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~

The Day of Mel!

Happy Birthday to my awesome friend and writing-partner-in-crime, the one and only Mel! Most people celebrate their birthday on the actual day. Not Mel. She claims the entire month of March as her own, even calling it the Month of Mel (her posts are hilarious). But since today is the ACTUAL day, I'm giving her a shout out. Happy Birthday, my friend!


If you haven't read any of Mel's books, you are losing out. Her latest, Love Sucks! is as awesome as Mel is.

AJ Ashe is moving on. Sure she still has not-so-sisterly feelings for Ryan, her ex-boyfriend-turned-step-brother, but there’s a new vampire in town and his name is Alexander Archer. Caught between the desire to move forward with Sexy Lexy and being drawn to her past with Ryan, AJ thinks life couldn’t get anymore complicated. Yeah, right.

When her mother’s pregnancy is threatened, it looks like AJ’s long lost father is the only person who can save her. But Dad’s help comes with a price. AJ is forced join the evil side of her family, and a very creepy shape-shifting demon is there to make sure AJ cooperates. All this and she’s still got to plan the prom. Being a teenager is tough, but being a teenage vampire just flat out sucks. Pun totally intended.

Good things

First off, mea culpa! Please forgive my lack of blogging. Won't happen again. I promise. Well, I say that now, but you know sometimes life interferes with the best of intentions, so let me say that I promise to try not to let it happen again.

The winner of this last Tuesday's give away, All I Ever Wanted, is Marian Pearson Stevens. Marian, please email me at mariageraci1@gmail.com with your address. And congratulations!

So now for the good things:

1. My awesome friend and critique partner Mel had a fabulous review for her latest novel, Love Sucks! at Fresh Fiction. You can read it here. I'm so happy for Mel! She's an awesome writer and her books deserve the wonderful reviews they've been receiving.

2. My other awesome friend, Louisa Edwards' 3rd book in the Recipe for Love series came out this week. It's called JUST ONE TASTE and it too has been garnering fabulous reviews. I haven't read Louisa's latest, although it's on my list for things to do this weekend and I expect it to be as wonderfully entertaining and romantic as her first two books are.

Bad-boy chef Wes Murphy is dreading his final-semester cooking class—Food Chemistry 101—until he meets the new substitute teacher. Dr. Rosemary Wilkins is a feast for the eyes, though her approach to food is strictly academic. So Wes decides to rattle her Bunsen burner by asking for her hands-on advice—on aphrodisiacs…

Rosemary is a little wary about working with Wes, whose casual flirtations make her hot under the collar. But once they begin testing the love-enhancing power of chocolate, oysters, and strawberries, it becomes scientifically evident that the brainy science nerd and the boyish chef have some major chemistry together—and it’s delicious…

Doesn't that sound awesome? Hint: I'm going to be giving away this book next week, so check back on Tuesday to enter!

Hostage negotiations begin

So... I was going through the guest room/den, putting things away, etc, and what do I find on the floor? Hint: Mel's suitcase was in this exact same spot just a few days ago.

Yep. It's Mel's famous tiara. Only Mel doesn't have it anymore. I can only surmise a couple of things.

a) she accidentally left it.

b) She subconsciously left it and there's a hidden meaning I'm not aware of.

c) It's the proverbial glass slipper and she's waiting for me to "crown" her with it.

Not sure which of the above is correct, but I do know one thing. She ain't gettin' it back. Nope. Not till she comes back for it in person. Let the negotiations begin...

Don't forget to comment below on Hot Vampire Love to enter to win two fabulous books. Deadline is Sunday night!

Hot Vampire Love give away

First off, aren't these just the most gorgeous covers ever?

I'm excited to announce that my good buddy, Kate Pearce aka Naughty Kate (take that as you will) has a new book coming out today. It's part of a hot new series featuring vamps in the time of Henry VIII. Yep, it's The Tudors meets vampires and it's sure to be a huge hit. The guy on the cover is so deliciously yummy I could... well, never mind what I could do. Just use your imagination.

And then there's the fabulous Love Sucks! by Melissa Francis whose follow up to last year's Bite Me! came out last week. Also a beautiful cover, sure to make teens and adults everywhere sweep it off the shelves. I'm half-way through the book and loving it as much as I did when I read the first rough draft.

Here's a little bit about Kiss of the Rose.

First in a sexy new series that takes a bite out of the court of King Henry VIII.

Desperate to defeat King Richard III and gain the English crown, Henry Tudor made a pact with the Druids that bound him and his heirs to the Druid’s deadly struggle against the Vampires. Ever since, the Llewellyns, an ancient Vampire slaying family, have been in the permanent employ of the monarchy.

Now Henry VIII is on the throne, and his father’s bargain has almost been forgotten. Until corpses drained of blood start turning up in the most inappropriate of places, including the king’s bedchamber. But are these people the victims of the Vampires-or of the Druids?

To save the king from a nameless assassin, Rosalind Llewellyn, Vampire hunter extraordinaire, must form an uneasy alliance with a known Druid slayer. Sir Christopher Ellis hails from a family that has protected the Vampires for centuries, yet Rosalind has no choice but to rely on his help. And with her life threatened and her loyalty tested, Rosalind may even have to acknowledge the unthinkable. This sworn enemy may be her soul mate.

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? I'm trying something new on my blog. As a writer, I love love love reading. And I also love free books! So, if you're smart enough to read my blog, you will now be rewarded for your great intelligence. Each week I'll be giving away a free book or 2. Books that I love, by authors that I love. So you can start loving them too (if you don't already!)

This week's giveaway will of course be Kiss of the Rose and Love Sucks! Just leave a comment here by Sunday and I'll use the random selector to pick a winner. Check back Monday to see if you've won! Only US or Canadian residents, please.

Love Sucks!

Do you realize that just 2 days from now the sequel to last year's hot debut YA novel Bite Me! will hit the shelves? That's right. Love Sucks! by the incredibly talented, witty, fantastically awesome Melissa Francis comes out Tuesday. I read the uncopy edited version of this last year and it was fabulous. Can't wait to read it in print. Here's a short blurb:

AJ Ashe may have gotten rid of her vampire stalker and her evil ex-teacher, but things are hardly back to normal. For one thing, she still has to maintain a strict look-but-don't-touch policy with Ryan, her hot ex-boyfriend-turned-stepbrother. For another, she has to learn to control her vampire superpowers—which means more than a few dates with Lex, mind-reading professional vampire trainer and too-sexy-for-his-own-good bad boy. And as if that's not enough, she happens to be the key to her father's plans to take over the world . . . and he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants.

All this and she's still got to plan the prom. Being a teenager is tough, but being a teenage vampire just flat out sucks!


Sounds awesome, doesn't it? Run out Tuesday to your local bookstore and buy it! And get a copy for your favorite teenage girl. She'll love you for it.

Oh, and if you just so happen to live in the central Florida area, don't miss out on the "Readers for Life" literacy signing at the Romance Writers of America Conference to be held at the Swan and Dolphin Resort. It's Mel's first time signing and my second. Should be a blast! Here's a link with more info.

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

Blog pimpage

Today's starting out busy.

There's so much blogage going on out there, I thought instead of writing a new post I'd share the goodies.

First, there's my group blog Title Wave. The blog has an entirely new look and concept. Go check it out. We're talking about the best way to back up files.

Then, there's the Knight Agency Blog. Secret Agent 24/7 is going to answer publishing questions today.

And last but not least, go read Mel's interview over at In Bed with Books.

Enjoy!