dee's book dish...

Day LAST - Leaving SF, but not without my heart

2008-08-03T13:01:00.003-04:00

I thought it only fitting to do one final post before I pack up the laptop with the rest of my stuff. I had to show you what the day looks like.

This has been one heck of a week! From the shaky beginnings of "i missed my plane and am stuck in Cincy for HOURS!", to the CabOfDeath, to dancing at the Four Seasons during the Harlequin party, right up to last night's culmination of Kristan's RITA win, I have been on a roller coaster of emotions.

I've learned a lot this week, but not just about writing. I've learned that this is a tough industry. There are people out there that are not all nice. I've learned that publishing is a whole different creature than writing a book. I've learned that agents, though formidable and sometimes very frightening, are people that take great joy in the personal triumphs of their clients (yes, Donna, I'm talking about you!). I've learned that a week in a hotel room with a RITA nominee (and WINNER!) gives you a whole different perspective on the business.

I also learned that sometimes, with a little luck, a great dress, and an hysterical sex-y speech, a virtual newcomer can charm the pants off of an entire roomful of women. In order for that to happen though, you have to write a great book. And sometimes, just sometimes, all of your hard work pays off in a very big way.

Kristan's win is obviously a personal inspiration to me. Just last year in Dallas, Barb Caridad Ferrar won in the same category. Kristan was sitting right next to me then, and we both screamed our heads off when 'the little book that could' took Top Honors and shocked an organization. I can remember elbowing Kristan and telling her that someday, it would be her up on that stage. Little did either of us know that it would be the very next year.

Really though, being blessed enough to have a husband that said, "Go to San Francisco. Live your dream," and children that treat me like a rock star on a daily basis because I get to meet the people that write the books that are scattered all over our house? That is the true blessing and joy in my life. I cherish the people I've met here, and am thankful for being able to share this extraordinary and surreal week with my friend Kristan...but I'm so glad to be heading home, back into the arms of the people that love me.

Thanks to all of you for sharing this week with me. Thanks for your comments, and your e-mails. Thanks for your enthusiasm.

Signing off now, and will update again when I make it back to home soil.

Farewell, San Francisco... it's time for me to get back to the people that hold my heart.

Day LAST - Kristan's win

2008-08-03T09:32:00.006-04:00

This is the glamorous Kristan Higgins, holding her RITA for Contemporary Single Title Romance. She looks like a movie star holding her Oscar, doesn't she?

Kristan's book, CATCH OF THE DAY, is her second novel, first RITA nomination, and first win.

I have a hard time writing about this winner and her award, as most of you know that this is the one award I was really cheering for, and Kristan is the person I most wanted to win out of all of the other entrants in any category. I literally screamed for joy, then cried like a baby, when she won. Except during her speech. I'll post the youtube video clip of that as soon as it's available. But you already know how much I LOVED the book, choosing it as my Book Diet book, and then as Best Book of the Year. I read this book over 50 times. I loved Maggie. I loved Malone. I loved Father Tim. I loved that Kristan broke almost every single "rule" and stayed true to the spirit of her vision.

The thing that I possibly love the most though is that she really deserved this win. I was concerned that some other book would win, some more established author, a bigger name, an industry favorite. I'm very thankful to the people that voted for this category, choosing COTD as the very best in Romance this year.

I will have an exclusive interview with Kristan very soon. Her family arrives here today, and she's driving back to the East coast with them. It will take a few weeks. When she's back home and has had time to find a home for her new golden lady, she's going to answer a few questions here. So if you'd like to ask her anything in particular, ask it in the comments of this post, and I'll make sure to get an answer for you. You can also e-mail me questions at deesbookdish@gmail.com . Please put "Questions for Kristan" in the subject line.

Also, I have signed copies of the RITA-award winning book, CATCH OF THE DAY, for the following people:
Ann M.
Marianne
Diane
Brandy
Larena
If you would each please e-mail me at deesbookdish@gmail.com and put COTD WINNER in the subject line, and please include your mailing address, I will be happy to get your books in the mail as soon as I get home. (Ann - Kristan just told me that she got your e-mail, and she remembers sending you a book. Do you want another copy? Let me know.)

I'll have so much more to write, but not now. Right now, I'm going to breakfast with my roomie. I'm also going to pack up and get to the airport. Once I'm settled back at home, I will do one final recap. I might, of course, blog some of my personal observations on my personal blog. I haven't decided yet.

I'd like to again thank my husband for his help last night. He was updating the site with every winner, and I really appreciate him.

And yes, to those of you wondering, that is ME up there with Kristan. How did I get so close to her? Well duh - she's my roommate.

I'll Keep You Posted!

2008 RITA Winners!

2008-08-02T21:00:00.013-04:00

Again, thanks to Shane for keeping you all in the loop during the RITA/GH ceremony!!

And again, this page is borrowed from the original RWA website announcing the RITA contestants, found here.

2008 RITA for Best First Book Finalists
		Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (978-0-06-113615-3) Erika Tsang, editor
		Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra Simon & Schuster, MTV Books/Pocket (141653461X) Jennifer Heddle, editor
		Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin NEXT (9780373881352) Ann Leslie Tuttle, editor
		Prom Dates From Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore Random House Publishing, Delacorte Press (978-0-385-73412-7) Krista Marino, editor
		Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA (978-0-7783-2410-2) Valerie Gray, editor
		Snow Angel by Jamie Carie B&H Publishing Group, B&H Fiction (978-0-8054-4533-6) Thomas Walters and David Webb, editors
		Thief With No Shadow by Emily Gee BL Publishing, Solaris (978 1 84416 469 1) Mark Newton, editor
		Treasure by Helen Brenna Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Superromance (0373714033) Johanna Raisanen, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey
2008 RITA for Best Contemporary Series Romance Finalists
		Always a Bridesmaid by Kristin Hardy Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Special Edition (0-373-24832-6) Gail Chasan, editor
		Fall From Grace by Kristi Gold Harlequin Enterprises, Everlasting Love (0-373-65404-9) Beverley Sotolov and Paula Eykelhof, editors
		Make-Believe Mom by Elaine Grant Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Superromance (0373714459) Victoria Curran, editor
		Night Mischief by Nina Bruhns Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Nocturne (0373617720) Natashya Wilson and Tara Parsons, editor
		Sleeping Partner by Kelly Hunter Harlequin Enterprises, Sexy Sensation (978 0 733 58182 3) Joanne Carr, editor
		Snowbound by Janice Johnson Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Superromance (0-373-71454-8) Laura Shin, editor
		The Mile High Club by Heidi Rice Harlequin Enterprises, Mills and Boon Modern Extra (9780263854008) Bryony Green, editor
		The Tycoon's Princess Bride by Natasha Oakley Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Presents (978-0-373-12667-5) Jenny Hutton, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: Snowbound by Janice Johnson
2008 RITA for Best Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure Finalists
		High-Risk Affair by RaeAnne Thayne Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Romantic Suspense (0-373-27518-8) Gail Chasan, editor
		Midnight Prince by Dani Sinclair Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Intrigue (13:978-0-373-69270-5) Natashya Wilson, editor
		Sara's Son by Tara Taylor Quinn Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Superromance (0373714289) Paula Eykelhof, editor
		Stranded With A Spy by Merline Lovelace Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Romantic Suspense (978-0-373-27553-3) Gail Chasan, editor
		The Medusa Affair by Cindy Dees Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Romantic Suspense (978-0-373-27547-2) Patience Smith, editor
		The Medusa Seduction by Cindy Dees Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Romantic Suspense (978-0-373-27564-9) Patience Smith, editor
		Treasure by Helen Brenna Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Superromance - (0373714033) Johanna Raisanen, editor
		Untouched by Samantha Hunter Harlequin Enterprises, Blaze Extreme (978-0373793037) Birgit Davis Todd, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: Treasure by Helen Brenna
2008 RITA for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance Finalists
		Blame It On Cupid by Jennifer Greene Harlequin Enterprises, HQN (0373771770) Melissa Jeglinski, editor
		Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins Harlequin Enterprises, HQN (0-373-7724-6) Tracy Farrell and Keyren Gerlach, editors
		Coming Undone by Susan Andersen Harlequin Enterprises, HQN (0-373-77213-0) Margo Lipschultz, editor
		Sexiest Man Alive by Diana Holquist Grand Central Publishing, Forever (0-044-61798-9) Michele Bidelspach, editor
		She's No Angel by Leslie Kelly Harlequin Enterprises, HQN (0373772157) Brenda Chin, editor
		Tangled Up In You by Rachel Gibson HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (978-0-06-117803-0) Lucia Macro, editor
		Tempt Me Tonight by Toni Blake HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books, Red (978-0-06-113609-2) Lucia Macro, editor
		The Sleeping Beauty Proposal by Sarah Strohmeyer Penguin Group USA, Dutton (9780525950189) Julie Doughty, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins
2008 RITA for Best Historical Romance Finalists
		And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (978-0-06-114360-1) Erika Tsang, editor
		Beloved Warrior by Patricia Potter Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation (9780425215739) Wendy McCurdy and Christine Zika, editors
		Lessons of Desire by Madeline Hunter Bantam Dell Publishing Group (9780440243946) Shauna Summers, editor
		Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas St. Martin's Press (0-312-94980-4) Jennifer Enderlin, editor
		Surrender to a Scoundrel by Julianne MacLean HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (0-06-081936-7) Erika Tsang, editor
		Tempted Tigress by Jade Lee Dorchester Publishing, Leisure Books (0-8439-5690-9) Chris Keeslar, editor
		The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt Grand Central Publishing, Forever (0446618489) Melanie Murray, editor
		The Perfect Kiss by Anne Gracie Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation (9780425213452) Wendy McCurdy and Christine Zika, editors
AND THE WINNER IS: Lessons of Desire by Madeline Hunter
2008 RITA for Best Inspirational Romance Finalists
		A Touch of Grace by Linda Goodnight Harlequin Enterprises, Steeple Hill Love Inspired (978-0-373-87426-2) Allison Lyons, editor
		Autumn Blue by Karen Harter Center Street (1-931722-61-7) Christina Boys, editor
		Pursuit of Justice by Pamela Tracy Harlequin Enterprises, Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense (978 0 373 44236) Krista Stroever, editor
		Rainbow's End by Irene Hannon Harlequin Enterprises, Steeple Hill Love Inspired (0-373-87415-4) Melissa Endlich, editor
		Ransomed Dreams by Amy Wallace Random House Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah (9781590527474) Julee Schwarzburg, editor
		Splitting Harriet by Tamara Leigh Random House Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah (1590529286) Julee Schwarzburg, editor
		Taming Rafe by Susan May Warren Tyndale House Publishers (1414310188) Karen Watson, editor
		When the Morning Comes by Cindy Woodsmall Random House Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah (9781400072934) Shannon Hill, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: A Touch of Grace by Linda Goodnight
2008 RITA for Best Novel With Strong Romantic Elements Finalists
		A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith BelleBooks (978-0-9768760-7-6) Debra Dixon, editor
		High Noon by Nora Roberts Penguin Group USA, Putnam (978-0-399-15434-8) Leslie Gelbman, editor
		Learning to Breathe by Karen White Penguin Group USA, NAL Accent (978-0-451-22034-9) Cindy Hwang, editor
		Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter Grand Central Publishing, 5 Spot (0446699233) Karen Kosztolnyik, editor
		See No Evil by Allison Brennan Ballantine (9780345495037) Charlotte Herscher, editor
		Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA (978-0-7783-2410-2) Valerie Gray, editor
		Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas St. Martin's Press (0-312-35162-3) Jennifer Enderlin, editor
		Thief With No Shadow by Emily Gee BL Publishing, Solaris (978 1 84416 469 1) Mark Newton, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
2008 RITA for Best Paranormal Finalists
		Dead Girls Are Easy by Terri Garey HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (978-0-06-113615-3) Erika Tsang, editor
		Demon's Kiss by Maggie Shayne Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA (0-77832497-4) Leslie Wainger, editor
		Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair Bantam Dell Publishing Group, Spectra (978-0-553-58963-4) Anne Groell, editor
		He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot by Stephanie Rowe Grand Central Publishing, Forever (0446619019) Melanie Murray, editor
		Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward Penguin Group USA, Signet, Onyx (978-0-451-41235-5) Kara Cesare, editor
		Prince of Magic by Linda Winstead Jones Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation (978-0-425-21448-0) Christine Zika and Wendy McCurdy, editors
		Raintree: Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Nocturne (0-373-61764-X) Leslie Wainger, editor
		Touch of Darkness by Christina Dodd Penguin Group USA, NAL (0451221842) Kara Cesare, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward
2008 RITA for Best Regency Historical Romance Finalists
		Blackthorne's Bride by Shana Galen HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (978-0-06-112497-6) May Chen, editor
		Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (978-0-06-123491-0) Lucia Macro, editor
		Lord of Scandal by Nicola Cornick Harlequin Enterprises, HQN (9780373772117) Kimberley Young, editor
		The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (0061230839) Lyssa Keusch, editor
		Untouched by Anna Campbell HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (978-0-06-123492-7) Lucia Macro, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn
2008 RITA for Best Romance Novella Finalists
		*“Angel and the Hellraiser” in Demon’s Delight* by Vickie Taylor** Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation (978-0-425-21381-0) Cindy Hwang, editor
		*“Born in My Heart” in Like Mother, Like Daughter* by Jennifer Greene** Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin NEXT (0-373-88134) Melissa Jeglinski, editor
		*“Christmas Cravings” in Holiday with a Vampire* by Maureen Child** Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Nocturne (0-373-61776-3) Melissa Jeglinski, editor
		*“Christmas Day Family” in A Western Winter Wonderland* by Cheryl St. John** Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Historical (0373294670) Ann Leslie Tuttle, editor
		*“Eternity in Death” in Dead of Night* by J.D. Robb** Penguin Group USA, Putnam (978-0515-14367-6) Leslie Gelbman, editor
		*“Fallen Angel” in A Western Winter Wonderland* by Jenna Kernan** Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Historical (0-373-29467-1) Ann Leslie Tuttle, editor
		*“Mischief and the Marquess” in Perfect Kisses* by Sylvia Day** Kensington Publishing Corp., Brava (075820941X) Kate Duffy, editor
		*“On the Fringe” in Dead of Night* by Mary Kay McComas** Penguin Group USA, Berkley Jove (978-0-515-14367-6) Cindy Hwang, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: *“Born in My Heart” in Like Mother, Like Daughter* by Jennifer Greene**
2008 RITA for Best Romantic Suspense Finalists
		Die for Me by Karen Rose Grand Central Publishing, Vision (0446616915) Karen Kosztolnyik, editor Photo Credit: Deborah Finegold
		Ice Blue by Anne Stuart Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA (0778324788) Margaret O'Neil Marbury, editor
		Ice Storm by Anne Stuart Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA (0778325008) Margaret O'Neil Marbury, editor
		Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin NEXT (9780373881352) Ann Leslie Tuttle, editor
		Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan Ballantine (9780345495020) Charlotte Herscher, editor
		Traceless by Debra Webb St. Martin's Press (0312942222) Jennifer Weis, editor
		White Heat by Cherry Adair Ballantine (978-0-345-47644-9) Charlotte Herscher, editor
AND THE WINNER IS: Ice Blue by Anne Stuart
2008 RITA for Young Adult Finalists
		Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson HarperCollins Publishers, HarperTeen (978-0-06-054144-6) Farrin Jacobs, editor
		Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra Simon & Schuster, MTV Books/Pocket (141653461X) Jennifer Heddle, editor
		Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles Llewellyn Worldwide, Flux (978-0-7387-1018-1) Andrew Karre, editor
		Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr HarperCollins Publishers, HarperTeen (978-0-06-121465-3) Anne Hoppe and Nick Lake, editors

AND THE WINNER IS:
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Golden Heart Winners

2008-08-02T20:00:00.010-04:00

Thanks to my wonderful husband Shane, winners will be posted as they are announced.

I borrowed this page from the official RWA website page for the 2008 Golden Hearts. You can find the original RWA page by clicking here.

Contemporary Series Romance Finalists

Borrowed Stilettos by Rebecca Clark		The Italian Solution by Greta MacEachern
Hide and Seek Love by Paula Keller		Too Late for Love? by Jacqueline Floyd
Redefining Mr. Perfect by Melissa Ann James		Trust in Me by Priscilla Kissinger
Saving the Rich Man by Greta MacEachern		Under a Harvest Moon by Joleen Wieser
She's Just Right by Diane Stoddard
AND THE WINNER IS: Under a Harvest Moon by Joleen Wieser
Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure Finalists
Hot Pursuit by Lynn Raye Harris		Long Shadows by Donna Meier
Kitty's Fire by Kelly Ann Riley		The Midnight Effect by Pamela Fryer
AND THE WINNER IS: The Midnight Effect by Pamela Fryer
Contemporary Single Title Romance Finalists
Beauty and the Geek by Sarah Castleberry		Public Relations by Amy Atwell
Better Late Than Never by Theresa Ragan		Summer Storm by Patricia Brayton-Winter
Love on the Rocks by Mary Sullivan		The Lost by Shelley Coriell
Money, Honey by Susan Seyfarth		The Princess Project by Susan Seyfarth
AND THE WINNER IS: Money, Honey by Susan Seyfarth
Historical Romance Finalists
Breath of Honor by Courtney Milan		The Kinds of Wanting by Kris Kennedy
Earth's Only Paradise by Cynthia Eernisse Chase		The Lightkeeper's Wife by Christine Johnson
Lily's Outlaw by Tatia Totorica		Through the Fire by Beth Trissel
Moss Square by Kathryn Parker		Wanting Finian by Kris Kennedy
No Greater Glory by Cindy Nord
AND THE WINNER IS: Wanting Finian by Kris Kennedy
Inspirational Romance Finalists
Addie's Choice by Keli Gwyn		This Time Forever by Denise Meinstad
Love in Bloom by Keli Gwyn		Wyndermere House by Susan Mason
Running from Trouble by Kit Wilkinson
AND THE WINNER IS: Running from Trouble by Kit Wilkinson
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements Finalists
Alternate Ending by Julia Whitby		Secrets of the Blackwood by Christine Johnson
Evil Eye by Elizabeth Heiter		The Devil You Know by Christa Selnick
Flaherty's Crossing by Kristina Y. McMorris & Linda Yoshida		The Professor by Cathy Perkins
Heads Up, St. Anthony by Liese Sherwood-Fabre		To Dance With My Father by Constance Gillam
In The Money by Bev Pettersen
AND THE WINNER IS: The Devil You Know by Christa Selnick
Paranormal Romance Finalists
Bedknobs & Broomsticks by Kelly Gay		Soul Provider by Annette McCleave
Haven by Donna Pruneau		The Magic Knot by Helen Scott Taylor
Lilith's Child by Lee Roland		The Sextant by Jennifer Satterfield
Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey Lee-Anne O'Hara		Wish List by Kerry Allen
AND THE WINNER IS: Soul Provider by Annette McCleave
Regency Historical Romance Finalists
A Talent for Sin by Lavinia Klein		Lost in Love by Pamela Bolton-Holifield
Glorious by Darcy Burke		Midnight Promises by Anne Barton
Haunting James by Emily Dennis		Mistaken By Moonlight by Susan Gee Heino
AND THE WINNER IS: Mistaken By Moonlight by Susan Gee Heino
Romantic Suspense Finalists
Beyond the Borders by Helene Young		One Shot, Two Kills by Kimberley Howe
Dying To Remember by C.J. Redwine		Safe In Enemy Arms by Joan Swan
Finding Kate Huntley by Theresa Ragan		Sweet Deceit by Julie Stevens
Murder in Situ by Rachel Grant		Truth and Consequences by Robin Perini
AND THE WINNER IS: Sweet Deceit by Julie Stevens
Young Adult Romance Finalists
Blighted by Kelly Gay		The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
Party Like It's 1899 by Amanda Brice		Wishing You Were Here by Catherine Chant

AND THE WINNER IS:
The Cinderella Society
by Kay Cassidy

CONGRATS TO ALL THE WINNERS!!!

Day Five - Yes, I'm awake.

2008-08-02T10:34:00.004-04:00

This pic is so dark because the sun is shining so bright this morning, right between the hotels in my view. It's the same basic time I've been taking my view picture as every other morning, but today just seems a little bit brighter. Hmmm. I wonder why.

I somehow messed up on times when I was supposed to be where (you think it sounds weird? try being me!), and made the fatal mistake of not having my cell phone with me (left it sitting right next to the Mac on the charger while I went to the bar), so I missed the "where are you?" phone calls.

I did not, however, sit idly in my room and feel sorry for myself. I put on my little black dress and crashed a party. Ok, ok, maybe crashed is a little strong, as I just walked in and sat with some people I knew. Still though, I wasn't on the guest list. Of course, I somehow doubt they had a guest list. Plus, the roomie was invited to that party, and she told me I could go with her.

Enough about last night though. I want to talk about today. Check out that video I posted on the last entry. Those chicks are hysterical! Meeting them here has been such a blast. Kristan and Diana are so unlike that. Well, none of them are like that, really. Cute video though.

Are you guys ready for the RITAs? I know that I am. As much as I've totally enjoyed being here, spending time in this beautiful city, meeting all of these wonderful people, I have to admit to really missing home, you know? I miss the feel of my own pillow. I miss the smell of my baby's neck when she first gets up in the morning. I miss the sound of the baby birds nesting right outside my window. I miss the taste of my first coffee of the morning, made just the way I like it by one of my wonderful children. I miss the way my husband looks at me when it's time to go upstairs to bed for the night.

Sniff...sniff... Ok, I need to call home now. I'll make sure that Gret is ready to roll with this tonight. You guys have a great day, and check back here later this evening for all of the RITA and Golden Heart winners.

I'll Keep You Posted!

Day ??? - too late (or early) for me to be sure...

2008-08-02T03:30:00.002-04:00

Just to get you in the mood for the RITA Awards (much!) later this evening...

That's right - trash talking for the Single Title award.

Ready for the ceremony yet? I know *I* sure am!

I'll Keep You Posted!!

Day Four - ok, ok, I'll tell you how it went...

2008-08-01T19:44:00.003-04:00

As some of you know, I had an almost-gotta-puke-I'm-so-nervous appointment this afternoon. Before I get into that, I'd like to thank two very special people for talking me back from the ledge.

KH- You are just an amazing person, and I am growing more and more certain that you are going to be in my life for quite some time. Thanks for settling my nerves before the big interview, with your charm, wit, and words of wisdom. I was a much calmer person than I would have been had you not come back to the room when you did.

My darling husband, Shane - Oh babe, you have no idea how much just hearing your voice helped. Sending me out here was the best anniversary present you could've given me, but knowing how much you believe in me? That's the greatest gift I've ever been given. Thanks for being the sane voice in the torrent of doubt that assailed me before my meeting. I love you.

Now, about that agent meeting... it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. He was nice, unfailingly polite, and he asked interesting questions about my work. He also asked for the first few chapters of my book.

Am I excited? Yes, I am. But not overly excited. This isn't the agent of my dreams, and he's no longer with the agency I signed up to see, though I didn't learn that until I came back to the room. On that point, I feel a little disappointed. Still though - I pitched, and have a request for a partial. That was my goal for this conference. So. Mission Accomplished.

I now must ready myself for the evening. I have two prior commitments, though I didn't realize they were at the same time. I have no idea how to be in both places at once. I think I may just flip a coin and go with the flow. I will try to post pics in the morning, though I'll make no promises.

I'll Keep You Posted!!

Day Four - Dinner with The Cherries

2008-08-01T14:22:00.004-04:00

I went to a great workshop yesterday given by the incomparable Susan Elizabeth Phillips. She divulged the six secret words to writing a Fabulous book (or something like that). Basically, it boils down to "Keep The Reader In The Story". Sounds simple, doesn't it? It does when she tells it. Not being SEP though, I'm wondering if I'll ever reach that level. Here's to hoping.

After that, the roomie went off to do drinks with her agent, and I went off in search of a pure and unhurried place in which to read one of my new treasures. I found it here, at the Yerba Buena Gardens, conveniently located just across the street from the hotel. I sat on a bench, drank my mocha java chip frap, and read that new Karen White book I picked up the other night, The Memory of Water. It's wonderful so far, and I can't wait to have enough time to finish it! I expect that I will be dishing about it in the very near future.

Part of the draw for me at this conference was the location. I don't just mean the hotel, though it is lovely, or the city, though San Francisco couldn't be better. I mean that it's on the West Coast, and that means... a whole bunch of Cherries and CherryBombs that I haven't met yet.

Last night, I went to dinner with The Cherries. We went to Buca di Beppo, right down the street. As I understand it, the first ever Cherry meet was done in a Buca in Ohio. The setting was fun, the food was out of this world (especially the chicken marsala!), and the company was too good to be true.

