What Amanda Hocking and Barry Eisler can teach us

Today, I've over at the Stiletto Gang talking about Survival of the Smartest. Or what Amanda Hocking and Barry Eisler can teach us about self-publishing. It's a changing world out there and we have to adapt.

New Releases today!

Shiver of Fear by the fabulous Roxanne St. Claire comes out today! I can't wait to get my paws on this and start reading. Doesn't it sound fabulous?

Burned by a failed marriage, former FBI agent Marc Rossi wants back in the investigation game with no emotional strings attached. Taking an assignment for his enterprising Angelino cousins, he heads to Northern Ireland to pry a key piece of evidence from a missing socialite-any way he can. But when the ice queen turns out to be warm, beautiful, and on a secret mission of her own, the job becomes a passionate reminder of what happens when duty and desire mix.

The daughter of an infamous fugitive, Devyn Sterling has survived betrayal only to find that her mother has mysteriously disappeared. When her search uncovers secrets, lies, and threats, Devyn and Marc must trust each other when every instinct says they can't . . . and a terrorist wants to make sure they won't live to try.

And how about this gorgeous cover? My Jane Austen Summer by fellow GBC sister Cindy Jones debuts today as well.

Lily is caught in a cycle of loss: her mother died of cancer, her boyfriend left her for an earth mother, and she’s been fired from her job for reading Jane Austen novels when she should have been routing payroll tax deposits. When the opportunity arises to travel to England to re-enact Mansfield Park, she thinks she may finally realize her dream of living in a novel. But even in England, where Lily is immersed in a literary festival so rich it seems Jane Austen is present, her problems find her. Lily must summon her resources and confront painful truths before she is demoted to the role of secondary character in her own life. 2011 Cindy Jones Copyright ©

Weekend Home

This is my parents' new baby, their miniature schnauzer named Paco (my sister and I came up with that name). He's four months old and absolutely adorable. The heel to the left of Paco belongs to my sister who was modeling a new pair of shoes she bought at Kohls (love their prices). While she was shopping I attended the local RWA chapter meeting (Space Coast Romance Writers). What a fabulous group! I joined of course, and hope to make at least half the meetings. The fabulous Roxanne St. Claire gave a workshop on channeling your inner ad ex. It was just what I needed to help me cement the tag line on my wip. The weather was gorgeous too, so all in all, it was really a terrific weekend:)

Lovely Review

After a week in which I've been down with the stomach crud, I'm happy to say that I'm finally on the mend. I'm going to my hometown of Melbourne this afternoon to pay a much overdue visit to my parents, and of course to visit my new "brother" Paco. Paco is a 4 month old Miniature Schnauzer. Very cute. I've only seen him once and I'm sure he's grown since February. I'm also planning to catch a STAR meeting (Space Coast Romance Writers of America). Can't wait to see what they have lined up.


On the home front, I received a very lovely review for Boyfriend from A Cozy Readers Corner (click to read the whole review).



"Ms. Geraci’s writing is easy to read and follow. I enjoyed the laid back approach I was able to take in reading this book. It reminded me of the many reasons I enjoy chick-lit and fiction as a whole. "

Major Wonderful

Every once in a while a book will come along that really tugs at my heartstrings, one that's difficult for me to put down, and makes me want to be a better writer. That's how I felt about Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. It's such a simple little novel- character driven (my favorite!)and so beautifully written and engrossing. I was sad to reach the The End. I absolutely fell in love with Major Pettigrew, a 68 year old retired British army major and perhaps one of the wittiest and most romantic heroes ever written.

While reading this book I used the highlight feature of my Kindle for the first time, which is so cool because you can use a cursor to highlight sections of the book that you want to remember.

These are few of the many sections that I highlighted:

He had forgotten that grief does not decline in a straight line or along a slow curve like a graph in a child's math book. Instead, it was almost as if his body contained a big pile of garden rubbish full both of heavy lumps of dirt and of sharp thorny brush that would stab at him when he least expected it.

..."These days, men expect their wives to be as dazzling as their mistresses."
"That's shocking," said the Major. "How on earth will they tell them apart?"

"But I must ask you, do you really understand what it means to be in love with an unsuitable woman?"
"My dear boy," said the Major. "Is there really any other kind?"

"That's what love is about, Roger. It's when a woman drives all lucid thought from your head; when you are unable to contrive romantic stratagems, and the usual manipulations fail you; when all your carefully laid plans have no meaning and all you can do is stand mute in her presence. You hope she takes pity on you and drops a few words of kindness into the vacuum of your mind."

Let's Save All My Children

ABC is thinking of cancelling All My Children. Here's the article that almost made me spew my coffee this morning.

For years, I was a huge AMC fan. I watched it in college, watched it after I got married, when I had babies, etc. If I was gone for the day, I videotaped the episodes (obviously this was before the greatest invention ever, the DVR).

I admit, I haven't watched the show in a long long time. Every once in a while I would watch an episode just for kicks and be thrilled when I saw one of the regular oldies, like Erica or Tad or Adam. But even though I didn't watch the show anymore, I knew it was there. Waiting for me to come home to some day. Now, that some day might be gone and I'm bummed. Really really bummed. I'm going right now to program the show into my DVR. If you've ever been a fan of the show, consider doing this too. Maybe it's not to late to save AMC!

The Man Boy

I ran across this article the other day about a new book that claims we are raising a generation of man boys. At first I thought it was kind of funny. Then I thought, not so funny after all.

Beautiful Disaster giveaway

The very talented Laura Spinella is over at the Stiletto Gang talking about her fabulous debut novel Beautiful Disaster. She's also giving away one free copy of her book to one commenter (comments open till Sunday, noon). All you have to do is go right here.

