Saturday Book Giveaway by Melissa Clark

Okay, there's this book, see, and it's been getting a lot of buzz, but I'll tell you upfront, I did not like it. But others do. I mean, Margaret friggin' Atwood gave it a blurb ("A seriously strange but funny plunge into the quest for authenticity.") If you Google the book, you will see the reviews, some glowing, some scathing, you will see articles and editorials, you will see 5 stars on Amazon and you will see 1 star. How has this book received so much attention? Are you curious? Are you interested? 

The book is "How Should a Person Be?" by Sheila Heti. I made it to page 178 before giving up. (It goes until 306.)

It is a hardback edition in pristine shape.

It is yours if you:

a) "follow" this blog (if you don't already)

and

b) leave a message in the "Comments" section below answering the simple question: How Should a Person Be? (and leave your email where I can contact you)

The winner will be chosen by Random.org on January 11th. I will announce the winner in the Comments section of this entry and we will take it from there.

Perhaps you will love it. Perhaps you will hate it. You'll only know once you win it. Good luck!



Melissa Clark does not attempt to answer the question How Should A Person Be? in her novels. Instead, she probes lazy sperm in Swimming Upstream, Slowly, and women who purr in Imperfect, both available as traditional and e-books. She blogs about various subjects on Connections Clark. Feel free to follow!

Saturday book giveaway - THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE by Julie Buxbaum

PLEASE NOTE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED.   CONGRATULATIONS TO JACKIE BROUCHARD ON WINNING!!

I'm so thrilled to be doing the Girlfriends Book Club book giveaway.  First of all, who doesn't love free books?!  But more importantly, I've decided to give away a copy of one of my favorite books.

THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE by Julie Buxbaum is just one of those books.  You know the type-- the utterly un-put-down-able, make-you-miss-your-subway-stop, tempt-you-to-cancel-your-plans-so-you-can-stay-in-and-read sort of book.  From the first chapter, I was hooked.  I read it in about 24 hours, and since then, have come back to it to enjoy.

Here's what the publisher has to say about it:

With perfect pitch for the humor and heartbreak of everyday life, debut author Julie Buxbaum has fashioned a heroine who will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has loved and lost and loved again.

When twenty-nine-year-old Manhattan attorney Emily Haxby ends her happy relationship just as her boyfriend is about to propose, she can’t explain to even her closest friends why she did it. But somewhere beneath her independent exterior, Emily knows her breakup with Andrew has less to do with him and more to do with...her. “It’s like you get pleasure out of breaking your own heart,” her best friend Jess tells her.

As the holidays loom and Emily contemplates whether she made a huge mistake, the rest of her world begins to unravel. She’s assigned to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit where she must defend the very values she detests by a boss who can’t keep his hands to himself… her Grandpa Jack, the person she cares most about in the world, is losing it, while her emotionally distant father has left her to cope alone…and underneath it all, memories of her deceased mother remind her that love doesn’t last forever.

How this brave young woman finally faces the fears that have long haunted her is the great achievement of this marvelous first novel, written with authority, grace, and wisdom.

And here's a little about Julie:

Julie Buxbaum is the author of The Opposite of Love and After You. Her work has been translated into eighteen languages, and The Opposite of Love has been optioned to film with Anne Hathaway set to star. Julie is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School. For more information about Julie or her books, please check out her website: www.juliebuxbaum.com

So, what are you waiting for?!  Leave a comment below to enter!  Winners will be announced (Sorry, US entries only!) here on Tuesday.  Comment by Monday, December 3 at 11:59pm EST to be entered to win.




I’m the author of SCOT ON THE ROCKS and JACK WITH A TWIST. My third novel, RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, will be published by St. Martin's in 2013. My work’s also appeared in the New York Post and Publisher’s Weekly. You can find me at brendajanowitz.com or on Twitter at @BrendaJanowitz.

The Girls’ Guide to a Book Launch

by the Kenny Powers of Publishing, Jess Riley.

Some of you know I just released my second novel. It’s been four years since I shepherded a book into the world, and I forgot what a stomach-clenching stress-bomb launch day can be.

The day of your book release feels a little like a Christmas morning in which any of the gaily-wrapped boxes under the tree might actually contain a turd. You begin terribly excited: how low will my amazon ranking go? Who will retweet the exciting news? How many fabulous reviews will be posted? How many copies will I sell? Will someone send me flowers? Will I have that special glow about me that people can’t help but compliment so I can blush and say, “Thanks, I just delivered a book baby.”

(Sidebar: did I actually just use the word “gaily?” Moving on. )

As word gets out, you start to wait for that one person to mention it, to say they bought it or loved it or simply acknowledge the fact that you have a new book out, to throw you even the rattiest of bones. The great majority of your friends and family are beyond the moon for you, shouting your great news to the heavens, but you zero in like a laser beam on the fact that ONE fellow author, relative, or friend totally ignored you. This is probably because: they hate you/think your book sucks/hate your politics/think you are a potty-mouth damned to hell/are the meanest, biggest doodoo-heads in the world and probably steal from the elderly and laugh at sick children, they steal from the elderly and laugh at sick children WHILE they’re leaving you a one star review and why won’t they just love you? Why? (sob) You’ll change! You will! You’ll buy them lunch, babysit their kids for free, be their personal chauffeur, change your politics and taste in music if they only validate your existence! Please!

