Cuban Egg Nog

Blogging about Creme de Vie (or Cuban eggnog) over at the Stiletto Gang today. Recipe included!
Here's the link. And Feliz Navidad!

I love this!

Monkey Bread Recipe!

Check out the fabulous Marilyn Brant's blog today where you'll find Megan Barlog's Monkey Bread recipe, which is also in the back of our winter anthology, Sleigh Ride.

I don't know why they call it Monkey Bread (don't worry, monkeys are NOT an ingredient) but it does sound fabulously delish and not too complicated to make so you know I'll be trying this one out soon!

Books I'm excited about

A couple of my pals have books coming out this week. Books I've been dying to get my paws on.

First, there's A SUMMER IN EUROPE (which seems very Room With A View-ish to me). Here's the info:

On her 30th birthday, Gwendolyn Reese receives and unexpected present from her widowed Aunt Bea: a grand tour of Europe in the company of Bea's Sudoku and Mahjongg Club. The prospect isn't entirely appealing. But when the gift she is expecting -- an engagement ring from her boyfriend -- doesn't materialize, Gwen decides to go.

At first, Gwen approaches the trip as if it's the math homework she assigns her students, diligently checking monuments off her must-see list. But amid the bougainvillea and beauty of southern Italy, something changes. Gwen begins to live in the moment -- skipping down stone staircases in Capri, running her fingers over a glacier in view of the Matterhorn, racing through the Louvre and taste-testing pastries, wine and gelato. Reveling in every new experience -- especially her attraction to a charismatic British physics professor -- Gwen discovers that the ancient wonders around her are nothing compared to the renaissance unfolding within...

Sounds lovely, doesn't it? You can check out Marilyn's website right here.

Next up, it's time for dessert. Literally. I mean, this cover is so yummy that it should be at least 10 points on the Weight Watcher's Point scale.

SOME LIKE IT HOT by Louisa Edwards.

A sizzling blend of food, passion—and searing romance—the Rising Star Chef competition brings together the world’s hottest chefs for an all-star cook-off that’s sure to stir up excitement...and melt some hearts.

HE’S FEELING THE HEAT

Sexy, single, and even sweeter than the treats he bakes, New York pastry chef Danny Lunden is trying to stay focused on food—not females. With the Rising Star Chef competition approaching, he doesn’t have time to get all steamed up over the gorgeous woman he encounters on the plane to Chicago. Even if she is Eva Jansen—the billionaire heiress in charge of the contest...

SHE TAKES THE CAKE

Danny assumes that “Eva the Diva” is a spoiled rich girl who doesn’t share his passion for food. But when the two meet up again in an elevator—alone—they share more than just passion. They share a kiss hot enough to start a kitchen fire—and they’re hungry for more. To indulge their new secret craving, Eva and Danny have to break every rule in the cookbook. But—like chocolate and caramel—some ingredients are are so sinfully good together, one scrumptious bite is never enough...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I'm heading out of town to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with family. This is where we will be. Yep, I'm excited!

I have so many things to be thankful for this holiday. My family is all healthy and that's the biggest blessing anyone can hope for.

Oh, and I'm also thankful that JR and Karina won Dancing With the Stars last night! Because if they hadn't... well, let's just say there would have been one very disgruntled fan.

Today, I'm blogging over at Girlfriends Book Club where I'm talking about how grateful I am to be a 21st century writer. And on Turkey Day I'll be at the Stiletto Gang.

See you on Monday!

These should be outlawed

Chick-fil-A's Peppermint Chocolate Chip milkshake is the bomb. It's only available seasonally, but man, is it worth the wait.

I've been craving one for weeks now and finally gave in last night. I had a girls' night out- dinner at Food, Glorious, Food and then went to see Seussical at YAT. Megan's first big role was playing Gertrude McFuzz in her high school production and I think to date, it's still my favorite role of hers.

Will be finishing a crit on a fabulous romantic comedy written by my new cp (Jamie!) and then watching the Noles beat up on Virginia tonight (hopefully!)

Happy Saturday everyone!

Another Reason to love Susan Lucci

I admit it. I'm a huge fan of All My Children and have been since I was old enough to watch TV. Now that the show has been cancelled, it's like the world just isn't right anymore (dramatic, I know, but it's the simple things that keep us centered).

Susan Lucci (or La Lucci as I like to call her) has come out and blasted Prospect Park (the company that was going to keep AMC live online). Boo, Prospect Park! You can read it right here. It's just so Erica Kane of her and I love it. Tell it like it is, Susan. I think Brian Frons (the ABC exec who killed the show) and the folks at Prospect Park should go on Santa's Naughty List. Don't you?

PS I found this article through the Carly Phillips' Daily Paper, which is a terrific compilation of news from the romance and publishing and entertainment industry. If you don't subscribe, you should!

