Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled program...Jenny Gardiner is a first timer who's been getting a lot of attention for her new novel Sleeping With Ward Cleaver! So read on and see what all the buzz is about.

American Title III contest winner released to great responses
(New York, February 1, 2008) -- Claire Doolittle is not a happy camper. The married mother of five seems to have lost her way in life. Swept off her feet years earlier by Mr. Right, she’s dismayed that husband Jack has turned into Mr. Always Right, and the only sweeping happening in her life involves a broom and a dustpan. Jack’s officious, perfunctory way has left fun, spontaneity and laughter at the doorstep, and Claire is beginning to wonder if she’s actually married to a modern-day version of Ward Cleaver, the stuff-shirted father figure from Leave it to Beaver sitcom fame.
Worse yet, she’s so bogged down by her overwhelming life and so turned off by the idea of getting it on with her stodgy father-figure of a husband, she’s simply blocked out all of her memories of the Claire-who-used-to-be. Cue a former fiancé, who re-enters her life when she desperately needs to figure out who she was, who she is, and who she wants to be. And if she wants to salvage her sagging marriage, or fall back on her old fiancé, who’s wooing her with promises of what could have been. Throw in a predatory hottie from Jack’s office who’s set her sights on Claire’s ho-hum husband, and you’ve got the recipe for a mid-life crisis of epic proportions.
Jenny Gardiner’s novel, winner of Dorchester Publishing’s American Title III contest, is sure to lure you into the mundane yet compelling world of Claire Doolittle and will leave you cheering for her marriage.

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"Jenny Gardiner brings to life Claire Doolittle with such vibrancy that I feel I know her. Such was my concern over Claire's and Jack's happiness, that I couldn't put the book down which is a rarity for me.With her sharp wit and hilarious descriptions, Ms. Gardiner has a delightful voice that left me wanting more."

"This is book is the 'Bridget Jones Diary"'for all of us married and harried moms! And perhaps a good gift to give to our younger and single girlfriends. It's a gentle and humorous way to give them a glimpse of what's to come . . ."

"Sleeping With Ward Cleaver is a fun, cheeky, often candid and thoroughly engaging story that hits on relationship issues to which many readers will relate."

"What a fun read from the attention grabbing title to the final elevator scene; I was chuckling and agreeing with every word. How did Jenny Gardiner manage to 'get it"'so right and put married life into such hilarious perspective?! But you don't have to be married to appreciate the humor and witty words of Ms. Gardiner. Her determined character, Claire, is a woman we can all recognize as she raises phoenix-like from the 'every-dayness"'of life! For a fresh, funny, entertaining read; SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER by award winning debut author Jenny Gardiner is sure to delight and amuse."

"Sleeping With Ward Cleaver is the most refreshing book I have read in quite some time."

"Highly relatable characters and situations bring this book straight into suburbia with the reader. Poignant and heartfelt, this book will make you laugh, cry and cheer."

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"I just had to send you a note to tell you how much I enjoyed your book.  It was truly a pleasure to read. I felt like I was reading about my own life.  What wonderful insight you have.  It was refreshing to read a book where  the author takes the time to carry the story to its complete ending.  I want you to know that I usually read at night and was two pages to the  ending but I finished it the morning because I wanted the enjoyment of this book to last overnight."

"I am currently reading SwWC, and I LOVE it. I want to avoid all my housework, just so i can read it. Thanks for the great book. "

"finished it last night. As a woman who has been married for 25 years, I would highly recommend it. It reminded me to not take my dh for granted and to tell him frequently that I loved him. Thanks so much."

"Between a long bath and a very long time sitting in my toddler's room with a flashlight (only way he'll go to sleep and not get out of bed) I finished SwWC in one night. Truly, truly funny and an original take on the one that got away. Jenny really nails 'real marriage' and I think page for page she's the wittiest writer around right now."

About Jenny 

Jenny Gardiner’s work has been found in Ladies Home Journal, the Washington Post and on NPR’s Day to Day. She likes to say she honed her fiction writing skills while working as a publicist for a US Senator. Other jobs have included: an orthodontic assistant (learning quite readily that she was not cut out for a career in polyester), a waitress (probably her highest-paying job), a TV reporter, a pre-obituary writer, and a photographer (claim to fame: being hired to shoot Prince Charles–with a camera, silly!). She lives in Virginia with her husband, three kids, two dogs, one cat and a gregarious parrot. In her free time she studies Italian, dreams of traveling to exotic locales, and feels very guilty for rarely attempting to clean the house. Visit her at her website, www.jennygardiner.net, or her group blog, www.thedebutanteball.com, a site that has hosted iconic authors such as John Grisham, Meg Cabot, Meg Tilly and Jodi Piccoult in recent months. 

 A Little Q&A With The Author

RR: When you're not writing, there's a good chance you're...

JG: At the gym or running my kids around.
 

RR: When did you know you wanted to be writer? And did anyone in particular encourage you along the way?
I was writing extra credit reports to salvage my dismal math grades from early elementary school on so I knew it was the only skill that might save my butt!
JG: I had a teacher in high school who really inspired me because of his love and appreciation for literature. He was my English teacher AND my Latin teacher, and the coolest thing was each year right before Christmas break, he read aloud to our class in Latin from Jean Shepherd's IN GOD WE TRUST ALL OTHERS PAY CASH (the movie A Christmas Story was taken from there). I learned to love memoir and first person narrative and learned the value of well-crafted prose and from this I understood how I could be transformed to another time and place simply through enjoyable writing.
 

RR: Are you currently working on a new novel/project? And if so, can you tell us what it's about?

JG:  My agent will soon be shopping MARY KATE GOES OVER THE FALLS, about a somewhat naive woman trapped in an abusive marriage who goes out to pick up her husband's dry cleaning and instead picks up a handsome hitchhiker along the side of the road, the lure of whom reminds her of the lip of Niagara Falls, said to tempt people to jump into the falls. They embark on a road trip of self-discovery, en route to Niagara Falls, where Mary Kate is determined to take the plunge as her first act of defiance in her life.

RR: What's your favorite part of writing?  Starting something new? Revising what you've already got drafted? Developing characters? The plot?  Something else all together?

JG:  I love the potential that starting something new presents to me as a writer. That tabula rosa thing is very exciting. And as you start knocking out some sentences and get into the flow of it and start thinking like your characters and figuring our their motivations, it's such a charge.

RR:  Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you got the call--I'm talking, the call--when you learned that you had sold your novel/project?

