Don't laugh... oh, and a great review!

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Truffles, the sweetest (dumbest) dog in the world will turn 1 next month and she is still not house broken. Maybe it's me. I don't know. I've had dogs before, but I've never met one so stubborn. All I know, is that she's going to be left with a pet sitter for the holidays and we can't have all that peein' going on. It's just not acceptable. So she's now in doggie diapers. Yes, laugh. Poke fun all you will. Believe or not, I think she actually likes them. Sigh...

Here's a picture I snapped seconds after the first one. Where did the weird little white ball come from? I went to the Ghost Alpha Team workshop here in Tallahassee last year and we discussed these white balls. Most of them are flukes, but some of them... well, I won't talk about what some of them are. I just know there are no ghosts in the Geraci household. Unless, it's a dog ghost. Maybe it's the ghost of an ancestor of Truffles who is here to shame her into being housebroken. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

I'm spending the day cleaning and packing for our Thanksgiving trip to visit family. I hope everyone has a wonderfully blessed and healthy Thanksgiving tomorrow!

On a happy and thankful note, I will leave you with this awesome review I rec'd from Night Owl Romance. Bunco Babes Gone Wild was a top reviewer pick! You can read the entire review right here.

"I found this story to be as funny and charming as the first in this series, Bunco Babes Tell All. You don’t have to read both to enjoy either, you just have to sit back and start reading." Terri, Night Owl Romance. 5 out 5

Book signing!

Saturday I did a book signing event at The Bookshelf in nearby Thomasville, Georgia. Located on Broad St in the downtown area, it's everything you'd want a bookstore to be- personable and quaint with great service.

Saturday was cool and overcast, a perfect day to walk around the shops, browse, and buy (books, of course!)

I got a kick out of this sign. Apparently, The Bookshelf was originally a bowling alley. Fun, huh?

I have to say, of all the book signings I've done so far, sitting in this chair was my absolute favorite. Comfy leather with a pillow for my back!

Book signing in Thomasville

Tomorrow I'll be in nearby Thomasville, Georgia (nearby to me, that is!) signing copies of my latest release Bunco Babes Gone Wild. The Book Shelf is an independent book store located in the middle of historic downtown. If you're in the area, stop by!

Book Club Fun

Tuesday night I attended my friend Debbie's book club meeting. Debbie's the blonde standing next to me wearing the glasses. She's also the friend who took the author photo that's in the back of my books.

Her group read my debut novel Bunco Babes Tell All. What a nice group of ladies! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them, drinking wine, eating good food, and talking up my favorite subject- books! Besides my own book, we discussed books they'd read and books my own book club had tackled (like The Time Traveler's Wife). The Help has been on my TBR pile for a while now and after hearing how much this group loved it, is going to the top (after I turn in the manuscript due in January, that is.)

At the end of the evening, I surprised them by giving them all copies of Bunco Babes Gone Wild and Debbie's hubby took this very nice pic of us.

Author chat and book giveaway

Today, I'm over at Author Exposure answering questions and just plain shooting the breeze. Come on over and chat or leave a question. Plus, I'll be giving away an autographed copy of Bunco Babes Gone Wild. You can also read Libby's lovely review of the book here too!

Ever get got in your granny knickers?

I crack up every time I say that phrase "granny knickers." Normally, I say, granny panties, but after reading an excerpt from Bunco Babes Gone Wild someone at Fresh Fiction used the term and I've adopted it. From now on, it's granny knickers for sure.

Here's the excerpt in question. Reprinted with permission by the author (that would be me). Warning: 1 mild expletive. No Raunch.

Bunco Babes Gone Wild
Set up: Georgia and Dave have just finished tearing down a wall at the Senior Center. The air conditioner in the building is off and they want to cool off...


Dave pulled off his jeans. Underneath he had on a pair of board shorts. Georgia crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s a bathing suit.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“Well, I’m not.”

He gave her a look that said he didn’t believe her. “Your turn.”

“I’m not stripping down to my underwear.”

“Suit yourself.”

He walked out the sliding glass doors and onto the beach. Georgia watched, blatantly jealous as he dove into the cool blue water. He made her feel prudish. But she wasn’t a prude. There was just something… unnerving about him. Like she was betraying Spencer. Which was ridiculous. Dave had absolutely nothing over Spencer. Spencer was classically handsome, smooth, successful, smart, urbane, thoughtful (well, most of the time). Dave on the other hand, was just sort of good looking. Sure, he had a nice butt and every once in a while he could be funny, but he was like beer. It was tasty, but who wanted beer if you could have champagne? And she was definitely a champagne kind of girl.