Laura is a fellow Berkley author and Girlfriends Book Club sister and her debut novel is getting some big buzz. It's also set in Georgia and I love me some Southern women's fiction. Here's the scoop!


Mia Wells is poised to finalize the deal that will make her eco-friendly career goals a reality. The moment is interrupted when an unexpected phone call ushers in a tremulous past. The man she’s always loved, the one who abandoned her years before, has mysteriously resurfaced.

Set in the Deep South amid magnolia leaves and the innocence of college life, Beautiful Disaster begins with Flynn’s arrival. He’s a man with a doubtful past, half a name, and no ties to anything earthbound, except Mia. For a year they have the kind of love affair a man like him inspires. Mia trusts him with her life. It’s a precarious leap of faith when she learns that he’s a fugitive on the run. For the next twelve years she keeps his secrets, long after Flynn vanishes, devastating her. Succumbing to the common sense she once defied, Mia eventually marries. Michael Wells is a wonderful man: patient, successful, driven. She does love him; who wouldn’t?

Never anticipating Flynn’s return, Mia does her best to put the past behind her. It’s a bittersweet truth as she must admit to a love and a passion that has never died. Yet, the future is grim as a gravely injured Flynn lingers, his dark past hovering like a storm. When he finally recovers, the puzzle unfolds. Flynn’s recollections are sketchy, piecing together the years and moments leading up to his accident. A smart man for whom honor has been a nemesis, Flynn unravels the truth: one well meaning lie has altered three lives, creating futures that should have never been. As the past and present reconcile, Mia’s what ifs are endless.

Filled with sweetness and suspense, Beautiful Disaster is an achingly powerful tale—the kind of love story each of us wishes was ours to tell.

Brad, will you please shave now?

Way back when the powers that be decided to make Brad Womack the next Bachelor (again) I knew it was a big boo boo. I've never been a fan of Bachelor Brad and it wasn't because he didn't pick anyone the first time. It's because he's a big snooze fest. Plus, I just don't think he's all that.

But as usual, I got sucked into the show again. There were moments I almost liked Brad. Like when he was sitting on the couch talking to his "counselor" about his commitment issues. It's difficult to be the straight man in a comedy routine, but Brad can actually pull off looking semi-serious while talking utter nonsense.

Then there was the final show and he picked Emily (who I like, but let's get real. WHY did she come on The Bachelor to begin with??) I just got a chance to watch the finale and all I can say is that Brad is one big ass. The way he went off on Emily when she questioned whether or not he'd be there for her and her daughter (very legitimate concerns) should have been Emily's first big warning sign. I wanted to yell "Run away, Emily!" but of course, this was already taped months ago so it wouldn't have done any good.

Then there was the After the Rose show, where we learn Brad has a "temper" and Emily can't get over her jealousy of seeing Brad kiss his way through 24 other Bachelorettes.

Is it really so hard to cast this show with a nice looking guy with a rockin' personality who legitimately wants to find love? Or are they an extinct species?

Oh, and by the way. Brad, please shave. The on-purpose-two-day-old five o'clock shadow thing is getting old. It was cool about a gazillion years ago when Don Johnson was sporting it on Miami Vice. But it's just not so sexy anymore. Unless you are Matt Bomer.

Casting my story

When I'm in the process of writing a story I like to put a face behind my character. It helps get me in the mood so to speak. So in my current wip, I have a character whom my protagonist has a huge crush on (her boss!) He's gone through 2 name changes but now that I'm over 1/3 of the way through I've settled on his name- Ben Gallagher. It took me a bit to realize it but every time I wrote him I had Matt Bomer in mind. Suddenly, it's very easy to get in the mood.

Chick Lit Challenge

Do you love reading chick lit as much I do? Want to win some really awesome chick lit books? Then enter the Chick Lit Challenge over at Chick lit Plus. You can read all about it right here.

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.

Catherine Mann visits FPRW

If you live in the Tallahassee area and are interested in writing romance (or just like to hang with people who like to read it) think about joining the Florida Panhandle Romance Writers of America. Tomorrow we're hosting novelist Catherine Mann. Can't wait! Click this link for more details.

High Octane Heroes” workshop – USA Today bestseller and Rita Award winner Catherine Mann presents an interactive workshop on powering up your heroes to keeper-shelf status. Using popular movies and images for examples, Catherine identifies compelling characteristics in fan favorite military heroes and explores how to apply those to your out-of-uniform hero. The first half of the workshop dissects the nature of the military hero and the popularity he holds with readers as well as publisher marketing departments. The second half of the workshop involves discussing with attendees a selection of non-military (non cop, non spy, etc) action/alpha hero in movies and analyzing how those identified elements were showcased to create the same spine-tingling charisma found in military hotshots.

Presenter Bio: USA Today bestseller Catherine Mann writes action packed military suspense for Berkley Sensation and Sourcebooks Casablanca, and steamy romances for Silhouette Desire. Catherine has over two million books in print in more than twenty countries. Since publication, she has won a RITA Award and the Bookseller’s Best, as well as being nominated for such awards as the RT Reviewers Choice, Reviewer’s International, National Reader’s Choice, Maggie and RITA (five times.) Catherine currently resides on the Florida beach with her flyboy husband, their four children and ever increasing menagerie of rescue pets. FMI visit her website at: http://www.catherinemann.com/

Oh, and I got another really nice review for Boyfriend. This one is from ChickLitPlus.

"A lighthearted and fun read, I would definitely recommend The Boyfriend of the Month Club to chick lit fans."

You can read the entire review right here. Thanks, Samantha!

I probably shouldn't find this as funny as I do

But God help me, I just can't stop watching this stuff.

