Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The Liar's Diary- A novel by Patry Francis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laurie Connors
A Plume Paperback Plume Publicity
212-366-2222
laurie.connors@us.penguingroup.com



THE LIAR’S DIARY
A Novel
By Patry Francis


“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 (Plume / February 2008 / ISBN 978-0-452-28915-4 / $14.00) 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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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 http://www.patryfrancis.com/.

Praise for THE LIAR’S DIARY:

“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

THE LIAR’S DIARY
By Patry Francis
Plume Paperbacks / February 2008 / $14.00
ISBN: 978-0-452-28915-4
Readers Guide available at http://www.penguin.com/

For more information or to schedule an interview with Patry Francis, please contact Laurie Connors, Plume Publicity
212-366-2222 / laurie.connors@us.penguingroup.com
There was also a great little audio clip that went with this promotion but blogger is having issues uploading it so I can't put it up. I do hope, though, that you'll get this book!

Friday, January 25, 2008

The world's loss


Heath Ledger- an amazing young actor with so much left to give- has left us, the whole world, grieving and shell shocked. No one could have expected such a tragedy and Heath's family will be a long time in finding a way to move on without him. I loved 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knight's Tale; Heath was a wonderful actor and brought amazing life to the screen. My heart breaks for his little girl who will have to grow up without her Daddy, for his sister who has lost her soul mate, for his parents who have lost their beloved son. This loss is monumental and will be felt the world over forever.
You will be missed, Heath, and may you rest in peace.
Heath Ledger
April 4, 1979-January 22, 2008

Friday, January 18, 2008

Lovin' It Indeed

Hello my faithful readers...I know you're out there :) and I appreciate each and every one of you. My muse, my inspiration, has returned full force and I wrote about 9000 words in three days. A story that I'd set on the back burner is now almost finished- the first draft anyway- and I'm so happy. I've made it my goal to send the completed first draft to my crit partners by February first and polish it up to send it to Harlequin by March first. A month ago I had nothing even remotely ready to go but now things are really looking up. It's such a wonderful feeling.

So, okay, I know I'm rambling. I guess the whole point of my sharing is to encourage those of you out there who might be struggling with writer's block. You can break through it! Keep writing!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Two In One



I've read a couple of books lately that left me wanting more when I turned the last page. The first being The Tycoon's Bride by Michelle Reid. The storyline was wonderful and it was packed with emotional and sexual tension. The characters were believable and had you cheering for them from the very beginning, even the hard as nails Andreas. Good job, Michelle!

The Greek's Royal Mistress was the second book I enjoyed this week and holy smoke. This is a steamy, passionate read that is loaded with sexual tension as well as a wonderful battle of wills that keeps hero and heroine dancing around each other like sparring partners. Chantal and Demetrius are two powerful magnets doing everything they can to stay apart but it simply isn't to be. :) I'd have to say, Jane, that of all of your Presents books I've read, this one is my favorite.
Both of these books are older so you probably won't find them in bookstores unless they have a used section but I found both of them on Amazon.com if you're interested. The Tycoon's Bride was released in May 2000 and The Greek's Royal Mistress was released in October 2004. I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did.

Saturday, January 05, 2008

What if...

What if a playboy pilot and a stuffy stewardess crashland on a deserted island while transporting several children to the U.S. from Cuba?

or

What if a woman, running from an abusive relationship, poses as the expected nanny for a famous country singer?

I attended a writers retreat in November and the gracious host, Bob Mayer, taught that when writing, there needed to be a core question that more or less outlined the entire book in one sentence. What is the point of this, you ask? Well, when you're writing the story and you get stuck or need a boost of inspiration, look at your core question and remember what your original idea for the story was.

The two examples above are core sentences for two of the stories I'm working on right now. If I changed those sentences at all, they would no longer line up with the stories I've written because each part of the sentence is an important part of the story.

So, fellow writers, what is the core sentence, original idea for the story you're writing now? If you changed the sentence, would your story have to change too?