Deb News:
Deb Jess is thrilled about the recent review Booklist gave Driving Sideways:
“Leigh Fielding was diagnosed with kidney disease and recently received a transplant. Since then, she’s been trying all kinds of new things and comes to believe that she’s channeling the donor, Larry. She decides to leave her central Wisconsin home for a road trip to meet Larry’s family and see if he’s anything like the new personality she has acquired. Things go awry at the Minnesota border when a teenage girl named Denise steals Leigh’s purse and uses it to blackmail Leigh into giving her a ride to L.A. On the way they visit classic tourist traps and try to stay out of trouble, especially since Denise claims that it’s her crazy ex in the black sedan that seems to be following them. Leigh’s road trip continues, embracing both highs and lows, alternately hilarious, humiliating, and heartbreaking, often within the same sentence. Smart and funny without being forced, sentimental without being maudlin, Riley’s funny, picaresque vision of America will make readers wish they could go along with Leigh on her next trip.”
— Hilary Hatton for Booklist
Deb Jen spent the past several days at the Virginia Festival of the Book with several Deb Friends, including Judy Merrill Larsen, author of All the Numbers, Therese Fowler, author of Souvenir, Virginia Boyd, author of One Fell Swoop, Kim Reid, author of No Place Safe, Carleen Brice, author of Orange Mint and Honey, along with uber publicist Lauren Cerand, and author book publicity coach Bella Stander. She also enjoyed a lunch with Barbara Drummond Mead with Reading Group Choices and her mother Dorothy Parker (no, not that one!), and Jim Collins, author of Beginner’s Greek.
Deb Lisa Daily is out on the road on tour for Fifteen Minutes of Shame this week.
This weeks tour highlights: Yummy Partida margaritas at Agave in NYC, meeting the rocket girls from NASA (gotta love those female scientists!) and the BASKIT underwear models in the green room at GOOD DAY COLORADO. 
Lisa also signed books at the legendary Tattered Cover Book Store, which was so thrilling she had to pinch herself so she wouldn’t cry. (There’s that sadism thing cropping up again, see Deb Eileen’s post yesterday…) Lisa’s talk was also recorded as a podcast for authorsontourlive.com — stay tuned for details.
Thanks to all the Deb Ball readers who showed up for events — it was great to meet you!
Here are Lisa Daily’s upcoming book signing events: She’d love to see you!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 7 – 9 PM
LAUNCH PARTY & SIGNING
Sponsored by Partida Tequila
ZAPATISTA
1307 S. Wabash
Chicago, IL 60605
312-435-1307
* Partida will be serving up complimentary “Fifteen Minutes of Shame” Margaritas, appetizers and giveaways — please stop by!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 at 7:30pm
Borders
Signing & Launch Party
1500 16th Street, Suite D
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Saturday, April 5, 2008 – 2:00pm
Signing & Launch Party
Borders
600 North Orlando Ave
Winter Park, FL 3278
Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 7:00pm
The Debs Take Manhattan!
Special Debutante Ball signing with Deb
Lisa Daily signing Fifteen Minutes of Shame
and Deb Eileen Cook signing Unpredictable
Borders
461 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Contest:
Congrats to the winner of the Lisa Daily Launch Week contest, Cindy from Ontario! Cindy wins a signed copy of Deb Lisa’s Fifteen Minutes of Shame, a surprise gift and postcards from each Deb from her home city. Thanks to all who participated!
Deb Friends:
A huge congrats to Deb Friend Lisa McMann whose debut YA novel, WAKE, has hit the New York Times Bestseller list and at #9, no less!
Debs are Reading:
Deb Jen is finishing up three terrific novels which she read for a panel about con men in fiction that she moderated at the Virginia Festival of the Book: the splendidly written Dizzy City by Nicholas Griffin, the really fun roller-coaster ride Season of Gene by Dallas Hudgins, and the clever and compelling Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief, edited by Michael Sims