Giving up the Holy Trinity for Jesus

What am I giving for Lent this year? Well, I could give up my "flash" like Pioneer Woman's friend suggests here. But since I can barely take a decent picture with my auto camera it wouldn't be much of a sacrifice.

The last few years I haven't done a Lenten sacrifice (sshh, don't tell my mom) so I've decided to go big or go home for 2011 and give up my own personal Holy Trinity: Bread, chocolate and diet coke. Heaven help me.

Girls Day Out

This is a picture of my sister, Carmen (she's the one sitting on the floor with the blue top), and some of her friends celebrating their friend Regina's birthday. They did a spa day and Carmen provided all the attendees a goody bag containing one of my books. Fun!

I Love Romance Junkies

One of the reasons possibly being that they just gave The Boyfriend of the Month Club a lovely five star review right here!

Author Geraci’s great gift is her ability to make readers laugh at the inanities of the dating arena with her spunky, independent women and strong, but flawed men. The action is fast, the characters are smart in addition to being sassy and the one-liners never stop. BOYFRIEND OF THE MONTH CLUB is a hoot! Like a very hard to resist, drippy ice cream cone!

Do you have any idea how much I love my book being compared to chocolate ice-cream? Yes, I know the reviewer did not specify chocolate, but she meant to

Thank you Romance Junkies! You made my day:)

Happiness is flowers

Here in north Florida, March has come in like a lamb. Let's hope it doesn't go out like a lion, because frankly, I'm sick of winter.

Growing up in central Florida, we have no Spring. We go straight from Winter right into Summer. But in north Florida we have a couple of weeks of Spring and I plan to enjoy it. I planted hydrangeas yesterday (one of my favorite blooms).

A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin. What else does a man need to be happy?
Albert Einstein

Albert, a woman needs a bit more than that. She needs a good book and some flowers!

How romantic comedies work

I love romantic comedies! They are by far my favorite genre of films. Books too, for that matter.

They are like the chocolate of the food pyramid. Sweet, indulgent and always satisfying.

There are so many great romcoms out there it would be hard to pinpoint a favorite. His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, While You Were Sleeping, and Sleepless in Seattle are among my old time and new time faves, but one that has always stuck in my head since I saw it back in 2005 when it came out was Fever Pitch. Partly because it stars Drew Barrymore, whom I adore (she would be my choice to play Kitty if they ever made a movie version of Bunco Babes Tell All) and partly because there is a huge baseball theme (and I adore baseball) but mostly because it hits the ball out of the park in every way (pun intended).

Another thing I love about the film is that it stars Jimmy Fallon as the romantic male lead and I would have never guessed that he could have pulled it off so beautifully. But he does! And that's why I chose Fever Pitch to use as the film in my deconstruction workshop over at Savvy Authors. The workshop starts Monday, Feb 28 and lasts all week. Here's the link if you're interested. I promise it will be both fun and enlightening!

Fever Pitch Workshop, Savvy Authors

Feb 28-March 6

Fever Pitch, the 2005 romantic comedy about the game of love starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon. Hold on… Jimmy Fallon? Not exactly most women’s idea of a romantic leading man. Find out how funny can be sexy, and what makes this romantic comedy work on so many different levels. This workshop will focus on plot and characterization and how you can use the techniques from the film to make your own stories stronger and more appealing to the mass audience.

Oscars!

Today, I'm over at the Stiletto Gang blogging about the Oscars. Personal favorites and worst moments ever. Check it out right here.

Fear and writing

Today, I'm over at the Girlfriends Book Club talking about going for the fear. Check it out right here (hey, I rhymed!)

You pierce my soul

My pal, Susan McBride (author of the fabulous The Cougar Club) is over at the Stiletto Gang today talking about favorite romantic reads. She was seen on Great Day St. Louis on Valentine's Day and selected The Boyfriend of the Month Club as a favorite read this year. Yay! You can read the post and see the video right here.

Susan did a poll recently on Facebook and her readers selected 5 of their favorite romantic reads of all time.

I think mine is without a doubt, Persuasion, by Jane Austen. The love letter Captain Wentworth writes to Anne at the end of the story is a two hankie read!

"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago.

Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine.

I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men.

Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in F. W.

I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never."
Persuasion, Jane Austen

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll be in Pittsburgh. Pictures to come (if I don't freeze to death, that is!)

Saving Bookstores and Stilettos

As long as there are men in the world, I don't think stilettos will need saving. Bookstores, on the other hand are a different matter.

Today, is my first official blog post as the newest member of the Stiletto Gang. I'm talking about the Borders bankruptcy and how we can help save bookstores. Or is too late?

Aloha means free books!

Today, I'm over at the SOS Aloha blog that's run by the very lovely and energetic Kim Adams.

I first "met" Kim shortly after my first book, Bunco Babes Tell All, came out. The Chicago Tribune had done a very nice review of the book and the review had been picked up by the Baltimore Sun. Kim, who is a military wife and huge supporter of all things Bunco, the Military, and romance, emailed me after her husband showed her the article. The next month I met her in person at the RWA Literacy signing in Washington DC where she presented me with this huge set of dice! You can see the dice in the picture above that was taken at a subsequent book signing. I wish I'd thought to get my picture taken with Kim, but I'm usually a google eyed dope at these signings and these things don't occur to me till later.

Please stop by the terrific SOS Aloha blog, which supports romance and celebrates the "silent" soldier--that's the spouse who supports the soldier who helps keep our country free. Leave a comment and one lucky person will win a copy of all three of my books! Comments will be open till Saturday (aloha time!)

Sex scenes

Happy Valentine's Day! It's rather apropo that last Saturday over at the Girlfriends Book Club, the topic was sex scenes and how to write them. I sure had fun reading all the advice. You might too!

