Daily Dish

Musings, ramblings, and miscellaneous writer neuroses of RITA award-winning comedy and New York Times bestselling author Alesia Holliday.

Monday, October 31

Happy Halloween!! And fab new guest author!

In between shopping for Halloween candy, planning out costume details, and putting the eight-foot long spider in my yard, I'm also finishing revisions on BLONDES HAVE MORE FELONS, so sorry this space has been blank for a bit! But I'm thrilled to host GCC author Megan Crane and her book, EVERYONE ELSE’S GIRL. Here's the scoop:

Advance praise for EVERYONE ELSE’S GIRL:
“Megan Crane rules! Cancel your evening plans: you won’t want to stop reading until you’ve devoured every delicious word.”
Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries series and Every Boy’s Got One


Megan Crane’s debut novel, English as a Second Language, was a hit when it was published last year, garnering overwhelming buzz and now in its fourth printing. Kirkus called it “an engrossing, intelligent read never lacking in drama or humor,” and author Melissa Senate (The Solomon Sisters Wise Up) hailed it as a “very funny, from-the-heart debut.” Crane’s sophomore effort, EVERYONE ELSE’S GIRL (Warner Books Trade Paperback Original; October 21, 2005; $12.95), is a smart, sassy story about a quintessential “good girl” who discovers she may not be so good after all. EVERYONE ELSE’S GIRL is a welcome addition to the newly minted 5 SPOT imprint launching this fall.

Meredith McKay has gone to a lot of trouble to create the picture-perfect life for herself—far away from her troublesome family, thank you. When her father's car accident forces her back to her hometown, however, she soon discovers that there's no running away from family issues—there's only delaying the inevitable.

Can anyone sort out a lifetime of drama in one hot summer? Throw in a hot guy from back in high school with an axe to grind, a best friend turned enemy turned soon-to-be-sister-in-law, and, of course, the sometimes irritating/sometimes delightful members of her own family, and Meredith is on her way to figuring out that a trip through the past is the best way to move forward.

With one revelation after another coming to light, Meredith must reexamine all the things she’s ever believed, including the truth about herself. Could it be that she isn’t the picture-perfect good girl she always thought she was? EVERYONE ELSE’S GIRL is a funny, poignant reminder that a trip through the past is usually the best – and only – way to move forward.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Megan Crane, author of her debut novel English as a Second Language, is a New Jersey native who graduated from Vassar and received her MA and PhD in literature from the University of York in England. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

Tuesday, October 11

Now touring Jennifer O'Connell!

I'm so pleased to announce the tour of fabulous author and GCC friend Jennifer O'Connell. Here's some news about OFF THE RECORD:

OFF THE RECORD BY JENNIFER O’CONNELL

“Decadent fun … O'Connell makes this sweet treat go down smoothly.” KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Cleverly unconventional plot … O’Connell unveils the transformation with impressive skill and timing.” ROMANTIC TIMES

“Rockin’ chick lit!” COMLETE WOMAN


OFF THE RECORD by Jennifer O’Connell (NAL; September 2005), author of BACHELORETTE # 1 and DRESS REHEARSAL, is her most rockin’ book yet.
There's no way a rock star would ever write a song about Jane Marlow, the straight-as-an-arrow narrator of OFF THE RECORD. She isn't the type to wear red garter belts or rhinestone butterfly thongs under her conservative navy blue suits. She's a true-blue good girl: a plain, predictable, and perfectly responsible estates attorney.

But then Jane's brother catches an episode of Music One's "Off the Record," and makes a startling discovery that threatens to take Jane out of the law library and into the spotlight. Former pop sensation Teddy Rock isn’t just a has-been rock star attempting to make a comeback, he’s actually their childhood neighbor Theodore Brockford...and his one-hit wonder twelve years earlier wasn't just a catchy tune that took the charts by storm - it was a song about Jane Marlow.

Jane can't believe it-especially since she's nothing like the girl in the song. Adamantly refusing to believe she’s the inspiration for the song Janey 245, Jane dismisses the proof as circumstantial, even if she does have to admit it’s more than a little coincidental. On the verge of making partner in her law firm, Jane’s not about to risk letting anyone find out. Her brother, on the other hand, decides to capitalize on the idea.

Convinced that Jane’s unknown celebrity is the key to turning around a family friend’s bar, he contacts the media and invites them to meet Janey 245 in person. And once Jane’s story gets out, there’s no going back.

As her law firm sees the dollar signs associated with a rock star’s estate, and Teddy Rock’s promoters see an opportunity to clean up his bad boy image for a spectacular come-back, Teddy Rock's reluctant muse is forced into the limelight and is given a chance to live life off the record - but is she ready for the changes it brings? And even if she's willing to take the risk, is she willing to face the music?

Read OFF THE RECORD and find out why the critics hailed BACHELORETTE #1, Jennifer O’Connell’s first book, as a “poolside page-turner,” and a “hot pick” that’s “filled with insight and humor,” and why Jennifer’s second book, DRESS REHEARSAL was called “perfect.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer O’Connell received her BA from Smith College and her MBA from the University of Chicago. She lives outside of Chicago and is currently working on her fourth novel.

AND IN FUN TOURING NEWS:

Jennifer has joined with other chick lit authors for the “Fictionista Chick Lit Tour,” happy hour events with women, wine and a few well-chosen words. Here are the upcoming dates:

New York, NY Friday 10/14 - 5pm @ Sugarcane, 245 Park Ave S. (connected to Sushi Samba)Chicago, IL Monday 10/24 - 5pm @ Liquid Lounge, 171 W. Randolph St.Memphis, TN Tuesday 10/25 - 6pm @ Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta, GA Thursday, 10/27 - 6pm @ Aiko, 128 East Andrews Dr.

