Hi all! Litquake is over - the annual literary fest I’ve been co-producing since we founded it 8 years ago - and I’m exhausted! But happy to be able to turn my attentions back to where they belong: writing. Oh, and my consulting job for redroom.com, which is soon to launch! (More soon on that.)

I’m bummed today by news of the impending writers strike in LA - mainly because things were moving along on the sitcom! “Moving along” being a relative term in showbiz - but the good news is that I met a month ago with Emmy winners Betty Thomas and Elaine Pope, the now-under-contract director and writer who hope to turn “NOTP” into a TV series for TBS. I’d enjoyed being in touch with Elaine about characters and whatnot - but those conversations will be scuttled if the union walks! Oy. I support the writers (for obvious reasons) and hope they won’t be out of work long! These are tough times for Hollywood scribes, with every other show being reality-based - i.e. no writers required!

I also wanted to let you know that my friend and colleague Bella DePaulo’s excellent book, “Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After,” is now out in paperback. “Singled Out” is a myth-busting, consciousness-raising, totally unapologetic take on singlehood. Bella has been pursuing the singles topic with a passion, and she would love to see the paperback version of Singled Out get off to a great start. So if you buy two or more copies between Sun Nov 4 and Fri Nov 9, she will send you (or anyone in the continental U.S.) another book for free. Details are here: http://www.belladepaulo.com/specialoffer2.htm.

Even if you buy just one copy of Singled Out between Nov 4 and Nov 9, there are special thank-you bonuses available at her website, http://www.belladepaulo.com/specialoffer1.htm. Here’s a link to Amazon,
http://www.amazon.com/Singled-Out-Singles-Stereotyped-Stigmatized/dp/0312340826/ref=ed_oe_p/102-4637341-6604139

But you can buy the books anywhere to qualify for the free book and other thank-you bonuses. (The retail price is $14.95, and Amazon is selling it for just $10.17.)

Last but not least, I’m going to be making two appearances in California soon for Singelringen - the Swedish ring for singles that’s taking Europe by storm. They are starting to market here in the US, and are producing some events around it, and (wisely) inviting authors who write on single life to appear.

I’ll be in Sacramento on Nov. 17 to celebrate the US launch of Singelringen with a few other authors, including my friend Sasha Cagen of “Quirkyalone” fame. details here:
http://www.us.singelringen.com/Default.aspx?documentID=779

I’ll also be in the LA area for a similar event on Dec. 5. Please come out if you’re in those areas!

Anyway, enough shilling! I hope to be back soon here with more news - including the sale of my next book!

xx Jane