Bella's Journey Continues!

Howdy, y'all! Bella and her family are having a blast at Club Wed, planning themed weddings. If you want to know what they're up to, check out SWINGING ON A STAR, Bella and DJ's most recent story! You can find it online at amazon, christianbook.com or barnes and noble. In the meantime, take a look at the Romantic Times review of the second book:

http://www.romantictimes.com/books_review.php?book=40472

SWINGING ON A STAR: Bella's Story Continues

I am so excited to announce the official release of SWINGING ON A STAR, book two in the "Weddings by Bella" series from Revell. Coming up with the plotline for SWINGING ON A STAR was pure delight. The foundation for my story was set in book one, FOOLS RUSH IN, but I needed a new adventure for Bella Rossi, my heroine. This second book needed to be both family and faith-driven and needed to test the relationship forged between Bella and DJ, her love interest in book one. My premise? Take one handsome Hollywood star (Brock Benson) and make him the best man in a Renaissance-themed wedding that Bella is coordinating. Enter paparazzi and Bella's large Italian family. Give Bella's Aunt Rosa a gig with the Food Network on the same weekend as the wedding. The result? Pure chaos...and loads of fun.

Here's what readers are saying about SWINGING ON A STAR:
I am in love with this book and with this author! I read the first book in this series and instantly read this one next, I just can't get enough of Bella and her family. I love all the characters in this book and can not wait for the next book to come out. This book is funny and will have you laughing all the way through!! (C. Swanson, Kingston, WA)

Janice Thompson has done it again! Her book "Swinging on a Star" is wonderful! It is so funny and exciting I had a very hard time putting it down even for a minute! So much goes on in this book, many twists and turns, and the unexpected! You don't want to wait to read it! It is so much fun to read! Great job Janice! Can't wait for the next one! (Keli Z, Houston, TX)

SWINGING ON A STAR is available at bookstores everywhere. For an autographed copy, contact Janice at booksbyjanice@aol.com.

That's Amore, y'all!

ANNOUNCEMENT: SWINGING ON A STAR

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let my readers know that the second "Weddings by Bella" book (Swinging on a Star) is set to release in a week or two. My author copies should arrive shortly. Here's the synopsis:

From the Back Cover
There's a fine line between ambitious and crazy. Bella's just not sure where it is. Bella Rossi's life is nearing perfection. Not only does she have the perfect guy, but she's also running a successful wedding-planning business and is about to plan its most ambitious wedding yet--a Renaissance-themed fairy tale come true, complete with period costumes and foods, horse-drawn carriages, and even a castle. There's only one hitch. The best man just happens to be Hollywood's hottest and most eligible bachelor, and he's showing an interest in Bella. Oh, and did we mention he's staying at her house to avoid the paparazzi? With all the pressure surrounding this wedding, Bella's not sure she's going to make it through. Add her starstruck sister and her feuding aunt and uncle, and you've got a recipe for disaster--and a lot of laughs. "If you enjoy weddings, Italian cuisine, and stories filled with humor and romance, you're going to love Swinging on a Star."--Anita Higman, award-winning author, Love Finds You in Humble, Texas "Swinging on a Star has more layers of love than Aunt Rosa's lasagna. A sweet romance that sizzles and simmers on every page."--Allison Pittman, author, Stealing Home Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and native Texan. An experienced wedding coordinator herself, Thompson brings alive in her books the everyday drama and humor of getting married. She is the author of Fools Rush In.

Email me at booksbyjanice@aol.com if you would like an autographed copy. That's amore, y'all!

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