Sleigh Ride Giveaways

In order to celebrate the arrival of the new winter anthology, Sleigh Ride, there will be lots of giveaways going on this week

I've already given away a copy on Magical Musings, and today, there's another giveaway over at the Girlfriends Book Club blog. Just click here to comment and be entered.

To celebrate our launch, we're doing several great contests including the 7 Sleighs/7 Days of Giveaways contest (now on day 4) as well as the Big Stuffed Sleigh Contest that ends Nov. 30th ($150 value.)

Sleigh Ride is a collection of short stories, all involving a sleigh ride. My story is titled Noche Buena and is of course, a romance, which was lots of fun to write and involves characters from my next work in progress (to be titled later!). Here's an excerpt:

North of Havana, the town’s only Cuban restaurant, was the last trip on Maggie’s “Goodwill Tour of the Fruitcakes.” Every December 23rd, a representative of the Daughters of the Spanish Explorers (the town’s most prominent women’s club) brought a fruitcake and a Christmas card to all the local merchants. This year, as the club’s secretary, the task had fallen on Maggie. She’d purposely kept North of Havana as her last stop. It had given her something to look forward to.

The smell of simmering pork and sofrito made Maggie’s mouth water. She scanned the empty dining room with its scrubbed down Formica tables and brightly colored walls with the mural scenes of old Havana’s Malecón. Nestor had painted those murals himself.

She would never forget the first time she laid eyes on Nestor Vega. It was two years ago that she’d taken Lily, her Bison Frise, for her nightly stroll through down town when she’d spotted the lights in the abandoned restaurant building. Greg, Maggie’s brother-in-law and president of the First Coast Bank and Trust, had mentioned someone had bought the building, but he hadn’t given her details. As a past president of the Chamber of Commerce, Maggie’s curiosity had been aroused. She had put on her best “welcome to Old Explorers Bay” smile and prepared to greet the newest member of the business community, the Cuban immigrant from Miami who’d moved to Old Explorer’s Bay to open his own restaurant.

Faded jeans. No shirt. No shoes. Standing on a ladder and painting the restaurant walls fast and furiously to the sounds of Celia Cruz blaring from a portable CD player. Nestor, with his rough good looks and suave voice with the accent. He was Javier Bardem and Antonio Banderas wrapped up like the finest tobacco leaves to form the perfect Cuban cigar.

Adventures in Painting

This is what I did over the weekend. I painted my interior French doors black. With, I admit, a little help from my friends, those friends being Mike Geraci and Motrin (800 mg usually does the trick).

The hardware is still missing in this picture and the glass isn't scraped and cleaned, but what do you think? I love it. Formerly, these doors were painted a dull and predictable white (see outside door in the sun room). Those babies don't know it yet, but next weekend they are getting the same treatment because once you go black, you never go back (okay, sorry, I just had to say that).

My sister, Carmen (the fabulous owner of Soho Interior Design) and a kick ass decorator told me not to do it. You see, these doors in are in the "great room" (would love to know who came with that expression) and my "great room" has no windows. The only sunlight it gets is from the windows in the surrounding rooms, which a lot of time is okay, but sometimes not so okay. She thought the black doors would add to the poor light situation, but I don't think so. I think it makes my room "pop."

On a side note: painting your interior French doors black is a messy job. My manicure is now ruined, which means I'll have to hit the nail salon tomorrow (and I might as well get a pedi while I'm there too). Plus, all this work really builds up your appetite and take out Chinese on Weight Watchers is a real point hog (just sayin', although the sesame chicken was totally worth it!)

Truffles is Faking It

I think Truffles Geraci is moonlighting as a cover model...

Weight Watchers Day One

Okay, so if you follow me on FB you probably know that I joined Weight Watchers this week (Thursday to be exact) after going to the doc and discovering my blood pressure was 145/87 I figured I had to do something about all this extra weight I've been carrying around. Not even in the throes of hardest labor have I ever had a bp that high and since it's been 18 years since I've had a baby I figure it's time to get rid of the baby fat (ahem!) I also made Mike Geraci join because he's been talking about losing weight for years now and talk is all it is.

So I played around with the points thing on Thursday and made us a really healthy dinner. Yesterday, I had to renew my ACLS (that's Advanced Cardiac Life Support) for you non-medical folks and went out to lunch with my pals. We ended up at Crispers and I ordered their scrumptious signature summer salad (but only the half version) which turns out is 11 points. Now, 11 points might sound like a lot, but that half salad kept me full till dinner, where I admit, we went a little wild in the kitchen (point wise, not anything else in case you have that sort of mind).