I finally got to meet Cherry Red and Michelle. As some of you may know from my personal blog, Michelle is a Pink Warrior. She battled and survived breast cancer. The Cherries did a little e-bay thing for her a few years back to help raise money for her treatments, and I was honored to be able to help out with that. We've exchanged e-mails since then, and I've kept up with her through her blog and her friends (like Cherry Red). I've since wanted to meet this amazing woman that inspired a group like The Cherries to come together and in an effort like The Michelle Fund. I have to tell you, she's even more amazing in person. She is truly gracious and kind, and I just wanted to sit with her and be near her and listen to her soft, strong voice all night. It was such an amazing gift to be able to meet her, to wrap my arms around her, to walk down the street next to her.

Her best friend Cherry Red is just as special. And I have to tell you, regardless of what the year on her birth certificate says, she is one Hot Chick! She was also funny, bright, and such a blast! This is a picture of both of them.

Ever wondered what a SuperHero looked like? Well, take a look at one of my own personal SuperHeroes - Robin LaFevers. (She's not so fond of the camera, so I had to do a sneak attack with my cell phone!)

Robin has more than earned her cape in my book. She is the woman who is responsible for turning three of my beloved wee ones into Readers. Yes, that is a BIG "R". With her phenomenal books Werewolf Rising, the Lowthar's Blade trilogy, and Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, she captivated the hearts, minds and imaginations of the children in my life. (click the links to see pics of my kids and read reviews of the books.) Her writing is breathtaking, and this woman can create a world like nobody's business. I had the pleasure of telling the story of how three of my children came to really enjoy reading, through Robin's books. She made some comment about how I was telling her what all children's book authors dreamed of hearing. But really, it's what all moms want to be able to say - "Hey lady, my kid loves to READ!!" And if you lead the charmed life, like I do, then one day you actually get to meet the lovely creature that spins the yarns that captivate your children.

admittedly, before the dinner, I was a little nervous. I'd never met ANY of these women before. Most of them had previously existing bonds that were stronger than steel. I don't do the Cherry Forums very often. I was basically an outsider, a sort of pretender - Almost a Cherry. To them though, I was just another woman that shared a love of Jennifer Crusie books, someone whose name they recognized through blog posts or e-mails, and I was most assuredly welcome. I didn't feel out of place, or like a pretender at all. They just introduced themselves, hugged me, and made me feel as if I'd been there all along. Plus, they all said that I looked YOUNG, which is something that I never get to hear at home, seeing as how how I have more than a few teenagers that live under my roof.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Cherry Gathering - take it. It was an experience that I am so glad to have had, and it's something that is not to be missed!

Oh, and as a side note, if you happen to see any crazy pictures floating around blogger land of some silly looking woman with a flask, I just want it stated for the record that I am vehemently denying any knowledge of, or participation in, such blatantly hedonistic activities. And it's not me. No matter what they might say.

More to come on today's activities, including *squeak* my agent meeting.

I'll Keep You Posted!

Day Four - I didn't even blog yesterday!

2008-08-01T11:55:00.005-04:00

That, of course, is the view from my window this morning. You can go back and see what the weather has been for the past few days. I've taken all of the pics from the same spot at about the same time every morning, give or take half an hour. It's my own little picture diary of my week here in San Francisco.

No, I didn't blog yesterday, with the exception of first thing in the morning. I'll do a quick re-cap and get you caught up on what I did, and then fill you in on what today has in store.

There was a "thing" yesterday morning. A very lovely woman, who happens to be a motivational speaker and a pianist, did the conference opening. I'm sure that she was great, but I didn't stick around to find out. I was a little disappointed that, with all of the Honor Roll authors here, one of them wasn't opening things. But alas, I wasn't in charge of the speakers, and they didn't e-mail me and ask me to approve the guest list. So.

I finally made it to JapanTown!

I kidnapped my roomie and we took a cab. We got a few pics of the place before we hit the mall there. Check it out. My oldest daughter and her friend Angela would have loved it! There were plenty of restaurants, and even more little shops. The people were friendly, and it was very nice.

Yes, I did some shopping, but the girls are just going to have to wait until I get home to see what I got for them. I will admit that I kept checking over my shoulder for Anne Stuart. Alas, she was not there, at least not while I was.

We then took another cab down to Fisherman's Wharf in search of food. We found it here, at the Blue Mermaid Chowder House and Bar. We sat outside and had great seafood sandwiches (she had crab, I had cod), drank very nice wine, and shared stories from our childhoods. I have to admit, I have been forgetting, quite often, that my roomie is this Fabulous author, because she is such a warm, friendly person. It's more like she's one of my best friends from my school days and we're just catching up on the past decade, than that she's an author that I all but stalked and is now my roommate. She is fast becoming a very dear friend, and I will treasure these crazy memories we are making now for years to come.

After lunch, we headed off in search of the Holy Grail of San Francisco (at least in my humble estimation) - Chocolate. We found the San Francisco Chocolate Store, of course. They had so many things that were chocolate covered, I could have lived there forever. I only bought a few things though - a shirt and something from the "Adults Only" section (for my husband! He gets a treat when I get home, and I'm not just talking about the chocolate!). Yes, they have an "Adults Only" section, and my roomie and I had a blast (and probably came very close to getting kicked out for noise!) as we looked at all of the things on that shelf. I will admit that I'm not entirely sure what some of those things were. Sheltered? Not much. :)

We also saw this great place that makes sourdough bread, a street preacher that we both thought was very tame, a man covered in glitter that totally had a thing for my roomie, and the trash can man. Trash can man? Well, we saw this whole group of people across the street, standing almost in the road, laughing, pointing, and taking pictures. We had no idea why. Then the man in front of us screamed and jumped back. There was a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk, with his back to a trash can, with two large palm fronds in front of him. He'd open the palm fronds and scream at people as a joke. The group across the street was entranced by this! We found it both totally childish and endlessly amusing!

No visit to the Wharf would be complete without going to Ghirardelli. So we did. It was wonderful, we met some really nice tourist families, and got some great coffee. My coffee ended up on the floor of the backseat in the CabOfDeath, driven by Igor, the Russian DeathByCab driver, whose only goal in life was to make us thankful to have arrived at our hotel alive. No, I'm not joking. My heart still stops when I think of that ride. It was like one of those action movies you see of SF, where the car is barreling down one of the incredibly steep hills, hits a plateau, then literally goes airborne as it continues on its journey down. That was us. Airborne, laughing hysterically, bouncing around the back seat, seriously praying to God and all the Saints in Heaven (and no, I'm not even Catholic, but I was praying to whomever would listen at that particular moment!), that we would not leave our children motherless. When he realized we were laughing instead of crying, Igor kicked it up a notch. How he managed to go faster and drive crazier is still a mystery. But he did. Upon arriving at our hotel, we stumbled from the cab, an hysterical mass of quivering flesh, and promptly kissed the ground. The doorman thought we were nuts. Igor simply chuckled.

There is more, MUCH more, from yesterday. But I'm almost late for a workshop, so I will continue this later.

I'll Keep You Posted!

Day Three - And the fun begins...

2008-07-31T09:48:00.003-04:00

Having an already published author as my roommate has been so cool. Not only is she one of the most understanding people I know, she's also a lot of fun. Getting her insider knowledge at this point in my career has been great. Yeah, this is back to the whole charmed life thing. :)

I'm starting out my day with this view from the room. No fog in site today. I even see hints of sun.

What a way to start the day!

Plus, I get to hear Victoria Alexander doing the Keynote today. <------ SO cool!

I'll Keep You Posted!

Day Two - My pillow looks so nice...

2008-07-30T22:47:00.000-04:00

Highlight of the night? I got to have dinner with my very dear friend from home, fabulous pre-published author Robin. She's out here at Conference, and she's got her whole gang of guys with her. Ed, Edward, Matt, and Luke are all enjoying the sights and sounds of SanFran while Robin does the workshops and works. (In this case, we all know that WORK=FUN, even though it is actually a LOT of work. Still though, this has got to be the best job in the world!)

Second highlight of evening? I got to send a pixmsg to my two oldest kids of this:

Yes, that is a VANS store. And they both love Vans. So, I am the really cool mom today. Honestly, the location for this year's conference is wonderful. We're just a block from great shopping, amazing food, and fabulous views. The only way it could be better would be if my whole family were here as well. I envy Robin in that she's sharing this experience with her family. I thank Robin because she shared her family with me for a quick bit.

No post would be complete without giving you the menu for the meal. This one was at Zazil, serving Coastal Mexican Cuisine. I had the sea scallops. Robin had the pork. Looks good, doesn't it?

Now it's time to say goodnight, as the four pillows on my bed are calling my name.

I'll Keep You Posted!!

Day Two - Sheesh, what a crowd!

2008-07-30T22:16:00.004-04:00

I don't even have a pic for this post, but I'll be happy to try to create a mental image for you, because hey, that's what writers do, right? (or would that be - that's what writer's do - write!)

Picture this:

I step onto the escalator with a throng of other people, mostly women. But not just women. There are also men. And teenagers. And even a few babies. I understand this, as I want to have my babies here as well. The escalator goes down, to the lower levels of the hotel, and I step off into this gigantic mass of humanity. There seems to be some sort of order to it, so I follow the crowd and end up in a line. This seems like the best way to get through the magical doors to Book Heaven.

While in line, people stroll by handing out papers. "Here, play this scavenger hunt." (A scavenger hunt? Do I need to find an airline barf bag? A used ticket to Woodstock? A purple safety pin? No? Just signatures? I could maybe do that. Riiiight.) "Do you want to have some fun while you're in there? If so, take one of these." (Of course I took that paper, because, hey, I want nothing but fun, and taking that paper guaranteed me FUN!) "Have you bought your raffle tickets yet?" (Raffle tickets? Do I have to listen for numbers? I can't even hear myself think, how will I hear them calling numbers!)

Finally, the doors open, and the line starts moving. I get to the front and step through the doors into what is quite arguably the best room in the world. I mean, what else would you call a place that not only held thousands of Books, but also held the amazing authors that wrote all of those books. I've said it before, and most of you that read this agree - the authors are my Rock Stars. And to be in a room with so many of the people that have their names in books that are scattered all throughout my home? Ohhh, the bliss!

I, of course, thought that I would be so much more prepared than last year. I mean, I've done this once already, right? Last year I was so nervous to be in the presence of so much greatness that I felt like puking. Now there's an endorsement for the event - "So great it makes you wanna toss your cookies!" Needless to say, it was just as overwhelming this time.

I won't tell you all of the great people that I met, but I will give you a few highlights...
Kristan Higgins had her RITA flag flying high, and was very sweet.
Liza Palmer was just as beautiful as last year, and she had people buying books every time I walked by.
Pamela Palmer was my first buy of the night, and she was very nice, plus her book is based in DC.
Anne Stuart was charming as ever, and I got to tell her that I've got my Unfortunate Miss Fortunes Quilt in a place of honor at my home. She liked that. :)
Natale Stenzal is a writer from Virginia, so of course I had to get that one.
Kristin Hannah is just gracious, as always. Magic Hour is for Charity.
Kelly Para is a RITA finalist, and hers is an MTV book, so - one for my oldest daughter.
Karen White was just absolutely lovely, and I high-fived her when she answered "I write Southern Women's Fiction". Can't wait to read her book!
And then there was Victoria Alexander. You may remember that she was the highlight of my trip last year, so I was a little bit nervous when I got into her line. What if she had no clue who I was? I'd be crushed! Well, I got to the front of her line and asked for her newest book, told her I loved her work, she said thanks. Then she looked at me, and said words that made my night - "I remember you from last year!" Ohmyfreakingawd! Victoria Alexander remembered me. I could die happy.

And on that note, I gathered my books, taunted my roomie because I was heading back to the room and she was stuck there signing books for her adoring fans, and I left.

I spent more money than I planned, especially considering the amount of free books I'll be getting later in the week. But the purchases I made this year meant something. Money well spent? Yeah, I think so.

I have not a single clue what some of those papers they gave out in line were. I didn't buy a raffle ticket, though I did notice that they had a board set up for all the winners. I only got one signature on my sheet, because I was too star-struck to find the people on the list. But I did get my fun.

Only down side to the night? The gift card machine at Starbuck's was down. And I just refuse to spend any cash there. So I didn't get my mocha-java-chip frap. But hey, I can't always lead the charmed life, right?

I'll Keep You Posted!

Day Two - Sometimes I'm very lucky...

2008-07-30T17:55:00.007-04:00

You know, sometimes I lead a very charmed life.

Case in point - Do you see NYT Bestselling Author Susan Mallery and RITA Finalist Kristan Higgins in this picture? Cool, right? I mean - two really FABulous authors, sitting at a table together. Well, that was my view all through lunch today... and they were both at my table!

Yeah, I'm serious. I had lunch with Susan, Kristen, and Julie today. I'll ask Kristan to send me the pic of all 4 of us together.

I'll have more to talk about later. Right now, I must go find snow globes for my wee ones. Frankly, they wouldn't care if La Nora wanted to buy me coffee and give me four hours of personal advice on my career. If I don't get them snow globes, the entire trip is a failure as far as they are concerned.

I must admit, Susan is so incredibly gracious. She is also very frank about the business, and very insightful. It was like my own personal workshop at lunch today, except I also got pretty great food. One fun moment occurred just minutes after Kristan asked Susan if she ever got recognized. Susan said that she'd never been recognized before. The host then walks up, almost as if on cue, and asks Susan if she'd mind signing a menu for the sous chef, as she is a HUGE fan of Susan's. It was just perfect! Check out the menu for Restaurant LuLu. Nice, yes?

I'll Keep You Posted!!

Day Two - Cloudy in San Francisco?

2008-07-30T10:47:00.004-04:00

This is the view from my room in San Francisco. Can you see the fog?

Of course, that means that I made it here. My trip wasn't without its trials though. After missing my plane due to traffic on I-95, I got to spend most of the day in Cincy. Now, Cincy is nice but it isn't San Fran. I finally made it into the Foggy City and spent some time on the BART to get to the hotel.

The hotel is located right in the heart of the city, with a Bloomingdale's and an Apple Store within about a block. Frankly, I don't know how they could have picked a better location.

When I made it to the hotel last night, I dropped my stuff and met up with my roomie and her friend Julie across the street at Annabelle's. The food was amazing, but I won't describe it. After all, this is a BOOK blog, not a FOOD blog.

I'm having lunch with some friends today. I don't know when or where, but I'll post all about it later.

oh yeah... for the Celeb-spotting alert -
Kristan Higgins
Alesia Holliday
Barb Ferrar
Michelle Cunnah

I'll Keep You Posted!!

Blogging Nationals

2008-07-28T15:06:00.002-04:00

For those of you interested, YES - I will be blogging Nationals again this year.

I'll start tomorrow, when I get to San Fran.
I'll continue every day that I have the time and energy and topic to blog.
I'll finish on Saturday night, after the GH/Rita awards.

Also, just so you know... my oldest girl child will be on here on Saturday, during the ceremony. She's graciously agreed to bring you the awards almost-live, from my cell phone to hers. I'm getting that blog post together right now. There will be ONE post, with all of the categories and entrants, and she will update it every time there is a winner. Yes, I know that there will be a live feed, but she wants to do this, so I'm not going to say no. Besides, that live feed was lost a few times last year, and I want a few of you that are really interested in a certain award to know as soon as it happens.

Keep checking back for more.

Also, I picked a few of you to receive signed copies of Kristan Higgins' newest release - JUST ONE OF THE GUYS. I'll have her sign them and mail them out from San Fran. Check back on Tuesday to find out if you're a winner.

Keep Turning Those Pages!

Just One Of The Guys, Kristan Higgins AND A CONTEST

2008-07-16T19:46:00.005-04:00

You know, sometimes life is a little rough. I have a hellish commute to a job that I love/hate. I hear stories from people I work with about missing kids and cheating spouses and parents that don't understand them. I have friends with sickness, and my own Grams is battling that big ugly "C" word right now. It's not anything that you don't deal with as well. Your car breaks down. You fight with your spouse. Your sister finds a lump. Sometimes life just kicks us right in the teeth, right?

But sometimes? Oh man. Sometimes you come home from grocery shopping and open up your mailbox and find a little piece of paradise all wrapped up in a brown envelope.

That was my luck today.

And I have to say, bless my children's hearts for automatically knowing, and gracefully (if not exactly quietly) accepting that Mommy would be of no use to ANYONE today. Mommy got a new book in the mail, one she'd just unsuccessfully scoured Borders to find. Mommy would be Reading!

Yes, I got this long-awaited gem in the mail. And it couldn't have come at a better time. I needed a pick-me-up. That is, after all, why I was in Borders as soon as they opened today. I was hoping against hope that some college kid there (no offense to any of you out there, ok?) had ignored the silly lay-down date and slipped a copy of Kristan Higgins' latest book onto a shelf for me to find. Alas, it wasn't the case and I came home heavy hearted. Until my darling daughter came running back from the mailbox with an envelope. "Momma, I think you have a BOOK! Maybe it's the one with the dog on it!!"

And it WAS!! Bless Kristan Higgins' heart. :) And so began my journey into the life of Chastity O'Neill, who is ... Just One Of The Guys

Being one of the guys isn't all it's cracked up to be...
So when journalist Chastity O'Neill returns to her hometown, she decides it's time to start working on some of those feminine wiles. Two tiny problems.: #1 - she's five feet eleven inches of rock-solid girl power, and #2 - she's cursed with four alpha male older brothers.
While doing a story on local heroes, she meets a hunky doctor and things start to look up. Now there's only one problem: Trevor Meade, her first love and the one man she's never quite gotten over - although he seems to have gotten over her just fine.
Yet the more time she spends with Dr. perfect, the better Trevor looks. But even with the in-your-face competition, the irresistible Trevor just can't seem to see Chastity as anything more than just one of the guys...

As with Ms. Higgins previous books, Fools Rush In and Catch of the Day, I fell right into the heart of the story. Chastity O'Neill is a writer, a journalist to be precise. She's just moved back to her hometown. She's landed a sweet job at the local paper. She's glad to be back among her testosterone-filled family. And then she gets dumped. No, wait, don't worry. Getting dumped happens on the first page. Actually, it happens in the very first line of the book. And I couldn't help but laugh.

Of course, this being a Higgins book, I knew I'd be laughing a lot. And crying. And looking inside myself to examine some of the stuff that her books always seem to stir up, like so much dust on the floor in the middle of June. This book was no exception.

Chastity has a life full of men, but not in the way she really wants. What she wants is a husband, and babies, and love and laughter. What she has is four older brothers (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) that range from firefighters to members of the bomb squad, all heroes in their own right. What she has is a stiff-upper-lipped Irish firefighter father, that is at times more emotionally stilted than a chilled bottle of pinot. What she has is a mother that's had enough of playing second fiddle to her husband's career. What she has is a secret crush, of the I-really-LOVE-him variety, on a man that's been an honorary part of her family for decades. What she has, in short, is a real life, full of family and fun, but also tinged with heartache and disappointment.

When her mom starts dating again, Chastity joins her. And when, on one of those outings, Chastity meets her ideal man, things start looking up. Did I mention he's a doctor? Well, to be more precise, he's a trauma surgeon. He's incredibly hot, enough to turn Chastity's head from her two beloved dream men - Derek Jeter and Aragorn from LOTR. He's wealthy. He's thoughtful and polite. Really, he's perfect.

Except he isn't Trevor.

While Chastity's mom takes a huge leap into her new dating life and actually becomes the center of someone's world, Chastity struggles with what it means to know the love of your life but not have him. She's happy with her doctor (excuse me, her Trauma Surgeon). He adores her. He even says he loves her. But is that enough?

Maybe, sometimes, it is.

Maybe sometimes The Love Of Your Life doesn't have to be the only person you love in your life. Maybe you can learn to passionately adore the person that loves you. Maybe that's all anyone can hope for. Blah blah bleeping blah.

Written in First POV, with enough wit and heart to fuel an online dating community, Just One of The Guys is a true masterpiece. You'll love Chastity, all five feet eleven and three quarters inches of her. You'll love her brothers and her dad and her mom and her nieces and nephews and sisters-in-law. You'll love her Trauma Surgeon boyfriend, Ryan Darling. And yes, you'll love Buttercup, Chastity's dog. The only thing you won't love is that, like all good books must, this book ends. It may even end the way you want it to end. Maybe...

Maybe you should go out and grab this book! Because frankly, when my day started kind of crappy, this book made me smile. And cry. And laugh. And it's got that cute dog on the cover. And well, it's a Higgins book. What more could you want?

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

PS- If you'd like a signed copy of Just One Of The Guys, leave me a comment. I'd like to know about the ordinary people in your life that are heroes. If I pick your name at random, I'll have Kristan sign a copy of this book to you when I see her at Nationals in a few weeks. Yes, the contest is THAT easy. So go ahead, what are you waiting for?

"Hey, I remember you..."

2008-07-12T23:30:00.004-04:00

... she said shyly, as she slipped back into the room.

Where have I been? If you really want to know, click here. Otherwise, suffice it to say that there is just NO EXCUSE for me totally leaving you guys alone for so long. My goodness, the place is a wreck, there is dust everywhere, cobwebs from here to there, and I think a stray cat may have gotten in through the back door. I'll have it cleaned up in no time. I promise.

While I'm trying to get this place back in order, I thought I'd leave you with this...

Earthly Pleasures, by Karen Neches

Ms. Neches actually sent this book to me a little while back. I was planning on reading it as soon as I got it, then dishing it right away. Well, best laid plans aside, it didn't happen.

What did happen is that I picked it up one recent Saturday afternoon, after a rather rough week, and just got sucked right in.

The premise, basically, is that Heaven is nothing like my Preacher tells me. It's more like the ultimate cool town, where you can have literally anything you want through the use of your personal Wishberry. The Wishberry's like a Blackberry, but better, as it can even conjure up your favorite mocha latte in mere nano-seconds. The angels are stylishly dressed, there is the ultimate in shopping via Retail Rapture, and the secrets of life on Earth are taught through five Beattles songs. Oh yeah, and everyone can catch up on their favorite Earth people through the tv show called Earthly Pleasures. It's like Big Brother, but real.

One of Heaven's greeters is an angel named Skye. Skye loves everything about Heaven, and has no desire to ever be born and try her hand on Earth. Her life (for lack of a better word) is practically perfect, until the day that Earthly Pleasures current fave Rick Blaine ends up in her office. In the few seconds Rick spends with Skye before being revived on Earth, something happens. Skye becomes almost obsessed with secretly watching Rick on Earthly Pleasures, but she doesn't understand why. Meanwhile, Rick has some secrets of his own.

This novel was fast, fun, and totally unexpected. The writing was witty. The characterizations were solid. The ending was just enough to be satisfying without crossing the line into sappy.

Personal sidenote: I belong to a very independent, fundamental branch of Christianity. We have some pretty serious beliefs about Heaven and how to get there, as well as what it might be like if you do. This book didn't match those beliefs in ANY way. However, it is a BOOK, people. It's a work of fiction. The author doesn't say, in any place that I have found, that she has researched it and truly believes this is what it is like. It is a FUN read, and I in no way found it to be anything less than perfectly enjoyable.

Earthly Pleasures was a great find, and I am ever so thankful to have picked it up when I did. The light-hearted look at Heaven, as well as the deeper look at a love gone a little crazy, was just what I needed, when I needed it. Sometimes, it almost feels like I've got my very own wishberry. On that Saturday afternoon, I sat down on my front porch and prayed for a way to get my mind off that really rough week, and be whisked away to someplace magical, and then I picked up this book. And found laughter, and fun, and fantasy. And love.

And besides, taking a quote from the book, which borrowed a quote from a rather famous group... Love is all you need!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

BT - The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, Joshilyn Jackson

2008-05-03T15:53:00.003-04:00

Where the heck did April go? One minute, I was planning on launching BookTalk on April 1st. Then my darling baby looked at me this morning and said, "Momma, they're going to sing to me in church tomorrow." Which means that her May birthday is sometime within the next week. Which means that I missed an entire freakin' month.

Better late than never though, right?

So here's how it's going to work:

- Click up there on the title, or just click this link here.

- Read the first comment.

- Leave your own comments. You can answer my questions, or you can make some up of your own.

- Discussion is highly encouraged.

- Spoilers are welcome. If you don't want to know about the book, don't join in the discussion.

Rules:
- No bashing each other.
- No bashing the author.
- You may criticize any aspect of the book that you wish, but be prepared to defend your comments.
- I reserve the right to delete any comment that I feel is cruel, in poor taste, or just ticks me off. (This will probably rarely happen, but I wanted to put it out there just in case someone goes nuts and gets really crazy.)

Now go to it. Enjoy. This will be up and open for comments for the rest of the month. Mid-month, I will announce the BookTalk book for June. Sometime near the beginning of June, I'll post another BookTalk post about the new book. It may, or may not, be a book that I've featured here. If you want to see all the BookTalks, click the BookTalk label, or look for BT in the title of the post.

