Pimpin' my agency sistah, yo (and giving away a signed copy of her debut book!)

Several years ago before I ever had a book deal, my amazing agent Michelle Wolfson  mentioned in casual conversation that she'd just signed a new client.

"I think you two would really hit it off," Michelle said. "You have similar writing styles and a similar sense of humor."

And I thought to myself (with all the maturity of a spoiled six-year-old who's just been informed she's getting a new baby sister) "but you already have ME! Why do you need another?"

Eventually though, I connected with Linda Grimes in the Twitterverse and blogosphere and we ended up meeting in person when I took a trip to the oposite side of the country.

Obviously, we hated each other:

OK, so WonderAgent Michelle was right. Linda and I adore each other. Well, I adore Linda. It's possible she's only tolerating me because she thinks I have access to good wine and dirty movies, but that's a fine basis for a friendship as far as I'm concerned.

The similarities in our writing and our sense of humor means we're well-suited as critique partners, which is how I knew even before her debut novel, In A Fix, hit shelves last week that it's a hilariously fantabulous book.

Here's a blurb:

Snagging a marriage proposal for her client while on an all-expenses-paid vacation should be a simple job for Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire. A kind of human chameleon, she's able to take on her clients' appearances and slip seamlessly into their lives, solving any sticky problems they don't want to deal with themselves. No fuss, no muss. Big paycheck.

This particular assignment is pretty enjoyable...that is, until Ciel's island resort bungalow is blown to smithereens and her client's about-to-be-fiancé is snatched by modern-day Vikings. For some reason, Ciel begins to suspect that getting the ring is going to be a tad more difficult than originally anticipated.

Going from romance to rescue requires some serious gear-shifting, as well as a little backup. Her best friend, Billy, and Mark, the CIA agent she's been crushing on for years—both skilled adaptors—step in to help, but their priority is, annoyingly, keeping her safe. Before long, Ciel is dedicating more energy to escaping their watchful eyes than she is to saving her client's intended.

Suddenly, facing down a horde of Vikings feels like the least of her problems.

I'll be honest, I'm not generally a fan of stories with heavy paranormal elements. That's actually one reason I love this book. There's nothing heavy about it – it's just good, whimsical, entertaining FUN. I love that in a book (go figure).

And even though I've already read In A Fix several times throughout the critique process, I couldn't wait to hustle down to my local indie bookstore, Between the Covers, to buy a copy of the book.

Since I was squealing like a little girl in all my excitement, the store owner suggested I might like a photo in one of the shop's kiddie chairs. I was a little afraid my butt might get stuck, but I rarely let that stop me from doing anything.

If you want to squeal with excitement of your very own, I encourage you to go out now and acquire a copy. Here are some helpful online shopping links:

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble
• Powell's Books
• Indie Bound
• Books-A-Million
• The Book Depository

Want a chance to win a signed copy? Linda has graciously agreed to sign mine and mail it along to one lucky winner. Just answer a simple question in the comments: If you could take on someone else's identity for a day, who would you be and what would you do? 

We'll choose one commenter at 5 p.m. PST Wednesday, Sept. 12 and he or she will win a signed copy of d In A Fix.

Trust me, it's worth playing for.