Tag Archives: celebrity sightings

a picture is worth a thousand contacts

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So, I signed books in Oxford this weekend and had the best time ever. And I would LOVE to show you how much fun I had by posting all the pics I took (all 3 of them) but…

I lost them during an epic iPhone update.

And for a brief panicky moment, I also lost all my contacts. Yes, all of them. But they came back, as did all of my photos up to 80s Bunko. But I’ll gladly lose a few photos to keep all my contacts…

So you’ll just have to take my word for it. I looked cute, I signed books, I had fun, and the Razorbacks won. (yeah, that last one had nothing to do with the camera…but you know me and my piggies)

Since I lost my pics from the weekend, I’ll post 2 pics from my drive home. You’ll notice I really need to wash my windshield…

The sun setting over the Mississippi River. It was spectacular. This pic doesn’t even remotely do it justice.

We’re baaaaack!

Hope y’all had a great weekend!

tomorrow, tomorrow! I’ll see Oxford, tomorrow!

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IT’S ONLY A DAY AWAY!

When: Friday, September 17 (tomorrow)
Where: Square Books, Jr.
Time: 5:00
Who: ME!

Please come see me!

I had the best time with one of my pals, Stacey Jay last year. We signed books, drank wine, signed more books, drank more wine…

Wait. Anyone beginning to see a pattern here? I LOVE SIGNING BOOKS!

I can’t wait to see you guys tomorrow. It’s gonna be a big time full of sparkly goodness.

In other bits of random…

I was checking my website stats and seriously, somebody in Boulder, CO googled I HATE MELISSA FRANCIS. That’s just mean and hurtful, yo. I’m good people. Don’t be hatin’ on me!

I’ve also had some weird search terms on my website search bar. Like one day a month or so ago, someone just kept searching for KILL and HATE.

So this is what my report looked like:

08:17:30 2010 Kill
08:17:28 2010 Kill
08:17:23 2010 Kill
08:17:22 2010 Kill
08:17:16 2010 Kill
08:16:24 2010 Kill
08:15:46 2010 Kill
08:15:10 2010 Kill
08:14:31 2010 Kill
08:11:35 2010 hate
08:11:34 2010 hate
08:11:31 2010 hate
08:11:30 2010 hate
08:11:29 2010 hate

dudes. Seriously. That’s just not nice! I don’t blog about killing and hate so why are you searching for them? Also, I know people and I know things. And I know people who know things about people. So, watch it. mmmkay? This is my sandbox. Don’t throw sand at me in my own box!!! Besides, I’m all friendly, and sparkly, and fun to play with. Haters are not allowed.

And in Kitteh news. 2 are promised (Charlie Chaplin and Kitteh G) and 2 are maybes (the boys) but my kids wanna keep one of the boys, so I’m not sure what we’re gonna do about that.

I probably will be scarce tomorrow. If I think about it, I’ll pre-post a blog. But I may not think about it. We’ll see.

Have a great weekend if I don’t catch ya mañana!

a fangastic time was had by all!

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My book signing for LOVE SUCKS! was yesterday. Check out my new fangtastic ring that my sweet friend Ell-Bell gave me. (She also is the one who gave me Count Smurfula. She is my favorite girl in the world)

The signing was a success. 65 copies of LOVE SUCKS! were sold, 12 copies of BITE ME! we sold out of BITE ME! but that didn’t stop people from ordering them! YAY!
I had several friends from high school come to support me. I’m truly blessed with wonderful people in my life.
I owe a huge thank you to Fishdog for designing my new bookmarks (which are wonderful) and taking care of all the printing for me. He also designed the table top sign for me.
Books-a-Million in North Little Rock is the best damn bookstore in the state. Pam Houk and Chris Barton and all the other awesome associates seriously rock my socks off. If you live in central Arkansas, you should be making all your book purchases from this store. Trust me. They are awesome.
I posted these pics at Fictionistas today, but I’m gonna repost here for your viewing pleasure.
The first pic is me and my rotten boys. The 2nd is me and some of my classmates.

I had the best day and the greatest weekend. I have surrounded myself with a fabulous circle of friends and am truly the luckiest girl in the world.

my new hero

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Mimi Rosenthall is 101 years old and she just got her 3rd tattoo. She was 99 years old when she received her first one…And I thought waiting til 40 was a long time!!

