You Might Have Momnesia If...

MOMNESIA (mahm-nee-zhuh) -noun-

Loss of the memory of who you used to be. Caused by pregnancy, play dates, and trying to keep the house cleaner than the Joneses.

My novel, "Momnesia," is about an unconventional entrepreneur who, struggling between her "momminess" and her "sexiness," diagnoses herself with Momnesia and sets about finessing a new version of her old vivaciousness!

This has led to lots of (sometimes serious, sometimes funny, but always commiserative) conversation about Finding Balance, identifying when you've "lost yourself," etc. Features have included The Boston Globe, WRAL, and more.

So, how do you know if you're "suffering from" Momnesia? You might have Momnesia if:

• Your mascara hasn't been used in so long, it's too crusty to open!
• Your Aerosoles far outnumber your stilettos!
• Your back gets sunburned every summer because you were too busy lotioning everyone else!
• You haven't seen a movie that wasn't animated in recent memory!
• There are no children around but you still say, "I need to go pee pee!"
• You and your husband are at The Great Wolf Lodge (or Disney, or some such venue), surrounded by screaming children and pretend characters, yet you feel like you're on a date because your kids are more than four inches away and you are drinking a beer!
• Showering feels like a special occasion!
• The thought of date night sounds more exhausting than exciting!
• There are no children around, yet you still call one another Mommy and Daddy!
• It feels farfetched to imagine that you would even have time to read "Momnesia!"

And the absolute, number one, most identifying symptom of Momnesia:

• You can hear "Buzz" and "Woody" and think only of "Toy Story!"

Do you have any good ones to add? Post them in the comments here! You can also join my discussions underway on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/LoriTheAuthor) and Goodreads (www.Goodreads.com/LoriTheAuthor).

MOMNESIA, by Lori Verni-Fogarsi, is available in both Paperback and Kindle! CLICK HERE to find it at your favorite store online or in your neighborhood!

Pin It to Win It Giveaway!

Pin It To Win It Giveaway! March 9 - March 17! I'm giving away a signed paperback of "Momnesia!"

Let me introduce myself: I'm the author of the novel, "Momnesia," to be released 3/16/12 by Brickstone Publishing in both Paperback and Kindle.

It's about an unconventional entrepreneur who, struggling between her "momminess" and her "sexiness," diagnoses herself with Momnesia and sets about finessing a new version of her old vivaciousness!

Early readers have said, "Fun & feisty!" and "A wonderful journey laced with humor and reality. A recommended read!" I invite you to take a look at my full website, where you can preview the first two chapters free and enjoy all sorts of other goodies! www.LoriTheAuthor.com.

And now, back to the Pin It to Win It Giveaway info!

Note: If you're using a mobile device, you may need to "Open in Browser" for entry form to load. 

Love Chick Lit? Join the Chick Lit Challenge!

Lots of exciting stuff has been going on--to say the least! Now that it's only a month from the official release date of my novel, "Momnesia," things are really coming together: interviews, guest articles, media coverage, reviews coming in, events galore, etc!

In my promotional travels, I recently found something super cool to share with you! It's a website called Chick Lit Plus. And it's all about--you guessed it--chick lit books! Now, if you're a reader of chick lit (it happens to be one of my favorite genres), you know that this corner of the reading world doesn't get a whole lot of freestanding hoopla as an individual genre: it's usually tucked in with women's fiction or romance, which is fine, but since chick lit really has a flavor all it's own, it's kind of fun to have found a special place just for that!

In any event, I've gotten to know the gal who runs the site, and Samantha's really great! Turns out, we're going to be working together in the following ways:

"Momnesia" featured giveaway on Chick Lit Plus, the week of March 24-31!

Guest post written by me will be posted on March 29!

Samantha's review of "Momnesia" will appear on Chick Lit Plus March 30!

Chick Lit Plus is also running a year-long event called the Chick Lit Challenge! In which we, as lovers of chick lit, commit to read at least 12 chick lit books in the year of 2012, with at least two of them being by debut novelists (ahem!). Signup is easy and every time you interact (notify that you've finished a book, etc.), you get entered to win that month's giveaway!

And guess who is sponsoring the month of May? Guess! Okay, it's me. "Momnesia" will be the featured book for the month of May, with six books being given away! Perfect timing, as Mother's Day is in May... the perfect time to indulge in "Momnesia!"

Click the Chick Lit Challenge Logo to sign up and join the fun!


I am the author of the novel, "Momnesia," to be released on paperback and Kindle 3/16/12 by Brickstone Publishing. I've been a freelance writer, journalist, columnist and public speaker for 15+ years. I'm also the author of "Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs," which has been widely acclaimed in its genre.

