Guest Star: Sheila Curran

Welcome Sheila Curran, this week's guest star author! She's just released a brand new novel, EVERYONE SHE LOVED and she's taken the time to answer some of my questions about her work.

Here's an overview of the book:

A wise and triumphant novel about powerful bonds among four women who’ve come of age together only to discover that – when it comes to the essentials – life’s little instruction book will always need revising.

Penelope Cameron, loving mother, devoted wife and generous philanthropist, has convinced her husband and four closest friends to sign an outlandish pact. If Penelope should die before her two daughters are eighteen, her husband will not remarry without the permission of Penelope’s sister and three college roommates. For years, this contract gathers dust until the unthinkable happens. Suddenly, everyone she loved must find their way in a world without Penelope.

For Lucy Vargas, Penelope’s best friend, and a second mother to her daughters, nothing seems more natural than to welcome them into a home that had once belonged to their family, a lovely, sprawling, bed and breakfast on the beach. This bequest was only one of the many ways in which Penelope had supported Lucy’s career as a painter, declaring her talent too important to squander. But now, in the wake of a disaster that only lovable, worrisome Penelope could have predicted, Lucy has put her work on hold as she and Penelope’s husband, Joey, blindly grasp at anything that will keep the girls from sinking under the weight of their grief.

With the help of family and friends, the children slowly rebuild new lives. But just when things start to come together, the fragile serenity they have gained is suddenly threatened from within and the unbreakable bonds they share seem likely to dissolve after all.

In this moving and uplifting novel, Sheila Curran explores the faith one woman placed in her dearest friends, the care she took to protect her family, and the many ways in which romantic entanglements will confound and confuse even the most determined of planners. A story about growing up and moving on, about the sacrifices people make for one another, about the timeless legacy of love, Everyone She Loved is, above all, about the abiding strength of friendship.

Order it on Amazon now!

Check out my interview with Sheila Curran:

1. How do you come up with the names for your characters?

Often I have the name as soon as I think of the character. I’m not sure why.

2. What’s your favorite part about the publishing process?

Working with my agent and editor to get the book ready and in shape and hearing from readers that they loved it. Your least favorite part? Worrying my novel won’t catch the eyes of readers. I know they’d like it if they picked it up, but how do you stand out in the crowded marketplace? I know that when I go to a bookstore, I’m overwhelmed by the choices and so I know that my prospective readers face the same obstacle.

3. When you got that first phone call announcing your had sold a novel, how did you react?

I called my husband, then my parents. My mom had had knee surgery that day.

How did you celebrate?

Oh, I believe there were festive beverages involved.

4. If your book were to be made into a movie, who could you see playing the lead role? Patrick Dempsey (McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy) or Liam Neeson could play Joey Adorno. Jessica Sarah Parker or Kyra Sedgewick could play the interloping nutritionist. Penelope Cruz or Holly Hunter would be great as Penelope. Lucy, Kate Winslet, Scarlett Johannsen, or Catherine Keener, who played Harper Lee in Capote and the love interest in 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN. Martha, Cameron Diaz or Ellen Barkin. Susannah, Sandra Bullock, Tea Leoni or Kate Hudson.

5. What was your inspiration behind the book?

For the full story, readers should go to my website and click on Backstory. But the short version is this: in some states, if a parent hasn’t named a guardian in an official will, their children can be taken into foster care if the parents die. I was talking to a friend about how difficult it is to make the choice of who, among my siblings and friends would be the best replacements for my husband and I. Suddenly, I said, “Oooh. You know what would be worse? What if I died and John fell in love with someone who was just awful?” I thought for a minute more and said, “I know. What if he couldn’t remarry unless my sisters and best friends approved?” I knew, deep down, that whatever happened, as long as my friends and family approved of the new wife, then she’d be good for my kids. So I began to imagine a character like me, except she’s really rich, has had even more reasons in her life to become a bit of a control freak than have I and she is so charming in her ridiculous catastrophizing that her husband and friends finally say, “Enough, already! You’re not going anywhere, but if it makes you feel better, we’ll sign the damn thing.” So begins the premise for my novel, the plot of which is set into action by my character’s codicil. It’s about motherhood, wifehood, childhood, and most of all, the sisterhood of great friends who’ve come of age together.

