Happy Mel-O-Ween!

Before I get started…did you know you can pre-order Maria Geraci’s debut novel BUNCO BABES TELL ALL? Cuz you can. And you better. Or I’ll haunt you. And you won’t like it.

pre-order now. Go on. I’ll wait…

So today is Mel-O-Ween. You got any special plans? I’m going to be a Zombie this year. My friend Stinkydog says she’s going to be a Mombie…cuz she’s pregnant. See what she did there? LOL Yeah, she’s not only Stinky…she’s funny, too!

Fishdog and Rader or going to be Thing 1 and Thing 2. Nemo is undecided. He’s gonna spray his hair and do some make up but really,
that’s as far as he’s gotten. I’m supposed to take him to Walmart after school today so he can buy some ‘accessories.’ I love it. He’s going to accessorize a costume that doesn’t exist. Awesome.

I have to buy some worms to glue to my skin and stick in my ears. Zombies are wormy aren’t they? I should use gummy worms so I can eat them and gross everybody out. That would be funny.

I blogged over at FatChicksRunning today about day 3 of my training. It wasn’t pretty. But I survived.

For your viewing pleasure…here’s a preview of tonight…

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The secret life of a Bunco Babe

As most of you know, I have two regular Critique Partners–Maria Geraci and Louisa Edwards. We actually call ourselves MeanBitches and we work together year around on plotting, critiquing and general hand holding as necessary.

This is a busy week for both Maria and LuLu because their books are due on Monday. In full. So right now, I’m reading Maria’s follow up manuscript to BUNCO BABES TELL ALL (Berkley, May 2009) PRE-ORDER IT NOW!

The follow-up is currently titled BUNCO BABES GONE WILD and let me tell you, it is a hoot! What a great story to follow BBTA! I’m laughing at the antics of these Bunco Babes…and you will too….

PRE-ORDER IT NOW!

Next up is LuLu’s sexy chef book titled CAN’T STAND THE HEAT (St. Martins, Fall 2009) This is a HOT and TASTY treat. I can’t wait to dive back into the world of Adam and Miranda and see what sexy shenanigans they’ve been up to since page 100.

Once I’m finished reading this weekend, it’s back to writing for me…AJ is up to some fang-banging business with a new character named Lex…or Sexy Lexy as I liked to call him. He’s a tasty treat all on his own…

Don’t forget to Pre-order BUNCO BABES TELL ALL

PRE-ORDER IT NOW!

I’m a busy girl today

I’m blogging over at The Knight Agency blog today about Vampires and how it’s ironic that I write YA Vampire stories when the one book that freaked me out more than anything was about vampires…

And Dana and I are into day three of our training at Fat Chicks Running. Pop over and see how we’re doing.

In the writing world, I’m actually doing some reading. Both Maria and Louisa have Nov. 1 deadlines, so I’m going to be busy this weekend reading their manuscripts. Then it’s back to writing, writing, writing. I guess it’s a good thing that the only thing that doesn’t really hurt on my body is my fingers, huh?

Interview with debut author Jeff Rivera


Forever My Lady is a love story, isn’t it? Or is it a coming of age? How would you describe it?
That’s a good question. I say it’s what you want it to be because it has a little bit of everything in it. But to me it’s a love story first and foremost and it’s one that’s very nostalgic for adults because we all remember our first love and I think we all have this desire to be with our soul mates like Dio and Jennifer do.

Do you feel that you’ve been treated differently by people because you’re published by a major publisher?
There’s an element of respect and acknowledgement that goes along with it yes. But to me I was happy just self-publishing. This is just an extra bonus. Like icing on a cake. Believe me though, there are pros and cons to being published by a major publisher.
You speak all over the country to schools and to young people in general. What is one of the most interesting things they’ve asked you?
I think one of the most interesting things they like to ask is if I’m single or not. Kids are so forward nowadays. They also ask me about my past and what life was like when I was their age. They say kids are different now but at the core they are very much the same as we were at their age. They all want the same things we wanted and maybe still want.