After dinner, I tossed all the tempting stuff out the door or put it in deep freeze so that I can't get to it. I also hit Costco to stock up on chicken breasts, salmon and lean meat. That's where I discovered this: Weight Watchers Ice Cream Bars. 4 points. I can basically eat 7 of these a day and still stay withing my points. Not that I plan to do that or anything.

Writing short stories

Today, I'm over at the Stiletto Gang talking about how I learned to write a short story.

My first published short story will come out this November 11 in the winter anthology, Sleigh Ride. You can read all about it right here.

Isn't the cover lovely?

Making Progress with Truffles

Anyone who has ever met Truffles Geraci will agree she is one hot mess. This is her Halloween picture from last year. She is dressed as a pumpkin, and yes she is one cute hot mess, but still there you go.

Yesterday I got some advice from my pals at The Stiletto Gang on Truffles' latest problem (ie: not wanting to go on walks anymore). Thanks for the all the great advice, ladies! I did crate her yesterday afternoon, and that seemed to help.

Happy weekend, everyone!

Still Working Away

Edits. And more edits. And then some more edits. It's the only way a manuscript gets better. Yep, still plugging away at the manuscript that was due forever ago. Thank God I have a patient editor.

Meanwhile, whenever I have a spare second, I'm reading Little Black Dress, by the lovely Susan McBride. I can hardly put it down!

Two sisters whose lives seemed forever intertwined are torn apart when a magical little black dress gives each one a glimpse of an unavoidable future.

Antonia Ashton has worked hard to build a thriving career and a committed relationship, but she realizes her life has gone off track. Forced to return home to Blue Hills when her mother, Evie, suffers a massive stroke, Toni finds the old Victorian where she grew up as crammed full of secrets as it is with clutter. Now she must put her mother’s house in order—and uncover long-buried truths about Evie and her aunt, Anna, who vanished fifty years earlier on the eve of her wedding. By shedding light on the past, Toni illuminates her own mistakes and learns the most unexpected things about love, magic, and a little black dress with the power to break hearts… and mend them.

---

Why Writers need other writers

Today I'm over at the Stiletto Gang talking about how writers need other writers.

Oh, and I'm also talking about my dream kitchen. Here it is. Isn't it pretty?

Once Upon a Time

I'm so excited about this show! Check out the awesome trailer.

Little Things Make Big Differences

Today, it's my turn to post over at Magical Musings. I'm talking about the importance of literary reviews and how little things can make big differences. You can check it out right here.

I'm also going to be driving home to visit the folks and attend STAR's Super Saturday which will be featuring Candace Havens. I've been excited about this for a long time!

And last but not least, going to Super Saturday means I'm giving up my FSU vs. Oklahoma football ticket, but that's okay, because Mike Geraci is taking the middle child (20 year old GAtor son) to the game. I hope my boys have a great weekend bonding and GO NOLES!

How Mel is getting her groove back

Today, my good pal Mel is gust blogging over at Magical Musings. It's a fabulous post, so go check it out~

Everyone But You

Check out this wonderful collection of short stories by fellow Girlfriends Book Club author, Sandra Novack. You can download a FREE copy of one of the stories by clicking on this link

EVERYONE BUT YOU

A diverting blend of plaintive sex and literary references. --The New York Times

Novack follows her lauded debut, Precious (2009), with an electrifying collection of sexy, gutsy, imaginatively compassionate stories. Her female characters are frank and assertive, even when they’re clueless, and Novack writes equally convincingly from a man’s point of view. Vividly tactile, funny, irreverent, and incisive, these stories of imperiled relationships are also richly plotted. In the blisteringly funny and tough “Fireflies,” a hot number calling herself Lola picks up a guy named Harold as they watch a used-car lot go up in flames, ultimately teaching him a thing or two about the treacheries of love and the persistence of class divides. The arrival, via priority mail, of her long-estranged, now-deceased father’s wooden leg jolts a young woman into awareness of how empty her casual sexual conquests are. In “White Trees in Summer,” an elderly man who helped his acutely suffering wife die is harassed by teenagers. Novack’s keen and spirited tales delve into the crazy and cruel situations we helplessly devise and marvel over how unfathomable we are to each other and ourselves. — Donna Seaman, Booklist

“Novack is fascinated by those on the edge: of insanity, of break-ups, of self-discovery fraught with acute pain.”—Publishers Weekly

Title Change

I've been a bad blogger lately. That's because I've been busy trying to finish and polish up my manuscript that was due August 1 (thank God for understanding editors!). On another note, The Ugly Girlfriend is no more. It's now titled A Girl Like You. At least, that's the current consensus, unless something changes. I really can't wait to see the cover for this one. I cover conferenced with my editor a couple of weeks ago and the ideas we threw around are really exciting. Of course, it's all up to the art department at Berkley, but I'm really hoping they do a tie in cover to Boyfriend of the Month Club (even though the books are completely different.) We'll see.