JG: I went the unconventional route to publication. I'd entered Dorchester Publishing's American Title III contest in the hopes of expediting getting my book in front of an editor's eyes. Much to my surprise my book was chosen as a finalist in the contest. For the six months following that, I had to hunker down and become a marketing maven, spending many, many hours online especially, trying to enlist support for my book in the contest from all sorts of crazy angles. Little did I know I would be laying the groundwork for marketing/publicizing my book. I was just busy trying to stay in the contest, and because of the nature of the contest, and it was sort of before contests started becoming fairly ubiquitous, people were generally pretty enthusiastic about backing me--they felt somewhat vested in the process.
In the meantime, I had prior to all of this been talking back and forth with a lovely agent who had kind of taken me under his wing. We'd been batting about some book ideas, tried to flesh things out, but he was very busy and things kept being sidelined. But ultimately he facilitated my signing with my agent, as he thought we'd be a good match-up, which we have. At around this time is when I won the contest, which meant that I won a book deal--hugely thrilling and I just didn't realize how lucky I was that on top of all of that, I had built up a potential readership along the way.
So that was the long answer to say this all sort of culminated in the perfect storm, in a good way, the book deal, the agent, everything. And I found out by voice mail because I got the call on my cell phone, which never works in my neighborhood, darn it!
 
RR: Central Casting: If they were to make a movie out of your book, who would you cast to play your main characters?

JG: I keep going back and forth on this. Totally has to be a woman who is not an ingenue type. She's gotta have some meat on her bones and life to her face. I sort of like Emma Thompson but she might be getting too old. Kate Winslett would be nice. For lack of another male lead I keep veering toward Matt Damon because he's got that Ward Cleaver-ish look although he's good looking, too.
 
RR: What's the one book that you wish you'd read because everyone tells you should. This is  the one book that you keep attempting to read, the one everyone praises, but alas the one you just can't get through.

JG: The Historian. I keep wanting to read it but it's so fat in hardback--too large and unwieldy to read at bedtime and too large to lug along in my purse. I should go back and buy the paperback which is way skinnier LOL

Thanks to Jenny for taking time to stop by and best of luck to her on the new book!
 

I wish Patry a full and speedy recovery.  In addition to sending out prayers, another wonderful way to support Patry would be to buy a copy or two of her novel. I assure you, you won’t be sorry. Luckily for her fans and those who will be discovering her writing for the first time, Patry is a courageous fighter and we can all look forward to many more novels from her in the future.

“The new questions and revelations just keep coming…Readers will be heartily rewarded.”—Ladies’ Home Journal


When new music teacher Ali Mather enters Jeanne Cross’s quiet suburban life, she brings a jolt of energy that Jeanne never expected.   Ali has a magnetic personality and looks to match, drawing attention from all quarters.  Nonetheless, Jeanne and Ali develop a friendship based on their mutual vulnerabilities THE LIAR’S DIARY is the story of Ali and Jeanne’s friendship, and the secrets they both keep.

Jeanne’s secrets are kept to herself; like her son’s poor report card and husband’s lack of interest in their marriage.  Ali’s secrets are kept in her diary, which holds the key to something dark: her fear that someone has been entering her house when she is not at home.  While their secrets bring Jeanne and Ali together, it is this secret that will drive them apart.  Jeanne finds herself torn between her family and her dear friend in order to protect the people she loves.

A chilling tour of troubled minds, THE LIAR’S DIARY questions just how far you’ll go for your family and what dark truths you’d be willing to admit—even to yourself.

Patry Francis is a three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize whose work has appeared in the Tampa Review, Colorado Review, Ontario Review, and the American Poetry Review. She is also the author of the popular blogs, simplywait.blogspot.com and waitresspoems.blogspot.com. This is her first novel.  Please visit her website at www.patryfrancis.com.

“Twists and turns but never lets go.”—Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean

“A quirky, well-written and well-constructed mystery with an edge.”—Publishers Weekly

“Outright chilling.”—New York Daily News

“Genuinely creepy…The unlikely friendship between a small-town school secretary and a flamboyant teacher proves deadly in this psychological murder mystery.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A twisting ride full of dangerous curves and jaw-dropping surprises.  This is one of my favorite reads of the year!”—Tess Gerristen, bestselling author of The Mephisto Club

“Francis draws and tense and moody picture of the perfect home and family being peeled back secret by secret…Four Stars.”—Romantic Times

"...Appealingly unorthodox... a heaven where angels lust, drink and follow terrestrial celebrity gossip… A tangled story of cold ambition and true love unspools. Neches’s funny and sweet novel shows that to err is human and angelic as well."
Publishers' Weekly

Welcome to Heaven. Use your Wishberry to hustle up whatever you want. Have an online chat with God. Visit the attractions such as Retail Rapture, Wrath of God miniature golf and Nocturnal Theater, where nightly dreams are translated to film.

Your greeter might just be Skye Sebring who will advises her newly dead clients on what to expect now that they’re expired. “Heaven is like a Corona Beer commercial” she assures her charges. “It’s all about contentment.”

So different than Earth where chaos reigns. Unfortunately for Skye, she’s been chosen to live her first life. She’s required to attend Earth 101 classes, which teach all of the world’s greatest philosophies through five Beatle songs.

Skye has no interest in Earthly pursuits, until lawyer Ryan Blaine briefly becomes her client after a motorcycle accident. Just as they are getting to know each other, he is revived and sent back to Earth.

She follows his life via the TV channel “Earthly Pleasures” but discovers he has a wife as well as a big secret. Why then does he call a show for the lovelorn to talk about the lost love of his life?

In Earthly Pleasures (Simon and Schuster, February 2008, $14) great love can transcend the dimensions, narrowing the vast difference between Heaven and Earth.

"What a treat!  Earthly Pleasures more than lives up to its name.  I was glued to the pages of this delightful little gem of a novel, and wish it could have been twice as long!"
-- Megan Crane, author of Frenemies


”Karen Neches' Earthly Pleasures is a rare treat. I laughed from the first page and cried in all the right places. Do yourself a favor and curl up with this book. Heaven knows, you won't be sorry!"
--Julie Kenner, author of Demons Are Forever

"Equally hilarious and poignant, Earthly Pleasures is a little powerhouse of a novel about love, life...and what comes next."
--Melissa Senate, author of See Jane Date and Love You to Death
"Karen Neches’s novel is an intriguing love story with a rare combination of both wit and depth. In her fresh voice Neches gives us an innovative version of heaven where the one true thing still remains: love that transcends both time and space."

--Patti Callahan Henry, National bestselling novelist of Between the Tides

“Earthly Pleasures is more than just a novel. It's a dream, a calling, a divine trip from which you won't want to come home. I loved it!—Valerie Frankel, author of I Take This Man and Hex and the Single Girl.

