RELEASE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Release Day for ACCORDING TO JANE is finally here! (Yes, I'm having an O.M.G. moment. ;)

I'm celebrating by attempting to be everywhere in the Blogosphere at once. In a "Where's Waldo?" kind of way, you'll find me bopping all over the place today...and tomorrow...and Thursday. And well into October, too. Here are some links to get you started. (And I'll probably update these throughout the day, if only so I can help myself remember all the tour stops...)

First, I'm the 007 Bond Sister on call today at "Nobody Writes It Better" with a post up about perseverance. It's mostly not about me but about someone I dearly love... And there's a 2 book + 2 VIA™ packet giveaway in progress there, too, so if you have a chance to stop by, please do!

I'm also visiting my lovely friend Eliza at Eliza Writes, who's hosting a giveaway, too; I have an interview up with Margay Leah Justice at Pop Syndicate's Book Addict (and she did a delightful review, as well); and I'm again the subject of the hilarious Pamela Cayne in Day 7 of her "Marilyn Brant Week"!

And thanks to the thoughtful reviews of both Lainey and Robin, I've made a new online friend! Edie from Magical Musings kindly gave me a shout out today on her blog. My darling friend Pamala added her good wishes, too. And the always wonderful Bunco Babe, Maria Geraci, mentioned my debut on her blog also. You ladies ROCK!!

Finally, because Starbucks VIA™ and I are both launching something we love throughout the U.S. and Canada today, I made the coffee cake I was threatening you all with yesterday--LOL! In truth, this turned out to be my absolute favorite of my VIA™ recipes so far. Even more than the chocolate stuff, and you know how I love chocolate. (Although I have this chocolate-cake/chocolate-pudding idea I still haven't tried...give me time.)

"VIA™ Streusel *COFFEE* Cake"
1 package cinnamon quick bread mix (I used Betty Crocker Cinnamon Streusel and LOVED it--it included both a batter packet and a streusel packet in the box)
2 eggs
2/3 cup water
1/2 packet of VIA™ (I chose the Colombia)
2 Tbsp. cinnamon applesauce (which I used in place of vegetable oil)
a handful of chopped pecans (or walnuts...or nothing)
cooking spray
For the glaze:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. milk
1/2 packet of VIA™ (the rest of the packet from above)
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray bottom of a 9x5-inch loaf pan. In a bowl, combine quick bread mix (batter), applesauce, eggs and water. Mix until blended. Pour half of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle half the streusel packet on top. Sprinkle the 1/2 packet of VIA™ on top of that. Add half of your handful of pecans. Then pour the remaining batter over the top of this. Spread carefully. Sprinkle with remaining streusel and press gently. Top with rest of pecans and bake for approximately 40 minutes. (If you use a different brand of quick bread mix, check the cooking times suggested on the box.)
Let the cake cool completely before making the glaze. When you're ready, mix the powdered sugar, the 1/2 packet of VIA™ and the milk together, stirring until the mixture is smooth and thin enough to drizzle over the cake. After that, have a piece with me!

ETA: The GCC tour continues to with stops at the blogs of Judy Larsen, Wendy Nelson Tokunaga, Karin Gillespie, Megan Crane and Brenda Janowitz (contest there!). And my agent, the wonderful Nephele Tempest, has a post up about my release of Jane and Shannon Butcher's new one!!

A Debut Author's Guide to Getting Her Recommended Daily Dose of Caffeine

Okay. Let me explain something. My debut novel, According to Jane, is coming out TOMORROW! Yes, within 24 hours it'll be on the shelves (fingers crossed!) in every major bookstore in the country. To say that I'm going into my book launch as a well-rested and relaxed citizen of the greater Chicago area would be a more blatant act of fiction than the stuff I've been writing. Truly, I don't think I've gotten a good night's sleep since sometime in June--and I credit that one restful night to the cold medicine I was taking at the time.

