Melissa Senate

Max, 4 year old son: "Mommy, I wish I were you so I could be the one who saw the rainbow."

It amazes me what he remembers. Last year he asked me if I'd ever seen a real rainbow, and I told him I had, and he looked at me so wistfully. For some reason tonight, after we read The Grouchy Ladybug and Ten Little Dinosaurs and played The Evil Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants (Max plays Plankton and I'm either Gary or Spongebob or Patrick), he said the above, about the rainbow, totally out of the blue.

And then I got wistful because it was a gazillion years ago. It was 1990, I was turning 25, got my first passport, and went to Ireland with my friends Lucia and Joyce, coworkers of mine from Harlequin Books. We flew to Dublin, went to pubs to flirt with cute Irish guys, and then rented a car to drive southwest to end up in Galway. I was the designated driver (the only one with a license) and while driving over the Dingle Peninsula, I saw a rainbow across the sky. I'd gone on that trip with a lot of questions about my life, about my long-term boyfriend at the time, about where I was living–and where I wanted to be. The usual quarter-something crisis. And when I saw that rainbow, I knew I couldn't go back to my old life as it was, not having seen something so glorious, something so amazing. I've had several life-changing moments since then, but that was one of the best. I do hope Max gets to see a rainbow when he needs to.

Guess I couldn't help reflecting this Memorial Day weekend! 

It's Memorial Day weekend in Maine and a perfect humidity-free 75 sunnny degrees, which makes it all worth living here during the long, snowy winter.  Need a good book to take to the beach? The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit has one for you!:

 COUPON GIRL by Becky Motew (click on the title to check out the book on Amazon) 

 Jeanie Callahan sells coupons.  Dry cleaners, mechanics, pizza guys—all of them are friends and clients, deadbeats and tormentors.  This summer Jeanie has joined the local community theatre, hoping to snag a collection of customers to win her company’s sales contest. 

But weighed down in a nun costume and fighting with middle-aged women about whose crucifix should be bigger, she wonders if it was a good idea. Frankly, there’s not a business owner to be seen.  The handsome director is in sight, though, and Jeanie thinks she may have found true love. Or maybe it’s a course in Sex Fetishes 101.  Opening night looms and some unusual sales propel Jeanie to the brink of victory.

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Becky Motew sold coupons on the road in Worcester for more than ten years and those experiences are reflected in COUPON GIRL, her debut novel.  Becky’s second love is the stage and she has been active in numerous community theatre groups in Massachusetts.  She has played Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, Rosalie in Carnival, and Miss Hannigan in Annie, where she scared her own daughter. 

Her web site:  www.beckymotew.com

Her blog:  www.beckymotew.blogspot.com

Looks great and I can't wait to read this one!

Happy Summer, everyone! 

First up: I will be chatting away, reading and signing my new novel, LOVE YOU TO DEATH, at the Scarborough Public Library in lovely Scarborough, Maine, this Sunday, May 20th at 2pm. If you're in the area, please stop by!

Second, here's another fun read for you from the Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit, a group of very talented female authors who blog about each other's new novels: 

Graffiti Girl

by Kelly Parra

MTV Books | May 15, 2007

ISBN: 141653461X

(For ages 13 and up)

Teen Fiction from MTV Books charts new territory with this debut novel about a high school student and artist tempted by the seductive world of graffiti art.

Graffiti art. It's bold. It's thrilling. And it can get a girl into serious trouble…

Raised by her single mom (who's always dating the wrong kind of man) in a struggling California neighborhood, Angel Rodriguez is a headstrong, independent young woman who channels her hopes and dreams for the future into her painting. But when her entry for a community mural doesn't rate, she's heartbroken.  Even with the winning artist Nathan Ramos–a senior track start and Angel's secret crush–taking a sudden interest in Angel and her art, she's angry and hurt. She's determined to find her own place in the art world, her own way.

That's when Miguel Badalin–from the notorious graffiti crew Reyes del Norte–opens her eyes to an underground world of graf tags and turf wars. She's blown away by this bad boy's fantastic work and finds herself drawn to his dangerous charm. Soon she's running with Miguel's crew, pushing her skills to the limit and beginning to emerge as the artist she always dreamed she could be. But Nathan and Miguel are bitter enemies with a shared past, and choosing between them and their wildly different approaches to life and art means that Angel must decide what matters most before the artist inside her can truly break free.

