Twitterpated by Melanie Jacobson – Countdown to Summer 2012

 Posted by  Countdown to Summer, Special Features
Jun 302012
 

Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants. Melanie is a former English teacher and a popular speaker who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time (ha!), she writes romantic comedies for Covenant and maintains her humorous slice-of-life blog. Her third novel, Twitterpated, hits shelves in March.

Follow Melanie: WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER

LDSWBR: Do you find it easier or more difficult to write during the summertime? Why?

MELANIE: SO MUCH HARDER. It’s mainly because my littlest one just gave up naps and that was my sacred writing time, but it’s also because we don’t have a set daily routine where I’ve blocked out writing time. I don’t want to drag my kids back early from the beach just so I can write. It also doesn’t help that I’m in between projects right now, but I’m about to start outlining a new novel next week, so maybe I’ll hit my groove soon!

LDSWBR: Would you rather be in the pool or next to the pool?

MELANIE: Next to the pool, hands down. I’m always tucked up under my big, shady umbrella avoiding the splashes while I watch my kids play. I’ll go out if my toddler insists but I’d much rather not. Now, if I could just drift on an air mattress without small child water disturbances, that would be a different story.

LDSWBR: Ice cream or slushie? What flavor?

MELANIE: Ice cream. Butter pecan. Or maybe cookies and cream. Although mint chip is great in the summer. Then again, I kind of love straight up vanilla. Um, I guess ALL THE FLAVORS. But not chocolate. I don’t like chocolate ice cream or cake or milk. But I love chocolate everything else.

LDSWBR: Thanks, Melanie. Enjoy your summer!

Twitterpated by Melanie Jacobson

AMAZON | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK

Jessie Taylor is furious when her roommate secretly posts her picture on the dating website LDS Lookup — furious, that is, until she spends all night instant messaging Ben Bratton, a man whose wit and warmth just might make Jessie forget the train wreck of her last romantic relationship. Their first date is a smashing success (literally), but Ben’s overall awesomeness can’t save Jessie from having to deal with Craig, her competitive coworker whose baiting behavior sets new standards for obnoxiousness. Determined to beat Craig at his own game, Jessie spends long office hours finishing projects and putting out fires, but while her performance wows her boss, it only makes Ben skittish— after a failed engagement to an up-and-coming lawyer, he’s not about to pair up with someone who’s married to her job. Will Jessie figure out how to be true to herself and take her big chance at love before it’s gone with a click of the mouse?

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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2012, leave a thoughtful comment below.

Be sure to comment on each Countdown to Summer 2012 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Prizes include a $25 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions HERE.

If you don’t already follow LDSWBR through email, Facebook or Twitter (those cute little book buttons on the sidebar) you may want to consider doing so during the contest so you don’t miss any posts or chances to enter the drawing. Following LDSWBR is not required but it is nice to know that our book reviews are useful to other readers. :)

If one of our LDSWBR reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, perhaps you would consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2012. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be so greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Book prizes donated by the authors include:

Reality Check by Karen Tuft

Cold Justice by Kathi Oram Peterson

Journey to the Fringe by Kelli Nielsen

Dangerous Favor by Joyce DiPastena (choice of print, Kindle or Nook)

Twitterpated by Melanie Jacobson

Of Grace and Chocolate by Krista Lynne Jensen

Espionage by A.L. Sowards

Twitterpated by Melanie Jacobson

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Shanda's Reviews
Mar 192012
 

Twitterpated

Author: Melanie Jacobson

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Published Date: March 2012

Softcover; 247 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

ISBN# 978-1-60861-065-5

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: free review copy in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary:

Jessie Taylor is furious when her roommate secretly posts her picture on the dating website LDS Lookup — furious, that is, until she spends all night instant messaging Ben Bratton, a man whose wit and warmth just might make Jessie forget the train wreck of her last romantic relationship. Their first date is a smashing success (literally), but Ben’s overall awesomeness can’t save Jessie from having to deal with Craig, her competitive coworker whose baiting behavior sets new standards for obnoxiousness. Determined to beat Craig at his own game, Jessie spends long office hours finishing projects and putting out fires, but while her performance wows her boss, it only makes Ben skittish — after a failed engagement to an up-and-coming lawyer, he’s not about to pair up with someone who’s married to her job. Will Jessie figure out how to be true to herself and take her big chance at love before it’s gone with a click of the mouse?

