A blog chain and contest! Don't miss out!

Check this out!

Today is release day for the fabulous Jill Myles' debut GENTLEMEN PREFER SUCCUBI, and, if it's not completely obvious from the hunk of mantitty on the cover, it's a sexy supernatural tale full of adventure, humor, and...um...sex.

Jill will be stopping by Writes in the City on January 18 to talk to us about--wait for it--writing sex scenes. Of course. And just to entice you some more, there's a contest:

Jill's agent Holly Root of the Waxman Literary Agency is offering a personalized query critique to the winner. How awesome is that? To enter, just follow the blog chain and comment, starting today with Amy Bai's The Purple Patch. One entry per blog, please, and the winner will be chosen at random on the last day of the tour (January 27) when Jill will also be posting an interview with Holly.

So what are you waiting for? Get over to Amy's! And buy Jill's book!

Merry Merry

MySpace Graphics - Myspace Layouts,Graphics, and Comments!

Oh yes, bloggy friends. It's that time of year again. Time for the annual pilgrimage to Colorado where I will tumble down the bunny slopes once or twice before calling it a day. Can you feel my excitement? Those of you who have been around a while know how much I love to ski.

I'll be in and out for the next few weeks. Have a happy/merry/joyous whatever. See you 'round the intertoobs.

Drinking the Kool-Aid

My mother used to be terrified I'd one day join a cult.

Sounds ridiculous, but who could blame her, really? Back in the 70s the media fixated on Satan worshippers, Jonestown, and the Manson Family, not to mention all the teenagers high on Angel Dust hallucinating roaches crawling all over them. It probably seemed like weirdos would creep into your window at any moment and carry your kids away.

All that percolated in her brain throughout my childhood and heightened when I started wearing a lot of black and listening to the Dead Kennedys. Definite proof of my cult activities presented itself as a cassette tape on the passenger seat of my '68 Mustang:

What could all those symbols mean? Nothing good, god knows!

So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that she flipped out in front of all my friends at the public pool when she caught me sipping a Dr. Pepper and reading Dianetics in 9th grade. Remember those mysterious volcanic TV commercials about "discovering the answer to it all?" I just didn't want to miss out.

She should've sat down, slathered on sunscreen, and waited for me to lose interest--it only took about four pages or so. Bor-ing. Instead, she screamed DON'T YOU KNOW THAT'S A CULT? I FORBID YOU TO JOIN A CULT!

OMG. Time stopped. Some girls laughed. The cute boy who'd been checking me out abandoned his flirtation with Crazy Mother Cult Girl. I could never return to Fassnight Park Swimming Pool ever again.

And mom? Just so you know--no cult activities to this day. Although if I had to choose one, it would be the hare krishnas. They seem fun.

That was her deal: cult fear. I wonder what's going to be my phobia? 'Cause you know it'll be something once I have two teenage daughters to stress over. Any bets? Maybe I'll have nightmares about them starring in a reality show?

Has your mom ever embarrassed you?

Blog facelift

Yes, she's had a little nip here, tuck there. Doesn't she just look so rested? Of course, she's having trouble smiling, what with all the Botox, but hey, anything for beauty.

I've also updated my These Blogs Rock section. Take a look.

Next, I think I'll have her lips done.

Mwah.

So, whaddya think? Too much?

'Gratz

I'm kind of belated with this, but wanted to congratulate some fellow writerly types on recent successes:

--Courtney Allison Moulton snagged a 3-book deal with Katherine Tegen / HarperCollins.

--Debra Schubert signed with Bernadette Baker-Baughman of Baker's Mark Literary Agency. You can read all about her journey here.

--Jill Myles has not one, but TWO books coming out in the upcoming weeks! She'll be making an appearance here on the blog soon talking about...what else? sex.

I'm sure I'm missing a few. Please comment if you know of anyone else!

Now I'm off to do some Christmas shopping. What mother of two girls would miss out on picking up one of babies to teach important life skills?:

Awww, isn't she adorable? But I have to say, she won't earn many tips with THAT outfit. Take it off! Woo!