In a couple of hours Mike Geraci and I are off to see our youngest daughter for parents weekend at UCF. Should be a fun time. The Knights are playing Boston College tonight and I'm really hoping for a home town win.

Have a great weekend, everyone. And go Noles!

Author Talk

This coming Sunday, August 28, at 2 pm I'll be speaking at the Columbia County Public Library in Lake City, Florida. If you live in the north Florida area, swing by. I'll be talking about how I began my writing career (interesting story, if you've never heard it!)

Hot summer reads!

My second Bunco romance, Bunco Babes Gone Wild, got a nice little write up in Barbary Vey's Publishers Weekly Beyond her Book Blog. Here's the link to the whole blog and here's what Heidi had to say about the book:

Georgia Meyer was expecting a proposal, but got a calculator instead from her boyfriend Spencer. She decides to go visit her sister Friday in Whispering Bay, Florida and work things out in her head. Soon she is swept up with Frida, her Bunco friends and hunky Dave Hernandez, and her head is going as fast as her heart.

I was wishing the whole time that Dave Hernandez entered the picture, that I could meet him in person. The heat that he and Georgia created was more than the heat in the Midwest right now. Phew!! The Bunco Babes never disappoint with fun, gossip and friendship. I think I need another cold drink to cool down from this book!

Bunco Babes Tell All for 1.99

My first book, Bunco Babes Tell All, is still on summer clearance at B&N for just $1.99! It's been selling really well, but quantities are limited. So if you haven't tried out my funny, sexy, Bunco romance then now is a perfect time for to give it a whirl. Click on the link.


Here's the scoop:

Meet the Bunco Babes of Whispering Bay. Every Thursday night they roll dice, drink frozen margaritas, and catch up on all the gossip in their small north Florida town. Kitty Burke is the only Bunco Babe who is still single—which is okay—but she’s thirty-five and may need to face that her image of Mr. Right is all wrong.

Take Steve. Very sexy—but on paper, with three failed marriages and a shady career, maybe not great husband material. And yes, his ring tone is “Freebird.” Certainly fellow Babes Shea Masterson and Pilar Diaz-Rothman vote thumbs down. But maybe there’s more to Steve than meets the eye? Is it time for Kitty to take a chance and hope that she can be as lucky in love as she is in Bunco?

Buy this book

My friend, Louisa Edwards' newest book comes out today. Isn't the cover absolutely drool worthy?

Here's the blurb:

Welcome to the Rising Star Chef competition, where today’s hottest chefs battle it out on national TV for a chance at fame, fortune and culinary supremacy. Every contestant hungers to win, but only one will take the prize...

HE’S GOT THE SIZZLE

When it comes to competitive cooking, Max Lunden is no stranger to winning...though he’s never been great at working with a team. A master chef—and major hunk—he’s traveled the world, picking up new cooking techniques as well as beautiful women. But when the prodigal chef returns home to his family’s Greenwich Village restaurant, he discovers one too many cooks in the kitchen—and she’s every bit as passionate as he is...

SHE’S GOT THE FIRE

Juliet Cavanaugh used to have a crush on Max when she was just a teenager, hanging out at Lunden & Sons Tavern, hoping to catch a glimpse of the owner’s oldest, and hottest, son. Now a chef herself—competing in the biggest culinary contest in the country—Juliet will be cooking side by side with the one man she’s always admired...and desired. But despite their simmering attraction, Juliet is determined to keep her cool—no matter how hot it gets...

Monday morning happiness

You know how I love Mondays, right?

This Monday is even sweeter because I'll be doing revisions on The Ugly Girlfriend and listening to Colbie Caillat's new CD, All of You.

Awesome :)

What's in a title?

Today I'm over at the Stiletto Gang, talking about how the title of a book influences whether or not you buy it. Come on over and join me!

Where I'll be this week

Working hard at my computer trying to finish The Ugly Girlfriend. I've got my pub date- August 2012, which is awesome because I was really hoping for a summer release!

Meanwhile, this week, I'll be blogging at the Stiletto Gang on Thursday and at Magical Musings on Friday.

Hope you can stop by!

We wanna be Tylenol, not Toyota

Can a guy who never attended law school (much less Harvard Law) fake his way into being an attorney? Probably. But wouldn't someone, somewhere along the way challenge his credentials? Or even ask to see credentials? Not being a member of the Bar myself, I have no idea, but I certainly hope so.

Yet despite it's wack-a-doo premise, I can't help but love USA's new original series, Suits. Love the writing (the title is a piece of dialogue from last night's show), the actors, the stories, the whole thing. Thursdays, 10 pm, NBC. Which, coincidentally is the same time Love Bites airs, another show that thanks to Mel I've been turned on to. Thank God for my trusty DVR.