Remember, there will be SPOILERS. If you haven't read the book, don't click the link.

Keep Turning Those Pages!

Here's why...

2008-03-22T17:32:00.004-04:00

I do the things I do...

You may (or may not) have noticed that I haven't been around much lately. Starting with the stomach flu that ravaged the family a few weeks back, ending with the pipe that broke and flooded the entire rental property just two days before our renters were set to move in, and working some crazy hours in between all that other drama, it's been a heck of a few weeks.

I was so totally counting on having that wonderful weekend in South Carolina, where I got to actually share a meal and some really cool chat time with the amazingly FABulous Joshilyn Jackson, be a time for me to re-charge, re-group, and re-LAX! And it was lovely. Really, totally lovely. But alas, as with all weekends-away, I had to come home, back to the reality that is my at-times-insanely-crazy-but-always-wonderful life. Straight back to the stomach flu. And my General Manager moving to Florida. And the rental flooding. So much fun being home, right?

So yeah, when things in the real life get crazy, time on the computer is the first thing that has to go. What? You didn't think I'd sacrifice time with my kids, did you?

Now, I've actually got the weekend off, and I wanted the chance to share a few things with you, before I go forward and start a few new things in April. We'll just chalk the month of March up to one long hiatus. I mean, those other writers in tv land got to take some time off, didn't they?

Here's the deal. I love books. I love reading them. I love writing them. I love walking in to the bookstore and seeing them. I love the smell of them. Pretty much anything that has to do with books is something that I enjoy being involved in.

I read all the time. I have books stashed everywhere you can imagine - next to the bed, in the office, in every bag I carry, in the car for reading at stoplights, piles of them next to the bathtub. You get the picture? I know what I like, and I know what I don't really like all that much. I also know how hard it is to write, since I'm plugging along at my own book.

I like to share my feelings about the books that I read, and that's why I started this blog. It wasn't supposed to be a big thing, with lots of people. It started off as a place to put my thoughts on books, instead of my personal blog. A few friends knew about it and read it, and that was cool. Then I had a partner in crime, as it were, and that was really nice too. Then we started doing contests, and more people started showing up, and that was pretty interesting. I found it all a bit strange that people really listened to what I had to say about books, and more than a bit flattering, if you want to know the truth. Then the partner in crime left, and I was back to doing things on my own. Except, now I had regular readers. Hmmm. Interesting place to be, yes?

But seriously, I'm not a very good reviewer. You knew that already, didn't you? I mean, I'm not snarky, I'm not rude, I can't really be mean. And I have this stupid thing where if I can't say at least three nice things about a book, then I won't even talk about it. Why? Well, because I think that authors work hard, really REALLY hard, to write those stories. And it's wrong, and mean, and just crappy, of me to come in and rip their work to shreds. I just don't see the humor, or the fun, or anything in that. I can't read review sites that seem to enjoy trashing not just a book, but an author as well. They make me kind of queasy. I don't find it entertaining, I find it cruel.

I also don't think that reviews should tell you anything major about the book. I don't think that any plot points should be revealed, and secrets told. I don't think they should be like mini- book reports. Nor do I think that you should get any more information from a review about the book than you get from the Back (or Inside) Cover Copy of a book. Reviews that tell you everything that happens in the book basically take away your reason to buy the book. I enjoy telling the general things that I liked about the book, a small bit about the main characters, any MAJOR thing that might have bothered me, and whether or not it will make my Keeper shelf, be passed on to a friend, be given away, or be sent out into the wild.

Also, because of the fact that I have a full time job outside the home, we homeschool all six of our amazing children, I'm very involved in my church, and I read like a fiend, I don't have the time to 'review' every single book that I read. And frankly, I doubt you'd like it if I did that anyhow. I want you to know that the books that I choose to 'feature' here are books that have somehow touched me. They have shifted the way I think about something, or look at something, or feel about something. They have made me pause and reconsider my views and opinions. They have made me cry or laugh. Basically, I'm only going to tell you about the ones that move me. Because really? Who the heck has time to read books that don't move you?

So if you're looking for mean-spirited reviews that tell you every last thing about a book, you're in the wrong place. If you want someone that's willing to trash an author, or the book that they wrote, you've got the wrong girl.

But if what you want is honest, positive thoughts about really special books, then maybe you're in the right place.

Going forward, here's the deal.
- I'll be putting a list of the books that I'm planning on reading every week/month up in the sidebar. It'll be like a TBR pile. When I finish with a book, if it's made any kind of an impact on me at all, I'll tell you about it. If you don't hear about it, then that means that I either really didn't like it, or it didn't make a really big splash in my pond.

- I will still feature a Fabulous Author/Book every month. And there will be a free book given away in a contest. Sometimes those books will even be signed. Sometimes they won't be. I'll try to have the FAB be a week-long event. And I'll try to include an interview. But I'm not making any promises.

- If you want me to tell you my thoughts on a book, ANY book, drop me a line, or leave me a comment. I'm always looking for new books or authors to check out. Keep in mind, I'll read almost anything, but I especially enjoy Southern fiction, mystery/suspense, 'chick lit', and straight romance. That's not to say that I won't read anything else, because hey, if it's in a book I'm willing to try reading it. I've read just about everything. I say "just about" because I'm sure there are things that I haven't seen yet. But if it falls in any category between cookbooks (my favorite is this one) and computer manuals (like this one), or anywhere else on any shelf of the bookstore, I'm more than willing to read it. And I honestly can't remember the last time I didn't finish a book. I just can't NOT finish, if you know what I mean.

- I'm going to encourage discussion about books. Actually, I'm going to beg for it. So, if you want to discuss a particular book, let me know. I'd like to start BookTalk in April, with a discussion of March's FAB The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. If you were one of the people that got signed copies of the book, or if you bought and read your own copy, please join me in a discussion IN THE COMMENTS SECTION, about the book. You will be able to identify BookTalk posts because the title will start with BT, and it will have a BookTalk label. If you don't want to read spoilers, please don't click on the comments for these posts.

- To go along with and encourage BookTalk discussions, I'll be sending out a few copies of a book each month. How do you get on my list? Send me an e-mail ( deesbookdish AT gmail DOT com) and let me know that you want to participate in BookTalk (just put BOOKTALK in the subject line, and your address somewhere in the e-mail body). I can't promise that you'll get a book every single month. But the more often you are here and you comment, the more often that you participate in the contests, well, the more inclined I will probably be to send you free books. You are, of course, under no obligation to participate in BookTalk discussions if I send you a free book. But it would be really great if you did drop in and at least give me your honest (but not cruel) opinion of the book that you got.

So, does that make sense? Things will keep going around here, but they'll be just a tad bit different. I'll tell you the books I'm reading, and I'll tell you about those books if they make any sort of an impact on me at all. If I don't tell you about them, then they were either wallbangers, or they were just not that interesting TO ME. That's not to say that you won't find them amazing, but if I don't tell you about them, that that just means that I personally didn't find them all that great. I'll also have regular BookTalk discussions, almost like an online book club, and you might get free books

Now, I'm going to adjourn for the next few days, and actually write up some 'reviews' of books I've read in the past few weeks, and store those to post in the very near future. And I also have a Double Dish from TC that I've had in storage for a few weeks (THANKS, tc!!).

Stay tuned for more fun stuff, more contests, more giveaways, and more of the reasons that I started the site in the first place. Be in touch in the comments if you have any suggestions. Can't wait to hear from you!

Keep Turning Those Pages!

FAB - Joshilyn Jackson interview (and contest winners)

2008-03-01T11:54:00.008-05:00

What a life! I'm sitting here, Saturday morning, in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. My view is of the ocean, and I have to say that the prospect of a day above 40 degrees is FABulous. But, not nearly as FABulous as last night. See, last night, I was in the B&N in Mt. Pleasant. And so was... Joshilyn Jackson!

Now, that wasn't an accident. I planned it that way. I looked on her website at her tour dates, found one that was close enough to drive, yet far enough to be... away... and just made a few discreet Google inquiries. Then I found this wonderful place and invited a few friends to join me on a Book-trip. Now here I am.

And I have prizes for some of you!

But I'll get to that. First though, I'd like to give you this present. It's a few questions that I asked Joss to answer, and she did, friends! I'm hoping that, after reading these, you'll fall just as much in stalker-love with her as I already am. So, read on:

Joss, On writing...

dee: Please describe THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, in one sentence.

Joss: The ghost of a drowned girl draws a pairs of estranged sisters together to discover what really happened the night she died.

dee: Why do you write? Is it something you have to do, like breathing? Or is it more of a way to pay the bills?

Joss: I write primarily to entertain myself. I’ve always been a story-teller, and I’ve always been easily bored. I hate waiting. And sitting. And driving. And housework. SO I find to fill that time, I tell myself stories. Sometimes the characters in the stories I tell myself get…internally loud. Those are the ones I feel compelled to write down.

Anyone who takes up writing fiction to pay the bills is clinically insane. You do it for love, I think, and then if the money comes, YAY. That’s a gift from heaven--- and readers.

dee: Can you describe your writing process? Do you have a crit partner? Who sees your work before the rest of us? How long does it take you to write a book? To edit?

Joss: I have a read aloud group for short scenes where pacing is a concern. I have a small writing group who reads chapters as I go and gives me feedback. I have one or two whole book readers at the end---one of these, Lydia, has been been my writing partner for over a decade and a half now. Then my agent, who used to be an editor, takes a look. When I have it as tasty and perfect as I can make it, THEN it goes to my editor. I do not like my editor to see the MS with curlers in its hair and crumbs down its front.

It takes about 18 months for me to write and edit a book. I would say 75% of that time is spent on revising, and that’s the part I like. Drafting feels messy, like I am spewing out awkwardly worded ideas. Drafting is how I get raw material, like clay, and then I try to make something worth looking at out of the clay.

dee: What exactly is 'Southern Gothic'? I've heard you describe your books that way, and I know other writers that also claim SG as their genre, but really, couldn't you just call it "ball-busting, gut-wrenching writing"? I'm just wondering if it's part of a marketing thing, or what. Does all southern writing fall into this category?

Joss: Dee! You must read this ! love the wiki!

No, not all southern writing is Gothic, and I do not think I am a classic total genius deathless Southern Gothic writer like Faulkner or O’Connor, or to get current, the inestimable Tom Franklin. I do use elements of Southern Gothic. For example, in Between, Georgia, the Doll House/Butterfly museum mirrors Bernese’s smug, tunnel-tunnel-visioned, hypocritical inner landscape, and putting a first kiss in that disturbing, alien landscape mirrors the other instance of adultery in the book; That scene is me using The Grotesque.

I think I write character driven fiction that borrows from a lot of genres. I know I use both elements of Southern Gothic writing and an engine from commercial fiction. For example, a murder mystery propels both gods and The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, but neither book is actually a murder mystery. I have very eclectic influences---I read everything from classic literature to classic pulp, from Dennis Lehane to Haven Kimmel--- and I think the mish-mash of influences have a huge hand in the kind of books I write.

dee: You have little pockets of writer friends scattered all over the South. How did you meet these people? Are you a part of a writing group or organization? Do you have close friends that are not writers? How important is the sense of community found with other writers to your very basic sanity?

Joss: Oh you know – you meet other writers at conferences and such. I am not part of any sort of CLUB, no. Most of my friends are either writers or moms or both. I love that I have gotten to meet a lot of my absolute heros, and I love that they have treated me like a peer. That still blows my mind.

That said, a sense of a community of writers is not as important to me as a sense of community with other moms. I am under no illusions about which of my two jobs is more important, and which of my two jobs will have a more lasting effect in the world. I love writing, I love that my books are published, but my kids are what I will actually leave behind when I slip this mortal coil. My kid’s choices will have a real effect on the people around them. I want to do a good job. I want to raise people who will be kind and happy and strive to do what is right and who will treat other people with gentleness and empathy. It’s the only thing that matters.

dee: The relationship between the women in your books fascinates me. I love the community of women, how each one helps the other see things, feel things, and be things that they might never have been before. Thalia reminded me of the other two strong women that you've created. How do you think she was similar? Different?

Joss: OH, Thalia. She is a love her/hate her character. I think she is hilarious, but I know some readers will want to strangle her. I freakin’ love her—even though I do not ADMIRE her. She flirts with being a sociopath, but where she is capable of love, she does it fiercely and willfully. I am interested in her strange marriage…

By the other two strong women, do you mean Flo from gods and Mama from Between? I see very little of Mama and Flo in Thalia---perhaps all three are more pragmatic than dreamers, but Flo is broken. Mama is physically hampered. Both of those women are shaped by the strictures of their lives, and both are hugely shaped by loss.

Thalia, on the other hand, invented herself out of will and spittle and raw guts. She refuses to let anything shape her. She shapes herself.

Okay, maybe I DO admire her, a VERY little, but LORDY I would not want to be Thalia.

dee: In TGWSS, the romantic relationship is already established. They're married. However, Laurel, with Thalia's help, starts to question everything she knows about her husband and the way that they live. How was writing about an already firm relationship different from the others you're penned? Laurel and David have a history already, they are middle-aged, content in their shared life. How different was that than writing about Henry and Nonny, at the beginning of their love story?

Joss: One of the ways I think of this book is as a love story for married people; this is the first book I dedicated to my husband. gods and Between I dedicated to my parents and my children, because those are parent/child love stories. Romance…hmm. I think marriages are inherently more interesting animals than fresh romances. Complicated, layered relationships with history—and a marriage has its own language.

I wanted elements of romance in Between because Nonny is, at last, at 30, growing up, and finding a mate is part of that. In THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING (and in gods, to some extent) I was looking at established relationships and how you find your way back to love in them…or not.

Joss, on life...

dee: What is your favorite job ever? Why?

Joss: Mom. Because me and my husband, we made us some amazing babies. I may be slightly prejudiced in their favor, and my assessment of them may be made through fond eyes, but Sam and Maisy Jane seem to me to be the cutest best smartest most delightful children to ever grace the earth.

dee: You are having a Milestone birthday this month, correct?

Joss: NO.

dee: Do you think this birthday will change how you view the world?

Joss: NO.

dee: How you view your work?

Joss: NO.

dee: Has it already?

Joss: NO.
I may be in a teeny bit of denial. Yes, okay. I am turning forty. I am fine with it. If you need me, I will be upstairs sobbing into a blanket.

I do not know why this one is hitting me so hard. Maybe because I secretly wish I could have 1 or 2 more babies, but alas, we started too late.

dee: How is the Lent thing going? Why did you pick what you picked to give up for FORTY days? You've got some incredible willpower, woman!!

Joss: I gave up sugar last lent, and this year I gave up both sugar and wine. Not ALCOHOL, you understand. I can’t turn 40 without a martini. Or two. But sugar was not going to do it this year.

Before last Lent, I think I ate some sugar every day---I was addicted to it. Last year was a challenging Lent because I craved sweets all the time, every hour, for about the first two weeks. Then I stopped. And I haven’t craved sweets in that same way since. I also do not drink wine every day. But – probably most days, I either have a glass or two of wine OR a dessert. And my favorite thing ON EARTH to eat is a nice shiraz with bitter black chocolate. SO I gave up both.

I think the point for me is to give up something that I will miss every day---it doesn’t matter what the thing is, as long I feel the absence of it, which is what reminds me to pray and focus on things beyond whatever is in front of me. As for me having willpower? Hee! ee!! I have absolutely ZERO self-control, but there is a spiritual component to lent that is stronger than my baby- mouse willpower.

dee: You've mentioned many different drinks on FTK. Do you have an all time favorite drink? A solid standby? Something you know will be good no matter where you are? Are you currently flirting with any new drinks, after your recent trip to NY?

Joss: My all time fave is a dirty vodka martini with extra olives. This last trip to NYC, we made home base an upper west side speakeasy called Prohibition, and I LOVED it there. They have these delicious little miniburgers. Num. They have a “martini” made with Ciroc and blood orange juice, and it is TASTY. I am going to try to recreate it at home.

dee: People die in your books. Usually those people are in Alabama. Do you have a fascination with Alabaman death? Or death in general?

Joss: HA! In my books, people can DIE anywhere, but I do I seem to like for people to be murdered in Alabama…If you are going to be violently killed in one of my books, you almost always have to cross the line into the state that so rightfully calls itself The Beautiful.

In The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, I finally offed someone under suspicious circumstances in FLORIDA, so that was a big step for me, but the shooting all takes place in…Alabama. Even in Between, Georgia, which doesn’t have the elements of a murder mystery, you hear about one of the Crabtree cousins getting in a bar fight and killing someone in Alabama.

Alabama seems to me like the right state for committing murder. All those green hills and quarries---so many places to hide a body. Alabama air smells crisp to me, and violence seems more possible there. I am not sure Alabama is as real a place to me as Georgia and Florida and the other 47 states. I haven’t lived in Alabama since I was a baby, but all my people come from it. I mythologize it more than I do other places.

In the book I am writing now, the main character is from Alabama (She’s actually Rose Mae Lolley, from gods in Alabama, so) but she has lived for twenty years in Texas and California, and for her, Alabama is as dangerous and beautiful and made-up as Faerie. She says, “In Alabama, mushrooms only ever grow in circles, and things happen in threes.” So I am not done with my complicated relationship with that chunk of America yet, apparently. And Rose is herself a bit like my version of the state; she is beautiful and she shoots people.

Joss, On what's next...

dee: Will you tell us about where you are in the writing/publishing process right now? TGWSS is almost in stores. Where are you in Rose Unraveled?

Joss: About 1/3^rd of the way in and STUCK, thanks! I am not sure if that will be the title. Not MARRIED to it, but it is fine for a working title.

dee: What's it about?

Joss: It’s the story of Rose, a minor character in gods in Alabama, but it is not a sequel. It is more like a companion book. The events in ROSE UNRAVELLED are taking place years after gods closes in 1997. Thematically I am revisiting redemption because I am not done with it yet. I am not sure I ever will be. All it takes is LENT to remind me of how interested I am in that!

I started to work on it when I realized that everything Rose Mae says to Arlene in gods is a lie, and I woke up one night KNOWING exactly why she was really looking for Jim Beverly in that book.

Getting the timeline to work is a little like fitting a puzzle together, and I find I am willing to sacrifice exactness to the book’s greater concerns, if I can make it make sense in my head. For example, in gods, Rose Mae and Jim Beverly are in the same class. In ROSE UNRAVELLED, Rose was a junior when Jim was a senior ---but I think of that as ARLENE’S mistake.

Arlene, coming in as a freshman, saw them as a unit, and put them in the same class---after all, I think back to highschool, I can’t tell you what class everyone I went to school with was in. And in ROSE UNRAVELLED, Rose has no diploma. She dropped out at the end of junior year, so it seems natural that Arlene would assume she was a senior. Meanwhile, I have time lines and charts scribble-scrabbled all over Delta envelopes and notes scattered throughout 3 different copies of gods. Yarg!

dee: When will it be out?

Joss: 2009? I hope?

dee: Isn't it crazy that your newest published book isn't even officially in stores yet, and I'm already begging for the next one?

Joss: No. I do not think it makes you crazy. I think it makes EXCEPTIONALLY pretty.

So. There you have it. Joss thinks that *I* am "exceptionally pretty". She said it. And, I must admit, I am slightly inclined to believe her today. After all, I'm sitting here with this amazing ocean view, listening to the waves crash upon the shore as I look at the pile of signed copies of TGWSS and eat off the majestic cheese plate that I've just made.

What's that, you say? Pile of signed copies of TGWSS? Why yes, I did say pile, didn't I. And pile I meant. See, I was in such a gloriously happy place last night, what with actually breaking bread with Joss before the signing and seeing all of those happy faces at the signing, that I just felt the need to share the love. So, if you don't mind, would the following people please send me an e-mail at deesbookdish@gmail.com, with "I WON TGWSS" in the subject line, and include your actual mailing address? you don't mind? Good then. Please contact me so I can mail your book. Kristen, Chloe, Gail, Ray, and Tammy. I also have two audiobooks for Andi and Marg. (And I have a confession to make. One of you almost didn't get the audiobook. I almost kept it for myself! But only because I love you, and because Joss brought them, are you going to get them. So you better ENJOY!)

See Joss here? She's probably signing your copy of TGWSS, if you are a winner! And as for those of you that are not getting signed copies, IF YOUR BLOG IS LISTED UP THERE ON THE RIGHT ONLY!, please send me an e-mail as well, with "I WANT A COUPON FOR TGWSS" in the subject line. I will be happy to send you a coupon/gift certificate that will take care of a small portion of your TGWSS purchase. This is not for everyone, you understand. Just for those lovely people that helped me spread the word about this FABulous book by advertising on their blog. Please remember that the books will not be signed. But they will still be FABulous.

Ok, now I have to get back to reading. And relaxing. And finishing this Bloody Mary. It's only my second. Or is it my third? Oh, who's counting?

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB - Joshilyn Jackson contest reminder, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2008-02-27T07:11:00.005-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSS!

Yes, today is Joshilyn's birthday. Won't you stop by her site here and wish her a very happy day? And while you're at it, remind her how pretty she is!

Just reminding y'all that the contests are both over on Thursday at midnight EST. So.

If you want to blog about Joshilyn Jackson's newest book, THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, be sure to put the .jpg (selflessly hosted by Joss here) and the inside cover copy (found on this post here) on YOUR blog. Then drop in here on any post that has the words "FAB" and "JOSHILYN JACKSON" on the title and leave me a link. I'm not picky where you put it, as long as you tell me somewhere that you've linked to my site.

If you want to enter the other contest, just tell me about your most intense celebrity stalker experience. Again, any post will do.

Also, as I mentioned, Joshilyn has agreed to answer questions from my blog-reader friends this week. If you have a question for her, just leave it on THIS post, and she'll drop in and answer it for you.

I will announce contest winners on Friday or Saturday, when I post the FABulous interview with Joshilyn. I'll be out of town over the weekend, but will have my computer with me. Be sure to stay tuned!!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB - THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, Joshilyn Jackson

2008-02-24T23:16:00.002-05:00

Make sure you read all the way to the end of this post, ok? There are a few things that might be of interest to you down at the end. I'd say more, but what I really want to do is talk about this month's FABPick, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, by the FABulous Joshilyn Jackson.

From the Inside Cover Copy:

Laurel Gray Hawthorne hasn't seen a ghost in the thirteen years she and her husband have lived in the beautiful gated neighborhood of Victorianna. keeping her head down, she's managed to make a good life for her beloved daughter and husband while working on her nationally acclaimed art quilts. But in the dog days of a Florida August, she wakes to find a dead girl standing by her bed. It's the ghost of her daughter's best friend, Molly, who leads the way to her own small body, floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Now, with police on her lawn and neighbors peeking over the fence, Laurel's carefully constructed existence cracks, and her past seeps through.

Laurel and her sister, Thalia, grew up in what appears to be a typical blue-collar home, but the Grays have long been hiding a very literal skeleton in their closet. While Laurel built her pretty, pleasing life in the suburbs, Thalia became an actress with a capital A, about as unconventional as they come. She's the walking definition of mess, and no longer fits in Laurel's tidy world. Yet Molly can't rest until someone learns her secrets, and she has opened a door to the past that Laurel can't close alone. She turns to her wild and estranged sister, though asking for Thalia's help is like jumping into a hot frying pan protected only bu a thin layer of Crisco. Together they set out on a life altering journey that will reveal their family's buried history, the true state of Laurel's perfect marriage, and what really happened to the girl who stopped swimming.

Doesn't that make you want to read the book? Well, it should, because that is actually a totally accurate example of cover copy. It's so correct, I can't say a single word about it...except "YES!"

As for the actual story... Whew! I don't even know what else to say, but I'll try.

Like Ms. Jackson's previous two novels, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming is a thrilling roller-coaster of emotion. From the opening paragraph, I was pulled into the story of Laurel Hawthorne and her almost crazy Southern family.

The plot was tight, the pacing was superb, and the characters seemed to step right off the page. And the voice? Well, if you've read a Jackson novel already, then you know about the voice. If you haven't (and what HAVE you been reading, if not one of her books?!?), then let me give you an example...

Thalia had stared up at Daddy's face as if it were more interesting than any thousand fairies, but Laurel had peered hard out at the fireflies and seen the curved body of a girl, slim as filament, glowing in the heart of every light.

Isn't that beautiful? Have you ever heard fireflies described quite like that before? If not, then you've obviously skipped your portion of Jackson this year.

I can't really say much more about the book without giving something away, and trust me, there's plenty to give away. It's one of those books that you will suck up fast, because it keeps rolling. But then you'll have to re-read it, almost as soon as you finish, because the way it all ties up makes you want to go back and experience it all again.