RR: What do you when you're not writing?

KG: When I'm not writing, there's a good chance I'm reading and swilling red wine. Usually at the same time.
 
RR:  When did you know you wanted to be writer? And did anyone in particular encourage you along the way?

KG:  When I was ten, a boy threw a rock at my head and I wrote an essay called “The Blood Curdling Experience” The kids were howling in the aisles. I thought  “hmm, maybe there are something to this writing jazz.” I didn’t get serious about writing until ten years ago though.
 
RR: Are you currently working on a new novel/project? And if so, can you tell us what it's about?
 
KG: I’ve written a book about a group of 40-something friends who revive their 80s rock band.


RR:  What's your favorite part of writing?  Starting something new? Revising what you've already got drafted? Developing characters? The plot?  Something else all together?
 
KN:  The finally polish. I like to scrutinize every word to make sure it belongs. Starting a book is horrifying to me because I know that almost every word I write will be changed in the end. I have to try  and forget that and plunge onward.

RR:   Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you got the call--I'm talking, the call--when you learned that you had sold your novel/project?
 
KN:  I was a special ed teacher and had just come home from a trying day (let’s just say spit balls were involved). The call came that afternoon. It was the single most exciting moment of my life. I drank massive amounts of wine and had to call in sick the next day.
 
RR:  Central Casting: If they were to make a movie out of your book, who would you cast to play your main characters?
 
KN:  Kate Hudson as my main character, Skye Sebring (a greeter in Heaven) because she has a sunny, angelic look. Matthew McConaughey as her love interest, Ryan because he’s so good with Kate and Ryan can be cocky at times.

One of the main characters is a 85-year old black woman named Caroline and I’d like to Cicely Tyson in that role (with appropriate make up of course.) God, who is female in my novel, would have to be played by Bette Midler, becasue she never takes herself to seriously.
 
RR:  What's the one book that you wish you'd read because everyone tells you should. This is  the one book that you keep attempting to read, the one everyone praises, but alas the one you just can't get through.
 
KN:  Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

Karen Neches was single for over twenty years. She used to tell people she was in the “hospice stage” of being single as she never expected to recover. Then at the age of forty-three she finally met her soul mate. Earthly Pleasures is dedicated to him. She maintains a web site at www.karenneches.com
Neches also writes under the name Karin Gillespie and is the nationally bestselling author of The Sweet Potato Queen’s First Big-Ass Novel with Jill Conner Browne and three novels in the critically acclaimed Bottom Dollar Girl series. She’s founder of the virtual tour The Girlfriend Circuit as well as the grog for Southern authors A Good Blog is Hard to Find. She is a former lifestyle columnist for the Augusta Chronicle.

Thanks to Karen for stopping by and please checkout her website: www.karenneches.com 

In the meantime...We have a special guest dropping by today...Colleen Thompson, author of The Salt Maiden.  To learn more about Colleen and her new novel which just hit bookstores in December, keep scrolling on down!

Some novels begin with a character, others start with a what-if question or a situation, but my sixth romantic thriller, The Salt Maiden (Leisure, Dec. 2007) was inspired by a place I visited a few years back, a sunburned, sand-scoured desert community in the dead center of the least populated county in the U.S. With water too briny for human consumption and land too to support any but the hardiest of desert plants, it’s an eerily daunting landscape, one that made me wonder, What on earth would bring a person out here?

Apparently my subconscious took it as a challenge, and came up with a Houston veterinarian, Dana Vanover, in search of her troubled missing sister, the birth mother of a child in desperate need of a bone-marrow transplant. In spite of her ambivalence about her sister, Dana braves heat, rattlesnakes, and hostile locals — as well as her attraction to the handsome sheriff who wants her gone.

"Poetic use of language, intricate plotting and a wealth of fascinating details make Thompson's latest novel a masterful work of suspense. Readers will come for the action and stay for the three-dimensional characters and well-crafted narrative. This is a fabulous read!"
Romantic Times BOOKreviews Top Pick,
2007 Reviewers Choice Nominee, Best Romantic Suspense

An excellent thriller with a touch of romance. I could not bring myself to set the book down. I simply HAD to know what would happen next. From the beginning it is non-stop action, drama, and mystery. Fans of Tess Gerritsen, Tami Hoag, and Sandra Brown will adore this tale. Phenomenal!
Detra Fitch, Huntress Book Reviews

THE SALT MAIDEN is a great book filled with action of all kinds - from steamy love scenes to terror ridden suspense.  Just when you think you have it all figured out - wham, something unexpected happens. The plot of the story is interesting and the characters in the book are very lifelike.  The book touches on the complexities of mother-daughter and sibling relationships.  If you want to spend some wonderful time being entertained, you need to invest the time and money in reading this book.
Dana Henderson, Romance Junkies

Wait until you read the ending of this marvelous suspense thriller. You'll never guess and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. I have never missed a Colleen Thompson thriller and never will. THE SALT MAIDEN is yet another treasure you cannot miss. It's wrought with intensity, mystery, intrigue, passion and a roller coaster ride until the last page is turned. Take the ride; you'll be glad you did.
Suzanne Tucker, Fresh Fiction

Colleen Thompson is an author waiting to “happen”. Oh, she has been out there, is well respected as a growing talent. She has a solid backlist of amazing tales; only, she just has that presence of an author ready to have that break out novel. The Salt Maiden is that book. Her skill and flow of the prose marks her as a master wordsmith. She weaves an intricate plot into this eerie, sinister tale that kept me spellbound. This simply is Colleen Thompson at her very best.
Deborah MacGillivray, The Best Reviews

THE SALT MAIDEN by Colleen Thompson is riveting suspense with an emotionally satisfying romance. The finely detailed characterization combines with an eerie exquisitely written landscape to make this novel a reading and re-reading pleasure...Colleen Thompson creates a romance that is reflective in tone through her portrait of the wasteland, adding a fresh intriguing vision to the genre.
Merrimon Book Reviews

CT:  When I'm not writing, there's a good chance I'm reading - or talking writing. I'm obsessed. I'll admit it.

RR:  When did you know you wanted to be writer? And did anyone in particular encourage you along the way?
CT:  From the time I was very small, I was making up stories, and early in my youth, I got into the habit of writing daily. I knew from a very young age I wanted to be a writer, but I wasn't sure "real" people could do such a thing. I received some encouragement from teachers in school, but it wasn't until I came out of the closet as a writer years later and scratched up the nerve to network with other writers that I found the friends I needed to help bring me along.
 
