Shopping list!

Here’s a complete list of the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies published so far. They’re all still available in bookstores--if you don’t find them on the shelves, ask the store to order them for you. Happy reading! ♥

How Not to Spend Your Senior Year
By Cameron Dokey

Rule #1: If at all possible, don't pretend to be something you're not. Specifically, don't play dead. Trust me on this one. I did it, so I should know.
Jo O'Connor has spent her whole life moving around. When it comes to new schools, there's not a trick in the book about starting over that Jo doesn't know. But life is about to teach her a new trick: how to disappear entirely.

Rule #2: Always expect the Spanish Inquisition, no matter what anyone else does.

They have to move again. Now. This very night. Jo knows better than to argue. Her dad is the key witness in a major case against a big-time bad guy. But Jo just can't resist one last visit to the school where she's been so happy. All she wants is to say good-bye. That can't cause any problems, can it?

Rule #3: Never assume you can predict the future.

Now Jo's one last visit has landed her smack in the middle of a ghost story. Specifically, her own. By the time it's over, she'll have a whole new set of rules about what's real, what's make-believe, and -- most of all -- what's important.

Royally Jacked
By Niki Burnham

Valerie's life is pretty good. While she's not the most popular girl in school, she does have decent grades, great friends, and a potential boyfriend. All a girl could want.Then her mother announces that (1) she's gay, and (2) she's leaving Valerie's dad for her girlfriend. Not what Valerie envisioned for her future. And just when Valerie is getting over this bombshell, her father tells her he's gotten a new job as protocol chief for the royal family of some obscure European country.

Valerie's world has come unglued. She can either stay in Virginia with her mom and her über-organized, veggie-burger-eating girlfriend, or go with her dad, leaving everything she knows for some place she's never heard of. Valerie opts to go, and quickly discovers that it was a mistake -- until she meets the prince, and all bets are off!

Ripped at the Seams
By Nancy Krulik

There's a new fashion designer in town, and "Fashion Don'ts" have never been more in style!

Sami Granger is fresh off the bus from the Midwest when some crazy person in the bus terminal warns her that life in New York City won't be what she always dreamed of. But Sami's determined to make it in an industry that is notoriously hard to break in to. Nothing she ever learned in her small town can prepare her for her first job working for a hot-shot designer: He steals her designs!

Now the only place that will hire Sami is a trashy lingerie store that she's too embarrassed to tell her old-fashioned father about. Will a visit from her father land Sami on the catwalk, or out on the sidewalk?

South Beach Sizzle
By Suzanne Weyn and Diana Gonzalez

Is Enrique trying to win her over -- or just trying to win?

Road trip! Lula Cruz has her last summer before college all mapped out. She's checking out of NYC and checking in to the sizzling hot "SoBe" scene with her best friend, Jeff.

When their day jobs get to be a drag, they spice things up by entering a local band contest. And spicy it is! Turns out that the hottie Lula keeps running into is also her band's toughest competition! Enrique might seem like the perfect guy, but as things heat up Lula has to wonder: Can she trust her biggest rival with her heart?

 

Cupidity
By Caroline Goode

Dating in high school is like reality TV. It can get pretty surreal.

Between the strict social ladder (geeks' lockers left, jocks' to the right), and silly, pointless rules (no hand-holding, no kissing, no breathing!), high school is the single worst place to find a boyfriend. And Laura Sweeney is no exception. She hasn't had a date since...well, ever.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. So Laura is calling in the big guns. She needs guidance. A proven "get the guy" strategy.

Luckily she knows exactly the expert to call. He's a matchmaking mastermind who actually has the bow and arrow to prove it. Let's just call him...Cupid.

Spin Control
By Niki Burnham

Valerie Winslow never thought life in the tiny country of Schwerinborg could be so great.

But then she never thought she would be dating the prince of Schwerinborg either! Georg, a real prince, is also her first real boyfriend.

And then everything falls apart. Georg's decided they need to cool off for a while and her dad's sending her back to Virginia to visit her mom.

Valerie's bummed -- until she decides to go out with her old crush, David Anderson. David may not be a prince, but maybe he'll take her mind off of Georg -- or will he?

