Yes, friends, it's time for another laugh till you drop read from our very own Ellen Meister! YAY! Her last novel, THE SECRET CONFESSIONS OF THE APPLEWOOD PTA, had me snorting with laughter. So much so, I can't wait to get my hands on her latest, THE SMART ONE! It was just released at the beginning of the month, so do yourself a favor, lighten up the end of summer with Ellen's latest. I guarantee you won't regret it. :) Here, check it out for yourself....

THE SMART ONE By Ellen Meister

Ellen Meister, author of the hilarious The Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA returns with THE SMART ONE (Avon A, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; On-Sale Date: August 5, 2008; $13.95; ISBN: 0061129623), a funny and sexy tale of love, family, and transcending the childhood identities that mark us all.

Beverly Bloomrosen has always been the smart one, the middle sister sandwiched between Clare, the beautiful and popular older one, and Joey, the rebellious rock-star younger one. But she's hit a bit of a slump lately. Now 35, she's embarking on a new career as an elementary school teacher and not exactly living up to her family's expectations ("Maybe she can work her way up and eventually teach high school. That wouldn't be so bad," her mother helpfully comments). Bev has moved back into her parents' home on Long Island while waiting to see if a job opportunity in Las Vegas materializes, seeing it as her chance to start afresh...but before she knows it, life back at home starts to get very interesting.

Kenny Waxman, Bev's childhood neighbor--and the boy who almost became her high school boyfriend until she found him in bed with Joey--returns. Now a successful comedy writer in Los Angeles, he can still make her heart pound...and the attraction is still mutual.

Things take a turn for the sinister when a pregnant woman's body is found in an industrial drum buried in the Waxmans' backyard. As Bev and her sisters begin to unravel some mysteries of the past, some secrets of the present are revealed: Bev learns that the perfect Clare may not be as perfect as her glamorous, well-coiffed suburban life may suggest, while rebellious Joey is still attempting to exorcise some of the demons that have haunted her for years. In the end, the curse of being the smart one may just turn out to be a blessing.

This summer, discover the surprising side of suburban life in Ellen Meister's darkly funny and vividly told sister story, THE SMART ONE.

About the Author Ellen Meister grew up in the heartland of suburban Long Island. She spent her early career in advertising and marketing, and later worked as editor for a literary magazine and published numerous short stories. Her first novel was Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA (Morrow/Avon, 2006). Meister lives in New York with her husband and three children. To find out more, visit her website at ellenmeister.com.

Praise for THE SMART ONE "Wonderfully funny, irreverent and entirely unexpected. I loved it!" - Jane Green, bestselling author of The Beach House

"A perfect beach read!" - Booklist

"[The Smart One] delivers witty repartee, hilarious hijinks, plenty of action, some steamy sex, a dizzying romance, and, obviously, a murder mystery ... but Meister doesn't stop there. She gives us lucid, compellingly readable yet polished prose. She gives us beautiful symbolism and even slips in clever references to a beloved classic that she's updating. And, mostly, she doesn't give us characters so much as people. People who'll drive you nuts, and people you'll fall in love with." - Susan Diplacido, author of American Cool

"If you're looking for a smart, humorous story about families, look no further. THE SMART ONE by Ellen Meister is a down-to-earth story that made me wish I had a sister of my own!" - Kay James, Romance Reader at Heart, rated "Top Pick"

"Character-driven ... fast-paced and features great dialog." - Library Journal

"Fasten your seat-belts for the wild ride in the SUV of suburbia, where a sibling rivalry predicament will require more than 4-wheel drive to get these sisters out of the pile-up." - Amy Wallen, bestselling author of MoonPies and Movie Stars

HELPFUL LINKS FOR BLOGGERS

Website: http://ellenmeister.com/

Cover jpg: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/2469096530_e3650daf64_o.jpg

Author photo: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/2503193811_30e3117dbd.jpg

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Smart-One-Ellen-Meister/dp/0061129623/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216977773&sr=1-2

Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Smart-One/Ellen-Meister/e/9780061129629/?itm=6

Booksense: http://www.indiebound.org/zip.php

Borders: http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0061129623

Okay, I know there are probably going to be a few raised eyebrows out there from this post, each of them wondering, "Since when does Deborah blog about romance books?!"

