Laura Florand's Blog, page 42
September 13, 2012
Some chocolate thanks!
As a BIG thank you to everyone for your wonderful support of THE CHOCOLATE THIEF, this month’s contest is for a box of delicious chocolate.
And I’ve also put up a couple of chapters from THE CHOCOLATE KISS (Dec 24, 2012), just to whet your appetite. 
Enjoy!
And don’t forget my Great Chocolate Hunt is ongoing until the Chocolate Kiss arcs come in and/or my editor insists I have to quit tasting all these chocolates people are telling me about and make a decision. (Probably November. Definitely until I get back from Italy at least.) So keep them coming!
September 8, 2012
Ladra di Cioccolato
Take a look at the Italian cover for THE CHOCOLATE THIEF. It comes out next week in Italy, and I’ll be in Italy at the end of September/beginning of October on a tour that includes many opportunities to taste chocolate! I’ll post the details as soon as I get a minute, for Italian readers. I love how this cover gets at the sensuality of chocolate and the story.
So…which cover style do you prefer? The Italian or the American? And why? I’m curious because I originally thought we would aim for the more Italian style (sensual) for the cover but really fell in love with Kristine Mills’ American cover once I saw it. If you were walking by a bookshelf, which one would grab you the best (make you most likely to pick it up)?
September 6, 2012
Chocolate Thief Event, photos
I’ve posted some photos from last night’s signing/tasting/talk (now officially known as last night’s Chocolate Event) at The Regulator here. People were packed up the stairs and I hope everyone got enough chocolate! Thank you so much to all who turned out!
And a big, big thanks to The Regulator for hosting and to Bonnie Lau of Miel Bonbons for her wonderful chocolate.
September 4, 2012
Chocolatiers are wonderful
SO MUCH exceptional chocolate from Bonnie Lau at Miel Bonbons for tomorrow’s signing. I just got back from picking it up.
Every time I talk to chocolatiers-pâtissiers, I come away stunned at their generosity and their energy and discipline. Bonnie made these chocolates for me (for free, they’re a gift to you all), is up at 3:00 tomorrow to drive to Charlotte for the Democratic Convention which wanted her macarons, has a weekend packed with weddings demanding not only all the petits fours but insanely impossible Ace of Cakes type of cakes. (Impossible–but not for Bonnie.)
Just trying to conceive of the energy necessary to be the best at this career…it’s just amazing.
September 3, 2012
Signing & chocolate tasting at The Regulator Sept 5 7 p.m.
Don’t forget! Chocolate tasting and behind-the-scenes glimpses of Paris chocolatiers and a little reading from The Chocolate Thief, all in one evening. What could be better?
Wednesday, Sept 5, 7 p.m., at The Regulator in Durham, NC. Local Paris-trained chocolatier Bonnie Lau of Miel Bonbons will provide chocolates for tasting and a basket of her goodies for one lucky participant. Miel Bonbons is featured in the chocolate guide at the back of The Chocolate Thief as one of my favorite chocolatiers.
Hope to see you there! Come with your tastebuds ready.
August 16, 2012
The Cookies
My daughter currently pops out one of three things when someone asks her “how she likes having a mommy author”:
1) She was on the cover of the newspaper! The cover!
2) She’s going to Italy!
3) Or, the one that has now trumped all: She got COOKIES.
These cookies, I have to say, really are something special. It makes you want to write a book just so you can have the cookies. And they were, of course, the brainstorm of my publicist at Kensington who is JUST AMAZING. And has good taste in cookies. Look at these things!
This was from a publisher party at RWA. Kensington had done cookies for every one of their authors there. Wish I had gotten photos of some of the others! Cover artist Kristine Mills amazing work…edible!
It’s the kind of thing you would really like to frame, if certain people would let you. Alas, no, pursuant to her mother’s belief that all good things should be eaten in their time:
The cookie’s time came. There’s a metaphor there.
I guess I’ll just have to write another book.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever let someone else eat?
August 6, 2012
CHOCOLATE THIEF = Recommended Read
I can’t get over how nice reviews are for this book! It’s almost unnerving. (I know, I’m weird that way.)