RR:  Are you currently working on a new novel/project? And if so, can you tell us what it's about?
CT:  I'm currently working on TRIPLE EXPOSURE (Leisure Romantic Suspense, August 2008), a romantic thriller about a photographer who, after her acquittal in the murder of an unbalanced young stalker, is forced to return to her West Texas desert home. Soon, however, a photo she shoots of a reclusive desert craftsman lands both of them in danger.

RR:  What's your favorite part of writing?  Starting something new? Revising what you've already got drafted? Developing characters? The plot?  Something else all together?
CT:  I love the initial brainstorming and writing of the proposal, when everything is still fresh and exciting and flexible. This part is the "play part," where I can "what if" to my heart's content.

RR:  Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you got the call--I'm talking, the call--when you learned that you had sold your novel?
CT:  THE SALT MAIDEN was my thirteen book sale, and it was a bit humdrum. I was home alone and writing in my office. The first sale, made in the hotel room of a writers' conference, where I was chatting with my critique partners, was by far the most exciting. But every sale still feels like a victory to me.

RR:  Central Casting: If they were to make a movie out of your book, who would you cast to play your main characters? 
CT:  Josh Brolin as Sheriff Jay Eversole, a man who's struggling to hide the PTSD from his recent service in Iraq and either Charlize Theron or Hillary Swank as Dana Eversole, the Houston veterinarian pushed to the ends of endurance in her struggle to save a dying child and her missing sister.

RR: What's the one book that you wish you'd read because everyone tells you should. This is  the one book that you keep attempting to read, the one everyone praises, but alas the one you just can't get through.
CT:  Great question. I'm embarrassed to say it's The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I intend to take another crack at it again soon since so many people I respect tell me it's brilliant.

 Thanks to Colleen for popping in and please check out her website at colleenthompson.com.  See you back here soon!

 Here's a bit about the book and a look at what the critics have been saying!

 Shattered by a recent bereavement, Minna and her husband Tom retreat to an isolated village on the Dorset coast, seeking the solitude that will allow them to cope with their loss and rebuild their foundering marriage. Walking on the beach one day, they unearth a human skeleton. It is a discovery which will plunge Minna into a mystery which will consume her for months to come.

The remains are soon identified as those of Private Lew Campbell, a black American GI who, it seems, drowned during a wartime exercise in the area half a century before. Growing increasingly preoccupied with the dead soldier's fate, Minna befriends a melancholy elderly woman, Felix, who lived in the village during the war. As Minna coaxes Felix's story from her, it becomes clear that the old woman knows more about the dead GI than she initially let on.

Playing with the Moon has been nominated a World Book Day ‘Hidden Gem’.

Historical Novels Review
Eliza Graham tells a powerful tale and her characters are well drawn and believable. I enjoyed this book very much.

World Book Day website
…a penetrating reflection on the historical events that have forged our sense of British cultural identity. It is also skilfully constructed, deeply humane, and full of fascinating, flawed, characters.

The (London) Times
A chance visit to a depopulated Dorset village was the inspiration for Playing With The Moon, the first novel by a former Towers Perrin staffer turned freelance. Eliza Graham, who has worked for the actuaries for 13 years, spent the past five of these trying to find a publisher for the novel, which is about a 1940s inter-racial love affair and the eventual murder of a black GI. The village is Tyneham on the Isle of Purbeck, emptied in 1943 to be used in the preparations for the D-Day landings. "It was poignant, walking around the village," Graham tells me. "It was as if they just stepped out for a day or two – 60 years ago."

The Oxford Times
She seems to have hit on a winning formula, interweaving an evocative historical tale with a modern story of relationships.

Bookbag
I loved this book. It had me completely hooked before I'd read the first page and I didn't put it down until I'd read the last. The characters are compelling.

 A Little Q & A With Eliza!

RR:    How do you spend your free time when you're not writing?

EG:      When I'm not writing, there's a good chance I'm helping someone do their maths/Latin/spelling homework, finding an excuse to look at clothes on eBay or plowing through some proofreading as part of my day-job.
 

RR:    When did you know you wanted to be a writer? And did anyone in particular encourage you along the way?

EG:    I wanted to write from childhood onwards. My parents and later my husband gave me masses of encouragement.
 

RR:    Are you currently working on a new novel/project? And if so, can you tell us what it's about?

EG:    My next novel, RESTITUTION, comes out in September 2008. It's the story of people falling in love at the wrong time and place (Germany in 1945, as the Red Army moves in) and making decisions that will have devastating consequences for decades to come. I'm currently working on something new for me: a Young Adult novel. It's set in the London Blitz and includes mysterious refugees, spies, spivs, looters, bombed-out houses, air-raid shelters and lots of explosions. It's been simultaneously fun--and poignant--to write.

RR:    What's your favorite part of writing?  Starting something new? Revising what you've already got drafted? Developing characters? The plot?  Something else all together?

EG:    I love the occasional inspiration I get when I'm somewhere inappropriate (in the bath, shopping for food, on the way to take a child to a sports-ground, etc), It's like a shot of literary viagra. It doesn't happen to me as often as I'd like but it's so exciting when it does.

RR:    Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you got the call--I'm talking, the call--when you learned that you had sold your novel/project?

EG:    I was working away on my laptop at home when I received an email, not a call, and I kept scanning  it to see if I'd missed the bit that said, '...but I'd like to wish you all the best for the future.' When I couldn't find those oh-so-familiar words I yelled at my husband to come down and check the email for me.
 
RR:    Central Casting: If they were to make a movie out of your book, who would you cast to play your main characters?

EG:    I'm not sure about the younger members of the cast but possibly Dame Judi Dench for Felix, the elderly woman who knows the answer to the mystery in the book. I feel I would *have* to take personal control of the casting of the part of Private Lew Campbell, gorgeous young African-American GI who comes to an untimely end but is probably the nicest character in the book. Tough job but someone would have to do it...

RR:     What's the one book that you wish you'd read because everyone tells you should. This is  the one book that you keep attempting to read, the one everyone praises, but alas the one you just can't get through.

EG:    Hamlet. And I was supposed to have read it and every other single word written by The Man very thoroughly for my degree course in English at Oxford University. Still haven't quite, erm, managed it. But I have seen it on the stage several times (note of self-justification in voice now) and even read the early plays that many don't bother with, including the one in which people are murdered and made into meat pies and unwittingly eaten by their father (I think...). I don't know why I can't get through Hamlet in its entirety, even though I've enjoyed analysing parts of it.

