FAB - Joshilyn Jackson interview (and contest winners)

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!

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

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!

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!!)

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!

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.

FAB winner announced, and dee needs help!!

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!!

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

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

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)

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!

FABPick - CATCH OF THE DAY, Kristan Higgins AND A CONTEST!

This is the final post for CATCH OF THE DAY, by the FABulous Kristan Higgins. Well, except for the post on Monday where I announce the winner of the TWO SIGNED BOOKS. If you still want a shot at winning, you better either get THIS cover up on your blog along with the BCC (that gets you FIVE entries!!!), or leave a comment on THIS post, telling me your secret forbidden crush/obsession.

This contest ends Sunday at 2359. That's 11:59 pm for you non-military types.

The more entries you have, the better your chances of winning.

Also, if you want TWO EXTRA BONUS ENTRIES, you can ask Kristan a comment ON THIS POST.

Are you doing the math? That means that you can get a total of EIGHT entries, easily. Right now, one of you already has SIX entries. You've got a little more than 24 hours to earn some more.

Have fun, and...

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB Interview - Kristan Higgins, CONTEST continues!

I sent the FABulous Kristan Higgins an e-mail loaded with silly questions, and she actually took the time to answer them. Here's the kicker though - even though I already knew some of the answers because I've actually spoken with her, her answers still had me cracking up! Read on to learn more about this FABulous author, why she writes, her love for the four-legged types, her newest projects, and more. But don't expect to learn what her favorite drink is, because she just won't tell!

dee: What made you decide to become a writer? Was it craziness? A lifelong dream? A whim? Couldn't stand your day job?

Kristan: Um....yes? All of the above? I decided to become a writer because I'd been a stay-at-home mom since the birth of my first child and wanted to stay that way. But my younger child was facing first grade, and I felt I had to contribute financially a little bit (my husband is a firefighter and has a job on the side, so it would've been hard to just stay home and wax the floors, if you know what I mean). I'd always loved romances, especially romantic comedies, and it was hard to find the type I liked. So I figured there was a market for them...stories about regular people with normal issues, struggling to find their big love. I gave myself a year to write a book and another year to sell it, and the fates were kind, so here I am, still making lunches and getting the kids on and off the bus, but writing books while they're in school.

dee: Who are some of the authors that you really admire? What about them makes you like them? Their writing? The way they handle their career? The fact that they give back to the writing community?

Kristan: I love Jennifer Crusie and how she handles her fame, success and most of all, her fans. She's incredibly supportive to other writers. I'm not a Cherry, but I occasionally visit her ArghInk website. And I admire the way she's honest about getting stuck, changing paths, struggling to stay good. Elinor Lipman is my favorite writer for personal reading. Her voice is so kind and wry, sharply observant and quietly brilliant. As for handling careers, I had the privilege of having dinner with Cindy Gerard, a New York Times bestseller who shares my agent. She gave me a lot of excellent advice about negotiating through the community of writers, from publishers down to fans. In essence, she said, "You know where your talent is. Don't get distracted...get the job done and don't worry about the rest."

dee: What is the most interesting job you've ever held? The most demanding? The most rewarding?

Kristan: Aside from motherhood, you mean? I'd have to say the most interesting was self defense instructor. It was one of those classes where the male instructor wore padded armor, and so we could kick and punch as hard as we possibly could. It felt great, I have to admit, to just go to town on someone! Girl power! Most demanding...probably a waitress. I waited tables through college, and I think everyone should have that job at least for a little while. It really makes you appreciate how hard those folks work. Most rewarding is writing. Knowing you connected with a stranger, made them laugh at a hard time...it's really humbling.

dee: Since becoming published, have there been any cool things that have happened to you? FanGirlSqueeFest moments? Crazy letters of praise? Any hate mail? What do you do about them (both good and bad ones)?

Kristan: It's really odd, having your work out there for anyone to see, comment on, love, hate. Sometimes it's amazing...an author whom I've never met recently blogged about me, praising Catch of the Day to the high heavens. That was astonishingly wonderful. On the flip side, someone trashed me on Amazon, so that's up for all the world to see, and of course, I can't exactly write to the person. I was on an airplane and someone was reading my book, and I asked, "Hey, how do you like that?" and she said, "Oh, it's great!" And I started jumping up and down, saying, "I wrote it! That's my book!" like some nut.

