Our Town Mondays

My group blog, Title Wave, is undergoing some plastic surgery.

The blog look hasn't changed yet (but it will). What's different right now is the content. We've decided to go with the Our Town Mondays theme created by blogger Travis Erwin.

This Monday is our debut and Gina is blogging about her hometown, LA. Go check it out here.

Live Chat at TKA!

Jessica Andersen & J.R. Ward Chat It Up with TKA this Thursday @ 8pm EST!

JESSICA ANDERSEN, recently picked as one of the “hottest” authors in romance by Publisher’s Weekly, and fellow critique partner, New York Times Bestselling Author, J.R. WARD, will chat with TKA this Thursday. As a special bonus, J.R. will announce the winners of the PURPLE PROSE CONTEST, conducted on her message board last month.

Known for their dynamic characters and mind-bending plot twists, these ladies are forerunners in the field of paranormal romance. Jessica’s latest novel, NIGHTKEEPERS, Book One in THE FINAL PROPHECY SERIES, is based on an ancient Mayan doomsday prophecy, and Book Six of J.R. Ward’s enormously popular, THE BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD SERIES, LOVER ENSHRINED, hit bookshelves this month to worldwide acclaim.

Don’t miss the opportunity to talk with these amazing writers and get the inside scoop on their novels and upcoming projects! Leave a comment in the “Jessica and J.R. Chat It Up” post on the TKA Blog to win a copy of NIGHTKEEPERS and LOVER ENSHRINED. Check back on Thursday to see if you are the lucky winner and read special guest blogger Jess Andersen's views on picking the perfect critique partner.

WHO: Jessica Andersen & J.R. Ward

WHAT: CHATTING LIVE!

WHEN: THURSDAY, JUNE 12th @ 8PM EST

WHERE: TKA CHAT ROOM

HOW TO CHAT: Follow this link TKA CHAT ROOM. Enter a screen name and select “log in.”

Those 2 dirty words: High Concept

It's my turn to blog over at Title Wave today. I blogged on "high concept" a phrase that just a couple of years ago made me cringe. Today, not so much, because I finally think I'm getting it!

On another note, I just finished my second round of revisions for "Church of Bunco". My editor asked me to put in another sex scene, something I was more than happy to do;)

I also sent off the proposal for Bunco book 2, which I'm calling "Bunco Babes Gone Wild". Hopefully, she'll love it. Keep your fingers crossed for me:)

Holy Bull Durham!

Baseball players wearing thongs? Talk about superstitions.

Jason Giambi , a first baseman for the NY Yankees (boo!) admitted last week that he sometimes wears a gold thong under his uniform to help him out of a batting slump.

The ever delicious Derek Jeter ("lazy" eye or not) also admitted to trying it. Man, I'd love to be a fly on the wall in the locker room for that one!

The whole thing reminds of that hysterical scene in Bull Durham when Crash (the Kevin Costner character) persuades Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) to wear a garter belt under his uniform to help his "concentrate" while he's pitching.

I've always loved baseball, but it's taken on a whole new meaning for me now:)

Happy Memorial Day

Mike Geraci and I finished re-doing the hall bathroom last night. Like really late last night:) At least my part is done. Today, he's going to finish off the job by putting a coat of clear varnish over the tiles. It was a big job, but the results are fantastic. Will have to post a pic when it's all done.

Will also have to get him to put out the flag today as a reminder to the kids that today is the day they need to be especially thankful for all the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

Stephanie (oldest daughter) is taking my mother-in-law out to the Florida National Cemetery where my father-in-law is buried. A retired army colonel and veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam wars, John Geraci is only one of thousands of veterans buried there. It's extremely humbling to drive through the miles and miles and headstones.

On a lighter note, tonight's The Bachelorette, and of course, I have to work. But never fear, my trusty DVR will tape all. My rose game predictions for going home tonight:

Chris (nice guy but definitely a filler)

Eric (big nosed and all he and Deanna have in common is that they're Greek. Plus, he's creepy)

Ryan (self-proclaimed virgin)

I know Mel thought I was crazy for liking Sean, but other than the little mullet (which can easily be fixed with a pair of scissors) I really like him for DeAnna. He's cute (has beautiful eyes!), has a great personality (he and Jesse need to go on the road with their lemon act) and I love his Kentucky accent. I predict Sean will go far.

I'd also like to see Jeremy open his mouth. I'm sure he and Deanna had some one on one time during the cocktail party last week that they didn't let us see. Also looking forward to seeing more of Graham, Jason, Jesse and that yummy Brian!

There will be Blood all right

Mine. Because I almost tore my hair out watching this movie. In my quest to catch up on watching the "best" movies of last year, I ordered There Will Be Blood on pay-per-view yesterday. What a waste of $4.99.

I didn't get it. I mean, I got it. But really, 8 Academy Award nominations?? I don't have a problem with Daniel Day Lewis winning Best Actor. As far as I'm concerned Daniel Day Lewis could recite the yellow pages and it would be Oscar worthy. And he deserves it for this film, because his performance is the only good thing about it. But honestly, Best Picture of the Year?

I've never read the Upton Sinclair novel Oil! that the film is based on. Nor do I have any wish to after watching the screen version. It's not only depressing and overly long, but there's something about it that didn't gel for me. Part of it was the lack of dialogue in a lot of the film. And then there was the very distracting sound track. Mike Geraci commented that the music was weird, and I had to agree with him. To be fair, the cinematography was beautiful, but I have no desire to ever see another set of badly stained teeth or another head of greasy hair. Ever.

The best part of the flick, was that both Mike Geraci and I got to sit down for 2 and some hours (we're remodeling our hall bathroom), but then anything would have been a nice break after stripping wallpaper all morning. And... I have to say that after almost 23 years of marriage, it's nice to discover something new about your husband. I had absolutely NO idea that Mike Geraci knew so much about drilling oil. He had this very scientific explanation for everything that happened on screen. At first, I was suspicious, like ,"C'mon, you've seen this movie before!" and he was like, "No, I haven't. I would have killed myself if I'd seen this twice."

LOL. Who knew? My husband, the oil expert.

So far, I've seen Juno, Atonement, and now this crap. 2 more Academy Award flicks to go:)

Chat with Gena Showalter

New York Times Best Selling author (God, I just love writing that!) Gena Showalter is going to be chatting live at the TKA chatroom tomorrow night. Here's the link.

The first book in Gena's Lords of the Underworld series, THE DARKEST NIGHT is climbing its way up the charts. The book is absolutely FANTASTIC and not to be missed. Gena is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet and I'm absolutely thrilled for her.