For more information, check out Sheila's website at: www.SheilaCurran.com

Guest Star: April Henry!

Time for another guest star! This week it's April Henry, co-author of the bestselling mystery novel, FACE OF BETRAYAL.

Face of Betrayal
Thomas Nelson Books
April 7, 2009
ISBN: 978-1595547057
Author's Website

"A sizzling political thriller… The seamless plot offers a plethora of twists and turns." - Publisher's Weekly

When 17-year-old Senate page Katie Converse goes missing on her Christmas break near her parents' white Victorian home in Portland, Ore., law enforcement and the media go into overdrive in a search for clues. Three friends at the pinnacle of their respective careers--Allison Pierce, a federal prosecutor; Cassidy Shaw, a crime reporter; and Nicole Hedges, an FBI special agent--soon discover that Katie wasn't the picture of innocence painted by her parents. Did Katie run away to escape their stifling demands? Was she having an affair with the senator who sponsored her as a page? Has she been kidnapped? Is she the victim of a serial killer?

And here's a special interview with me and the author:

1. How do you come up with the names for your characters?

For my teen books, I keep a list of kids at my daughter’s school, because kids these days are certainly not named Debbie, Nancy, or Lisa. I write down unusual names I hear and like. For this adult mystery series, it was hard to find good names for the three main characters. Originally, they were called Allison, Jacqueline, and Cassidy, but Allison and Jacqueline were too similar. We finally settled on Allison, Nicole, and Cassidy.

2. What's your favorite part about the publishing process? Your least favorite part?

I like thinking of new plot twists and turns. Beginnings are fun. There are so many possibilities. Really detailed editorial letters are hard. I have to psych myself up to act on them.

3. When you got that first phone call announcing your had sold a novel, how did you react? How did you celebrate? If you've sold more than one novel, do you have a celebration ritual for subsequent sales?

I’m not very good at celebrating or relaxing. When I got my first contract, a group of friends broke out a bottle of champagne, and that was wonderful. And quitting my day job a year ago was the best celebration ever. Sometimes I’ll let myself take a day or two to relax and read one of the hundreds of books I keep meaning to read “someday.” But I feel at loose ends if I’m not writing.

4. Desert Island time. You can bring one person and one "thing." What would you bring?

My husband and a satellite phone for when we need to be rescued.

5. Since becoming a writer, what's the most glamorous thing you've ever done?

I’ve had my face made up for a TV appearance. TV studios are dinky and drab. But on camera I looked great. It’s all about illusions, baby!

6. What line or section of your novel are you most proud of? Is there a story behind it? Or a reason why you like it so much?

There’s a section where a runner finds a body part. We had written that scene, but then I started thinking we needed a new scene with him, even though he is just a walk-on character. So we worked on another scene where he realizes that he needs to take the body part out of the woods with him (for reasons that might be spoilers). It was fun to write about his dawning horror.

Visit April Henry's website here! Or pick up a copy of Face of Betrayal here!

Guest Star: Brenda Janowitz

Happy New Year everyone! Well, I'm back from my blog-vacation. Or shall I say "blog-cation"...okay, sorry, I won't go there again. And what a treat to be back with a new guest star!

This week it's the incredibly talented Brend Janowitz, the author of a brand new novel called JACK WITH A TWIST, which is the sequel to her praised, SCOT ON THE ROCKS.

Here's a quick summary of the book and my interview with Brenda.

About the Book:

Planning a wedding can be a trying experience…

A little prewedding anxiety is normal for every bride, and Manhattan attorney Brooke Miller isn’t worried. She’s got the loving support of the world’s greatest guy, so planning her nuptials should be a piece of cake.

But that was yesterday.

Today, Brooke’s landed her first big case and has just discovered that the opposing attorney is none other than her fiancé, Jack. But that’s okay. These two professionals aren’t going to let a little courtroom sparring get their legal briefs in a bunch.… Right? Wrong! Now Jack’s pulling every dirty trick in the law books, and Brooke’s starting to suspect that maybe he isn’t the man she thought he was. Warring with her fiancé at work and at home, Brooke realizes that she’ll have to choose between the case of her life, or actually having a life.

