BLAME IT ON PARISBy Laura Florand

Today I have the pleasure of blogging about a wonderful book by an author who's fairly new to the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, the talented Laura Florand. It's ironic that I'm not doing a GCC Does Hollywood blog for this one, because it's so filmic I'd bet money BLAME IT ON PARIS winds up on the silver screen. Here's the description from the press release:

Eleven o’clock on a Friday night. The seamy, sex-obsessed center of Paris. I balanced over a Turkish toilet in a tiny bistro, one stiletto heel propped against the wall to make some kind of writing table out of my knee, trying desperately not to touch anything around me as I wrote an invitation…

Thus begins BLAME IT ON PARIS, Laura Florand’s hilarious and moving true story of a French-American romance between two people, two families, and two cultures.

What does happen when you put a small-town Georgian in Paris and a handsome, sophisticated Parisian in small-town Georgia? Especially when two huge families, one French and the other American, decide it’s up to them to further this romance. The Parisian’s family wants Laura to learn how to prepare snails, while Laura’s family keeps serving Sébastien Mad Dog 20/20 as good wine. How will true love survive?

I think that's a great concept all around, and while I haven't gotten my hands on the book yet, apparently it reads like a dream, because over on Amazon.com, readers are going nuts over it. Critics and fellow authors love it, too. Here's a sampling of the raves ...

“Hilarious…A fun, frothy tale for anyone who has ever conjured up a dashing handsome foreigner to sweep her off her feet. Readers will be happy to live vicariously in Laura's French fairytale.” –Booklist (Aleksandra Kostovski)

“A frothy French confection.” –Publishers’ Weekly

“Laura Florand offers up an outsider’s oddly inside view of Paris, and she does so in a narrative that is by turns witty and touching, but always charming. Best of all, she turns the tables and lets us see our own culture through the fresh, French eyes of the man she loves. Do yourself a favor: Read this book.”--Joshilyn Jackson, best-selling author of Gods in Alabama

“I haven’t laughed so hard over the course of an entire book in a long time.” DearAuthor.com

“A fabulous romp from Paris to Podunk and back again. Loved it. Laura Florand’s reluctant heroine is adorable, and her perfect Parisian amour can wait on my table anytime.”--Haywood Smith, New York Times best-selling author of the Red Hat Club series

“A romantic, hilarious soufflé of a story! Move over, Bridget Jones. Charming and laugh-out-loud funny.”--Deborah Smith, New York Times best-selling author of A Place to Call Home

“This delightful book should come with a warning label: do not read while traveling, otherwise other passengers will wonder why you keep laughing aloud and shouting ‘Vive la Laura Florand!’”--Cassandra King, author of The Sunday Wife

“I was taught in high school chemistry never to combine two ingredients whose properties you don’t fully understand. Well, Laura Florand ignored that advice and mixed a Parisian gentleman with a Southern lady, and what she got, predictably, was combustible. Blame It on Paris is a charming, light-hearted romp through a cross-cultural quagmire that proves that love, if it can’t conquer all, certainly is a match for a couple with families at different ends of the universe.”--Larry Habegger, editor, Travelers’ Tales Paris

“As enchanting as Paris in the spring, Florand’s debut sparkles with all the brilliance of the City of Light. Warm, funny, and sublimely satisfying, BLAME IT ON PARIS follows Laura as she journeys around the world in search of herself - only to discover home is in the hearts of those she loves. I’m adding Laura Florand to my must-read list!”—Alesia Holliday, author of Seven Ways to Lose Your Lover

BLAME IT ON PARIS is in bookstores now. To buy online, visit any cyber bookseller, such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Powells. For more information (and to see a pic of the lovely author herself) visit Laura's website at lauraflorand.com.

Signed books

My minivan and I have been busy this week, driving around Long Island from bookstore to bookstore, where I got to meet some lovely folks who let me sign their inventory of my book. So if you live in the area and are interested in an autographed copy of Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA, paperback edition, please visit one of these stores (but call first to make sure it's still in stock):

Borders Syosset*
Book Revue, Huntington*
Barnes & Noble Huntington
Borders Westbury
Barnes & Noble Manhasset
Barnes & Noble Carle Place
Borders Farmingdale
Barnes & Noble Massapequa

I hope to visit a few more stores this week, but the kids are finished with camp so that makes it a bit harder. Still, I'll give it a shot, and will post updates. If there's a particular store you'd like me to visit, let me know.

If you don't live on Long Island and would like an autographed book, I'd be happy to send you a signed bookplate. I had new ones specially designed for the paperback. They're self-adhesive and right into the front of the book, like this:

Just send me your address and tell me who you want the bookplate(s) made out to. The stamp's on me.

*Indicates large quantity in stock.