Catching up

I just came back from a fantastic trip to Boston (first time there) where I attended my friend Marley Gibson's Launch party. You can read all about it here on the Title Wave blog. It got me thinking about my own launch party next year. I'm definitely going to plan some sort of Bunco theme ( of course ). I'm thinking frozen margarita machine, beer, and since it will probably be in early May, maybe some sort of Cinco-de-Mayo theme. Of course, I still have to finish the revisions on the book! I tried to get it in by May 1 but I've made so many changes to the second half of the book that it's taken me longer than I originally thought. My editor at Berkley has been very patient. I'm hoping that the full will be in her inbox by next Monday:)

And since all work and no play makes Maria a dull girl, I did surface from revision land to run out to play Bunco last night with my group, the Bunco Broads of Tallahassee. I won most games (I seem to be on some sort of lucky winning streak lately). Hopefully, that will continue...

Unfortunately for Jason Castro, his lucky streak came to an end last night on American Idol. I've loved Jason from the start, but even I was ready for him to go. The past few weeks he's steadily gone downhill. Not sure what Jason's problem is (well, maybe I do- proving the point that you really can get tooo mellow), but he proved to be own worst enemy. Hopefully though, some smart label co. will pick Jason up. As much as I enjoy David Cook, Jason is probably the only artist this season I'd buy a CD from.

Lords of the Underworld

Even the title is breathtakingly sexy, isn't it?

I finished the first book in Gena Showalter's newest series, Lords of the Underworld and it was fantastic! THE DARKEST NIGHT comes out in May, followed in June and July with 2 more books in the series. Best of all, there will be more!

For an excerpt go to Gena's website here: The Darkest Night.

TETL

I had a TETL moment (Too Embarrassed to Live) at work last night. This one directly involved my new Dansko Professional clogs.

About half my unit is wearing these now and everyone raves about them. This clog has been credited with the elimination of aching feet and legs, sore backs, tired muscles, etc. So after I left work Sunday morning feeling like a mule who had been kicked around for 12 hours (don't ever let anyone tell you delivering babies isn't hard work), I decided to bite the bullet (they cost $115) and drink the Dansko Kool-aid.

The girl at the Walk-About store told me it takes a few weeks to "break" them in. My first night wearing them I felt like a Geisha walking on thick wooden slats. My feet are completely flat (no natural arch at all) and there was something poking into the side of my foot. So by the end of the night I was practically limping. But that's okay. I can suffer temporarily if the pay off is worth it in the end.

When I woke up Tuesday, my feet felt fine and I wore them to work again. So there I was, standing by the desk in Triage talking, and I pivoted to turn and leave. I must have turned my ankle because the next thing I knew, I was went down. But just like a movie, I went down in my mind in slo-mo. There was a huge Ultrasound machine stationed on the wall next to me and I can remember thinking I was going to hit my head on it. All I could think was "No! Not the head! Broken bones can be fixed, but I need my brain to finish my revisions!!" Everyone said I went down screaming "I'm fine!!" but I don't remember that. Of course, everyone came running to my aid. I jumped up as fast as anyone wearing 5lb wooden clogs can, my face so hot I could fry an egg off it, saying, "Everyone go back to work!"

Tonight is night 3 of the Dansko Clog. Hopefully, I will master the art of wearing them. I just pray I don't have to run in them anytime soon:)

I'm Back... and Free Books!

I'm back from the beach, where we had an incredibly relaxing week. The weather was crummy (only 1 day of sunshine) but I hear it was like that all over north Florida, so better to be at the beach with crummy weather than at home, right?

Meanwhile, I spoke to my fabulous editor at Berkley, Wendy McCurdy, who gave me some great suggestions for revising my manuscript. Like "up the tension in the last half of the book". Now why didn't I think of that? LOL. She's absolutely right of course. I've been brainstorming with myself, not a sin in the eyes of the Church:) and I think I've come up with a few ideas. Now I just have to put them on paper and see if they work out.

Besides sleeping and shopping and playing lots of Scrabble and Monopoly at the beach, I also got to read an advanced copy of Gena Showalter's fabulous new book The Darkest Night. It's absolutely fabulous and incredibly sexy! A must read for everyone. Kristen Painter is giving away an ARC. Go to her blog and check out the details!




And talk about free books... my friend Marley Gibson's first book comes out in less than a month. Leave a comment on her blog and if she gets more than 50, you'll be eligible for a free copy of Sorority 101- Zeta or Omega? Isn't the cover fabulous? I plan to scoop up a bunch of these at her launch party next month!

Off on Mini-break!

I'm nearly finished packing for my vacation (which starts in about 3 hours!). The family is headed off to Seagrove Beach for a week of sun and fun, which I desperately need. Lately, work has been super hectic and as much as I love it, I need a break from birthin' babies.

On another fun note, I mailed in my contract to Berkley. Very exciting! When the guy at the mail store (who is a big talker and loves to see what you're mailing) asked what I was sending, I couldn't help but practically shout, "It's a publishing contract!". He was duly impressed and helped me double check that I had, indeed, signed everything in the right place. I told him years from now (when I'm rich and famous, of course) he could brag that he had helped me start my career:)

Thanks to Mel, I've been turned on to HBO's new miniseries, John Adams. Based on David McCullough's Pulitzer-winning biography, it stars one of my favorite actors, Paul Giamatti.

It also stars Laura Linney, who I've had trouble connecting with since she played in that really disturbing movie, The Life of David Gale, which is probably a testament to what a good actress she is since I can't quite forget her in that role. However, I'm really loving her as Abigail Adams. I remember one of my girls did a report once on First Ladies and picked AA so I knew she was a remarkable woman and I'm really loving how Laura Linney is playing her. Coincidentally, she and Paul Giamatti have played a married couple before in The Nanny Diaries. We all sort of snickered at my house when we made that connection:)

The series is being hailed as true to McCullough's book and the Colonial times look gruesomely authentic (as shown by a very nasty Inoculation scene). But so far the only scene that's disturbed me is the Tar and Feathering scene from Part I. I really had no idea how nasty the process was. I mean, it almost sounds mild (tar and feathers) as opposed to say, Drawn and Quartered. But watching that scene I cannot believe that the victim could have survived having all that hot tar poured over his body. Ugh. Very nasty stuff that was.

The series continues on next Sunday for a total of 7 episodes. And even though I know how it ends :) I'll be eagerly watching.

Make it Work!

