Mountain View, CA, April 12, 1999 - It's not easy being a female geek. You're judged by your brains, never beauty (outer or inner). The stereotype is that you are plain, studious, boring or serious. And if you were a geek 15 or 20 years ago, you were usually the only female in the classroom or in the company - and constantly under scrutiny. Yes, female geeks are usually surrounded by men, but many find that it's a challenge to develop romantic relationships with men because of the stereotype.

"Female geeks are very complex people", says Catherine Kitcho, author of Looking for Mr. Butterfingers, a new novel due for release on April 30th. "We have a lot of interesting sides, and a sense of humor. You have to." Her novel is a romantic comedy about Jackie, a divorced engineer who buries nuclear waste for a living. Frustrated with trying to meet men in singles bars or at work, she tries videodating to meet the man of her dreams. Set in San Francisco in the early 1980s, the story covers Jackie's journey to overcome her negative "geek" self-image, and to find her ultimate mate - Mr. Butterfingers. Through videodating, she encounters many wacky men stuck in the "Me" decade of the 80s, including: Stan, the banker who puts ketchup on sushi; Mark, the bisexual schoolteacher; and Fred, the horny Italian slumlord. In the end, Jackie must also make a painful choice between her career and her newfound mate - just like the real world.

There is definite authenticity in this tale. "I really was a scientist investigating nuclear waste disposal sites, I did work for NASA managing science payloads for the Space Shuttle, and I did meet my husband through videodating," Kitcho says. "I have lived the life of a geek from the time I was in college. And over the years, I have met a lot of other female geeks who have equally interesting stories to tell." Catherine Kitcho believes that woman scientists and engineers have been underrepresented in fiction and film. Her mission is to change that. Looking for Mr. Butterfingers features a female engineer, and so does her screenplay, Parallel Lies, which is a drama set in Silicon Valley. "My goal is to get Hollywood interested in these projects," she says. "The movie Contact was a step in the right direction in featuring a woman scientist. But we need more. Most women I know are tired of the same traditional roles that women play in movies and TV: teachers, artists, lawyers, nurses and secretaries. I think it's also important to demonstrate to young women and girls that science and engineering are desirable professions for women. How better to do that than in books, movies and television?"

You can order a copy of Looking for Mr. Butterfingers from Catherine Kitcho's website at: www.pelepubs.com. And, cross your fingers, someday it may be featured in a theater near you!