Book Bloggers and Tribal Writer

I love people who love reading books and especially people who spread the word about the books they love. Book blogs are the modern day way to get your book "talked" about. And book bloggers are the connectors and mavens we all wish for.

Lori Gondelman, from Lori's Reading Corner is over at the Stiletto Gang today talking about how she got started.

Another great post to read is Tribal Writer's latest on why reading fiction is important. If you're a writer and you don't subscribe to her blog, then you're missing out on some great advice and inspiration. Reading is the Inhale, Writing is the Exhale. Now those are words to live by.

Writing with Authenticity

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and what it means. My new wip (The Ugly Girlfriend) has taken me places I've never been before and I don't just mean location. Up till now, I've shied away from writing characters that I don't have some kind of first hand knowledge of.

For instance, in Boyfriend of the Month, my protagonist, Grace, is half Cuban. Well, I'm all Cuban, so that was easy. I've read Cuban characters in novels before that didn't feel authentic to me. It's like they threw in a generic Hispanic character and called them Cuban when they felt more Puerto Rican (yes, there is a difference) or Mexican (and yes, there is a difference again).

So I'm entering new territory and it's exciting and scary at the same time.
I can only hope I do my characters justice.

Back to writing now!

Oh, and check out my guest post over at Sniffly Kitty's blog. It's about falling in love with your novel and it's part of the month long Loving the Reviews Challenge!

Handling Bad Reviews

Today's Saturday topic over at the Girlfriends Book Club is reviews, and how authors handle bad ones. I have to say bad reviews used to really get to me. But over the course of 3 books I've had to step back and see a review for what it is. One person's opinion.

I remember hearing Susan Elizabeth Phillips say at a workshop once that bad reviews can be liberating because the truth is you can't please everyone, so you shouldn't even try. I love that advice. And I love Susan!

The truth is all books get bad reviews. Even the big ones. Especially the big ones. The more people who read your book, the more likely you are to have someone (or lots of someones) not "get" the book.

In the summer of 1950, Alfred A. Knopf Inc. turned down the English-language rights to a Dutch manuscript after receiving a particularly harsh reader’s report. The work was “very dull,” the reader insisted, “a dreary record of typical family bickering, petty annoyances and adolescent emotions.” Sales would be small because the main characters were neither familiar to Americans nor especially appealing. “Even if the work had come to light five years ago, when the subject was timely,” the reader wrote, “I don’t see that there would have been a chance for it.”

That book of course, was The Diary of Anne Frank.

Enough said.

Free Book Friday

If you've never been to Free Book Friday before, why not? I don't know about you, but I love FREE books! This week's book is Friday Mornings at Nine, by my good bud, Marilyn Brant. I've read it. It's fabulous. You'll think it's fabulous too. So go over and enter!

Me Likes Kate Pearce

I don't know how she does it. Maybe it's the magic jellybeans she eats while writing, but Kate Peace is one awesome and highly prolific writer. She's got two new books out within just a week of each other and I can't wait to get my paws on these (Actually, they are both on my Kindle, waiting to be scrolled to). Kate is a fabulous writer and I'm in for a treat! If you haven't read her yet, you are truly missing out.

Here's the lowdown:

Simply Forbidden
Pearce’s House of Pleasure series continues with this intense, thought-provoking Regency-era novel that will cause you to ponder the events that shape people’s lives. The complex, troubled characters struggle with issues of abandonment, betrayal, trust and family relationships as they come to terms with their sexual proclivities. You get a great historical novel, a touching romance and blistering sex — with a little kink.
TOP PICK! 4 1/2 Stars, Joyce Morgan, RT BOOK Reviews

Lisette Delornay-Ross is used to belonging to two worlds—her father Philip’s aristocratic circles and her mother, Helene’s more risqué sexual empire. When she meets Major Lord Gabriel Swanfield, she is instantly attracted to him and more than willing to engage in her usual brand of flirtation. Scarred both physically and mentally by his sojourn in the Peninsular army, Gabriel lives a solitary existence on the fringes of London society.

Although he is willing to indulge Lisette in an erotic affair, Gabriel has surprisingly strong views about marriage. But despite herself, Lisette understands Gabriel’s conventional desires all too well. Should she give into his demands and become the perfect society wife he thinks he wants, or try and persuade him otherwise? As both of them try to provide the other with what they believe is the answer to their dilemma, they discover that love has a way of making the most unconventional of lifestyles work after all.

Blood of the Rose
The second installment in Pearce’s Tudor Vampire Chronicles contains more rich historical details than the first book, making it exceptional. There’s something fun about rewriting history and making memorable characters like Anne Boleyn into vampires. Pearce expertly weaves her historical background and knowledge into a truly captivating tale.
4 Stars! Annette Elton, RT BOOK Reviews

When Rosalind Llewellyn had to join forces with her enemy, Christopher Ellis to defeat a rogue Vampire threatening Henry VIII, their alliance led to a surprising passion. Reunited after a years separation, they face a new threat that could destroy their last chance at happiness.
Christopher is delighted by the spectacular rise at court of his friends George and Anne Boleyn. But Rosalind suspects Lady Anne is up to no good-she may even be a Vampire who’s bewitched the king. Now Rosalind must fight to keep Christopher from falling under the woman’s mysterious spell. It isn’t until Anne reveals a dark secret that Christopher awakens to where the true danger lies-and he begins to play a desperate game in order to save the woman he loves…

Another nice review for Boyfriend

Okay, I admit it. Good reviews are better than chocolate :)

There’s nothing like a satisfying Chick Lit book on a blah winter’s day or on a sunny day at the beach. The machinations of friends and family in a cozy setting while the main character falls in love with the perfect guy becomes the chocolate bar for the soul. Maria Geraci’s The Boyfriend of the Month Club is such a nugget of pleasure.