More About Eliza 

Eliza Graham worked in marketing and PR before taking up writing nearly six years ago. She lives near Oxford, England, with her husband, two children and small menagerie. Playing with the Moon is her first novel. In Sept. 2008 Macmillan will publish her second book: Restitution about a German family with conflicting loyalties and a troubled history facing the terror of the Red Army invasion in 1945.

Thanks to Eliza for popping in--especially during this busy time of the year!  Please take a moment to visit Eliza's blog and click here to buy Playing With The Moon.

Okay, now on with the program...

I'm really excited to have Allison Winn Scotch here. Not only is she a fellow Backspace member but she and I share a special admiration for Mr. Patrick Dempsey!  But even more importantly, Allison Winn Scotch made one of this year's most impressive debuts with her novel, THE DEPARTMENT OF LOST & FOUND. Scroll on down to see what the critics have to say and you'll get an inkling into why this book is so special. Allison was also kind enough to drop by for a little Q&A with yours truly, so keep scrolling!

ABOUT THE BOOK 

In her debut novel THE DEPARTMENT OF LOST & FOUND, Allison Winn Scotch broaches, with humor and hope, the topic of cancer.

Natalie Miller has just had the worst day of her life.  But it didn’t start out that way.  After all, she’s on her way to the top. She has a bright future ahead of her and is using her determination and smarts to get her—and the senator she works for—where they need to be, regardless of whom they step on along the way.  Passing lukewarm bills to please the constituents and leaking stories to the press are mere checkmarks on Natalie’s to-do list. And that’s the way she likes it.

Until, on the very same day, her doctor gives her the shocking news that she has breast cancer and her boyfriend dumps her, leaving Natalie to question everything she knows.

So she decides to take on her cancer the way she does everything—with steely determination. But as she becomes a slave to the whims of chemo, her body forces her to take a time out.  She gets a dog, becomes addicted to The Price is Right and, partly to spite her counselor’s idea to keep a journal, Natalie embarks on a mission.  She is going to track down the Five Lost Loves of her Life and figure out what went wrong.

Unwittingly, Natalie’s personal challenge to see why good things come and go—and what responsibility she has in it all—forces her to look at her life in a new light.  Everything comes under question—her relationship with a mother who drives her crazy, the friendships she could nurture more tenderly, and her knack for pushing away the very people who want to be there for her the most. There’s a wedding, a reunion with the Man Who Got away, and an encounter with Bob Barker himself that helps her face her fears and change her life.

As one character says, “It’s funny, isn’t it? How the thing that cancer changes the most isn’t your breasts or your hair or anything at all on the outside. What it changes is everything else instead.” And just as Natalie uses her bout with cancer to discover what is most important to her, this heartwarming debut will encourage readers to take stock of their own lives.

"Funny and frank.  A serious comedy that shines light into the darkness." - The Tampa Tribune

 "A light, fast and fun read about a serious topic." - The Philadelphia Inquirer

"[The Department of Lost & Found] does a good service to readers showing how breast cancer, while physically devastating, can strengthen one's resolve and give life a new meaning."  - Mamm Magazine

"A great way to kick off your summer reading. Editors' choice." – Redbook

"Smart and well-written.” - Marie Claire

"Too good to pass up. You'll laugh a lot (and cry just a little) as Natalie rebounds from the big C and reinvents her life." – Cosmopolitan

"Scotch handles the topic of cancer with humor and hope, never dipping into the maudlin. The changes and realizations that the characters make are profound and moving. An impressive debut." – Booklist

"A bonbon of a book." - Publishers Weekly

"Funny, touching, tender, true — The Department of Lost and Found is the story of a woman who loses everything, and finds herself. I loved it."
-Pamela Redmond Satran, author of The Man I Should Have Married, Babes in Captivity, Younger, Suburbanistas

"Allison Winn Scotch's debut The Department Of Lost And Found is not just smart and engrossing, it's so real and raw that I'd have sworn it was a memoir. With such a sensitive subject, getting heavy-handed with emotion would have been understandable. However, Winn Scotch deftly interjects enough levity to make the story captivating and redeeming rather than maudlin — I was engrossed from the very first page! (But, really? She had me at The Price Is Right.)"
- Jen Lancaster, author of Bitter is the New Black

“More than a story about struggling with cancer, the Department of Lost and Found is a story about strength, courage and finding your own way. Allison Winn Scotch writes with honest realism. This is a smart and moving book.”
-Cara Lockwood, author of Pink Slip Party, Dixieland Sushi and I Did (But I Wouldn't Now)

 TIME FOR A LITTLE Q&A

RR:        So Allison, when you're not writing, how do you spend you free time?
AWS:    When I'm not writing, there's a good chance I'm hanging with my kids, walking my dog (always), vegging out to      the TV, reading a book, going for a run or having dinner with my husband.  (Wow, that’s a lot of things!  I guess I do have a life after all!)
 
RR:        When did you know you wanted to be writer? And did anyone in particular encourage you along the way?
AWS:    It’s funny: I’ve been a writer all of my life, but it never dawned on me that I could actually be a writer professionally.  In both high school and college, I had bi-weekly editorial columns in the schools’ papers, and people encouraged  me to pursue it, but I just thought, “Well, that’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.  How on earth do you earn money as a writer?”  As fate would have it, after trying on several different career hats, writing sort of found me, when clients asked me to write their web copy or press releases on a freelance basis, and from there, I was able to spin it  into magazine writing, and later, fiction.  I feel many, many times blessed with it all.
 
RR:         Are you currently working on a new novel/project? And if so, can you tell us what it's about?
AWS:     I just finished up my second novel, Time of My Life, which should be out next fall.  It’s about a woman who seems to have it all but who is haunted by her lingering “what ifs.”  And she wakes up one day seven years in the past with the opportunity to redo it all and discover if the path she chose was the one she should have chosen all along.  I’m totally fascinated by how even the littlest decisions can change the entire landscape of our lives, and I’m also a compulsive googler, so writing this book was a lot of fun for me.  I also think and hope that others can relate to it: a lot of us have flashes of what our lives might have been if we’d made other choices, and you know, I don’t really see any shame in admitting that.  It doesn’t take away from my current happiness or how much I love and embrace my current life, it just means that sometimes, it’s human to wonder about other roads you could have gone down.  I do hope that others agree!

RR:        The new book sounds fascinating!  So what's your favorite part of writing?  Starting something new? Revising what you've already got drafted? Developing characters? The plot?  Something else all together?
AWS:    The last chapter!  And yes, I’m being serious.  I’ve discovered that I don’t actually enjoy the process of writing as much as I enjoy creating characters and the worlds they live in.  What I mean by that is that I create dialogue and scenes in my head all day, but then when it comes to the effort involved in getting these things down on paper, well, as I said above, I procrastinate because it’s not as much fun as the “creating” part for me.  So, to that end, the sense of accomplishment I feel when I bang out those last pages and last words is unmatchable!