Today was my turn to post on the Title Wave Blog. Go check it out. And Happy Easter, everyone!

AI Update

Kristy Lee Cook has not been kind to The Beatles.

I have nothing against the girl. She has a nice voice, is pretty, and seems very sweet in her interviews with Ryan. But for the second week in a row she's managed to butcher a Beatles song and that's just unpardonable in my book.

Last week, she country-fried steak'd "Eight Days a Week", sounding more like a chipmunk on crack than Dolly Parton on crack (as Simon described). But this week, she admitted to the camera she really isn't familiar with the Beatles (So I know that's probably an age thing , but if you're going to call yourself a musician, then you really need to know the superstar classics. It's like a writer saying she's never heard of Shakespeare).

Since Kristy doesn't know any of the songs, she picked one based on the title. Okay. I can live with that it. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is a great song, sung in a beautiful throaty style by Lennon. But I don't think Kristy got it (Lennon wrote the song in homage to the Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, who for a long time had to hide his homosexuality). While you can certainly interpret the song any way you want, Kristy chose not to interpret it, I guess, since she sang it with all the emotion of a wooden puppet on stage.

As sentimental and entertaining as Beatle fest has been the past two weeks on Idol, I say it's time to move on. Same with Kristy Lee.

American Idol: My top 2

Jason Castro.

He's so deliciously cute and sweet, I could eat him up. My kids snickered as I spent the first night of the competition punching my redial button to vote for him over and over, but there's just something about him that I totally love. I guess it's called "it" or "star appeal". Not sure. But I do know that right now, he's my number #1 pick to win this competition.

This week, he did a beautiful rendition of "Hallelujah", which totally worked. He also went guitar-less, which was a risk, because let's face it, who doesn't love a guy with a guitar? I think that totally sealed the deal for me. He doesn't need the guitar to look good. Plus, he doesn't have some of the weird mannerisms that some of the other singers do. Like Michael Johns. While I find Michael cute and his singing very good, there's something distracting about the way he moves and the way he holds the mic.

And there's my other top 2 pick. David Cook. I wasn't so impressed with him initially, but each week I like him more and more. And this week, he totally sold me. He sang "Hello" by Lionel Richie. Which, normally would have been the kiss of death. I didn't like Lionel's music in the 80's and I certainly don't like his music now, but David managed to take a sappy song and actually make me like it. Plus, he's so damn cute.

Seeing a pattern here? Yep. Cute is in.

Speaking of cute, I guess I need to mention David Archuleta, who is beyond cute and has a fantastic voice on top. While I really like David and I loved his version of "Imagine" last week, this week's "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins left me cold. Although I'm sure the rest of America loved it as he seems to be the AI Poster boy this year. I just have the feeling that I could tired of David A's cuteness. Fast.

Unfortunately, due to it being Bunco night, I missed watching the girls perform last night. For some reason, my DVR didn't record it (although I think it was really Mike Geraci messing with the TV that screwed it up). I'm not broken-hearted over it though. The girls are a snooze fest for me. Other than Carly Smithson, who I think has a good chance to make it to the top, I'm just not that impressed with them.

Megan's Confirmation

Megan's Confirmation

(Picutres above because I can't figure out how to post a slideshow AND write something in it at the same time)

Last Saturday, Megan, my youngest was officially Confirmed in the Catholic Church. A good time was had by all, although you wouldn't know it by the pics, as there are no pictures of anyone in the family except Megan and her sister, Stephanie. Sigh. I'm still getting used to my new Canon camera that I got for Christmas. Of course, it would help if I ever took the time to actually read the directions on how to use it.

After the long, long mass was over, I rushed into the Parish Hall where the Confirmati (not sure this is even a real word- but Megan swears that it is) were all posed for a lovely group picture. However, since I did not have my glasses (those were in my purse which Mike Geraci was holding for me) I couldn't see the pea size setting in order to click on the right button to take a picture. Yes, that is how blind I am. So I had to push my way through the crowd, find Mike (who was now stuffing his face with cake), grab my purse, get my glasses and fix the camera setting. By this time of course, the group had dispersed and we had to stand in line forever to get a pic with the Bishop.

I think Megan looks lovely by the way. We had a bit of a skirmach over the dress. She wanted something "else". Translation: something not really appropriate for the sacrament of Confirmation. Her sister (thank you Stephanie) and I talked her into the sweet beige number she's wearing. In the end, I think she really liked the dress because she got a lot of compliments on it.

Save the Cuban Virgins

I used to joke that I was going to make a custom bumper sticker with that slogan. Honestly, people in south Florida would totally get it.

I've been crazy busy this week and haven't had time to do much, even sleep. So I'm just now getting around to checking out some of my pal's blogs. It seems that the world is full of injustice.

Save the Planet Thursday In which Gina ignores the plight of the Cuban virgins and instead tries to save the entire world. Go Gina!

Project Outrage In which Kristen (also ignoring the plight of the CV's) laments on the way Chris was totally dogged by Heidi and co. I couldn't agree with her more.

Word of the Day It seems that Louisa is in need of some dirty jokes. I would post one, but it concerns Cuban virgins and it probably isn't appropriate.

And last but not least:

Couldn't make this up It was rumoured that it was really a Cuban Virgin who was driving. No one knows what happened to her...

Books I loved, Part 2

In an effort to see what Berkley is publishing (besides me... he he) I ran out and picked up a bunch of books a couple of weeks ago. The first one I read is Unpredictable by Eileen Cook. I'm happy to report back that it's a winner! Not only does it have a great cover (eyes to Heaven and hands folded together in prayer, Please, let me be so lucky) but there's a great story inside as well.

Here's a blurb:

Sophie isn't crazy, she just wants her guy back. And posing as a psychic to give his new girlfriend a fake reading designed to break them up isn't going overboard, is it? Don't answer that.
Faking psychic powers turns out to be fun, especially after a few lessons from Nick, the cute skeptic, who teaches her all the tricks of the trade. But her readings do a lot more than she could have predicted. Now she must decide whether to accept her rising stardom in a less-than-honest line of work-and whether the best option is trying to rekindle her old flame or finding romance with someone new. And, most importantly, she needs to figure out whether the answers lie in the stars-or in herself.

Are you a Scarlett or a Melanie?

Today was my turn to post on the Tidal Wave blog. It's all about my fascination with Gone with the Wind. You can check it out here.

Have a great weekend!