I am NOT like that.

Actually, they’re probably just busy, but we’re funny like that. My dog is like this too, because she always sucks up to the one person in the room who wants nothing to do with her.

And WHOA SALLY if you’re indie publishing your book! Traditional publishing puts little muscle behind your promotion to begin with (unless you’re a Marquee Name, in which case hello! My name is Jess Riley! Do you need someone to pick up your dry cleaning?) When Driving Sideways came out I bent myself into a pretzel for 50 hours a day promoting it: contacting book bloggers, coordinating contests and social media, sending hand-written cards to every indie bookstore manager in a million mile radius, setting up signings and readings, streaking naked through my alma mater’s homecoming game wearing nothing but my book cover in body paint.

Just kidding. I didn’t do that last part. There was one awesome thing I did, and still continue to do: meet with book clubs. They give me wine and laugh at my jokes, and I always drive home afterwards singing along with the radio and feeling like a rock star.

Despite working my heiny off to be noticed in a sea of worthy books, the ONE THING that made all the difference in the world for me was being picked up by Target. One thing that was beyond my control. Well, you write the best book you can, but that’s a given. There are a lot of them out there.

So what advice do I have for you if you’re counting down to your own book launch? If you have a traditional publisher, you still have to promote the hell out of yourself (which most of us hate), but you’re incredibly lucky, because at the very least you will have distribution and consideration by old guard reviewers. People won’t give you the stink eye and say things like, “I only read real books.”

Now.  After rigorous editing and careful consideration, are you indie-publishing? Okay, great! Do you feel that little whinging around the edges of your soul? That’s your ego. Take it in the back yard and shoot it. Now roll up your sleeves and get to work. Email your writer friends for support, and make a huge pot of coffee. You're standing on the edge of a cliff, naked, waiting for someone to either shove you over or wrap you in a blanket and say, "Oh honey, let's get you back to the yurt." But while you wait, there are a thousand book bloggers to put in that spreadsheet ...

Jess Riley just launched her second novel, All the Lonely People. It's about crazy family members and holiday angst and Christmas dinner in a cafe full of dogs. BOOK GIVEAWAY: Email her, leave a comment below, or "Like" her Facebook page by December 1st to win one of three signed copies!

Author Time Warp

by Sara Rosett

The doorbell rang last week and I found a cardboard box delivered courtesy of UPS on my porch.

I frowned. I wasn’t expecting any packages.

 I dragged it inside and saw the label from Kensington books, my publishing house. It wasn’t that time, was it? I trotted off to check my calendar and found that it was, indeed, that time. The paperback version of Mimosas, Mischief, and Murder had released that week.

How had a missed this important event? I’d been caught in the author time warp.

For the last few weeks, I’d been deep in the final draft of my current work-in- progress, the eighth Ellie book, which is set on the Florida Gulf Coast and involves a missing person, celebrities, the paparazzi, and a murder that is mistaken for suicide. My head was full of majestic oaks dripping with Spanish moss, Southern plantations, and emerald beaches. I tend to have tunnel vision as I near the end of the first draft of a book and I hadn’t even thought about Mimosas since I finished the page proofs for the paperback ages ago.

I wrote Mimosas in 2009. The hardcopy version was published last April. It takes place in Alabama and involves a Southern book festival, missing funeral caskets, lost letters from a reclusive author, and a tight-knit Southern family. It was a fun book to write, but when I opened the box and looked at the cover, all I could think was that it felt like I’d written it about five years ago.

Time moves at a glacial pace in publishing. It takes about a year for me to write a book and about a year for it to move through the publishing process. Then, throw in the year between the hardcover and the paperback and add the fog of finishing a first draft, and it’s no wonder that poor Mimosas slipped my mind. Things are changing in publishing. Ebooks have sped things up considerably, but there is still a delay between when I finish the book and when it will be out.

I don’t know if I’ll ever adjust to the crazy world of writing where the book I’m immersed in won’t be read for years and the book that is “out” seems like a distant memory.

Today, though, I’m basking in the “completed first draft” glow (of #*8—no title yet) and can focus much better on Mimosas (#6). I’ll be giving away several copies today. Comment to be entered in the drawing.

~Sara

P.S. Only four months until Mistletoe, Merriment, and Murder (#7) is released Oct 1. Putting it on my calendar now. 

In Red. 

With little stars around it… 

Sara Rosett is the author of the Ellie Avery mystery series, an adult “who done it" mystery series in the tradition of Agatha Christie. Publishers Weekly has called Sara’s books, “satisfying,” “well-executed,” and “sparkling.”

Visit http://www.SaraRosett.com for more information or connect with Sara on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Goodreads.