I've had two hate letters, one because I had an 18-year-old use the F-word, one because she thought I was perpetuating a myth that the good people of Labrador still club seals...I'm still scratching my head over that one.

I write to everyone who writes to me, even the Labradorian woman and the one who condemned me for swearing. Overwhelmingly, it's a joy to hear from readers. When someone is mean (and it hasn't happened that much, to be honest), I try not to be bothered. I don't always succeed.

dee: You know I have to ask... what's the weirdest 'crush' you've ever had? Did you really crush on your priest?

Kristan: The weirdest crush I ever had was on a guy who looked exactly like my husband, so much so that when he walked past my office, I stuck my head out and said, "Honey?" And he stuck his head out of his office and said, "Yes, dear?" It was shocking how much they looked alike. Terence, my husband, was quite pleased that the one guy I've had a crush on during our 16 year marriage was his double. I guess I have a type, don't I?

I have had a crush on a priest. My cousin. I had a crush on him long before he joined the priesthood, but him becoming a priest made it worse, because he had to be even nicer to me, no matter how much of a pain I was. But after Catch of the Day was bought, I rejoined my local Catholic church (I'd been going to a different church out of town) and I met with the new priest. And he was really nice and (ahem) very cute. So imagine me having to say, "Oh, and by the way, Father, I just wrote a book...we'll laugh about this, I think...woman has a crush on her priest. Just wanted to get that out there..."

dee: What is your next book? When does it come out? Tell us a bit about it. And the one after that, if you want... :)

Kristan: My next book is called JUST ONE OF THE GUYS. (My title was ONE OF THE GUYS, so I feel pretty triumphant). It's about Chastity O'Neill, daughter of a firefighter, sister of two firefighters, a cop and a chopper paramedic. Chastity is six feet tall, a jock, a veritable force of nature, and her blessing and curse is that she is indeed one of the guys. She's been in love with Trevor, her brother's best friend, since she was a kid, and they had a brief fling in college, but since then, nada. Problem is, she's still stuck on him, she's just moved back to her hometown, and she's having trouble acting normal around him. This book is due out this summer.

My current WIP is called THE PERFECT MAN (right now, anyway), and it's about a woman, Grace, who pretends to be dating someone in order to get out of a sticky situation. Her fib takes on a life of its own, because she uses a real guy's name. I'm writing the first draft of this one right now.

dee: Have you always been a dog person? Have dogs helped you through rough spots in your life, like Colonel did for Maggie?

Kristan: Yes, I am a dog person. I can't walk down the street without stopping to pat a dog, and my voice changes into this embarrassing weird accent..."Oh, look, there he is, Mr. Handsome Super Dog of the World! Hello, Super Dog! You are beautiful! I love you! I do!" Then, mercifully, my husband tows me away before the owner can call the police.

Dogs have indeed helped me through sad times. Colonel is based on a dog I had named Brendan, a Golden Retriever I bought from the pound. My father had died the year before, and his Goldie, Clyde, basically died of a broken heart six months later. When we brought Brendan home, he used to sit on my lap if I cried. When we brought our daughter home from the hospital, he lay down in front of her crib like he was guarding her. My son was a preemie, only four and a half pounds when he came home, and Brendan used to put his head on my lap when I was holding our son and just gaze at the tiny baby.

Dogs have a tenderness in them that I think is unique in the animal world. I love and faithfully serve my cats, but the dogs get my heart. (note from dee - the pic at the top is of Kristan with her current four-legged love, Digger.)

dee: And finally...When you are away at a writer's conference, what is your favorite drink to order at a bar? :)

Kristan: See, this is how you get into trouble...one drink at one conference with one nutty website person, and the reputation begins. No comment!

Somehow, I just knew she wasn't going to answer that last question! ;)

Big thanks to the FABulous Kristan Higgins for putting up with us yet again this year, for answering our questions, and for giving away signed copies of her books to one of our lucky CONTEST WINNERS. Please remember to enter the contest so you have a shot at winning the SINGED copies of Kristan's books. And remember, if you add the book cover and the BCC to your own blog and link back here, I'll give you FIVE FREE ADDITIONAL CHANCES TO WIN!

Good luck!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FABPick - CATCH OF THE DAY, Kristan Higgins AND A CONTEST!