My cybertour

I'm on cybertour, friends! That means I'm bouncing around the Internet promoting the trade paperback release of SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA ... without ever leaving my chair.

Alas, no groupies, but I hope you'll pop in to some of my stops. Here's the list so far:

Joshilyn Jackson
Renee Rosen
Allison Winn Scotch
Deborah LeBlanc
China Dolls
Joni Rodgers
Jackie Kessler
Judy Merrill Larsen
Laura Floran
Eliza Graham
Karin Gillespie
Sheila Curran
Kelly Parra
Joanne Rendell
Cindy Cruciger
Becky Motew
Jana DeLeon
Sara Rosett
Toni McGee Causey
Maryanne Stahl
Vicki Taylor
Modern Matriarch (book review)
Modern Matriarch (interview)
Virtual Wordsmith (book review)
Virtual Wordsmith (interview)
Sandra Novack
Jessica Lipnack
Rebecca Flowers
TQR (book review)
Trashionista



If you feel so moved, please feel free to leave a comment at any of these. Thanks!

Now available!

My paperback.

Click it!

New interview

Lynn the Virtual Wordsmith just posted an interview with me over at her blog. Check it out:
Virtual Wordsmith

Thanks, Lynn!

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.

FRENEMIESBy Megan Crane

Instead of taking a cybertour to Hollywood for today's GCC blog post, I'm staying right here to tell you about the latest from the talented and beautiful-enough-to-be-a-Hollywood-star-herself, Megan Crane.

Here's the lowdown on this book:

FREN-E-MY\noun: The friend who gives you the sweetest smile to your face, while holding the sharpest knife to your back.

We’ve all heard the saying, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” but what if they’re one and the same? It’s the cardinal, number-one girlfriend rule: don’t date your friend’s ex. In FRENEMIES by Megan Crane (5 Spot; June 20, 2007; Paperback Original; $13.99), it is Gus Curtis’ supposed friend and old college roommate Helen who breaks that rule and goes one step further: she doesn’t just date an ex-boyfriend; she steals him from right under Gus’s nose!

Megan Crane, the successful author of Everyone Else’s Girl and English as a Second Language brings us a hilarious novel about growing up and realizing that your worst enemy – and best bud – just might be yourself.

Just a few months shy of her 30th birthday, Gus discovers Nate, her "Mr. Right," hooking up behind her back with her so-called "friend" Helen. Soon it seems despite working to hard to appear all grown up, Gus is still living the life of a teenager.

Gus is left with more questions than answers: Can she win Nate back before she turns 30 (And if so, does she really want him?) Is Helen really as devious and manipulative as she seems, or, worse, is Gus more like her frenemy Helen than she’d care to admit? And is she ever going to grow up? With the clock ticking down to her birthday, Gus discovers that sometimes the best thing about best-laid plans is trashing them altogether.

In FRENEMIES, Gus experiences first hand what happens when you reach that inevitable point in life when you must surrender yourself to adulthood and the big 3-0.

This sounds like another hit from Megan! Here's some advance praise:

“Jam-packed with hilarious one-liners and amusing scenarios, this is a quick, albeit very satisfying, read.”
—Romantic Times BOOKClub Magazine

"FRENEMIES is a hugely enjoyable novel with brilliant, convincing characters and dialogue. It's romantic, funny, intelligent, believable, and gripping. I couldn't put it down and am now very sorry it's finished!"
— Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Angels and Last Chance Saloon

FRENEMIES is in bookstores now. Or, you buy it from any online retailer, such as amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. For more information, visit Megan's website at megancrane.com.

BETWEEN, GEORGIA By Joshilyn Jackson

Before I even start blogging about BETWEEN, GEORGIA by the sublime Joshilyn Jackson, I want to publicly flagellate myself for not having read this book yet. I read Joshilyn's other novel, GODS IN ALABAMA, and did backflips over it. So what the heck am I waiting for? This is a writer who's got it all--intense, authentic characters, gripping plot, gorgeous language and a delicate touch for the nuances of human relations.

So okay, it's on my list!

Meanwhile, Joshilyn was good enough to play along with my GCC Does Hollywood game, and here's how she would pitch the book to our fictional producer:

The bitterly feuding families of a modern South Juliette and her redneck Romeo blow up the smallest town in Georgia.

Does this book have to be a movie or what? I hope Hollywood is paying attention.

Anyway, here's Joshilyn's dream cast:

Nonny Frett, our beleaguered heroine who was born into the trashiest family in town and then stolen and raised right by the ever-so-proper Fretts, I would cast– Dallas Bryce Howard, maybe? She looks right, and as an actor, there isn’t much she can’t do.



Henry Crabtree, Nonny’s best friend, would be Johnny Depp. No. Explanation. Needed.




Jonno, Nonny’s erstwhile husband … Brendan Frasier.