I can remember the first time I read it, just a few weeks ago. I blocked off an entire day, because I knew that once I started I wouldn't be able to put it down. And I didn't. Not for food, not for movie night, not for anything. I held my breath at least a dozen times. I rushed to the end, because I had to find out what happened to that girl in the pool, and to Thalia, and to Laurel. When I finished, I put the book down and walked downstairs, the tears still seeping out of my eyes. I sat down in my chair and my husband and oldest daughter just looked at me. "Are you ok?" they both asked. My reply? "I just need to figure out how to breathe again." Once I figured it out (which took about half an hour to do properly), I was fine. I headed back upstairs and started reading it all over again. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Telling you to read this book just isn't enough. I really should post a warning with my recommendation: IF YOU BUY THIS BOOK, PLAN ON READING IT OFTEN. <--- said in my public announcer's voice.

So go ahead. Dive into The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. But be forewarned: Once just won't be enough.

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

Oh yeah, about those extras...
Don't forget to enter one of the contests for a chance at winning a signed copies of THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING.
- For one contest, simply tell me about your most intense or bizarre celebrity stalker experience, in the comments of this post.
- For the other contest, copy the .jpg and the ICC (that's the picture of the cover of the book and the inside cover copy, in purple near the top of this post) and paste them onto YOUR blog, with a linkback to this blogpost. Please also add in the comments here where your post is, so I can add you up in the sidebar.

And, just to make things more interesting, the FABulous Joshilyn Jackson is going to give away some extras. Don't believe me? Check out her website here (2/24 post) for more details. I told you she was pretty!

Can you get any more FAB than that?

Ummm.... No.

Stay tuned for more Joss, all week long!

FAB - Joshilyn Jackson is PRICELESS!

2008-02-22T00:01:00.001-05:00

First of all - isn't she just PRETTY? I mean, she's beautiful, right? She is. And the cool thing? She's just as pretty on the inside. Well, I guess the blood and guts might give you pause. But her spirit? Her soul? Very, very pretty. You'll get to see that over the next few days, as I share some things about her books, and you read the interview that she granted. Also, Joss has agreed to answer questions. So if you have a question for her, please leave it in the comments section of ANY post that has FAB in the title this week, and she'll be along to answer it. Just remember that she's on BOOK TOUR for her newest release, THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, and the replies to your questions and comments may take a day or two. But she will answer. :)

Today though, I'd like to talk about Ms. Jackson's debut novel, gods in Alabama. It just happens to be one of my favorite books in the entire world. And evidently, I'm not the only one that feels that way.

You see, gods In Alabama was one of the initial 100 books on this list. Then people voted, and gods actually made it into the Top Ten. It has the chance to be "THE" book to talk about in 2008. You can help it achieve that goal by voting for it. But why vote?

Because...
(from the author's website)

When Arlene Fleet headed off to college in Chicago, she made three promises to God: She would never again lie, she would stop fornicating with every boy who crossed her path, and she'd never, ever go back to her tiny hometown of Possett, Alabama (the "fourth rack of Hell"). All God had to do in exchange was to make sure the body of high school quarterback Jim Beverly was never found.

Ten years later, Arlene has kept her promises, but an old school-mate has recently turned up asking questions. And now Arlene's African American beau has given her a tough ultimatum: introduce him to her family, or he's gone. As she prepares to confront guilt, discrimination, and a decade of deception, Arlene is about to discover just how far she will go to find redemption - and love.

Here's what I had to say about it after I read it the very first time...

To anyone that has ever lived in the South, especially in the Deep South, or in any small town, really, the first paragraph of the book swallows you up whole. You know, or remember, those gods that are mentioned, or you have your own slightly different list of gods from your own town. Maybe it's a high school hockey goalie instead of a quarterback. Maybe it's fast cars instead of pickup trucks. But really, you know the gods of which she speaks. You revered them. You worshipped at their shrines, just like I did. They still have a hold on you, even though Jesus may or may not have a bigger hold now. In your heart of hearts, you know there are gods.

Arlene/Lena knows this as well. "There are gods in Alabama..." This is her mantra. She has a secret, she's made a deal with the big "g" GOD, yet she still practices this refrain in her head for the better part of ten years. When a person from her past shows up in her very Yankee new life asking questions about something Arlene has tried unsuccessfully to forget, the power of those gods is unleashed all over her poor, guilty, Southern soul. She hightails it back home to Alabama, thinking her journey will be anything but sweet.

Those gods have some surprises up their sleeves though. See, Arlene did a Bad Thing when she was younger. That Bad Thing prompted her to make that deal with God. She kept up her end of the deal, but I think she was always scared that He might not keep up His end. When her past shows up on her doorstep, she's pretty sure that He has called off the Deal, and she must now face up to that Bad Thing.

When Arlene gets to Alabama with her boyfriend/pretend husband Burr by her side, she has to start facing her past. That past is rolled up in a family that includes a crazy momma, a perfect cousin, a sweet uncle, and the steeliest aunt anyone familiar with steely Southern aunts has ever seen. I've known my share of steely Southern aunts. I have two of my own. But really, Arlene's Aunt Florence has them beat hands down. Her past also includes her unapologetically racist family, though they are really just mentioned, not heard from. And it includes the kudzu. We can't forget the kudzu, ok?

I fell in love with Arlene. I liked Lena, her Yankee all-grown-up self, too, but really, I loved Arlene. I could feel her shift from Lena, self-assured Deal-keeper, to Arlene, guilty little Bad Thing doer, as soon as she waved goodbye to Tennessee and hello to Alabama. Arlene has a quiet strength, a vulnerability, and a crazy streak, that would seem fake in any other character. It works for her. I felt her pain, her rage, her joy, her guilt, her passion, her jealousy, her indignation, her love. I became her for the day. It wasn't hard to do, Joshilyn made it virtually painless to slip into her skin.

I loved the alternating timelines of the chapters in this book. It starts in present day, then it eases you back in time 17 years. During those flashback chapters that aren't really written like flashbacks, you get to know Arlene as she was at 15. You get to live, every other chapter, inside her head, seeing everything that led up to the Bad Thing. You already know what the Bad Thing is. You find out at the very beginning of the second chapter, even though its pretty well spelled out in the first. It's not a secret anymore, because Joshilyn puts it right out there at the beginning. It's almost as if Joshilyn is saying,"This is my story, and she is my girl. She did this Bad Thing, I'm telling you that right now. But you may not judge her just yet. She's lived with the guilt for a good many years, and you will hear her out, every last word of her story, before I allow you to sit in your stifling glass house and pass judgement on her."

And that's exactly what I did. I sat there, transfixed, as the drama played out around me. I breathed in that fertile Alabama soil, I slurped that sweet tea (really, is there any other kind?), and I listened to all of the things that Aunt Flo didn't say, until I'd heard every last word.

When it was over, when it was just me staring at that very last page, I sat very still and could think of only one thing: There are gods in Alabama. And they bestowed a gift on Joshilyn Jackson. And I will praise them forevermore.

If you really need me to say it, I will say it for you now. GET. OUT. OF. YOUR. CHAIR. AND. GET. YOUR. BUTT. TO. YOUR NEAREST. BOOKSTORE. AND. GET. THIS. BOOK.

The gods will smile down upon you when you do.

And now, after a year and a half, I still feel the same way. If you haven't read it yet, do so. Then be sure to go vote!

Don't forget to enter the contest(s)!! Just put the TGWSS .jpg and info on your site and linkback for one contest, or tell me your Famous Person Stalker Story for the other. Great prizes will be given out for both contests.

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB is here - and so is JOSHILYN JACKSON ( and a contest!!)

2008-02-21T07:56:00.005-05:00

Eek! It's here. I've been waiting for this week since about July of 2006. No, I'm really not exaggerating!

Most of you already know the history between me and this month's FAB Pick - Joshilyn Jackson. We have been total BFF since forever ago, ok? Don't believe me? Case in point - I once drove hundreds of miles to see her, then she invited me to have lunch with her, AND we got our picture taken together and she posted it on her website. I don't think you can even be more BFF than that. Unless you count that I blatantly stole...er, I mean - borrowed- her idea and framed that picture of us and wrote in pink and purple glitter puffy paint "dee and Joss - Best Friends For-evah!" on it, and it now hangs on the wall in my bedroom. Yes. It does.

But we're not going to discuss my stalker tendencies, ok? Because stalking would be bad. And this month, there is nothing bad about FAB.

Joshilyn is, obviously, one of my fave authors. Has been for a few years now. With award-winning books like her debut novel, gods In Alabama, or her follow-up - Between, Georgia, both hitting the #1 spot in some list or another, I'd be really surprised if you haven't heard of her by now. Besides, she's got one of the funniest blogs on the entire web. Don't believe me? Check it out here. Scroll down and read around a bit. She's hysterical.

And she's got a new book that's hitting stores in just a few weeks. It's called THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, and, well - it's so totally FABulous that of course I have to tell you all about it. I'm going to tell you all about TGWSS, her blog FASTER THAN KUDZU, her other two books, and some other stuff over the next week. There will, of course, be an interview at the end of the week. And a surprise.

We're also going to have a contest. Or two.

The first one is really easy. All you have to do is put this .jpg and this info ABOUT THE BOOK (found below) on your own blog. Once it is there, come over here to Friday's post (dish of TGWSS) and leave me a link. You can also post about FAB week on your favorite group or loop, and come here and comment to me about it. Plus, if you send people this way, you'll get some extra entries. Lots of ways to enter, lots of ways to win. The prize is a personalized, signed copy of the new release, THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING. The contest runs from 2/22 - 2/28. Don't forget to enter, starting tomorrow.
About the book (from the author's own website)

Laurel Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother make sure the very literal family skeleton stays buried or turning scraps of fabric into nationally acclaimed art quilts. Her estranged sister Thalia, an impoverished Actress with a capital A, is her polar opposite, priding herself on exposing the lurid truth lurking behind middle class niceties. While Laurel's life seems neat and on track--a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, and a lovely home in suburban Victorianna--everything she holds dear is suddenly thrown into question the night she is visited by the ghost of a her 14-year old neighbor Molly Dufresne.

The ghost leads Laurel to the real Molly floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Molly's death is inexplicable--an unseemly mystery Laurel knows no one in her whitewashed neighborhood is up to solving. Only her wayward, unpredictable sister is right for the task, but calling in a favor from Thalia is like walking straight into a frying pan protected only by Crisco. Enlisting Thalia's help, Laurel sets out on a life-altering journey that triggers startling revelations about her family's guarded past, the true state of her marriage, and the girl who stopped swimming.

So I said TWO Contests, didn't I? The second one is a bit more personal. Here's all you have to do. Tell me, either in the comments here on this post, or on your own blog, what the most extreme thing you've ever done to meet a famous person is. You can use my story about my BFF Joss, or any one of the hundreds of other stories of mine, as a jumping off point if you want (something like - "I'm not nearly as nuts as dee when she drove all the way to SC to see Joss for the second time and made her real life friends go with her". Oops. Sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. THAT story will happen NEXT week. More info to follow.). I've driven literally thousands of miles in pursuit of a signed book or chance to shake the hand of authors. I've worn certain clothes, I've said certain things, I've shared hotel rooms with certain people, all to meet a person that wrote a book, because as you know - authors are my rock stars. But maybe you just like Rock Stars. That's ok too. Whoever your famous stalker experience is, tell me about it. This contest begins today (2/21) and ends next Thursday (2/28) as well.

So. Two contests. A dish of a brand new book. Chat about previous books. Links to all sorts of places. An interview that will have you smiling. What more could you possibly want?

Keep Turning Those Pages!

FAB is coming!

2008-02-15T18:51:00.002-05:00

And you're not going to believe who is going to be here for it.

And *I* am not telling.

Well, I'll give you a little hint.

Be on the lookout for FUN, starting next week. I'll have a dish of this author's newest book, a quick re-cap of the previous books, and a wonderful interview.

And a contest.

Just to get you in the mood for the contest, I'll give you a little preview of the prize...

and it's going to be SIGNED. By the AUTHOR (not by me!). And you even have the chance to win SIGNED COPIES of the previous books as well.

Are you ready?

Sure hope so!!

Keep Turning Those Pages!

PS- yes, I know it's blurry. I did that on purpose. If you want to see what the pristine and pretty cover looks like, you'll just have to click the link.

Announcements...

2008-02-11T05:56:00.000-05:00

First of all, I'd like to send up some prayers for all the people, families, and communities affected by the storms and tornadoes over the weekend. Having spent many years living in Tornado Alley, I know that fear and devastation that can change your world in an instant. My thoughts and prayers are with you if you live in any of the areas that were affected.

Second, Chari-Dee has decided not to continue to be a part of this site. I am sure that she did not come to this decision lightly. However, she feels the need to go in different directions and concentrate her time in other areas. While she will be greatly missed, most especially by me, I understand her need to take an indefinite leave from this blog.

While we both love reading and bringing you our opinions of the books that we read, it can be exhausting and very overwhelming. Over the past few years, we have both felt the need to take breaks and let the other carry the load for a while. This is one of those times, though it's doubtful that she will return any time in the near future. I have been assured, however, that she will continue to do occasional reviews on her own personal site. That site will be linked here in the sidebar so that we can all keep up with what she has to say.

To say that she will be missed here is the utmost in understatement.

With that in mind, I'm asking for just a few days to get my thoughts and plans together here. I still have a FABPick to bring you later this month. That will begin on 2/22, with a contest included. I've also got some DoubleDishes coming up this month, with Pearl and t.c. helping me out. (On a side note, Pearl and t.c., could you please send your addresses along to me at deesbookdish@gmail.com so that I can get your books in the mail this week?) Pearl and t.c. are going to be dishing 'gods behaving badly' and "The Crazy School" with me. I still need someone to dish "Beginner's Greek". If you're interested, send me an e-mail to the above gmail address.

There will be a few cosmetic changes around here as well. I might hang some new pictures, or even paint the walls. If you have any decorating ideas, send them along. And your patience during this time will be greatly appreciated.

Please take the time to wish Chari-Dee all the best in the comments section. She has put quite a bit of herself into this site, and I know that she's going to miss being around here. Let's let her know that she will be missed very much, and that we wish her the very best in the new direction she's taking.

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB winner announced, and dee needs help!!

2008-02-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

Whew. My week ends today, and I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow. Will someone please make sure to e-mail my baby and let her know that Mommy needs some rest? Thanks.

I've got a FAB winner to announce. This person is getting a signed copy of Liza Palmer's FABulous book, SEEING ME NAKED. So could I please have

LindaH

contact me at deeanddeedish at sbcglobal dot net with your name and address, and I'll forward it on to Liza. Please put SMN FAB WINNER in your subject line, so you don't get lost in our inbox. Also, this book isn't coming from me, it's coming straight from our FAB author. As with most authors, she's already hard at work on her next book. So please, be patient about getting your book mailed to you, ok?

Now, here's where I need some help. I've had books sent to me over the past few weeks that I've already read and need to get dished. But I would like to do some Double-Dishes. If you'd like to Double-Dish with me, please leave your comment on this post, telling me what book you want to dish. I'll pick some Double-Dishers at random and mail off the book to you. When you get it, read it and then I'll e-mail you some Double-Dish guidelines.

The Crazy School, by Cornelia Read
Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips
Beginner's Greek, by James Collins

If I don't pick you this time, don't worry. Whenever a book gets sent to me by someone other than the author, I will ask for a Double-Dish volunteer, so I can get your input as well. Everyone will have plenty of chances to help out (and get free books!). This doesn't apply to books that I buy though. Most of the ones I buy are keepers for me.

One exception to the above Double Dish thing will be my FAB for February. I received a book in the mail and actually squealed!! And I knew right away that it would be FAB. Yes, I know Chari-Dee is right in the middle of a big Promo for AuthorIsland (again!). Yes, I know that I just had a FAB in January. But I'm having another one at the end of this very month. I must have the winner's name by 2/29/08, so they can get a very special prize. I've already read the book about 5 times, sucked it up every single time, too. So get ready for a steady week of something very special. (Hint: if you visit here often, you know who some of my top-ranked authors are. One of them has a release in just a few weeks, and I'm going to catch her on book tour, where I will purchase books for the FAB winner.) Look for the FAB stuff to begin around 2/22.

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

The Warrior by Kinley MacGregor

2008-02-04T09:53:00.000-05:00

Before I dive into today’s dish. I want to remind everyone about February With Author Island going on here at dee & Dee. There are several ways to be entered for prizes this month, 1 – comment on any of the posts that are about Author Island Authors. 2 – Join the Author Island Tiki Hut Forums and chat it up. 3 – Get your recipes ready, we’re going to be collecting a few of those as well! And speaking of recipes, don’t forget that the Author Island Chatters Cook Blog is now public, so you can search out some great recipes from both readers and authors.

And now without further ado…

The Warrior by Kinley MacGregor
(BCC)

Trust No One…

Lochlan MacAllister was born to lead. Ruthlessly groomed to take control of his clan, he has given his life to his people. But when he learns that the brother he thought was dead might still be alive, he embarks on a quest to find the truth.

Catarina wants a life of freedom. But now Catarina’s royal father wants to use her as a pawn to ensure a treaty between conflicting lands. So much so that he’s willing to kidnap his daughter to force the issue. But when she escapes, fate throws her into the path of a man she loathes.

Lochlan is stunned to find the shrewish Cat being hauled away by unknown men. Unwilling to see even her suffer, he frees her only to learn that she has her own demons to fight. When their fates intertwine, two people who know nothing of trust must rely on each other, and two enemies who have vowed their eternal hatred must find common ground, or see their very lives shattered.

This really isn’t the best of BCC’s. It’s good to a point, but severely misleading there at the very end. It does a great job of grabbing the attention, and while I understand that’s the reason there even is BCC, I still don’t like the feeling of being tricked.

That said. I really enjoyed this book. Lochlan and Catarina have met before, in fact Lochlan’s brother is married to Catarina’s cousin. However, Lochlan doesn’t really care all that much for Catarina and her smart mouth, and Catarina doesn’t really like Locklan’s arrogance.

Lochlan discovers that a brother he has long thought dead could still be alive, and family is very important to Lochlan. He would love nothing more to have his brother back with him, after he strangles him for lying to them all of these years, of course. So, leaving the clan behind in search of his lost brother Lochlan sets out only to come across men rough housing a lady. But it isn’t just any lady; it’s the smart mouthed Catarina that he really cannot stand. But, worse than his dislike for Cat, is his dislike for bullies. So to the rescue he comes.

Cat has had it. She finally gets away from her captures only to have them ask the town for aid in keeping her. When a rather large man comes at her, she prepares herself for defeat, only to find that he is sticking up for her. Too bad it’s Lochlan MacAllister, a man she loathes. But, he does save her, and for that she’s thankful. That is until she lets him know that her father is the King, and Lochlan says he’s taking her back to him. Cat doesn’t want to be married to some stuffy man who treats her as though she is property.

Lochlan decides he will help Cat find her uncles that have always looked out for her, but first, he must get to a tournament where a man is that may know of his brothers fate. On their journey, Cat and Lochlan face the kings men who want her back, an old enemy of the MacAllister clan, and their own insecurities of their past. Lochlan’s father was not a kind man, and not only does his past misdeeds follow Cat and Lochlan on their journey, they could eventually be both of their downfalls.

MacGregor also writes as Sherrilyn Kenyon, and as you know I really love Kenyon’s books and that’s how I came to read her books under the MacGregor name. When I first got The Warrior, I was thinking it was one of her Knights of Avalon books, so I was a bit disappointed when I realized it wasn’t and I was going to be reading a book that was one of a series when I hadn’t read the previous titles. However, I had no problems jumping right into the story, and any information I would have needed MacGregor gives throughout the book.

There were a few problems with the book, mainly MacGregor’s affinity for head hopping, but I’m used to that by now, and she actually does it in a way that doesn’t lose the reader. There were also a few points that sort of get mentioned that I felt were going to be a big part of the plot and they just got dropped.

The love story gets wrapped up fairly easily, and that also bothered me just a bit. It all seemed out of character for the King to just let these two be together, but the action throughout was amazing, and I could not put the book down. In fact, I’ll be going out and buying the other books in the series, just because I enjoyed this one so much.

Also, the very end has a bit of a surprise for fans of this series, and it makes me wonder if we may be getting a new Dark Hunter book that ties into this series. I know I sure wouldn’t mind reading it (hint, hint Sherrilyn, hint, hint).

All in all, for all of the little things wrong about the book, there were so many things right that I had the book read in less than three hours. Filled with action, steamy love, and a fair bit of suspense, The Warrior is a treat for any fan of Kenyon or MacGregor, and also an excellent way for new readers to join the Brotherhood.

Take Care

Trick My Truck but Don't Mess With My Heart by LuAnn McLane

2008-02-02T12:10:00.001-05:00

I want to remind everyone that this month is February with Author Island! The prizes are still a secret, but know there will be several. Don't forget that the Author Island Chatters Cook Blog is now public, so if you're looking for some great recipes, head over there click the name and you'll see some great search-able recipes. Every month Author Island will have a recipe exchange chat, and all of the recipes will be added to the blog, so it will be an ever expanding place to find good food. Also, you can be entered in a contest for joining up over at the Author Island Tiki Hut Forums. It's brand-new and we're announcing it here first, so this is truly a way to be on the ground floor of something so fun! New members and Chatters will be entered to win some contests. LuAnn McLane is an Author Member of Author Island. That means that from time to time you'll see contests for LuAnn's stuff (along with many other authors) over at the AuthorIslan.com home page. And now, without further ado...

Trick My Truck but Don't Mess With My Heart by LuAnn McLane
(BCC)

FRIENDS...

When Candie Montgomery reluctantly leaves a good job in Chicago to help save her family's failing used-car business, she's shocked to find that the townspeople of Pinewood, Kentucky - all 876 of them - are shunning her. Rumor has it that Candie's to blame for the broken engagement between her twin sister, Sarah, and her close frined Nick. But how can she be the otehr woman without even knowing it?

...WITHOUT THE BENEFITS

With the family business, her reputation, and her relationship with Sarah on the line, Candie needs a boyfriend - pronto- to put a lid on the gossip. Damage control comes in the sexy form of Tommy Tucker. It was supposed to be a quick fix, but Candie might just be in it for the long haul.

Two years ago Candie Montgomery left Pinewood and headed to Chicago to make her own way. But, her daddy's had a heart attack and the family needs her help in running (saving) their car dealership. So back to Pinewood she heads, only to find out she's being shunned. Turns out her twin sister Sarah (who although a twin couldn't look more different) has told the entire town that Candie is the reason for Nick breaking off their engagement. Nick and Candie used to be best friends, and Nick misses that friendship. And while he loves Sarah, he also wants to have a friendship with her as well.

In order to get the town to quit shunning her, and in turn help with the saving of the family business, Candie gets herself a fake boyfriend. Tommy Tucker, a few years younger, and one fine looking cowboy happens to volunteer to do just that, all Candie has to do is say she'll play on his sand Volleyball team. The only problem is, this fake boyfriend of hers sure ignites some major feelings and trying to ignore them turn out to be impossible.

With a new guy in town running his daddy's car lot that used to sell the trade-ins to Dapper Dan's (Candie and Sarah's family car lot) business is a lot harder to come by. Thankfully, Candie has an idea that could save the business, but will hers and Sarah's hearts be able to stand the path it will put them on?

As with Dancing Shoes and Honky Tonk Blues, McLane captures what it's like to be a small town southern gal. With insecurities about our past, fears of the unknown and coming to terms with the curve-balls life throws us. McLane touches on real life topics with heart and humor. "I'm just not cut out for this stuff. In truth, I'm a pretty simple girl too." I shake my head. "I feel like I'm caught up in a redneck soap opera."

There are books in our lives that find themselves in our hands at exactly the right time, and TMT is one of those books for me. Candie finds herself dealing with how short life can be. Seeing her once strong and invincible (in her eyes anyway) daddy sick, helps Candie see that life doesn't always turn out how we plan. Today, I found out that my daddy, is not as invincible as once I thought, either. Daddy stopped by to tell me he's having surgery on Monday. Yeah, as in two days from now. We're a close family, so why am I just now finding this out? Because my daddy didn't want me to worry. Well, DUH, of course I'm gonna worry. Like Candie, I never though my strong, take-charge daddy would ever be sick. But - he is, and we have to deal with that. I can't tell you how glad I am that McLane's book will be in my hot little hand while I do.

Candie, Sarah, Tommy, and Nick also have to face the hard truth that we are what people expect us to be. You have to understand, that small town life defines a person. In a small town, a mold is set for us early on. We are either pretty, smart, athletic, or doomed to failure. Very rarely are we allowed to be anything else. Candie found a way to help herself and those she holds closest realize that we don't have to be what we once were, as long as we expect people to expect more of us, they will. The mold that was set for us, doesn't have to hold us, but it's up to us to shatter it.

