Savannah Evening One

So now that we're all together it's time to go sightseeing. Mami, Carmen and me head out of the hotel on Liberty Street and start walking. Do we know where we are going? Oh heck no. Despite the fact that both Mami and Carmen have been to Savannah before we have absolutely no idea where we are in comparison to where we would like to be and where we would like to be is well... somewhere fun. Can you tell the Palacios women are not pre-planners? Yes, we all come from the Que sera, sera club. Doris Day would be so proud.

So we're walking along and we see a small crowd lined up on the street. At first, we walk past the crowd, but then a tiny spark lights up in one of our brains and one of us (okay, it was Carmen) decides to ask the crowd what they are waiting for. "The bus," answers one woman. A bus! Genius. We find out the bus is free (good) and that it will take you all around the historic district (even better.) We go by some lovely places that I cannot recall at the moment because we get off at River street and all I can say is: the $20 store.

Let me tell you, if you ever go to Savannah, you HAVE to go to this store. It's fabulous. We all bought rubber watches. I also bought 3 scarves and 2 pairs of sandals all for under $20 each (hence the store's name). Think of the dollar store but add nineteen dollars more. I know the salesgirl thought we were crazy because we kept coming back all night long because the bargains there are just too good to pass up and the more you think about them, the more you must have them.

All this shopping made us hungry and we go off in search of food. But before we eat we decide to buy tickets for the Ghost Tour. I've never been on a ghost tour. I bought tickets to one in Reno when the RWA conference was held there a few years back, but it was rained out and I was majorly bummed. It appears that ghost tours and I are not meant to be. The woman at the ghost tour booth was... well, I'm not sure what she was. Mami is convinced she has smoked one marijuana joint too much. Carmen thinks she's just daffy and I'm almost of the belief that she didn't really exist we just imagined her (kind of like a ghost herself). After about 15 minutes of trying to buy tickets and her fumbling and ruffling pages she never could get us booked and we gave up, disappointed, and went to The Shrimp Factory where a couple of margaritas and a bloody mary later, we felt much better. Of course I also felt much much better after eating my shrimp and grits. It was absolutely delicious.

After dinner, we continued our walk/shopping spree along River Street. If you are a fan of Paula Deen then you are in luck, because just about every store carries her stuff, which includes all the various cookbooks and cooking paraphernalia you can imagine. The other big tourist seller is anything that has to do with the "book" or the "movie", which is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. More on that in the next post...

Eventually, we get tired of the shopping and we head back to our hotel, walking along Bull Street, which is packed with people. The night is beautiful. The weather is cool and crisp and the atmosphere is quaint. The one tiny drawback is the smell, which is not so crisp and quaint. This is because the streets of the historic district smell like horse urine. There are more horse drawn carriages than there are cars. I didn't mind the smell though, because it's all so very lovely. We get to our room, where we collapse on our beds and get ready for a good nights sleep because we have lots of sight seeing to do tomorrow.

My one regret of the night? I should have bought candy at the Savannah Candy Kitchen, where the pralines and the salt water taffy abound. It was one of the cases where I thought we'd be back and I could buy at my leisure. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Lesson learned. Live in the moment!

Savannah Day One

Yay! My blogger function is finally back up. For those of you who don't blog or use Blogger, the site was down for a couple of days last week and it ate my cookies. Or wanted me to have more cookies. Or get rid of my cookies. I'm not sure which. I just know that I tried to fix my cookies myself and couldn't. Oh well, that is what Mike Geraci is for (among other things.)

This past weekend I met my sister and mother for a girls trip to Savannah. It was absolutely fabulous. I can't believe I haven't been there before. It's about a 4 and half hour drive from Tally so that's not too shabby. You just hop on I-10, loop around Jax then head north on I-95. Pretty simple. So Friday I woke up and did a bit of cleaning because I just can't stand to leave the house in a mess. I know. I probably should have just left it as is, but my reward was that I returned to a fairly clean house, so yay!

First thing I do before heading on any road trip is get my gear ready. This includes having a caffeinated beverage of choice in my cup holder and a really great CD to listen to. So before I got on the highway I went by the Starbucks drive-through for a mocha frappucino (grande). Mocha frappucino was good, going through the drive-through, big mistake. When I rolled my window down to give the Starbucks guy my cash, a giant bug of unknown origin flew into my car.