Check out the rest over at All About Romance!

Happy Monday morning

I've got over 12,000 words written on the new wip. Yay! I'm in love. Really. The words are flowing like honey right now. I just hope we don't encounter a bee strike.

Coincidentally, I just finished writing a guest blog piece on how falling in love is just like writing a novel. It's for the Loving the Reviews Challenge and I'll definitely be posting more information on that since there will also be lots of book giveaways. Remember, Mondays are not bad. Mondays are the beginning of the rest of your life.

Oh, and can I just say that I LOVED all of Downton Abbey? Except... the ending. Grrr! I had no idea they would end it the way they did. Obviously, there is a Downton Abbey Part 2 in the works. Or at least there had better be!

Some nice reviews!

I just got another set of nice reviews for Boyfriend. yay!

"Author Geraci knows how to bring the humor to all of her books her Bunco Babes books are rollicking good fun. The Boyfriend of the Month Club is fast, funny and fast-paced fun. The characters are quirky yet believable. Grace’s family is Cuban-Irish and her relationship with her father is touching. There are plenty of laughs, great characters, and romance. The Boyfriend of the Month Club is just plain great fun! Enjoy!"
Reader to Reader Reviews

I also got 5 stars from Night Owl Reviews, making it a Reviewer Top Choice. yay!

"This story is believable but even more important it’s entertaining. I absolutely loved it and hated to put it down."
Night Owl Reviews

Who do you write for?

I'm just about at 5000 words on the new novel which, I know doesn't sound like much. But considering the fact that I wiped out everything I had this week and started over, I'm pretty happy.

I had almost 4000 words written originally, but I was struggling and you shouldn't be struggling in the first chapter. Chapter 10, yes. But not chapter 1. This is where the words should flow like honey.

So I started over but this time tried 1st person POV (past tense) and it seemed to work. I've tried 1st person before in an earlier novel (when I was first starting out) but got stuck on the story at about page 200 and abandoned it. So I got to the end of chapter one and while I liked this 1st person pov much better, there was still something not right. So I tried again. This time in 1st person present tense. And voila! I think I've got it! Two chapters and still going strong. We'll see.

The thing is, I have to write this book for myself. With each novel, my voice gets stronger. Write for yourself. Write the sort of book YOU want to read. Make yourself happy. Because believe me, you won't make everyone happy. Check out this article: Whom do Authors Write For? I agree with Mr. Amis.

ADD ON: Check out Marilyn Brant's great interview at Chick Lit Writers. Chick Lit lives on!

This is where I draw the line

Do not laugh, but when I was in the 2nd grade I actually did a book report on "Are You my Mother?" I also did one on "Hop on Pop." I'm sure I still have it somewhere. It was basically the who, what, where and when style of report, but I used some of my favorite pictures from the book and jazzed it up with some crayon depictions of my own. I distinctly remember getting an A on this report. Good times.

Now, I see that these fantastic children's picture books are being converted for ereaders. Don't get me wrong. I love my Kindle. I would love my Nook too if I had one. But we have to draw the line somewhere. I'm sure the picture quality of the Kids Nook is fantastic. Almost as good as maybe seeing the pictures on a computer or a TV. But picture books were meant to be savored in print. Just like art is meant to viewed in person. I've seen countless pictures of the Mona Lisa in magazines and online, but I've never seen it with my own eyes the way it was meant to be seen. Hopefully one day I will have the pleasure of experiencing it.

I'm all for electronic readers. But this is too much.

Chick Lit Plus Interview

Check out my new interview over at Chick Lit Plus. Fun Questions!

I'm back

And not just back from Atlanta. I'm back physically. And by that I mean I'm almost 100% better now. This flu I had lasted almost 2 weeks. Yup. 2 weeks! I still have a lingering cough, but that's almost gone too. So now that I'm better I have loads to catch up on. Which means I'll be writing my butt off today (if only) to catch up with blog posts and interviews I'm behind on. No one ever tells you (or maybe they did but I didn't pay attention) that writing a book is only about 50% of the work. The rest of the 50% is spent promoting the book. Which means answering emails, responding to requests for interviews and blog posts, keeping up with social media, etc ...

I love doing all these things, but when your head is full of snot (sorry, I had to go there) it's no fun.






We got back from Atlanta last night (Thank God Mike Geraci came because I cannot drive on ice!). Remember, I live in Florida and snow is like some strange aberration that paralyzes me. Atlanta hadn't seen snow in something like 15 years and the city was under siege. Schools were closed all week and reports down here (down here being Tallahassee) was that the city was in chaos. Coming in on the tail end of the chaos I can say that Atlanta was very much open, although we saw dozens and dozens of stranded cars on the highways and were told by natives that the past week has been horrendous. Schools and lots of businesses closed and everyone had major cases of hermititis (sick of being home all week) and were anxious to get going again.


Megan (my youngest) went for her first college audition (BFA Musical Theatre and Acting) for Emerson College (in Boston, but doing regional auditions in Atlanta) and the whole thing went very smoothly. Having been a performer since the age of 7, she's such a pro! She won't know if she got accepted until late March and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her. She's applied to 6 different schools and it's all such a crap shoot. Kind of like submitting your manuscript to a publisher. You can be good, but then everyone is good and you never know what they are looking for.


Things to do today:

Give Charlie (my 100 lb mutt a bath)- don't worry, Mike Geraci will be helping me with this one.

Catch up on emails.

Watch Downton Abbey!

Oh, and make Baked Potato soup. Yummy!