Praise for Graffiti Girl

"With characters as bold and exciting as the art they love, and an honesty that keeps them raw and real, Graffiti Girl shows us that they only thing better than discovering your talent is finding yourself along the way." ~ Jenny O'Connell, author of Plan B and The Book of Luke

 "Graffiti Girl is a fast-paced story that boldly looks dreams and temptations in the eye. 16 year-old Angel Rodriguez steals your heart as she tries to find her place in the world–artistically, socially, and even inside her own family. Don't miss this one!" ~ Tina Ferraro, author of Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress

 "This book blew me away. Kelly Parra writes with the keen eye of an artist. Graffiti Girl is warm, gutsy, and true-to-life–an unflinching, honest portrayal of young adults.  A seamless and impressive debut." ~ Anne Frasier, USA Today bestselling author of Pale Immortal

About the Author

 Kelly Parra writes young adult fiction for MTV Books. When not at work on her current novel, she spends her free time roaming book stores, surfing the blogosphere, and watching reality TV.  Graffiti Girl is her debut novel. For an excerpt visit, www.kellyparra.com.

Website: www.kellyparra.com

YA Fresh blog: yafresh.blogspot.com

The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit proudly presents INSIDER DATING, the fabulous new novel (I say this because I've read it and it IS fabulous!) by the gorgeous (she is nine feet tall and blonde and very glamorous) and talented Jennifer O'Connell, who's not only my friend, but the editor of the forthcoming (next month) anthology Everything I've Always Wanted To Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume, in which I have an essay. And if you're looking for a fun teen novel, check out her alter ego, Jenny O'Connell and THE BOOK OF LUKE, newly published too! 

One woman is about to take her knack for risk management to a whole new level in Jennifer O’Connell’s new novel, INSIDER DATING (NAL Trade Paperback Original; May 1, 2007; $12.95).  Abby Dunn, barely past thirty and still reeling from her divorce, has taken herself off the dating market.  Instead, she’s using her experience to turn the tables on the opposite sex by building a database to rank underperforming men and set women straight when investing their greatest asset:  themselves. Now, what started as a pet project is becoming a full-time enterprise.  But while Abby’s busy hedging bets, someone is skewing her data and threatening to ruin her business.  Abby is about to find out that sometimes even the savviest market wizards can be headed for a crash. While it may be perfectly legal, nothing good can come from insider dating.

PRAISE FOR JENNIFER O'CONNELL'S NOVELS:

"Hot!" –Us Weekly

"A pool side page turner!" –Cosmopolitan magazine

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer O’Connell received her BA from Smith College and her MBA from the University of Chicago.  She lives outside Boston and when she’s not writing, she spends her days as a market strategy consultant. She is the bestselling author of Bachelorette #1, Dress Rehearsal, and Off The Record.

THE GIRLFRIENDS CYBER CIRCUIT PROUDLY PRESENTS A MUST READ FOR SUMMER!:  

Shanna Swendson’s beloved blend of fantasy and romance is back in her delicious new novel DAMSEL UNDER STRESS (A Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Original; May 2007). Katie Chandler and her wizard colleague Owen have finally gotten it together and are about to have their first real date, after confessing their feelings and sharing an electrifying kiss at the office Christmas party.  So naturally, when the eccentric fairy Ethelinda appears and announces that she is Katie’s fairy godmother, here to help her find true love, Katie dismisses her.  She’s found her true love and they are on the path to happily ever after; why would she need Ethelinda’s help? But Ethelinda isn’t taking “no” for an answer and continues to pop up when Katie least expects—or wants—her.  Add in the evil wizard Idris’s scheme for world domination, or at least magical domination, and Katie has her hands full.  She needs answers.  Is Owen The One?  What exactly is Idris’s next move?  And how does she get rid of a fairy godmother who has more ulterior motives than Cinderella’s stepmother?

More Praise for Shanna Swendson

“Great entertainment, full of humor both magical and everyday, and some truly engaging characters.”

—Locus on Once Upon Stilettos

“A fascinating story that will keep readers turning the pages.  Don’t miss Once Upon Stilettos.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“Fans of both chick-lit and Harry Potter should not miss out on this series set in magical modern-day Manhattan.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Mayhem at its most enchanting.”

—Romantic Times on Damsel Under Stress

About the Author

Shanna Swendson escaped the corporate rat race to be a novelist and pop culture essayist.  She is the author of Enchanted, Inc. and Once Upon Stilettos, in addition to contributing essays to books about television series, authors, and novels.  When she’s not writing or watching television and movies so she can write about them, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and singing.  Visit her web site at www.shannaswendson.com.

I've known Shanna's wonderful work for such a long time and can't wait to curl up with this new book!