However, I have tools. And, as incredible good fortune would have it, I received an extra-large supply of them because I was asked to be a Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew "Beta Tester" a few weeks ago. One thing the company asked us to do was to try to come up with recipes that used the new instant coffee. Well, c'mon! I love recipes. On my own, back in the summer, I came up with my favorite VIA™ beverage variation and asked blog visitors to do the same--just for fun! The other day, I made my fave brew again:

"Marilyn's Mocha"
1 packet of the Colombia VIA™ coffee
1/2 packet of hot cocoa mix (like Swiss Miss or Nestlé)
4 oz. water
4 oz. skim milk
Pour the water and the milk into a mug, microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, add the coffee and the cocoa mix. Stir well. Top with a couple swirls of whipped cream, if desired. For me, that's always desired, and I added a few cinnamon sprinkles, too! (**pictured below with pancakes**)

But a writer can't live on coffee drinks alone--although I'm proof that, really, she can try. So, I decided to round out my breakfast with coffee-chocolate-chip pancakes. Because I'm always pressed for time in the morning, I used a quick mix (all I needed to do was add water to prepare the batter--it was fast!) and a handful of chocolate chips...plus my Colombia VIA™, of course. Here was the result:

"Choco-VIA™-Chip Pancakes"
1 package pancake mix (I used Hungry Jacks Easy Packs Complete Buttermilk Pancake and Waffle Mix)
2/3 cup water, heated
1 VIA™ packet
1/2 cup chocolate chips
A few swirls of whipped cream
2-3 tsp. butter (Hungry Jacks recommends Crisco, but I didn't have that in the house)
Add coffee to the heated water and let it cool. Empty it into a bowl containing the pancake mix and stir until the large lumps disappear. Add in the chocolate chips and mix gently. Heat lightly buttered skillet (medium-high) and pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook about one minute on each side or until done. On a plate, place the pancakes and top them with whipped cream and a few extra chocolate chips. Dig in!!

But, THEN, I decided I needed to get more creative. On one of the sites I visited, someone had used the VIA™ in a chicken recipe. Hmm, I thought. That's really interesting. I hadn't yet considered "caffeine + protein," but I liked the out-of-the-box aspect to it. What would happen if I tried "VIA™ + tofu"? Think about it... Tofu tends to take on the flavoring of whatever is added to it. Combine a coffee packet with some soy sauce, a dash of maple syrup, some brown sugar, perhaps, and we'd end up with a coffee-maple glaze, wouldn't we? Stir-fry some firm tofu, then sauté a handful of portobello mushrooms. Add a little glaze to both. Put the tofu and mushrooms over rice or noodles with the VIA™-soy-maple sauce on top and...voilà! A healthy and ever-so-slightly caffeinated vegetarian meal! Later in the day, I tried that, too:

"Tofu-Mushroom VIA™ Stir-Fry"
1 19-oz. package firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1 package of your favorite noodles (I used extra-wide egg noodles)
1 8-oz. package Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup water, heated
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 VIA™ packet (I used the Italian Roast this time)
Sauté the tofu cubes in the olive oil until lightly golden, add in the sliced portobello mushrooms and stir-fry them together until tender. Cook the noodles in a separate saucepan. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the VIA™ into the heated water until it's dissolved. Then add in the soy sauce, the maple syrup and the brown sugar until you have a smooth glaze. Dip a sautéed tofu cube into the glaze and taste it. If it's too thick for you, add a bit more water. Too sweet, adjust with a little more soy sauce, perhaps. Not sweet enough...well, another spoonful of maple syrup or brown sugar should do it. Pour the glaze over the tofu-mushroom mixture and stir until evenly coated. Serve warm over egg noodles. Enjoy!

Anyway, it was fun to experiment, and I couldn't help but think I should make some celebratory treat for tomorrow morning...like, oh, Coffee Cake. Hee, hee! Get it? COFFEE Cake... Well, yeah, okay, I know, I know. Obvious joke. I mentioned I haven't been getting much sleep, right? I'm tempted to do it, though, and invite you all to have a piece with me :-).