I approve

Love the idea of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. They have totally remade her to look like the real deal.

Here's a fun sneak peek at the cast. You can even vote to see if your expectations were met.

Best casting? Tie between Donald Sutherland as President Snow and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna.

Worst casting? The two relative unknowns cast as Peeta and Gale. Sorry, but for me, Peeta will always have his blue eyes and golden curls. Hollywood, don't mess with people's visual expectations! Not on a novel this big. All I can say is I better believe he's Peeta!

Can Kate bring back pantyhose?

I say if anyone can, then it's her.

Hairspray!

"Imagine! My little girl... regular, at last. "
Hairspray

If you live in the Tallahassee area, don't miss Young Actors Theatre's production of Hairspray. It's utterly fantastic! The show runs through till July 24, but tickets are going fast. I worked box office last Friday and we were there 2 hours after closing just getting all the ticket orders filled.

For details go right here.

Oh, and my daughter Megan is playing Penny. I might be a bit prejudiced, but she's fantastic:)

What's on my Kindle

Beautiful Disaster, by Laura Spinella.

Can't wait to dig in!

Here's the blurb:

A story of love lost...and found.

Mia Wells's eco-friendly career goals are about to become a reality-but her life-altering moment is interrupted when an unexpected call ushers in her tremulous past. A man who's never left Mia's memory: Flynn, the enigmatic, passionate man whose disappearance broke her heart, has mysteriously resurfaced.

Now back in her life and in the hospital, Flynn is gravely injured. Mia keeps a bedside vigil-terrified that he will die, awestruck at the prospect of his survival. In a story filled with sweetness and suspense, Mia's what-ifs are endless. And Flynn's return ignites an achingly powerful tale about the most enduring love, one that is greater than honor, or friendship, or the passing of time.

Want to win a free copy of this book? Laura Spinella is over at the fabulous Chick Lit is not Dead blog with 5 Do's and a Do Over. Leave a comment by July 13 and you'll be entered to win!

Writing Dialogue

Garrett Breedlove: I like the lights on.
Aurora Greenway: Then go home and turn them on.
Terms of Endearment

That exchange (between Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson) is one the best bedroom lines ever. I want to write awesome dialogue just like that. And I want to write a male character whose last name is Breedlove, because, honestly, how great is that?

I took a break from my long wip (The Ugly Girlfriend) to finish up a project that was due July 1. It's a short story titled, Noche Buena, and like Garrett and Aurora, the main characters are a little older (late forties). I had no idea how hard it was to write a story and keep the word count at under 8000. No idea whatsoever. But I do now!

Fat Boy is back

"Actually, I prefer "domestically challenged".
Cats and Dogs


My sweet outdoor/indoor cat, Lucky, aka Fat Boy Geraci is back! He's been missing since Saturday and am happy to say he came home late last night.

Not sure where he has been or what happened to him, but he's awful clingy today. Not that I'm complaining :)

Movie weekend

"Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker."
Matt Damon in Rounders

This weekend, when I wasn't working or writing, I watched movies. Three of them, to be exact. All on Pay-per-view. Can't wait to get my cable bill :(

I started off with The Adjustment Bureau. I liked it. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be (I thought it was a spy thriller). Turned out to be a romance. A supernatural/sci-fi-or-whatever-you-want-to-call it- romance.

There were parts of the movie that were cheesy. Although it wasn't the romance part! The cheesy parts were the sci fi parts. The romance was actually fantastic. Great chemistry between two actors I adore. Matt and Emily. They should definitely do more movies together.

I also saw Beastly (I guess you need to be a teen to truly appreciate this one, although it wasn't awful). And it also starred Neil Patrick Harris (or NPH as he is known in certain circles) although they didn't show nearly enough of NPH to satisfy me.

I also saw Unknown with Liam Neeson. Which was just ok, and that's because it starred Liam Neeson, whom I really like. The movie was kind of a Bourne Identity rip-off and since I love The Bourne Identity, in comparison, Unknown could only be mediocre at best.

Happy Fourth of July

"We're Americans, with a capital 'A', huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts!"
Stripes

Happy Fourth of July!

I hate cute too

"Cute? Baby ducks are cute. I hate cute! I want to be exotic and mysterious. "
Bull Durham

And can I just say I've always agreed with Susan on that one.

But some days, even cute is hard to come by. That's why coffee was invented.

Slept most of the day away after a night of working. Maybe I can write some later...

What the French call

"Kevin, you are what the French call les incompetents."
Home Alone

Sorry, couldn't resist quoting one of my favorite movie lines of all time. No reason, really. Just felt like it.

