's tail is lavender and they used that on the cover which made me catch my breath the first time I saw it), or important scenes or characters or places. If there's something that bugs me with the cover, I can mention it and they've fixed it for me. But, honestly, I tell everyone that Anne Cain, the artist, is just amazing and I feel as if the Cover Gods have really blessed me.


Can you share some particularly memorable fan mail you received about this or previous books?

A reader emailed me to say that I'd made her cry and that she'd had to skip to the end of the book to make sure it ended the way she wanted it to. She wouldn't have been able to finish it if I hadn't ended it that way. I love that something that took so much passion and commitment on my part had that effect on someone else.

Thanks so much, Judi!

You can buy CATCH OF A LIFETIME at your favorite chain or independent bookstore. To buy online, visit BarnesandNoble.com, Borders.com or any cyber retailer. For more information, visit Judi's website at judifennell.com.

SPECIAL CONTEST NOTICE:

To celebrate the release of each of her books, Judi Fennell and the Atlantis Inn (www.AtlantisInn.com) and the Hibiscus House (www.HibiscusHouse.com) bed and breakfasts are raffling off three romantic beach getaway weekends. All information is on Judi's website, www.JudiFennell.com