Author Interview:

Q: How do you come up with the names for your characters?

A: Oh, I have lots of fun with this! In fact, I did a guest blog about this very topic over on Editor Unleashed! http://editorunleashed.com/2008/11/06/the-trouble-with-naming-your-characters/ I also spoke about this at Barnes and Noble, which you can see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywcLBh2RxNw

Q: What’s your favorite part about the publishing process? Your least favorite part?

Writing the book is the fun part for me. I had no idea, when I published my first novel, that once I finished writing my book, that the real work would then begin. As you’re writing your first novel, you tend to think that that’s the hard part—that once you finish, fame and riches await.

In reality, it’s a long road to getting your grand opus published, and there’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears involved with getting it onto book shelves and then marketing it.

Presumably, fame and riches will be there at some point, but it’s a hard long road to get there!


Q: When you got that first phone call announcing your had sold a novel, how did you react?

I was sitting in my office when my agent called me to tell me about it. The whole thing was incredibly surreal and exciting. You spend so much of your time writing and not knowing how the outside world will react to your work. When it finally happened for me, it was just this overwhelming feeling of elation and that Sally Field sentiment of: “They like it! They really like it!”

Q: If your book were to be made into a movie, who could you see playing the lead role?

What a fun question! I’d love Drew Barrymore for Brooke, and Fran Drescher as her mom. For Jack, I could see a lot of my Hollywood crushes playing the part: Adam Sandler, Jack Black, or Paul Rudd would be perfect. (Yes, I like me a funny guy.)

Q: What was your inspiration behind your latest novel?

When I finished SCOT ON THE ROCKS, I just knew that Brooke’s story had to continue! Since both she and Jack are lawyers, I thought it would be so much fun to pit them against each other in the courtroom… all while planning their fairy-tale wedding. Thus the idea for JACK WITH A TWIST was born!

If you'd like more information about Brenda and her novels, please visit her website at: www.BrendaJanowitz.com

Guest Star: Malena Lott

Today our special guest star is the fabulous Malena Lott, author of DATING DAVINCI, about finding love and la dolce vita in the last place you would expect.

A Quick Summary:

Ramona Elise is in a rut--a 36-year-old widowed mother of two, she can't seem to find what make her truly happy in life. Making sure her kids are happy isn't the hard part; Ramona's looking for the passion she lost two years ago when she lost her husband and her world turned upside down. When a handsome Italian immigrant walks into her English class, Ramona never expects to find--la dolce vita (the sweet life)--in a younger man...or in her self!

I was lucky enough to be able to ask Malena some questions about her latest release and her career as an author. Check out my Q&A below!

Q: I LOVE the title of this book. How did you come up with it?

A: The title came pretty quickly, early on. I love alliteration and really wanted to incorporate da Vinci since he’s the catalyst that starts Ramona’s renaissance. Since publishers have final say, I don’t get too attached to my working title, though. I do like getting credit for this one, though! Of course the book isn’t just about da Vinci and romance is only a part of the story, but I think it’s catchy and hopefully it will catch people's eye to learn more about the book.

Q: As an author, what's your biggest fantasy? (the clean kind...just thought I'd clarify)

A: Writers already have active imaginations, so this one is a no brainer. Vision board, here I come! Hit the top 10 of the New York Times bestseller list, have a long line waiting for me when I arrive for book signings, have my books optioned for films that actually get made and made well, and a few national TV appearances to boot. TODAY show, The View, Oprah, you know. Just the small stuff, you know? Not that I’ve given any of this much thought. Not a bit.

Q: Procrastination is a big obstacle for me as a writer. What about you? Do you have any tricks for beating it?

A: I have to say, I'm pretty lucky. Hugh (Jackman) typically promises a shirtless steak dinner (him, not me) if I meet my word count goal. If that's not enough motivation, Brad's aromatherapy massages usually get me in the mood, though sad to say, it's not for writing. Heck, usually my imagination can trick me into getting back on the laptop to write away into the sunrise. Like, "finish this and you'll be as famous as Sophie Kinsella and you'll never have to buy groceries again and you can spend all your time lounging on the beaches drinking frozen Flirtinis!" I'm so easy.

