In which Lauren makes a book pyramid

Lauren Baratz-Logstead (fellow Girlsfriend Book Club member and TKA sister) has made a book pyramid (kind of like the food pyramid that the ADA puts out, but with less calories). It's not only humorous, but dead on. Go read it here at the BiblioBuffet.

My first review!

It is a fact universally acknowledged that truth is stranger than fiction. Remember that. Because we'll get back to it later.

But first, I received my first review for The Boyfriend of the Month Club. It's from Publisher's Weekly, and it's good!

Grace O'Bryan has not had good luck with men, so she and three book club friends decide to form a boyfriend club to review the bachelors of Daytona Beach, Fla. Soon Grace finds herself in the difficult position of managing two men: Brandon Farrell, a wealthy businessman, and Dr. Joe Rosenblum, a bighearted dentist. Could one of them be her Mr. Darcy? Though some of the ridiculous situations strain credibility (as when Grace chips her tooth while unwrapping a tampon), her dedication to her warm Cuban-Irish family and their struggling tourist shop is earnest and charming. Geraci (Bunco Babes Tell All) fills the fluffy but enjoyable story with literary references, and her leading lady is endearingly flawed. Romance readers will revel in the Austen-perfect happy ending and the warm friendship among members of the club. (Dec.)

Yay! The biggest worry when you're writing women's fictions, hen lit, chick lit (whatever you want to call it) is that people won't get your heroine. I'm glad this reviewer got Grace.

So back to the truth is stranger than fiction thing. You know the other old saying, "if I wrote it, no one would believe it?" Yeah, well, that cracks me up. Because the truth is, I actually did chip my tooth while unwrapping a tampon.

I have loved OB tampons ever since Mel turned me on to them awhile back. What I don't love is the shrink wrapped plastic cover. It should come with a warning. In the event, you cannot get the plastic to dislodge, do NOT use your teeth to break it open. That's all I'm gonna say on that. Other than, whoever came up with the tagline above is some kind of marketing genius.

Miss Bramble and the Leviathan

My good buddy, Kristen Painter has a new book out today. Which means I have some fun new reading to do (Got this delivered this morning on my Kindle!) I'm excited because Kristen can write a darn good story. And I'm doubly excited because I've never read steampunk before. If you've never heard of steampunk, let me tell you what it is.

Steampunk (according to Wikipedia) Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s.[1] Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne or real technologies like the computer but developed earlier in an alternate history.

Okay, so maybe that's more than you wanted to know about steampunk. Here's what you need to know about the book:

The last thing she planned to steal was his heart

The Company. Military institution, protector of Praeton and the nation of Grand Isle. Dirty rotten thief.

When Pandora Bramble steps aboard the Company’s premiere airship Daedalus it’s not for the exclusive VIP tour. It’s to secure proof that the Company stole the regulator valve her father designed—even if it means tearing the engine apart. Foiled by the unexpected appearance of a handsome crew member, she despairs of ever getting another chance—until he kisses her.

Captain Theolonius Hatch, sentenced to engine room duty for refusing to take part in the Company’s fleet week activities, never dreamed a woman like Pandora existed. Her brains match her beauty, a combination that adds up to more trouble than he ever expected.

As Pandora allows Theolonius to sweep her into a whirlwind courtship, her wildest dreams come true. As do her greatest fears, leaving her to decide what matters most. Loyalty…or love.
The clock is ticking.

Warning: This book contains airships, mechanical owls, women who are good with tools, men in and out of uniform, steam generated by engines and people, and some hot carriage scenes.

I just love this warning label!

To purchase or get more information, you can go directly to Samhain or go to Amazon.

Middle age

It's Monday morning and time to start a new diet. Really. Honestly. It sucks getting older. My knees (or rather my LEFT knee) is starting to feel the pangs of middle age. When you avoid going to the bathroom during the football game because the thought of going up and down all those stadium stairs one more time makes you cringe, then you know you're in trouble. Plus, I do hate making everyone in the row stand up or scooch over to let me through, so I'd rather just hold it in. I have just one more thing to say about stadium stairs and football games. How do you wear four inch wedgie heels to a football game and not fall or break your neck? It's a mystery, that's for sure. Kudos to the chick three rows above me that managed to pull it off. Oh, and go Noles!