Once Was Blind, But Now I See, by Melissa Clark

The term 'self-publishing' used to make me cringe. Now I cringe at the fact that I used to cringe at it. I was blind to the entrepreneurial side of it.

My first novel was published by Random House. Naturally, I assumed my second would be, too. But my editor got married and pregnant and - gasp - quit her job, leaving me at square one. I had faith. I had hope. The new book went out wide. I waited. And waited. And waited. My agent suggested this was one of the longest waiting periods she'd ever experienced - through Christmas and even Easter. It was nothing short of a nightmare. 

Finally, responses started trickling in. Editors loved it, were fighting for it at meetings, thought it was a 'page-turner', 'quirky', 'unlike anything they'd ever read' - BUT - BUT - BUT they couldn't get consensus within their company. A book about a person who purrs like a cat? Not everyone was on board. The first positive pass was painful. The second, even worse. Eventually, I stopped counting, but at one point I was praying for a flat-out rejection. Those came, too. We heard from all the A-list companies and then reorganized and sent to our plan B. It wasn't catching there, either. We were scheming ways to send out to our C-list when I suggested we stop the madness.

Around the same time, my friend Leena and I had lunch. Leena is an indie filmmaker and was excitedly talking about putting her movie online (Her film had a wide and successful run at many film festivals). Another friend, fellow girlfriend Maggie Marr, was talking about putting her latest novel online. I trusted both these women. I didn't find anything cringe-worthy about their decisions to 'self-publish'. My final decision came after reading the Steve Jobs biography. I loved reading about the passion he had for figuring out ways to sell the Mac computer - it just seemed so creative and fun. I finished the book and decided I was going to go that direction, too.

I edited my manuscript for the 435th time, reached out to friends and strangers for blurbs, hired a cover designer, a formatter, made postcards, filled out some paperwork and voila! On March 20, "Imperfect" launched as an e-book. 

I have never felt more in control in my life.

I think that this adventure is even more exciting than the first book's publication. AND it's selling. There's still lots of work to do in the marketing and promotions department, but that's what entrepreneurs do.

The publishing climate is changing, and I think the change is favoring authors. And that's certainly something to celebrate.

"Imperfect" is available on Kindle, Nook, and everything else. Melissa will be giving away one copy of her new book to someone who leaves a message here AND follows her on her blog, Connections Clark by Friday, April 6. Winner will be chosen by random.org and announced on my blog.

Falling Uphill by Kelly Sweetwood - E-book Giveaway!

I’m dipping my big toe into the deep end of the e-book pool with a chick lit novel (with a little bit of mystery thrown in) called Falling Uphill, written under the pen name Kelly Sweetwood. And I’m giving away three free copies!

Here’s the scoop on the book:

“Ruth Fenton is dead, but what does that have to do with me?”

That’s what Candace Grey, 29, wants to know after receiving a puzzling phone message from San Francisco. A bright, but slightly absent-minded anthropology teacher at a small Michigan college, Candace is all set to leave for Los Angeles to conduct research on 1960s TV star Pamela Parrish—America’s Sitcom Sweetheart—for her Master’s thesis on television and female gender roles. But after discovering that Ruth Fenton is a long lost relative, she’s first off to San Francisco for her memorial service where she meets a crazy(?) old lady who claims Pamela Parrish didn’t commit suicide like everybody says—she was murdered.

Now Candace has to get to the bottom of it, all while fighting the nagging feeling that her long-time professor boyfriend back home is getting a little too close to one of his students, and at the same time wondering if new-found friend Brandon, a newspaper reporter and budding painter who lives on a hidden stairway street in the hills of San Francisco, is really the guy for her.

It’s a funny, but moving, uphill climb for Candace who finds that things are rarely what they seem in the ups and downs of love or in discovering a surprising secret about her not-so-perfect mother, or unearthing the truth behind the death of America’s Sitcom Sweetheart.

And here’s the scoop on the giveaway:

Just write a comment below about your favorite sitcom star—past and/or present— before midnight, Saturday, January 7, Pacific Time. We’ll draw three random winners. Falling Uphill is available on either the Kindle or Nook platforms—winners can take their choice. And don’t forget to include your email address in your comment so we can contact you if your name is drawn.

As for me, my favorite sitcom star of the past is Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo on I Love Lucy. And currently I’m madly in love with Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory.

