Chicken Cacciatore Recipe Contest

Happy Friday, everyone. It's been raining cats and dogs in the Houston area. Ironic, in light of the fact that I just directed a play about Noah and the ark last weekend. I want to share a couple of things with you this week. First, the photo above, which arrived with this note from reader, Margaret Chind: "Just thought you might find my current read interesting. Luckily she is letting me get some book time in. Grin. And I must admit it is very difficult for me to laugh silently with my chest rocking baby girl up and down as Bubba asks aunt Rosa to dance amid ravioli makings."

Isn't that the sweetest thing ever? Thanks, Margaret. You made my day!

Next, I want to let you know that I'm collecting Chicken Cacciatore recipes for Aunt Rosa's cookbook. Please post your recipes in the comment box below. I'll make the announcement on Monday. The winner will get a copy of my devotional, "Everyday Joy."

Have a happy (and tasty) weekend, everyone! God bless!

Pizza-licious!

Good morning, everyone! Welcome to a blessed day! I awoke with pizza on the brain. I spent last Tuesday evening with my kids and grandkids and we ordered pizza. Any time you order pizza (by phone or in person at a restaurant) there's always that ongoing debate about which kind(s) to get. Pepperoni. Sausage. Mushroom. Beef and onion. The works. And as many people as you involve the process, that's how many answers you'll get.

Readers of FOOLS RUSH IN will remember that the pizzas at Parma John's restaurant are all named after Dean Martin songs. There’s the Mambo Italiano special (spicy sausage pizza), the Pennies from Heaven special (meatball pizza), the Simpatico Special (half pepperoni/half Canadian bacon pizza), the South of the Border Special (taco-style pizza) and the Volare Special (lowfat cheese pizza). In the end, one of the characters in the story names a new pizza the Bamboozled Special (BBQ pizza.)

There's also a strong Frank Sinatra theme in the book. Aunt Rosa insists Ol' Blue Eyes is the better singer. Uncle Laz insists Dino is the real deal. The feuding between Rosa and Laz goes on and on and on. :)

So, let's hear from you, (starting from scratch). Which Dino or Sinatra song title would you use to name a pizza. . .and why? The person with the most creative title/type of pizza will win a copy of my non-fiction book, "199 Reasons to be Thankful," which releases in a few weeks. Winner(s) will be named on Monday, and there's no limit as to how many ideas/titles you can enter!

Let's talk pizza!

Crooning the Tunes of Dean Martin

Happy Monday, everyone! If you've read FOOLS RUSH IN, you know there's an ongoing feud between Aunt Rosa and Uncle Laz over who's the better singer, Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin. What you might not have noticed, is that every chapter title in the book is a Dino song title. That's right! I did a lot of research on Dean Martin before writing the book (and, of course, have been a fan since childhood). In fact, I recently watched an infomercial for the old Dean Martin show and laughed until I had tears in my eyes.

Here's a funny story of how God has used Dean Martin to market FOOLS RUSH IN. Several weeks ago a reviewer posted a review of the book (a very positive one, I should add). In it, she mentioned my passion for Dean Martin. Another blogger, who happens to run a Dean Martin site, received a google alert about my book because of the "Dean Martin" connection. He did a write-up of my book and ended up asking me to post an article, which I did here: http://ilovedinomartin.blogspot.com/2009/09/dinolicious-new-romantic-comedy.html. Even from the great beyond, Dino's legacy continues!

Because I know SO many of my readers are Dean Martin fanatics, I thought it would be fun to share our comments/thoughts about his music. Please let me know which Dino song (or movie) is your favorite. . .and why. I'm going to start with mine. I adore "Mambo Italiano" - which I listened to repeatedly while writing FOOLS RUSH IN. You will find a You Tube link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S-7Ap6J_FU

Now it's your turn! Send in those comments, along with another other Dino thoughts/photos you might want to share!

CROSSINGS Bookclub feature: FOOLS RUSH IN!

Woo-hoo! Crossings is featuring Fools Rush In. If you haven't yet picked up a copy, this is your best bet for a great price! http://www.crossings.com/pages/nm/product/productDetail.jsp?skuId=1047767915

Let's Talk Lasagna!

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm ready to start collecting recipes for Aunt Rosa's "All Things Italian" cookbook. What better place to start, than with lasagna? Here's how this is going to work. I'd love it if you would post your favorite recipe for lasagna in a comment box. We'll leave this "contest" open for several days. On Monday of next week, I'll ask my facebook friends to help me choose one for Aunt Rosa's cookbook. The winner will get a copy of my new Heartsong, Sweet Harmony.

If you're following this blog, I hope you'll pick up a copy of Fools Rush In. You will find it available online at christianbook.com and amazon.com (as well as several other places). It's also available at WalMart, Lifeway, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million and more. Get to "know" the characters so that we can talk about their likes and dislikes on this blog.

Speaking of Fools Rush In, I've stumbled across a couple of new reviews for the book. This one made me smile: http://misseslavigne.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/book-review-fools-rush-in/ So did this one: http://marjorievawter.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-ive-been-reading.html

Let me leave you with these words from a reviewer named Deborah: Delightful! FOOLS RUSH IN by Janice Thompson has me planning my next meal exclusively Italian. I've never made eggplant parmesan before, but I have this undeniable craving for it. Hmmm . . . have I ever had it before? I'm sure I've tasted it. Perhaps the savory Italian delicacies are pouring through the pages of this fabulous chic lit. I love it! (http://comfortjoydesigns.blogspot.com/2009/09/fools-rush-in-by-janice-thompson.html)

Ciao, everyone! Send in those recipes for lasagna!

Oh, and by the way. . .next Monday we're going to start talking about our favorite Dean Martin songs, so head on over to youtube and give a listen to some of your favorites!