This review has been a LONG time coming, hasn't it? We've had some things happen in the past few weeks, including some personal issues with DEE and some internet issues with dee, that prevented us from being able to post. Please keep Dee and her family in Kansas in your thoughts and prayers. And hopefully I can control my iTunes spending and not get banned from upORdownloading for days on end anymore. Yes, iTunes was partially responsible for me not being able to post this Dish sooner.

I know we promised you a DoubleDish, but you guys are stuck with me. Sorry! Maybe after things have worked themselves out in Kansas, Dee will add her seven cents to this Dish and it will be complete. We are hoping that Kristan Higgins, the FABulous author, hasn't totally given up on us, and will stop by sometime this week. We've got an interview with Kristan, and at least one contest for a signed copy of CATCH OF THE DAY to give you guys this week.

Without further ado, I give you the long awaited Dish of the newest release by Krsitan Higgins, CATCH OF THE DAY...

From the BCC:

Sparks will fly, but this catch of the day could be the dish of a lifetime!

First Date a la Maggie

Take one lovelorn diner owner (me)
A generous helping of nosy local gossips
A dollop of envy at married sister's perfect life
A splash of divine intervention (my matchmaking priest)

Combine ingredients and add one strong-but-silent lobsterman with a hidden heart of gold.

You guys already know what I'm going to say, don't you? This isn't my favorite BCC, mainly because it seems kinda light and fluffy, and not really in keeping with some of the deeper stuff in the book. But, OTOH, it does sound exactly like something that Maggie would have written, had she written out a recipe for a first date. Maggie loves to laugh, even if she's laughing at herself, so this might very well be the perfect BCC if you're assuming it's written by Maggie. The BCC is balanced by the Front Cover, and I gotta tell you - I just LOVE that puppy! You can read more about the dogs here. So, overall, both covers, including the BCC, get a solid B+.

Let's start with Maggie, shall we? You already know that I think the name MAGGIE is one of the four most perfect girl's names in the world, right? It has NOTHING to do with one of my four lovely daughters being named Maggie, ok? I really have always loved that name, since the first time I heard the Rod Stewart song. So I already liked the heroine here, before I even read the first sentence. But that first sentence? Check this out...

Falling in love with a Catholic priest was not my smartest move.

Maggie goes on to explain about how she fell in love with Father Tim, including this little snippet that Kristan could have stolen straight from my diary...

And he’s from Ireland, the icing on the cake, because ever since I was sixteen years old and first saw U2 in concert, I’ve had a thing for Irish guys. Yeah, seriously, that is SO me!

Maggie is in love with her priest, and the whole town knows it, and loves to tease her about it. Maggie can laugh at herself, remember? So she laughs about it as well. She laughs about all of her dating foibles, actually. And there are quite a few that cause laughs.

In an attempt to find a more suitable man than her priest, Maggie goes on a variety of arranged dates. From the man at the bowling alley to the much more mature gentleman, and a few in between, Maggie learns that finding a mate as perfect for her as her twin sister's husband is for her twin is not an easy feat.

Along the way, Maggie gets to know Malone, a strong, silent lobsterman. Malone is nothing like the man that Maggie pictured for herself. He's quiet, seems secretive, and refuses to eat anything she cooks. As the owner of a diner, not wanting to eat her food bothers Maggie as much as anything else. She constantly questions her budding relationship with Malone, to herself, her sassy older neighbor, her twin, and even her beloved dog, Colonel.

With Malone, Kristan has written a man that had me intrigued from the first mention. He doesn't waste words, he keeps to himself, he has a past. Beyond that, he's sensitive to Maggie and others in the town without being obvious about it. He rescues Maggie physically from a bicycle wreck, socially from a botched blind date, and emotionally when tragedy strikes. Yet he refuses to be one of her projects.

Going through Maggie's dating woes, as well as the hilarious situations that she finds herself in, had me hooked for over a month. (Remember, this was the book I chose for my Book Diet, so I read it almost 40 times.) Maggie deals with slight envy of her twin sister, a mother that truly tests the term 'motherly love', an infatuation with a very forbidden man, a personal crisis, a wacky group of locals bent of laughing at her every mis-step, and her own twisted version of "50 First Dates". Every relationship is written true to life, every situation, no matter how crazy it initially seems, feels authentic. I sympathized with Maggie, laughed with her, laughed at her, hoped for her, felt for her. Even when she made unfounded assumptions or drew off-the-wall conclusions, I knew exactly why. Basically, Kristan wrote a character that I connected with, cheered for, and even loved. And it only had a tiny little bit to do with her name. ;)

This books gets a BIG THUMBS UP from me. It's an enchanting read that will have you laughing, crying, and cheering for the characters. Written in First POV, CATCH OF THE DAY is a wonderful find. Pick it up at your local bookstore, grocer, super-mart, or online here. It's one CATCH you don't want to miss.