Trick My Truck has it all. Humor, Romance, and Personal Journey. When life runs too fast and too hard, it's nice to know that you can reach for a book by McLane to lighten the mood and leave you with a smile in your heart. To take you to the small town South, where life seems just a big friendlier than our own. Written in First Person, Candie takes us on her personal journey that she takes with many, and sucks the reader right into her world. I didn't want it to end.

I have a ton of notes written for this book - passages or pages that caught my attention, so I thought I'd share just a couple, because I know once you read them, you are gonna go right out and buy the book yourself!

When Candie and Sarah decide to egg the competition for the car dealerships car.

- "Or maybe you were vandalizing my car."
"Yeah, and maybe your trouser monster is hanging out."
...
"So you didn't throw the egg at my car?"
"I most certainly did not. Oh, and by the way, when you call the police I want you to explain why you tackled an innocent jogger and showed me your trouser monster."

When Candie decides to flirt a bit with Tommy and pretend she's tough and gonna head-butt him in the gut. (I love this one because this is me to a T.)

" He's right of course. I especially wouldn't want to ram my head into his rock-hard abs but I narrow my eyes and he takes a step back, looking kind of nercous. Jusr for fun I decide to take a couple of steps backward and then act as if I'm going to head-butt him as threatened. The operative word here is act but the toe of my shoe catches on a raised crack in the sidewalk (I swear there's one there) and I go airborne like a chicken trying to fly. Well, we all know that chickens can't fly, so I find myself flopping forward in an odd almost slow motion tumble."

Another one that's me.

-"I finally fell asleep. I kept going over my incident with Nick and then my date with Tommy in my head and ended up having a weird dream that I was a mermaid."

Go get this book. You won't be sorry.

Take Care

Into Thin Air by Cindy Miles

2008-01-30T20:16:00.000-05:00

*Sigh* Did I really say I resolved to do three dishes a week? Silly me. In all fairness, dee has FAB running right now so I've tried to post fewer dishes AND I started a job. It's only part-time, unfortunately that doesn't excuse me from being a full-time mommy and wife. Yeah, scheduling and me? We don't mix. Anyway....

I have a FUN FEBRUARY planned as I team up with DeNita over at Author Island to bring you some GREAT Authors and FABULOUS contests. There will be e-Book reviews, interviews, and chances to win stuff in droves. So, be sure to check back starting on February 1 when I kick off the fun! And now, without further ado...

Into Thin Air by Cindy Miles

(BCC)

THE LAST THING GAWAN OF CONWYK NEEDS IS ANOTHER LOST SOUL ON HIS HANDS.

A twelfth-century Welsh warrior turned Guardian who has protected his charges for nearly a thousand years, Gawan's got less than twenty-four days left on duty until he can shed his wings and finally become mortal. But the higher-ups have different plans. The beautiful, soaking-wet woman Gawan finds by the side of the road near Castle Grimm is actually his soul mate, and it's up to him to save her life.

What he doesn't know is that Ellie is practically a ghost already. She doesn't remember who she is, or how she got to the north of England, where her only chance to rejoin the living is this mouthwatering angel with a funny accent. Aided by the castle's eccentric spirits, they set out to solve the mystery of her near death, but neither Ellie nor Gawan is prepared for the soul-searing passion they discover... or the sacrifices that may lead to an eternity of love.

For once, I'm actually fairly speechless as far as a BCC goes. If I had read this BCC while purusing the bookstore shelf for something to read, I probably would have been fairly dissappointed by the book. On the other hand, I did not read the BCC as I had been looking forward to this books release after reading Miles first book SPIRITED AWAY (click the title for my dish on that one). It's not so much that the BCC is mis-leading as it so vague that after reading the book I wonder if the person who wrote the BCC read to book or simply a proposal for the book. OK, maybe I'm not speechless, just incoherant.

Gawan of Conwyk was one of the fiercest warriors to be found. But one act of kindness forever sealed his fate and turned him into an angel. After spending centuries as a Guardian Angel, Gawan is coming up on his retirement, where he will once again become a mortal. However, less than a month before this is to happen, Gawan finds a woman by the side of the road on a very rainy night. Not realizing she was to be his final charge Gawan offers her a ride, where he will take her to his castle to get dry and phone help.

It isn't until the young woman is in his car that he realizes he can hear her thoughts, which is a big indicator that she is in fact, a new charge. The only thing Gawan can't figure out is why, now so close to his retirement, is he getting a charge. Especially one who doesn't know who she is, why she's in a strage coutry, and oh yeah, is In Betwinxt - or mostly dead.

Using a made up name, Ellie, the young woman Gawan finds on the side of the road, has no idea what's going on, and she's fairly certain Gawan and his butler are missing a few. That is until she sees ghosts walk through the door and talk to her then she isn't so sure that she isn't the one that's missing a few. And then she disappears. Things just keep getting stranger and stranger for Ellie as she finds out that she herself is partly a ghost. Her real body is somewhere unknown and unless she and Gawan can find that body, Ellie herself will go from being a mostly dead ghost to being fully dead.

As Gawan and Ellie work to find out who she is and where her body may be, the sparks fly and love is in the air. But they both know how much is at stake. There are literally in a race against time to save Ellies life and Gawan's mortality. But, should they win the race they will lose forever the love they find along the way. As Gawan and his charges immediately forget each other and the events that happened during their time together as soon as the case is solved.

ITA is one of those mixed feelings books. The Romance was great, Miles really does an excellent job at portraying emotion and love. However, I had a very hard time getting over the fact that Gawan was an angel and having all sorts of carnal thoughts about Ellie. I know, grow up, right? I mean, I read about vampires, demons, wereworlves and more, but an angel having an affair squicks me out? Sad but true.

Also, as interesting as the "soul mate" aspect of the book was, I felt that far too much time was given to Gawan and Ellie flirting and getting to know one another, when they should have been looking for her body and fixing this mystery.

Gawan holds a lot of things from Ellie, and that also bothered me some. The ending was rushed and messy, with the mystery of Ellie's trip to England and who she really being summed up in one chapter.

I DID enjoy the book, though. It had many flaws but the dialouge was great, the sexual tension hot, and once again, the cast of characters in ghostly form were entertaining going from heartwarming to out and out hilarious.

Tristan, Andi and the knights from SPIRITED AWAY were also players in this book, and it's always fun to see characters I enjoyed so much resurface.

All in all, Into Thin Air is a book I'm glad I read, but won't be re-reading. While I appreciate the unique premise and Miles's strong voice, this one just fell way flat of the mark her debut made. I look forward to the next book due out in June of this year and hope that Miles can recapture the magic she had with AWAY.

Take Care

Tagged! (Thanks Wendy!)

2008-01-26T20:53:00.000-05:00

Wendy, the stinker, tagged me to name seven random facts about myself. I would stick my tongue out at her, but alas, I do not know how to use that particular smiley! Actually, I'm sorta glad because it gives me a reason to post as I can't find the book I want to dish to get the BCC off of it. Note to self: Clean the dern house! So, without further ado...

1. I think Coors Original is the BEST beverage ever. Well, alcoholic beverage. Normally you'll find me with a mug of coffee in my hand, but if I have the chance to partake, Coors it is (they don't call it the Rocky Mountain's Finest for nothin')

2. dee and I met through an author's Yahoo! fan group and I thank God every day for her friendship (OK, maybe not a big secret but still....she needs to be reminded that she totally ROCKS!)

3. I have epilepsy. It's just a very mild case, but I have "spells" in which I black out and cannot tell you what the heck went on during that time. Sounds scary, but if you spend any amount of time with me you get used to it.

4. I just started a part-time job and have discovered I'm not very good with the scheduling. I mean, I only work 4 hours a day, but it seems like NOTHING gets done now that I'm working.

5. When I was in 7th Grade I won an essay contest for Martin Luther King Jr Day. I mean, I won the NATIONAL level contest. A HUGE ceremony was held in which I read my essay and I won a savings bond and everything (still have that sucker in the bank, just no proof that it's there :) )

6. I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. Yep, I can do it! I think that means I'm a good kisser, but The Hubs says there is no need to test the theory through research!

7. I say a prayer every night. I swear, it takes me at least 10 minutes for this one prayer, because I feel that if I don't bless everyone I know then something horrible will happen and it will be my fault for not asking for their protection. Can we say OCD? But seriously, I believe in the power of prayer, and I think that that is a step in my day I canNOT miss.

Tag! You're it! If you read this, re-post it :)

Take Care

Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie

2008-01-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

Before I get started today, I just want to remind everyone about this months FAB pick Liza Palmer and point you to the contest! dee has posted a great interview with Liza and some terrific dish, so be sure to check it out!

A few days ago, Jane over at Dear Author posted this Letter Of Opinion - What It Means To Be A Fan . The timing of that post could not have been more timely for me. You see, the book I'm getting ready to dish is a book that I almost didn't buy. I have read this series since Book 1, and fell in love with Abby Cooper immediately. I dished the previous book here and enjoyed it immensely. So why was I having such a difficult time plunking down my money for this one when I should have been running to the store the day of its release? Because after I dished Insight and went to Laurie website to look around I saw that she wasn't accepting e-mail from fans anymore, claiming she was too busy. For some reason, this really put me off.

Now, I can't explain my thinking there. I just thought it wrong. So what if you're busy? A note saying "Hey, I may or may NOT be able to respond to your e-mails, but if ya want to send one my way because you liked my work, hey that would be swell!" I think that would have been better. I think I just felt like a dejected fan. What? You don't have time for my praise? You don't have time for me even though I plopped down cash for your book? It was silly, I know, but hey, I'm human. What's weird is that I wasn't even fangirl over Laurie's books. I enjoyed them, looked forward to reading them every time a new one was released, but until I actually dished her book and linked to her site, I hadn't even been to her web space. Heck, I love author blogs and didn't even know she had one until that day.

Ultimately though, my love of the Abby Cooper-verse was just too great to ignore and I caved and bought the book. I loved the book. Aside from the fact that Abby and her PI buddy Candice used more slang than ever before and Abby lied to her boyfriend Dutch pretty much throughout the entire book, I still LOVED the book. I still LOVED my time in Abby's world. The mystery was great, the pacing was fast, the writing was solid. I LOVED the book. You hear it though, don't you...

BUT, this dish (or what I'm passing off as one) almost didn't happen because I again went to Laurie's website to check things out. I wanted to see if she had once again opened up her e-mail to fans. I'm not planning on sending her a fan letter mind you, I just felt it important that if I WANTED to I could. Whew, e-mail was once again being received. HOWEVER, I discovered something else while reading Laurie's blog - I really don't care for her personality.

Perhaps it has something to do with an exchange she had with one of her fans on this post where Laurie had just blogged a book and recommends it. The fan doesn't like the book, she's very fair in her assessment of the book. Says she enjoyed the author's voice, but not the book. Laurie responds with this - "Wow, Kathy, I have to say, I don’t think I could disagree with you more! (And I’m not really sure that I like that you’ve slammed my recommendation on my personal blog….but I guess I have to concede that I did open it up for discussion, didn’t I?)
Sigh, okay, my thinking about your review is that you missed the point here: The really incredible thing and the overall larger points I think Anne makes so brilliantly lie in her honesty. She is heart-wrenchingly honest about what a miserable, self-destructive failure she was for much of her early life. And she offers no excuses. But as I read the book, I understood that when she gave birth to her son, she quit the drugs and quit the drinking. The bulimia she got help for a year later, so by the time her son was two she was getting back on track.
Further, as I understand it, her son, Sam is now 19, in college and is doing GREAT! So….your thinking that she destroyed her child doesn’t hold water with me. I had one clean and sober parent who was a wretch…and she did far more destruction than a loving yet flawed Anne Lamott.
And I can’t help but think that your review smacks of some pretty negative judgment for Anne’s addictions…what did you think she was going to do, there, Kathy? Just say no? I’ve known some recovering addicts in my time - a few of them are people I admire greatly, and I believe one of the bravest things someone can do is to try and get clean - because how many scientists and doctors need to make it clear to us that addiction is an ILLNESS, it is not something you can take a little multi vitamin for and it’ll go away. You say you wanted to shake her….I’ll bet she wanted to shake herself a whole lot more, and if that had been a method to get her clean I’m sure she would have done it. But that’s not how it works - REASON does not work with addicts. They have to find their own way and when they do, when they get there - trust me, it is a freaking miracle.
And you know, I think you’ve done here exactly what so many of the other reviewers did, you judged - which kinda pisses me off, because it’s the EXACT thing we writers are wary of when we pour a little piece of our soul out into our works. We don’t live in a Leave It To Beaver world, life is not pretty, and when someone offers you a taste of exactly how grim and guttery it can be…well, I would just hope that you could see beyond your own judgments and value it as an incredibly brave account that gives no excuses. I think Anne takes full ownership of her shortcomings - if she didn’t she wouldn’t be so gut-wrenchingly honest. She would have sugar-coated it and it would have been fiction. But she didn’t, nope, she gave you every awful detail while still finding the humor. And through all of that struggle to come out of her darkness, Anne kept going back to her faith…because she’s trying to show us that God loves alllllll of us, no matter how shitty we’ve been to ourselves or each other - His door is always open and you don’t have to be a good little Christian to get an audience - you can be a total screw-up and still be His groupie.
And THAT, Kathy, was the point of the book.
Again - I stand behind my recommendation, I’m sorry you didn’t get it, but I found it brilliant, beautiful, amazing, and oh, so very brave."

My mouth literally hung open on that one. On one hand, I can kind of applaud Laurie for standing behind what she loves, on the other, I think she acted in an incredibly unprofessional manner with that.

But it wasn't just that comment that had my scratching my head. I found myself appalled that Laurie actually states that if you send her an e-mail that let's her know you did not like her book, and she feels the e-mail is nasty, she reserves the right to post it AND YOUR E-MAIL address publicly. Um, OK. In fact, while reading Laurie's blog, I found several instances where she felt put upon by that fact people who did not like her book felt the need to say something. She even boasts about sending a scathing reply to some one who tore apart a mistake she made in a book and that the person who sent the initial e-mail felt so badly she apologized.

When I had bought CRIME SEEN, I also purchase the first book in a new series by Laurie, WHAT'S A GHOUL TO DO? and after my little jaunt through her blog I almost didn't read that one. But, thankfully, I had read Jane's post and was able to step back and think about it. I decided that yes, I can get all Fangirlish over some authors, I can stalk (erm, I mean) read their blogs, join their Yahoo! Groups and buy every one of their books and love them no matter what. But I don't have to do that with every author I buy and enjoy. I can still enjoy the book whether I know nothing about them and their personality, know a little about them and can't stand the public persona, or know everything I can possibly find out about them because I'm their fangirl.

In the end, I read WAGTD, and I'll probably be at the store buying the next one the day it's released in March, because I LOVED that book, too (I'll do an actual dish on that one in the next few days). I'll continue to read Laurie's books, because she's one hell of an author and her books keep me turning the pages and even have me laughing at times too. I don't have to like how she views things. I'll continue to read her and be a fan of her BOOKS as long as she writes them as good as she has been.

And, since I went off on my tangent tonight (we'll blame it on the cold meds I've been taking, I still can't get over that nasty head cold) but still expressed how good I thought the book was, I'll leave you with the Cover and BCC.

Take Care

Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie

(BCC)

WELCOME TO A KILLER WORKWEEK

Abby Cooper, psychic intuitive, is finding that gunshot wounds are bad for business - especially since she never saw the bullet coming. She's been recuperating under her sexy FBI agent boyfriend Dutch Rivers's watchful eye, but Abby's not the kind of girl who can tolerate mush supervision. So when Dutch asks her to check out a few case files, Abby can't pass up the chance to recharge her intuition - and her independence.

When she accidentally comes across a closed file that's dead wrong, Abby knows she's got to bring the real killer to justice. With an innocent man in prison and no new evidence to free him, her only choice is to go undercover at the murderer's shady mortgage firm. As a vision of the crime scene plays in her head, and she races to trap the bad guy, Abby realizes that corporate life is even tougher than it seems - and the hours can be deadly.

FAB - Liza Palmer Interview - AND the contest

2008-01-20T22:58:00.000-05:00

Oh My. Words of advice are coming straight at your heads right now, ok? If you ever decide to do a book review blog, and by some twist of fate end up featuring a FABulous author (like, say LIZA PALMER!) during the same week that you are going out of state (to Tenessee, though the state was irrelevant) for your day job (which is NOT as a writer. Yet.), be smart and pack the cord of your laptop (the thing that makes your laptop work) WITH your laptop (the place you store ALL of your reviews and interviews and basically everything else writing related in your life!), so that you can actually do the posts that you are supposed to do WHEN you are supposed to do them (instead of three days late), ok?

So yeah, laptops need cords. So do cell phones. Neither of which I've had for the past few days. Not so good. As my way of apologizing, I'm going to extend the CONTEST until Wednesday at midnight. So go ahead and copy this .jpg and the BCC onto your site, so you can enter and win.

Now on to the interview with the FABulous Liza Palmer!

On WRITING:

dee: Tell me about your new book, SEEING ME NAKED, in one sentence.

Liza: [SEEING ME NAKED is] The story about a woman who must go backward in order to go forward.

dee: WHY do you write? Is it something you HAVE to do, or is it 'just a job'?

Liza: Yes, unfortunately – it’s a ‘HAVE TO’ thing. I assure you, this is not my choice. Having homework every night, holidays and weekends included, is not my idea of an awesome career choice. But, I’m just happier, you know? Happier when I’m writing. Healthier when I’m writing. And as wrenching and droning as writing can be sometimes, because it is my job – I am the perfect me while I do it. When I’m in front of that computer screen spinning these yarns, it’s like I’ve walked into this perfect puzzle-piecian world where everything fits and everything makes sense. I feel perfect. And this whole “puzzle piecian’ perfect thing really helps when you’re going on like 3 hours of sleep in 4 days trying to make a deadline.

dee: I read on your site that you wrote your first book relatively quick. Was the process the same for the second book? How long did it take you?

Liza: I’m a quick writer, long term editor. It’s almost like – and this is gonna be kind of gross, so hold on – it’s almost like there’s this initial vomiting thing that happens – and then it takes a year to clean up the mess.

Conversations took 3 months to write and about a year to edit. Seeing Me Naked took about one month to write and about a year to edit as well. I do not condone this type of whirlwindish writing – even my dog turned her back on me at one point – maybe she just wanted a walk….who knows.

dee: Explain your 'writing process'. Do you have a critique group? Do you share your chapters as they are written with anyone?

Liza: Do you want me to talk about the whole ‘vomiting as writing’ process again or shall I save EVERYONE from that vision?!?!?

Editing – easier. Cleaner. My Mom is my first reader and editor – which made those hot scenes with Daniel a little embarrassing, to say the least. Thanks to her Catholic School education her grammar is perfect…mine? Not so much. It’s also the first time I really talk about where the story is going, the path to get there and really the subtle hues of each character – it’s our own little round table. After Mom, the draft gets a lot less embarrassing and can be seen by other people besides the woman who HAS TO LIKE IT BECAUSE SHE’S MY MOM!

For Seeing Me Naked, I actually had two male readers – which I think helped the book so much. In the earlier drafts I had the male characters (Ben, Rascal, Daniel, Will and Samuel) opining about this and that, beautiful monologues filled with velvet and sentiment – and the two male readers would argue, “Men don’t talk like that.” I would gasp – probably…maybe some fainting. I’d finally give in and ask what they would say, getting ready to write down a shorter monologue maybe…a crisper soliloquy…pencil at the ready. They would say, “A guy would just say yes.” Sigh.

After the two boys get done with it, the draft then goes to one other reader – another writer here in LA - and then finally on to my agent.

On writing about L.A. -

dee: I love that you put pictures of actual locations from your books on your site. How do you decide what places to mention in your book? Do you go for the very 'local' places, or could a tourist find some of these spots?

Liza: The locations in Conversations with the Fat Girl were a lot more specific to Pasadena – and they really are my stomping grounds…places I felt comfortable depicting with a loving hand. I know every inch of those locations – for EuroPane – every luscious pastry…every steaming cup of coffee…I can smell it now. They have this egg salad sandwich there…forget about it. You’ll all just have to come here and experience it.

Seeing Me Naked saw me getting a little more exploratory with the LA landscape – moving into Silver Lake, Montecito and West Los Angeles. And I realize I have this obsession with 3^rd Street. In Conversations – I wrote about Quality Café and Surya India (both on 3^rd) and now in Seeing Me Naked I’ve got Toast, Doughboys and Joan’s on Third. You’ll recognize Joan’s from all the paparazzi shots of Jake Gyllenhaal– he’s a regular. That may have something – just a little bit – to do with my love of the place.

No – that’s the great thing about all the places in my books – they’re the local dives, the mom and pop gathering spots and the neighborhood haunts. The Regal Beagles, if you will. There’s a richness to this city that needs to be shared and I intend to do it one divey café at a time!

dee: Both of your books have been based in California. How important is location to your characters? Could your books have been set in another town, another state, or geographical area?

Liza: I love when the setting of a book is like another character – I mean, this is LA! Home of Raymond Chandler…I had to utilize it. And being a native of Pasadena (home of the Rose Parade) it just felt right to include my absolute love affair with the city in my writing. I honestly don’t think I could help myself.

I honestly think that I could set every book I write in a different part of LA and it would never feel the same – this city is so diverse.

Digging a little bit deeper...

dee: Your books seem very introspective to me. Both of them deal with women who learn to be comfortable in their own skin, literally and based on their family. Have you faced similar issues that your characters faced? Is their solution the same as your solution?

Liza: Great question! I definitely see a pattern forming, that’s for sure. Honestly, I don’t think I knew that this was the case. I had someone tell me that my books are about women figuring out who they are and then being that. I think it’s about authenticity – finding your true self. I know I’ve definitely had those same issues – years and years spent trying to be this other person – just so I’d fit in….but, that’s not the point is it? What’s that quote: No well-behaved woman ever made history. Love. That.

dee: You have romantic relationships in your books, but they are not the core of either book. Are you intentionally sending a message to your readers that romance is important, but not the most important thing? Or is that just a by-product of the story? (happen to LOVE this about your books, by the way!!)

Liza: Definitely intentional! I think relationships with our significant others are these little thermometers measuring how we feel about ourselves. We’ve all been in relationships that absolutely embodied how badly we were feeling about ourselves at that time – unavailable men, what have you. So, what interests me is the journey to a healthy relationship. The going backward to go forward. And I think slogging through the past and unraveling whatever mythology your identity is built on is the only way to really get that bird’s eye view of a hero’s journey. The relationship is the effect – I want to know the cause.

dee: The mother plays an important part in both of your stories. The relationship that your main characters have with their moms changes during both stories, and in SMN, the mother has an amazing! character arc. Did you intentionally set it up this way, or did the moms just jump off the page and demand their own time?

Liza: The mother in Conversations jumped off the page absolutely. She was just right there…I guess a character like that would have to be, huh? My interest in that character was really building a positive mother/daughter relationship that would work as a tool in Maggie’s evolution, as opposed to an obstacle.
Ballard – the mother in Seeing Me Naked - took more time to get to know. She was a slow burn, as opposed to a volcano like Maggie’s Mom in Conversations. It wasn’t until I pieced together Ballard’s history that I got her motivation – the absolute loneliness of her childhood would absolutely lead to her trying to keep her family together by any means necessary. And I think it’s that desperation that makes her blind to what’s really happening in the home. I loved her arc, by the way – and it came from nowhere. It was one of those awesome discoveries during one of the edits.

dee: In SMN, the main character has a very famous father and brother. How did you research this? Did you get to meet any famous people? :)

Liza: I think all of us can identify with thinking that our parents are these mythical creatures. They don’t even have to be anywhere in the vicinity and yet every decision we make we ask yourselves, however quietly, “what are my parents going to say about this?!” And I think because it’s fiction – I just went about finding Elisabeth’s (and Rascal’s) Zeus – I think Ben Page could definitely hang on Mount Olympus

Thanks so much, Liza, for being here with us last week, and for putting up with my crazy travel schedule. Thanks also for talking me back from the ledge while I was wallowing in the "miss home blues". :) Your book is simply FABulous, and I can't wait to read the next one!!

If you readers haven't entered the contest, you've got a few extra days, thanks to airline security craziness and my innate sense of fairness. Be sure to enter by Wednesday at midnight. I'll announce the winners on Thursday.

Good luck with the contest, and...

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB Pick - Liza Palmer, SEEING ME NAKED and a CONTEST

2008-01-16T18:44:00.000-05:00

I've come to think of much of my writing, and my reading, in terms of a Major Event of my life - attending the RWA National Conference in Dallas. Things before Nats were fun. Interesting, even. After Dallas? Things changed. Writing, and Reading, became something more, something different. I was exposed to new thoughts, new ideas, about my writing, and about myself as a writer. I was also introduced to so many new authors it was amazing. So, kinda like the Bible, I tend to think of my experiences in a BC (Before Conference) and an AD (After Dallas) way. This is especially apparent to me in regards to my FAB Picks.

