to read or not to read...

Before I was a published author, I remember hearing other pubbed authors say that they had never read their books in print.

Each time someone would say this, I was scandalized! What? How could you not read your printed book??? What is wrong with you?

Guess what? I've never read BITE ME! in it's published form. I've started a couple of times, but never could get past a few pages. It felt weird.

But then LOVE SUCKS! came out a few weeks ago and I realized I barely remembered anything about the book. I remembered Sexy Lexy but that was about it. So I sat down one night and started to read.

And I didn't hate it.

So I read a little more.

And I still didn't hate it.

And then I laughed out loud a few times.

Wow. Not hating it.

And then, the book was finished. I read it all. And, dare I say it? I actually enjoyed my own book. Sure, there were a couple of things I would've done differently. It's very fast paced (which I prefer) BUT there were moments that it felt a little rushed to me. But then, I'm the author and I'm never gonna be truly satisfied with my own work.

Armed with this knowledge and new found courage, I thought I'd try to read BITE ME! again.

Yeah. I'm pretty sure BITE ME! will always be my one unread book. I just can't do it. I dunno why, and I'm quite certain I'm ok with not knowing the reason behind my psychological block.

What about you? Do you think you'll want to read your book in print or are you gonna be like me? And if you're a reader not a writer, do you find it weird that some authors can't read their own work after it's published?

coming soon: LOVE SUCKS!

In 6 weeks, the sequel to BITE ME! will hit the shelves.

It seems so surreal to know that I will have 2 books out in the world with my name on the cover. 2 books that I actually wrote. Myself. And that people buy. On purpose.

LOVE SUCKS! is available for pre-order, btw.

Here's the blurb I wrote for the book (which can be found on my book website: Have You Been Bitten?)

AJ Ashe is moving on. Sure she still has not-so-sisterly feelings for Ryan, her ex-boyfriend-turned-step-brother, but there’s a new vampire in town and his name is Alexander Archer. Caught between the desire to move forward with Sexy Lexy and being drawn to her past with Ryan, AJ thinks life couldn’t get anymore complicated. Yeah, right. When her mother’s pregnancy is threatened, it looks like AJ’s long lost father is the only person who can save her. But Dad’s help comes with a price. AJ is forced join the evil side of her family, and a very creepy shape-shifting demon is there to make sure AJ cooperates. All this and she’s still got to plan the prom. Being a teenager is tough, but being a teenage vampire just flat out sucks. Pun totally intended.

I'm working on a very fun contest idea with a super cool prize. 6 weeks doesn't seem that far away--on paper. But in my mind, it may as well be forever.

do you hear what I hear?

*crickets*

Yeah, that's about what I expect to hear tonight when I give my first ever author talk at the Benton Library.

The good news is, if I bomb, I get a chance to make it all better tomorrow at the Bryant Library!

I guess it's not really my "first" talk because a few weeks ago I met with 35 members of the Bryant High School reading club and I spoke to those guys. But they made it easy because they asked questions and all I had to do was sparkle.

What if nobody asks me anything tonight?

What if I lose my sparkle?

Tell me what you think I should talk about that will engage a crowd mixed with kids and adults. What would you want to hear that would keep you interested and maybe even inspire you to ask a question?

BTW, I can't believe Christmas is just a few days away. Happy Holidays to all my 'Nistas and all our friends in the interwebs. Thanks to all of our readers...we feel very blessed to have you guys in our virtual lives.

Bella's Favorite Book

I don't think I've made it a secret that I'm not really a fan of the Twilight franchise. (Yeah, I know. I'm going to probably have my YA Writer card revoked.)

But I thought it was quite interesting when I was browsing the Teen section of the bookstore the other day, and came across this cover.



The version I saw had a sticker that said "Bella's favorite book." I found it very interesting that HarperTeen issued a reprint of Emily Bronte's classic "Wuthering Heights" with a very Twilight-esque cover...especially when you consider that Little, Brown is Stephanie Meyer's publisher (not Harper). But hey, I guess everyone wants to cash in on this gravy train.

(Personally, I think Harper should just cash in on some teen vamps they've already contracted...our very own Mel Francis' "Bite Me" totally rocks. And I'm not just saying that because she's my friend. It really does kick some Twilight butt.)