Now, living in Florida, I am used to big bugs, however when I can't identify the said big bug in question, this makes me nervous. The bug was black, could fly (obviously) and looked like a big wasp. Maybe it was a big wasp. Not sure. I just know I started yelling at the bbici (big bug I can't identify) to fly out of my car. "Get out!" "Get out!" So what if the bug can't understand me, I'm sure he understood my tone because the second I started yelling the bug went crazy and started flying all over the car.

The Starbucks guy must have thought I was yelling at him because you should have seen the look on his face. He's like, lady, get out of where? Just about that time, the bbici flew out my car window. The Starbucks guy then saw what I was yelling at, ducked and the bbici flew into the store through the drive-through window.

He. Sorry, Starbucks, but thanks for the latte.

Now with my latte in hand, I start my drive. And can I just say, to the guy who broke Adele's heart, thank you. I listened to 21 for the entire 4.5 hour drive and never got tired of any of the songs. Heartbreak music is the best. I stopped once on the trip up, somewhere about 30 minutes into Georgia where a Chik-Fil-A sign lured me liked the Piped Piper lured the little children, only to discover that the Ckik-Fil-A was closed for renovations. Talk about disappointment, although it is probably for the best that I didn't get to snarf down a chicken sandwich because I arrived in Savannah with my healthy appetite intact and I would have hated to waste my first night's dinner because I'd filled up on Chik-Fil-A which I can have any day (except Sunday) just right down the street from me.

After checking into the hotel (Courtyard Marriot on Liberty Street) I went to find my room, only to see this just two doors down.




Yep, it was a bachelorette party in progress, complete with tiny penis decorations on the door and all. By this time, my sister and mom had arrived and we stood in front of these two doors laughing and reading the various signs. Our room was right across from the ice machine and I was afraid we might hear some revelry going on, but nope. We slept like babies both nights.

More, later...

Something Borrowed

Just saw the movie tonight with my girls (Loinfruit and Daughter #2). It was fun! I'm always afraid when they make a movie about a book I love that they'll screw it up but luckily this wasn't the case. The casting was so spot on, especially the role of the deliciously yucky Marcus, played by Steve Howey. I know the critics have been slinging arrows at this one, but if you like the book, you'll like the movie. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

Splitsville for Maria and Arnold

I really thought they'd make it. But alas, no. Apparently another one bites the dust.

I'll be honest, years back when I first heard of this coupling, I laughed. She seemed too smart for him and he seemed... well, he was The Terminator. Enough said. Then Arnold proved he was really kind of smart after all. And there was this great "opposites attract" thing going on. Plus they were both Catholic and had 4 kids and Arnold went into politics which seemed right up Maria's alley.

I have to admit, I'm kind of sad.

But then, as I often do these days whenever I'm feeling a little blue, I just think of Princess Beatrice's hat and I smile and everything sad is forgotten. Because, well, you know. Really.

Mom is happy

Happy Mothers Day weekend! This is a picture of the beautiful tulips I received yesterday from Loinfruit (that is code for Daughter #1 who is grown up and lives in Tampa). Aren't they pretty? I love tulips. Especially multi colored ones like this. A perfect gift!

Bunco!

Last night, I rolled 3 buncos, which for me, was almost like a miracle. It's the first time in like 11 years that I've won most overall Buncos in a night. I have no problem with most games (or least games) or even the Boobie prize, but for some reason rolling those three sixes have become an elusive challenge.

The way my Bunco Broads play, a Bunco is nothing less than three 6's. So it's not easy to win one. We also play that whoever grabs the dice after a Bunco is thrown gets 2 points per dice grabbed. It makes for some very fun (and interesting) play. Yay me!

Books for everyone

There's two new books out this week from fellow GBC authors! The cool thing is that there's something for everyone in the house here.

Exposure by Therese Fowler.
Amelia Wilkes’ strict father does not allow her to date, but that doesn’t stop the talented, winsome high school senior from carrying on a secret romance with her classmate, Anthony Winter. Desperately in love, the two envision a life together and plan to tell Amelia’s parents when she turns eighteen and is legally an adult. Anthony’s mother, Kim Winter, who teaches at their school, knows—and keeps—their secret. But the couple’s passion is exposed sooner than planned: Amelia’s father, Harlan, is shocked and infuriated to find naked pictures of Anthony on his daughter’s computer. Just hours later, Anthony is arrested.

