I’m going to be reading at an Inside Storytime event for “Bad Girls” novelists on Thursday October 19 from 7-9 pm at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco (only those over 21 are admitted, as alcohol is served). More info at www.insidestorytime.com

I’m not sure if the authors or our book heroines are supposed to be “bad” — but it’s cool either way.  Even though Ashley, my novel’s main character isn’t bad, she definitely is willful and has attitude, at least in the beginning. Hey, a little ‘tude isn’t bad. Keeps us from being doormats, right?

Anyway, here’s the nitty-gritty: BAD GIRLS on October 19^th, 7 - 9 pm, at San Francisco’s Rickshaw Stop, an all-female event, is really going to rock! Come see Cameron Tuttle, the original bad girl behind the Bad Girl’s Guide series, which have sold over a million copies; Famous author Jennifer Solow, author of the national bestseller The Booster, guest MC standup comic Mary Van Note, first place winner of the 2006 Twisted Biscuit competition; Melodie Bowsher will read from the bad girl novel of the season, My Lost and Found Life; Kathi Kamen Goldmark, founder of the Rock Bottom Remainders, a rock group that also includes Amy Tan and Stephen King; and Wendy Merrill will read from Falling Into Manholes, just sold to Putnam.

I’m very excited that I’ve been asked to participate in the 2006 Litquake Festival, a nine-day celebration of writing and writers. Between October 6-14 some 350 authors will be providing a lively overview of San Francisco’s thriving literary scene.

I will be reading from my novel on Sunday, October 8 at 12:30 PM at the Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Main Library, Larkin and Grove Streets, as part of the Off the Richter Scale event. This free event is a whirlwind tour through a vast array of Bay Area literary styles and genres, from fiction to poetry, journalism, memoir, spoken-word, and essays.

This is an opportunity to put down your books and head out of the house—to a bar, movie theater, park, or auditorium to hear your favorite writers read, perform or just talk. Don’t miss these nine days of readings, panel discussions, themed events, and general literary mayhem. For more information click on Litquake.

I just read a funny and fascinating book called Sperm are From Men, Eggs are From Women: The Real Reason Men and Women Are Different. It was written by a friend of mine, Joe Quirk.

 “We think our love is written in the stars, because it is written in our genetic code.” That quote sums up the book for me. Joe explains a lot about the whole man-woman dynamic by examining male-female relationships through the lens of sociology, biology, anthropology and his own dating history.

According to Joe, falling in love is the biological purpose of human life. Well, that explains why we’re always singing about love and writing about it and making movies about it.

I learned a whole lot of other weird and wonderful stuff. Who knew, for example, that mammals, ants and moths all jump to the puppet strings of pheronmones? Or that homosexuality permeates the rest of the animal kingdom and that only gay bottlenose dolphins form lifelong pair-bonds?
I now know:

- Why the aqua-ape may be the missing link
- Why men are afraid of commitment and woman are cautious about consummation
- Why the clitoris is hard and the penis is easy to find
- Why we humans have a perpetual sense of dissatisfaction

The info about perpetual dissatisfaction helped me understand why I’m never content. How many times have I said, “If only such-and-such happens, that’s all I want in the whole world.” Then such-and-such happens, and am I happy? No, of course, not – now I want something else. Well, Joe explains that enigma. Now I get it. In fact, my favorite line from the whole books is, “Only problem-solving tool-users came up with fire, the wheel and agriculture, yet still bitch that the restaurant is drafty.”

Reading his book was like eating chocolates – I just couldn’t stop till the box, I mean, book was done. It wasn’t just me either. Charlie, my s.o. (significant other), picked up Joe’s book from the sofa, began reading it and finished it in one day.

The Books Inc. store on Chestnut Street has agreed to sell hot-off-the-press copies of My Lost and Found Life at my upcoming Book Launch Party. Having the bookstore rep there means I can concentrate on greeting guests, signing my books and enjoying the moment. I’m inviting everyone I know (and even people I don’t know) to this celebration. So, consider yourself invited!

The big event happens Monday, August 28 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Bus Stop Saloon, 1901 Union Street, in San Francisco. You won’t have a problem recognizing me — I’ll be the woman with the big smile on her face.

I’m thrilled to report that My Lost and Found Life has been chosen as a Bonus Book selection for 2007 by the Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs. I will be speaking at their upcoming Girlfriends Weekend 2007 event in Marshall, Texas, on January 19-21. For more information, click on http://www.beautyandthebook.com