Books I Love, Part 1

I just finished reading fellow American Title 2 sister, Gina Black's debut book, The Raven's Revenge. I always knew Gina was a great writer, so it was no surprise that I loved her book. It's historical romance done so really really well that you feel transported back to another time. I smiled, I got choked up, and like all good books, it's inspired me to improve my own writing. Right now, it's available in ebook format here from The Wild Rose Press and in paperback on June 8.

THE RAVEN'S REVENGE
By Gina Black

Katherine Anne Welles lives a life of duty and obligation, but marrying her villainous neighbor is out of the question. So, she defies her father and risks all by fleeing in the arms of a wounded highwayman, even though she distrusts his offer of help. But traveling with a dashing highwayman who won't ask directions is anything but safe. Especially when his searing hot kisses awaken a yearning for something Katherine never knew she wanted.

Nicholas Montford, the exiled Earl of Ashton, returns to England determined to reclaim his family lands. As a highwayman called the Raven, he takes revenge upon the Puritans who thrived while his family suffered. But when he kidnaps heiress Katherine Welles, thoughts of revenge take second place to kissing her soft lips and teasing the mistrust from her eyes. Can he find redemption in the arms of the woman he will eventually betray?

6 Very Dull things

Yes, Louisa, it's taken me nearly a week to think of 6 unimportant things about myself. Honestly, I think everything about me is important, so this was a toughie:)

Here are the rules:

Rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.
5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.

This reminds me of that game they play in Jane Austen's Emma during the picnic scene where Emma accidentally (sort of) disses Miss Bates. That scene is sooo painful to read because you want to shake Emma and scream "no, don't say it!" But of course she does:

"...and she only demands from each of you either one thing very clever, be it prose or verse, original or repeated—or two things moderately clever—or three things very dull indeed, and she engages to laugh heartily at them all."

"Oh! very well," exclaimed Miss Bates, "then I need not be uneasy. 'Three things very dull indeed.' That will just do for me, you know. I shall be sure to say three dull things as soon as ever I open my mouth, shan't I?—(looking round with the most good-humoured dependence on every body's assent)—Do not you all think I shall?"

Emma could not resist.
"Ah! ma'am, but there may be a difficulty. Pardon me—but you will be limited as to number—only three at once."


Okay, so for Louisa, here are 6 VERY dull things about myself:

1. I wake up every morning and do the crossword puzzle while I drink my coffee.

2. I never read the directions unless I absolutely have to.

3. I also never stop to ask for directions. I leave that up to my husband. I will literally drive around in circles before I give in.

4. I have a foot fetish. (I'll leave the details of that up to your imagination).

5. I just don't get the Brad Pitt thing.

6. I am incredibly lucky when it counts. I once went to see Peter Frampton in concert (cut me some slack, it was the 70's) in the Citrus Bowl (downtown Orlando-not a good neighborhood) and after we got into the concert, we realized we left our keys in the car which was parked about 2 blocks away on some random street. If we left the Citrus Bowl we wouldn't be able to get back in and of course, being 18, our priorities were what they were. So after a 6 hour concert we got out at midnight, thinking, "holy shit, what do we do now?" only to discover that the keys to the car were sitting right there in plain view with the car doors open. Yeah, NO ONE deserves to be that lucky.

Now, if I knew 6 people who hadn't already been tagged, I would happily tag them, but I think everyone in the universe has done this one!

Finally, some new TV

Lost premiered last week (yay!) and after that a new show called Eli Stone.

I loved it!

I especially loved Jonny Lee Miller who I've had a crush on since he played Edmund on Mansfield Park (even though I think Edmund is Jane Austen's wimpiest hero), but JL played him sweet and vulnerable and I was totally into him.

But back to Eli Stone.

The show has a great premise: A hot-shot, slightly jaded attorney starts having hallucinations. Really funny ones. Like seeing George Michael-singing-in-his-living-room-type hallucinations. Everyone thinks he's crazy. He goes to an accupuncturist (a really great secondary character named Dr. Chen that I hope is in every show) to try to fix him. But it doesn't work. Then he finds out that he has a brain aneurysm, which maybe explains the hallucinations. Or does it? Cause Eli starts to think maybe he's a prophet (although he doesn't believe in God) which could be another type of hallucination on its own....

His visions tell him what sort of cases he should take and he begins a quest to become a better person. It's a great set up. Loretta Devine plays his mouthy secretary and the show is set in San Francisco, so it's got great visuals.

Plus, I love love seeing British actors play Americans. I'm not sure why, maybe it's because it's the reversal of the ol' fake accent thing (you know, where you fake a British accent) so it's funny to think of them rehearsing an American accent, which of course, doesn't sound like any sort of accent to us... But you get my drift.

Oh, and Eli also has a semi-evil fiance (at least I think she's evil) so there's a romance conflict. I mean, he can't stay with her, right?

I'll have to keep watching to find out.

A thousand Thank you's

I'm finally crawling out of my NyQuil haze to take stock of everything that's happened in the past few days. But I still have to pinch myself to believe it. I'm going to get published! And best of all, I get to write another Bunco book!

When I sent The Church of Bunco off into the publishing void I built a little cocoon around my heart. I let the story go. I let Kitty and Steve go (hero and heroine) even though their story wasn't completely finished. I had to. There was no use writing another book about them because if I didn't sell the first one, then what was the point of another one? This defense mechanism worked pretty well through the holidays. I started another manuscript, only to abandon it after a few weeks in favor of another story. I was just getting my groove into the new plot, when the call came that I'd sold. And that's when I realized just how much I would have hated to have never finished Kitty's story the way I wanted to. I'm just so flippin happy and thankful about that;)

I'm also really happy and thankful that I can breathe again and that my voice sounds almost normal.

And last but not least, I want to thank everyone who took the time to congratulate me. You made me feel like a rock star!

I sold!!

The Church of Bunco sold in a 2 book deal to Wendy McCurdy at Berkley! Woo Hoo!! I couldn't be happier. It was my turn to blog at The Title Wave today, so I spilled the details (in an uncharacteristically long blog) here!

I've been tagged

It's not the first time. But I decided that today I would play. I mostly don't play Blog tag because, frankly, there aren't that many interesting things to know about me (if you keep reading, you'll see what I mean).

Here's the rules:

Link to the person who tagged you;Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours;Post the rules on your blog;Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog;Tag 7 random people at the end of your post;Include links to their blogs;Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Okay, here goes:

1. I was born in Cuba and Spanish was my first language.

2. I detest most types of condiments (mayo, mustard, salad dressing, etc...) If a food can't stand on its own, it doesn't deserve to be eaten.