Oh dear. I hope this is a hoax.

'Tis Book Season

Once again, I plan to give books to everyone on my Christmas list. Lots of rectangular-shaped packages shall sit under the tree. What can it be? Why, it's a book!

I did the same thing last year and hey! turns out a book is kind of a personal item, and choosing the right one isn't so easy. Mistakes were made, let's just say.

Wouldn't it be great if Barnes & Noble had a matchmaking service for book gifts? Like an eHarmony device? That way, you won't accidently send Chuck Palahniuk's latest novel to your Aunt Sophia who lives in a convent.

Until then, you'll just have to settle for my low-tech version and hope you have a few characters like these in your family.

For the Stylish Big Sister Who Watches HBO's True Blood and Wears Sexy Shoes:

Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler

Soulless by Gail Carriger

...and her teenage Twihard daughter:

The Evernight Series by Claudia Gray

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

For the Uncle Who Volunteers at the Humane Society:

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote

For the Workaholic, BlackBerry-Loving Husband: (this one is real)

The Return of Depression Economics by Paul Krugman

The Myth of the Rational Market by Justin Fox

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

For the Peacenik Younger Brother Getting His MA at Berkeley:

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

Living Off the Grid: A Simple Guide to Creating and Maintaining Energy, Water, Shelter, and More by Dave Black

The Fight for Peace: A History of Anti-War Movements in America by Ted Gottfried

A subscription to McSweeneys

For the History-Buff Sister-in-Law with the Heavy Damask Curtains in her Living Room:

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Katherine by Anya Seton

For the Neighbor You Never See Because She Has a Hellish Commute:

Audiobooks, of course. I'd listen to Stories by Garrison Keillor. Love him.*

For the Mom Who Won't Allow Anyone to Leave the Table Without Eating Seconds:

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child (She's probably lost it by now. Get her another copy.)

For the Dad Who Whoops It Up Every Thursday Night with his Masonic Brethren:

The new Dan Brown, naturally!

In Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn

For the Hard-to-Buy-For, Ph.D.-Toting Mother-in-Law:

The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk

Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

This Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer

For the Southern Belle Cousin in a Book Club: (I have lots of these)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Whistlin' Dixie in a Nor'easter by Lisa Patton

See? There's something for everyone! Even the Right-Leaning, Conservative Brother-in-Law:

The Reagan Diaries by Ronald Reagan

What would be on your Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/Whatever list?

*Uh, hmmm. Maybe not as much after reading this.

Pumped up for the show

Can you get up in front of an audience and tell your story with no notes, no papers, just you and a microphone? My friend Jayne can, and she invited me to a fundraiser last week to celebrate just that. The Moth is an organization that hosts storytelling events all over the city (and beyond) featuring a nightly theme and five storytellers who share a ten-minute tale about their lives.

Watching the performers that night reminded me of my college weekend job at a comedy club. I worked as a bartender/waitress and often served drinks to the comedians gearing up in the green room. Even with the uber-confident performers, the vibe in the room (which wasn't green, by the way) skewed tense, and I was careful not to disturb whatever process they needed in preparation to go on stage. Some comedians became arrogant, even belligerent, pumping up their tough persona only to slip out of it like a dirty suit after they finished. Others withdrew in the green room, quiet and nervous, muttering punch lines to no one.

Whatever their behavior in the green room, I rooted for each one when the show began. Even the guy who grabbed my ass (and apologized later.) Okay, yes, I had some skin in their success as well -- more laughs = bigger tips. But I respected the people who could get up on the stage with nothing but a microphone and open themselves up like that.

The Moth doesn't allow stand-up comedy at their performances. Still, some performers kill and some bomb. And the prerequisites are the same: you, a microphone, and a pair of brass balls.

Rejection through email is bad enough. At least writers rarely deal with hecklers.

How about you? Could you get up and tell your story?