Despite Amelia’s frantic protests, Harlan uses his wealth and influence with local law enforcement and the media to label Anthony a deviant who preyed on his innocent daughter. Spearheaded by a zealous prosecutor anxious to turn the case into a public crusade against “sexting,” the investigation soon takes an even more disturbing and destructive turn.
As events spiral wildly out of control and the scandalous story makes national news, Amelia and Anthony risk everything in a bold and dangerous plan to clear their names and end the madness once and for all.

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And now for the ten and under crowd: Looking for a great series for your elementary school kid? Then look no more. The Sisters 8 by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is a great series to introduce the kiddos to. Book 7 Rebecca's Rashness came out this week.

8 Little girls (octuplets, actually. Can you imagine?) mysteriously lose their parents and must band together and use their talents to find out what happened to them. Sounds terrific, doesn't it?

I love you more than my luggage

Recently a good friend (Sybil, you know who you are) said this expression to me on Facebook while we were discussing who we liked/didn't like on American Idol. As first I was like, "huh?" Then she said she was quoting Steel Magnolias and I was like, oh, now I get it. I'd never heard the expression because I've never seen the movie all the way through. Yes, I know, it's heresy, I'm probably like the only woman in the world (except for Mel, I think) who doesn't like this icon of female cinematography, but I can't help myself. Not sure why I don't like it, but I don't. I can't get past the first 30 minutes. I also don't like Chocolat. There. I feel so much better admitting that.

So now that would mean almost nothing except since hearing this expression, I've heard it at least 3 other times in less than a week. What is up with that? Have I been hearing it all along and just not "getting" it. I think that's probably it. And while I'm at it, what does it mean exactly? I love you more than my luggage. Does anyone really love their luggage? I love you more than my Louis Vuitton. Now that expression means something.

My Weird Post

Today, I'm over at the Stiletto Gang, hanging out with my fellow writers and talking about VOICE. You know what voice I'm talking about. Your author voice. Go check out the post right here. I pay a little tribute to Eleanor Brown and her fabulous new book The Weird Sisters.

I have to say, the first thing that struck me about that title, was well, the title. If you've read my latest book The Boyfriend of the Month Club, then you know I like to use the word "weird" and I like writing "weird" characters.

Mike Geraci likes the word weird too. He uses it all the time, completely out of context. Such as:

Mike Geraci: "Wow, that was a weird movie."

me: "Didn't you like it?"

Mike Geraci: "Well, yeah, I liked it."

me: "What was weird about it?"

Mike Geraci: "I don't know. The whole thing." (he says with a weird vague look on his face)

And while this might be off topic, can I just say that's it a little weird that I'm finding Ralph Macchio completely cute and sexy this season on Dancing with the Stars? That's right. I have a weird crush on Daniel-son. Can you believe he's 49????

Happy Monday Morning

Happy Monday morning (you know how I love Mondays!)

This particular Monday is extremely awesome. Besides being Dancing with the Stars night , this Monday signifies the official beginning of "warm" weather season. Here in Florida we have a pretty much non-existent spring. We go from what we consider cold to hot in just a couple of weeks (sometimes days). Personally, I consider spring in Tallahassee the short time that the millions of azaleas bloom. Once the blooms start to fade, then it's "almost summer." Another sign? Love bugs. If you don't know what a love bug is, then consider yourself a happy car owner.

The other big sign that it's almost summer is the end of Lent. The Geraci clan celebrated Easter yesterday in the TB (Tampa Bay) area, starting with mass at St. Francis of Assisi in Seffner, followed by an unbelievably awesome buffet at Jackson's Bistro at Harbour Island, then rounded up our trip back to Tally with a stop in Gainesville to wish Only Son good luck with his finals this week.

So yay for Monday, yay for almost summer, and yay for what promises to be a terrific week (culminating with the big Senior Prom for Daughter #2. Did I tell you that I'm going to be hosting 9 high school couples for Prom dinner? More on that later...)

Meanwhile, check out this awesome Earth Day banner Daughter #2 and her pals made as part of their AP Environmental Science class project. I took a secret snapshot of it while it was drying in our garage. Pretty cool, no?

Good Friday and The Weird Sisters

Ah, I have been such a bad blogger. Can't believe an entire week has gone by without blogging, but I have been basking in the glow of my new sale (aka spending way too much time on the computer and emails). That said, Good Friday, everyone!