Hotlanta no more

It's no secret that if the temperatures dip below 40 degrees down here (and by down here I mean Florida) we start freakin' out. The blankets come out on the patios (to protect the plants) and everyone starts digging into their closets to try to find a pair of mittens (if you have any, that is). So when the temps start getting consistently in the 20s at night and in the 40s and 50s during the day it becomes a serious matter. Honestly. I don't even own a winter coat. The only coat I own I bought back when I lived in Huntsville, Alabama and that was 15 years ago, so yeah, it doesn't fit any more.

And when our neighbor to the north (that would be Georgia's) governor declares the state in an emergency due to all the ice and snow they've been getting, things are serious. Especially since I was supposed to drive to Atlanta tonight to take my youngest to her first college audition. I have been told I'm crazy by more than enough people to make me believe it, so I'm making Mike Geraci drive us. No way am I driving on ice. Especially in Atlanta. Especially at night. Hotlanta is now Icelanta and I've been told it's not pretty. I cannot believe that 285 is still closed down, although that is what I'm hearing.

Story to come on Monday.

On Downton Abbey and Pound cake

Okay, so yeah, I failed miserably in my word count for the week. But as you can see per the post below I spent most of it in a drug induced haze.

The good part? I did add about 200 plus words to the manuscript and I figured out where the first chapter was going so all that's good. Now I just need to add some wordage. There's no way I can make up the missing 6000 words from last week but I'm still going to keep adding missing words to the totals every week so that I can try to keep up with the April 30 self-induced deadline.

The other good part of the week: I made this awesome pound cake yesterday. I'm a big fan of Mary Kay Andrew's books and her recipes. I've made her greens and grits casserole and now her utterly sinful pound cake. It's a bit of work, but absolutely worth it. Mike Geraci ate a slice of it last night with a glass of cold milk. Said it was the best cake he'd ever tasted :)

Another good part of the week? Downton Abbey did not disappoint. I've been waiting eagerly for this miniseries for a bit now and despite some of the bruhaha created by the press last week, the show was utterly awesome (is anyone else out there in love with Brendan Coyle's character?) Add this to a roaring fire and a slice of that awesome pound cake and I was in heaven last night.

I know what I'm getting my mother for her birthday next month.

Writing when you're sick

Despite having taken the flu shot last October, I got the flu this week. But hopefully I'm on the mend. Monday night was truly awful. I thought I was going to die. Every muscle in my body felt like jelly and I was running a fever so I was alternately hot and cold. Went to bed around 9pm and slept till 10 Tuesday morning. Thank you, Nyquil! Tuesday night was a little bit better and then Wednesday afternoon I began running a fever again. I had to go to the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions and you should have seen their faces when I handed over my credit card. No one wanted to touch it. Not kidding. I was hacking, my eyes were running and my hair was literally sticking out on end. I guess I don't blame them, but honestly? I needed my drugs, people! Plus that is what anti-bacterial soap is for.

The only good part of being sick is that I have an excuse to hang out in my jammies and watch TV. So I did an Office marathon. I could watch the show with Jim and Pam's wedding over and over. Which I did...

So back to my writing. All this means that I did little to no writing this week. Although I did think about my new novel a lot. And thinking inspires ideas and from that come more ideas. And all of that is good. I will tell you that I've struggled with the beginning of this story. And I think it's because I don't have a firm grasp on the main character. I know her name (it's Emma) but I can't picture her yet.

When I came up with the idea for The Ugly Girlfriend I wrote up a synopsis to send to my agent. The original blurb went something like this: The Ugly Girlfriend is a romantic comedy about an ex-Homecoming queen who accidentally discovers she's now the "ugly friend" in her group of big city night clubbing girlfriends and decides to go back to her small hometown to reclaim her "mojo."

I wrote up the synopsis. And let me just say that I really hate writing up a synopsis on a story that isn't written. But it's a necessity for some of us in the business. Your agent wants to know what the story is about. So does an editor. But the story isn't sold yet (and may never be on the proposal I wrote) so this gives me a lot of creative slack to basically do what I want.

My agent liked the synopsis but I wanted some feedback from readers. So the next thing I did was show the synopsis to people I trust. Now... this is just what I like to do. It might not be what you like to do, but let me tell you why I think this is really important. The way people respond to an idea or to a storyline will give you an idea of how marketable that story is. You want people to be excited about your story. I got a lot of excitement with the title, but the synopsis fell a little flat with my beta readers. None of them liked the idea that my main character was an ex Homecoming Queen. "How can she be the ugly friend if she's "pretty?"

I had to think long and hard about this one. My original idea was that my protagonist, Emma, was pretty, but that she'd let herself "go." Plus, pretty is extremely subjective. You can be "pretty" and still be the ugly friend. However, after some thought, I finally agreed with my beta readers. If I'm going to write a story about an ugly friend, then I have to go all the way. This will completely change a lot of the story outlined in the synopsis. But that's okay. I love starting a story not quite sure where it will take me.

Starting the New Year Write

In my interview over at A Cozy Readers Corner, I was asked about my New Year's Resolutions (for simplicity's sake from now on this will be referred to as NYRs). First, let me say that I firmly believe in NYRs. I believe in goals. I believe that in order to succeed at anything you have to aim high. Really really high. And you have to work hard in order to make those goals a reality. My NYRs for 2011 were to lose weight and get more organized. I also said these were works in progress. I don't believe that I will ever be thin enough or organized enough to suit me, hence, these are life long goals that I will struggle with forever.

Since writing that Q&A column, I have set another goal. And that's to finish a new book in 6 months. For those of you who write, you know how daunting it is to complete a novel. 6 months doesn't seem like nearly enough time. Yet in order to churn out a book a year, that's about the time frame you have to work with. So in order to make the goal seem less daunting, I've broken it down.