You go, Mimi! Rock that Art, sistah!

I’m thinking maybe it’s time for my next one…I want a 4-leaf clover, I’m just not sure WHERE I want it. Probably on my foot. Yes, I know, it’s gonna hurt. Whatever. I can live with the pain. I mean, I fell asleep the last time!

reviews! fabulous reviews!

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Check this out! It makes me so happy to know that people who haven’t read BITE ME! (um, why not?) are able to pick up LOVE SUCKS! and enjoy it.

I love this review. Thank you so much!!! Especially this part:

When my power was out for 8 hours I sat in the car with a book light glued to my paperback copy, laughing my butt off and cheering for new favorite characters. I may not have read the first book, Bite Me!, but I can tell that Melissa Francis has been able to bring something new to the vampire world, which many of you know is a rare thing today.

Something else this author seems to have a talent for is balancing out characters. I can’t tell you how tired I get of seeing people try to write from a first person point of view with an attitude and not be able to hold together a real emotional connection with the story. But Melissa Francis did
what they couldn’t, and I commend her for it.

YAY! I love to be commended! (oops. Did I type that out loud?) When I read, I love to lose myself in the story…and when I write, all I ever want is to affect someone the same way. Thanks for a great review, Arya!

Here’s another review from someone who hasn’t read BITE ME! that made me smile. (dudes, y’all need to get a copy of BITE ME! quick, fast, and in a hurry…) I especially loved the last 2 paragraphs:

AJ Ashe is left preparing for a new arrival to her paranormal Brady Bunch Family but she also has to contend with an unfortunately sexy professional vampire trainer. All the while being chased around by creepy nasty things that don’t exactly want to be friends with her. It’s not very often that I enjoy the entire family in a book. Usually there is that one person who just ticks me off. However, I didn’t find that with Francis’ book. I really enjoyed all characters marked as ‘good’.

I have to admit it, for the past week I’ve been in a reading slump. No interest to read a book what so ever. But to my surprise, Love Sucks! brought me out of that slump and back to my more constant reading level. While this book might not be of my top interests (I am tired of vampire romances) if it was capable of stirring my imagination and bringing me back into the reading world then I applaud it.

Thank you very much, Erica. I’m so glad I could help you get out of your reading slump!
Also, I’ve gotten lots of inquiries about a 3rd book. I do have an idea, but I can’t promise it’s gonna happen…I’m certainly gonna try though! (BTW, THE MORE COPIES OF BITE ME AND LOVE SUCKS THAT SELL, THE BETTER THE CHANCES ARE FOR A THIRD STORY… just sayin’…) In the meantime, I’m working on a new series proposal that may not be filled with fangs, but it’s certainly sprinkled with sparkle…

Sparkle on, Wayne.

Sparkle on, Garth.

BABY GOT BACK! and Front! and Books!

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Last night was chocolate covered awesome!

First off, I signed books at the Literacy Signing. And while I was doing that, I met my new favorite person: Helen.
Isn’t she adorable? And she’s fun, too. I told her she was going to be made famous in my blog today, so here I go making her famous. Helen was sent to me by a regular reader of my blog (HI LESLEE!) I can’t tell you how excited that made me! I was like a goofy little girl, all giddy and stuff. I channeled Sally Fields for a moment last night, “You like me? You really like me!”

Here I am at my little spot:Keep all cleavage remarks to yourself. I’m pretty sure I heard them all last night. DANGER: CURVES AHEAD!

After the signing, Maria Geraci’s family adopted me and we ate dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant in the Swan. Our waiter was Fabiano and he was Fabuloso! (ok, true story here: We were discussing how I’m 41 years old and in all my many years, I never knew the Dolphin was both a fish and a mammal. And the Dolphin hotel is named for the fish not the mammal! I couldn’t figure out why the Swan had pretty swans everywhere and our hotel just had that weird looking fish!) Anyway Fabiano became my most favorite ever because he said “If it makes you feel better, you don’t look even close to 41. I would have guessed 31.” Ahhhh Fabiano! You just earned yourself an extra 10 spot in your tip!