Anyway, I guess I really shouldn't complain. Anything that gets kids interested in the classics is A-Okay by me.

Hmm...I wonder if one of the reasons I never could relate to Bella was that I always sort of couldn't care less whether Cathy and Healthcliff perished on the moors or not. I know it's probably sacrilege, but I couldn't stand "Wuthering Heights."

But hey, to each her own.

What do you think about the new "Wuthering Heights" cover?

the thrill of Walmart

After living in Oxford, MS for 7 years and having very little choice about where to shop, I began to loathe Walmart. I didn't care if the prices were 'always the lowest', I cared that it was always busy, always on the other side of town, and always Walmart.

Then my book got published and I started getting little notes about Walmart sightings across the nation.

The first came from my friend Karla in Arizona.

Then a few came from Florida. A few from Arkansas (I still haven't seen my own book at Walmart yet, but I keep looking)

Then Gena Showalter told me she nearly broke all the glass in the building with her squeal when she saw me in Oklahoma.

And yesterday, my friend Lucy sent me a picture of my own book at a Walmart in Texas.

Yes, I think I've officially arrived...

launching a star...or a book...whatever

So my book launch party was yesterday. It was amazing, exhausting, overwhelming and one of the best days of my life!

Here's some pics:

Pam, Liz, Mel, & Alan
Books-A-Million in NLR handled the sales of my book beautifully! What a great group!

Kristal, Me, Anna and Annetta
These are my peeps from High School and Annetta's daughter!

My daddy. He's very proud. Though he did spend most of the day going around to everybody and asking them to tell me that my tattoo was a bad idea. Sorry, pop. Bad idea or not, it's permanent!

Me and Stacey
Another one of my good friends from high school. I'm feel very very blessed.

Community Bakery did a great job with my cake. it was very, very tasty.

Me signing Wendi's book.
Another friend of mine from high school!

Me signing Danny's book! Haven't seen Danny since I was 18.

It was a fab day! Thanks to my friend Robyn and her family for hosting the party. It was very special and it means a lot to me!

who wants a copy of BITE ME! (and other stuff?)

First of all, I'd like to congratulate ALISON the winner from last week's contest! Please contact Rhonda: rhonda@rhondastapleton.com to claim your prize


So y'all know I've written a book, right? And y'all know that it is scheduled to hit the shelves tomorrow, right? So who wants to win a free autographed copy plus some BITE ME! swag, and a $25 Amazon gift certificate? Anyone?

Just in case you've been living under a rock, BITE ME! is the next big vampire novel. (or so I keep saying...you know, just putting it out there for the Universe to take and do something with)

AJ Ashe isn't your typical seventeen-year-old vampire—as if there is such a thing! She's stuck in the middle of a huge fight between her two BFFs. Her ex-boyfriend—whom she's still totally in love with, by the way—is now her stepbrother. A former classmate—who, um, she may or may not have turned into a vampire—is stalking her. And now, apparently, the fate of humankind lies in her little undead hands. What ever happened to the good old days, when all a vampire girl had to worry about was the occasional zit and hiding her taste for blood?

There are 4 different ways you can qualify to win:

1.If you're on Twitter tweet: BITE ME! By @MelissaFrancis hits the shelves this week. I can't wait

2 &3: If you're on Facebook, join my author fan page and my book group page. Click the banner and link below:


Have You Been Bitten?

4: Blog about BITE ME! on your own blog, myspace, or facebook page.


Once you've done your tasks, comment on this blog to let me know how hard you worked for your swag! Just leave me a comment like this:

awesomeblogreader:
I tweeted you under my name @awesomeblogreader
I joined your author page
I joined your book page
I blogged you at awesomebookreader.com

You get one entry for each thing you do, but you only have to leave 1 comment. Now, let's get the word out and get this party started!

ETA: Winner will be announced Friday! Contest closes Thursday, July 30!

eeek! It's REAL

I have a book. A REAL FREAKING BOOK.

With my name on it and everything.
See, I have a blurry self photo of my book to prove that it exists. It's real. And it's mine. (and if you still don't believe that it's mine, you can open up the back cover to see my picture. so there. I win. :p)

What a thrill it was to get this in the mail the other day! What a lovely thing for my awesome editor to do. My entire weekend was made when I opened up my final revision package to find a pretty wrapped present inside.