Let us know your favorites and you may win a free copy of Falling Uphill!

~~~~~~~~

Wendy Nelson Tokunaga is the author of the novels “Love in Translation” and “Midori by Moonlight,” published by St. Martin’s Press, and the novel, “Falling Uphill,” written under the pen name Kelly Sweetwood. She’s also the author of the non-fiction book, “Marriage in Translation: Foreign Wife, Japanese Husband.” Her essay will appear in the upcoming anthology “Madonna and Me: Women Writers on the Queen of Pop” (Soft Skull Press, March 2012), and her YA short story is to be published in “Tomo: An Anthology of Japan Teen Stories” (Stone Bridge Press, March 2012). She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from University of San Francisco and works as a writing teacher and manuscript consultant. Visit her at: www.WendyTokunaga.com

  

Let's go for a Sleigh Ride!

by Malena Lott

I'll confess: I'm a holiday junkie. I love so many things about October through January 2nd that I couldn't even list them all here, but what they have in common is tradition and that magical romantic quality about the season as a whole. It gets cold. We get closer. Don't we call more, hug more, make more of an effort to connect? The world doesn't slow down, but it does feel more in focus.

Sleigh Ride: A Winter Anthology is definitely my homage to the season and how something as simple as a sleigh ride can have such meaning in our lives. I invited fellow Girlfriend Authors Maggie Marr, Maria Geraci and Samantha Wilde to be a part of it and they graciously accepted. You'll also be introduced to debut authors Dani Stone, Jenny Peterson and Megan Barlog, who are great writers you're going to be seeing a lot more from.

To celebrate our launch, we're doing several great contests including the 7 Sleighs/7 Days of Giveaways contest (now on day 4) as well as the Big Stuffed Sleigh Contest that ends Nov. 30th ($150 value.)

The book is available in trade paperback and ebook. For a chance to win a print galley of Sleigh Ride, leave a comment on WHO YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A SLEIGH RIDE WITH IF YOU COULD INVITE ANYONE IN THE WORLD. What would you talk about? Or would you not be talking? :) Thanks for reading, and happy holidays! 

In order of appearance:

In Samantha Wilde's "Monks and Musicians," a family sleigh ride turns a mother's life upside down, leaving her to decide the fate of her future and family.

In the romantic comedy "Noche Beuna," Maria Geraci shares what happens when a woman breaks tradition and takes the holidays into her own hands.

Jenny Peterson explores the powerful bond of sisters with a painful past in "Fairy Lights."

A phone call out of the blue from the former great love of her life causes a pharmacist to question her past and whether or not a second chance is worth the risk in Dani Stone's humorous, "No Place Like Home."

In Megan Barlog's story, "The Escape," a stable owner with a hover sleigh is drawn to a troubled young woman who needs his help to avoid the bleak future planned out for her.

When her dog jumps out of the car in a snowstorm in Vermont, the California girl has the wildest night of her life on her journey to find her dog and heal her heart in Maggie Marr's, "Dashing Through the Snow."

A grieving mother returns home at the holidays to face the family she walked away from after tragedy in Malena Lott's, "Snowflakes and Stones." 

Called "beautiful" and "touching," this collection is a Good Read/Good Deed project with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the domestic violence prevention cause through the Alpha Chi Omega foundation.  

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365 Snapshot & BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!

By Laura Spinella

This seems like a good juncture for a reflective blog. I was going to go with the publishing mistakes theme, but realized how low we are on liquor. So, instead, I’ll drink what’s left, aptly setting the mood for reflection. Nudge me if I start to slur. It’s an appropriate pause point for a number of reasons, including the birthday I celebrated yesterday. I still get to hang with the forty-something crowd, but not for too much longer. On the upside, this time next year I’ll gape at people in their late fifties, saying, “Holy crap, I’m glad that’s light years away!”




The Ladies of Taunton's Booktini



I actually spent last year’s birthday wondering what this one would bring. The drum roll would have long since passed, and my much anticipated book on the shelf would, with any luck, be… restocked?? If it was a baby, by now it would have teeth and babble a coherent, “Mama.” Truthfully, I’d have it on three or four preschool waiting lists. I never was particularly adept at entertaining small children. Here’s what I didn’t envision a year ago, spending yesterday’s birthday at a book club. When the woman contacted me months ago, I casually mentioned that while I’d love to attend their BEAUTIFUL DISASTER get together, it was my birthday. Maybe another day that week would work? Nope, last Tuesday of the month, that’s their book club date. Fine with me. I was fairly certain I could drink their wine to celebrate, just as well as my own. Honestly, book clubs, by far, have been the unforeseen perk in all this. I thought the signings would be the icing on the cake. Some had their moments, and some were a total bust, but they all came with a level of tension that I could never dial down. Book clubs, on the other hand, were a more natural fit. You get to do a lot of listening, which takes the pressure off. And depending on the group, I often found myself feeling like a lifelong member. Booktini (which has to be the coolest name ever for a book club) in Taunton, MA was one of the best—hand monogrammed wine glasses, door prizes, BEAUTIFUL DISASTER refrigerator magnets, and some of the nicest women I’ve ever met. They made me glad I didn’t listen to people, close kin in some cases, who suggested I bag the book idea and pursue something less fanciful—like, maybe, an application at Home Depot.