Back in the day (that would be my youth) Good Friday was always the bleakest of bleakest days. Being raised a strict Catholic it meant no school (yay!), no tv, no radio (boo!) no fun, no meat, and going to church at exactly 3pm. The best part of Good Friday was that it meant that Lent was almost over.

I'll admit my giving up of the Holy Trinity (diet coke, bread, and chocolate) has not gone well. I did great for the first 2 weeks of Lent, but then fell off the wagon and have had some of each. However, I have had much less of each (especially the diet coke, which was the hardest) so I feel pretty positive over all.

Tonight is my book club night and we're discussing The Weird Sisters. Great read, btw! I will definitely being taking pics and posting on that, so stay tuned.

Want a chance to win another great read? FREE? (Did I say the magic word?) Then hop by the Stiletto Gang where fellow Girlfriends Book Club member Cindy Jones is giving away a copy of her new book My Jane Austen Summer. Just leave a comment by Sunday. How simple is that?

Happy Easter, everyone! May the Bunny bring you lots of chocolate!

Good News, Bad News

I'll start with the good news first. I sold another book! Here's the blurb that went to Publishers Weekly:

Maria Geraci's THE UGLY GIRLFRIEND, after accidentally finding out she's the "ugly friend" in her crowd, Emma tries to channel her inner swan, only to discover that some labels are hard to shed, to Wendy McCurdy at Berkley, in a nice deal, by Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency. (World English)

Yay! I'm so very excited about this book I could burst.

Now, for the bad news. It's official. All My Children has been cancelled. I blogged about it over at The Girlfriends Book Club. Sigh.

Is Kirstie cursed?

I should say not! How could Kirstie be cursed when she has hottie Maks as her partner? But twice in a row now she's had a mishap and the tabloids are a buzz with Kirstie's bad luck. And if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about it's Dancing with the Stars, which imo is having a rather excellent season.

Last week, Maks pulled a thigh muscle (he!) during their rumba and fell, bringing Kirstie down with him. He apologized profusely and was quite the gentleman. I'll admit, in 12 seasons of DWTS I've never seen Maks so taken with his celebrity partner. Not even the ones he was supposedly romantically linked to. Kirstie is old enough to be Maks' mother and is no size 6, but honestly, I see a whole lot of chemistry between them. Not in a romantic way, but in the kindred spirit way. I think Maks genuinely likes Kirstie and it shows in their performance (when he's not dropping her, that is).

This week, Kirstie lost a shoe during their waltz. Personally, I'd like to see Maks lose his shirt more (which happens quite a bit, much to Judge Len's chagrin, although not enough for me). But despite these little setbacks I still think Kirstie and Maks are the couple to beat for the big Mirror Ball trophy coveted by B Grade celebrities and professional dancers alike.

My prediction for the final four? Kirstie and Maks, Hines and Kim, Ralph and Karina, and Chelsea and Mark. Final winner? It's any one's guess!

Fat Boy gets in a fight

This is a picture of Lucky Geraci aka Fat Boy. He wandered up to our house about 8 years ago and plunked himself down in our yard. He looked like he'd just escaped from Auschwitz he was so skinny. He wasn't wearing any tags (and I'll be honest, I didn't think about taking him to the vet to see if he had one of those chips inside him.) He had been declawed and was obviously starving.

Now, I'm not a cat person, but I'd been tricked a few years earlier into getting a cat (Lizzie aka Heartless Bitch) by my two daughters, so I wasn't totally clueless about cats. Urged by Daughter #2 to "do the right thing" I put some food and water out by the garage. Of course, the dang cat gobbled it all up. So I put some more food out there. Repeat previous sentence (the dang cat gobbled it all up again).

Later that night it began to storm. Now Daughter #1 joined in the fight to "save" the cat. Clueless Son, who was probably off playing Nintendo, did not join in the argument one way or another (clearly he is destined to be a dog-man). So because I still have a heart, I took the cat in. Hence she (we later found out he was a neutered male) was bestowed with the name "Lucky."

Lucky spent the next 3 days in the laundry room lying on top of my warm vibrating dryer (which saw a lot of action in those days because I have 3 kids), alternately eating, using the litter box, and sleeping. After about 2 weeks, he looked more like a fat prison guard at Auschwitz and Mike Geraci bestowed the name "Fat Boy" on him and we have loved him ever since. However, we cannot keep the dang cat inside. He craves the outdoors. So he's an indoor/outdoor cat with no claws. Ay caramba. If I had a teenager who was driving I couldn't be more worried (oh, wait, I have 2 of those as well).