While the rest of the world is in New York enjoying the Romance Writers of America conference, or eating watermelon by the lake, I'll be working at my "night" job at the hospital, delivering babies and writing frantically by day to finish the short story that is due on July 1.

Oh, today is July 1, you say? Maybe the quote should read, Maria, you are what other writers call les procrastinator.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

No More Sagging Middles

Today, I'm over at Romance Divas doing a workshop on sagging middles. Or rather how to avoid them in our stories. If you're not a member of Romance Divas, and you write romance, then why haven't you joined? It's free and a great place to mingle with other writers and learn craft. To get to the workshop, just join (did I already tell you that it's free?) and go to forums, then to Workshops and Conferences, and then to NGTCC (Not Going to Conference Conference).

I'm also at the Stiletto Gang talking voice (busy girl, aren't I?) Since writing that blog, I've learned that Javier Colon has won The Voice. Congratulations, Javier! Dia was my favorite, but you were a close second!

Janet Evanovich tells us what makes a guy hot

Well, shoot. I tried to embed this really great short little video featuring Janet Evanovich (writer of the Stephanie Plum series, in case you didn't know) on what makes a guy hot, but although it will embed, it tells me the video is "unavailable in my region."

Boo!

Okay, so I'll tell you what she says. What makes a guy hot? Mystery. The less we know about him the better. Agree? Disagree? I think I tend to agree on this one!

Beach book giveaway

Today I'm over at Magical Musings where I'll be giving away an autographed copy of Bunco Babes Gone Wild (one of my personal favorite beach reads!) Just leave a comment over there by Monday 2am EST and you'll be entered to win.

A day with Leigh Duncan

This is a picture of the fabulous Leigh Duncan and myself at our book signing at Books-A-Million this past Saturday. Leigh's family was so supportive! She sold out of books, and I didn't do so bad either.

For those of you who might have seen some strange thing (ahem) on my website this past weekend, I'm sure you are probably aware that it certainly wasn't me calling myself names on my own website. I was hacked. Everywhere. All my email accounts, my website, my Facebook, everything. It was my own fault. I was extremely lax with my passwords and internet security. It's taken me days (and endless nights) to fix the problem, but fixed it is and hopefully won't happen again. Thank you to all my friends who called, texted me, etc... to tell me what was happening. At the time I was in Melbourne with my parents and had no internet access, which made the whole thing more frustrating. But enough of that.

I came home late Friday night and woke up early Saturday morning to have breakfast with Leigh and her sister at the Broken Egg. Yum. After that we headed to the Florida Panhandle Romance Writers meeting where Leigh did a great workshop on Deep Dish Critique. A few months ago I joined the STAR (Space Coast Authors of Romance) chapter and was so impressed with them. I asked Leigh to come and explain their method for group critique and she graciously accepted. I really think it's going to do great things for our little capital chapter and am really excited to get going on that.

Thanks, Leigh!

Book signing!

I'm off to visit my parents for a couple of days, then it's back to Tally for the weekend. This Saturday, June 18, my fabulous friend and fellow author, Leigh Duncan will be doing a one hour work shop at the Florida Panhandle Romance Writers of America meeting. The presentation will be on "Deep Dish Critique" and will start at ten am. We meet at Julie's Restaurant on Monroe street, so if you live in the north Florida area and thinking of joining the chapter, please stop by!

Later, Leigh and I will head off to Books-A-Million on Thomasville Rd to sign books from 12 noon-2 pm. Leigh will be signing her newest release, The Daddy Catch, and I'll be signing The Boyfriend of the Month Club (and anything else you'd like me to sign!)

Laziness, have I ever offended thee?

No, for thou art my constant companion...

I kid you not, this was an actual quote from my high school chemistry teacher, Sister Marlene. She'd say it almost every time I went to the chalk board to work out a chemistry equation (how did she always know to choose the one problem I didn't finish?) Ah, nuns. You gotta love them.

But really, while I'm not lazy (not really) I AM a huge procrastinator. And the longer I put something off, the longer it doesn't get done. I wish there was a pill for that, but alas, at present, I think not. So I'm off this very hot and muggy Saturday morning to get things I've been putting off done. Like getting my next book contract in the mail (yeah, you'd think I would have done that pronto.)

Oh, and pray for the Geraci family today. We woke up this morning to a broken air-conditioner. Not pretty in Florida, folks.

Life's a Beach giveaway!

To celebrate the release of her first novella, Life's a Beach, fellow Girlfriends Book Club author, Malena Lott is holding a contest. To enter a chance to win all the yummy prizes above all you have to do is follow the instructions on her contest link right here.