Yeah, yeah, I know, but when you hear about this smart, sort of in-your-face new novel by Jackie Kessler, you'll understand why.

Without a doubt, this one's a sizzler by any romantic book's standard. Even better, one of the main characters is a woman who really knows her own mind. Talk about making a guy work for it! lol Check this out....

HOTTER THAN HELL by Jackie Kessler: Ze Press Release

In HELL'S BELLES and THE ROAD TO HELL, Jackie Kessler brought readers into an unforgettable Underworld populated by alluring demons and sexy devils. Now Daunuan, the most irresistible incubus of all, is facing one Hell of a challenge...

So whose soul do you have to damn to get a promotion around here?

Daunuan was never the ambitious type. There's so much to love about his job just the way it is--mind-blowing sexual prowess, the power to seduce any human, excellent dental plan. But now Pan, the King of Lust, has offered to make Daun his right-hand incubus--a position other demons would give their left horn for. All he has to do is entice a soul destined for heaven into a damnable act of lust. Should take, oh, seven minutes, tops.

Then he meets his target, Virginia Reed. She's cute. Funny. Smart. Unfathomably resistant to his charms. He can't understand it. But Daun has centuries of seduction to his credit. He's the best there is. Sooner or later he'll transform this polar icecap of a female into a pool of molten desire, and every instinct tells him she'll be worth the effort.

Meanwhile, he has to deal with a plague of rogue demons Hell-bent on taking him down, sent by an unknown enemy with a serious grudge. And one other problem: the dawning realization that he's falling in love--that unholiest of four-letter words--with the woman he's about to doom for all eternity...

HOTTER THAN HELL: Book 3 in the Hell on Earth series by Jackie Kessler (Kensington/Zebra Books, August 5, 2008)

Praise for HOTTER THAN HELL: "Jackie Kessler is firmly on my list of favorite authors. Hotter Than Hell is edgy and filled with hot temptation--in the form of an incubus so sexy, daring, and delicious that you'll be offering him your own soul. Fast paced and clever, Kessler's writing shines." -- Cheyenne McCray, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Magic

"Kessler has outdone herself by giving readers a glorious book three of her deliciously sinful series, Hell on Earth. Daunuan's sexy supernatural antics make sparks fly, and if you're not careful you'll singe your fingers as the pages speed by. It's packed with quirky characters, a spicy, fast-paced plot and witty dialogue. Be prepared for a demonic treat that's hotter than hell." -- Romantic Times, 4.5 stars (top pick for August 2008)

"Sexy and bold" --Publishers Weekly

"Hotter Than Hell blew me away....Jackie Kessler writes the kind of stories that grab you by the throat and don't let you go until the last page is read." -- Night Owl Romance (reviewer top pick)

"Ms. Kessler really has outdone herself this time around and has given readers a real treat with a book that is not only heartfelt and engaging but one that is also a sensuous and adventurous tale. Kessler clearly is staking her claim in the urban fantasy genre as an author that is here to stay--and we're only too glad to have her." --ParaNormalRomance (staff top pick for July 2008)

"Make sure you get your hands on this book." -- Literary Escapism

"Jackie Kessler's new book, HOTTER THAN HELL is a definite scorcher....Ms. Kessler is truly the goddess of paranormal romance and I recommend her to everyone." -- Dark Angel Reviews (recommended read)

ABOUT JACKIE KESSLER

Jackie Kessler is the author of the Hell on Earth series, published by Kensington/Zebra Books. She has two spin-off Hell stories as well: one, "When Hell Comes Calling," will appear in the LILITH UNBOUND anthology (Popcorn Press, 2008) edited by bestselling author Elaine Cunningham. The other story is an erotic novella, "Hell Is Where the Heart Is," to appear in the upcoming RED HOT VALENTINE'S DAY anthology (Avon Red, January 2009). Jackie is also the co-author of BLACK & WHITE, a dystopian superhero novel about two superpowered women--once best friends, now on opposite sides of the law--who must join forces to fight the Big Bad Evil (bwahahahahaha). BLACK & WHITE will be published by Bantam Spectra in July 2009.

For more about Jackie, please visit her website: www.jackiekessler.com