My Review

How many ways can I say “I LOVED Twitterpated?”

I have enjoyed every one of Melanie’s books, and Twitterpated was just as much fun as her other novels.

I liked Jessie. She’s spunky, hard-working and a good friend. I loved Ben. He’s a good, down-to-earth kind of guy with a hint of geek that I can’t resist. I don’t know how Melanie does it, but she captures the occasional awkwardness of dating without making it uncomfortable or cheesy. Sometimes I felt a little embarrassed for the character, but it only succeeded to endear them to me.

I enjoyed watching Jessie take the high road (for the most part) with her infuriating co-worker, Craig. She sticks to her guns and her morals when she has opportunity to choose otherwise. There was one scene with Craig where I almost screamed out loud in frustration for Jessie, but she manages to keep her cool. Barely. I appreciated watching Jessie’s struggle to find balance between success at work and success in life.

If you enjoy fun romance that is clean but still toe-curling, I highly recommend Melanie Jacobson’s books: The List, Not My Type and Twitterpated. She has easily earned her spot on my favorite romances bookshelf. Whatever you do, Melanie, DON’T STOP WRITING.

Read Melanie’s Guest Author Thursday post HERE.

 

Guest Author Thursday: Melanie Jacobson

 Posted by  Guest Author Thursday, Special Features
Mar 152012
 

It’s time for another Guest Author Thursday post and I’m excited to have one of my favorite romance authors on the blog today.

Melanie Jacobson is the author of The List, Not My Type, and the newly released Twitterpated. Melanie not only writes entertaining novels, but her blog and Twitter posts make me laugh on a regular basis. Watch for my review of Twitterpated next Monday.

Connect with Melanie: WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER

Twitterpated is on sale (25% off) now at SEAGULL BOOK.

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Top Ten Reasons I Write

I get a lot of questions when people find out I’m an author, and mostly they’re the same questions. “How do you find time to write?” “Where do you go to write?” But they don’t really ask the question that would slice right through to the heart of all my neuroses (oh, yes, mine are plural) and reveal all my inner cogs and gears: “Why do you write?”

Lucky you, you guys didn’t even ask and I’m going to tell you because it’s on my mind right now after a hard day (let’s just say “bodily fluids” and leave it at that), when it’s almost my bed time, and I’m still trying to meet my word count, THAT IS THE QUESTION I’M ASKING MYSELF.

So I really hope I come up with some good answers. I need a reminder as to why I embrace the crazy.

10. It’s the pressure valve for my head. If I didn’t have my writing, I’d probably post in insane number of inappropriate, rambling Facebook status updates.

9. It’d be really hard to think of other reasons for why I didn’t get to the laundry.

8. My mild social anxiety comes off as eccentric and artsy instead of alarming.

7. I’m a glutton for punishment.

6. Without this outlet, I’d probably spend all my time describing my weird dreams to people in painful detail.

5. It keeps me from using all my time writing angry letters–to the newspapers, the school board, the makers of my defective hand slap chopper. (I’m not kidding about this one.)

4. I’m genetically coded to do this. It’s a Louisiana thing. We can’t help but tell stories.

3. I love the sound of keys clacking while I type.

2. I get a do-over on all past relationships if I want one. But mostly I just get revenge. Every jerky guy or girl you see in my books? Probably rooted somehow in reality.

1. I love it. And I am more me when I do it, the me I hope my Heavenly Father expects me to be as I try to share my talents.