Charlotte is guest blogger at the fun group blog Love Is An Exploding Cigar today at 2 pm. She is appearing as part of her VIRTUALLY NUTS online book tour in support of NUTCASE, her latest release, just out.

She is writing on the topic "Shopping for Crazy" and you can read the piece at  the following link. By the way a comment enters you into a drawing for a free book.
http://...com/bepdmd

I ran a licensed daycare at the time of my first sale. It was a way for me to earn income and stay home with my two little boys, both under the age of three. I had a total of six children under the roof of my house from 7 AM to 7 PM. I highly don’t recommend that career path. If one kid gets a runny nose, they all get runny noses. Same with diarrhea.

I’d simultaneously submitted a manuscript to several agents, but weeks had passed and I hadn’t had time to worry about it because, well, there were SIX CHILDREN in my house! And one of them had a habit of biting people.

It was lunch time, and I busier than a one-armed paper hanger, trying to get food on the table and keep an eye on The Biter. The noise level in my kitchen was multiple decibels higher than what somebody from OSHA would have deemed safe, so when I answered the phone I could barely hear the person on the other end. Somebody from such-and-such was interested in representing my book.

I figured I hadn’t heard right. I was mistaken. Or maybe it was a scam. Only a week before, some publishing company had called to sell magazines. My husband answered the phone and all he heard were the words “publishing” and thought I’d just made my first sale.
He yelled out to me, “Hey, there’s a publishing company on the telephone. I think they want to buy your book.” I broke three fingernails and stubbed my big toe trying to get to the phone. In the end, I order four magazines from them.

But the nice lady on the other end of the line was from a literary agency...

To read the whole interview go to: 
http://...com/c8svb2

One of the happiest days of my life was selling my first book to Bantam’s Loveswept line in 1986. I walked on air for days. I couldn’t wait to see my book cover which would actually flesh out the main characters that I’d created in my head!

Some months back, I was contacted by the VP of a major film company who’d read the first book of my new Crazy series, titled WHAT LOOKS LIKE CRAZY, and thought it would make a great TV series.

Now, before I go any further, let me say that the chances of something like this happening is a LONGSHOT so I’m not getting my hopes up. A number of authors have had their books optioned, but nothing ever came of it.
Still, I’m allowed to fantasize!.   To read the rest of the article follow Charlotte's VIRTUALLY NUTS blog tour to http://romancenovel.tv/

Charlotte is at the first guest blog of her VIRTUALLY NUTS blog tour, with an article titled Passionate About Writing. The guest blog is in support of her newest release NUTCASE and can be seen at:
http://thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com/the_lipstick_chronicles/2009/02/charlotte-hughes-is-passionate-about-writing.html .
Follow Charlotte on all 11 of her stops on the VIRTUALLY NUTS tour

NUTCASE, which comes out Feb 24th is getting some really great early reviews. Here is a snipet from one that gave it "Top Pick" at Night Owl, reviewed by Ami there:

"You will love all these characters down to your soul. witty and charming and thought provoking and downright hysterical at times."
For the whole review at night Owl click here:
http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.asp?ReviewId=3160

I did not fully appreciate the sacrifice firefighters and their families made on a daily basis until 9/11. It was a stunning revelation. Not only did we lose 343 of these brave men and women, hundreds of firefighters still suffer the aftermath in the way of respiratory illnesses.

As an author, I knew I would one day write a book where a firefighter played a major role. It was just a matter of when. I read several books by veteran firefighter, Dennis Smith, my favorite being, “Report From Engine Co. 82.”

I spoke at length with the wife of a firefighter who discussed some of the fears shared by spouses. Most of us take for granted that our loved ones will return home at the end of the day. That is not always the case with firefighters. I can’t help but wonder why we don’t have bumper stickers that say, “Have You Hugged a Firefighter Today?”

When I decided to write a comedy/suspense series about a female psychologist and her crazy family, friends, and patients, I already knew her husband would be a firefighter. In my wacky plot situations, he is the grounded one.

The first book of the series, WHAT LOOKS LIKE CRAZY, introduces Jay Rush, a fireman in Atlanta. While I touch on some of the dangers his company faces on a normal day, I don’t think I will ever be able to do these men and women justice. I can’t relate – I doubt many people can – what it’s like to race into a burning building while everyone else is running out. I can’t imagine putting my life on the line to save another, but saving people is what firefighters do. Racing into the belly of an inferno gives a whole new meaning to “Serve and Protect.”

But this is a fact of life for those who choose this career. There are many heroes. I highly recommend Dennis Smith’s books for those who want to know what firefighting is truly like.

To celebrate the second book of my series, NUTCASE, due in bookstores Feb. 24th, my publisher and I have donated hundreds of copies of WHAT LOOKS LIKE CRAZY to firefighters and/or their spouses. NUTCASE is dedicated to these same people. It is such an embarrassingly small way to say thank you and bring attention to their sacrifice and bravery.

On Feb. 24, I will begin a southeast book signing tour where I hope to meet a number of firefighters or family members. Please check my website: www.readcharlottehughes.com for dates. More than ever, I would love to shake your hand or give you a big hug. And say thank you.

5 Book Review- Nutcase by Camellia, of Longandshortreviews. Here are some snippets: “A bevy of interesting characters, many of them emotionally challenged,” “irreverent, and politically incorrect at times with characters saying things that many of us think but would never say aloud.”… “funny and heartwarming…NUTCASE is good therapy – prescribed for reading to relieve stress.”

To see the full review go to this page: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/01/nutcase-by-charlotte-hughes.html

Okay, so I’m a little late with my resolutions, but I wanted to have time to think them over carefully. So here they are! 1. I will no longer bring chocolate into the house and ask someone to hide it from me because I end up blowing a whole day trying to find it once they leave. 2. I’m going to start bingeing on bean sprouts. 3. I will not buy cakes, pies, or donuts for unexpected guests because I never have guests. I don’t even have friends. Hell, I don’t even know the names of my neighbors, and I’ve lived in the same house for six years. They don’t knock on my door and ask for favors like they do the others on my street. Probably because I have a sign on my door that says, “Please don’t ring doorbell.” 4. I will no longer fake orgasms so I don’t hurt the other person’s feelings. In fact, I may buy pepper spray because if I don’t have an orgasm somebody is going to pay. 5. I’m going to stop trying to think of ways to break up CNN’s Dr.Sanjay Gupta’s marriage in hopes he’ll want me. 6. I’m going to stop wearing my expensive underwear if I don’t have “plans” for the evening. 7. I’m going to buy that gadget from Walter Drake that vibrates and promises to ease muscle pain because I think it really has other uses. 8. I’m not going to put up with my Dachshund’s flatulence problems any longer. I’m going to ask the vet to show me, once and for all, how to express his anal glands. Maybe. Also, to pay him back for waking me too early in the morning? I’m going to wake him up every time he takes a nap. 9. I’m not going to answer the phone when my mother calls me at 6:00 AM in the morning. I’m going to wait until she calls again at 6:30 and tell her I just got home after a late night. Also, I’m going to run my errands after dark when, according to my mother, all the serial killers are on the prowl. 10. I’ll start a wild rumor about myself so I’ll sound exciting.