WOW! Sleeping with Ward Cleaver hit #32 on the B&N Romance Best Sellers List! Do you have your copy yet!???? And Amazon has had to reorder inventory!

IRENE! You've Won! Send me an email. See comments!

This just makes me roar with laughter.


Sometimes my inner child pops out and darn if I can get him to go back in. Oh, my inner child is definitely a 13 year old boy. If it's not moving go Perez Hilton and watch the moving version.

Welcome to THE LIAR'S DIARY (Plume) Blog Day!

Author Patry Francis is unable to launch a blog tour due to cancer treatments. So the blogosphere of writers and friends have decided to create a worldwide tour in a day for her.


From the LitPark blog: "Today, over 300 bloggers, including bestsellers, Emmy winners, movie makers, and publishing houses have come together to talk about THE LIAR'S DIARY by Patry Francis. Why? To give the book the attention it deserves on its release day while Patry takes the time she needs to heal from cancer."

Answering the question of what is more powerful—family or friendship? this debut novel unforgettably shows how far one woman would go to protect either.

They couldn’t be more different, but they form a friendship that will alter both their fates. When Ali Mather blows into town, breaking all the rules and breaking hearts (despite the fact that she is pushing forty), she also makes a mark on an unlikely family. Almost against her will, Jeanne Cross feels drawn to this strangely vibrant woman, a fascination that begins to infect Jeanne’s “perfect” husband as well as their teenaged son.

At the heart of the friendship between Ali and Jeanne are deep-seated emotional needs, vulnerabilities they have each been recording in their diaries. Ali also senses another kind of vulnerability; she believes someone has been entering her house when she is not at home—and not with the usual intentions. What this burglar wants is nothing less than a piece of Ali’s soul.
When a murderer strikes and Jeanne’s son is arrested, we learn that the key to the crime lies in the diaries of two very different women . . . but only one of them is telling the truth. A chilling tour of troubled minds, The Liar’s Diary signals the launch of an immensely talented new novelist who knows just how to keep her readers guessing.


You can buy The Liar's Diary HERE. What are you waiting for?? Don't forget to buy Sleeping with Ward Cleaver from Jenny Gardiner at the same time. Save on shipping you know!

SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER DEBUT AND CONTEST! Leave a comment to enter. Check back Friday to see if you've won.

Join me in welcoming debut author Jenny Gardiner whose fabulous read, "Sleeping with Ward Cleaver" is ready to ship! I've read SWWC and let me tell you, this is NOT your's mother's romance novel! It's fast paced, has a real edge to it (which is what appeals to me) and is written in Jenny's very funny style/voice. It's about a marriage with ups and downs and all arounds. Read the first page HERE!

Jenny won the prestigious American Title contest held by Romantic Times magazine. You can buy a copy right away HERE.

Hi, Jenny. Thanks for coming in to chat with my blog buddies.


Hi Kim! Thank YOU for having me! I love having a reason to appear on your awesome blog!


First off, who decided that the husband character is like Ward Cleaver – you, the author, or Claire the wife in the book?


That's a good question. At first I suppose I did, because I came up with the title before I had a story. So I had to create a Ward Cleaver-esque husband. It wasn't a huge stretch, as really he became a composite of so many "dud" husbands I've known/seen over the years (you know, the stories you hear over drinks with your girlfriends, etc.)


Often characters “tell” writers what do to. Which was it for you?


Once I started to develop the characters more, I think Claire drove the story. She was the one who kept coming up with things that had happened, she was the one who did occasionally put herself into a situation that only happened because she was letting her imagination get the better of her. I wanted her to be flawed but real and also sort of more flawed because she was stressed out with the way her life had unfolded. Not that her life was at all bad, but it just wasn't working right, too much energy was being wasted on her fighting the "system" as it was.


What’s it like writing the sexy scenes?


Oh, god. I am so not adept at that yet. Well, I tried to avoid overt scenes while working the emotion into it. I think this is a skill that comes with time and I am definitely still working on it. I have observed though that many of the "sexiest" books I've read aren't necessarily sexy because of what ultimately happens but because of the build-up to that. Now this story wasn't exactly that sort of story. In this case I was trying to help my protagonist find it again, so that was interesting. Hence why she had to start having really awful sex, the kind of sex you just don't want to think about. Like castor oil sex LOL.


Do you think of your first grade teacher reading your book?


No, more like my kids, my parents, my neighbors. I am a total weenie in that way--like I need to grow up and get over that fear! With my next book I've done it in a more comfortable way and actually gotten bolder, so I guess I am "maturing" with my sex scenes...