Wednesday, October 5

WOW!! A fabulous guest blogger!!

Since you know that my evil twin, Alia Day, is writing hot and spicy paranormal romance novels, I'm sure you could have guessed that she LOVES to read them! My new blog guest, Patti O'Shea, is one of the best currently writing in the field. Here's what she has to say about her new thriller, Through a Crimson Veil, a continuation of the exciting Crimson City series:

Through a Crimson Veil
by
Patti O'Shea

Every story seems to come to me a little bit differently. One time it'll be an event in the book, another time it will grow from a character. Through a Crimson Veil is the only instance (so far!) that started with the hero and heroine's backgrounds.What if, I wondered, they were both half human and half demon? What if the hero grew up in the human world and hated all demons? What if he devoted his life to slaying them? What if his heroine was raised in the demon world?

What if she were disdainful of humans?

And what would happen if she were sent to hunt the hunter?

I was immediately intrigued. Since they're both a rare mix of genetics, these characters would seem to have a lot in common, and yet they're such opposites. Then I "met" Mika and Conor and learned that the differences went even deeper than I'd thought.

For one, Mika has always been loved and protected by both sides of her family. Conor, on the other hand, grew up unloved and unwanted. For another, her branch of demon is weak in power--mischievous rather than malevolent--and he's a much darker type of demon.

Conor has scared people--unintentionally--and he works hard to cage that side of himself. Mika enjoys the small things in life, finding humor in unlikely places, while he's driven, and far from happy.As the story progresses, however, Mika and Conor mesh. They discover they balance each other--her playfulness offsetting his seriousness; her willingness to make herself vulnerable against his need to keep his wall in place; and his strong powers with her weaker magic.

They also learn they have more common ground than they believed. Both of them have suffered varying degrees of heartache because of their mixed heritage, but together they find the acceptance they've craved, and a healing of their souls.

Praise for Through a Crimson Veil:

~"Paranormal adventure at its ultimate!" - RT BOOKclub Top Pick!
~"Vivid, spellbinding and impossible to put down." - Fresh Fiction
~"Patti O'Shea proves once again why her books are some of the most highly anticipated of the year." - A Romance Review
~"A thrilling and imaginative paranormal fantasy." - Paranormal Romance Writers
Order from Barnes & Noble or Amazon

Saturday, October 1

Now touring Cyber Girlfriend Melanie Lynne Hauser!!!

Confessions of Super Mom
a novel by
Melanie Lynne Hauser
"Like its title character, this debut novel has a secret identity...it's unexpectedly poignant and packs an emotional punch despite the cheery veneer... at the heart of this story is a narrative about a lonely, wronged woman who just wants to do right by her children and stand up to an uncontrollable world. Hauser slips in soliloquies on motherhood and womanhood that, though brief, are moving, showing us Birdie Lee's heart and in that, the wishes and dreams of super moms everywhere. "
- Publishers Weekly

“This silly but fun twist on the superhero tale comes packaged with a socially responsible message about consumerism, but it doesn’t get in the way of the high jinks.”
—Booklist


For every harried mother who dreams of cleaning with the power of 10,000 Swiffers, putting her children into Super Time Outs with just a flick of her Merciless Gaze, and employing a little Super Eavesdropping when the occasion warrants, CONFESSIONS OF SUPER MOM is a must-read. Filled with romance, intrigue, humor and a colorful cast of characters, this delightful new novel introduces a superhero for the Swiffer generation.

Birdie Lee is an average hard-working single mother of two teenagers, PTA lackey, and mild-mannered grocery clerk at the local Marvel Fine Foods and Beverages. One morning, while getting ready for work, k, Birid is work, Birdie is sidetracked by a stubborn Stain of Unusual Origin on her bathroom floor. Unable to let the stain get the best of her, she tries to annihilate it with every household product she can find –to no avail. Angry, hot, light-headed (and forgetting to turn on the exhaust fan), she makes one final desperate attempt to eradicate this vile, dastardly stain: she loads her Swiffer Wet Jet with every household cleanser she owns, aims, and fires….

And passes out, overcome by the fumes. After regaining consciousness (and reminding herself to scrub the bottom of the toilet since from her perspective — flat on her back — it was looking a little dingy), Birdie realizes something’s amiss. Her ears begin to buzz and her senses are aquiver. Eventually, aided by Martin, her geeky thirteen-year-old son and trusty sidekick, Birdie understands that she now possesses extraordinary powers — superpowers, to be exact.

Birdie soon learns, however, that, to quote Spiderman, with great power comes great responsibility and she finds herself struggling to balance a new onslaught of challenges, both at home and in her community. While trying to keep her distant 15-year-old daughter’s heart from being broken (something not even a superhero can do), and dealing with her smug ex-husband and his over-achieving new wife, she must manage her job, PTA responsibilities and a budding romance– all the while trying to rescue her beloved town of Astro Park from an evil force that threatens its children.

So forget those chores— pick up CONFESSIONS OF SUPER MOM and relish in a much-deserved escape. This charming novel will keep readers glued to the page as they cheer for Super Mom to root out injustice and surrender herself to love. Readers everywhere will find themselves in its pages and rejoice in finding a book that celebrates their overlooked everyday acts of heroism.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Former member of the PTA, Melanie Lynne Hauser is a prototypical Super Mom. CONFESSIONS OF SUPER MOM is her first novel, and she is a contributor, along with Jodi Picoult, Jacqueline Mitchard, Jennifer Lauck and Marion Winik, to the forthcoming anthology It’s a Boy (November 2005, Seal Press). She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two teenage sons.