BTW, if you happen to be surfing the Internet in search of fabulous places to visit, Lainey Bancroft's wonderful review of my book had me sighing in delight. And Laurel Ann's lovely review at Austenprose today made my heart sing. And then Robin Bielman astounded me with her generous giveaway, as well as her tremendously kind heart. And in the GCC, the talented Carolyn Jewel is hosting me today, too, and there's a giveaway involved with that as well, so please stop by!

Exhaustion aside, as far as having wonderful people in my corner as I approach The Big Day...I've been feeling really, really fortunate. Thank you all so much.

Kate Duffy

I have another post--a long one--that I've been working on. One that was intended to go up this morning, but I haven't been able to finish it yet because I heard some very sad news today. Kate Duffy, beloved longtime editor at Kensington, has passed away, due to complications with the cancer she was battling.

I don't know many details and, to me, they aren't the significant part of the story anyway... But here's what is: Kate was an incredible force in the publishing industry--one of the first editors I ever met, back in 2003. She was knowledgeable, funny and really skilled at her work. And she'll be missed tremendously by all who knew her.

Sigh.

My Girlfriends Cyber Circuit Tour Begins...

I've been a proud member of the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit for a year and a half now, and I've had the privilege of getting to host lots of wonderful authors as they toured their novels. What a pleasure that's been! But, now, it's my turn to tour and, I can tell you, I feel as though I've already been around the world and back :).

There will be about 25 stops just on the GCC tour, in addition to fun visits at a number of awesome blogs this week. In between popping into bookstores to stare at my novel on display (TUESDAY!!), making new recipes with Starbucks VIA™ coffee and trying to get the prep work done for the events I have scheduled over the next two weeks...I'll be posting the sites I'm visiting. I will, in fact, be posting a LOT this week, just so I can be sure to let you know where all the cool happenings will be. And every time I post a new link with an interview, book review, guest post or tour visit, I'll add it to the Online Book Tour list on the right sidebar.

So, a few GCC posts about According to Jane are already up and, in a couple of cases, there are accompanying interviews, too. (With more tidbits about my life than anyone ever wanted to know, I suspect.) If you'd like to visit me at the blog homes of my fellow GCC'ers, here are the first three:

Hank Phillippi Ryan
Deborah LeBlanc
Judi Fennell

Be back tomorrow with more!

Giveaways and Goings On Around the Blogosphere

Happy Friday!!

Today on Austenprose, there is a wonderful slideshow of the Regency Costume Promenade at the Jane Austen Festival in Bath (currently in progress). Definitely take a peek, if you have a chance.

Also, Book Junkie's contest ends today; NovelWhore's contest ends tonight at midnight; and The Book Girl's contest runs until Saturday at midnight. So, if you haven't yet entered these and would like to, you've got a teeny bit more time. Thanks, ladies, for the great book reviews and for hosting these giveaways! (BTW, for those of you on GoodReads, my giveaway there ends just before midnight on Sunday. :)

And, finally, Her Most Awesomeness, Pamela Cayne, has detoured briefly from her recounting of the wild rock-n-roll tales featuring a tight-jean-wearing Jon Bon Jovi (but I'm seriously hoping I can get her to return to that thread soon) in order to interview me on her blog today. Please visit us here and see what kind of EVIL questions some people will ask in the name of friendship!!

Coming up this weekend: Some new Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew recipes and a lot of deep breathing...

An Austen Week...and a Walk into the Unknown

In the past few days, mostly to aid my strained memory, I've compiled a list of places involved so far in my Online Book Tour. (And, FYI: quite a few more links will be added soon...) I've posted them in the right sidebar. So, if you've missed an interview, book review, guest post, article or giveaway--and you're curious about any of these--that's the one-stop spot for everything.

Today, there are a couple of very exciting, week-long events in the Blogsphere, and I'm thrilled to be a part of them both. The Book Girl has a giveaway going on today--with three ARCs of According to Jane up for grabs as part of her "Austen Week"! Please check out her review; comment, if you'd like a chance to win an ARC; and, for you fellow Austen lovers, don't forget to take a peek at some of her special Austen offerings, too. The Grand Prize package she has available for one lucky visitor is delightful (see it here)!