In addition to that lengthy list of publishing firsts and author naïveté, which is still bumbling, though not quite as pathetic as it used to be, were contests. I never gave them much thought. There are only so many hours in a day. Subtract out every facet of life that has nothing to do with book writing and factor back in the 24/7 dedication required to write a book. I’m no math whiz, but I’m fairly certain this results in a negative number. So, whatever my reasoning, it just wasn’t something I paid much attention to before BEAUTIFUL DISASTER. A few months ago, I entered one. An invite came in the mail from NJRWA’s Golden Leaf contest. What did I have to lose besides four books? The only real problem was the competitive nature of such an event. Remember, I’m the author who has never visited her Amazon page. It’s not that I have an aversion to competition—I’m just more comfortable with armchair rivalry, preferably the kind where Vanna controls your fate. Yet, by summer’s end, there I was, a finalist in the contest. Go figure. Courtesy of complex circumstances, I didn’t make it to their Put Your Heart in a Book Conference where the awards are bestowed. But I did check my email late last Friday. Holy Moly, I won. BEAUTIUFL DISASTER was awarded NJRWA’s Best First Book in their Golden Leaf contest. Now there’s something I definitely didn’t envision a year ago.

Next week, I head back to the book’s roots, Athens, Georgia. The University of Georgia Alumni Association has been supportive of my literary efforts, and has invited me to participate in their annual Alumni Authors Showcase. I was quick to accept. Aside from the showcase, I haven’t seen that middle child since August, and I’m curious to see if she still knows how to say, “Mama!” I did a signing at UGA last January. At the time, I thought that was the full circle to my big book event. I really did. I’d revel in the moment, sign copies on the campus that inspired the setting, and look around longingly for characters who don’t exist. I’d go home, and that would be it. Well, as I said, bumbling naiveté. So when I take this pause, I see a lot of things I never imagined—at least when it comes to this curious thing we call publishing.

In celebration of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER’S win, and heeding good Girlfriend advice to put the book in readers’ hands, I thought I’d give away a signed copy! Just leave a comment and I’ll pick a winner by Friday.

You can always find me at http://www.lauraspinella.net/ or on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/BeautifulDisasterANovel?sk=app_150903068337795

The Debut of Chapter Two and 364 Other Pages PS: Don't miss the giveaway!

By Laura Spinella

Well, here we are, BEAUTIFUL DISASTER’S debut. Six weeks to write the rough draft, six years to this moment. I have the champagne; who brought the glasses? You’re right—straight from the bottle it is. During the last half-dozen years many things have changed. Two daughters graduated from high school, one ending up on the campus of the book’s setting, Athens, Georgia. I so did not see that coming. Kahlua, the golden retriever who listened dutifully to a jagged first draft is gone. Never replaced, but the void has been filled by a cockapoo and a miniature golden doodle. Excellent listeners, zero shedding… marginal critiques. And BEAUTIFUL DISASTER, what changed there? Oh, that’s right. This is a blog, not a book. In deference to the celebration, let’s make this quick and go with what didn’t change: Chapter Two.

When the finished copies arrived, it occurred to me that Chapter Two was nearly identical to the one I wrote manically on a rainy Saturday six Aprils ago. Soaked to the bone, my muse decided to come inside that day, tracking mud through the living room and an idea across my brain. Positive that my first Chapter Two and the polished print version couldn’t be the same, I scavenged basement boxes in search of an original copy. (Um, everybody has a stash of those, right?) Last week, inside a musty closet, with the world surrounded by Christmas, I sat with Easter decorations at my feet, leaning against a Hefty bag of clothes bound for Good Will. There, I compared a brave but pitiable draft to the glossy covered finished product. Pitiable with the exception of Chapter Two. I was right—if Kahlua were here, she’d back me up. The narrative and dialogue from Chapter Two read almost verbatim to the ’05 version. Clearly, from the timeline, the majority of the book took work, and lots of it. But I also recall writing that chapter, the telltale pulse that dictated the rest of the story. Today, I see the synchronicity of something I thoroughly doubted, while simultaneously understanding that it was meant to be. At the end of this blog I’ll share a snippet of Chapter Two. It’s a piece of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER that played a large role in keeping me on the path to here.



Showing off a finished copy to Auggie.



In the meantime, since this is debut day and I’m the novice, I’d like to know how you spent (or will spend) yours. Honestly, I don’t have much planned. It’s a Tuesday, which means the people I hang with are in mid-week mode, consumed by making it to Wednesday. Many friends are too many miles away to do more than offer a giant shout out via Facebook. My husband is decidedly, unavoidably, out of the country. Feel free to interpret that any way you’d like. And since Boston and balmy have nothing in common, particularly in January, any ideas about a Main Street parade are out. I’m okay with the quiet. The moment may have arrived, but I suspect this thing will continue to move at marathon pace. Still, I’d love to hear about your debut day. Did your phone ring endlessly? Did your best friend throw you a launch party? Or maybe your publisher—or maybe that only happens in the movies. Perhaps you did your first book signing that very day. Tell me about it. If you’re that all important reader, not a writer, I hope you find the muse inspired excerpt intriguing; I think it’s the bridge between there and here. A signed copy of BEAUTIFUL DISASTER will go randomly to one commenter. We’ll blindfold the cockapoo and let her pick. Don’t forget to leave your contact info so she can look you up. Thanks for reading, and thank you for sharing in BEAUTIFUL DISASTER’S debut.