Bernese Frett Baxter – The Frett matriarch with an iron spine, a willful, red heart and feet of clay? Kathy Bates.



Stacie Frett. Nonny’s deaf blind artist mother -- Dianne Wiest.



Ona Crabtree – The opposing matriarch who is both drunk and crafty -- Glenn Close.


BETWEEN, GEORGIA is now available in paperback, so please do yourself a favor and run out to your favorite bookstore for it. Or, order online from anyplace that sells books, like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and BookSense. For more information, visit joshilynjackson.com.

THE SECRET SISTERSBy Joni Rodgers

Woo-hoo! A sister story! I love sister stories, whether the characters are sisters in the real or metaphorical sense. And this dark, touching, intense look at the lives of three women whose lives interconnect is the kind of novel I eat with a spoon. I can only imagine how much I'd love a movie made from this book.

So ... I'm thrilled to offer a GCC Does Hollywood blog on Joni Rodgers's brilliant THE SECRET SISTERS, which is now available in paperback. Here's how Joni would pitch the story to our fictional producer:

Three women in three kinds of prison: Pia suffers from a panic disorder, Beth’s anger and grief trap her in the past, and Lily is in a state penitentiary as the result of a fatal drunk driving accident. THE SECRET SISTERS is the braided story of how they break free.

Sounds excellent, doesn't it? Here's Joni's dream cast:



I think Ashley Judd could perfectly capture the painfully fragile Pia, who surprises herself when she discovers an inner core of strength and sensuality.



The brash, tough-talking Lily needs someone with both courage and comic timing. Sandra Bullock, maybe? Toni Collette would bring humor and humanity to totally uptight Beth.


As I was writing dialogue for the sly and sexy con artist Dalphine, I was hearing the honeylicious voice of Shohreh Aghdashloo.



I hope this book sounds as intriguing to you as it does to me. The new paperback release of THE SECRET SISTERS is in stores now. It's also available from online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Powells. For more information, visit Joni's website at jonirodgers.com, or use this widget to read an excerpt:

You're invited!

Click on image to enlarge

COUPON GIRLBy Becky Motew

Do you love Becky's cover? I do. And if that wasn't enough to snag me, the opening chapter would do the trick. I haven't even read it yet and I'm in love with this book.

So I'm happy that Becky Motew, one of the newer members of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, agreed to participate in my GCC does Hollywood blog. Here's how she'd pitch the book to our fictional producer:

Jeanie Callahan auditions for a community theatre production of The Sound of Music, but doesn't care what part she gets. That's because she is trying to find business owners to buy advertising from her so she can win her company's sales contest. She doesn't count on falling in love with a scoundrel director.

I wonder if our fictional producer could find a fictional director who could capture Becky's unique and hilarious voice. Anyway, here's how she'd cast it:


Whew. I'm terrible at this. My first choice for Jeanie would be Joan Cusack or Cameron Diaz or Sandra Bullock. They all have that empathetic quality and I believe could really portray a hangover.

Honestly, I don't see many movies so it's hard for me to select a cast. But Johnny Depp as the scoundrel director would be a good choice--as long as I got to visit the set every day and consult and eat lunch and make a pest of myself.


COUPON GIRL is in stores now. It's also available from online booksellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and BooksAMillion. For more information, visit Becky's website at beckymotew.com.

GRAFFITI GIRLBy Kelly Parra

I'm thrilled that today's GCC Does Hollywood blog entry is about a bold new YA novel, GRAFFITI GIRL, by Kelly Parra. The book is getting great buzz, and who knows ... maybe this one really will wind up on film.

In the meantime, here's how Kelly would pitch it to our fictional producer:

GRAFFITI GIRL is about a Latina artist who is torn between two boys—one who paints classic art and the other who uses the streets as his canvas. Soon she's divided with family obligations, friendships, and her art. She realizes her newfound acceptance may come with too high a price.

And here's her dream cast:


I think Jessica Alba in her Dark Angel days would have been a great candidate for my heroine, Angel. She knows how to play tough with a soft vulnerability.



And then there is Miguel, the bad boy leader of the graffiti crew...maybe Jesse Metcalf known for Desperate Housewives and John Tucker Must Die. He's the closest to any resemblance of the Miguel in my head.


And for classic artist, Nathan...Milo Ventimiglia from Gilmore Girls and Heroes. :) Because I just like him so much!




GRAFFITI GIRLS is in stores now, so if you're shopping for a gripping YA novel, keep an eye out. It's also available from online booksellers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Powells. For more information, visit Kelly's website, kellyparra.com.

