So much for spring

This is an image of my backyard...right now! Apparently Mother Nature doesn't care that it'll be April in three days. It's cold and snowing- has been snowing all day long- and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

What does this have to do with writing? Not a thing. I just wanted to share a little of my winter wonderland- not that it's wonderful because it's not. I'd much rather be soaking up some rays on a Hawaiian beach or anywhere warm. But it's not to be, I'm stuck here in the Puget Sound, surrounded by ice and snow. I just made the desktop image on my laptop a sunny tropical island with a palm tree so I can have an easier time of dreaming that I was anywhere but here LOL!

Over the river and through the woods....

Okay, so I'm not going through the woods but I'm sure I'll fly over many rivers before I land. I had a new experience on Tuesday. I purchased my very first airline ticket and in June I'm going on my very first trip all by myself. I've flown before but never had the pleasure of actually buying the ticket so I shopped around online and found the best deal on Travelocity.com.

After the purchase was complete I sat staring at my printed itenerary, unable to believe that I was really actually going. The ticket is bought and paid for...there's no turning back. You wouldn't believe the insanely strong feeling I had to go pack my suitcase even though the trip is still 11 weeks away. 11 weeks, 77 days...that feels like forever.

Where am I going, you ask?

My very dearest friend lives in Western Kentucky. I haven't seen her in almost 6 years. She's had a baby since then and that baby is going to be 5 next month. How sad that I missed out on all of that. So, I will be flying out of SeaTac airport at the crack of dawn, landing in Atlanta Georgia several hours later, catching my connecting flight and landing in Nashville, TN where my dear friend will be picking me up so I can spend a week with her and her family.

I'm so keyed up about this trip that I'm finding it difficult to write because I want so badly to do something that will bring June about more quickly. I can't focus on much and while on one hand that's frustrating, on the other hand...there are 5 more fingers! Seriously though, how do you handle extreme anticipation? What do you do to get through the days until "THE DAY" is actually here?

13 Little Blue Envelopes

I started, and finished, this book today and I have to say that it was one of the most engaging and genuinely fun books I've had the pleasure of reading in a long time. I truely enjoyed it and plan on putting it on my 'To Be Read Again' shelf because there is so much culture in this book that I could read it again and probably find things I missed the first time around.

Maureen Johnson is a master wordsmith.

Here's the blurb from the back:

Would you follow the directions?

Would you travel around the world?

Would you open the envelopes one by one?

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1000 and instructions to buy a plan ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny to find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwrite/thief/bloke-about-town called Keith go to Scotland together with somewhat disasterous- thought utterly romantic- results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of 13 little blue envelopes.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun adventurous read.

WOOHOO!!!!

Okay, I'm not a football fan, it's just not a game that interests me, but I watched the Superbowl today and enjoyed it. I was rooting for the Giants and cheered as they battled their way up and kept the Patriots at bay. They played a wonderful game and deserve the victory they scored. Go Giants!! You guys rock.

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!

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

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!

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.

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?

Why?

This isn't a writing related post, I just felt the need to vent. I was reading the news today- I know, I probably shouldn't do that- but I was overwhelmed by the stupidity of celebs these days. Why do they do the stupid things they do right in public? Why does Daniel Baldwin feel the need to snort his earnings up his nose? Why does Lindsay Lohan think it's okay to drink like a fish and get behind the wheel of a car? And don't even get me started on Britney Spears. What is it, besides privacy, that these people don't have that makes them feel like they need to break the law all the time? And why do we, Joe Average, keep supporting these people who get away with things that a judge would throw the book at us for? Why do we still read about Britney Spears' latest public display of stupidity? Why pay good money for her CDs when she's just going to blow it on drugs, alcohol and shoes that cost more than most of us make in a year?

We, the people, are the reason these people continue to break the law and get away with it. I mean, seriously, if you and I had done what Lindsay Lohan did we would have spent way more than 84 minutes in jail. Why is it okay for them to drink and drive, steal, and do drugs but not the rest of us? And why do they want to?

I realize that the life of a celebrity isn't an easy one to live but they all chose that profession. They chose to sing, act, dance, put themselves into the public eye and in doing so they chose to be hounded by photogs and never left alone. That was their choice, right? I don't agree with the way the Paparazzi go about getting the pics they need to pay their bills but I really don't agree with people who are in a position to be role models to our nation's children pulling the kind of stunts these people are pulling and getting away with it. What's wrong with this world?

Okay, I'm done ranting. :o)