On another note, I received an email with the subject line, "Are your hormones out of whack?" I didn't even bother to open it up. Just deleted it right there and then with one swift hit of the key. Take that whoever you are with the audacity to ask such a question!

And on the upside, I found the website of this woman (I was going to say chick, but I suppose she's really a hen) who at age 50, quit her successful job in designer women's fashions and decided to make cookies.

No really.

She went to culinary school, graduated top of her class, then opened a cookie shop in NY. Her business is called One Tough Cookie (don't you love it?) and she's doing really well. This is the logo of her blog, Thinkin' Outside The Cookie.

I know with my vow to lose weight, help my knee out, blah, blah, blah, I should avoid this cookie woman at all costs. However, ONE cookie never hurt anyone. Right?

I'm going to miss The Situation

There. I've said it out loud. I'm not ashamed (not much anyway) to admit that I'm actually going to miss Karina and The Situation. He was this week's latest Dancing with the Stars Casualty and personally, I think he was robbed. So yeah, his tango kind of sucked. But the lifts were awesome and I think the judges were way too hard on him.

So, you ask, who do I think should have gotten the boot? Well, while Crazy Eyes Florence Henderson (Dear God, please don't ever let me get so vain that I resort to plastic surgery that makes me look like I've developed some sort of hyperthyroid disease) would have been my answer last week, she and Corky did a rumba this week that was actually kind of funny/sexy. In a weird way. So I'd have to go with Kurt Warner, who honestly, is a huge snooze fest. I predict Kurt will go home next week. For a good looking guy his sex appeal is in the negative numbers.

My personal favs are of course, Jennifer Grey, aka Baby. And that adorable Kyle Massey. I would LOVE to see him and Lacey in the finals.

The color purple

When I was a kid whenever anyone asked me what my favorite color was, I always responded, "red." Red is an awesome color. It's a primary color. It's bright. It's powerful. It makes a statement. It also looks really good on brunettes.

Later, as an adult in my thirties, whenever people asked me what my favorite color was, I'd respond, "green." Green is serene. It's the color of nature. Green means growth and fertility. Um... yes, these were my childbearing years. The years I nourished my little sprouts. The years I barely hung on to my sanity by a thread. Green totally made sense to me back then.

But lately, green has been boring. Don't get me wrong. I still love red and I still love green, but those colors don't talk to me anymore.

"Well, us talk and talk about God, but I’m still adrift. Trying to chase that old white man out of my head. I been so busy thinking bout him I never truly notice nothing God make. Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?). . . ."

I wish I'd written that, but of course, it's Alice Walker.

And lately, I'm totally getting the color purple. (I "got" the book years ago- fantastic), but the color itself, I wasn't so sure about until recently. And I blame Mike Geraci for that.

Purple is majestic. It's bold. It's not expected. It's flashy. And if you're Mike Geraci, it's confusing as all out. Honestly, the poor man is either color blind or he missed kindergarten the day they explained the color wheel.

Shortly after we got married, Mike Geraci and I were getting ready to go out somewhere. He was in the shower and shouted out, "Hey! Can you get me my purple shoes?"

I froze. I married a man who wears purple shoes?

"Mike Geraci, you don't own purple shoes. Unless you're hiding them from me, I would have seen them by now."

"Sure I do. They're in the closet." He then proceeded to show me his "purple" shoes.

Yep. There they are. I soon discovered that whenever Mike Geraci can't pinpoint the name of a color, if there's any red to it at all, it becomes purple. The dining room in our house (painted a jeweled maroon tone) was purple. It's like the etc, etc, etc... of colors for him. Except now that it's become my official favorite color, I'm out to educate him on what purple really is. Because I don't want to end up with a maroon sweater for Christmas.

Pioneer Woman I am not

I have one word in the war against dog vomit. K2r. Or is that even a word? Okay, maybe it is just 2 letters and a number, but whatever. The stuff works. I came home yesterday afternoon to find a lovely present (aka dog vomit) from Truffles, our Daschund, deposited smack dab on the sisal rug in our living room. Truffles loves me so much she thought it wasn't enough to leave the present in one spot so she spread the love around. Literally.