I invite you to learn more about "Momnesia," including the FIRST TWO CHAPTERS FREE at my website, www.LoriTheAuthor.com .

Follower Love Giveaway Hop!

Follower Love Giveaway Hop! Feb 7-14th. I'm giving away a $10 iTunes Gift Card and there is the opportunity to win prizes from HUNDREDS of participating bloggers! Woot woot! (I love to say woot woot!)

Let me introduce myself: I'm the author of the novel, "Momnesia," to be released 3/16/12 by Brickstone Publishing in both Paperback and Kindle.

It's about an unconventional entrepreneur who, struggling between her "momminess" and her "sexiness," diagnoses herself with Momnesia and sets about finessing a new version of her old vivaciousness!

Early readers have said, "Fun & feisty!" and "A wonderful journey laced with humor and reality. A recommended read!" I invite you to take a look at my full website, where you can preview the first two chapters free and enjoy all sorts of other goodies! www.LoriTheAuthor.com.

And now, back to the Follower Lover Giveaway Hop info! (This giveaway is now over. Didn't win? Try again! Click on the purple icon to the right, where it says "Enter My Current Giveaway!")

Special thanks to:
Kathy of I Am a Reader Not a Writer and
Renee, Author Rachel Renee Anderson for coordinating!
After you enter mine, scroll down for the links to the HUNDREDS of participants in the hop!

Enter My Current Giveaway!

IF VIEWING ON A MOBILE DEVICE, CLICK "OPEN IN BROWSER!" & THE ENTRY FORM WILL DISPLAY!

I always have a giveaway going on. Why? Because I love you. My readers! And of course, I'd like you to spread the word about my upcoming novel, "Momnesia" so I can have even more loveable readers! And guess what you get to win this time? Guess! Guess! Okay, I'll tell you. It's a "Momnesia" tee featuring the custom-painted cover art and the Find Balance logo! Here is a picture of it!

This giveaway offers you the opportunity to enter many, many times! You can get up to 21 entries at a time, and you can come back and get even more entries every day! Have fun, and good luck! (And I invite you to learn more about "Momnesia" including the first two chapters FREE at my website: www.LoriTheAuthor.com!)

Confessions of a Book Selling Library Lover

I'm an author. Which means that I want people to buy my books, right? Right. It also means that I understand the importance of buying the books of other authors I enjoy, in the interest of supporting their work so they don't have to go out and get some other job.

But I confess, I am a library lover. I've always loved libraries and I love them perhaps even more, particularly since a brand new, state-of-the-art library and cultural center was built just blocks from my home. Walking distance! (Not that I walk.)

Not only is it a wonderful place filled with books and computers and journals (oh my!) but they also have a fabulous online reservation system which allows me to request books, walk in and find it on the shelf with my name on it, use my key fob for automatic checkout, and be on my way with my desired book in under a minute. There's a drive-thru window for returning, too.

Now don't get me wrong; I do buy some books. Many, in fact. I've even read books from the library where afterward I went and bought one because I couldn't bear to give it back and wanted my own copy. In fact, it's probably a good thing that I don't personally purchase every book that I read, otherwise you'd see me on that show, "Hoarders," with mere paths to navigate through my home.

There is a huge library marketing program for my upcoming novel, "Momnesia." (My accountant would be pissed!) It consists of direct mail, catalog advertising, attendance at the Public Library Association conference in Philadelphia in March (I reside in NC & VA), and more. I admit, I have fantasies of libraries all over the country carrying my book, choosing it as a women's book club selection, and taking advantage of my publisher's offer to send free chocolates on the discussion date.

Of course, these fantasies do not negate my other fantasies, in which my book is featured in every store in the country and it becomes the number one book club pick for women all across the world. And they enjoy their chocolates too.

I mean, what could be better than chocolate? I mean books. Regardless of where people get them, I guess my overall goal is for as many people as possible to read and enjoy my book. Call me corny. Or romantic, or whatever. Happy reading!

Link to my publisher's special library program
Link to my publisher's special book club program
Link to my publisher's special gift shop program
Link to my publisher's special bookstore program

I've been a freelance writer, journalist, columnist, and speaker for 15+ years. Momnesia is my debut novel and I am the author of the nonfiction book Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs, which has been widely acclaimed in its genre. I'm a happily married mom of two, step mom of two more, and have two cats, both rotten. I invite you to learn more by visiting my website, Facebook, and Twitter, all found at LoriTheAuthor.