Good news for women who have seen the "Sex and the City" movie a few times already and exhausted old TV episodes on cable's On Demand.

Author Kristin Harmel says her heroine, Emma, in the new novel "The Art of French Kissing," is a kindred spirit to Carrie Bradshaw.

Emma doesn't have a "Mr. Big" or Mikhail Baryshnikov to canoodle with in the Paris-set tale, but she has her share of romantic adventures.

"It's the story of a woman whose whole life falls apart in the span of a couple of weeks," says Harmel, 29. "She goes to Paris on a whim and inadvertently finds herself, with the help of this sort of crazy rock star and a really cute journalist."

In "Sex and the City" fashion, Harmel signs copies of her novel Wednesday during a cocktail bash on the restaurant rooftop of the French American Brasserie.

"The Art of French Kissing" is the third book for Harmel, a Boston native who resides in Orlando and freelances for People magazine. She says a novel set in Paris has been in the making since she spent a summer there at age 23. She's returned several times.

"It's my most personal book. I didn't write a story about my life. In fact I wanted to get far enough away from my own experience before I wrote it," she says.

Still the petite author says she welcomes the Carrie Bradshaw references that people often make about her.

Like the Parker character, Harmel has a solid group of girlfriends, has lived in Paris and New York, and says she often follows her heart into bad decisions with men.

BOOK SIGNING

Kristin Harmel signs "The Art of French Kissing"

6:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday. French American Brasserie, 30 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. 404-266-1440. Free admission and complimentary champagne. Space is limited; RSVP requested at www.atlanta.skirt.com.

WHEN IN PARIS

While men may perplex the author, Paris does not. Kristin Harmel knows the lay of land and offers several tips for first-time tourists:

> Most Parisians speak English, and they're helpful if you say the phrase "Je ne parle pas Francais," which means "I don't speak French." (It is pronounced "Zhuh nuh pahrl pah frahn-say." "I usually smile and add a genuine 'sorry' in English, too," Harmel adds.

> Save money and have a picnic. Rue Cler is a pedestrian market street filled with food vendors. Buy fruit, sandwiches and wine, then walk a few blocks to the Champs de Mars park, which has a close-up view of the Eiffel Tower. Also, inexpensive Cafe Le Petit Pont is located across the bridge from the Notre Dame Cathedral.

"You have a lovely view of the [Seine] river and the passers-by. The food is delicious, and the servers speak very good English," Harmel says.

> Visit obscure neighborhoods. The bohemian neighborhood of Montmartre is home to the 19th-century church, Basilique Sacre-Coeur. While there, stop at a tiny fondue restaurant called Le Refuge des Fondues where, Harmel says, wine is served in baby bottles.

> If you're homesick visit the Long Hop at 25, Rue Frederic Sauton. The bar is a short walk from Notre Dame and Cafe Le Petit Pont and owned by a French-American who lived in Texas, Harmel says. The spot not only caters to its English-speaking patrons, many English-speaking Parisians hang out there.

MORE QUICK TIPS

> Travel to Paris in September or October when there are fewer tourists and plane fares are lower, author Kristin Harmel says.

> Save money and take the RER commuter rail service from the airport instead of a cab. It stops at major public transportation stations in Paris. Also walk or use the subway system to get around the city.

> Take in late lunches at fancy restaurants when prices are lower, and plan a picnic for supper.