At the time, I was in a rush. I had promised to make stuffed shells to bring over to a friend's house so I had no time to deal with dog vomit. So I asked myself, what would Pioneer Woman do? Well, she would probably take a picture and then proceed to clean it in expert fashion, describing it detail by detail, ending with a picture of a clean, pristine rug. Unfortunately, I am no Pioneer Woman. So I grabbed some paper towels and (carefully) placed them over the various presents and with my a blind eye to the situation going on in my living room, I made some of the best damn stuffed shells ever. Honestly, this recipe is fantastic. And yes, it is Pioneer Woman's.

So I visited my friend, and ran to my nearby Ace Hardware Store with 10 minutes left to spare before they closed. I LOVE Ace Hardware. The people there are always so friendly.

Maria: "Do you have some of that of R2D2 stuff? You know, the stuff that gets the stains out of stuff you can't wash?"

Ace Hardware Man: "Of course. Back aisle. Would you like me to show you?"

Maria: "Thanks! I got it!"

I then proceed to buy 2 cans of the stuff. Because you never know. And I swear, I'm not making this up, because you know, truth is stranger than fiction. But as I sat down to write this, Fat Boy (aka Lucky Geraci, aka Big Stray Cat we found 6 years ago that never left) came up to me and rubbed himself against my legs. Then proceeded to leave me another present (aka Big Fat Hairball). Ay Caramba!

Page 99

Recently, I stumbled across a website called the Page99test. The idea behind it is that if you open a novel to page 99 (versus like page 1), you'll get a good idea if you want to read the book. I think it's an interesting hypothesis and I plan to start using it when I go a-browsing at bookstores.

It also got me thinking of my own page 99s. So I went to said page on my upcoming novel to see what was what. Kind of interesting. So without any set up other than the blurb on the back of my book, I decided to post page 99 of The Boyfriend of the Month Club. It's a short page because it's actually the beginning of a chapter.

So if you went to the bookstore and picked up my book and flipped it to the back, this is what you'd read:

At thirty, Grace O’Bryan has dated every loser that Daytona Beach has to offer. After the ultimate date-from-hell, Grace decides to take matters into her own hands and turns her dwindling book club into a Boyfriend of the Month Club, where women can come together to discuss the eligible men in their community. Where are the real live twenty-first century versions of literary heroes such as Heathcliff and Mr. Darcy?

Could it be successful and handsome Brandon Farrell, who is willing to overlook his disastrous first date with Grace and offers financial help for her parents’ failing Florida gift shop? Or maybe sexy dentist Joe Rosenblum, who’s great with a smile but not so great at commitment? Unfortunately, just like books, men cannot always be judged by their covers…

Page 99 of The Boyfriend of the Month Club

Grace turned to find Rosie Dimples aka Dr. Joe leaning against his shopping cart. He wore above-the-knee nylon basketball shorts and a T-shirt. Maybe he’d just come from the gym. Grace squelched the urge to reach out and smooth an errant lock of hair off his forehead.

“There’s no chocolate in pistachio ice cream,” she said.

“What is it with women and chocolate?”

It’s the universal substitute for sex, dummy.

She wondered what Dr. Joe would say to that. He’d probably volunteer to fill in for the ice cream.

“It’s one of our daily food groups,” she said instead.

He smiled. “How’s the tooth holding up, Grace?”

So he remembered her name. Had he read her patient satisfaction survey? Melanie claimed he personally read each one. Tomorrow it would be a week since she’d been to his office. Surely he’d read it by now. Which reminded her, she really did need to investigate where Tanya had gone to work so she could find a new dentist. She’d planned to do it right away, but with all the roof drama going on at the store, she’d forgotten. Technically, she supposed, she was still Dr. Joe’s patient.

“The tooth is holding up great. Thanks for asking, Dr. Joe.”