 

She’s Got the Beat
By Nancy Krulik

SHE BANGS! SHE BANGS!

Miranda was the quiet type...until she moved to Austin. Home of the hippest college rock bands, Austin, Texas, is a scene. And Miranda is dying to break out of her small-town shell. So she decides to do something totally un-Miranda: learn to play the drums.

When crashing the cymbals, the girl's a wild child! Plus there's a perk to her new gig: a cute bass player. Unfortunately Mr. Bass Man isn't exactly looking for love. Can this rocker chick change his tune? Or does finding her own rhythm mean sacrificing true love?




30 Guys in 30 Days
By Micol Ostow

Practice makes not-quite-perfect

Claudia Clarkson just cut the cord from her high school love-you-forever boyfriend. Sure, she misses Drew. But with so many eligibles on her new college campus, why study ancient history?

Problem is, Claudia's lived in la-la-loveland for so long that she's completely forgotten how to meet boys -- and how to flirt.

Then her roommate proposes a solution: Meet one new guy every day for thirty days. Consider it "target practice" for when Mr. Perfect comes along. Claudia's game, but she definetely hasn't got game. In fact, Flirting 101 could be her toughest course to pass...

Animal Attraction
By Jamie Ponti

The Season of (No?) Love

Jane's life is one giant Conspiracy, with the whole world plotting to keep any chance of romance far, far away. Her social history (17 years, 0 boyfriends) is proof positive of that. But this summer, she's determined to crank it up.

Jane's snagged a gig at the local theme park as part of the star attraction -- the Mermaid Show. But then the Conspiracy strikes, and she ends up starstruck in a furry beaver costume all day long. Hard to breathe, let alone flirt....Can Jane figure a way out of the beaver suit and into the arms of her summer love?

A Novel Idea
By Aimee Friedman

Required reading has never been so hot.

Once upon a time there was a Brooklyn hipster named Norah. Unlucky in love, and short on extracurriculars for her college apps, Norah decided to start a book group. She knew the perfect locale -- a local indie bookstore with a crush-worthy cutie manning the soy latte counter.

When the first meeting arrives, Norah gets a page-turning surprise. The attendees may be bookish, but there are also a few hotties! Most noteworthy: sweet, literary James. He's like a modern Jane Austen hero.... Only, how to snag him?

Ever the romantic heroine, Norah devises a secret plan. And if it works, Norah may just find her "Happily Ever After" love story. The End.

Scary Beautiful
By Niki Burnham

Chloe Rand's life is great.

She has a serious boyfriend, she's about to start her junior year of high school, and she has a tight group of girlfriends. But when her boyfriend moves across the country and decides the long-distance-relationship thing just isn't for him, Chloe's devastated. Worse, she soon learns that when you're the prettiest girl in school and totally unattached, everyone starts treating you differently. Girls don't trust you, guys aren't sure what to make of you, and everyone assumes you're either spoiled, dumb, or both.

Chloe realizes that she's been living the last few years in a bubble and decides to do something about it. But when she falls for Billy, a total geek, will it make her situation better...or worse?

Getting to Third Date
By Kelly McClymer

Could a forgotten cutie be Katelyn's newest catch?

Katelyn Spears is a firm believer in the two-date rule. First dates are so awkward; every guy deserves a second chance. But a third? Not unless he's got serious Romeo potential.

Enter Tyler. Tyler thinks Katelyn's rule is too harsh. He dares her to go back through her Little Pink Book and grant a third date to all the two-date duds. Oh, and she should report back to the whole school via her newspaper column.

Standing by her policy (and determined to prove Tyler wrong), Katelyn makes a few phone calls. But will any of her old flames rekindle a romance?

Dancing Queen
By Erin Downing

Who needs Prince Charming if you've got a rock star?

It's official. Olivia is a superfreak. Sure, she may have landed the hottest internship at an übercool TV music station. And yes, she's chilling with A-listers in London all summer. But when she meets her very first pop star, she gets caught in a revolving glass door and falls smack down on her bum -- all in one quick motion.