Your cover art is to die for – did you have any input? I’ve heard authors often have no say in cover art.


I didn't have any say in my cover but fortunately for me, Dorchester is known for having fun covers. It wasn't at all what I had envisioned for the cover but I love it--it's very fun, very campy, and every time I look at it I hear the theme song for I Dream of Jeannie...


What has your time on The Debutante Ball meant to you?


Wow, it's been such a fantastic thing for me. Kristy Kiernan brainstormed this great blog for a group of debut authors last year, and this year turned it over to a new group. I was so darned lucky to have been chosen as one of the authors. Not only did she pick an awesome group of authors, but we had this great ready-made blog with an established readership and wonderful reputation. We've been able to build on its success, and have been able to bring in some wonderful authors as guests, and are also opening it up for other debut authors as well. It really exemplifies the whole concept of paying it forward, something I so very much believe in. It's been a real added bonus that all of us "Debs" have gotten to be genuine friends, and have been there to help one another out with so many of the details of that year leading up to publication. I feel very very lucky, for all of this, really. I could not have imagined any of this even a year ago.


Thanks, Jenny! And, one more! Will there be a Sleeping with Mike Brady or Dr. Huxtable anytime soon?


Ha! Well, you may know, Kim, that I was weaned on TV of the 60's and 70's and I'm sorely tempted to do so...Never say never, that's for sure. Sleeping with Jed Clampett, maybe?! He he. Thanks again, Kim for having me on your blog! I really appreciate it!

NAUGHTY PHOTO HERE

Check out this new blog from across the pond. Do I smell scones? Yummy!

What's that? You see stones? I beg your pardon? No. I'm talking about scones, lovely baked goods. Goodness, get your mind out of the gutterrrrrrrrrr.

Congrats on the new blog, Amanda!

Why did I change the post? Did my Mom call to scold me? Nope. Did I develop a conscience about showing balliculars on my blog? Nope. I'm part of a blog tour this week for a VERY fun book and I just thought it would be more fun to wonder what's under that link and then click it.

Someone tell Ohio that St. Paddy's Day isn't until March 17th and Chicago pretty well has the green river shtick covered. Read the story of the green Cuyahoga river HERE. Hey, at least it's not on FIRE.

YIKES

Writerly Post Today: Stand Alone vs. Series

I have been a fan of Janet Evanovich since the first Stephanie Plum book, One for the Money, debuted. She's one of the authors I get giddy for when I hear a new book is coming. (My protag shares some similarities with Stephanie Plum in terms of voice, language and general fuckyuppishness.) I bought Plum Lucky yesterday.

I read something interesting on Holly Kennedy's Blog. She's a successful writer. Check her out. She said the characters from her latest book The Silver Compass (which I ordered today) are fading from her mind as she writes her next book. Which got me to thinking of authors who write series, like Janet Evanovich, and the readers who have expectations from a writer and her books.

If I could ask Janet Evanovich a question it would be, "How do you balance the need to please your readers with your desire to write something new and perhaps write different characters?" And then I would ask her 4,534 more questions while crying "I'm not worthy!" until she called security to peel me off her windshield where I would have crawled as I saw her driving down the main drag in Hanover where she lives. (Note, I spent 4 years up there in Dartmouth country, however I have never and will never stalk Ms. E. But I love being able to picture in my minds' eye her walking past Baker Tower or into The Hop.)

Am I rambling? Of course. Let me slurp down some coffee. There. So, Holly is able to walk away from her characters and move on to her next wonderful book - many authors write series where they keep their characters alive for years, decades even.

As a writer would you prefer to write a set a characters and then move on? Or keep them alive in additional books? I'm leaning toward keeping them alive. Of course, they have to be born on the pages first, don't they? I mean the kind of pages between an actual spine with a publisher's name on the side - not the kind I get from Staples.


I hope to sell this winter/spring. Maybe I 'll get "Plum Lucky?"

Thanks to www.perezhilton.com for lending me this photo. When was the last time you felt comfortable, crazy, drunk enough to do this?

Really. Paris looks like she's just having fun. Pure fun. When you have kids, a job, bills to pay, get older do you ever really get to just have fun? When was the last time you let it all hang out? Me? Two years ago this past May. It hung out. Then it came flying out of my mouth, I admit. The fun went a taaaad too far! But hot darn it felt good to just let loose. Is everyone else's life all commitment and caretaking and responsibility and anxiety about the future? And (borrowing from my favorite movie "Parenthood") is your whole life "have to?" I miss fun. I do.

Autism Speaks in Amer-Ree-Cah!