In the western spiral of the galaxy, where some rather cool people live, the humorous and truly wonderful Pamela Cayne has an actual "Marilyn Brant Week" (!!!) that starts today. Aside from the interview questions she asked me, I'll admit to not really knowing the details of this week. And, if I didn't trust her implicitly, I'd feel a few stirrings of apprehension... (Hey, she mentions there'll be, and I quote: "thrills, chills, star sightings, and even a possible murder.") I'm holding out hope for a Star Trooper, too. So, please visit Pam's site, not only for my "week" there, but for all weeks beyond. The lady is unpredictable. She makes meandering into the unknown fun.

Release Day is in ONE WEEK!! (Ahhhh!!!!) More to come!

p.s. I just got the happy news that According to Jane is going to be a Fresh Fiction "Fresh Pick" next month (review coming soon). Made me smile :-).

A Week of Happy Surprises

It's starting to get very exciting around here...and not *only* because we celebrated my latest trip around the sun with lots and lots of chocolate cake and orange chocolate-chip ice cream! (And, no, I'm not saying exactly when that was or exactly how old I am. Some of you already know the answer to both... :)

However, I have a few other fun tidbits to share and will happily spill every detail: I've been interviewed for two wonderful sites by two lovely people, and both interviews just went up today!

Leah at Chicklit Club posted the first one earlier in the day. Please check it out!

And Brande at Book Junkie posted the second one there. PLUS, Brande and I are having a giveaway! One commenter on her site (name to be drawn on September 25th) will receive an advanced reading copy of According to Jane and a 3-pack of Starbucks VIA™ Ready Brew. Why, you ask, is more coffee being given away? Were there extra packets left over from the taste test or something??

Ahhhh...this is the next fun thing! Remember Jason and the surprise Starbucks coffee samples he sent me? (If not, that story and the taste-test adventure that followed is here.) Turns out, Jason, a fellow Chicagoan, has a colleague named Evan, who's based in Seattle... And Evan emailed me recently to ask if I'd consider being part of the Starbucks VIA™ "Beta Tester" program. Since I was already completely sold on the product, this was a blissfully easy decision. "OF COURSE!!" I typed with great enthusiasm.

So, my "Taster's Toolbox" arrived last night, packed with coffee and cool things--it was like a birthday present! I am totally psyched to get to be a part of this project and thrilled to report that the coffee is going to be distributed everywhere in the U.S. and Canada as of September 29th. Again, those who were visiting my blog over the summer know I was already a bit of a VIA™ evangelist, but the North American release of BOTH my debut book AND my favorite coffee-to-go ON THE SAME DAY is just pure awesomeness!

Therefore, everyone who wins a book of mine here in the next month will also get a coffee accompaniment, as will the winners on some of the guest interview sites. I'm planning to give away individual packets at book signings and speaking engagements, too, for as long as my supplies last. For me, it's a pleasure to get to share the coffee with readers and, hey, in a pinch, the little packets work well as bookmarks!

Incidentally, the characters in my first two novels are cheering wildly over this news. A number of them are fanatical coffee drinkers who firmly believe there's no such thing as either too much coffee or too much chocolate. Particularly the three women inhabiting my second book...

Which leads me to the last morsel of good news: Although we are STILL puzzling over the title, I'm happy to say that my editor just approved the final version of the second novel, and it's heading into production!! YAY! (Look for it on 10-01-10. :) It's the first time I wrote a book on a deadline, and it posed a whole new set of writing challenges. But, while the premise and narrative style is rather different from my debut, Book Two's personality is--I believe--a strong and vibrant one. And I'm so, so excited I'll get to share that story with you all next year...

ETA: The fantabulous Lydia Hirt--contributing writer at Beneath the Cover, marketing coordinator for the Penguin Group , and an all-around wonderful person (who also writes funny tweets and has great publishing-industry insight)--surprised me by putting up a review of my book today AND hosting another giveaway... This one with 2 ARCs! So, stop by her blog NovelWhore for a chance to win one!