                                                    Athens, Georgia, thirteen years ago

The bike rumbled up to the curb in downtown Athens, announcing his arrival like a lion advancing on new territory. Goddamn, but it was hot. He was used to hot places. Not that he had ever learned to like them. Rural Indiana, where he grew up; Parris Island; the bottom of hell—he always ended up in places where sweat was part of the dress code. The sidewalk was thick with college kids; they kept the place going, from what he had heard. College towns were a handy place to hang for a while. Nobody asked too many questions. If anything, people encouraged a come-as-you-are attitude. The casualness appealed to him. Conforming would never work out—ask any Marine.



Athens, Georgia



An eternity on the bike coupled by hours in a traffic jam had left his longs legs cramped and a little wobbly. Food would be good idea. He tugged at the sweaty jeans that were seared to his skin and pulled a red bandana from his pocket, blotting his grimy brow. Stepping to the curb, he attempted to blend in with the crowds of backpacks and portable CD players. He felt staring eyes as he moved among them. Girls mostly. Girls always looked at him. He wasn’t the typical fare, with hair as long as theirs and the scruffy beard. On most days it led to the Jesus remark before lunch. He didn’t care, but sometimes he wanted to lean into their probing, dewy eyes and whisper, “Yeah, just think what your old man would do if you brought me home.” He liked college towns, but he wasn’t interested in college girls. Despite their glances, they weren’t really looking for a guy like him either.

Laura blogs at www.lauraspinella.net, catch her signing dates on the events page, join BEAUTIFUL DISASTER’S Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Beautiful-Disaster-A-Novel/161793947170701 

A Sturdy Hand by Melissa Clark

I want to start by saying how much I'm enjoying this round of posts about your writing journeys. With a book out on submission, I am currently experiencing high anxiety and it is so comforting reading about everyone's struggles and successes and realizing this is just the way it is. 

I grew up with a writer-father so becoming a writer was less of a risk or rebellion and more of a given. I have always been surrounded by family support in my desire to do this for a living and I am eternally grateful. I know many writers who's parents or spouse or children just simply don't *get* the career choice or need. That aspect is one less emotional battle to fight, because God knows there are many others.

Writing, for me, has been a sturdy hand that has lead me to dark corners, dangerous places, unbelievable adventures and compelling people. Writing lead me to graduate school and subsequently to retreats in California, Vermont and Illinois. I've been fortunate to participate in conferences both as attendee and speaker, the highlight being the Carmel Authors and Ideas Festival where I dined with Frank McCourt and Elizabeth Edwards, among others. My writing journey has been static at times, and on a trajectory at others. I have celebrated publishing victories both large and small and have wallowed in rejection, a writer's constant companion. Most recently, my writing has lead me to explore a lifelong fear (not sure why) of kidnapping, and with this, a visit to Utah to observe the Elizabeth Smart trial, an experience I will never forget.  It has helped me answer many questions ("what if there was such a thing as lazy sperm?") and more importantly has given me the confidence to ask questions in the first place. Being a writer has also lead to being a teacher, discovering fresh and brilliant voices in students who have never expressed themselves in that way before. 

Being a writer is being on a journey that is neither kind nor gentle - it brings up issues, triggers feelings, stirs up self-doubt at an alarming rate. But despite everything I've experienced, and read about in your experiences, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Would you?

Melissa Clark will give away one signed copy of her novel, "Swimming Upstream, Slowly" to someone who leaves a comment on this blog or follows me on my regular blog, connections clark, by midnight tonight. Oh, and happy almost new year!

A New Year, a New Release and a Contest

First off, I wish you all a very Happy New Year. May all your resolutions be kept and good luck head your way. I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and that the weather didn't strand anyone someplace they didn't want to be.

This January 4th, the third book in my paranormal romance series goes on sale. To celebrate, I will send one commenter the first two books. If you win and you already have these two books, I'd be happy to substitute two of my historicals. I will post the winner on or about January 5th, 2011. If you don't leave me a way to contact you, you'll need to check the blog to see if you won.

Contest Legal Stuff

No purchase is necessary. Void where prohibited. Winner chosen at random (via random.org) from among eligible commenters to this post. You must comment by midnight Pacific, January 4th, 2011. Your comment should answer one of the  questions at the end of this post. Open to international entries, unless there's a law against it in your country or mine.

My Immortal Assassin, by Yours Truly, Carolyn Jewel

Revenge. It's all Grayson Spencer wants. Christophe dit Menart, a human with dark magical powers, destroyed the life she loved. She wants the pleasure of killing him, no matter the cost to her. If not for Durian, a dangerously sexy demon fiend charged with keeping Christophe alive, she would have succeeded, too. Now, she's certain all hope is gone. But he has a plan and an offer she can't resist...