Autism Speaks seems to have accomplished the impossible, bringing together autism's "Jets and Sharks" (The "Curebies" and the "ND's") in a moment of agreement.

Here's another analogy for those of you who might not be familiar with 50 year old Broadway plays.... Think of observant Jews who keep kosher and observant Muslims who also do not eat pork. Two fairly disparate groups, yes? Autism Speaks is often considered a slab of ham wrapped in bacon smothered in sausage gravy by both groups.

Many within the autism world were astounded at the draconian measures Autism Speaks took against a young person on the autism spectrum for creating a parody website called "NT Speaks" that expressed her opinion of this powerful organization. ("NT" stands for Neurotypical, a description of someone who does not have autism or Asperger's.)

This young person has posted HERE that she was sued for last week for $90,000 for copyright infringement, lost revenue, and drawing away 1 million of the charity’s supporters. She also writes that Autism Speaks dropped the threat of a lawsuit when they learned her age HERE.

AS is a corporation. Like Coca Cola, Colgate Palmolive or Halliburton.

Heath Ledger, dead of an overdose? I first saw him in "Ten Things I Hate About You" and I admit it, even with our age difference, I had a little crush on him. Just call me Stiffler's Mom. Very sad. Britney? We expect that one. Heath Ledger, young Dad, talented actor. No. RIP.

POLITICS: SEX OR RACE?

Thought this might be appropriate in the waning hours of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There's talk that black women have to struggle with voting for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama - sex or race? And that black voters who were formerly the bedrock base for the Clinton's are defecting to the Guiliani camp. (Just checking to see if you're awake on that one.)

So....would you vote based on your race/ethnicity or sex given the choice? Would I vote for an Italian/Irish/Venezuelan male candidate (yes, I'm all three) over a Waspy female candidate? If the two were ceteris parabus 100%..... I don't know which lever I'd pull. I don't. Do any of us know before we draw the curtain in that booth?

Leave to my girls to cheer me up. I was feeling a bit like the deep end of the pool today. Cold, cloudy, you know. But my gorgeous Miss Mia jumped into the pool from the diving board today and swam the length of the pool! And that cheers me greatly. I shall eat chocolate to celebrate. Mia jumped off the diving board!

Oh, and when Mia swims? Her aide dries her hair like you've never seen. It's shiny and straight and beautiful every Tuesday.

Dennis Quaid's account of what happened to his infant twins when they were overdosed with 1000 times the recommended dose of the the blood thinner Heparin at Cedars Sinai in LA will curl your hair. (Mine straightened.) Read the LA Times story HERE.

"The first that Dennis Quaid learned of the medication error was at 6:30 a.m. the next day, he said, when he arrived at the Los Angeles hospital. Treatment decisions had been made without them, he said."Our kids could have been dying, and we wouldn't have been able to come down to the hospital to say goodbye," Dennis Quaid said in a 90-minute interview Monday, the couple's first since the overdose.At the door of the children's hospital room, he said, he was greeted not just by a pediatrician and a nurse but by a representative of the hospital's risk management department."

I feel sick. If this is what happens to a celebrity couple, imagine how the average "Joe" or worse, "Jose" gets treated?

I hope the Quaid children do not have permanent damage from this error.

I don't often cross post from Age of Autism but this article seemed wide reaching. You wonder why I question every word that comes out of Pharma and most doctors? And why I'd promote drug free treatments for most everything? This is why:


From the New York Times: "A clinical trial of Zetia, a cholesterol-lowering drug prescribed to about 1 million people a week, failed to show that the drug has any medical benefits, Merck and Schering-Plough said on Monday."

You've seen the gorgeous ad campaign for Vytorin, which is Zetia and Zocor together. Heck, I can hear the tooty little song in my head right now, with the people who resemble food.


Read the full article from The Times HERE. You no longer have to pay for The Times online, but you might have to sign up.


How many of you are on this drug? Your parents? Grandparents? A million prescriptions a week and it does nothing? I expect medical doctors across the country to express their outrage at having duped their patients into thinking they were getting medical treatment. Come on, AMA. I'm waiting.

DRUG FREE ADHD TREATMENT FEATURED ON WBZ TV BOSTON. (That's a link. Click it.)

I just so happen to be on the board of Active Healing, the organization featured. I introduced John Fiske, the Dad in this video clip to Sarge Goodchild of Active Healing. And the rest is history.