If Dave could strip down to almost nothing, then so could she. Besides, he’d already seen her boobs. And it wasn’t like she was naked. She was wearing a bra and underwear.
Her bikini was a lot more revealing than—

Her fingers froze on the jeans zipper. Shit. She’d forgotten she was wearing granny panties.

But that was good, wasn’t it? It was in no way revealing. Or sexy. Or anything remotely connected to sexy.

She bit her bottom lip. What if Dave thought this was the sort of underwear she wore all the time? She craned her neck to see him floating on top of the calm water. It looked absolutely blissful. A river of sweat ran down her back, pooling into her already damp jeans.
The hell with it. What did she care what Dave Hernandez thought of her underwear?

She peeled off the jeans and dumped them onto the floor. Just stripping down felt good. She could only imagine how the cool ocean water would feel next to her overheated skin. She’d keep the sweaty T-shirt on till the last second. Just in case someone should come by.
She waded over the shore and dipped her toe into the ocean. Dave was still floating, oblivious to her.

“Go ahead, it feels great,” he called out.

What? Did he have eyelids on the side of his head?

“Don’t look!” she yelled, hastily working her way out of the T-shirt. She dumped it onto the sand then ran into the water and dove in. It felt as delicious as she had imagined, the salty water all cold and tingly against her skin. She surfaced and planted her feet on the sandy bottom. The water was chest deep.

“What wasn’t I supposed to look at?” Dave asked, coming out of his floating position. He ran his hand through his wet hair, slicking it back. It emphasized his strong cheekbones and square jaw. Her gaze drifted lower, to his mouth. She remembered how slowly he’d kissed her—

“Nothing,” she said, relieved that he’d obviously not caught sight of her granny panties. She’d worry later about him seeing them when they got out of the water.

Book give away and review

Today, I'm over at Fresh Fiction and yes, I'm giving away another autographed book. See post below (I'd like to give the world a book...) Honestly, I wish everyone was reading Bunco abes Gone Wild right now!

On another happy note, I got this very nice review from Dew on the Kudzu. I will say in advance that I think it's funny that the reviewer used the "raunchy" (in a totally positive sense, that is) to describe the book. My own editor at Berkley said she drawn to my "raunchy sense of humor", so I guess it's official. I'm a little bit raunchy. Go figure! I'm beginning to really warm up to that adjective.

Bunco Babes Go Wild
Author: Maria Geraci
Publisher: Berkley Trade Paperback Original Publication
Date: November, 2009
ISBN: 978-425-2296-5

At first I was a little nervous about a book that had Bunko Babes in the title... I'm not a game player and don't understand groups of people that get together on a regular basis to do so. I thought.... "boring chicklit".

Well, I am happy to say I was very wrong! This book is funny, sarcastic, raunchy and has a hot scene in it that will wake you right up! Georgia and her sister Frida are two ex-hippie children who's mother believed in free love and they've never known who their fathers are. This experience molded them into two completely different people. Frida is a "by the seat of her pants, floats in the breeze" kinda gal, whereas Georgia has planned her life down to the last minute detail. So she is shocked when her boyfriend of 5 years gives her a calculator for their anniversary instead of an engagement ring.

The funny starts here as Georgia escapes to her sister's art studio/muffin shop and the next thing she knows she drunk in the middle of a bunko club game flashing her boobs. Then a really hunky guy walks into the middle of it. Now we have the funny, the sarcasm, the raunchy talk and the hot stuff! A fun book to read and part of a series. Not only are they amusing tales to read, there's a slew of Bunko appetizer and drink recipes in the back.

Romancing the Holidays

This past Saturday, I drove to Orlando to participate in the Central Florida Romance Writer's annual Romancing the Holidays book signing. Not only did I get to dress up and play author (which is incredibly fun, let me tell you) the event took place in one of my favorite venues. A shopping mall! Filled with kiosks full of holiday goodies waiting to be bought.

So it's now official. I've been bit by the 2009 Christmas shopping bug. There is just something about those kiosks that pop up the first of November that fascinate me. They are always filled with all sorts of things that you never knew existed, but now can't live without. I know Mike Geraci is hoping that one day they'll come out with a vaccine for that particular little virus, but until then, I must let the disease process carry out to its natural conclusion. It's just not healthy to keep that sort of thing in, you know?