Durian has spent his life as a trained and sanctioned assassin. His duty: to enforce the laws against demons harming humans. He's always prided himself on staying out of the fray, carrying out his orders and honoring his fealty to his warlord, but never getting attached. Never until Grayson, a spunky and determined woman clearly gifted with magic herself. He convinces her to swear fealty to him so he can protect her and teach her to use her magic to taste the revenge she so desperately wants.

They're soon bound together in a forbidden desire--a dangerous passion that calls into question Durian's oath of loyalty to his warlord. When he refuses to return her to Christophe, his disobedience threatens to inflame the tumultuous war between demons and the magekind. Can they--and their love--survive?

Why You Should Rush out and Buy This Book Immediately!

Forever, Grand Central Publishing, January 2011
ISBN: 978-0446563864

Romantic Times 4 1/2 stars

The lines in the war between Magekind and Fiends continue to blur in the next installment of Jewel's exhilarating My Immortal series. The protagonists in this drama have both suffered terribly, giving them a common ground and enemy. Jewel provides her fans with a terrific tale that has action aplenty and drama to spare. Great stuff!
Jill M. Smith Read full review

Alternative Worlds

Fast-paced from the moment Gray and Durian meet on the streets of San Francisco. Read Full Review

Publisher's Weekly

Jewel's third paranormal (after 2009's My Forbidden Desire) is an exciting return to a world of demons and mages.

BookPage - Romance of the Month - Top Pick!

Dark, edgy and laced with thrilling desire, My Immortal Assassin will set readers' hearts racing.
Christie Ridgway
Read Full Review

Read Chapter 1 of My Immortal Assassin

Order the book

Books in the Series

Book 1: My Wicked Enemy
Book 2: My Forbidden Desire
Book 3: My Immortal Assassin
Book 4: My Dangerous Pleasure - June 2011

Interview With The Author

Q: So, Carolyn, tell us about yourself.

A: I write romance novels, bake so I have an excuse to airquotesTaste Testairquotes cakes, cookies and pies. Also, I have a day job with computers and servers.

Q: What's your favorite animated cartoon?

A: Sponge Bob

Q: Favorite TV Show?

A: I only watch one, and that's True Blood. We cancel HBO when the series is over for the year. However, I am sorely tempted by the HBO series for George R. R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice because oh my gosh! Also, Sean Bean is in it.

Q: Favorite color?

A: It's really strange that you ask me that, because I was just talking about that the other day---

Q: I know.

A: Gray. But I like it better when it's spelled grey. I mean, what other color has two accepted spellings? I do think it's strange that I like gray. It's not the flashiest color around. I can't explain why I like it, and actually, maybe I shouldn't even try.

Q: Finish this sentence:  If I had a bazillion dollars I would . . . .

A: Not have to answer your silly questions? What would you do if you had a bazillion dollars?

Q:

Q: Most hated vegetable?

A: There are three vegetables of doom:

1. Cooked carrots
2. Cooked peas
3. Brussels sprouts

At Christmas, my youngest brother, who worked as a chef for a while and now caters on the side, cooked our holiday meal. One of the dishes was brussels sprouts. I gamely agreed to try them on the theory that an actual chef might render this vegetable of doom palatable.

Q: And?

A: No.

Contest Question

Answer at least one of these questions. Feel free to lie, fudge the details, tell the truth or otherwise go off topic, as long as I know which question you're answering.

1. If you were walking in the woods and you saw a wolf would you a) grab your camera and start taking pictures b) Make sure you have your wolfsbane handy because you know for a fact that's no ordinary wolf  c) Call Grandma and warn her 4) Feed it Brussels sprouts, wait for it to be violently ill, then walk away feeling safe but also kind of sorry for the wolf.
2. Would you rather have the power to heal all wounds, know how to fix your computer or turn Brussels sprouts into chocolate?
3. Look to your left. What's the first thing you see? (If it's Brussels sprouts, there's just no hope for you.)

I will post the winner on or about January 5th, 2011. If you don't leave me a way to contact you, you'll need to check the blog to see if you won.

The Long and Winding Road . . . and Book Giveaway

by Judy Merrill Larsen



I received my first rejection letter circa 1971 from Tiger Beat magazine. I'd entered some contest to write "My Dream Wedding to _____" I picked Bobby Sherman. (I still know all the words to his big hit "Seattle" and will sing it if asked. Seriously. Just ask.) I don't recall being particularly upset about not winning which perhaps suggests I was just preparing for the 321 (or so. Not that I'm counting or anything.) rejection letters I would get when first querying agents. I recall being more disappointed about not winning one of his puppies in another contest they had.



But, I digress.

As I was saying, that first rejection did not deter me in any way. I filled notebooks with diary entries, wrote stories, plays, and poetry. Lots and lots and lots of poetry. Really bad teenage girl angst-filled poetry. My top topics were boys and war. And, no, you can NOT see them. Ever. I will say, though, in their defense, that very few of them rhymed. I am proud of that.

I got more serious about writing in college where I was an English major and took lots of creative writing classes along with all the lit courses. I learned how stories were told and fell in love with words.

Flash forward. I got married, had two babies, got divorced. I suddenly found myself not only surprised to be an ex-wife but needing to tuck away the writing dreams and focus on providing for my sons as a high school English teacher.

Little did I know that my education as a writer was on the right path. Long and winding, but right.



My days filled with my sons, growing up before my eyes, and the words of the masters, and exposing my students to those words. Discovering with them how stories get told, how characters get into our hearts and stay with us (Atticus Finch, anyone? Elizabeth Bennett? Tom Joad?).