MMM! Smell that? Bread baking. Yes, it's gluten free bread but it still smells great. My sister gave me a Williams Sonoma gift certificate for Christmas and I bought a Cuisinart bread machine. JOY! I no longer dread making the kids bread. Mix the liquid, put it into the pan, add the flour, yeast on top, hit a few buttons and walk away. I use the Bob's Redmill Wonderful GF mix. It's tasty, soft, makes a good kids' sandwich. Try it!

"Pluck it, shave it, tweeze it off.
Wash it, spruce it, dead skin slough."
Men who've made us worry and think?
Spend some time and clean your dink.

I think THIS is the funniest product I've seen in a long time. After years of women being told on national TV "Your body is gross!" (FDS, deoderant tampons, feminine powders and more) men are now being told, "Get real! Your dangly bits smell like a subway stop on Sunday morning!"

I think many/most (?) men know to shower up before embarking on intimate excursions. Perhaps this product is for that quickie in the car? The bathroom tryst for wayward Senators? I just know I burst into laughter every time I hear the ad. Dear God, I hope they can afford a spot on the Superbowl.

What you you doing tomorrow?

Soccer practice? Costco Run? Get out the shoebox full of receipts for tax time? Clean the lint trap in your dryer?

I'm going to see THIS!

Drama Mama, please do not hate me. I imploooooooore you, dahling!

We interrupt Kim's regularly scheduled life for 2 hours of relaxation. I am making beef soup. I am listening to my favorite show on Sirius. My house is quiet. My blogs are up to date. My laundry is mostly done. My toilets are clean. I like my Christmas tree and I am NOT taking it down today.

I will return to motherhood and responsibility at 2:30pm Eastern when Mia gets off the bus.

Now where's my spoon?

Asperger's featured in movie on PBS

Today's Man

"TODAY’S MAN tells the story of Nicky Gottlieb, a former child genius who, at age 21, is diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. People with Asperger’s, which is a form of autism, tend to be highly intelligent—often geniuses in certain subjects—but are unable to pick up on social cues. The subtleties of body language, facial expression, tones or gestures are lost to Nicky, and his own behavior can be considered by others to be bizarre and inappropriate."



Check your local PBS listings HERE. Let me know what you think of the movie in the comments section, won't you?

I love The Algonquin hotel. Where Dorothy Parker's roundtable sits gleaming in the dining room, her memorabilia fills the bookshelves. You can smell the literary air - or maybe that's the cat who roams freely? I met my agent at an event at The Algonquin. I've dined with famous authors at The Algonquin (shout out to P and H!) Today? I'm having a late breakfast there. I. Am. Happy. Maybe I can tell you more about the day later. Off to motherly chores. My Gianna just got in my face with a beaming, "Good Morning!" A good day indeed. And it's not 6 degrees today. That helps too when you're strolling up 5th Avenue and not wearing a full length mink.

$100 a barrel.

Oil prices continue to climb. How are the elderly, those on fixed incomes, those making minumum wage or even $10 - $15 an hour supposed to fill their bellies, their fuel tanks and their cars and have enough money left over to buy anything else?


My God. Health insurance continues to crush families (our deductible went from $900 per family in 2007 to $6,000 in 2008. Yes, $6,000. But then the policy pays 100% instead of 80%. But you still have to spend $6,000 out of pocket to get there.) Education has become unattainable without going into substantial debt.

Did you get a raise this year? A bonus? (Wall Street types are excused from this question as you are probably still busy scanning the Neiman Marcus catalog for gold plated toilet seats.)

If took a new job did the company cover any of your move? I remember when Mark and I moved in 1999 and the company paid every red cent of the move AND added babysitting dollars to help us get childcare to look at houses. His last move a few years ago? $3000 paid with a grudge. When was the last time you attended a company party that featured more than paper cups and a cocktail weenie? (Wait, that was Joe in accounting, nevermind.)

I worry. I really do. Think long and hard in this election year. We're losing our middle class. The backbone of the country. Drowning. I worry.

Happy 2008!

I spent New Year's Eve in Palm Beach, Florida, hobnobbing with the super wealthy and the fabulously fit denizens of that fashionable 'burgh. I danced away the evening with Archie McNally while he solved a frightfully bold murder mystery in his inimitable style. His puce beret complemented his cerise silk jacket and I didn't even mind him smoking those English Ovals. Connie Garcia was not amused. I cared not.
(Hope you read Lawrence Sander's books or you're lost!)

I DID spent last night in Palm Beach though. I can prove it right HERE.

And who doesn't love Auntie Mame? That's she in the photo above. I think of her and the folks at "Ups and Downs" every time I drive through Darien. Sometimes I feel like Auntie Mame. Other times more like Agnes Gooch.

Off we go into the New Year, friends!