THE CHOCOLATE THIEF is a Recommended Read by Dear Author:
“A lovely confection of a contemporary romance. It’s well-written, it features an absolutely delectable hero and an admirable, adorable heroine (even when she is committing theft). My one warning to readers: do not, under any circumstances, read this book when you’re hungry.”
Also, a 4-star review from The Readiacs and a Warning: “***WARNING!!!***
This book will leave you eating insane amounts of chocolate!” (Well, you can’t say you weren’t told.”
Cocktails and Books gives it 4 out of 5 cocktails, and I could really use a few cocktails today: “A beautiful story of love, romance, fear, and passion.”
Chicklit Worth Reading calls THE CHOCOLATE THIEF: “The Best Secret Gem of the Month.”
Wow…I’m so glad people are enjoying it. And want to thank all the reviewers who chanced some of their precious reading time on a new series!
August 5, 2012
The Chocolate Hunt is on!
You would not believe the things my editor asks me to do. No, seriously. We’re having a nice peaceful dinner, and all the sudden she asks me if I can do a guide to my favorite U.S.-based chocolatiers for CHOCOLATE 3 (title a tiny bit in the air still; coming summer 2013).
Does that sound like a job for me? Do I look like the kind of person who would enjoy researching all the top chocolatiers in the U.S.?
Do I look as if I’ll hold up under the strain?
Ha, ha, ha, I crack myself up.
The only problem–and I know this is going to surprise some of you–is I haven’t actually tried every single top chocolatier in the U.S. yet.
I need some HELP.
This means YOU.
Job 1: Go out and try all the good artisan chocolatiers in your area or while you’re traveling. Don’t tell me you can’t do it. This is for RESEARCH. Remember those days as a broke student when you did every research program at your university that paid ten bucks or offered pizza? This is WAY BETTER THAN THAT.
GO TRY THEM. Go farther afield. Step off the beaten path when you’re away for a weekend. TRY SOME MORE CHOCOLATE THERE. (Yes, that is how I travel.)
Job 2: When you feel you’ve found a good one–a GREAT one–WRITE TO ME.
Tell me where, tell me what, tell me why. Feel free to send photos. (Honestly, feel free to send samples, te he he…)
I will enter ANYONE who sends a genuine artisan chocolatier recommendation into a drawing for a signed advanced copy of THE CHOCOLATE KISS.* Yes, if you keep diligently researching and end up with more than one suggestion, you can be entered more than one time. (DON’T YOU STINT ON THAT RESEARCH.)
And if your arguments convince me to try this chocolatier and I AGREE with you, and I pick one of your recommendations to go into the back of CHOCOLATE 3, I’ll send you TWO signed advanced copies of CHOCOLATE 3, when it’s available, one for you, and one for the chocolatier.** Who might even give you some chocolate to say thanks! (No, seriously, s/he really might.)
I am open to many kinds of chocolate persuasion, but a few things that get me all hungry and eager to try:
1) Ganache. Dark chocolate ganache, subtly infused with flavors.
2) A range of flavors from the classic (vanilla) to the unusual (tomato-basil anyone?).
3) Hand-painted chocolates. OK, it’s not required. Many top chocolatiers do not hand paint. But those hand-painted chocolates are so pretty!
4) French training can be a good sign. But there are people who become great without it, self-trained, so just let me know their story. Speaking of which…
5) A great story. I love the stories of how people ended up where they are, making chocolate.
6) Did I mention ganache?
Some examples of U.S.-based chocolatiers I love:
A lovely selection of chocolates that have fallen sad victims to my inability to take a good photograph. Christophe Artisan Chocolatier, a third-generation French chocolatier in Charleston SC.
A close-up of some hand-painted chocolates from CaliBressan, in Santa Barbara, CA.
Just an example of some beautiful chocolates!
If you think you know of an artisan chocolatier who deserves to be in a book, let me know! And you never know, I might come by for research and do a signing in your area while I’m at it.
Please forward this call as WIDELY as you can! I want the greatest possible input!
*THE CHOCOLATE KISS advanced copies should be available in early December.
**If multiple people nominate the same chocolatier, I will draw a name for the BOOK 3 copies. CHOCOLATE BOOK 3 is due out Summer 2013, and advanced copies are usually available 3-4 weeks before release date.