What I learned at Ninc

Yesterday I attended the opening day workshop at Ninc's (Novelist's Inc) conference which was held in beautiful St. Pete Beach. I'm not a member of Ninc (although I'm definitely going to join) but they opened up the first day to non-members and I'm so glad they did. I had a great day, learned a lot, and even got to see a few friends.

The day consisted of 4 panels with the theme: Brainstorming the Future of Publishing.

This is what I learned:

1. Publishers aren't going to market your book. They don't have the time or money to truly promote all their authors. So unless you're Nora Roberts, you better be out there doing something to help yourself.

2. Print advertising does not work. The only thing that really helps promote a book is WORD OF MOUTH. Social marketing (blogs, twittering, facebook) is a way to get word of mouth out there.

3. Traditional publishing, as we know it, is in turmoil. Digital Publishing is huge and will take over the world. Bottom Line: You want your book to be available in ALL forms- print, ebook, audio, etc, so that it can reach the largest audience it can.

4. As an author, you want the LARGEST print run you can get. A 50% sell through is considered a success.

5. Amazon has plans to take over the world and cannot be stopped. Google and Apple have similar plans as well.

6. Piracy is bad.

7. Piracy is good. The more people who read your books, the better. Overall, what you lose in sales, you'll make up for in more sales.

8. Contracts, copyrights, and digital rights are very confusing. Especially when you're daydreaming of the Starbucks kiosk in the center of the hotel...

9. The best way to ensure your book is a success is to write the best book you can.

10. Even the best books fail to be a success for a variety of reasons. Bottom line: Market your book!

11. Baby Boomers are the largest consumers of digital readers and the target audience for ebooks. This will change as digital readers become cheaper. Soon, everyone will be reading books on our phones (if we can still see, that is).

12. Kristen Painter looks nothing like Heather Graham from behind.

13. Al Zuckerman (head of Writers House) needs his own TV show. I'd call it Real Agents of New York.

14. Leigh Duncan and Kristen Painter are the best lunch pals. Ever.

15. It is not nice to be driving on 275 heading from St. Pete to Tampa during rush hour traffic, especially when the Rays have just finished a game.

I finished the day by having dinner with my daughter (Loinfruit) and her lovely friend, Tara. Then the girls took me to their favorite bar, where the bouncer tried to card me (I think he wanted a tip). After breakfast, I plan to head back to Tally, but first a stop at the U of F to visit middle child.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Pink Glove Dance!

Okay, this is just awesome! As most of you already know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and hospitals across the country have been putting together their Pink Glove Dances. This is MY hospital, Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare shown above. I think they did a bang up job! The first group dancing are some of my peeps from labor and delivery!

I'll be hitting the road later this afternoon to Tampa/St. Pete to visit the loinfruit (oldest daughter) and attend Brainstorming on the Beach. I'll just be there for the first day of the conference in which the main topic will be the future of publishing. I'll let you know what they say!

Why Twitter makes me Twitch

The first time I heard about Twitter was a few years ago, when my sister, Carmen (the one who doesn't read my blog or do ANY social networking) gave me an article on how Twittering could help authors market their books.

My response was something like, "Please, Lechuga, I have no time for this!" TRANSLATION: "Please, Lettuce, I have no time for this!" And if you're wondering why I call my sister Lettuce then just read my upcoming novel The Boyfriend of the Month Club and all will be made clear.

But, as with any trend that catches on so quickly it will make your laptop spin, soon, everyone I knew was Twittering, so being the impetuous fool that I am, I hopped abroad the Twitter Train. But I still really had no clue how to effectively Twitter or what I was supposed to do.

So while I was at the Romantic Times Convention in Orlando (2009) I went to an author workshop on Twittering. The workshop was run by some guy who is a famous Twitterer (can't remember his name) and a book reviewer whose site I find amusing and sometimes clever. I was expecting a killer workshop. Ten minutes in, I (and the other 4 people in the room) began to understand why these 2 are such good Twitterers (is that a word?). Lack of eye contact and effective oral communication skills would be one reason. It was probably the strangest workshop I'd ever attended, unless the point of the workshop was that face-to-face communication was a thing of the past (which I refuse to believe.) So I left, confused and thinking Twitter probably wasn't for me, since I'm not a slave to my cell phone and that seemed to be the best way to Twitter.