Speed forward to the next 8 years. Lucky now roams the neighborhood like he's King Cat. Mostly he guards our front yard, but he also likes to go over to the neighbor across the street because there are horses in the lot behind their house. He's had one snake fight that I know of (because I witnessed it and subsequently killed the snake myself) but other than that he's pretty peaceful. So imagine my surprise when he came home one day with a part of his tail scratched. I figured he had scraped it trying to squeeze in between the fence. I put some Neosporin on it and kept an eye on it. Within a few days it had begun to abscess and all the hair on his tail was falling off. This means a visit to Dr. Steve (local veterinarian.)

According to Dr.Steve, Lucky was in a tomcat fight. What? My sweet old Lucky is running around fighting at night? It appears so. A shot of good old fashioned antibiotics and few days later, Lucky is on the mend. Of course, he still goes out several times a day, although I've noticed he's now hanging out in the backyard more. Still, it's weird knowing he has this secret life I know nothing about. It makes me wonder what my teenagers are up to...

This is a bad picture of Fat Boy's tail, which is healing very nicely.

Want to get published?

How would you like a chance to be featured in a great winter anthology alongside other women fiction authors?

“Sleigh Ride” is an anthology of short stories by women for publication in the fall of 2011 as a print book and e-book by Buzz Books USA, an independent press and promotions company in the Midwest. The book is also a fundraiser for education and awareness of domestic violence with $1 of each book sale being donated to the cause. Stories will be gathered via a contest and judged by professional writers in other states. The anthology will include original works by published authors (yes, I 'm one of them!) as well as aspiring authors who have entered and won the contest. A minimum of ten stories/authors will be included in the anthology.

Here's the link to the complete 411.

The End

NO April Fools Joke here. Although I do wish everyone good luck with their pranks today;)

Mike Geraci and I got into a little snit over our morning coffee on who was taking the dog and the cat (Charlie and Lucky) to the vet this morning. I swear, last night he told me HE was going to do it. He said I had said I'd do it.Guess who won? I think instead of apologizing for my crankiness I will blame the whole thing on an April Fools joke. I'll let you know Monday if I got away with it.

Okay, so on to this morning's post.

As writers we always pay so much attention to our opening lines. It, along with the first few pages, is what draws the reader in, so we spend countless hours editing that first line and making sure it "pops." But what about our last lines?

Fellow GBC sister Ernessa T. Carter is over at the Girlfriends Book Club talking about last lines. You can check her post out right here.

For fun, I thought I'd post the last lines to my own books.

"I play Bunco on Thursdays. Every Thursday. No exceptions. It's sort of like my religion."
He smiled. "I know. I get it now."

Because it is a truth universally acknowledged that when a woman gets a diamond engagement ring, she must show it off to her closest friends.

He was just Joe. And that was more than good enough for Grace.

What Amanda Hocking and Barry Eisler can teach us

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

New Releases today!

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

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

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

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

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

Weekend Home

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

Lovely Review

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


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



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

Major Wonderful

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

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

These are few of the many sections that I highlighted:

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

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

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

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

Let's Save All My Children

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

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

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

The Man Boy

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

Beautiful Disaster giveaway

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

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


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

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

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

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

Brad, will you please shave now?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Casting my story

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

Chick Lit Challenge

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

The Day of Mel!

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


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

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

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

Catherine Mann visits FPRW

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Giving up the Holy Trinity for Jesus

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

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

Girls Day Out

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

I Love Romance Junkies

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

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

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

Thank you Romance Junkies! You made my day:)

Happiness is flowers

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

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

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

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

How romantic comedies work

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

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

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

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

Fever Pitch Workshop, Savvy Authors

Feb 28-March 6

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

Oscars!

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

Fear and writing

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

You pierce my soul

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saving Bookstores and Stilettos

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

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

Aloha means free books!

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

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

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

Sex scenes

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

Book Bloggers and Tribal Writer

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

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

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

Writing with Authenticity

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

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

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

Back to writing now!

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

Handling Bad Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

Enough said.

Free Book Friday

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

Me Likes Kate Pearce

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

Here's the lowdown:

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

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

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

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

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

Another nice review for Boyfriend

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

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

Check out the rest over at All About Romance!