3. I almost didn't make my First Holy Communion. Sister Pius (yep, that was her name) caught me making "fun" of the mass during one of our many rehearsals in the blistering central Florida heat of May. After a few tears and numerous recitals of the rosary, she gave in and let me do it anyway.

4. I once confessed to a priest that I'd robbed a bank. I was 7 and none of my sins seemed very exciting to me, so I thought I'd make one up. He was speechless (but still made me say the rosary as a penance).

5. In every "test" I take, I come up as a Left Brained person. Huh?

6. My first car was an orange Pinto with a white vinyl roof. Despite the many exploding Pinto jokes (you'd have to have lived through the 70's), it was probably the most reliable car I've ever driven.

7. Despite 3 & 4, I'm probably the most rule driven person ever. If it says not to walk on the grass, then I don't (mostly).

Okay, now that that's over with, according to the rules I'm supposed to tag 7 people. I tag: Gina, Debra, Ruth, and Lucy. Yes, I know that's only 4, but see number 7 about me.

Love in the time of Global Warming

I actually thought this might be a good title for a book. At least, Leon, the cashier at Walmart thought so. But it was shot down by my fab cp Mel. Louisa (other fab cp) never got a chance to shoot it down, as I quickly came to my senses and crossed it off my list of TTBA (Titles to be announced) before ever mentioning it to her.


But as the title implies, I do have to wonder if the earth's thinning ozone has something to do with all the weirdo-ness going on out there.

I'm referring to my obsession with all things ala Tom Cruise. Those who have known me awhile know how I feel about Tom (Just ask Rhoda and Erin. PS- My locker still looks the same as when you 2 "decorated" it 3 years ago). I love Tom as an actor (Jerry Maguire and Rain Man are 2 of my favorite flicks) but let's get real. Tom is becoming almost as weird as Michael Jackson. Tom first came to my notice way back when he did "Risky Business". His dancing underwear scene was hilarious. But as cute as I found Tom in his tidy whities, I have to admit my Gay-dar went into overdrive. I won't even begin to speculate on all the rumors of Tom being gay, or bi, or whatever. That's between him and Mimi, Nicole, Penelope and Katie...



What I do find fascinatingly bizarre is the supposed rumor from the unauthorized biography of Tom written by Andrew Morton (same guy who wrote the stuff on the Royal family) who claims that:



1. Tom is the # 2 guy in the Scientology Church and his "mission" (should he chose to accept it) is to recruit David Beckham.



2. The Church of Scientology is blackmailing Nicole Kidman to keep quiet about Tom by threatening to expose a series of "sex" tapes they have on her.



2. And best of all, that Suri Cruise is NOT Tom's long awaited bio-child after all. Morton claims that Suri was conceived with the frozen sperm of L. Ron Hubbard. OKAY. This is the one that I actually Don't believe.

I mean, really.


Is it the heat that's doing this to us?

My Un Resolutions

I love the New Year. It's a time for beginnings, but I mostly love it because it means Christmas is over, and while I love Christmas (or at least the idea of it) every year it seems to become more and more stressful. This year was no exception. It was my turn to work Christmas, and while I usually don't mind, it was a very depressing 3 nights (I'd violate Hippa laws if I got into it any more than that). I'll just say I'm glad it's all over.



Which brings me to the dreaded New Year's resolutions. I mentioned a few resolutions to my cps, which I do hope to keep- like trying to write 2 books this year (instead of the usual 1 or less). But as for other resolutions (which for me have always been about trying to change something about myself) I refuse to make any. Mainly because I fail year after year to keep them, which in turn only adds to my Catholic guilt in making me feel like a total loser. I've decided instead to make this the year of the Un Resolution.


So this year, I give up trying to diet. I'll eat when I'm hungry, thank you. Ditto for trying to keep my finances in order (that's what Mike Geraci is for), or trying to be more organized. If it hasn't happened after 48 years, it isn't going to magically happen overnight simply because it's January.



I am going to try a couple of new things. I'm going to journal (in the beautiful leather-bound book Mel gave me) and learn how to use the awesome Canon camera I got for Christmas. I've never been interested in photography before, but I'm completely obsessed with the Canon commercials featuring Maria Sharapova and her little dog Dolce.

Watch for future uploads of Maria Geraci and her little dog, Chewey:)

It's Party Time!

The Knight Agency is throwing a party! Everyone is welcome and there will be free give aways. Don't miss it! It starts at 12:30 pm EST today. Here's the link that will take you to the chat room: TKA Party.

On another cheery note, my good friend and fellow American Title 2 finalist Gina Black's book The Raven's Revenge came out last week. I just started reading it and it's fabulous. It's available now from the The Wild Rose Press. Isn't the cover gorgeous?

Worth staying up for....

I love finding new authors to read. So when I was browsing through my local Borders a couple of weeks ago and spotted Forget About It, by Caprice Crane, I thought, why not?

I was more than pleasantly surprised. What a fun read! To make it even more interesting, the author is the daughter of Tina Louise. Remember her? Ginger from Gilligan's Isle? I sooo loved Ginger. Mary Ann and her pigtails made me puke. But Ginger. I mean, there was glamour. Forget that they were on a deserted tropical island. Ginger had plenty of blue eyeshadow and sparkly sequined gowns to last a lifetime of being marooned.

I can't recommend this book enough. Next time I hit the bookstore I'm going to pick up her first book, Stupid and Contagious. Great title, huh?

Fed Ex that Puppy!

I mailed off my Golden Heart entry today. Woo Hoo! Afterwards, I called Mel to celebrate and while we were talking, it occurred to me that this friggin contest has so far cost me almost 100 bucks- $50 for the entry fee, $21 to run off copies at Kinkos, and another $20-something bucks to fed-ex the package to Houston.

Of course, I could have probably saved at least 10 bucks if I'd mailed the thing anytime other than the last minute.

Why I waited till the last minute, is a Freudian mystery. I finished the manuscript almost 2 months ago, so I could have had it in snail mail, no problem. But I concluded a long time ago that I'm somewhat of a thrill monkey. Not the kind who likes roller coasters. The kind who likes waiting till the very last second to turn something in. Plus, I think a part of me was hoping that I'd be ineligible for the GH. But alas, no takers yet. As of today I've received 4 rejections from publishers on The Church of Bunco.

But I'm not discouraged.

I love that story, my cps love the story, and my agent loves the story. One publisher is very interested and my agent has yet to hear from the six or other so editors that still have it on their desk, so there is massive hope in the air. Keeping my fingers crossed!