Then I found Twitter Deck. Yay! I could Twitter while I was on the computer. Except the temptation to run to Twitter Deck and read... well, most times, nothing really important, was too tempting. So even though I was essentially a Twitter voyeur (someone who reads Twitters but does not necessarily engage in the act itself) I had to take Twitter Deck off my computer. When you're writing on a deadline, it's just too distracting.

And then I read Jane Green's blog post on Addictions. Well, heck, if Jane Green doesn't want to Twitter, then why should I? After all, according to the Penguin, USA, book catalogue, fans of Sophie Kinsella and Jane Green will adore me. At least they should adore me. That, however, is still out for debate. And whilst you might say, "Maria, you are no Jane Green!" and I would agree (LOVE LOVE LOVE both Sophie and Jane's books) I couldn't help but take her words to heart.

And in that moment or two after reading it and digesting it a bit, I came to the liberating realization that Thank God, we are not all alike and that what's good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander. And while I believe I'm terribly witty and charming in real life (and in my books), I don't think I'm especially suited for the Twitter medium. And I know I don't have the patience it takes to build a Twitter audience that would have any sort of impact on my book sales. So while I continue to be a Twitter voyeur and an occasional Twitterer, it's okay that this is one social medium I won't be losing any sleep over.

Note: In an act of supreme semi-hypocrisy, I have just Tweeted this post.

Inspiration!

People always ask me how I think up my stories. My sister Carmen (who I dedicated The Boyfriend of the Month Club to) finished reading it yesterday and proclaimed it a masterpiece. Okay, maybe not a masterpiece exactly, but she loved it. Said she laughed a lot and found it very romantic and satisfying. I was thrilled to hear it, because she's the type of person who always says what she means. Being her sister is not a free pass to a good review.

So back to my topic. In the course of the conversation she asked me how I came up with different plot twists, character actions, etc, etc...
I really didn't have a good answer for her except to say that "The story always seems to write itself." Which sounds like a bunch of boohooey, except that it's true.

Lately, I've been very interested in the creative process and how things come about. After some analysis of what works for me and what doesn't, I've come to the conclusion that I've heard many writers say and that's that the story is already inside you. It's just waiting to come out and if you let your creative juices flow, then it will happen. In the famous words of the Beatles, "Let it Be."

And when you let it be, it seems, inspiration comes from the heavens and gently taps you on the shoulder. The film Bull Durham inspired a great deal of my first book Bunco Babes Tell All. Memories of my childhood and growing up in Florida, inspired the backdrop of The Boyfriend of the Month Club.

And while I was taking a break yesterday from writing, I opened up some Yeats to read (poetry is the most awesome inspiration) and was suddenly given an important clue to one of my character's motivation. So there you go. And off I went. I love it when this happens!

Where do you find your inspiration?

Donate to Hayley's Angels and help fight Leukemia

Many of you know that besides writing fun and romantic novels, I have another job as well. I've been a labor and delivery nurse for 25 years now. It's a job I love almost as much (and some days more) than my writing job. Labor and Delivery is one of the happiest, most fulfilling areas of a hospital for a nurse to work in. But some days my job sucks. For some couples there is no happy-ever-after in L&D. Those days are rough.

Another thing some of you might know is that I'm a fluent Spanish speaker so at times I help out around the hospital by translating for our Spanish speaking patients. This is usually not a happy time either. Most times I go to the ER and give someone bad news. The other night I got called to Pediatrics. A young boy had just been diagnosed with leukemia and I had to tell his parents. It was especially hard because I wanted to tell them that everything would be okay. But as a health care professional, you can't give out false hope. I don't know if it will be okay. And that's hard.

Last year, the daughter of a mutual friend was diagnosed with this terrible disease. She was just 4 years old. The agony I saw on those parents' faces the other night must have been the same look that Michelle and Lance Hart had when they were told their precious angel, Haley, was sick. The Hart family has been through a lot in the last year. Lots of trips to the University of Florida Shands Teaching Hospital for chemo. Lots of hotel stays. Lots of nights spent up worrying. I'm happy to say that Hayley just celebrated her fifth birthday and her prognosis is very good. She is the bubbliest, sweetest, most precocious red headed little girl you can ever hope to meet.