You see, I'd never even heard of Liza Palmer BC. I hadn't read her book. I didn't know of the wonderful journey that Maggie from Conversations With The Fat Girl took in that book. And I certainly had no clue that someone had written a book that would so envelop me, grip me, and shift the very way I looked at things. But Liza did. And like I said when I gave you my Honorable Mentions for the Best of the Best, if that book had been written in 2007 - it would have been on my list. It was that good.

So you might think that when I got my hands on an early copy of SEEING ME NAKED, I was pretty ecstatic. Well, you'd be wrong. I was actually nervous. Charity mentioned the same feeling when she picked up the second Succubus book by one of her former FAB picks. See, I loved Conversations so much! But could Liza Palmer hang on to that love? Would she be able to create another book that moved me like her first one? What if I hated it? Or, even worse, what if it just didn't touch me at all?

Let me put your minds at ease right now - Liza Palmer can Write!

From the BCC...

Elisabeth Page has big shoes to fill. She's the daughter of a living legend, novelist Ben Page, and is the sister of literary wunderkind Rascal Page. But her career as a pastry chef is decidedly not up to her family's snooty standards - even though she works at the hottest restaurant in LA - and her five year plan to own a patisserie has morphed into an eleven year plan to nowhere. Also frozen in time is Elisabeth's personal life: She's still involved with Will, her family-approved childhood sweetheart, a journalist whose constant jaunts leave her lonely. Enter an exciting career opportunity and, even more terrifying, Daniel Sullivan, a beer-drinking basketball coach who is everything her family is not. Can Elisabeth, who's addicted to control and bred to criticize, finally embrace happiness? Only if she has the guts to let others see her naked... and let them love her, warts and all.

Can I just get a "Hell yeah"? That BCC is so spot on that it's almost scary! It hits upon most of the major plot points, as well as the internal struggles that Elisabeth is facing. It doesn't get sappy or sentimental, it doesn't lead you down any silly road. It's just straightforward and to the point. Very nice job.

As for the book... Whew! Really, that's the only word I can find to describe it.

Elisabeth Page is a very regimented young lady. From her early morning runs, to the precision with which she does her laundry and the sheer artistry with which she creates her desserts, she insists on having things just so. The closest she gets to spontaneity is figuring out which perfect delectably edible creation she will prepare for the patrons of one of LAs most chic restaurants every night.

Her almost obsessive need for order in her world might stem from the family in which she was raised. Her father, the winner of multiple Pulitzer's, is a cultural icon, and he takes that as the perfect excuse to be a perfect ass whenever he feels like it. Her brother, riding the crest of a wave from his bestselling debut novel, lives a sort of Peter Pan existence. And then there's her mother the heiress, who accepts nothing less than surface calm and strict adherence to an upper class code that seemingly forbids anything less than a beautiful life. Of course, you can't forget Will, the boy in the mansion next door, who travels the globe in search of the next big story, dropping back in to re-stake his claim on Elisabeth's heart every so often.

Elisabeth's struggles come from within, but they manifest themselves in every area of her life. She loves her job as a top pastry chef, but it's not exactly her dream of having her own patisserie. She adores Will, but he's not making any attempts to take their relationship to the next level. Her family still consists of all the people she's grown up loving from the shadows of their own fames, but the bonds that hold them together seem brittle. Basically, her life is good. But maybe just not good enough. And frankly, Elisabeth may just be the tiniest bit tired of all of the layers of figurative clothing that it takes to hide that she's just not perfect.

When Elisabeth donates cooking classes to one of her mother's charity auctions, she has no idea that her structured world is about to fall apart. Daniel Sullivan, a college basketball coach, wins the lessons. But can a man that is nothing like what she imagined for herself become everything Elisabeth didn't even know she really wanted? Doubtful.

SEEING ME NAKED is a beautifully written journey of a life on the verge of something... more. About a woman trying to find her own small place in a family of larger than life individuals, it packs a punch from the first page to the last. With characters that jump off the page, situations both serious and surreal, emotions ranging from poignant to heartwarming, SEEING ME NAKED is a solid follow-up to Liza Palmer's internationally bestselling debut novel.

I can't wait to see what Liza Palmer writes next!

If you're interested in a signed copy of SEEING ME NAKED, remember to enter the contest here. (You can use the .jpg and the BCC on this dish to enter!) And if you'd like an autographed copy of Conversations with the Fat Girl, go ahead and purchase SEEING ME NAKED today. Then e-mail us a copy of your proof of purchase to enter the random drawing. Either way, there's a good chance you'll end up with a FABulous book.

Don't forget to check back on Friday for a very candid, incredibly entertaining interview with my FABPick - Liza Palmer. And go ahead and click that link to buy SEEING ME NAKED today. You don't even have to take your clothes off to enjoy it!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

Succubus On Top by Richelle Mead

2008-01-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

Coupla things before I kick off today's dish. First, dee kicked off FAB week with Liza Palmer yesterday, so click here or continue to scroll after reading this dish for the details on a FAB week and contest. Second, whoever you are that keeps googling "To Kill A Mockingbird book report" - STOP! Read the book! It's the only way you'll ace your paper and ya know, actually learn something not to mention, you'll also get to read a really good book. So, stop googling and start reading. And now that that's out of the way...

Succubus On Top by Richelle Mead
(BCC)

Georgina Kincaid's job sucks. Literally.

Love hurts, and no one knows it better than Georgina Kincaid. If she so much as kisses Seth Mortensen, the shy, sexy, incredibly gifted Seattle writer she's been dating, she'll drain his life force. Georgina is a succubus - a demon who draws her power from other men's pleasure. Admittedly, the shapeshifting and immortality perks are terrific, and yes, Georgina did choose to join the ranks of hell centuries ago. But it seems completely unfair that a she-demon whose purpose is seduction can't get hot and heavy with the one mortal who knows and accepts her for who she is...

It's not just her personal life that's in chaos. Doug, Georgina's co-worker at a local bookstore, has been exhibiting bizarre behavior, and Georgina suspects that something far more demonic than double espressos is at work. She could use help finding out, but Bastien, an irresistibly charming incubus and her best immortal friend, is preoccupied with corrupting an ultra-conservative talk radio star - and giving Georgina some highly distracting come-hither vibes. Georgina is going to have to work solo on the one - and fast because soon, Doug's life won't be the only one on the line...

The BCC is OK. I'll admit it's a tad misleading, but not so much so that I can out and out say it's wrong, so all in all, (sigh) I give it an OK.

It just so happens that this book is the follow up book to my last February FAB pick Succubus Blues. It's absolutely unnerving picking a FAB. Especially when it's a first time author and their first book. I mean, there is always a slight possibility that the next book will fall flat, right? However, dee and I have pretty strict requirements before we ask an author to join us for FAB, so we're fairly confident when we do so. Let me tell ya, Richelle Mead is most definitely FAB and most definitely did not let me down. Plus, any author that writes paranormal and has dee hooked, and her husband, and then just this week, hooked my husband (who hasn't read a book in whole since before we were married) then I know their golden.

Georgina Kincaid, succubus of Seattle, just got a certificate for excellence in being a succubus, she's got a great boyfriend, her best friend an incubus has just shown up to do a job in Seattle, her friend Doug's band (that she absolutely loves) is booking big gigs, and has a great job in a bookstore - pretty much, Georgina's life seems to be going good. Except, things don't exactly feel right.

Doug is acting very strangely, and although she'd love to attribute it to euphoria from the band doing so well, she just can't. Plus, there is the small problem of her friends bands new drummer, who seems to be at the heart of all of the madness starting, and weird otherwordly prickle she gets at odd times around both Doug and the band. Plus, her boss Paige is pregnant and it isn't going so smoothly, so Georgina's been having to work a lot at the store, Seth may have done something that has the entire staff acting funny around her, her friend Bastien, the incubus is having problems corrupting his mark and needs her help, and oh, yeah, she still has to have sex with other men to survive but can't even kiss the man she loves without shortening his life.

When Doug takes a dive into severe depression that sends him to the hospital, and another co-worker turns hollow-eyed and vacant after a night with the band, Georgina knows it's time to act. Stumbling herself into a world where "drugs" take on a whole new meaning, and gods still live. And if Georgina wants to save her friend, it's all on her, because this time, her boss the arch-demon Jerome and his Angel friend Carter can't fight the battle for her without starting a war.

Succubus On Top is exactly the kind of follow-up book I wanted. Sex. drugs, and rock-n-roll may be pushed by the greater majority of demons, but when they get pushed onto Georgina Kincaid's friends, hell hath no fury. SOT is a bit darker in parts, has several more erotic scenes than Blues, and just out-and-out keeps your nose in the book, page after page, until the very last page and you're crying for more. Georgina struggles with herself a good deal in SOT, and even ticked me off at parts, but Mead did a fantastic job of explaining what I had felt at times to be inexplicable. Seth is even more endearing in this installment, and more of Georgina's past is revealed.

While there were a few pages that seemed to jump off track while Georgina thinks about her past, it's well worth it for the information gleaned. I never thought I'd believe a succubus could actually have heart, but Mead has proven me wrong. For a fast paced, laugh out loud, have you on the edge of your seat thrill ride, grab SOT, and if you haven't read it yet, grab SB too, you'll never look at paranormal the same way again.

Take Care

Chari-Dee's next dish - Into Thin Air by Cindy Miles. I'm currently reading Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich and How Not To Look Old by Charla Krupp (non-fiction). And my stack of TBR is getting ever higher... Stay tuned!

FABPick - LIZA PALMER!! (and a contest)

2008-01-14T18:53:00.000-05:00

OMG! I am so excited about my FABPick this month, because I have the incredibly FABulous LIZA PALMER here!!

As you may remember, I found Liza's first book, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL, when I was in Dallas at RWA Nationals. I stuffed the book in my bag and promised myself that I would read it ... sometime. Well, when I finished it, I was kicking myself that I waded through so many not-so-great books before I landed on CWTFG. I immediatly had to dish it, even though it was the middle of the night. Then, as we usually do, I sent the author an e-mail telling her about the dish. Sometimes we get no response from these e-mails, sometimes the (usually very famous) authors will drop us a "thanks for letting me know" e-mail. But Liza? I knew she was FABulous when she actually took the time to e-mail me back, saying she'd read the dish and was thrilled with it. Big smile from me there. That, to me, shows that she pays attention to her e-mail, and that she actually cares what her fans have to say. And let me assure you, though I may wear a reviewer hat here, I am - first and foremost - a Reader, and therefore, I am also a 'potential fan'. She earned my respect right away, and has since maintained it because of her helpful and very professional attitude. Thanks, Liza!

But you want to hear about her book, right? Well, I'll get to that. I'm cheating a bit on this one though, as I'm going to re-post my original dish of CWTFG today. Then on Wednesday, I'll dish her new book, SEEING ME NAKED. Friday, you get the interview.

And you want to know about the contest? Well, ok then. I'm doing the usual "blog this book" here. You remember this one, right? You will post a .jpg of the cover of SEEING ME NAKED, along with the Back Cover Copy from SEEING ME NAKED, on YOUR website or blog (click here for .jpg and BCC). You will also link your post to THIS post. Then you will come here in the comments of THIS post and leave me a link. Don't have a blog? You can still play. Just mention this contest on your favorite blog, loop, or group. If ONE person comes here from your mention, and says in the comments that you sent them, then you get an entry. The prize is a signed copy of SEEING ME NAKED.

But there is also another contest afoot this time. If you decide that you really want SEEING ME NAKED after you read the dish (and come on! who wouldn't want this book!?!), then you purchase SEEING ME NAKED online. E-mail forward me the receipt that shows that you bought SEEING ME NAKED. (You may, of course, erase any billing info!) I will do one random drawing on Friday, and Liza will send that winner a signed copy of her debut novel, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL.

And speaking of CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL... here's the dish!

But really, I'm here to tell you about THIS BOOK, CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAT GIRL, by Liza Palmer. I picked it up in Dallas, during the RWA National Convention. I met the beautiful author, and she even signed it for me. So, I'm just telling you right now that you are not getting MY copy of this book. Sorry.

Check out this BCC...

Maggie and Olivia have been best friends since they were in grade school. Both overweight, they befriended each other when no one else would. Now grown up, Maggie is still shopping in the euphemism-if-there-ever-was-one "women's section", while Olivia went and had gastric bypass surgery in search of the elusive size 4, the holy grail for women everywhere. So now Olivia's thin and blond and getting married to a handsome surgeon, and Maggie is the fat bridesmaid, again, in charge of planning "The Shower" and keeping Olivia's secret: that she's really a fat girl in a thin body. Ain't life grand?
With wit and wisdom, Liza Palmer gives voice to women everywhere who wish for just once that they could forget about their weight.

Checking it over, the only thing that I don't like is that it sounds a bit light, compared to the story. But it is actually very accurate, so no complaints from me on this one.

I'm not going to give away any plot points or secrets with this one. I'm not going to tell you my favorite part, or my least favorite part. Wait, I will tell you my least favorite - the end. No, I don't mean that the end was bad. I mean that the book ended. It ended, and I was sad, because I really LOVE Maggie.

This is a very well written book, that deals with so many different things that I can't even describe them all. It's got a great cast of characters in it that all seem so real, you can mix them up with people in your own life like I did. There is even the hint of a romance. But at the core of it all? Well, there's Maggie.

What's not to love about a woman named Maggie? (I have a daughter with the same name. No, not Margaret. Maggie. I LOVE THIS NAME!) Maggie has been bigger than most everyone else for as long as she can remember. She sees the world through her own special lens, in which she constantly judges how other people will react to her. She has a mile-high wall around herself, to make sure that nobody gets close enough to hurt her. It's painful to see at first, because though this story is written in First POV, you can see from the reactions she gets from people around her that the way she sees herself is very different from the way the world sees her.

Maggie has been working a dead end job for two too many years. She's wasting her Master's Degree at a coffeehouse run by a jerk of a boss, with a pseudo-surrogate mother figure who craves attention and a ditzy wanna-be actress as her co-workers. And then there's Dominic, the 28 year old busboy.

Maggie has a teeny tiny crush on Dominic. She loathes her boss, but craves his approval. She adores her mother and slightly envies her older sister. She wonders where she fits in to her now-skinny best friend's life. And she hates her "Area", that section of her body that she just knows is the center of everyone's attention any time she enters a room. Maggie has a lot to learn.

And well, she does. But I'm not telling you anymore about it. I can't. Because I want you to buy it for yourself, and sink your teeth into it like it was something out of a pink pastry box. It's just that good. Trust me!

This is, by far, my favorite book that I've read from my RWANats stash so far. It wasn't on the top of my TBR pile when I got home. I had to wade through dozens of books before it made its way to my hands. Most of those other books were decent. I may even dish a few of them. But this book? I truly regret not reading it sooner. I regret even more that I finished it as fast as I did. It was gorgeous and strong, sassy and fearless, funny and beautiful, all at the same time.

Just like Maggie.

Go order this book today. It's one Conversation you really shouldn't miss!

Keep Turning Those Pages!

Real quick...

2008-01-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've got a FAB pick to bring you very soon (like -s tarting TOMORROW!!)! Are you excited? Well, I sure am!

I also want to remind y'all to enter the contest. You can't win if you don't enter.

Now, please be quiet. I'm reading my FAB pick again. For the third time. Then I have to e-mail the author a list of interview questions. And beg for a pic of her. And be really nice to her, because she's just so freakin' FABulous and I'm ecstatic that she's going to be HERE with all of us, starting very early next week.

Stay tuned for more...

and Keep Turning Those Pages!!

Divorced, Desperate and Delicious by Christie Craig

2008-01-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

Before I kick off the dish, I have a few housekeeping things to take care of. First, don't forget to enter our contest with Author Island for your chance at a box FULL of author promotional goodies and a tee shirt from Author Island. Click here to read the post and leave a comment, then be sure to e-mail your comment to DeNita at AuthorIsland at yahoo.com (ya know the drill) with dee & Dee Dish in the subject. You only have until the 13th to enter, so make sure to check it out! Also, dee has some FABulous news for us, she does have a FAB pick for the month of January and she's kicking it off in the next day or so. Make sure to check back to see who dee has found FAB (a little hint, the author was on her Best of the Best list) and enter yet another FABulous contest! And now, without further ado...

Divorced, Desperate and Delicious by Christie Craig
(BCC)

Ever since photographer Lacy Maguire caught her ex playing Pin the Secretary to the Elevator Wall, she's been content with her dog Fabio, her three cats, and a vow of chastity. But all that changes when the reindeer-antlered Fabio drags in a very desperate, on-the-run detective who decides to take refuge in her house - a house filled with twinkling lights and a decorated tree. (Okay, so it's February, but she has a broken heart to mend, a Christmas-card shoot to do, and a six-times divorced, match-making mother to appease.) For the first time in a loooooong while, Lacy reconsiders her vow. Because sexy Chase Kelly, wounded soul that he may be, would be an oh-so-delicious way of breaking her fast. Now, if she can just keep them both alive and him out of jail...

Detective Chase Kelly has always been a good cop. But, after losing his wife Sarah just over two years ago, he's gotten a bit reckless. He takes more chances than he should, makes rash decisions, and basically flirts with death. When Sarah died, so had a part of Chase, and he's gotten quite the reputation for being suicidal. He's lost his best friend and partner, Jason Dodd, and is paired up with a new one Zeke, a twenty year veteran. So, it's a bit of a shock when Zeke points a gun at him and explains that he's been on the take and found the perfect scape goat in Chase. Zeke has killed another officer, stolen drugs and money, and now he was going to kill Chase and pin all of it on him. He's already gotten a start by planting drugs at Chase's apartment. But instead of welcoming death, Chase finds he doesn't want to die after all and makes a break for, ending up shot and hurt, but alive.

A few miles from the spot where Chase makes his break, Lacy Maguire is having her own troubles. She's got a Christmas card shoot to do and her animals, while dressed in their Christmas best the animals just aren't cooperating. The anniversary of her divorce is coming up, her mother is insistent that she find a man to lesson some her sexual frustration and move on, her best friends, while well meaning only want to discuss sexual topics at their weekly get-together, and her grandmother is getting ready to tie the knot - again. After taking a soak in the tub to relieve some of her stress, Lacy gets a call from her mom. During that call, she hears Fabio in the yard barking insistently at something, which means he's found something again and wants her to come see. Sure that what Fabio has seen is just another Texas sized roach, Lacy grabs a tee-shirt and heads outside to see what treasure her dog has found this time.

Only, it isn't a roach at all, Fabio has found a man, a very good looking, very soaked and bloody man. Lacy immediately recognizes him as the man the police are looking for and unfortunately, the man decides he needs a place to stay to rest up and figure out what is going on - and he decides that Lacy's house is just the right place to do it. Despite his assurances that he means her no harm, Lacy is still scared, and after attacking him with a fish, she finds herself handcuffed to the bed, while her captor sleeps beside her.

It doesn't take Chase long to convince Lacy that he's telling the truth, that he is innocent and means her no harm. But, harm is a relative term, because if she acts on the mounting attraction to Chase, she's sure she'll start hearing wedding bells and picking out cakes. After all, she's destined to do it, because that's exactly what her mom and grandma do. But....maybe Lacy can take a chance at casual sex, because Chase Kelly doesn't exactly seem like the sticking kind...But despite her best efforts, Lacy finds herself falling for Chase. And even though Chase finds he is falling for Lacy too, he can't make her any promises, after all, he may not be able to find the missing piece to the puzzle that will clear his name and allow him to stay out of jail, or if Zeke finds himself, he may not even make it out alive.

I found this book on Amazon the other day. It was one of those books in the "Others that bought this book also bought..." section. I flipped over to Craig's website, and found that the BCC and the praise on the book all made it sound like a great mystery, and I do love a great mystery with Romance, it just works for me. Unfortunately, there really isn't much mystery, as the very first scene in the book spells out who the bad guy is. Plus, the antagonist Zeke, also has his own POV, and anything else that could have caused suspense was quickly given away within his scenes.

While I enjoyed the book overall, the things that were right with it were overshadowed by the things that were not clicking for me. While Craig has a wicked sense of humor, more often than not, the humor is forced and feels akin to slapstick. The community of people Lacy has in her life are funny, an overbearing mother who doesn't seem to be able to stop herself from saying whatever comes to her mind, two best friends that like Lacy have been through divorce and seem to be obsessed with the sex, and enjoyed them quite a bit.

Chase Kelly is a great hero, but the road to love between him and Lacy is riddled with cliche's and an over abundance of similes and metaphors. While the use of those things are useful, too many and I start to rolling my eyes. The internal struggles Chase is dealing with - saying good-bye to his late wife, his deteriorated relationship with his family and his ex-partner and best friend - could have been very deep and given layers to Chase, but they were given so little air time in order to make room for the sex, that I found myself having a hard time believing that Chase really was struggling with these emotions.

As far as I can tell, DDAD is a debut into the fiction world for Craig, and I find myself hopeful that Craig is able to tighten her writing in the next books. I did like this book, but found that I could easily put it down without further thought to the characters. Craig will definitely be an author I follow, at least for a few books, because the potential is HUGE for this writer. I'd really like to see Lacy's friends get a book of their own.

For some reason, when I placed my order, I ordered two copies of this book and have an extra copy. If you are interested in reading it and then sending me an e-mail with your thoughts on the book, I'd love to post it here on dee & Dee. Send me an e-mail with I'll dish Christie Craig in the subject and why you want to read/dish it in the body and I'll pick a reader to send the book to. Make sure to send the request by Monday to deeanddeedish at sbcglobal.net . Please keep in mind, if I pick you, I'd like to post the dish within a few days of you receiving the book, so if you're not going to be able to do that, please don't send the request.

Up next, I'm reading Succubus on Top by Richelle Mead, and you can see my list of books to be read and dished on our Shelfari BookShelf under the Currently Reading section. Leave me a comment and let me know what you want me to read next! I have too many great books to decide all by myself!

Take Care

Banned Books, Another Hits The List

2008-01-08T15:02:00.000-05:00

Well, it's just after 2 in the afternoon and the big brown truck has not graced my house yet, and I'm sick. So, since I had no new reading material, and I'm having a very difficult time making myself finish a book I started, I decided to grab my board and hit the waves. Erm, I mean, I decided to park my bottom in my roll around chair and surf the 'net - semantics. Anyway, I found myself checking out Meg Cabot's blog and found out she's been banned.

As you know, dee and I love banned books. Remember dee's contest and her dish on To Kill A Mockingbird? (And shame on whoever you are that keeps googling "What happens in To Kill A Mockingbird?" Read the book. Educate yourself, your report on this book will not happen through google.) Anyway, it appears that Meg Cabot can now be added to that list of banned books.

I have to wonder, what is going on in today's society that it is perfectly alright to allow kids to watch cartoons that have adult themed jokes (whether they go right over their heads or not) in them but not want our children to read? Give. Me. A. Break. The things that are allowed on television these days are far worse, IMO, than reading a book. At least if the book has a sexually charged scene, the younger child has to actually use their imagination, where as on television nothing is left to that.

dee and I both encourage our children to read, and while some books may not be allowed to be devoured by them yet, as they get a little older they'll be able to read them. Miss Beautiful is but 5, but I can assure you, that when the time comes that she's reading on her own, Meg Cabot will be on her shelves. Perhaps I can get Gret and Jo (two of dee's beautiful daughters) to read this book for us and give us the dish. I'd love to see the thoughts about this supposedly inappropriate book from their point of view.

How do you feel about the banning of books? Do you think it should be allowed? If so why?

Take Care

I've Got A Website, But... (Author Island Contest)

2008-01-07T09:14:00.001-05:00

...No one is visiting it! How am I supposed to get my name out there so people actually see it?

Let's face it, unless you are a well known author, getting your name out there is not an easy feat. In our search for FAB authors, dee and I know how hard it is to find those new authors. I still have no FAB for January. None. I live in a small town with no book store with the big WM as the only place to find books. Have you tried to find new books, by new authors, at that place? Last year I was lucky enough to find Kristan Higgins there, but it was a rare find. Most of the books I see on the shelves there have Best Selling Author across the top. If you'll read our FAB guidelines, I can't (or won't) consider a book if the author has already hit any of the lists, that seems unfair perhaps, and while we heart many big name authors here, we also really, really heart the new ones. So, I did what any other book buyer without an outlet does - I went online.

Chari-Dee's Quest For New Authors:

1 - I started by going to different publisher websites. While many are easy to navigate, they aren't "get to know the author" friendly, even when they try to be. The focus really seems to be more on their big sellers. And while I can understand this, I don't like it.