And when I ripped off the tissue (which, coincidentally (or not) matched the blue on my cover) I nearly peed my pants when I saw the REAL THING staring back at me. (okay, maybe I did pee a little. But don't tell anyone, mkay?)

I'm a published author. I have an awesome book (duh) that YOU will be able to buy off the shelves at a bookstore in 22 days.

In 22 freaking days!

Holy smokes!!!!!

It's finally starting to sink in. It's real. And I have proof because I'm holding a real copy of my dream.

And I hope you will be holding a real copy of my dream as well. :D And for a good dose of Karma, I strongly suggest you buy two or more copies.

BITE ME! Playlist

In case you missed it, I launched my new book website last week. Please check it out when you get a chance. http://www.haveyoubeenbitten.com

I had fun putting together the content for the site, especially the Timesuckers page where I've posted the playlist for BITE ME! (coming soon: LOVE SUCKS! playlist as well as a book related quiz!)

Music is such an influence in my life. It can set the tone for the day, the mood for a date, and for me, it totally provides the atmosphere for a scene. You'll notice there is a huge variety on my playlist, from country to rock, to pop and each song fits the mood of at least one scene in the book.

When I read books, I often hear a song in my head for specific scenes. I see the story as a movie, and music really adds punch to the emotion a scene is evoking.

Do you do the same thing with music or is it a distraction for you when you read or write? When you read BITE ME! (and, ahem, you will read it, right?) will you download the playlist and listen as you read? Or do you like to pick your own songs?

have you been bitten?

Okay, this is totally a shameless self-promotion day. I would apologize but hey, if I don't promote myself, who will? Right?

First off, if you're on Facebook, please join me on my Author Page and join my book group: Have You Been Bitten?

In other SSP news, I'm guest blogging over at the fabulous Lucienne Diver's place...dueling vampires! That's right, my girl from BITE ME!, AJ Ashe and the star of Lucienne's YA novel, VAMPED, Gina Covello are answering questions head-to-head. Stop by and check it out.

And last but not least, my new website will be launching today. It's almost ready...but not quite. Please stop by and bookmark http://www.haveyoubeenbitten.com for the latest and greatest on BITE ME! and its sequel LOVE SUCKS! we'll be announcing a super awesome contest there very soon!

Okay. I think I'm all pimped out. I hope y'all had a great weekend!

Win an ARC

I'm doing a give away over at GoodReads.com for an advanced copy of BITE ME! If you're a member of the community, (and if you're not, I suggest you join immediately!) please go here to enter the contest! Two lucky winners will be randomly chosen! You have until midnight tonight to enter.

Sorry this is a driveby posting. I'm neck deep in revisions right now for LOVE SUCKS! and I don't wanna break the momentum.

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

Happy V-Day Week

This week is Valentine Week here at Fictionistas, so get ready for some love, love, love. Or really intense like. Or lotsa hearts. Or maybe just some pink. Either way, you'll see a theme in this week's posts, so be prepared.

Speaking of love...have you seen my cover for BITE ME!? No? Yes? Well, either way, I'm posting again, because it is true love on my end.

I ♥ my cover.

I really don't know what to talk about this week. I have a love/hate relationship with Valentine's Day. I am a huge gift giver. Always have been. I love sending cards, giving trinkets, doing little things that show people how much I care. And as long as the gifts are appreciated, I am happy. I don't even need anything in return--most of the time. (Every girl likes to know she's thought about and appreciated. Gifts are welcome and encouraged!)

I like to give gifts throughout the year. Holidays like Valentine's Day feel so commercial and forced that oftentimes the meaning of the gift is lost in the forest of all the pink hearts and chocolate candies.

By the way, I do not subscribe to the 'it's the thought that counts' train of thought. It's all about the effort to me. If you're going to bother giving someone a Valentine's gift, (or any gift) make it mean something. Don't just run out to the grocery store and pick up the last available dying bouquet and a box of stale candy. Plan ahead a little. Some of the most appreciated gifts aren't the expensive ones. And sometimes the right card says more than a trinket ever would.

Make your gifts count.

Have a great V-day week!