This November, I'm going to be participating in the Light the Night Walk, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's evening walk and fundraising event. It is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost. Team Hayley's Angels needs your help. We're very close to achieving our goal to raise $3000. Would you please consider making a donation? Anything will help. You can click on the link right here.

Thank you!

To ABC, that's a big fat NO

To the brilliant executive over at Mike Fleiss headquarters who decided to make Brad Womack the next Bachelor? Thank you. You've finally cured me of Sucky-tv-itits (that's the addiction to terrible TV even when you know it's bad but can't help yourself).

Honestly. Are there no better single men in America?

In case you need reminding, Brad Womack is the guy who didn't pick anyone and whose season generated the very classy Deanna. Not.

But that's not why I think he'll make a bad Bachelor. The fact he didn't pick anyone should make him a great pick. Except Brad Womack is about as exciting as Melba toast. I thought Jake the Fake was the worst pick ever. But at least he was watchable (in an awful train wreck kind of way). Brad Womack was a bore fest the fist time, so unless he went to Exciting Bachelor College, I don't see the new season being anything other than a rehash of his last season with lots of emphasis on the huge nail biting theme of "will Brad pick anyone??" He's supposedly been in "counseling" to get over his commitment issues. *heh*

The only thing I can see saving this show is if Brad's twin brother (who made an appearance on his original season) comes in and takes over and fools us all.
I can just see Chris Harrison now, "Something you and the viewers haven't been aware of is that... it's not really Brad you've been dating!"
Now that would be the most dramatic show ever.

Or maybe instead of picking no one, or picking just one girl, Brad will go the polygamist route and actually propose to both girls at the end. We'll just have to see. Or rather, I'll just have to hear/read about it. Cuz I'm not wasting my time on this scuzball.

Meet Marilyn Brant and a book give away!

Every woman remembers her firsts: Her first kiss. Her first lover. And her first time contemplating an affair…

Publisher: Kensington Books (trade paperback)
Release Date: October 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0-7582-3462-9
**A Doubleday Book Club & Book-of-the-Month Club Featured Alternate Selection for October ‘10

“Marilyn Brant’s sophomore effort…is a brilliant character study of three very different women each asking the question we all wonder about sooner or later: did we make the right choices during our journey and if not, what steps do we need to take in order to live our best life?” ~Leah Eggleston Krygowski, Manchester Books Examiner & Chicklit Club review, 8/10 rating

“Friday Mornings at Nine is the perfect example of a book by an author whose writing just gets better and better. In her second book, Marilyn Brant's prose is superb…” ~Pamela Kramer, Chicago Books Examiner

My good buddy Marilyn Brant has a new book coming out this week and if it's half as good as her debut novel, According to Jane, then we're all in for a treat. Friday Mornings at Nine releases October 1. Leave a comment below and one lucky person will win a copy of this fab new book!

Marilyn was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book and about her writing process.

Q: What’s the premise/back-cover blurb of Friday Mornings at Nine?

A: Each Friday morning at the Indigo Moon Café, Jennifer, Bridget and Tamara meet to swap stories about marriage, kids and work. But one day, spurred by recent e-mails from her college ex, Jennifer poses questions they've never faced before. What if they all married the wrong man? What if they're living the wrong life? And what would happen if, just once, they gave in to temptation…?

Soon each woman is second-guessing the choices she's made -- and the ones she can unmake -- as she becomes aware of new opportunities around every corner, from attentive colleagues and sexy neighbors to flirtatious past lovers. And as fantasies blur with real life, Jennifer, Bridget and Tamara begin to realize how little they know about each other, their marriages and themselves, and how much there is to gain -- and lose -- when you step outside the rules.

Q: What is the inspiration behind this novel?