First rough draft goal is April 30. Which means I need to write roughly 6000 words (or 24 pages) a week). I think this is pretty doable.

The month of May is slotted for revisions. After which, I'll let some of my beta readers read the manuscript. These are the fabulous Guinea pigs who read my stuff and tell me what they think. Then, I'll take what they tell me (plus, I've been editing on my own during this time frame), put it all together and hopefully deliver a polished manuscript to my agent by July 1.

In order to keep me honest, I'm going to chart my progress here on my Writing Romance in the Closet blog. Every Monday, I'll fess up as to how much I've written and how the novel is progressing. I'm also going to be blogging about it in between Mondays (as well as other things) so if you've ever wondered how a book gets written (at least how a book gets written my me) just tune in.

So, first things first. I start with a title. Mel (my fabulous crit partner) thinks up the best titles. She never begins writing a novel without a title and I happen to agree with her. A title gets you in the right frame of mind for writing the book. Now... sometimes your title will get changed. The original title of Bunco Babes Tell All was The Church of Bunco. I loved that title. But the people at Berkley? Not so much. However, it doesn't matter that the title was changed because the fact of the matter is that the attitude of that book came from the original title. A title should be catchy and if possible, high concept. I thought up the title of my new novel after watching an episode of Real Housewives (can't remember which city!) which goes to show that you never know where you might get your inspiration.

The title of my new novel is The Ugly Girlfriend.

More on that later...

Happy New Year and a give away!

2011! So far, my New Year is starting out perfect. The Noles won their bowl game last night and I'm over at A Cozy Reader's Corner! Come on over and comment to win an autographed copy of The Boyfriend of the Month Club!

Good stuff to watch

I love westerns. Probably a lot more than the average woman. Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven is one of my favorite movies. And so is True Grit, starring John Wayne. When I heard the Coen brothers were doing a remake of the 1969 classic, I got really excited. Last night I went to see it and I'm happy to report that I was not disappointed. Not in the least (okay, I still prefer the original cinematic ending of John Wayne on his horse jumping the fence, but I won't quibble). Jeff Bridges did a very stand up job as Rooster Cogburn and Matt Damon was passable as LaBouef. Barry Pepper plays Lucky Ned Pepper (name coincidence?) with a very creepy realism. But the stand out actor in this movie was Hailee Steinfeld as the scrappy Mattie Ross. If you love westerns, or if you loved the original, or if you just love good movies, go see this!

Good stuff to read

Okay, so I'm back from my mini-break vacation which was utterly fabulous. We spent 4 days in Orlando, doing Christmas with the family and visiting friends. We saw ICE (utterly fabulous and if you live in the Orlando area, don't miss it). We also went to Harry Potter World, which might have been utterly fabulous but because of the frigid weather and humongous crowds turned out to be semi-miserable. However, I do want a butter beer kit. So if you see one, please send along. We also went to Tampa for a couple days, saw more family and that was fabulous as well.

Now I'm back to my house (which needs cleaning) and a few dozen emails that need answering. And a special thank you to everyone who has texted or emailed me to tell you how much you've enjoyed/loved/adored The Boyfriend of the Month Club. You've all made my day!

Here is some really good stuff to read today. I promise. It's fabulous. First, there's Marilyn Brant's blog which kind of choked me up. If you're a writer, then run to read this. She makes so much sense. I love Marilyn!

Then there's Lisa and Liz over at Chick Lit is Not Dead. I love this site and they're offering up free books. All you have to do is comment and tell them which post of 2010 is your favorite. They give you 5 fabulous posts to pick from.

Happy Reading!

PS And yes, fabulous was the word the day:)

Blog tour and book giveaway

Today I'm over at Get Lost in a Story, a fabulous new blog that connects readers with writers (in reality, I'll be at Harry Potter World freezing my arse off, but I'll be at the blog in spirit and hopefully will be able to check in and make comments!)

Maureen McGowan (one of the nicest and most talented writers around) interviewed me and the questions were fun. Find out how I like my hamburger and leave a comment here telling me which fictional heroine you'd like to be to win an autographed copy of The Boyfriend of the Month Club!

Dear Santa,

or Baby Jesus, or Mike Geraci (whichever of you is in charge of granting world peace and presents),

This is Maria (again). Remember me? I'm the one who firmly believed in you until my younger sister Carmen tried to tell me you didn't exist. In retaliation, I cut off all the hair on her Tippy Toes doll. However, I don't think you should hold that against me as that was over 40 years ago. This is what I would like this year for Christmas:


Louis Vuitton Neverfull GM

I have lusted after this bag for awhile now. I mean, who wouldn't? It's gorgeous. Plus it's red inside and red is my signature color.

In the event that world economic issues make this an unfeasible gift, I will happily take a very good knock off. (PS. I have already ordered the knock off from a purse party I went to a couple of weeks ago. If that makes things any easier for you).

Guilty. By Gucci.

Go smell it. It's fabulous.

Oh, and if Chris Evans, world peace, lower taxes, and a cure for cancer and all the other horrible diseases out there, were under the tree, I wouldn't complain either.

Have a Digital Merry Christmas!

Okay, all I have to say is that whoever did this is a creative genius. I love it. You will too. Merry Christmas, and oh, avoid Romans (hee)

Blog-o-Mania

Yep, I'm still doing the blog tour thing. Today, I'm supposed to be over at Coffee Time Romance. I love that place! It's the first site I ever received a review from. I'll always remember the excitement of that email (Feb 12, 2009) telling me they'd reviewed Bunco Babes Tell All. It was a great review and I'll always be grateful to them (can you imagine your first review being a stinky one?) *shudder* We authors are much more delicate than you can imagine.