Q: I, too, dream of becoming the next Sophie Kinsella! What would you do if it really were to happen?

A: Well, after hiring the cook, the nanny and the housekeeper, I guess I'd start interviewing stylists and personal shoppers (loathe grocery shopping.) No, seriously, I don't think much about my life would change except that I wouldn't get "that look" from my darling husband when I've gone on a shopping spree and I'd get to vacation more and feel good that my kids can go to college easily and perhaps not have to work as much as I did. *Not* that I'm complaining. On second thought, maybe I would spring for the housekeeper. Loathe laundry nearly as much as grocery shopping. That reminds me, that load needs to be changed out. Be back in a sec.

Q: Thanks so much Malena, do you have a sample chapter that readers can take a peek at?

A: Thank you! And yes, you can read the first chapter at www.MalenaLott.com

Guest Star: Saralee Rosenberg

Today my guest is Saralee Rosenberg, the author of DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD, a comic novel about two warring neighbors who put the Desperate Housewives of Wysteria Lane to shame!

Here's a brief summary of the novel and my interview with Saralee!


Nora Ephron Hates Her Neck. Big Deal! Mindy Sherman hates her whole body.

In Mindy's yoga-obsessed, thirty-is-the-new-wife neighborhood, every day is a battle between Dunkin' Donuts, her jaws-of-life jeans, and Beth Diamond, the self-absorbed sancti-mommy next door who looks sixteen from the back. So much for sharing the chores, the stores, and the occasional mischief to rival Wisteria Lane.

It's another day, another dilemma until Beth's marriage becomes fodder on Facebook. Suddenly the Ivy League blonde needs to be "friended," and Mindy is the last mom standing. Together they take on hormones and hunger, family feuds and fidelity, and a harrowing journey that spills the truth about an unplanned pregnancy and a seventy-year old miracle that altered their fates forever.

Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead is a hilarious, stirring romp over fences and defenses that begs the question, what did you do to deserve living next door to a crazy woman? Sometimes it's worth finding out.

Interview with Saralee Rosenberg

Q. What comes first? The title or the idea?

A. For DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD, the title came to me only a few months before publication and trust me, by then I was in a total panic. The original title, based on the very earliest draft, was ALL IN THE CARDS, but everyone agreed that was kind of boring. Then I submitted a list of twenty titles, some interesting, some wacky, some that would never fly because they involved curse words. Here is a sampling: Hot, Hungry and Hormonal; Ask Your Doctor if Stress Is Right for You; Same SH-T, Different Zip; If Lucy Hated Ethel; and one of my personal favorites, The Bitch Next Door. No, no, no, my editor said to all of those. Then I came up with Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead and she smiled. We have a winner!!! And I must admit, it’s a beauty. Everyone gets it. No need for an explanation. As for my novel, CLAIRE VOYANT, that title came to me years ago and it took me a while to create an entire story based on the premise that a girl named Claire would have super natural abilities.

Q. Do you put friends in books? Have any of them recognized themselves?

A. I get asked all the time by family and friends to be in one of my novels, but I tend not to go there unless they’re willing to buy several dozen books in appreciation for being immortalized (if Girl Scout Moms can bribe, so can I). Once I did give in and named a character after a friend, only to describe the character as a philandering shoplifter. She was horrified and wanted to know how I knew? I didn’t know, I made it up, but boy did that make things interesting afterwards... Also, my husband’s business partner had been prodding me for years, to which I would say that a character who sold insurance, played golf and visited his grandkids in Florida would not exactly be memorable. But finally, in Dear Neighbor, to get him to stop bugging me, I did name a minor character Steven Hoffman. I made him a lawyer in Portland, and it really made Steve’s day... then he asked why he wasn’t a major character and could I feature him again in the next book? Men!!!!