After dinner, Maria and I joined the Divas for some Karaoke. There are pictures of me, Keri Ford and Amanda Berry doing a damn fine job of Baby Got Back–unfortunately I can’t find my camera cord this morning so you’re just gonna have to wait.

Trust me, they will be worth the wait….Thankfully, there is no video evidence. *she says as she runs off to check you tube just in case*

book signing event tonight!

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I will signing books (both BITE ME & LOVE SUCKS) for a charity event along with 300 other authors tonight. If you’re in the Orlando area, please come by the Dolphin! I’d love to see you, visit with you, get my picture taken with you and not feel left out like the red-headed step author. <–See what I did there? that's funny cuz I have red hair… Mel & Jill Monroe at Lit signing 2009

2010 “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing

The “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing has become one of the most popular events at RWA’s annual conference. More than 500 romance authors participate in this two-hour autographing event, and each year we raise thousands of dollars, which are donated to ProLiteracy Worldwide. Since 1990, RWA has donated more than $600,000 to literacy charities.

The 2010 “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing takes place on Wednesday, July 28, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Walt Disney World® Dolphin Resort, Pacific Exhibit Hall, in Orlando, Florida. This event is open to the public; there is no admittance charge. Since the proceeds from this event are donated to charity, we ask that you purchase books at the event instead of bringing your own books. (RWA accepts cash, check, or credit/debit cards for book purchases at the event.) If you do bring books, please limit yourself to one or two books and consider making a cash donation to the cause.

Mel & Gena Showalter Lit Signing 2009

weekend wrap up with 50% more pictures!

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First off: Happy VCR Day! Yes, I blogged about this fantastic holiday over at Fictionistas. Check-check-check-check it out!

Weekend Recap:

Friday evening and Saturday morning this was my view:

Yes that’s right. I had John Deere Dreams this weekend. See, my new casa is on an acre of land which is connected to my madre’s casa which is on 5 acres of land. So in lieu of rent, me and the boys do what we can to tend the land. Especially now that madre has had hand surgery.

Then Saturday night I went to Juanita’s to see my BFF Jenn Christman perform stand up for the 2nd time ever. She was a big hit! In the world of Bonuses, I got to see a former high school classmate of mine perform as well. Angry Patrick is indeed angry. But he is also funny.

Then Sunday, this was my view for a few hours:

And on Sunday night, the boys and I had dinner with friends and I met their niece who loved BITE ME! and was so excited to hear that Aunt Jena and Uncle Paul knew the author. Here I am with Emily (from Pontotoc, MS. Just a few miles down the road from Oxford, where I lived for 7 years!)

I wish I could say after such a busy weekend, that I’m well rested. But no. I didn’t sleep worth a crap last night thanks to a horrific nightmare. I don’t know about you, but dreaming of stabbing a stalker in the throat is just not my idea of fun.

Did y’all have a great weekend? Do anything special?

it’s THURSDAY all up in here!

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First of all, a little housekeeping. You may have noticed that http://www.melissafrancis.net now takes you to a home page. It’s a pretty cool looking page, if I do say so myself. Thanks fishdog for fixing that up for me. We’d been having some issues with the links not working properly, etc. but it’s all better now. You may have to change your blog feed address to http://www.blog.melissafrancis.net if you want to keep viewing Mel-O-Drama in a reader.

So the other day, my youngest niece Scarlette called me. The conversation went something like this;

Scar: Hey Aunt Mel, can you come to my school picnic so my
best friend can meet you?
Aunt Mel: You mean I’ll get attention from an adoring
fan?
Scar: Yes. She loves you.
Aunt Mel: Duh. Of course I’ll be there. Even if your best
friend didn’t give me attention because you’re my niece and you called and asked
me.
Scar: Yeah. Whatever. Thanks!

I believe this means I’m totally giving my niece street cred of some sort. THAT’S AWESOME RIGHT THERE.

So this afternoon I’ll be hanging at Pine Haven Elementary in Bauxite, AR for their end of the school year picnic with my niece. And apparently an adoring fan. Oh yeah. Somebody get the head shrinking gear out. I think I’m gonna need it!

Seriously though, I love it when I get emails and letters from kids (and parents!) who love my book. It makes my day. The fact that this ‘fan letter’ came via a phone call from my niece might just be the coolest of the cool.

What y’all got going on today?