2 - Getting no where with the publisher sites, I did a blog search for publisher and agent blogs. I figure even if they don't shout from the tree-tops (so to speak) the new authors on their web sites, surely their blogs would introduce us? Nope. While I did find updates on a few of their authors, I also found more mention of awards being handed out and already (albeit somewhat) established authors.

3 - Next, I gave up and went to Amazon.com. I'll tell ya, I'm not a big fan of on-line book ordering. I like to actually touch a book, feel it in my hand, ya know? BUT, I didn't really see any other options. One of the nice things though, is that little "others who bought this book also bought," feature they have. I started by ordering a few books I was positive I wanted to read. Next in series and so forth, and then I started looking at the recommendations. In the end, I spent over half the night going from Amazon to search engine, to author sites and ordered over $100 in books (which will arrive tomorrow!).

So while I absolutely agree that a web site is key for any author, I wonder how do you find the websites? After all, the reader needs to have heard about the author/book before they go hunting down the site. What is the best thing a new author can do to spread the word about their books?

In my quest to find such authors, I've joined a few on-line groups (mainly on Yahoo!) that allow authors to Promote (yes, capital "P" let's face it, it deserves it). The problem I've had with these groups is there are too many authors and readers posting, and I don't have time to go through three digests a day. First of all, there is a lot of repetition in those groups. People reply to posts without cutting out the original post they are replying to, so a lot of the stuff gets overlooked by me because it's simply too hard to read. Perhaps I'm a stickler for cut and paste and low signature use because of the first on-line group I joined, and while some find the rules for posting too much of a hassle, it helps make things easier on everyone.

After a couple years of deleting thousands of digests, I cannot tell you how happy I was to find AuthorIsland.com . First of all, it's not an e-mail loop all of the time. While there is an on-line group set up for AI, it is used only during chat and only for a set amount of time. It makes it more intimate and I truly felt like during that first chat I had gotten to know the authors, I'll remember their names.

Secondly, DeNita sends out newsletters that have blurbs of the author's latest book or upcoming release, there are links to both author sites and to buy the book. At the Author Island site you'll find tons of contests (You know how I love me contests by the amount of them we run here), announcements, and links. The really great thing about the site is it isn't genre specific, so I can get news on author's from the many genres I read.

But of course, not all authors are members of Author Island, and I'm still going to have to find a way to find them. So, I've put up a new poll with this post about this very thing, and I'm going to explain my thoughts on the choices so you can see those before you vote.

How Do You Find Author Web Sites?

1 - On-line Group: Be it a site such as AuthorIsland or a Yahoo! Group, several authors participate in on-line loops. I've found a great many authors from my favorite Yahoo! Group, and it's the group of another author. But here's the thing, if you're an author and a member of another authors Fan Group/ Message Board, please truly be a fan. Yes, posting to a forum of a well known author will get your name out there, but readers will know if you are a true fan or just some one trying to self promote and doing so by riding coattails.

2 - Search Engines: This one isn't so easy for me, because usually when I think of search I think of searching for an author by name. I know there must be several ways to search for new authors, but I haven't found a great way to do it yet. So, if you vote this, please share with us the keywords you use to find them without a specific book or name.

3 - Blogs: Be it the author's (agent, publisher) own blog or comments they've left on another site. I have found a few authors from well known author blogs when they get a nod from said author. BUT, I've also made a list of authors not to look up or buy based on comments left on blog posts. This one is a sticky subject, because authors are readers too, but your comments as a reader can really turn me off of you as an author. Group author blogs are great, but unless there is at least one author on that blog with name recognition getting traffic is still an issue. If you choose this option, please let us know why and what works for you.

4 - Other: What am I missing here? The readers at dee & Dee are too smart not to have some tricks up their sleeves.

For the contest, please make sure to send DeNita a copy of your comment here to AuthorIsland at yahoo.com (ya know the drill with the spaces and symbol) put dee & Dee Dish contest in the subject and your name and address in the body with your comment.

Take Care

We're Teaming Up With Author Island For Another Contest!

2008-01-04T10:18:00.000-05:00

I've worked on and off all day today on what I had thought would be a simple essay about genre labels. When I will learn that adding simple to anything guarantees it's going to be anything but, is anyones guess. I must have gone off on twelve different tangents, so I'm working on editing that down to three or four essays, the first of which I will post Sunday.

But, guess what? We're teaming up with AuthorIsland.com again for another contest. In case you haven't yet discovered Author Island, then you are really missing out. Author Island is a great resource for readers. With daily contests, book blurbs, linkage to author sites, interviews and more. You can even sign up to be put on the mailing list so that you get early peaks at upcoming books and contests.

Run by DeNita Tuttle, Author Island also features on-line chats with authors where you can talk with the author, ask questions, win chat only contests, and read excerpts of their work. If you can't tell, I adore Author Island.

Now, onto the contest. Since Author Island is a great way for Authors to promote their work, I thought we'd run a poll. If you'll look at the sidebar to your left, you'll see it at the top. Simply choose your pick, and then comment here and tell us why you chose what you did. Examples are great, so please elaborate as much as possible on your comment.

There will be other chances to win throughout the week-long contest, so be sure to check back! Now go VOTE!

Take Care

Swimming Without A Net by Mary Janice Davidson

2008-01-02T15:06:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! OK, a day late, but still HAPPY NEW YEAR! It was this time last year that dee and I settled in here at the new site and I have to say it's been a good year. I hope everyone of you survived the transition from 2007 to 2008 flawlessly and that the new year finds you with healthy and happy. And now, without further ado...

Swimming Without A Net by MaryJanice Davidson
(BCC)

Plenty of Fish in the Sea

It's not normal for a mermaid to hate being out in open water, but Fred never claimed to be normal. To visit the undersea realm of Artur, the High Prince, and the rest of the royal merfamily, she has to fin it to the Cayman Islands. Luckily, hunky marine biologist Thomas is along for the swim - in his custom-made underwater RV. He'll be able to explore where no "outlander" has gone before and give Fred a place to escape to when the Undersea Folk start getting on her nerves.

Bus as Fred tries to fit in with her own kind, she finds herself hooked on bother Artur and Thomas, and caught between to factions of merfolk: those happy with swimming under the radar - and those who want to bring their existence to the surface...

As far as the BCC goes, eh, nice try but it really misses in several instances. You'll see what I mean as I dish. Before I go any further though, I'll point you to the dish of the first book in the series here.

OK, now that you've read that, you can see that I had doubts about the series after reading the first one. I still enjoyed the first one quite a bit, but as I read Net, I began to question my own devotion as a fan of MJD.

Basically, in SWAN Fred is summoned to attend a mermaid Pelagic, a meeting of merfolk to determine whether or not they would come to the surface and announce to the world their existence. Thomas is invited to go along as well, since Artur plans to use the chance to woo Fred, he wants to give Thomas the same chance. It isn't until after Fred arrives at the Caymans where the Pelagic is to take place, that she finds out the reason her attendance was required.

Fred's father was a traitor to the royal family, and though he is no longer welcome in their midst's, he did have some fellow merfolk who believed he was right in wanting to go public. Since Fred is a hybrid, both human and mermaid, her testimony is of the most importance at the Pelagic. Who better to help the merfolk decide whether or not to stay hidden than some one who lives a double life, as both a biped and a mermaid?

Fred faces opposition from several of the merfolk who feel that since Fred's father was a traitor she should be shunned as well. However, out of respect for the royal family, she is tolerated. But Fred is torn herself. After all, she knows that humans have not always shown a tolerance for different, and coming out of the water (so to speak) could cause the merfolk to be stuffed in aquariums and zoos to be gawked at and studied.

With her best friend Jonas along, Fred also finds an ally in Tennian. Another mermaid, who has ties to the royal family, but also seems to find Thomas very attractive. Fred isn't sure whether she likes Tennian or wants to see her cut up and fried into fish sticks.

In true Davidson style SWAN is short, just 281 pages. Also in true Davidson style, Fed has a mouth on her that won't quit. Where SWAN veers a bit from form is that it actually has a plot. Not only a plot but a subplot as well. The problem with this, is, once again, Davidson's affinity for short story telling.

SWAN has so much potential, but with the short word count and so much going on, it falls flat. Not one of the plot points gets explored as deeply as could/should be. The love "triangle" is talked about, not shown, and the Pelagic gets a lot of mention, but not much actual airtime. The ending is rushed, and not very satisfying as the threads are left too loose.

I did laugh out loud as we meet Artur's father the King, and find he has an affinity for HBO series TV, and believes that when addressing bipeds he should do so in the way they would in the normal course of things. Unfortunately, he learns this dialect from DEADWOOD, and refers to the humans quite colorfully.

All in all, I was quite disappointed in SWAN. I'll continue to buy the Undead books, but I think for all else, I'll have to pass. Like I quoted in the last dish, MJ has said she can write fast or she can write long, I think I'd prefer to see the long version when it comes to non-Betsy books.

Take Care

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

2007-12-31T10:28:00.000-05:00

The last day of the year is finally here. Hehe, I'm a poet and don't I know it. Anyway, I thought I'd post one last dish before 2008 comes roaring in. We here at dee and Dee would also like to thank you all for hanging with us for another year, and we hope you stick around for all the fun things we have in store for the next. Also, real quick, I have not yet heard from the winner of our mini-contest, so please, KCO, e-mail me at deeanddeedish at sbcglobal dot net (ya know, without the spaces and with symbols) with your snail mail addy and that of a friends, so that I can get the AuthorIsland.com boxes sent your way, remember they are FILLED to burstin' with all kinds of author goodies. If I don't hear from you by Wednesday morning, I'm going to have to draw a new name. And now, without further ado...

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
(BCC)

Flirting With The Grave...

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father - the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner - are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side...and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

The BCC is good, but it no where near comes close enough to actually capturing the intense story that lay inside the pages of this book. It's vague, and I suppose that's all it should be, so thumbs up.

Now that I've rated the BCC, I'll tell ya I didn't even read it. I saw this cover and grabbed the book off the shelf. It wasn't until I cracked the book open a week or so later that I saw the "A Night Huntress Novel" and began to worry. I absolutely loathe buying a book and then finding out it's the twentieth in a series, I mean that's one of my biggest pet peeves. Thankfully, I was lucky and while this is part of a series, it's the very first book in the series. Sweet! To make it double sweet? This is Frost's debut! You know how I love me a debut author! And whoo-boy, what a debut!

Cathrine (Cathy, Cat) Crawfield is the product of a human mother who was raped by a vampire. Growing up in a small town, where unwed motherhood is frowned upon, life was not easy for Cat. Add to that the fact that she was always a bit different from the other kids, faster, stronger, and life growing up was not ideal. It wasn't until Cat turned 16 that she found out the truth about her birth. But, once she did, she also found out how much her mother despised vampires. Understandably of course, but it was not only because of her own rough younger years but because of her mother's hatred of the undead that Cat finds herself hunting and killing the evil that wanders the night.

Then one night, something goes terribly wrong. Cat find herself with an undead she can't kill. In fact, he's gotten the jump on her. Bones though, just wants to know who she is working for. After all, surely this young human could not have done what he saw her do, without the backing of a more powerful vampire. When she refuses to tell him what he wants to know, Bones comes thisclose to doing her in, only just as he's about to take that bite, Cat's eyes start to glow green, and only a vampire's eyes can glow green.

Bones then hears the truth of the matter and a deal is struck. He will train Cat to fight, "...There is only one way to fight, and that's dirty. Clean, gentlemanly fighting will get you nowhere but dead, and fast. Take every cheap shot, every low blow, absolutely kick people when they're down, and then maybe you'll be the one who walks away. Remember that. You're in a fight to the death...", if she becomes his partner. You see, Bones is a vampire bounty hunter, and he just found the perfect bait. In return, Cat gets to live another day, keep killing the bad vampires, and the help of Bones in finding her father - the one vamp she'd really love to kill.

But young girls are coming up missing, what's worse is all the traces are of the girls are being wiped clean. Bones has a very good idea who is behind it and has been after the vamp for over eleven years. Going through the underlings for information is the plan, and once he gets the information, Cat gets her kill.

But first, Bones must teach her to fight, teach her everything she doesn't know about vampires (which is quite a bit), stop her annoying habit of blushing when talk turns sexual, and make-over the frumpy excuses she calls clothing. And to quote Cat when the time finally comes to go hunting, "I was now outfitted as Cat, the Vampire-Killing Slut."

Cat soon becomes a target, and suddenly, Bones and Cat must get to the bottom of this and destroy the big bad vamp, before he gets the drop on them. If Cat and Bones just happen to feel sparks of excitement that have nothing to do with the hunt, well, there's not much that can be done about that.

I'm ashamed to admit this, but I have been bored lately with the Paranormal genre. Oh sure, there were my steadfast auto-buy's, Harrison, Harris, MJD, to name a few, but on the whole, I've been noticing some trends in the genre that had me fuming mad and ready to give up on new authors/books that hit the shelves. All I can say is, Thank Goodness for Cat and Bones. My love of the genre has been re-ignited.

Cat is the perfect heroine. Strong and sassy, " 'You hit me again and I'll -' "What? Bleed more? Thanks, but I only drink gin and tonic. That's one vampire attribute I'm without. No fangs. See?"

Yet she still struggles with her lot in life, "Glad? That's not quite the word I'd use. Relieved? You could say that. Relieved I'm alive and there's one less murderer prowling around for naive girls. But glad? Glad would be if I never had this lineage. Glad would be if I had two normal parents and a bunch of friends, and the only thing I;d ever killed was time....This is just ...existing. Until the next time." (snipped a few lines like I oft do.)

And Bones? Whew, Bones is the perfect compliment to Cat. Tough when he needs to be, Bones too has a heart, and Cat captures it. Which is good for Cat, because Bones has a way of helping her see the way out of her self-pity, "Rot, I said. You play the hand you're dealt just like everyone else in this bloody world. You have gifts people would kill for, no matter that you scorn them. You have a mum who loves you and a nice house to go home to. Sod your backwoods neighbors who look down their ignorant noses at you for your lack of a father. This world is a big place an you've got an important role to play in it. Think everyone goes around whistling about the life they lead? Think everyone is given the power to choose the way their fate goes? Sorry, luv, it doesn't work that way. You hold the ones you love close and fight the battles you can win, and that, Kitten, is how it is." Did I mention Bones is British and calls her Kitten? Swoon.

I honestly could go on and on about this book. My trusty pen and paper got quite a workout as I jotted down favorite passages. Normally, HTTG would be top of my list for my next FAB, unfortunately, two things held me back. 1 - It's hit the best-sellers list already, (just two months after it was released) and while I'm not adverse to breaking that small rule, there is reason number 2 - there were a lot of copy editing mistakes. I can generally overlook one or two, but there were several, and a few of them even slowed me up to re-read.

Are those two things going to stop me from buying the next book? Or even re-reading this one? Heck no. Hurry up Jeaniene and write faster! And you readers? Get out NOW and get this book. Just be warned, you'll not want to put it down, Cat and Bones take you on a fast-paced journey that you will be unable to ignore until the very last page has been read. Frost has created a fantastic book with a great explanation for vampires (you know my affinity for the way authors explain their existence) that's filled to the brim with action, suspense, heart, and hot romance. Frost has staked her place on my keeper shelf, and I can honestly say, I don't see her leaving it anytime soon.

Take Care

Readers Choice The Best of the Best 2007

2007-12-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

Now that dee and I have announced our Top Picks of 2007, we wanted to compile a list of our Reader's favorites, put them in one easy to see list, all the better to put together a TBB list. If you see a (*) it indicates one or both of the D/d's have read the book. If you can click it, it means we've dished it and you can see the dish. (X any number) means multiple readers choice. Also, if I can find one, the author's name will click you to their website.

The Best of the The Best 2007 Reader Picks:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rolling * X3

20 Times A Lady by Karyn Bosnak

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann

Whispering Rock by Robyn Carr

Atlantis Awakening by Alyssa Day *

The River Trilogy by Robyn Carr

Riding the Thunder by Deborah MacGillivray

Spirited Away by Cindy Miles *

Interred With Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrell

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer X2

All About Evie by Beth Ciotta

Lost Girls by Bob Mayer X2

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon

Barbed Wire and Roses by Peter Yeldham

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini X2

Handbag Friends by Sally Lloyd Jones

The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers

How To Be A Baby By Me The Big Sister by Sally Lloyd Jones

Untouched by Anna Campbell

Sleepless at Midnight by Jacquie d'Alessandro X2

Big Boned by Meg Cabot

Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale

Adios To My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer *

Hunting the Demon by Jaci Burton

The Fortune Quilt by Lani Diane Rich * X2

Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins *

Harvey and Eck by Erin O'Brien

The Uninvited by Amanda Marrone

Holidays are Hell Anthology with stories by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Marjorie Liu, Vicki Pettersson

Creation in Death by J.D. Robb

The Harlequin by Laurell K Hamilton

For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison *

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen X2

Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald

Mystery Series by Cleo Coyle / Alice Kimberly

The Sense of Paper by Taylor Holden

Dragonflies and Dinosaurs by Kate Austin

Francesca's Kitchen by Peter Pezzelli X2

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

True Evil by Greg Isles

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

Not Quite a Lady by Loretta Chase X2

If His Kiss is Wicked by Jo Goodman

Christmas Wishes by Debbie Macomber

The Collection by Gioia Diliberto

All the Numbers by Judy Merrill Larsen

Tied to the Tracks by Rosina Lippi

Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole X2

The Devil Inside by Jenna Black

Midnight Awakening by Lara Adrian

Once Bitten Twice Shy and Another One Bites the Dust by Jennifer Rardin

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands

Over Hexed by Vicki Lewis Thompson *

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Take Care and Keep Turning Those Pages

A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins

2007-12-29T12:05:00.000-05:00

I have the head cold from hell right now so I just took a couple of benedryl's and figured I'd better get this dish posted before I was too loopy to do it. I have a very low tolerance for medicine in any form, but benedryl in particular. So, if I start to be incoherent, leave me a comment and tell me to get thyself to bed.

A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins
(BCC)

Why did I, Abby Knight, agree to attend a convention of funeral directors? I was desperate to drum up more business for my flower shop, Bloomers. What I got instead was murder...

Who knew death could be so much fun?

Abby is amused by the black humor of the usually somber "death professionals" who are attending the Midwestern Funeral Directors Association's regional convention. Even organizer Sybil Blount - known for her cutthroat business practices and the signature rose she wears in her wig - isn't what Abby expects...especially when her corpse is found in a casket. When Abby's friend Delilah Dove becomes a suspect, Abby shifts into full investigation mode and learns that Sybil's enemies included the prankster sons of a big-time funeral director, an eco friendly purveyor of "green burials," and a strange Goth girl who captures the "music" of departing souls on her tape recorder. It's up to Abby and her boyfriend, Marco, to look beyond the trappings of death and find out who really loved Sybil - and who loved her not.

I'm really starting to get annoyed with the BCC's of the books I've been reading, because I really can't find anything to really complain about. I know, that's what I've always been after, the good BCC to become commonplace, but if this keeps up, I'm not gonna have much blog fodder.

I've been with the Flower Shop Mysteries since book one, and I absolutely fell in love with them. Abby Knight is such an endearing character, and I've sat here trying to figure out how to sum up how she became a flower shop owner, and finally, I'm calling calf rope and am just gonna quote Abby herself from the book -
"Half a year ago, while I was busy flunking law exams, being dumped by my finace and my insurance company, and crossing off my dream to become the success my brothers were, Lottie's husband developed serious heart problems, starting a cascade of financial difficulties the threatened to sink her ship - er, shop. Since we were both looking for a life raft, Lottie suggested what seemed like a crazy idea at the time. And now, one ginormous mortgage later, I owned a flower shop and she worked for possibly the best employer in the whole country."

The books are filled with a great cast of characters, Abby's mom who likes to make, shall we say, interesting craft projects, her dad who is a retired policeman who was wounded on the job, Grace an employee who's british and has a quote for every occassion, Lottie the former owner of the flower shop who is the mother of quadruplets and has a great big heart, Nikki her roommate and best friend, and Marco the sexy owner of the bar down the street Down the Hatch. Marco is also a P.I., former Ranger, and ex-cop.

In the first book of the seies we find out that Abby is a meddler, and hates injustice. Abby will go to the extreme to right a wrong, so it was a real shame, in her opinion, that she flunked out of law school. But, in each book, Abby gets to try her hand at righting a wrong, and solving a puzzle.

I'm not going to go into a big lengthy rundown of the book, because frankly, the BCC did the job reall well. For the most part, ARFTD is a wonderful book. I really enjoy the cozy mystery genre and it's because of books like these. I laughed out loud several times and had a seriously hard time putting it down for any amount of time.

I did notice though, that the pacing seemed off. The book takes place over the span of just two days that the convention takes place in, and this is probably my problem. The normal large cast we see in the books was absent, and I missed them. A lot happened in just those two days, and at times it felt rushed and other's the pacing seemed to slow down to a very slow pace. I don't know though, if it's the pacing that was the problem, or the short time-frame for events. I would read something and think, wait a minute, we're still on the first day? So, I guess the problem was really more that I was having trouble with how much Abby was able to get done in just one day, especially since the dead body doesn't show up until the end of the first day.

I also don't know if I've just gotten really good, or if this mystery was an easy one to solve. I had it figured out really fast. Collins is good though, she almost had me changing my mind, and that was fun, but I stuck firm to my culprit and I was right. Well, mostly right, my motives were a bit off.

If you're a fan of the cozy mystery genre, or a first time reader of it, I have to recommend this one. You really don't have to read the books in order, though I highly recommend that you do, if you start with this one, be prepared to go back and buy the rest of the series.

Collins voice is clear, her characters real and endearing, her humor excellent, and she'll have you turning the pages faster and faster arriving at The End wanting MORE!

At the back of the book is a teaser chapter for the next installment, and OH how I wish I hadn't read it, because it's not out until August, and I. Don't. Want. To wait. That. Long! Who do I need to petition to get on the ARC list? Can someone please tell me this!

Collins is a must buy, and if you haven't tried her yet, do, she'll have you hooked from line one. Abby is wonderfully funny and endearing, and you'll wish you worked in Bloomers and were part of this great world.

Take Care

We're on Shelfari!

2007-12-28T16:26:00.001-05:00

Are you? If so, visit our page here and add us as a friend. I'm in the process of putting all the books we've dished on the shelves, and then I'll work on keeping what I'm currently reading in the right spot. I'm a bit lost over there, I'm thinking it's sort of a MySpace/Facebook specifically for books, right?

At any rate, it looks like it could be fun! Check us out!

Take Care

Over Hexed by Vicki Lewis Thompson

2007-12-26T10:38:00.000-05:00

This year, I'm making a New Year's Resolution(never mind the fact that I still have a week to go before the New Year hits). This will be the first Resolution I have ever made and truth be told, I'm a bit nervous about doing so. At any rate, I'm making it, and I can only hope I manage to stick with it. What is it, you ask? Well, I resolve to post at least three new dishes each week, and if the dish happens to be news from the publishing side, or other tidbits, well, it still counts. That's my goal, three a week. Think I can do it? Maybe. We'll see. I'm gonna make a good faith effort at any rate. And now, on with it...

Over Hexed by Vicki Lewis Thompson
(BCC)

The key to finding true love...

Banished. Until their unconventional techniques land them in hot water, Dorcas and Ambrose are the matchmaking therapists for lovelorn witches and wizards. The Grand High Wizard has exiled them to the very conventional and unmagical town of Big Knob, Indiana. Population: 947. But that doesn't mean they've given up matchmaking....

...is a good hex life.

Now they're doing it for mere mortals - although all agree: Sean Madigan is something of a god. Because he's tired of being the town sex object, Dorcas and Ambrose strip him of his appeal and then introduce him to his destiny. Maggie Grady. This time winning a girl's heart won't be so easy for Sean. It means rediscovering the charms buried beneath a gorgeous surface, and finally proving himself to be more of a man than ever before.

As far as this BCC, well, it's damn good. That's not something I'm used to saying, but it's the truth, and I have no problem saying so.

I've made no secret of the fact that I have a total FGSF every time I get a new Thompson book. I LOVE her Nerd books, and when I read that Thompson was going to be putting out a new paranormal series, well, I nearly wet my pants I was so excited. Paranormal plus one of my favorite authors? HOG HEAVEN. Then I read another of my favorite author's books that had gone from Romance to Paranormal, and well, I was nervous. But, ya know what? I had absolutely no need to fret. Thompson, for me, has done it again.

When Dorcas and Ambrose give the Grand High Wizard's brother-in-law a potion that goes awry, they are sentenced to exile in Big Knob, Indiana until they can straighten out George, a dragon living in The Whispering Forest there. You see, George is supposedly ADD, and would rather play poker with raccoons, and blow shaped smoke rings than patrol the forest and keep it protected.

