FOUR WOMEN ARE ABOUT TO DIG UP THE TRUTH

Tired of boyfriends who drain you dry? Sick of guys who stay out all night howling at the moon? You can do better. Some men want you not only for your body, but your brains. Especially your brains.

It’s true! There are men out there who care—early-rising, down-to-earth, indefatigable men who’ll follow you for miles. They’ll take the time to surprise you, over and over. One sniff of that perfume, and you’ll have to use a shotgun to fight them off. And then, once you get together, all they want is to share a nice meal. And another. And another.

Romeo and Juliet, eat your hearts out.

THE WORLD HAS ENDED, MOLLY.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?
Molly Anderson is not your average twenty-one-year-old. It’s been six years since she and her family escaped into a bunker, led by her conspiracy theorist father and his foreknowledge of a plot to bring about the apocalypse. But her father’s precautions didn’t stop there. Molly is now built to survive.
Yes, Ian Anderson’s favorite book gave him ideas on how to “improve” his daughter. Molly is faster, stronger, and her ocular implants and razor-tipped nails set her apart. Apart, when—venturing alone out of the bunker and into a plague ravaged, monster-ridden wilderness—what Molly needs most is togetherness. Chase Griffin, a friend from her past, is her best bet. But while he and others have miraculously survived, the kind boy has become a tormented man. Together, these remnants of humanity must struggle toward trusting each other and journey to the one place Molly’s father believed all civilization would be reborn: a magic kingdom, where everyone knows it’s a small world after all.

After spinning wild tales of time travel and alternate realities, I decided it was high time to write a book set in real life. My real life, to be precise--the world of TV News. I spent ten years working as a producer in a television newsroom and let's just say, there's a lot of fodder for good fiction that goes on behind the camera.

In News Blues, (Dorchester Love Spell, March) 27 year old Maddy Madison works as a special projects producer, much like I did, at local television station News 9 in San Diego. A Columbia University graduate, she wants nothing more than to produce life changing news that will expose injustices and right wrongs. Instead, she's stuck with silly, sensational stories like Deadly Dishwashers, Killer Clay, and Perilous Pets--stories aired for the sole purpose of boosting ratings through scary promos--while the most shocking news event in her town goes totally unreported.

I think when many people read News Blues they will assume much of it was exaggerated for fiction. But while the plot and characters are made up, the inner workings of the television news room are extremely real. For example, these "Household Products That Kill" stories Maddy's assigned are all based on real news reports I've been assigned over the years. We really did air Problem Pedicures, Cosmetics that Kill, Shower Shocker and the rest on a daily basis.

In real life TV news important segments are "killed" every day because they might spark a legal battle and cost the station money. Many reporters are forbidden to "name names" of the bad companies they're exposing in case they anger a potential advertiser. Older, experienced journalists are put out to pasture in exchange for twenty-somethings who look good on camera. Watchdog journalists like Edward R. Murrow are likely rolling in their graves.

But just as Maddy and her photographer--sexy, motorcycle riding bad boy Jamie Hays--find a way rise above the corruption and risk their jobs to uncover the truth--in real life too, there are true journalists slaving away in the trenches. The unsung heroes who work overtime to expose the bad guys, right the wrongs, and produce fair and balanced reports. If anyone can save the industry, it's them. They give me hope for the future and inspired Maddy's story in News Blues.

Marianne Mancusi is an Emmy Award winning television producer who works for the syndicated women's lifestyle show "Better TV". She will be videoblogging with her Rebels of Romance partner in crime Liz Maverick at the 2008 Romantic Times Convention. Her new book, News Blues is a March Dorchester Love Spell release.

SOMETIMES IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SHOES

Whether facing the forces of evil or simply battling a bad hair day, fantastic footwear is key.

Yes, there are the right shoes for the right situation, and not every moment calls for Manolos. Sometimes a woman's gotta be fierce as well as feminine, fiery as well as fragile. And when the legwork required is a roundhouse, when a girl's mantra has to become "I am woman, hear me roar," those are the times it's good to know there's magic in the world.because in super-powered pumps, the shrinking-est Violet or the nervous-est Nellie can do anything. Every step in magic shoes is sure to be a big one.

After a single trip to Hiheelia.com, our heroines are safe. Their hearts are not.

If Chrissie Hayward knew that morning she’d be traveling back through time to rescue her crazy coworker Kat, she’d have worn better shoes. Doubly so if she’d expected to meet her true love. Robin of Locksley is no Prince Charming. All he seems to do is mope. Nonetheless, he is loyal and brave and handsome as sin. If Chrissie can just get him with the program, she can get these boyz ’n the wood to be heroes of the realm instead of twerps in tights. Only then can this prince of thieves become king of her heart.