the Orlando area, then you might want to consider stopping by the Central Florida Romance Writers monthly meeting this Saturday, March 3. I'll be the guest speaker and my topic is How to Write a Better Book. You can find the details right here. Hope to see you there!
Isn't it gorgeous? I've always wanted a pink cover and now I have one. I think the art department at Berkley really outdid themselves! I just turned in the copy edits for the book this morning, so I'm feeling pretty pleased (and relieved that they are over) and ready to tackle something new. I'm also working on a new website which is going to be both fun and a bit simpler to update than my current one (stay tuned for new website details!)“A lovely story starring a heroine who could be any one of us. An unexpected delight!” –Carly Phillips, NY Times Best Selling Author.
And this quote is going on the back:
“Maria Geraci writes with a vibrant, rich, contemporary voice that manages to be tender and hilarious at the same time. A Girl Like You delivers the goods: unforgettable characters set in a quirky small town with a feel-good ending that lasts long after you close the book.” Roxanne St. Claire, NY Times Bestselling Author.
Thank you to both Carly Phillips and Roxanne St. Claire who took time out of their busy writing schedules to read my manuscript and generously provided these awesome quotes.
The book comes out August 7, and is already available on Amazon for pre-order.
Here's the back cover copy:
A GIRL LIKE YOU
Every ugly ducking is a swan in waiting.
Emma Frazier loves her job as a journalist for a Florida lifestyle magazine. Emma knows she’s no great beauty, but she’s confident she has a shot with her handsome new boss, Ben Gallagher—until Emma overhears a mutual acquaintance refer to her as the “ugly friend.” In an effort to reclaim her battered self-esteem, Emma decides to impress Ben by promising an exclusive interview with NASCAR legend, Trip Monroe.
Emma and Trip went to high school together and although it’s been fourteen years since they’ve spoken, Emma is certain she can score an interview with the elusive super star. But connecting with Trip turns out to be harder than Emma imagined. Her quest for the interview leads her back to her hometown of Catfish Cove, where old secrets and a new romantic interest shake up Emma’s views on life and teach her that the key to finding true love is as simple as accepting yourself for the person you were always meant to be.
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.
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.
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).
"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."
"Kevin, you are what the French call les incompetents."
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