A: I’ve talked with a lot of women about their marriages -- and, in some cases, about their affairs. Sometimes these revelations came in the form of random comments thrown out unexpectedly. Other times they were part of well thought out discussions about whether the women in question should or shouldn’t stay married. I met my husband 20 years ago and we’ve been married for almost 18 of those years. I consider us to be happy, but I don’t know anyone who’s been married that long who hasn’t experienced some ups and downs. I think the fortunate couples are the ones who keep choosing to be together and work on their relationships despite all of those years and the inevitable changes.

Of course, it takes both people to do that, and it also takes a lot of time and effort. The individuals involved have to want to get to know now these people they married (who may be different creatures than the ones they met a decade or more before), and they need to really pay attention to their own needs and desires, too. Sometimes, in the process of that kind of deep analysis, it turns out there was a profound disconnect somewhere along the line. In some cases, it’s possible to reconnect. In others, not so much. So, essentially, I wanted to write a story about three women who have marital disconnects to some degree that makes them wonder what would have happened if they’d chosen differently. Then I wanted them to finally take the time to examine their lives so they could choose mindfully where to head next.

Q: If they made a movie of this book, who would you cast to portray the characters?

A: I'd love to see this onscreen! (And I’d try to find a way to get Johnny Depp in there somewhere…LOL.) For the main characters, though, I imagine someone like Kate Winslet for Bridget, Calista Flockhart for Jennifer and Kim Cattrall for Tamara. Definitely a cast I'd enjoy seeing together!

Q: What got you writing contemporary women's fiction?

A: I love reading contemporary women’s fiction stories -- both dramatic and humorous. They were not only what got me into the genre, but they were what inspired me to be a writer in the first place. Aside from a lifelong love of classic Jane Austen, I really enjoyed the domestic dramas of Sue Miller, Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Berg, as well as the lighter touch of Pamela Redmond Satran, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Wiggs and Jane Porter. I wanted to find a way to merge the relationship themes explored in my favorite novels with my own humor and writing style and, hopefully, be able to write stories that would resonate with other women.

Q: Do you have any favorite books on the craft of writing that you often use?

A: Oh, yes! I’m a BIG fan of craft books! I used Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT! almost religiously in the plotting of my past several books. I’m still very sad that he’s no longer with us. As far as a great reference guide, Robert McKee’s STORY is incredible. It has more information about writing craft than I can ever internalize. Also, whenever I need a more emotional pick-me-up, I grab the Ralph Keyes book THE COURAGE TO WRITE and Anne Lamott’s BIRD BY BIRD. I recommend these to everyone.

Q: What is your advice for those who looking to get their novel published?

A: Don’t follow trends just because you think it’ll be an easier sell. And write the books that fit your voice. If what you love writing happens to be a hot-selling genre, great. If your writing voice happens to be perfect for the genre you want to write in and love to read, that’s awesome, too. But -- if not -- write long and hard enough to find what DOES fit you and your style best. Because then, even if it takes longer to make that first sale than you expect, you’re writing the kinds of stories you most enjoy, and that passion has a way of working itself into the projects you’re creating.

Q: What's next for you?

A: I’m in the process of beginning blog tours, library visits, book-club chats and other public events featuring my second novel, Friday Mornings at Nine, which is a Doubleday Book Club and Book-of-the-Month Club selection for October 2010, as well as still doing some fun Austen-related promo for my debut novel, According to Jane. I’ve just turned in my third novel, the title is still up for debate, but it’ll be out next fall, and it’s a modern “A Room with a View”-like travel adventure. It has characters that play chess, Sudoku and Mah-jongg, eat lots Italian gelato and linguini, and spontaneously sing Andrew Lloyd Webber songs and other musical-theater selections. Finally, I’m starting the writing process all over again for my next women’s fiction project, which I’m really excited about… I’ll, hopefully, be able to share more info on that story soon!

You can learn more about Marilyn and her books at her website right here.

Comments are open till Wednesday at midnight. Winner will be announced on Thursday morning. Good luck!

Sugar cookies and football

What do they have in common you ask?

Not much but they are both on my agenda today.

I'm making Pioneer Woman's favorite sugar cookies to send to my son in college. He has 3 exams this week (Physics, Statistic, and Computer language) which all sound rather horrible to me, to tell you the truth, so he deserves some cookies. And sugar cookies are his favorite. Will let you know how PW's recipe holds up. It calls for Cream of Tartar, which I've never used before, but I like the way it sounds. Tar-tar... Isn't that a song from the 80's or something? Oh, well.