I'm Not a 9-1-1 Girl

Honestly, I function really well as a nurse.

And I've never shied away from the occasional kid's emergency of broken bones, etc... But there's something about fire that brings out the worst in me.

So last night we had our first real cold weather of the year. 50 degrees is cold in Florida. I was feeling pukey and was laying down on the couch, when I decided that a nice little fire would help soothe my stomach. Mike was still at work, so I yelled for the 16 year-old to emerge from his room and his Guitar Hero to make me a fire. (This consists of bringing in a Duraflame log from the garage) Now, 16 year old is enchanted with anything that produces a spark so he is more than happy to do my bidding.

The chemically treated log immediately set off a beautiful and warm looking little fire. I was content to simply lie on my couch and watch it, until I realized the room was getting smoky.

Crap! The chute (right word?) was closed.

I ran and tried to open the chute. But of course, the chute was friggin hot (as there was this nice little fire blazing) so I couldn't open it. I grabbed for the fireplace instruments, all which proved totally useless in helping me get this chute open. The 16 year old was trying his hardest to open the chute, and my oldest was tossing Morton's salt onto the flames in hopes of extinguishing it.

"Call your dad!" I yell pathetically. "He'll know what to do!"

Mike Geraci's advice consisted of this, "Maria, calm down and open the chute."

Yeah. Easier said than done. Now the fire alarms are going off. Lot of help you were, Mike Geraci.

But it's good to know those fire alarms work.

At my wit's end, I grabbed a large pot from the kitchen, filled it with water and tossed it into the fireplace. Yes! Half the fire extinguished. One more potful of water and my fire was out. Of course, now my living room was filled with smoke and my fireplace was a mess, but I didn't have to call 9-1-1 because my living room was on fire.

The funny (or not so funny) thing about this is that this exact same thing happened to my parents last year.

They really ought to put warning labels on fireplaces for us Floridians.

My Friends Can Write

It's Day 5 of my mini-break from work and I'm almost converted back to being a day person. I've slept, read, caught up on some tv and even have some color in my cheeks. I really have to find a way to keep this mini-break going...

Last night I finished reading Kate's new manuscript, Simply Sinful (soon to be pubbed by Kensington). Wow. It's fantastic. Better than fantastic. And even though I'm not completely sure a couple of the sexual positions are doable (Kate says they are, and I'll take her word for it) it's one of the best, most emotion filled erotic reads ever. I can't wait for the first book Simply Sexual to come out. I only got to read 3 chapters of that one, but my appetite has definitely been whetted.

A couple of weeks ago, I finished Terri Garey's debut book, Dead Girls Are Easy. This one is another wowser. I especially loved the voodoo scenes. Very spooky, yet, funny too. I want to know who comes up with Terri's titles. She has some great ones. A Match Made in Hell, and If You've Got It, Haunt It are the follow ups to Dead Girls.

And now, last but not least, I'm reading fellow AT sister, Gerri Russell's Warrior Bride. I'm only a few chapters in, but already I can see why Gerri is making a name for herself in historical romance. I'm totally drawn in to these characters. The hero, Wolf, ( very sexy name for a very sexy guy) is exactly my type of hero. Mysterious, quiet and all alpha male. I'm having to pace myself on reading this because I'm determined to savor every bit of it. It's been awhile since I've read a medieval I could get into.

What Would Jane Do?

So yesterday was my Birthday. I always feel so blessed (for lack of a better word) to have such great friends. My phone rang off the hook yesterday with well wishers. Thanks everyone!

Mel sent me this very cool Jane Austen doll.

Isn't she awesome looking? (okay, and just a tad bit scary, too) LOL.

She's sitting in a place of honor in my writing closet so I can look up at her for inspiration. Would would Jane Do? Or Write? or Say? is the new mantra of the week.

I'm off for a week now from the House of Horrors (aka: Labor and Delivery). We've been incredibly busy at work lately. Don't these women know that Oct/Nov are low birth months?? Apparently not, as they are coming in in droves. I was supposed to fly out to Texas to visit Rhoda, but I cancelled and I feel like a shit for doing that, but I'm literally exhausted. After spending the last few weeks working, doing kids' activities, and polishing up my manuscript to send out, I'm so sleep deprived I'm not sure what sleep is anymore. Last night I took some Tylenol PM and that helped. I slept for about 6 hours (the longest I've slept in one cycle for weeks). I plan to spend the next 6 days cleaning my pigsty of a house, gearing up for the holidays, sleeping, and reading Kate's fabulous new manuscript. Woo hoo!

Have You Voted Yet?

Voting has been going on for the past 2 weeks in the newest American Title Contest. Round One ends tomorrow, so don't forget to put in your two cents worth! Go here to vote.

On another note, it's my turn to blog on the Title Wave Blog where I talk about best one liners. Go check it out:)

The Best New Shows

Now that the new TV shows are out, I've found a few I definitely have to add to the DVR schedule.

First, there's Dirty Sexy Money. Before I knew a thing about this show, I decided I was going to have to watch. I mean, with a title like that, how could you not have a hit? I was pleased to find that the show's star is Peter Krause, who starred in one of the best TV shows of all time, Sports Night. I nearly cried when Sports Night was cancelled. Honestly.

So back to Dirty Sexy Money. It's about a family of mega millionaires called the Darlings. The patriarch (Tripp Darling) is played by Donald Sutherland. And Nick (Peter Krause) is coerced into becoming the family's lawyer. It's funny, sexy and yes, at times, dirty. I think my favorite character so far is the Reverend Brian Darling. He takes the phrase "I hate you!" to new heights.

Next is Pushing Daisies. This was another show I was immediately drawn to by the previews. It looked campy and fun and the lead guy was cute, so I thought, why not?

The premise is this: Ned (cute guy, or also known as Lee Pace) can bring back the dead with a single touch. The hitch: If he touches them again, they die. And if he doesn't touch them again within a minute, then someone else dies in their place. Ned works as a piemaker in his shop called, The Pie Hole (don't you love it?). Things get complicated when a PI discovers Ned's talent and blackmails him into bringing back murder victems long enough to discover who killed them to collect the reward money. Things get real-l-l-l-y complicated when Ned brings back his first love, Chuck (I know what you're thinking, but her real name is Charlotte. It's not that kind of a show...). Of course, he can't touch Charlotte, or she'll die again, permanently. Talk about romantic conflict!

I've watched the first two episodes of Private Practice. It hasn't totally sold me yet, but I'll keep watching. For awhile. Another good show is Journeyman. Although I'm ticked off that they showed one episode and then didn't have another new episode the next week. Haven't the marketing people heard of striking while the iron is hot?

