Contest Winner!

Just to dispel any crazy notions out there, I'm still alive. With a January 25th deadline for my next book, I've been hibernating in my writing cave aka closet every spare second I can get. The new book is coming along well (hopefully that's not a delusion), although I always despair that it's never good enough and that my editor will hate it. I'll let you know next month how that goes;)

So last month I ran a review contest. Congratulations to Terri D of Lexington Park, Maryland! She won a $50 gift card to Borders, a book bag from Books-A-Million (cuz I like to share the love) and all the books you see pictured above (some of my very favorite reads!)

Thank you to all of you who entered and to all of you who have taken the time to write a review of my books, especially during the busy holiday season. It really means a lot!

September Contest Winner!

My September contest winner is Nicole P!

Last month was pimp my critique partners contest month. Which means Nicole is getting a copy of Can't Stand the Heat and Bite Me! The only thing Nicole had to do to enter was be a member of my newsletter community.

Congratulations, Nicole. I know you're going to love these reads.

And don't forget about my October contest. Take my Which Bunco Babe Are you? quiz and enter a chance to win a signed book from yours truly and a $50 gift certificate to Borders.

Debut Day and free books!

"CAN'T STAND THE HEAT is HOT in the kitchen and everywhere else!"
Carly Phillips, NYT Best Selling Author.

I so could have given Louisa that quote myself (but I can totally understand why she'd want it from Carly!) As someone who was lucky enough to read the first version of CAN'T STAND THE HEAT all I can say is that this book is so hot it's going to jump off the shelves. It debuts tomorrow in fine book stores and Wal Mart everywhere. Here's a little bit about the story.

For sharp-tongued Miranda Wake, the chance to spend a month in Adam Temple’s kitchen to write an exposé is a journalistic dream come true. Surely Miranda can find a way to cut the hotshot chef down to size once she learns what really goes on at his trendy Manhattan restaurant. The trouble is, she never expected Adam to find out her most embarrassing secret: this critic has no idea how to cook. As for Adam, well, he’s not about to have his reputation burned by a critic who doesn’t even know the difference between poaching and paring. He’ll just have to give the tempting redhead a few private lessons of his own—teaching Miranda what it means to cook with passion.

Check out Louisa's awesome website here.



And speaking of awesome... Mel's book BITE ME! has been out a month now and is garnering fantastic reviews. I love these 2 books so much (and know that you will too) that I'm giving away a copy of each to a random member of my newsletter. I'm doing the drawing on Sept 10, so if you're not on my newsletter list (why not?) do so now right here.

Julie and Julia

Is there anything Meryl Streep can't do? (besides sing?) Last night I went to see "Julie and Julia." I give it 5 pats of butter! (Butter being its own character in the flic) From the acting to the plot, it's utterly delicious.

My one and only tiny nit is that there weren't enough beautiful food scenes! I'm far from a foodie (cooking ranks up there with housework for me) but I do love to eat and there were some gorgeous bread scenes that left me salivating... and hungry for more food cinematography. I guess I was expecting more along the lines of Big Night (if you haven't seen it, run to rent it) which also, coincidentally, stars Stanley Tucci, which leads me to ask, is there anything Stanley Tucci can't do either?

And speaking of foodie flics, I had to go and comment on Michelle Buonfiglio's B&N blog in which she interviews book buyer Tommy Dreiling. Michelle wants to know what's the next big trend in romance. We all know vampires are hot hot hot right now (Mel's book Bite Me! is already in its 2nd printing. Yay!!) but I really think foodie romance is going to completely take off. Which is awesome for Louisa's book Can't Stand the Heat (St. Martins). It comes out Sept 1 and I promise, you won't be disappointed! It's as yummy as Julie and Julia is!

Bon Appetit!

BAM Loves Mel!

So, while I was out and about this weekend, look what I found at Books A Million. Mel's book on a center table surrounded by other Vamp books (only her cover is a million times more awesome!)

And then this fantastic review from PW!!! (yay!)

Bite Me! Melissa Francis. HarperTeen, $8.99 paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-061-43098-5

First-time novelist Francis presents a tasty story that uses humor and a light touch to rise above typical teen vampire fare. Seventeen-year-old “good girl” AJ may be a closet blood-drinker, but that's the least of her problems. Her mom's remarriage has just turned her boyfriend into her stepbrother (“Momma's exact words to me were, 'Ariel Jane, if you so much as look at that boy with fangs in your eyes again, I'll bite you myself.' ”), her AP Lit teacher is already out to get her on the first day of school, and she might have accidentally turned her rebound guy into a vamp who is now threatening her family. On top of that, she's been accused of cheating on a quiz, and compromising photos have appeared on her Facebook page—someone has to be setting her up. But who? Francis keeps things moving, creating an absorbing and refreshing page-turner with a solid mythology, sympathetic heroine and appealing characters that readers will want to invite back to their own homes (well, almost). Ages 14–up. (Aug.)

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6673981.html?industryid=47139

Bite me!

No, I'm not being cheeky. Although I do LOVE Cheeky Reads review of Bunco Babes Tell All. She gave it a 5 heart review! You can read about it right here.

I've been such a sorry blogger lately. My only excuse is that after coming back from the RWA National conference, I had to finish the final first passes for Bunco Babes Gone Wild. I have to say, I really love this book! As an author, you get so wrapped up in your writing that you sometimes can't see the forest for the trees but reading it again after a six month hiatus I was able to see it with fresh eyes and I'm happy to say that I really love Georgia and Dave's story. Maybe almost as much as Kitty and Steve's! Although I have to admit, that I really, really hope that I get to write another book that completely finishes Kitty and Steve's story. Something tells me that their happily-ever-after wasn't quite finished in the first book;) I'm also happy to say that I've sold a third Bunco Babe book and I'm hard at work trying to write that one with a November deadline. Yay!

Okay, so enough about me. Back to Bite Me! That's the title of my fabulous cp/bff Mel's, book which debuts tomorrow. She's running a contest over at the Ficitionistas site. Trust me, you don't want to miss it! Or her awesome website, Have you been bitten?