RR:        Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you got the call--I'm talking, the call--when you learned that you had sold your novel/project?
AWS:    Wow, man, is it horrible if I say that I don’t?  I mean, I have a vague recollection of the day – we held an auction, so I remember my agent keeping me updated with all of the news rolling in – but I don’t remember the exact moment.  It’s funny: I actually remember getting the call from my agent – offering representation – much more vividly.  I’d previously left my other agent because she didn’t believe in the book and though I was 99% certain that it was the right decision, that tiny 1% of doubt still lingered. So when my now agent called to rave about how much she loved the book, that was the real win for me, the real moment of euphoria.  From there, we both had little doubt that it would sell, which is maybe why I remember her call, not the calls with the offers, so much more clearly!
 
RR:        Central Casting: If they were to make a movie out of your book, who would you cast to play your main characters?
AWS:    For Natalie, I’d think that Jen Garner or Keri Russell would be aces.  There was a while when we thought that Reese Witherspoon might be interested, and of course, she’d also rock the role, but everyone seems to want a piece of Reese these days (ha! Reese’s pieces), and certainly, I think that there are others who would be similarly fabulous.  I also love me some Anne Hathaway.  For Zach, I pretty much say in the book that Patrick Dempsey would be the embodiment of my dream come true, though I think Mark Ruffalo would be a fine choice as well.  And since I’m naming names, I’ll also throw in Michael Vartan, because, well, I’ll watch him in anything.  And for Jake?  Unquestionably Scott Speedman, who should be getting a lot more work than he does these days.  Didn’t anyone out there watch Felicity???  I think that Catherine Keener would make an awesome Senator Dupris, and Judy Greer would kick ass as Sally.  Not a bad cast, right?
 
RR:    What's the one book that you wish you'd read because everyone tells you should. This is the one book that you keep attempting to read, the one everyone praises, but alas the one you just can't get through.
AWS:    The Kite Runner, though, full confession, I haven’t actually cracked it open it.  But it sits on my bookshelf, calling out to me, and yes, I know that I should read it but for whatever reason, I just am not that interested.  One of these days though, I’ll finally get to it, and maybe my instincts will be proven wrong.  Won’t be the first time!

Well Allison--it's been great having you here at the blog. Much appreciate you taking time out to chat!  And to everyone else, please be sure and visit Allison's  website and click here to buy the book!

What the Hell is HELL ON EARTH?

That’s the series I’m writing, published by Kensington/Zebra Books. The first book, HELL’S BELLES, is about a succubus named Jezebel who runs away from Hell, hides on Earth as an exotic dancer, and learns the hard way about true love. Sex, strippers, demons—what’s not to like? The second book, THE ROAD TO HELL, is about how Jezebel—now the human Jesse Harris—has to return to Hell to save the lives of those she loves…and somehow make sure it’s not a one-way trip. (If she’d known love was this tough, she never would have turned her back on lust.)

FYI—and yes, you will be quizzed—in 2008, there will be two more HELL stories: the novella A HELL OF A TIME will appear in the April Kensington anthology ETERNAL LOVER, and the full-length novel HOTTER THAN HELL will hit the shelves in August. Hot times!

Here’s what people are saying about the Hell on Earth series. (And no, I didn’t bribe them. Much. Okay, maybe a little chocolate.)

Praise for THE ROAD TO HELL:

"Kessler's sizzling sequel to paranormal debut Hell's Belles puts ex-succubus Jezebel--the now-mortal Jesse Harris, a dancer at a strip club--stage center again. For a month after waking up in a hospital, the former 4,000-year-old, fifth-level succubus who used to seduce humans to claim their souls has been living a happy mortal life in New York with a devoted boyfriend, New York vice cop Paul Hamilton. So when Alecto, a Fury from hell, arrives and demands she return to hell to help Alecto's sister, Megaera (Jesse's former best friend who betrayed her), Jesse balks. Much of the rest of the book is spent convincing her to change her mind, with each sexy escapade topping the last, until (among other things) the demons go after Paul, and Jesse has to "pull an Orpheus." Kessler's raunchy blend of heaven, hell and eros makes for a wild thrill ride, and hot, tough-talking Jesse has gumption and sass." — Publishers Weekly

"Kessler's sassy heroine is back with the scorching-hot book two of the Hell on Earth series. A sharp-tongued succubus writes in first person, telling a deliciously wicked story that mixes romance and humor with dark urban fantasy. The combination of supernatural elements with the mundane realities of life in the big city keeps things real. This is one helluva read--put Kessler on your must-buy list." — Romantic Times (4.5 stars)

"The Road to Hell hints at a vast talent that could alter the romance genre the way Kessler's heroine has altered the landscape of the underworld." — Rose & Thorn

“In The Road to Hell, the second book in the Hell on Earth series, author Jackie Kessler reintroduces us to the cutest, sexiest and most downright foul-mouthed perky ex-demon you're ever likely to run across. Once again, Kessler demolishes my preconceptions about romance novels, eschewing the bursting bustier and the bare-chested hero for a sly nod, a knowing wink and a bawdy smile, and giving the best romance authors a serious run for their places on the best-seller lists.” — Novelspot

"Fun, sexy and utterly original! Kessler will seduce you."— Gena Showalter, New York Times bestselling author

"This is writing of blistering splendor: Kessler's acid wit and wry style make for damn fine reading. Trust me, the seven deadly sins have never had it so good!"— Cornelia Read, author of A Field of Darkness

"A demonic thrill ride with heart and soul. Kessler is one of a kind!"— Jaci Burton, author of Surviving Demon Island

"The Road to Hell is a wicked, deliciously inventive treat. This book thoroughly seduced me. It'd be a sin to miss it!"— Rachel Caine, author of Thin Air

Praise for HELL’S BELLES:

"Kessler's debut novel will captivate fans of Sherrilyn Kenyon and Laurell K. Hamilton from the very first page."— Romantic Times (4.5 stars)

"Jackie Kessler is an author whose originality, style, and flair for creating such wonderfully devious and intriguingly devilish characters is sure to propel her to the top." Top Pick Rose — Romance Reader At Heart

"Not only is this a great book, but it's possibly one of the funniest, most romantic books I've read in years." — Novelspot

"A wonderfully fun read with vivid and creative imagery to satisfy any fan of the supernatural." — Rose & Thorn

"Hell’s Belles had me hooked from the first sentence…I’ll be reading this one again and again." — MaryJanice Davidson, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