Sean Madigan has never had a problem getting a woman. In fact, Sean's problem is just the opposite, he can't even walk down the street without the women of Big Knob assaulting him trying to get a date. Fed up with it all, Sean just wishes he could live like a normal man. Dorcas and Ambrose happen to be walking in town one day and see Sean being accosted and step in to help. And this is when Dorcas and Ambrose get their big idea.

In exchange for Sean, who is the local handyman, building them a sex bench, Dorcas and Ambrose agree to help Sean become less attractive to the opposite sex. Sean doesn't see how this can happen, but Sean doesn't know that he's dealing with a witch and wizard. But Dorcas doesn't want to just stop with Sean becoming less attractive to all women, she wants to help him find his soul mate. If the plan just happens to take care of their problem with George, well, so much the better. So they set a plan in motion to bring his soul mate to town, throw them together, and help them see when Sean is acting like a man.

Maggie Grady is a location scout for a big super saving chain store. When three of her big deals fall through, she's in jeopardy of losing her job, and convinced that there is a mole in the company. When she gets an e-mail saying that some one has a great location for a new store, Maggie hops the red-eye to beat out the competition.

The location for the store, just happens to be the house that Sean has been wanting to buy since his father lost it and fled, years ago. Unfortunately for Sean, Dorcas and Ambrose had already started working on his appeal to women, and Maggie isn't the least bit charmed just by looking at him. Sean, on the other hand, is instantly smitten with Maggie. And, against her better judgement, Maggie finds herself more and more attracted to Sean.

The cast of characters in Hexed are hilarious. There's the beautician that can't stop talking about her sex life, the 80 something Edith Mae Hoogstraten, that has no business driving but does so anyway with the town just making way for her, George the dragon who refuses to be responsible, and Sean himself who uses skunks as a way to keep the women away, and the rock in which the town was named, Big Knob that resembles sometime very sexual. No wonder the town is oversexed.

Hexed is what happens when a great Romance writer tries her hand at paranormal without veering too far from her roots. Filled with incredible sexual tension, laugh out loud moments, and sweet Romance, Hexed is an amazing start to a what promises to be a great series of related books. While each book will feature a different H&H, with such a small town, characters are sure to repeat, and with the cast featured, I can't think of anything better.

For a great, fun, fast paced read, grab Hexed. I honestly don't think you'll be disappointed. It really is lighthearted fun at it's best. And although I love these books and hope to read many more, I have to hope that the Nerd books are not taking a backseat, I didn't see any mention of when the next one would be out, and I really don't want to do without those. Any one know about those?

Take Care

Merry Christmas To You!!! Winners Announced!

2007-12-25T18:27:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm fat and happy right now. I just finished enjoying a HUGE meal and spending time with part of my very large family. I've had a house FULL of teenage boys, in addition to my own brood, and the only downside of this whole holiday has been that Miss Beautiful is sick. Poor Miss Beautiful, she seems to get sick on every holiday. But, Santa was good to my kids, and family surrounded us, so I hope your Christmas was as Merry as mine!

But, you didn't check back here to hear about my busy week-end, and how I gorged myself on ham and too many side dishes, did ya? Nah, I didn't think so, you came here to see who the big winner was. So...

RachaelfromNJ if you will e-mail me your snail mail address to deeanddeedish at sbcglobal dot net (you know, without the spaces and with the symbols), you have won the BIG contest which is a prize package of all SIX of dee & Dee's Best of the Best 2007. Most of the books will be signed, and if I can swing it, ALL of them will be. CONGRATS!

And, since I'm in such a happy giving mood - Maureen, would you please e-mail me your snail mail addy with your choice of 2 of our BoB picks. They will be delivered to your door unsigned, but they'll be new and FABulous!

And now, for the winner of our Mini-Contest:

KCO please e-mail me you snail mail addy and the snail mail addy of a friend to send your AuthorIsland.com goody boxes. I see you found us through a Yahoo! Group that both dee and I belong to, so you'll get to pick who the second box goes to!!!

CONGRATS! To all our winners. THANK YOU to everyone that entered. Stay tuned here at dee & Dee for more contests, because we love to give things away, especially books!

Take Care

Note: If I have not heard from all the winners in one weeks time, a new name will be drawn for the contest prize that was not claimed. Unfortunately, we do not have time to hunt the winners down.

The Best of the Best - NUMBER ONE(s)

2007-12-22T09:22:00.000-05:00

Before we announce the NUMBER ONE picks for our Second Annual BEST OF THE BEST contest, we have some Housekeeping to do. Get out your brooms and get this floor swept, please. Oh wait, y'all are not at my actual home, and haven't spent the past few days eating all the cookies. Don't worry about the brooms. :)

I need you to make sure that you enter this Big Contest here. It's pretty simple (she says, with a maniacal grin). All you have to do is tell us your favorite three books of the year. Easy as pie, right? I also need to make sure that you enter this mini-contest here. Again, piece of cake. Just tell us how you found us. You have until 3 p.m. central time on Christmas Day to enter, at which time, I will take all the entries and announce the winner at around 5.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for dee & Dee's Top Picks of 2007!

Chari-Dee's Best of the Best:

Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead

(Chari-Dee's original dish here)

Seriously, you're not surprised, right? If a paranormal book is awesome enough to hit dee's keeper shelf, then of course I, Chari-Dee, lover of all things paranormal, am going to totally wig out over it.

Mead has written an incredible start to what I hope is a LONG, series. This is not your average paranormal, and at a time when vampires and Were's run rampant through the shelves (and don't get me wrong, because I lurve me some vamps and Were's), Succubus Blues was a refreshing change. A good natured succubus, an enemy that has both Heaven and Hell trying to find it, sex, suspense, humor, and Romance, Succubus is a keeper, and Georgina will worm her way into your auto-buy list for a long time to come. Not an easy feat for a debut author to find their way on my list of favorites, but Mead not only did just that, she's at the TOP of that list.

dee's Best of the Best 2007:

Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

(dee's original dish here)

Wanna know a (notsomucha) secret? dee has read this book OVER 50 times. Wanna know something else that's amazing? She thinks it gets better every time.

There is a reason Higgins is classified as one of both the d/D's favorite authors, and COTD is a perfect example of it. Higgins books are the perfect mix of Women's Fiction and Romance. With flawed and incredibly funny heroines and a cast of characters that are so real you practically know them. Higgins will have you laughing, crying, laughing again, and smiling so hard your face hurts for the rest of the day.

When your heart needs a smile, when you want to believe in falling in love again, or when you just want to read a great book, grab one by Higgins, you can't go wrong.

Take Care and Keep Turning Those Pages

Now, get thyself over and enter those two contests!!!

The Best of the Best - HONORABLE MENTION(s)

2007-12-21T21:28:00.000-05:00

I had no idea what torture it would be to pick three books to name as my 'favorite' books of the year. I really thought it would be simple, for some crazy reason. When I first proposed the idea to Chari-dee, it sounded like a really easy way to have a contest, give away a bunch of books, and get you guys to tell us what your favorite books were. Oh, for it to have been as easy as it sounded!

Of course, Chari-dee and I decided to set some guidelines, to make things a bit more fair. Our Best of the Best could only be books that came out this year, and we had to have reviewed them. Now you'll notice that one of my Top Picks actually came out last year, as did one of Chari-Dee's. Technically, we didn't follow our own guidelines. However, we'd both like to point out that the books in question were reviewed by us THIS year. So. There.

Why, then, are we doing a short-sweet of Honorable Mentions? Because we can. And, because we try, really we do, to follow our guidelines when we can. And because, well frankly, sticking to only three books is hard. So today, we bring you the books that woulda-coulda-shoulda made our BEST OF THE BEST list. And we'll even explain why they didn't.

dee's HMs...

Succubus Blues, by Richelle Mead

(You can read Chari-dee's review here.)

Here's a secret - I really don't like paranormal books. At. All. Witches? Don't like 'em. Vampires? Can't stand 'em. Magic and curses and spells? Think they're pretty silly, for the most part. Why on earth is this book on my list of HONORABLE MENTIONS for The BEST OF THE BEST? Are you kidding me? It's freakin' amazing!!

Chari-dee told me about it earlier this year and I thought, "Yep, she's lost it. She's picking a paranormal book, about a succubus in Seattle no less, as her FAB book this month? She's lost her mind this time!" Then she sent me a copy of the book. It took me two months to finally decide to read it, and that was only because she kept asking me if I'd read it already.

When you finally read a book that you are totally convinced you will NOT like, then have to stop yourself from kicking your own silly butt for not reading it sooner, you know the book is good. It was a strange blend of romance and redemption, blood and humor, with just a tad of twisted religion thrown in for good measure. And here's another secret - I gave it to my husband and he totally enjoyed it as well! (For the record, he's not into paranormals or romances, but he couldn't put it down, and is actually looking forward to the next one!!)

Why it didn't make my official list - There is NOTHING wrong with this book, and so many things RIGHT with this book, that if I could have picked FOUR books, it would have been on the list. As it is though, it gets my HM nod, and stands alone as the only paranormal ever to reach my Keeper Shelf.

#####

Conversations With The Fat Girl, by Liza Palmer

(You can read dee's dish here.)

Do you ever just pick up a book and start reading, not really expecting anything more than a few hours of occupied time, and get so totally blown away that you can't stop thinking about the book for months? That's what happened when I finished reading this book.

I stumbled onto the book in Dallas at RWA Nationals. I brought it home, along with over 100 other books. It was one of those "Yeah, this looks interesting, and the author was really nice. And pretty. So I bought it," books. I had a few (dozen) of those, since I just can't pass up new/one book authors, ever. It has something to do with my own personal nightmare of sitting there and having not one single person stop to buy my book. I ended up with a lot of books that were decent, a few that were ok, not too many that were actually fairly good.

And then there was this one.

If I had to pick one book to give to friends about stepping out on faith and reaching for your dreams, this would be the book. If someone asked me for a book recommendation for someone battling weight issues, or overcoming self-doubt, or tackling their own fears, I would hand them this book. If any of my four beautiful girls ever question how I feel about them, or think that I love another one of them more because of the way they look or act or anything, I will pass this book on to them.

Frankly, it is one of the best books I've read in years. It is beautiful, even when dealing with ugly stereo-types. It is funny, even when stating sad truths. It is poignant and strong, smart and frank, solid and uplifting. In short, it's practically perfect. You'll be missing more than pink pastry boxes of happiness if you miss this Conversation!

Why it didn't make my official list - The reason, the ONLY reason, it isn't on my list is that it was actually published in 2005. And while this is our blog, even we can't stretch the boundaries of time to make this wonderful book eligible for 2007. However, keep your eyes open for Ms. Palmer's newest release, SEEING ME NAKED. Don't be surprised if we talk about it here really soon!

*****

Chari-Dee's HM's:

Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

(You can see dee's original dish here, and an interview with Kristan here )

I heart Kristan Higgins. I haven't exactly tried to keep it silent either. If you'll remember she was my last years Number 1 pick. Higgans has a way of crafting such lovable, real, honest characters - a way to craft stories that have you in the shoes of the heroine and unable to put the book down until the journey is over. COTD was no different. I laughed out loud, I blushed with embarrassment, I cried (yes, honestly cried), and I closed the book sad it was over but so much happier because of the reading of it.

I said it last year, and I'll say it again, sometimes, a girl just needs a feel-good read, and Higgans is a master at the feel good.

Why it didn't make my official list: I don't have a clear cut reason behind this one, other than to say I could only choose three. This book had it all, and I love it, and it's on my keeper shelf right next to Fools Rush In, and most likely, every book Higgans puts out. I can only hope she enjoys a LONG career, as I don't ever want to have a year without a new Higgans!

######

Crazy In Love by Lani Diane Rich

(You can see my original dish here.)

Seriously, have you ever read a book by Lani Diane Rich? If so, then you're not at all questioning why I've chosen this one to hang out with my Top Picks of the Year. Rich is FABulous.

Crazy is a book filled with laughs and love. You can't read a Rich novel and not laugh, I dare you to try, because you can't. And that's why I couldn't let this book be overlooked when thinking of my favorites of the year. I read this baby in less than 3 hours! Not because it's uber short, either, it's honestly just that good.

But, not only is Crazy an excellent Romance, Flynn Daly grows and learns in it as well. This book really was like a combination of Lani's work, Romance and Women's Fiction, rolled into one great big laugh 'til you cry, and smile when you're done book of happiness.

Why it didn't make my official list: ARGH!! No clue again. There just isn't room in the Top 3 for all of my favorites, and when I took a look at my list I tried to as diverse in the books I chose for my Top 3 as possible, so this one gets an HM nod, because I had to sing it's praises too.

Take Care

The Best of the Best - NUMBER TWO(s)

2007-12-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

We're getting quite a few entries in our Big Contest, and even a few in our mini-contest. That's great. It means that we get to give away books, and that's something that makes both of us very happy. Since the Big Contest prize is at least six books, some of them even signed by the author, you really should take the time to enter. It's pretty easy to do - you just have to tell us your favorite books of the year. And the mini-contest? Just as easy. Tell us how you found us. See? Piece of cake.

And speaking of cake... oh yes, we were! At least - I was. And if there is a cake, it should really be chocolate. And when I think of chocolate, I can't help but think of my number two pick. Do you already have it figured out?

Note from Chari-Dee: The BIG contest is going great, you guys sure do read some FAB books, keep the entries coming. It's a great prize. The mini-contest is running great too, We're loving hearing how you found us! So for the BIG one click here, for the mini-one click here. And while you're checking out the mini-contest, be sure to check out our partner on that one AuthorIsland.com , for even more contests!

dee's #2 pick is...

Blame It On Paris, by the FABulous Laura Florand

(You can read dee's review here, as well as an interview from Laura here.)

This is one of the funnest, truest, loveliest breaks I've ever been given. From Paris to my beloved South, Laura Florand captures the essence of the places she calls home. Whether she's rollerblading through the streets in the City of Lights or introducing her almost in-laws to a Waffle House, her voice is strong and vibrant, as rich as the French chocolate that she loves so much.

When trying to pick my Best of the Best this year, this book was a no-brainer for my list. I loved it the first time I held it in my chocolate covered hands, and I love it still, almost an entire year later. I pick it up often to flip through the pages and see what kind of insights into myself Laura will hand me through her words. Or sometimes, I just pick it up to see if it still smells of truffles (it does!). Regardless of the reason though, the fact remains - in a house as crammed full of books as mine, me picking up a book that I first read almost 12 months ago means something.

If you haven't had the pleasure of indulging in this perfect convection of France and The South, you should remedy that situation immediately. Go pick up this book. Or add it to your Christmas list. It's a wonderful read that I enjoyed then, and continue to enjoy now!!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

*****

Chari-Dee's #2 Pick:

Adios To My Old Life by Caridad Ferrer

(For Chari-Dee's original dish click here)

As you can see, I couldn't sing the praises enough of this book when I picked to be my fist ever FAB, and that hasn't changed. I've re-read my copy too many times to count, I've bought extra copies for friends and family. At every turn I've mentioned this book to readers wanting a great read.

Don't let the YA label fool you, Caridad has penned a great story for women of all ages, there's a bit of Romance, but the story is all about dreams, and how one young woman did anything in the world to fulfil hers and live her passion. If you haven't read this one yet, I recommend you run, yes run, not walk or jog, run, out and get it NOW! It truly is a story for anyone who's been told they can't, faced adversity and over-come, it's a story for anyone who dreams of one day grabbing the bull by the horns and going for. Ali's story in Adios will forever be one of my all time favorites, what an amazing character and Ferrer's voice is so clear, so strong, so heartfelt, Caridad will be one to be looking for for years to come!

Take Care

The Best of the Best - NUMBER THREE(s)

2007-12-21T09:35:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe another year has passed, but alas, time moves on whether we want it to or not. The good thing about that is, we have another year ahead filled with great books. Before dee and I announce our # 3 book in our Best of the Best 2007, let me just point you to the new mini-contest I posted today. In order to keep entries on that separate from comments on the books, I just made a different post. The contest is super easy to enter, and the prize is amazing. So, scroll down one, or click here , check it out and enter!

dee forgot to add - in the spirit of Christmas and all, we're also going to extend our Big Contest, found here. You can keep posting entries until Monday, 12/24. With all of the free books included in the prize, you really can't afford to not enter!

Chari-Dee's # 3 Pick:

Dancing Shoes and Honky Tonk Blues by LuAnn McLane

(Chari-Dee's Original Dish can be found here.)

I'm gonna quote a sentence from my original dish, "I have to say, I loved this book." This sentence still holds true. I've read DS-HTB three times since I dished it, and it just gets better.

I'm from a small town, and we're a town filled with Rednecks. The jokes about Rednecks fly through the town e-mail faster than fast, and most of the time we laugh, because they're true. We really can be simple people. We work hard, love fiercely, laugh loud, and know how to have a good time. We Rednecks pitch in when our neighbors need help (and just this summer we unfortunately had cause to do just that on a grand scale) and do with a smile. McLane captured the best of us Rednecks in DS-HTB, and penned an amazingly funny and heartwarming story.

I could not ignore this book for my Top 3 because I laughed, I panted, and I reached "The End" with a big ole smile in my heart that matched the one I was wearing on my face. This is a feel good read, that takes the reader away from any and all problems. I also chose this one, because it's a Romance written in First and written very well, at that. Not many authors can pull off a book with such a diverse cast, and make them so real in First, but McLane does it with flying colors. With a sharp sense of humor and tons of heart, Dancing Shoes and Honky Tonk Blues will stay on my keeper shelf for always. I'll bet once you've read it, it'll be on yours too.

The winner of our Best of the Best Contest will receive a signed copy of this book plus some fun goodies, straight from LuAnn herself. So, THANK YOU LuAnn for writing such a wonderful book and being so generous to our readers!

Take Care

*****

dee's #3 Pick:

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos, by R. L. LaFevers

You can see Chari-dee's original dish here, and you can see the interview my daughter Maggie did with Theodosia here.

Yeah, I know it's a kids book. And I know that I both write and review adult fiction, generally for women. Yet - here it is, on my list. You know why? Well, it's a darn good book!

It's filled with action, adventure, mystery, suspense, curses, secret societies, unexpected friendship, history, family ties, and OH, so much more. Plus, the heroine Theo totally rocks. She's just the right blend of sass and spunk, but she didn't cross the line into disrespectful of her parents.

So many kid or YA books make it seem cool that the protags diss their parents, lie, steal, cheat, or any other number of things. Even some of the blockbuster books make me cringe when it comes to the way that the typical adult, especially parental figure, is portrayed. Theo loved her parents, and it showed. She wasn't prissy about it, and it wasn't overdone. She still disobeyed (in a big way at one point), but it's in a way that my daughter understood. The book didn't leave Maggie feeling that it was cool to be disrespectful to your parents, and I really appreciated that.

On another note, any book that gets you free snuggle time with your seven year old daughter is worth its weight in gold. But not only did my 7yo want to hear Theo, so did the 6yo. And the 11yo. And the 15yo. And did I mention that the 10 and 12 yo boys liked listening to it as well?

My Maggie didn't just sit and listen to the story though. The book was actually her motivation to become a better reader. I had tears in my eyes just the other day, as she reached up onto my bookshelf and took it down, turned to me and said,"Momma, I'm gonna take Theo into my room and read for a while, ok?" And she did. By herself. She couldn't have done that in March. But after hours of reading Theo together, she has the confidence to read it herself.

Of course, you already know that Robin LaFevers has a magical way with words. The words she wrote in her LOWTHAR'S BLADE trilogy turned my youngest son into a Reader. The words she wrote in her WEREWOLF RISING story turned my oldest son into a Reader. Now that she's moved on to books geared towards girls, I can hardly wait to see what happens with my youngest!

So yeah - this book written for young adults has more than earned a place on my BEST OF THE BEST list... because it's already earned a perma-spot on my Keeper Shelf, and a place in my heart. Thanks Robin, for your amazing talent. I can't wait to read the next installment of Theo!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

HOW Do You Know Us? Mini-Contest

2007-12-21T09:18:00.001-05:00

OK, here's the deal. We didn't have any entries on our other mini-contest Do You Know Us, and I would imagine that's because we can be tough nuts to crack. Or perhaps it's because we've dished some really FAB books this year, and it's really hard to pick just three. At any rate, no one entered, and that ship has sailed.

BUT, it's Christmas time, and dee and I LOVE to give things away, so we're giving you another shot at a great prize.

Details:

* In the comments of this post, tell us how you came to find dee & Dee Dish... Did you read about us on another blog? Did a friend tell you about how great we are? We want to know. Just tell us the who and the where and you're entered.

* The contest runs until we post the winner of our Best of the Best 2007 contest. In the same post we make the announcement, we'll also announce the winner of this one.

The Prize:

* dee and Dee have teamed up with AuthorIsland.com , and the prize is unbelievably great. The winner of this contest will win a box filled to bursting with cool author goodies. These boxes are great, I can tell you. DeNita jams them full of bookmarks, magnets, bookplates, pens, and tons of other great things. DeNita has also told me she's going to be throwing in an AuthorIsland.com tee-shirt. I have one, they are awesome. It took me three days to go through all the cool things in my box, and those authors sure can get creative with their promotional fare.

* But WAIT! Not only will the winner win a box stuffed full, so will the person they heard about us from. However, if you heard of us from us, an author's blog, or a search engine, we'll let you pick the person you want us to send the box to.

* Boxes are mailed Priority Mail, but please allow one-two weeks for delivery, it's a busy time of year for everyone.

As you can see, there are numerous ways for you to have a chance at the win here. You can post us on your blog, tell your readers to head over here and say, "I found you through XXXXX", and they have a chance to win, and so do you! Just make sure the entries are on this post. That easy. I just LOVE giving away TWO prizes like this. Especially since the prizes are so great.

So, hurry and enter, tell us HOW you found us, and you're entered. Just our way of saying THANKS for those of you that spread the word about dee&Dee.

Take Care

dee's book dish...

Day LAST - Leaving SF, but not without my heart

Day LAST - Kristan's win

2008 RITA Winners!

2008 RITA for Best First Book Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Contemporary Series Romance Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Contemporary Single Title Romance Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Historical Romance Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Inspirational Romance Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Novel With Strong Romantic Elements Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Paranormal Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Regency Historical Romance Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Romance Novella Finalists

2008 RITA for Best Romantic Suspense Finalists

2008 RITA for Young Adult Finalists

Golden Heart Winners

Contemporary Series Romance Finalists

Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure Finalists

Contemporary Single Title Romance Finalists

Historical Romance Finalists

Inspirational Romance Finalists

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements Finalists

Paranormal Romance Finalists

Regency Historical Romance Finalists

Romantic Suspense Finalists

Young Adult Romance Finalists

Day Five - Yes, I'm awake.

Day ??? - too late (or early) for me to be sure...

Day Four - ok, ok, I'll tell you how it went...

Day Four - Dinner with The Cherries

Day Four - I didn't even blog yesterday!

Day Three - And the fun begins...

Day Two - My pillow looks so nice...

Day Two - Sheesh, what a crowd!

Day Two - Sometimes I'm very lucky...

Day Two - Cloudy in San Francisco?

Blogging Nationals

Just One Of The Guys, Kristan Higgins AND A CONTEST

"Hey, I remember you..."

BT - The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, Joshilyn Jackson

Here's why...

FAB - Joshilyn Jackson interview (and contest winners)

FAB - Joshilyn Jackson contest reminder, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

FAB - THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, Joshilyn Jackson

FAB - Joshilyn Jackson is PRICELESS!

FAB is here - and so is JOSHILYN JACKSON ( and a contest!!)

FAB is coming!

Announcements...

FAB winner announced, and dee needs help!!

The Warrior by Kinley MacGregor

Trick My Truck but Don't Mess With My Heart by LuAnn McLane

Into Thin Air by Cindy Miles

Tagged! (Thanks Wendy!)

Crime Seen by Victoria Laurie

FAB - Liza Palmer Interview - AND the contest

FAB Pick - Liza Palmer, SEEING ME NAKED and a CONTEST

Succubus On Top by Richelle Mead

FABPick - LIZA PALMER!! (and a contest)

Real quick...

Divorced, Desperate and Delicious by Christie Craig

Banned Books, Another Hits The List

I've Got A Website, But... (Author Island Contest)

We're Teaming Up With Author Island For Another Contest!

Swimming Without A Net by Mary Janice Davidson

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Readers Choice The Best of the Best 2007

A Rose from the Dead by Kate Collins

We're on Shelfari!

Over Hexed by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Merry Christmas To You!!! Winners Announced!

The Best of the Best - NUMBER ONE(s)

The Best of the Best - HONORABLE MENTION(s)

The Best of the Best - NUMBER TWO(s)

The Best of the Best - NUMBER THREE(s)

HOW Do You Know Us? Mini-Contest