The Law of Attraction and Karma hit the beach in Malena Lott's humorous first novella about two unlikely friends and their chance - or is it fated? - vacation in Mexico. Avery Stone, a shy, twenty-five year old receptionist believes her vision board is finally manifesting into the life of her dreams. Her handsome older boyfriend has taken her on a luxury beach vacation (pasted in the bottom right hand corner of her vision board) and she's hoping that huge diamond ring will come next. When an older woman, Georgia, returns the sunhat that blew off Avery's head at the airport, the women find they'll be at the same resort and share a cab and an adventure neither of them expected.

Georgia, a forty-year old mother of three girls, is on her second honeymoon, trying to bring back the romance that fizzled out of her stale marriage. Georgia doesn't believe in the Law of Attraction, but she does believe in karma and that good things result from action. With her full Marital Bucket, a shared bucket list between a couple, she's determined to get her life on the right tracks again. The women's paths cross in madcap ways as they discover that what brought them together could change the course of their lives together.

Buckle up!

Yesterday, Mike Geraci was stopped by a cop and got ticketed. Was he speeding? Nope. Did he run a light? Nope. He got a ticket (and a nice hefty little fine) for not wearing his seat belt.

When he called to whine (or rather inform) me about it, I couldn't help but burst out, "Good!"

At first, he was taken aback, but then he got it. At least I hope he did. I can't tell you how many times I've nagged him about wearing his seat belt. Putting on my seat belt is the first thing I do when I get in a car and the first thing you should do too. So because I love you, dear readers and friends, I'm going to ask you nicely, please buckle up. Please drive safely. Please don't drink and drive.

Peace out and have a great weekend!

Happy Memorial Day

Yay! I can blog again. Whatever was ailing my blogger/gmail account has miraculously been cured without any help from either me or Mike Geraci. Maybe the best way to fix a problem is to do nada.

By the way, B&N is offering my first book Bunco Babes Tell All at a clearance price now of $2.99! Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I think a good thing if it means more people will read it. Here is the link:

The Chick Lit Hero

My Savannah stories will have to be put aside for a few days. Today I'm attending college orientation with my youngest at UCF. A full day of activites from 8am -9pm. Sounds like fun. We'll see ;)

Meanwhile, check out my post, Men with Broad Shoulders, over at ChickLit Writers of America. I'm talking about chick lit heroes. My favorite being Josh Myers, from the fabulous chick lit film, Kissing Jessica Stein. Happy Monday everyone!

Savannah Evening One

So now that we're all together it's time to go sightseeing. Mami, Carmen and me head out of the hotel on Liberty Street and start walking. Do we know where we are going? Oh heck no. Despite the fact that both Mami and Carmen have been to Savannah before we have absolutely no idea where we are in comparison to where we would like to be and where we would like to be is well... somewhere fun. Can you tell the Palacios women are not pre-planners? Yes, we all come from the Que sera, sera club. Doris Day would be so proud.

So we're walking along and we see a small crowd lined up on the street. At first, we walk past the crowd, but then a tiny spark lights up in one of our brains and one of us (okay, it was Carmen) decides to ask the crowd what they are waiting for. "The bus," answers one woman. A bus! Genius. We find out the bus is free (good) and that it will take you all around the historic district (even better.) We go by some lovely places that I cannot recall at the moment because we get off at River street and all I can say is: the $20 store.

Let me tell you, if you ever go to Savannah, you HAVE to go to this store. It's fabulous. We all bought rubber watches. I also bought 3 scarves and 2 pairs of sandals all for under $20 each (hence the store's name). Think of the dollar store but add nineteen dollars more. I know the salesgirl thought we were crazy because we kept coming back all night long because the bargains there are just too good to pass up and the more you think about them, the more you must have them.

All this shopping made us hungry and we go off in search of food. But before we eat we decide to buy tickets for the Ghost Tour. I've never been on a ghost tour. I bought tickets to one in Reno when the RWA conference was held there a few years back, but it was rained out and I was majorly bummed. It appears that ghost tours and I are not meant to be. The woman at the ghost tour booth was... well, I'm not sure what she was. Mami is convinced she has smoked one marijuana joint too much. Carmen thinks she's just daffy and I'm almost of the belief that she didn't really exist we just imagined her (kind of like a ghost herself). After about 15 minutes of trying to buy tickets and her fumbling and ruffling pages she never could get us booked and we gave up, disappointed, and went to The Shrimp Factory where a couple of margaritas and a bloody mary later, we felt much better. Of course I also felt much much better after eating my shrimp and grits. It was absolutely delicious.

After dinner, we continued our walk/shopping spree along River Street. If you are a fan of Paula Deen then you are in luck, because just about every store carries her stuff, which includes all the various cookbooks and cooking paraphernalia you can imagine. The other big tourist seller is anything that has to do with the "book" or the "movie", which is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. More on that in the next post...