INSIDER DATING By Jennifer O'Connell

Today I'm thrilled to blog about bestselling GCC author Jennifer O'Connell. Here's what some critics have said about her work:

“Insight and humor…entertaining.”
—The Denver Post

“A poolside page-turner.”
—Cosmopolitan

“Hot.”
—Us Weekly

Her newest book is INSIDER DATING, and it's a winner. Here's the synopsis:

One woman is about to take her knack for risk management to a whole new level in Jennifer O’Connell’s new novel, INSIDER DATING (NAL Trade Paperback Original; May 1, 2007; $12.95).

Abby Dunn, barely past thirty and still reeling from her divorce, has taken herself off the dating market. Instead, she’s using her experience to turn the tables on the opposite sex by building a database to rank underperforming men and set women straight when investing their greatest asset: themselves.

Now, what started as a pet project is becoming a full-time enterprise. But while Abby’s busy hedging bets, someone is skewing her data and threatening to ruin her business. Abby is about to find out that sometimes even the savviest market wizards can be headed for a crash.

While it may be perfectly legal, nothing good can come from insider dating.

INSIDER DATING is bookstores everywhere. It's also available from online booksellers, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Powells. For more information, visit Jennifer's website, jenniferoconnell.com.

Mom Lit event this Friday!

The Barnes & Noble in Manhasset, NY, is kicking off Mother's Day weekend with a special "Mom Lit" event this Friday evening. Featured authors include yours truly and the hilarious and mega-talented Debra Borden, whose newest book, A LITTLE BIT MARRIED, I am currently devouring. I think fans of Lolly Winston, Jennifer Weiner, Susan Isaacs and, okay, Ellen Meister, will love Debra's work. Hope you can join us!

The event is a fundraiser sponsored by the Long Island Women's Agenda, and it's hosted by the very charming Debbi Honorof, champion of the Long Island lit scene.

Here's the flyer copy they sent out:


LIWA
Long Island Women's Agenda

Cordially invites you to join us on

Friday, May 11th at 7:30 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Manhasset

1542 Northern Blvd.

Authors ELLEN MEISTER and DEBRA BORDEN believe that if you scratch the surface of suburbia, you'll uncover enough humor, heat and heartache to fill a book. And indeed they have! Join them as they discuss their popular and critically acclaimed "mom lit" novels.

Ellen Meister of Jericho, author of Secret Confessions of The Applewood PTA, and Great Neck native Debra Borden, author of A Little Bit Married and Lucky Me, will discuss the adventures and travails of women who, despite their most valiant efforts, face challenges that could only happen in suburbia!

Moderated by Debbi Honorof, Book & Author Columnist for Long Island Woman.

DAMSEL UNDER STRESS By Shanna Swendson

Happy day! I get to do another GCC does Hollywood blog entry ... and it's for a book that seems so filmic I'd be surprised is some actual producer didn't snatch it up.

Here's how the talented Shanna Swendson could imagine pitching the book to Hollywood:

A scatterbrained fairy godmother makes it tough for the girl-next-door and a hot, brainy wizard to start a relationship and stop a rogue from selling black magic on Fifth Avenue.

I may be a sucker for fairy godmother stories set in Manhattan, but that sounds like a blast! Here's how Shanna would cast it:


I think Jenna Fischer (Pam on The Office) would be great in the lead role as Katie, my heroine (but looking more like she does in real life than like she does on The Office).

Sean Maher from Firefly and the movie Serenity (he played Simon, the doctor) would be perfect as Owen, our lead wizard.


Shirley MacLaine would probably be good as the fairy godmother. She's not quite what I pictured when writing the book, but I couldn't think of an actress who fit what I pictured, and I think Shirley MacLaine does those funny ditzes who aren't necessarily as ditzy as they look very well.

Great casting, I think! But you should read the book for yourself and see if you agree. DAMSEL UNDER STRESS is at bookstores everywhere. It's also available from online booksellers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and BookSense. For more information, visit Shanna's website at shannaswendson.com.

Teacher Appreciation Week!

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Far be it from me to tell you how to spend your money, but if you're inclined to buy your favorite teacher a gift, may I suggest a book? Perhaps a funny book? Perhaps a funny PTA-centered book that gives teachers a peek into the scandalous world of the moms that play such a large role in their lives?

Or not. Scented candles are always nice, too.



Praise from teachers ...

"Funnier and more touching than I ever could have imagined. Any teacher who's ever wondered about those PTA moms will love this book!" -- Lisa P., 3rd Grade Teacher, NY

"Masterful, brilliant … it made me yearn for such a group of friends to be surrounded by, each so complex and fully human."-- Randall B., High School English Teacher, PA

"Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA is smart, laugh-out-loud fun. Who knew the PTA could be this exciting!" -- Lauran S., Continuing Ed Teacher, VA

"Get the book, slip between the covers and have the time of your life. This is a seriously funny, engaging, endearing read."-- Mary A., Art Teacher, NY