Following Mel's Lead

I've decided to sweat with Sven.

Every once in awhile, Mel comes up with a great idea (okay, more than just every once in awhile). We're going to power write though the next 3 months.

While my agent is shopping around The Church of Bunco, I'm going to be working on my next non-bunco book. It's tentatively titled, "He Loves Me Not". So far, I've finished up a couple of chapters and I think I see a direction. Hopefully, the muse will be kind and stay with me:)

My goal is to have the rough draft completed by Jan. 15.

Whew

I finally finished my manuscript, The Church of Bunco. CP's have read it and approved and it went to my fab agent, Deidre Knight last week. Hopefully, I'll hear that she approves too. I should hear something by the end of the week (fingers crossed!)

I learned so much about my writing process with this story. I used to think of myself as a plotter, but the plotting is what actually got me in trouble and delayed my finishing it for so long. Once I let go and just let myself write, the story sort of wrote itself.

Sort of :)

I'm working on a blurb for the query letter. This is the version I have so far:

Kitty Burke lives for Thursday nights. That’s when she, her two best friends, and the rest of the Bunco Babes of Whispering Bay, roll dice, drink frozen margaritas, and catch up on all the gossip in their small north Florida town. Kitty is thirty-five and the only Bunco Babe who’s still single; not that she hasn’t tried to find Mr. Right. But Kitty’s version of the ideal man is Crash Davis, the character Kevin Costner played in her favorite flick, Bull Durham. And men like Crash Davis don’t exist in real life. But that’s okay. Kitty has everything she needs in her bunco group. If Susan Sarandon can worship at the Church of Baseball, why can’t Kitty worship at the Church of Bunco?

When Kitty meets Steve, she finally finds a guy who curls her toes. Too bad her closest friends don’t approve. Steve’s three failed marriages make him more a candidate for a Jerry Springer episode than potential husband material. Kitty decides to go against her best friends’ advice and dates Steve anyway. What they don’t know can’t hurt them, right? But it’s Kitty’s heart that’s on the line when she finally learns that woman cannot live by bunco alone.

I just didn't Love it

I almost died when I woke up this morning (about 3 am-but that's what happens when half the time you sleep days and work nights...) and discovered it was my turn to blog on the Title Wave Blog. I mean, crap, I haven't had time to blog here, but I can't diss on my fellow AT 2 sisters, so I had to come up with something. I frantically looked around for some inspiration. Found none, and opened up my email.

Aha!

Multiple emails asking me to judge the Golden Heart contest again. Instant blog material.

In a nutshell, "I just didn't love it" is what I learned from judging last year. The full explanation behind that is in my Title Wave Blog. Go check it out:)

American Title 4 already!

It's hard to believe that it's already time for the American Title 4 contest to get under way. Go check out Theresa Meyer's interview with Dorchester editor, Leah Hultenschmidt on the Title Wave blog. She's got some interesting things to say.

Oh, and if you haven't already read it, make sure you read Mel's first author blog over at the HEA Cafe. As usual, my girl does not let down.

My Big Fat Cuban Baby

That's the title to a book I might write in the future. The fact that I DID have a big fat Cuban baby (Kevin weighed 9 lbs) makes it almost seem autobiographical, but I think it has potential. My friend Sybil actually came up with it :)


Of course, I can't write anything new until I finish the revisions on "Church". I got stalled out when I tried to make it into a series. Just like me to think of a series when I haven't even gotten the damn thing published yet, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now I'm having to go back and add back all the stuff I'd put in originally because a book has to be as best as you can possibly make it. Plus of course, you know I have to add in some more stuff as well. But at least I'm listening to some good music when I do it. Go check out Colbie Caillat's Coco album. It's awesome.



Next week I'll be off to Cancun with the family. I'm taking my iPOD and my laptop with me and hoping I'll come back with a polished manuscript I can give to my cps.

Check this out

I'm being a blog pimp today and telling you to go to the Title Wave Blog. Ruth Kaufman has done a great interview with Anna Campbell, the author of Claiming the Courtesan. I had the opportunity to first meet Anna during the National RWA conference in Atlanta last summer. She had recently sold on auction to Avon (!!!) and was on cloud nine. I met up with Anna again in Dallas this month and she's so incredibly sweet and warm. A real bundle of energy and just so inspiring!

In Which Maria Shows Out

If white girls have hissy fits, and black girls "show out", what do nice Cuban girls do? Personally, I kind of like the term 'show out'. It really describes what I did better than hissy fit. And besides, hissy rhymes with prissy, and I'm definitely not prissy.


The Friday before I went to Nationals, my husband decided we had to buy a car. We knew we had to get a new car by the end of summer, and Mike Geraci decided that the Friday before one of the busiest weekends ever, was the perfect time to do it. So we set out with a blank check (from the instution we had gotten our pre-approved loan from) and hit the car dealerships in Tallahassee. I had narrowed my choice down to 3 minivans. The Toyata Sienna, the Honda Odyssey and the Nissan Quest. As Mike repeatedly said, "This is your car, honey. Get what you want." Translation: Get you want as long as you get the Toyota. (Mike Geraci's first car was a Toyota and he has a thing for them).



After doing a preliminary search at the Nissan and the Honda dealership (really to humor me) Mike led me to the Toyota place.



"Now here's a minivan," Mike says, admiringly. "It's the #1 minivan for reliability according to Consumer Reports."


I nod silently. The fact that I'M the one who told him this doesn't stop him from repeating it over and over. The salesman also has a case of parotitis, as he also feels compelled to repeat this statistic over and over as well.


I tell the saleman that I want a 2007 Sienna with a DVD player with the cordless headphones and I that I don't want to pay over $30,000 (Mike and I had agreed on this price earlier). At first, he looks at me like I'm crazy, but after sighing heavily, he nods and says something to the effect of "I think we can work something out."


We then test drive the Sienna, and Mike and I both think it drives just dandy. We're now ready to deal. After spending another half hour convincing the salesman that we do not want to finance through Toyota, we get to the haggling phase. All of a sudden, the "we think we can work something out" becomes more like, "well, it's unrealistic to think you can get the best selling, most reliable minivan on the market for the unreasonable price of $30,ooo. Oh, and the DVD player? No way. That will cost an extra 2,000 bucks. "


Up until now, Mike Geraci and the salesman have been doing all the talking. So I interject with, "But I want the DVD player. And I don't want to pay over $30,000."