Eventually, we get tired of the shopping and we head back to our hotel, walking along Bull Street, which is packed with people. The night is beautiful. The weather is cool and crisp and the atmosphere is quaint. The one tiny drawback is the smell, which is not so crisp and quaint. This is because the streets of the historic district smell like horse urine. There are more horse drawn carriages than there are cars. I didn't mind the smell though, because it's all so very lovely. We get to our room, where we collapse on our beds and get ready for a good nights sleep because we have lots of sight seeing to do tomorrow.

My one regret of the night? I should have bought candy at the Savannah Candy Kitchen, where the pralines and the salt water taffy abound. It was one of the cases where I thought we'd be back and I could buy at my leisure. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Lesson learned. Live in the moment!

Savannah Day One

Yay! My blogger function is finally back up. For those of you who don't blog or use Blogger, the site was down for a couple of days last week and it ate my cookies. Or wanted me to have more cookies. Or get rid of my cookies. I'm not sure which. I just know that I tried to fix my cookies myself and couldn't. Oh well, that is what Mike Geraci is for (among other things.)

This past weekend I met my sister and mother for a girls trip to Savannah. It was absolutely fabulous. I can't believe I haven't been there before. It's about a 4 and half hour drive from Tally so that's not too shabby. You just hop on I-10, loop around Jax then head north on I-95. Pretty simple. So Friday I woke up and did a bit of cleaning because I just can't stand to leave the house in a mess. I know. I probably should have just left it as is, but my reward was that I returned to a fairly clean house, so yay!

First thing I do before heading on any road trip is get my gear ready. This includes having a caffeinated beverage of choice in my cup holder and a really great CD to listen to. So before I got on the highway I went by the Starbucks drive-through for a mocha frappucino (grande). Mocha frappucino was good, going through the drive-through, big mistake. When I rolled my window down to give the Starbucks guy my cash, a giant bug of unknown origin flew into my car.

Now, living in Florida, I am used to big bugs, however when I can't identify the said big bug in question, this makes me nervous. The bug was black, could fly (obviously) and looked like a big wasp. Maybe it was a big wasp. Not sure. I just know I started yelling at the bbici (big bug I can't identify) to fly out of my car. "Get out!" "Get out!" So what if the bug can't understand me, I'm sure he understood my tone because the second I started yelling the bug went crazy and started flying all over the car.

The Starbucks guy must have thought I was yelling at him because you should have seen the look on his face. He's like, lady, get out of where? Just about that time, the bbici flew out my car window. The Starbucks guy then saw what I was yelling at, ducked and the bbici flew into the store through the drive-through window.

He. Sorry, Starbucks, but thanks for the latte.

Now with my latte in hand, I start my drive. And can I just say, to the guy who broke Adele's heart, thank you. I listened to 21 for the entire 4.5 hour drive and never got tired of any of the songs. Heartbreak music is the best. I stopped once on the trip up, somewhere about 30 minutes into Georgia where a Chik-Fil-A sign lured me liked the Piped Piper lured the little children, only to discover that the Ckik-Fil-A was closed for renovations. Talk about disappointment, although it is probably for the best that I didn't get to snarf down a chicken sandwich because I arrived in Savannah with my healthy appetite intact and I would have hated to waste my first night's dinner because I'd filled up on Chik-Fil-A which I can have any day (except Sunday) just right down the street from me.

After checking into the hotel (Courtyard Marriot on Liberty Street) I went to find my room, only to see this just two doors down.




Yep, it was a bachelorette party in progress, complete with tiny penis decorations on the door and all. By this time, my sister and mom had arrived and we stood in front of these two doors laughing and reading the various signs. Our room was right across from the ice machine and I was afraid we might hear some revelry going on, but nope. We slept like babies both nights.

More, later...

Something Borrowed

Just saw the movie tonight with my girls (Loinfruit and Daughter #2). It was fun! I'm always afraid when they make a movie about a book I love that they'll screw it up but luckily this wasn't the case. The casting was so spot on, especially the role of the deliciously yucky Marcus, played by Steve Howey. I know the critics have been slinging arrows at this one, but if you like the book, you'll like the movie. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

Splitsville for Maria and Arnold

I really thought they'd make it. But alas, no. Apparently another one bites the dust.

I'll be honest, years back when I first heard of this coupling, I laughed. She seemed too smart for him and he seemed... well, he was The Terminator. Enough said. Then Arnold proved he was really kind of smart after all. And there was this great "opposites attract" thing going on. Plus they were both Catholic and had 4 kids and Arnold went into politics which seemed right up Maria's alley.

I have to admit, I'm kind of sad.

But then, as I often do these days whenever I'm feeling a little blue, I just think of Princess Beatrice's hat and I smile and everything sad is forgotten. Because, well, you know. Really.