Luckily, Rocker Boy thinks Liv's quirks are adorable. He takes her clubbing at the hippest spots! Liv may be clumsy on solid ground, but on the dance floor she sparkles. The summer's just begun and she's already captured the spotlight -- and a celeb's heart, too. Now if only she was sure he's the right guy...

 

Major Crush
By Jennifer Echols

Marching to the beat of a different drum...

Tired of the beauty-pageant circuit, Virginia Sauter tosses her tiara, pierces her nose, and auditions for the most unlikely of roles -- drum major of the high school marching band.

Virginia wins, but is forced to share the title with Drew, whose family has held the position for generations. Sure, Drew is hot, but because of his superior attitude, he and Virginia are constantly arguing. That is, until they share more than just their half-time salute...

But as the drum major's heated competition turns to sizzling romance, explosive rumors threaten everything -- including the band's success. Love seemed to be a sure hit, but Virginia and Drew may be marching straight into disaster.

Do-Over
By Niki Burnham

When it comes to love, how many chances do you get?

Girl meets prince. Girl loses prince. Girl gets prince back -- right? Well, that's what Valerie is hoping. She's back in Schwerinborg after spending some time with her mother in the good ol' US of A, and hopes that sparks are still flying between her and Georg. At first it looks like things are going great, until a ski trip to the Alps has Val and Georg's romance hitting some moguls. Could Val's love life be heading for a face-plant?





Love Undercover
by Johanna Edwards

True love needs no disguise.

Kaitlyn Nichols craves a little mystery and mayhem in her life. Having a top-secret agent for a father should do the trick, but unfortunately Dad is no 007, and danger is nowhere on the horizon.

But all that changes when Mr. Nichols brings home Blaine, a seventeen-year-old hottie who’s about to enter the Witness Protection Program. Suddenly Kaitlyn’s in the perilous position of protecting the cutest guy she’s ever met!

When Dad enrolls Blaine in her high school, it’s up to Kait to detect the girls who want him... and the guys who want to kill him. Meanwhile, Kait’s about to discover that there’s one thing she can’t protect--her heart...

Prom Crashers
By Erin Downing

Will you go to the proms with me?

It was love at first sight for Emily and Ethan. But then Em lost his number, and with it, lost all hope of finding a real boyfriend before the end of senior year. All she knows about Ethan is his first name, that he has a super-cute smile, and the fact that he’s going to a prom this month. Which high school? That’s anyone’s guess...

Em enlists the help of her three best friends, who quickly score some formalwear and hail a limo. Together, Emily, Charlie, Max, and Sid vow to find Ethan, to find a cure for senioritis, and most importantly, to find true love--one hilarious prom night at a time.


Gettin' Lucky
By Micol Ostow

Looking for love in Las Vegas...

Cass Parker is a big believer in luck, fate, and all things karmic. So she’s devastated when she walks in on her supposed best friend macking with Jesse, the guy she’s in total "like" with. Talk about bad karma. Vegas is just full of cheaters, she concludes, even the locals.

But Cass refuses to sulk. She finds new friends, and even gets invited to join their weekly poker night--totally casual and not-for-profit, of course. They seem pretty chill, and Cass definitely needs to get out more. So after consulting her horoscope, she gets in the game.

But when Jesse turns up for a final showdown, it turns out that Cass isn’t so good at bluffing--not when it comes to matters of the heart...

The Boys Next Door
by Jennifer Echols

Cute, available, and one cabin over.

Lori lives for summertime at her family's lake house. She spends all season wakeboarding, swimming, and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties in the cabin next door. With the Vader brothers, Lori's always been one of the guys.

But while Lori and the "baby" brother, Adam, are inseparable friends, she can't deny a secret crush on Sean, the older Vader boy. This year Sean's been paying Lori a lot of attention, and not in a brotherly way.

But just as Lori decides to prove to Sean she's girlfriend material, she realizes that her role as girl friend to Adam may be even more important. And by trying so hard for the perfect summer romance, she could be going way overboard...

In the Stars
By Stacia Deutsch & Rhody Cohon

Which do you follow: your head or your heart?