And then, in the spring of 1999, a friend and I were drinking wine and talking late into the evening, and I said into the dark, warm air that someday I was going to write a novel. She looked me hard in the eyes and said, "So go do it."

I did.

I wrote the first draft that summer and began collecting rejections. Lots of rejections. (I still say I didn't know how to write a query letter.) But I truly believe that things happen when they are supposed to. And in the summer of 2004 (yes, 5 years later), an agent said yes. The right agent. The perfect agent. And then a couple months later we sold ALL THE NUMBERS to Random House.



Amazing.

It was released in July 2006. And since then, the road continues to twist and turn. There have been more rejections . . . and more yesses. The book has traveled the world and become a best seller in Taiwan. And even though I still get all stressed when a manuscript is on submission, and rejections still sting, I can look back at the road I've traveled and know that things happen how and when they are supposed to. And I still look forward to seeing what's around the next curve.

What do you hope is ahead for you? Leave a comment (with your contact scoop) by midnight CST on Dec. 22 and I'll randomly select one winner to receive a signed copy of my novel.

I live in St. Louis, MO with my husband, am the mom/stepmom to five kids (ages 17-25), and taught high school English for 15 years. I'm over on Facebook and Twitter .

My future in publishing and a giveaway!

THE RANDOM GENERATOR HAS SPOKEN. THE WINNER OF AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF THE BOYFRIEND OF THE MONTH CLUB IS: JEANNENE WALKER. PLEASE EMAIL ME AT mariageraci1@gmail.com with your address so I can put your copy in the mail. Congratulations!



My Future in Publishing
by Maria Geraci

Today, my third baby goes out into the world. My third novel, that is. You’d think by now I’d be a pro. Or at least a semi-pro. And although I’m a bit more savvy about publishing than I was eighteen months ago, in a lot of ways I still feel like an amateur.

A few months ago I attended the first day of the Novelists, Inc, conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was a day of forum workshops led by some of the biggest names in the publishing industry- agents, editors, attorneys, publicists, New York Times best selling authors. The topic was the future of publishing. I was surprised (or maybe I shouldn’t have been) to discover that a lot of those people are as clueless as I am. Okay, maybe not as clueless, but the bottom line was that nobody really knows what’s going on in publishing today. The advent of e-publishing is changing what we refer to as “the book” in much the same way as the invention of Gutenberg’s printing press did almost 600 years ago. Book stores are going out of business, print runs are declining, self-publishing is on the rise, and Google and Amazon are plotting to take over the world. If it’s confusing seasoned pros, how’s a newbie like myself going to survive in this rapidly evolving world of publishing?

I’ll never forget the moment when one author in the audience raised her hand to ask this question, “What can an author do to help promote her books if she has a relatively low print run, like say, 20,000?”

There was a pause. You know that pause. When everyone in the panel turned and looked at each other with the expression that said, “who’s going to answer that one?”

And then one brave soul (I wish I could remember who said it) looked the audience straight in the eyes and said, “Absolutely nothing.”

No one gasped. No one shook their heads in disbelief. Instead it was met with a lot of knowing smirks and nods. Because the truth is, in a lot of ways, that answer is correct. There’s a lot in publishing that as an author, is completely out of our control. Like print runs. And co-ops. And bad covers.

But there’s one thing that is completely within our control. And that’s writing the best book that we can. We heard that advice a lot from the panel. And while there was still some smirking in the audience (I mean, who doesn’t set out to write the best book they can?) the panel was right on about that. A good book plus lots of positive word of mouth is still the recipe for a successful novel.

And the new word of mouth is, dare I say it? Social networking. It’s the promotion mantra of the new millennium. And while a part of me is sick to death of hearing about it, there’s the other part of me that thinks social networking, while sometimes overrated, is good. Print runs may be down, but people are still reading. They’re just using a different medium (the internet). And that same medium offers authors like myself (those of us who don’t have big print runs) a chance to expand our fan base with electronic word of mouth.

So how’s my future in publishing looking these days? Well, I wrote the best book I could, and I’m promoting it the best way I know how. The rest is up to the cosmos. The one thing I do know is that I’ll keep writing books and somehow they’ll get published (even if I have to do the self-publishing thing) because my future relies solely on me. And that, at least, is something that I can control.

That all said, I’ll happy, proud and just down right tickled to announce that my third novel, The Boyfriend of the Month Club is out in bookstores everywhere today! It’s a romantic comedy about a woman who turns her dysfunctional book club into a boyfriend club where members critique the men they’ve dated, comparing them to classic literary heroes and villains.

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

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

"Romance readers will revel in the Austen-perfect happy ending and the warm friendships among members of the club." Publishers Weekly

Leave a comment and I’ll randomly select one person to win an autographed copy! US and Canada only, please. I’ll announce the winner on top of this post Wednesday morning. Good luck!

Maria Geraci writes fun, romantic women's fiction. You can learn more about her books at her website http://www.mariageraci.com/ or her Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MariaGeraciBooks