"As sinful and decadent as melted chocolate on skin. A dazzling debut! The sequel can’t get here soon enough." — Cathy Clamp, co-author of USA Today bestselling Touch of Evil

"A devilishly entertaining read, Hell’s Belles had me turning pages so quickly, they singed my fingertips...Wicked good!" — Martha O’Connor, author of The Bitch Posse

"Wicked, sexy, and delightfully funny, Hell's Belles is hot stuff. I'm burning to get my hands on the sequel." — JA Konrath, author of Whiskey Sour

"Hell's Belles is smart and well done, an arresting debut by all accounts....Jezebel is a character intriguing enough to follow into future books and Kessler is a star on the rise." — Paperback Reader

"Give in to the sin of temptation and pick up Hell's Belles; you will be so glad you did!"—Coffee Time Romance

"As a debut novel, this one will without a doubt catch a large fan base for Jackie Kessler." — The Romance Readers Connection

"This debut work marks Ms. Kessler as an author to watch. Hell's Belles offers something for everyone; devilishly witty humor, a sassy heroine, a hunky hero and demonic creatures; what more could a reader ask for? Don't miss it!" — ParaNormal Romance

"At times scorching hot, at others unexpectedly funny, Hell's Belles will enchant paranormal fans." — Romance Reviews Today

"Jackie Kessler has one hell of an imagination! Hell's Belles is Anita Blake, Neil Gaiman, and Dante's Inferno flambéed and served with a side of sizzling paranormal romance." — Michelle Rowen, author of the Immortality Bites series

"Funny, sexy and absolutely captivating." — Love Romances and More

Time for a little Q&A With Jackie

RR:    What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

JK:    When I'm not writing, there's a good chance I'm stressing out and eating
way too much chocolate to compensate for it.


RR:    When did you know you wanted to be writer? And did anyone in particular
encourage you along the way?

JK:    The bug really hit me after college. But I didn't get encouraged that yes,
damn it, I really CAN write well until my first short story was published --
and I got paid for it!!! -- in PERIDOT BOOKS (now ALLEGORY magazine). After
that validation, I really became confident in my ability as an author.

RR:    Are you currently working on a new novel/project? And if so, can you
tell us what it's about?

JK:    Yes! And no! :) Actually, I have a couple of projects on submission, and one
that might go on submission shortly, so until there's something to be said
there, I ain't talking. But there will be two more HELL books in 2008: a
novella called A HELL OF A TIME in the Kensington ETERNAL LOVER anthology in
April, and a full-length novel called HOTTER THAN HELL in August. Buy early
and often!


RR:    What's your favorite part of writing?  Starting something new? Revising
what you've already got drafted? Developing characters? The plot?  Something
else all together?

JK:    Getting lost in a scene -- when you're so into what you're writing that the
words just flow from your fingertips and you make magic on the page. I love
it when that happens.


RR:    Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you got the
call--I'm talking, the call--when you learned that you had sold your
novel/project?

JK:    Yup: I was in my home office, and my husband was home with me for some
reason even though it was during the day. And my agent called and said we
got a preemptive three-book deal on the table...one week after the novel had
gone on submission. Woot!!! (That whoop for joy you heard back on December
9, 2005? Me. Shouting. A lot.)


RR:    Central Casting: If they were to make a movie out of your book, who would
you cast to play your main characters?

JK:    Matt Damon as Paul, the love interest. Or any other character he wants to
be. ((fans self)) Maybe Ben Affleck as Roman, the slimy club owner. I'd been
thinking of Eva Longoria for Jezebel/Jesse, but I'm really open on her role
-- as long as she's played by a petite actress (Jesse is five-foot-four).


RR:    What's the one book that you wish you'd read because everyone tells you
should. This is  the one book that you keep attempting to read, the one
everyone praises, but alas the one you just can't get through.

JK:    Um... You know, I really don't have an answer for this. I KNOW I should put
a number of the books in my (ever growing) to be read pile to the very top,
but I never seem to muster the energy to do so and instead keep reading my
favorite authors or authors whom I know. But that's not really the same
thing. :)

Who the Hell is Jackie Kessler?

Some kids want to grow up to be doctors, or movie stars, or political assassins. Me, I wanted to draw comic books. Not Archies, either—superhero comic books. Maybe it was all the heavily muscled guys in spandex…

Around the time I was 15, I realized that as much as I enjoyed drawing (note that I’m saying nothing about the quality of those pics), it was a lot of fun putting words in the characters’ mouths. I didn’t know the term “fanfic” back then, but I started writing stories about the X-Men, Alpha Flight, and the Teen Titans. Didn’t do anything with those stories, other than horrify my mother. She asked why I couldn’t write nice stories, you know, about bunnies. Nope—me, I wanted to write about power. About magic. About hot guys in spandex. And about beating those guys bloody and senseless. (In retrospect, maybe I really did want to horrify my mother. Hey, not my fault. When I was a kid, I busted her doodling on the cover of New Teen Titans Number 6. Argh!)

So maybe it’s ironic that the book I wound up writing had nothing to do with overly muscled men and everything to do with scantily clad women. (Well, temporarily scantily clad.) Oh, right, and demons.

I live in Upstate New York with my Loving Husband, two Precious Little Tax Deductions, two cats, and 8,000 comic books. For more about me, please visit my website. And remember: love your inner demon.

And don't forget to buy the book! 

 About This Book
Her luck’s so bad it’s a crime.

Everyone in Royal Flush, Louisiana, knows Mallory Devereaux is a walking disaster.  At least now she’s found a way to take advantage of her chronic bad luck:  by “cooling” cards on her uncle’s casino boat.  As long as the crooks invited to his special poker tournament don’t win their money back, she’ll get a cut of the profit.

But Mal isn’t the only one working some major mojo.  There’s a dark-eyed dealer sending her looks steamier than the bayou in August.  Turns out he’s an undercover agent named Jake Randoll, and for a Yank, he’s pretty darn smart.  Smart enough to enlist her help to catch a money launderer.  As they race to untangle a web of decades-old lies and secrets amid a gathering of criminals, Mallory can’t help hoping her luck’s about to change….

 
Already The Raves Have Begun!

“With original, smart and comedic writing, DeLeon delivers a three-dimensional hero and heroine, a community of offbeat secondary characters, a complex and intriguing plot with a hint of the paranormal and a fascinating peek into the world of casino poker.” – Romantic Times Book Reviews 4 ½ Stars!