The salesman barely glances at me and says, "You can get one at Sam's for way cheap and plug it into the cigarette lighter."


"But I don't want one you plug in the cigarette lighter. I want one with the screen that comes off the roof and the wireless headphones."


By now, the "Finance Manager" has come to help out the salesguy in explaining to us that we're being totally unreasonable in our demands. He goes over the list of the options in the car, including a $1000 option that includes road side assistance.


"Why do I need to pay $1000 for road side assistance? I can get AAA for 50 bucks a year. Besides, isn't this the 'most reliable minivan on the market'"? I ask, making quote marks with my fingers.


Finance Manager and Salesguy now begin to look at me with hostility and throw Mike Geraci sympathetic looks.



Mike Geraci sees the strom brewing and smartly shuts his mouth.


"Ma'am," says Finance Manager, "I don't think you understand the price breakdown."


"Oh, I understand all right. You guys are full of bullshit." I glare at Salesguy. "What's the first thing I said to you when I came on the lot over 2 hours ago? I said I wanted a 2007 Sienna with a DVD player and I didn't want to pay over $30,ooo and you said we could work something out."


This flusters Salesguy to the point of muteness.


Mike is now trying to hold back his laughter.


Finance Manager looks aghast as if he's never heard a woman say bullshit before. "Ma'am, I don't want to get short with you."


Short with me??? Is this guy serious?


I'll leave the rest up to your imagination, except to say that I calmly explained to them that they had wasted over 2 hours of my time and that I was the customer and I wasn't going to settle for anything less than what I wanted at the price I wanted to pay and that I was very happy they were selling the Most Reliable, Best Selling Minivan ever and that I'm sure they could find another chump to sell it to.


With that, I nodded to Mike Geraci, who jumped from his chair to silently follow me out to our car.


"Wow," Mike says, looking a little turned on. "I never knew you had it in you."


Really? Considering we've been married almost 22 years and his nickname for me is "Mal Genio" (sp?) ('bad tempered one' in Spanish) he should have known.


To make a long story short, I took my business 30 minutes north to Thomasville, Georgia, where the lovely George from Thomasville Toyota sold me a 2007 Sienna WITH a DVD player for $ 6,000 LESS than the price they wanted in Tallahassee. I soooo want to drive my new minivan past the Tallahassee dealership and stick my tongue out at them. But I'm much too polite for that.

Back from Dallas

I haven't unpacked the suitcase yet (and much to my hubby's chagrin, it might stay that way for awhile) because I have a whole new spurt of writing energy I have to work out. yay!

If you want to see what I did in Dallas, check out the Title Wave blog. Also, check out Blogging National for links to more conference buzz.

helloooooo

And y'all thought I was bad about not posting frequently...

Maria...where are you????

Facelift, anyone?

My high school reunion is coming up next month. My goal was to lose about a thousand pounds before the big day (cough, cough) but somehow, time has crept up on me and that hasn't happened yet.

A couple of the guys I went to high school with live here in Tallahassee, so we had a little "pre-reunion" and met for lunch last Saturday. Jeff, on my right, is a political cartoonist. You can check out his blog here. And Bill, on my left, works for the state doing something very important with Grants. In case you're wondering, I'm 5'6", and yes, Bill did play on the basketball team. He also had a great 70's 'fro going back then, so you can add a few more inches to his HS height. He was a pretty imposing figure on the courts, I'll tell you that.

Jeff posted the above picture to our Yahoo Reunion site. Although, he did promise Bill and I he'd photoshop it first (adding in more hair, shaving off a few lbs, etc) He couldn't shave off any lbs, but he did manage to take off a few years

Ah! The beauty of photoshop!

Everything's bigger in Oregon...

Cuz that's where the sexy cowboy on the left is from:)

My wonderful chapter (yes, it's mine) RWA Online has started a program of Book Reviews and I was lucky enough to score a free copy of Kate Pearce's newest book.

I can't say enough great things about it. It's well written, fast paced and suffice it to say that Ms Pearce once again lives up to her nickname of "Naughty Kate".

Word of warning: Expect to stay up late once you start reading!

WHERE HAVE ALL THE COWBOYS GONE?
by Kate Pearce
Review by Maria Geraci

While on a business trip to Vegas, Lauren Redstone falls into the lap of sexy cowboy Grayson Turner. When he offers to buy her a drink, Lauren ends up getting more than just her thirst quenched. After a wild night of passion, Lauren wakes up married to the hunky, mysterious cowboy from Oregon. Grayson might be Lauren’s ideal roll in the hay, but she has no intention of permanently roping herself to a man who might turn out to be as domineering as her father. Determined to keep Lauren as his bride, Grayson convinces her to give him two weekends to prove to her they’re compatible in every way possible.

From the stables of an Oregon ranch to the streets of San Francisco, Ms. Pearce weaves an erotic tale of two soul mates who must overcome the machinations of their interfering families and the modern day conundrum of juggling two busy careers. There’s never a second in the book that you don’t root for exactly that to happen.

Lots of steamy sex scenes and an absolutely to die-for-hero will have you whistling Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy long after you’ve finished reading this elegantly written, fast paced story. Don’t miss it!

Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? is available for pre-order at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

I'll tell you who I want

Okay, I'm showing my dweebness again, but I can't help it. I'm totally hooked on the NBC show, "Grease, You're the One that I Want". Tonight is the big finale. I started watching a couple of months ago when the show premiered. I loved the premise- A national talent hunt for 2 unknown actors to play Danny and Sandy in the upcoming Broadway revival of Grease. Like American Idol, viewers have been voting for their favorites and it's narrowed down to 2 Sandys and 2 Dannys. Tonight, we'll find out who wins.

My money is on Laura and Max. Both of them were huge uonderdogs in the beginning. At first, I loved Chad (but then who didn't?), but Max has totally won me over as Danny. And I just can't see anyone now but Laura playing Sandy.



Laura (This girl can sing!)


Ashley (adorable, but has an irritating voice)







Max (not so hunky, but absolutely riveting to watch on stage)




Austin (hunky and cute, but missing something)

Synopsis help

I know I've been a bad blogger lately. I've been trying sooo hard to get the rough version of my ms polished enough to let my cp's read it that I've been neglectful here. But I had to pop in today and recommend this great site. It's the Happily-Ever-After Cafe, a blog written by RWA Online's pubbed authors. Claire Delacroix is offering a free synopsis workshop right here. Claire's workshops are always wonderful, so if you need synopsis help, this is the place to go!