Dating da Vinci Coming Your Way

Sure, politics and the economy and the veep debate took center stage last week, but that's all the more reason readers crave the escape that comes in the form of a good read. After a particularly hairy client meeting, I was elated to find a box seemingly dropped from heaven on my door step - my box of author copies of Dating da Vinci. Not only does the book look even better in person, but that day I started getting e-mails from friends who had pre-ordered DA VINCI who told me their copy of the book had arrived in their mailbox, too! Weeks early!

The marketing for DA VINCI began in earnest a couple months ago, gathering early reviews to boost support for even bigger media reviews, but now, as they say, it's crunch time. As a brand and marketing consultant, it's a thrill and a challenge to be my own client. I'm tough. But I'm determined to do some fun out-of-the-box marketing ideas.

One such idea is a Girls Night Out at a local Bravo Cucina restaurant in OKC where I invited a life coach to do a 15-minute presentation on How to Cultivate La Dolce Vita (the sweet life), while I'll be doing a book discussion about my character Ramona and then, of course, sell the books, provided by a local bookseller. The room seats 50 and I can't wait for a fun way to celebrate that the election is over, and getting on to holiday joy!

Online, besides the usual guest blogs, I'll be doing several contests for different markets - one for the Parenting Publication association magazines to offer a Sephora makeup kit, one with AuthorBuzz to provide signed copies and an Italian Cafe CD and yet another to provide to readers who answer questions about the book to win a vase from Italy that my friend, author Jenny Gardiner selected for me when she visited Italy this month.

Perhaps the most fun I think I'll have is putting my broadcast degree to good use by doing a series of videos, which will be posted on YouTube and my website, in my kitchen, and my bar, as I make Holiday monster cookies (peanut butter, choc chip, holiday m&ms, oatmeal), my fave Italian meal and my fave Italian martini. Stay tuned by checking in often to www.malenalott.com.