“The setting for this novel is differently refreshing, and anyone with an affinity for casinos and card playing will enjoy the game references. Readers of Ms. DeLeon's UNLUCKY will consider themselves very lucky to have stumbled upon such an entertaining read.” – FreshFiction

“Grab a box of Kleenexes for the laughter, sit back and enjoy. Absolutely one of the best romantic suspense novels I have ever read.” – Romance Reader at Heart

RR:    When you’re not writing, there's a good chance you’re (fill in the blank)

JD:    Reading.
 
RR:    When did you know you wanted to be writer? And did anyone in particular encourage you along the way?  

JD:    I've written stories ever since elementary school but I "decided" I was going to be a writer at my grandma's funeral.  I took one look at my odd, southern, interestingly funny family gathered there and figured, if Evanovich can do it in New Jersey, then by God, I can do it in Louisiana.
 
RR:     Are you currently working on a new novel/project? And if so, can you tell us what it's about? 

JD:    I am working on a new project, but since it's in the deal process right now, all I can say is it's a four-book romance/mystery hybrid series blended with light paranormal.
 
RR:     What's your favorite part of writing?  Starting something new? Revising what you've already got drafted? Developing characters? The plot?  Something else all together?

JD: My absolute favorite part of the writing process is when I've finished the rough draft and start my first pass on edits.  It's then that I read something I forgot I wrote and think "that was funny" or "oh my god, you can write."  It's then that I realize all the pain of the rough draft was worth it.
 
RR:     Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you got the call--I'm talking, the call--when you learned that you had sold your novel/project?  

JD:    I was at work and technically, I got "the email."  I called my agent and accepted and my newly acquired editor called my shortly thereafter.   The entire process was very surreal and I still didn't buy into the fact that I'd sold a book until I was at my book launch party with a line of people waiting for autographs.
 
RR:    Central Casting: If they were to make a movie out of your book, who would you cast to play your main characters?

JD:    I would love someone like Eva Mendes to play the heroine.   I think she's sexy in a fun way and could totally pull of a Cajun girl.  For the hero, I'm thinking David Duchovny because I always loved him in the X-Files.
 
RR:     What's the one book that you wish you'd read because everyone tells you should. This is the one book that you keep attempting to read, the one everyone praises, but alas the one you just can't get through.  

JD:    Almost anything literary.  I simply don't like the classics or anything deep, meaningful and designed to make me think.   Not that I'm against thinking, but I don't want dark and depressing in my reading.  I read for escape.

Jana DeLeon was raised in southwest Louisiana among the bayous and gators. Her hometown is Carlyss, but you probably won’t find it on a map. Her family owned a camp located on a bayou just off the Gulf of Mexico—you could only get there by boat. The most important feature was the rope hammock hanging in the shade on a huge deck that stretched out over the water.
Jana and her brother spent thousands of hours combing the bayous in a flat-bottom aluminum boat, studying the natural habitat of many birds, nutria and alligators. She would like you to know that no animals were injured during these "studies," but they kept makers of peroxide in business.
Jana now resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, René, three spoiled dogs and three spoiled cats.

Thanks for coming by Jana and for eveyrone else, make sure you check out Jana's  website and blog.

 Buy the book

Before I introduce my special guest blogger, I want to say a big thanks to all the members of the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit for touring me and Every Crooked Pot on their blogs--thanks ladies! 

Also, I need to take this opportunity to turn you all onto an author whose work I recently discovered: Jonathan Santlofer. I just finished The Killing Art and really could not put this one down. Anyone who appreciates art and suspense with twists and turns galore will love this book--so enjoy.

Okay and now for today's special guest blogger...

For those of you who have been following this blog, you may recall that I met with a rather remarkable young woman over the summer. Amber is not your typical high school student. At sixteen, this young dynamo is already a book reviewer, an aspiring filmmaker and a lovely person, to boot. I was so impressed with her that I asked her to come visit and guest blog. So take a look and you'll see why I think Amber is so special and why I know she has a tremendous future ahead of her!

 
Here's Amber... 

As an active member in my school's Human Rights' Club, I was absolutely thrilled to hear that I would have the chance to hear John Prendergast speak at a Facing History and Ourselves event at Northwestern University. For those of you who haven't heard of John, he is a human rights activist who used to work for the Clinton administration and now works with the Enough Project, speaking out against the genocide in Darfur. He has spent an extensive amount of time in Africa, has worked with celebrities including Don Cheadle and George Clooney, and has basically dedicated his life to bring the people of Africa the peace and happiness they deserve.
 
Since this is Renee's blog, and she is an author, I will tie books into this post by recommending that you purchase (or at least read) John's book, co-written with Don Cheadle, entitled Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond. It is very powerfully written, and contains a lot of John and Don's personal experiences. After reading it, I promise that you will be moved to action.
 
At the Northwestern event, I had the honor of speaking to John with a small group of students prior to his speech, and ask him questions about his experiences. While I was at first a little intimidated by this opportunity, John is such a genuine and down-to-earth guy, and he immediately put everyone at ease. He would talk about his life with such a passion for his work, but he also cracked jokes and was able to put a smile on our faces.
 
Speaking with John taught me a lot about how to be a more effective activist and inspired me even more than before to make a difference in the world. John is really a rolemodel for the kind of life that I think we all want to live, a life that can impact many people in a very positive way.
 
So, if I have inspired you to do something to make the world a better place, here are some ideas that I encourage you to take part in:
 
Learn about what is happening in Darfur, so you can better understand what it is you are fighting for.
Sign the petition to all prospective 2008 presidential candidates, asking them to do their part in helping to stop the genocide.

Call your senator and ask him/her to support the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act.

Join an organization dedicated to ending genocide in Darfur. I recommend Ask the Candidates , Save Darfur, and if you are a student, see if there is a STAND chapter at your school.

Divest your money from companies that are economically supporting the genocide in Darfur.

Attend an event, like the Dream for Darfur torch relays that are happening all across the country.

Above all, never forget that you can definitely make a difference - and embrace every opportunity you have to help make somebody else's life better, whether it's in your community or the world.

Thank you to Renee, for this opportunity! I am honored to be a guest blogger.

Amber

 
 

But really the one person I'm most excited about is Jackie Mason! He'll be there promoting his new book, Schmucks! Schmucks! How can you not love that!!  I realize I'm dating myself here, but I remember seeing Jackie Mason at the Fountainebleau  in Miami Beach when I was about twelve. And yeah, you may question what a twelve year old was doing at the Fountainebleau listening to Jackie Mason but ah, if you've read Every Crooked Pot, then it'll all make sense! 

 Okay friends, I'm off to finish packing. I'm sure I'll have tales from the book festival to share when I return so check back soon!