What about you do you think most people would be shocked to know about?
I think people would be shocked at how much of a kind of boring every day life I live. I mean I do the social functions and hang with friends and do all the high powered lunch meetings with people too but my day to day routine is just sitting at home typing (that is when I’m not procrasting) Answering these questions is so much more interesting to me sometimes than writing.

Where can we get Forever My Lady?
Amazon.com, www.JeffRivera.com or bookstores all over the country.

About Jeff:
Once homeless and living in his car, award-winning novelist Jeff Rivera writes passionate stories of those often forgotten and neglected by society. He believes even in the eyes of a gang member, even beneath the soiled clothes of a bag lady or behind the tears of a lonely kid in the back of the class, there lies a common thread that links us all, the universal human story. He has made it his personal mission to help change the way the world thinks in a positive way through his stories. Mr. Rivera currently lives in Miami, Florida. Adopted by his Filipino stepfather when he was seven years old, his ethnic background is Black American and Native American.

Leave a comment and get a chance to win a copy of Jeff’s book!

Don’t forget to swing by FatChicksRunning.com To see what we’ve been up to!

Join Us

Don’t be a pussy wimp.

Come on. Pledge to get active. You don’t have to be stupid and pledge to do a half-marathon. You just have to pledge to get active and post about your progress either at FatChicksRunning.com or on your own blog.

C’mon. The only thing you have to lose is weight. Oh and maybe low self-esteem.

what have I done?

I’m not quite over the fact that yesterday I announced that I was a Fat Chick (chances are you knew that, but for some reason me saying it makes it feel like I’ve suddenly taken the filter off your eyes and you’re seeing me AS I REALLY AM FOR THE FIRST TIME!)

It burns! Look away!!

Not only that…I also announced, IN WRITING, that I was planning to start training for the Little Rock Half Marathon. And you all saw it.

As a matter of fact, according to my stats on FatChicksRunning.com, a lot of people saw it. I guess it’s too late to take it back.

Crap.

Fine. I won’t take it back. But I will say that maybe you should be worried about my sanity because right now I’m on deadline for LOVE SUCKS! and I’m shopping a new proposal (Ironically, it’s very closely related to the whole ‘fat chick’ thing I’ve got going) and I’m also contemplating returning to the workforce until we sell the house in Oxford. Oh, and then there’s the holidays… and since I’m doing this training…I won’t be drinking booze for a while.
I better damn well get big fat endorphin high off this running thing, that’s all I’m saying.

Gee Mel? Glutton for punishment much?

Have you got big plans this weekend. I’m going to my friend’s house tonight for some chili and booze (it’s my last hurrah) Bitchy Burns better be ready for me…

fat chick running

I may regret announcing this but–

I’m a Fat Chick. It’s true.

Not only am I a Fat Chick…I’m also going to be 40 years old in March. I’m not afraid of 40 (actually I’m looking forward to it) but I do NOT want to be a 40 year old Fat Chick.

I also don’t want to ring in the 40s on my fat ass…so with that in mind:

Please join me and my pal Dana at FatChicksRunning.com

You can read my epiphany and how I hoodwinked Dana into joining me here.

You can join us and blog with us if you’d like…just leave us a comment.

Or you can just follow us as we journey down this torturous path. It’s not going to be pretty. But I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be funny.

changing veils…

In this time of economic crisis…where we have 2 house payments, 1 income and me trying to avoid waiting tables at all cost (everyone take a moment to send good thoughts out to the two proposals that are in NY…Momma needs a new pair of shoes to buy groceries!) I’m making some sacrifices.

We’re cutting back everywhere we can.

And one of the places I’ve decided to sacrifice is my hairdresser. Okay, not completely. She’s still going to cut my hair, but I can’t afford to have her cut and color it every 6 weeks. (Katie, if you’re reading this, I’ll see you next week for a cut.)

I’ve been blond for forever. I get a wild hair up my ying-yang every once in a while and color it red or brown but I always go back to blond. since I can’t afford to have Katie color my hair, I can’t maintain my blond at home. It’s just too difficult.

So my BFF from high school and I went shopping for boxed color. And we found this:

L’Oreal Excellence Creme Light Reddish Brown (6RB)

And now, I’m no longer a blond.

Here is a picture of me from this spring:


and here’s the new me:

What do you think? Good change or bad?