But I digress... there was a purpose to going to said mall, and that was the book signing! This is me in my "author pose". Sitting next to me was Louise Gouge, a very nice lady who writes Inspirational Historical romance. She also teaches English at Valencia Community College and offered her students extra credit if they came to the event and interviewed some authors. One her students interviewed me. So cute! Note the unfuzzy dice sitting in front of me. That was given to me by Kim Adams, a very lovely lady who I met at the RWA conference in D.C. Kim is a military wife who used to be the Bunco coordinator at Fort Meade (they're now stationed in Hawaii). I love those dice! And they make a great ice-breaker too!

How about that look? That's when I realized I was meeting Sabrina aka "Cheeky Reads". Sabrina has a wonderful book review site that I was recently interviewed at. She's a total sweetheart and I loved meeting her!

Posing with Lucienne Diver, who was one table over (we were seated alphabetically). It was great seeing Lucienne again!

So there you have it. Me. In the Mall. Only feet away from all those lovely kiosks, doing what I love to do, schmooze with readers. A terrifically good time was had by all. Thanks Central Florida Romance Writers!

And on another note, I want to thank the wonderfully brilliant Marilyn Brant for hosting me today on her blog. She let me rant on about my heroes and heroines. I'm also giving away an autographed copy of either Bunco Babes Tell All or Bunco Babes Gone Wild to one commenter. You have all week to check in right here, but don't wait, the week will be over before you know it!

I'd like to give the world a book

And keep it company... Okay, channeling an old Coke ad there, but honestly, If I could give everyone in the world a free copy of my book, I would. There's no bigger rush than knowing that people are out there reading your stories. Even if someone doesn't like the book (who is that? I want names!) there's such a feeling of... I don't know, awesomeness (for lack of a better word) that you've created something that another person will take the time out of their busy lives to read. And hopefully enjoy. Unfortunately, I can't give everyone a free book, but I can still give away a few free books. Today I'm guest blogging over at A Book Blogger's Diary. Go read my "What kind of Girl are you?" post, leave a comment, and you might win an autographed copy of Bunco Babes Gone Wild.

Which... brings me to this awesome review from Dolce-Dolce:

Bunco Babes Gone Wild by Maria Geraci is a tale of female friendship, sisterly love, romance, and rivalry. Bunco is a dice game that gives some women a reason to get together to share a few drinks, snacks, gossip and bond. Some groups raise money for charity. From what I hear, a good time is had by all. I first heard of it in the 80's when it was something of a craze. I have never been, but its adherents are ardent.

Georgia, a successful business woman comes to visit her Bunco-playing sister and escape her rocky office romance. Once there she is drawn into her Bunco playing sister’s social circle, business problems, and a compelling new relationship. If you are looking for romance with plenty of female bonding on the side, this steamy tale will be right up your alley. Maria Geraci writes with a contemporary voice that captures the angst of modern sexual politics and female rivalries in a light romance. All set against a background of sun and fun in Florida.

Blaze of Memory and more free books

Before I get to talking about Nalini Singh's newest bestseller to be, I want to congratulate Arkansas Cyndi. She's the winner of my newest release, Bunco Babes Gone Wild. Cyndi, Please email me at mariageraci1@gmail.com with your address so I can mail you your book:)

If you aren't Arkansas Cyndi, don't despair. Today I'm over at Cheeky Reads where I'm giving away another free book! So drop by right here and leave a comment:)

Okay, back to Blaze of Memory. This was the surprise I was talking about last week. I'm thrilled to be hosting New York Times bestseller and fellow Berkley author Nalini Singh on her world wide blog tour to promote her newest book in the Psy/Changeling series.

Nalini Singh returns to the Psy/Changeling world and its “breathtaking blend of passion, adventure, and the paranormal” as a woman without a past becomes the pawn of a man who controls her future…

Dev Santos discovers her unconscious and battered, with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she’s dangerous. Charged with protecting his people’s most vulnerable secrets, Dev is duty-bound to eliminate all threats. It’s a task he’s never hesitated to complete…until he finds himself drawn to a woman who might yet prove the enemy’s most insidious weapon.

Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor, and programmed to carry out cold-blooded murder, Katya Haas is fighting desperately for her sanity itself. Her only hope is Dev. But how can she expect to gain the trust of a man who could very well be her next target? For in this game, one must die…

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? To Read an excerpt click here.