Q. When deadlines hit, what happens in your house?

A. Let me put it this way. Please don’t ring my bell unless you’re bringing fresh baked cookies because I don’t want you to see that the dining room looks like a mini landfill. And that’s before you reach the piles on the stairs (I swear there is one that has been there since Clinton was President). The clothes in the dryer go round and round for days because I keep hitting wrinkle remove, we run out of milk, the shows saved on Tivo go unwatched, calls from my kids get answered with, “Make it quick and NO CRISIS’s today”. Also I look like hell and probably need of a touch up. As for dinner? The family is on their own... although they would tell you I say that every day. Basically it’s every man/child for himself and don’t give me a hard time about anything... This is why I write all the time, otherwise I’d lose my privileges, lol.

Q. Which scene or scenes in the book did you love writing?

A. I am crazy about writing dialogue and would spend days working on a scene between Mindy and Beth to make sure that I got the tone, the phrasing, the timing and the subtle nuances just right. There was so much that they wanted to say to each other after eight years of making each other crazy, I just had to let it out a little at a time, like air coming out of a balloon. But the scene I loved writing the most was the one where they are in a hotel room and Beth confronts the fact that she might be pregnant. It is a funny, poignant moment where both characters reveal their greatest joys and misgivings of motherhood and I remember when I sat at my computer, the words just poured out and I had to sit still to hear every last word coming through. I realized at the end that they had just broadcast my own conflicts and vulnerabilities about being a mom and it was whoa... where did that come from?

Q. What was the inspiration for Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead?

A. Of my four novels, DEAR NEIGHBOR, DROP DEAD is the only one that was inspired by, well, me! This story is based on my first novel, ALL IN THE CARDS, which was never published, but did take a very exciting journey to Hollywood. Back in 1997, Bette Midler optioned it for a feature film (she was looking for a follow up comedy to “First Wives Club”). Exactly! Wow! First time out and it’s a homerun. Sadly, the reason you never heard of it is because ultimately, Bette and her partner couldn’t get financing or find the right screenwriter to adapt it. Bye bye Bette... Now fast forward to a few years ago. My novels, A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE, CLAIRE VOYANT and FATE & MS. FORTUNE had done very well but were about single women looking for love in all the wrong places. I wanted to write about my “peeps” in the suburbs and pitched my editor on letting me rewrite ALL IN THE CARDS. She was hesitant because she wasn’t sure Avon was the right publisher for a suburban/soccer mom story with bickering neighbors. Then came “Desperate Housewives” and suddenly it was, get me suburban/soccer mom stories with bickering neighbors. Timing is everything.... So although DEAR NEIGHBOR is an incarnation of my earliest novel, it is a much richer, deeper, funnier story and is resonating with readers of all ages.

For more information about Saralee and her novels, please visit her website: www.saraleerosenberg.com

Guest Star: Kelly Parra!

Hey everyone! I'm so excited to be part of a fantastic new community of authors called the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit where we host members on our blogs to help them promote their books!

So my very first hosted member is the fabulous, Ms. Kelly Parra who writes edgy YA novels. Her first book, Graffiti Girl has done extremely well and her latest release, Invisible Touch just hit bookstores this fall from MTV Books! I was fortunate enough to be able to ask Kelly some questions about herself and her writing process. And here they are!


1. How do you come up with the names for your characters?

Good question. I'm actually a pretty visual writer. I like to picture the characters in my mind, and then find the perfect fit with a name. Sometimes if I can't come up with something unique I'll scan the Internet or even the phone book to make the right match.

2. What's your favorite part about the publishing process? Your least favorite part?

Besides writing the book as my favorite part, I LOVE reading the galleys for the first time and seeing how the book's layout will potentially look in published form. My least favorite part is promotion, it takes a lot of hard work and lots of savvy to pull off good promo. :)

3. If your book were to be made into a movie, who could you see playing the lead role?

Kara would be possibly be Vanessa Hudgens.
Anthony would be a younger Milo Ventimiglia.

4. Since becoming a writer, what's the most glamorous thing you've ever done?

It might not seem very glamourous to some writers, but to a simple gal like me it was attending the Romance Writers of America RITA ceremony. The dresses were glam, the show fab. It was an experience to remember.

5. If you could be a superhero, what would you superpower be?

It would be transport anywhere by just a thought. That would be so cool. New York, no problem. Hawaii, just one second. :)

More information about Kelly Parra and her novels can be found on her website: www.KellyParra.com. Check it out!