And this afternoon, it's Seminoles football once again. Go Noles!

He's not your mother's Steve McGarrett

I have to say I'm kind of excited about the new Hawaii Five-O. As a kid, it was the premiere cop show. Bad guys, cheesy lines (Book 'em Danno!) and of course, that great theme music.

Every week for years (or at least a couple of them) I would lace up my tap shoes and dance to the opening credits of Hawaii Five-O on the terrazo floor in the Florida room (that's what we call a rec room down here in the Sunshine state) while my family cheered me on. I was certain that if I practiced enough, Miss Nancy (my tap and ballet teacher) would let me do a solo tap number to Hawaii Five-O at the next big recital. I think I was envisioning a hula skirt for a costume.

I never got to do a tap solo, but I did get to do a tap duet. Only it was to the music of "The Good Ship Lollipop" in which I was forced to channel Shirley Temple, right down to the ringlets, PLUS carry a giant lollipop in my hand while I tapped, but that's another post altogether.

I'm happy to report the first episode passed my muster and has made the permanent scheduled series status on my DVR. Of course, it has nothing to do with the fact that the new Jack Lord is being played by the yummy Alex O'Loughlin. Nothing at all. My 8 year old self does not remember ever being faintly attracted to Jack Lord, aka Steve McGarrett. The rest of the cast is pretty awesome too: Jean Smart, Scott Caan, Grace Park and the awesome Daniel Dae Kim (from Lost!)

Monday nights, 10 pm est. Be there. Aloha.

My Chicklit Club interview!

Recently, I was interviewed by the very lovely Annmarie over at Chicklit Club. She asked some awesome questions. Like who my ideal literary hero is (and it's not Mr. Darcy!) You can check out the interview here.

Chick lit Lives On

I just love a good surprise. As opposed to a bad surprise, which would be anything I don't have complete control over. Us control freaks (and yes, I am one of those) don't like the bad surprises.

So what's a good surprise? Opening my email to read that my Kindle has just been sent my electronic copy of Mini Shopaholic! I must have pre-ordered it a zillion years ago because I totally forgot about it. Of course, first I have to finish reading Louisa's Just One Taste, which is utterly fabulous. I would have finished it the day I started it except I went out of town this past weekend and haven't had a chance to pick it back up again. But I will, and then it's on the adventures of Becky Bloomwood and her mini me.

And speaking of chick lit... check out the new blog here by the RWA chapter of Chick lit writers (of which I'm a proud member). Should have some great upcoming posts!

What I thought of Boardwalk Empire

I have to confess to being both kind of excited and not excited about the premiere of Boardwalk Empire. Excited because it was an HBO mini-series and they are generally pretty good TV. And not so excited because it was a Martin Scorcese/Terence Winter brainchild and while they are terrific writers/directors/whatever they are not particularly chick friendly. And it's not the blood/gore part of whatever they do that gets to me. After all, I'm a fan of True Blood and you don't get much bloodier than that. I think it's the gangsta mentality that I don't find particularly interesting anymore. Al Capone? Lucky Luciano? Yawn... I've seen The Godfather. Let's move on.

However... there was one character I did find kind of interesting and that was Margaret Schroeder, a pregnant immigrant on her third baby with an abusive drinkin/gamblin' husband played beautifully by Kelly Macdonald. I love Kelly Macdonald. She's a fabulous actress who always adds a quiet intelligence to whatever character she plays. It will be interesting to see where they take her.

As for Steve Buscemi playing the lead role... Yes, he's a good actor. But if you're going to do sex scenes with your lead male role, couldn't you have made him a little... sexier? Of course, I will admit to laughing at the scene involving the reverse cowgirl position. I do love me a cheeky sex scene (no pun intended).

Bottom line? Thanks to On Demand and my trusty DVR, I will watch again next week at my leisure. The premiere didn't earn me gluing myself to the TV next Sunday at 9pm if I have something better to do or watch.