Reviews

“...When it comes to delivering stories that grab you by the throat and don't let go, Singh is in a class by herself!” - Romantic Times

“...An outstanding November read!” ~ Fresh Fiction

“...BLAZE OF MEMORY had me in tears with the tenderness that Dev and Katya exposed in each other. This story adds immensely to the series…You will want to revisit this love story again and again.” - Romance Junkies

Contest

Leave a comment with your answer to the question below in the next 24 hours to go into the draw to win a signed copy of Branded By Fire, the previous book in the series. (Or if you prefer, you can choose a mass market copy of the An Enchanted Season anthology).

Click on the following to read an excerpt from each book:
An Enchanted Season
Branded by Fire (warning, excerpt may singe your eyebrows off).

Contest Question: Who are your favorite couples in fiction (books, tv, movies…)?

It's here!

The day has finally come! Bunco Babes Gone Wild hits book stores everywhere! I've had some very exciting reviews for this book and I'd like to share a few of them with you!

"Maria Geraci's Bunco Babes Gone Wild is a one hellava read and is a must for everyone's stimulus package. I wish I could be a Bunco Babe (but Michelle won't let me)." President Barack Obama.

"I begged Maria Geraci to come on my show and allow her fabulous new book Bunco Babes Gone Wild to be in my bookclub. But she turned me down. Said she was waiting for Ellen, instead." Oprah Winfrey (trying brave to fight off the tears.)

"If only NBC would let me play Bunco on the air then I know my ratings would go up!" Jay Leno.

"I tried to option the movie rights to Maria Geraci's fabulous new book Bunco Babes Gone Wild, but I was beat out by Courtney Cox. Unfortunately, Courtney and I are no longer friends now." Jennifer Aniston.

There you have it. Just a few of the fabulous things people are saying about Bunco Babes Gone Wild. And because I want you to be able to say equally fabulous things about my new book (which means you'll have to read it first), I want to give one random commenter a chance to do just that. Leave a comment and one of you will win a copy today!

One...

Eeks! Where did the time go? Bunco Babes Gone Wild comes out tomorrow! I can't wait to hear what you think of it:)

If you're on my mailing list, then you should have received my November newsletter already. Look for details on my new contest. The prize is another $50 gift certificate to Borders and a totebag of my favorite books. Contest deadline is December 1, just in time to get away from the hectic holiday schedule with some great reading! Just in case you're not a newsletter subscriber (why not?- you can remedy that by going here), here's the details on the contest:

Write a review of either Bunco Babes Tell All or Bunco Babes Gone Wild or both and post it at either Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. Then send me a quick email at mariageraci1@gmail.com with the word "contest" in the subject line. Tell me where you posted the review and you'll receive one entry for each review. For instance, if you review Bunco Babes Gone Wild over at Amazon that's one entry. If you review Bunco Babes Tell All and Bunco Babes Gone Wild on all 3 sites, that's 6 entries. The more reviews, the more entries. If you've already done a review in the past, that's fine. Just let me know where it's at and I'll give you credit. Contest ends December 1 and is open only to US residents.

Two...

Before I tell you that there's only 2 days left till Bunco Babes Gone Wild comes out, I want to share news about the winner of my Which Bunco Babe are you? Contest. Yep, there's a winner! Congratulations to Pat G from New Jersey. Pat won a $50 gift card to Borders plus an autographed book. I had so much fun running this contest! Thank you to everyone who participated. By the way, Pat's a SHEA.

Here's the rundown:

Shea's of the world: 56%

Kittys: 33%

Pilars: 11%

I'm a Kitty. Just in case you're wondering or anything...

On another note. I had a fantastic Halloween last night! I made 2 recipes from the Pioneer Woman cookbook (will post on them later next week), watched college football, wrote some, had a lovely dinner (eating those awesome PW recipes) then sat out on my front porch with Mike Geraci and gave out candy. I'm not sure how many Trick or Treaters we had, but I would guess at least 150 kids came to our house. Here's some pics of the cutest trick or treaters ever (they were looking for bones, btw)

Tuffles, who would not hold still on the ground for a photo was dressed as a pumpkin. Alas, her Snow White costume did not fit. Even the small was too big for her. She kept tripping on her wig, so we decided to put everyone out of their misery and put her back in her pumpkin garb. Here she is being held by Mike Geraci (only time she was not barking at the kids. Bad Truffles! We had to put her back in the house after about 10 minutes of hyper freakdom on her part).

This is Sweet Tea. And believe me, she lives up to her name! She belongs to my mother-in-law who is here visiting this week. Sweet Tea is dressed as a witch. She sat on the porch with us for a long time, getting petted by the children who came up to the door. See, Truffles? Being good gets you held and petted. Plus let's you sit in on all the action. Just sayin' for next year....