So... as you can see I'm supposed to be over at the Coffee Time Romance Blog. I was supposed to post the blog myself and was given directions, but being the procrastinator that I am I waited till the wee hours of the morning to post the blog. Yep, should have done it yesterday, but nope. Didn't. So yep, something went screwy and I can't post it and am waiting for help from the Coffee Time Romance crew. Hopefully, the blog will go live sometime today.

NOTE: Yay! I am now live at Coffee Time Romance. Check out my blog right here.
PLUS, Coffee Time Romance is giving away a copy of my book, THE BOYFRIEND OF THE MONTH CLUB and a copy of HUNGRY FOR YOU, by Lynsay Sands. If you'd like to be entered for the giveaway, go to their home page and sign up for Feeding My Addiction.

In the meantime, I'm still giving away books! Leave a comment and maybe you'll be picked to win an autographed copy of The Boyfriend of the Month Club!

Night Owl Blog- Where does Inspiration come from? ends December 17
Chick Lit Central- Celebrating the Winter Holidays ends December 19

Knight Agency Holiday Party!

HO HO HO! It's the most wonderful time of the year, and that means it's time for The Knight Agency’s annual online holiday party! Join our agents, authors and TKA Santa for an hour of non-stop giveaways. This is our most fun, relaxed chat of the year. No worries about what to ask a guest author or waiting your turn to speak -- it's literally a free for all!

This year Gena Showalter, Nalini Singh, Maria Geraci, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Shannon K. Butcher, Linda Gerber, Michelle Celmer, Louisa Edwards, Lydia Dare, Joey W. Hill, Jessica Andersen, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Chris Marie Green and Shirley Jump are all giving away signed copies of their releases. Plus we're raiding our book closets and giving out titles by Rachel Caine, Marley Gibson and Cecil Murphey, among others. Oh yeah, and there's a Christmas stocking prize stuffed with books and holiday treats. Don't forget to mark your calendars!

WHAT: Knight Agency Annual Holiday Lunchbox Chat

WHEN: Thursday, December 16th @ 12:30pm ET

WHERE: The Knight Agency Chat Room -- http://client1.sigmachat.com/sc.php?id=115545

HOW TO CHAT: Enter any combination of username and password. Login. Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.

Blog tour and giveaway

Today I'm over at Chick Lit Central talking about my favorite winter holiday rituals and memories. And of course I'm giving away a copy of The Boyfriend of the Month Club, so come on over and comment!

And if you love chick lit as much as I do, check out their Facebook page here. There's always lots of great info on your favorite books :)

More free books!

Thanks to my buddy Susan McBride, author of the fabulously funny The Cougar Club, I'm over at The Stiletto Gang blog today talking about books that end with the word "club". Yeah, there are a lot of those! Come on over and visit me there and then go here to my Facebook page and tell me what you're doing this weekend for a chance to win an autographed copy of both The Boyfriend of the Month Club AND The Cougar Club.

If you've already bought my book, an autographed copy makes a great holiday gift and The Cougar Club is a fantastic read. Sure to chase away all your holiday stress!

Also, there's more places to find my book, completely free. There's an interview of me over at Romantic Crush Junkies. Two lucky commenters will win a copy of my book! Deadline is Dec. 12.

I'm also still at Book Binge. Give away also ends on Dec. 12.
Night Owl Reviews. Give away ends Dec. 17.

It's tomorrow!

Or the day after my yesterday, which means, well, as you can see I've not gotten a whole lot of sleep, because I'm not sure I'm making much sense to anyone except myself! Except to say that I'm relieved/happy/sad/worried that my 3rd baby is out in the world (that would be The Boyfriend of the Month Club) not my real baby (she's still in class or rather, she better be.)

The relieved and happy part are probably obvious emotions. The sad/worried maybe not so much. Sad? Only because I almost wish I was writing it again, I loved that part so much. Worried because I hope people get it. My editor mentioned in passing to me during lunch this summer that she thought there was a lot of me in this book. And she's absolutely right. Me as in I think I let go more in this book than in my previous other two books. And that's both exhilarating and a bit frightening. Writing a book is like walking naked down the street (okay, in my case that would be extremely frightening) but you get what I mean.

I received a really lovely review today from Julie at What Women Write. "Stylewise, think Dorothea Benton Frank meets My Big Fat Greek ... er, Cuban Wedding."

I really loved that she said that! You can read the whole review right here.

So, I'm still hopping the blogosphere. You can still find me at Book Binge, Night Owl Reviews Blog and Chick Lit is Not Dead. And I'm also being featured on the Romantic Times Book Reviews Mainstream Spotlight!

Plus, my fabulous friend Louisa Edwards is giving away a copy of my book on her Facebook Fan page. Right here. All you have to do is tell her the name of your first boyfriend:)

It's Today!

So today is the day that The Boyfriend of the Month Club comes out. Yay! I want to thank my editor, Wendy McCurdy, the fabulous Erin Galloway (my publicist), my agent Deidre Knight, and all of you who have emailed me to congratulate me. Thank you! Writing a book might be a solitary endeavor, but getting one published takes a village.

What am I going to do to celebrate? Clean the house, of course! While listening to Christmas music and running to my computer every few minutes to interact on the many blogs I have out there today. I will NOT be googling my name, my book, or checking my stats on any sites. No sirree, I will not. Repeat and repeat and again.

This is where you can find me today:

The Romance Dish
Girlfriends Book Club
and I'm still at the fabulous Chick Lit is Not Dead (will be there till Thursday)
I'm also going to be at Book Binge and Night Owl Reviews blog
Whew! I'm also supposed to make cookies today (the Neimen Marcus ones) but I don't see that happening. Do you?