Be sure to check back later this week for an interview from Kristan. Oh yeah - and THE CONTEST...
CONTEST RULES:
POST the cover and the BCC on your own blog. Remember to link to THIS post.
Tell me, on YOUR blog, about your craziest crush. It can be on a rock star (like Bono!), your dad's best friend, your boss, or your priest. Just share those stories.
If you don't have a blog, just post your stories here, in the comments to THIS post.
One lucky winner will get signed copies of BOTH of Kristan's books, CATCH OF THE DAY and FOOLS RUSH IN.
Good luck!

Keep Turning Those Pages!

FAB Pick - CATCH OF THE DAY, Kristan Higgins

Have you ever gone on a BOOK DIET? Let me tell you, it sounds brutal. I decided to do this so that I would finally have the motivation to put the finishing touches (and by that, I mean a few THOUSAND words. And "few" is stretching it a bit, ok?) on my very own WIP, tentitively titled Almost Southern. The thought was that if I was not allowed to read any books, I would have LOTS of time to actually get some writing done. Remember that I am a true READER, ok? My book habit is generally upwards of 30 a month. No, I'm not kidding.

So, the plan: Stop reading and start writing. Good plan, eh? However, I know me. And, knowing me as well as I do, I knew I had to allow myself to have at least ONE book to be able to read during the month I'd set aside for myself to finish up all the bits and pieces of my own story. So, the search was on for that ONE book. I checked lists, I searched author's websites, I asked around at bookstores, trying to figure out which ONE book would capture and hold my attention for 30 solid days.

Then I got an e-mail from Charity. "Hey, you know Kristan's book comes out in a few weeks, and I got a copy already, and it's FABulous!" Wuh?!? She got a copy? Why didn't *I* get a copy too? So I whined a tiny little bit and one magically appeared in my mailbox.

See, you have to go back in history a bit to understand this. I met Charity over on the Cherry Forums, remember? We found each other through a love of Jennifer Crusie books. We started our personal blogs around the same time. We also both started reviewing books around the same time. Then I started this offshoot blog, just for reviews, and asked her to join me. It works, as we're both "D/dee", and we love to dish about NEW authors, as well as our tried and true faves. Over the past year, Charity has introduced me to many books and authors, and I am so thankful! She was responsible for me finding Joshilyn Jackson, and I travelled to meet JJ last summer.

Then last fall, Charity found Kristan Higgins' book, Fools Rush In. As you saw on the previous post, Kristan was really responsible for what you know as our "Fabulous Authour/Book Pick of the Month", where we spotlight a breakout book or a wonderful new author, and introduce you to them. We LOVE when we find a book worthy of the FABPick title. And all of the authors that we've spotlighted have been so gracious, starting with Kristan.

Kristan answered questions, exchanged e-mails, and even offered signed copies of her book to contest winners. So, on top of her FABulous writing skills, she also turned out to be a really cool e-mail-friend. Then, I got to meet her in Dallas, and it just blossomed. I realized that not only is she a FABulous author and really nice on the other end of an e-mail, she's FUN, and FUNNY, and WITTY, and KIND as well. She mother-henned me through my first RWA National conference, and introduced me to so many people my head was swimming. But it didn't stop there. She actually checks in on me to make sure I'm still writing. How cool is that?

But I'm worried that you'll think we only picked her FABulous new book, CATCH OF THE DAY, because we know her and like her as a person. Well, I want you to know that had I never met her, I'd still be THRILLED to have picked COTD as my ONE single book, for my Book Diet. It was everything that I expected, and more. I've read it no less than 32 times, and feel like I've actually spent a month with Maggie and Father Tim and Malone and the rest.

And I'm still not sick of them.

If that doesn't tell you something, I don't know what will. Except maybe you should check back this week for the actual DoubleDish of CATCH OF THE DAY, and an exclusive interview with Kristan. She may even answer YOUR questions, if you leave them in the comments section. So stay tuned for more on this FABulous book, and this wonderful author, all week long!

Keep Turning Those Pages!