When Sylvie loses the diamond from her late mother’s ring, her best friend Cherise insists it’s a sign that love is about to enter Sylvie’s life. Yeah, right. Sylvie doesn’t believe in signs--she only star gazes through her telescope. But she also knows Cherise won’t drop it, so to humor her Sylvie agrees to date the next boy who asks.Sure enough, a new guy in school appears and Sylvie’s the object of his affection. Maybe Cherise was right after all? But when the sparks don’t fly and Cherise thinks she’s just scared, Sylvie ends up confiding in an old friend. Could finding the perfect guy be as rare as catching a shooting star?

 

Crush du Jour
By Micol Ostow

When a girl bites off more than she can chew...

Laine barely has enough time for herself, much less for romance. But she's always hungry for more projects--so she decides to start up a cooking class at her local community center. As it turns out, Seth, the guy co-teaching the class with her, is not just cute, but downright delicious!

When Seth offers her a waitress job at his family's restaurant, Hype, Laine can't resist. Just as Seth finally warms up to Laine, Laine finds out that Callie, another waitress at Hype, is cooking up a plan to steal Seth for herself. But tensions really reach their boiling point when Laine's restaurant critic mother writes a scathing review--of Hype! Will Laine have to put love on the back burner again?

The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren
By Wendy Toliver

Geeky to gorgeous in sixty seconds...

Roxy’s about to turn sixteen, but life isn’t so sweet. As a band geek, Roxy can barely get the cute guys to notice her, much less go out with her. Then, on her birthday, Roxy is transformed into a siren: seductively beautiful with the power to control all men. She though sirens were an ancient myth, but suddenly Roxy can get any guy she wants with just a few notes on her flute.

There are only two rules: don’t tell anyone about being a siren, and don’t fall in love. When she starts dating Zach, the guy everybody’s crushing on, Roxy realizes she could get used to this siren thing...but how can she keep herself from falling in love?

Love, Hollywood Style
By P. J. Ruditis

True love doesn't always follow a script...

Tracy Vance’s love life is a total flop. Sure, she has a cool job as a tour guide at a real Hollywood movie studio, but when it comes to her personal life, she can barely get her crush, Connor, to notice her.

Then Tracy gets a brilliant idea: Why not win Connor’s heart with some help from the big screen? Taking her cues from her favorite chick flicks, Tracy puts "Operation Ro Com" into action, and it actuallyseems to work!

But Tracy soon realizes that getting the leading man isn’t the same as keeping him. Maybe things never work out like they do in the movies--or do they?

Something Borrowed
By Catherine Hapka

She’s ready to catch the bouquet, not steal the guy!

When Ava gets dumped by her boyfriend, she’s pretty upset. He wasn’t the love of her life of anything, but with her sister’s wedding--a.k.a. the social event of the season--just two weeks away, Ava’s got to save face by finding someone cute and fun to bring as her date.

With the clock ticking and no dates in sight, Ava asks her best friend if she can "borrow" her boyfriend, Jason, for the night. Ava’s never been a big Jason fan, but he’ll look great in a tux and at least she’ll have someone to dance with. But it doesn’t take long for Ava to realize she’s got him all wrong...

What do you do when Mr. Right is wrapped up in a package that belongs to your best friend?

Party Games
By Whitney Lyles

If only life were one big party...

Sara would be looking forward to her sixteenth birthday, but thanks to her mom’s party planning business, she’s way too wrapped up with someone else’s: spoiled socialite Dakota London‘s. Sara would much rather spend her summer hanging out with Ian, an up-and-coming guitar player and her new crush. But Sara is so busy catering to Dakota’s every wacky whim, she’s got no time to spend with him.

And then, the icing on the cake: Dakota wants Ian to be her date for the big bash! Sara can’t believe the favor she’s been asked, especially because she thinks she’s fallen for Ian. Will this birthday end up more bitter than sweet?

 

Puppy Love
By Nancy Krulik

Romance can be ruff...

Alana loves her dog-walking job, but it blows her mind to see how pampered these pooches are. Her newest clients actually feed steak to their prized poodle and treat her to massages at a doggie spa! Alana can’t make heads or tails of why anyone would do this--or why she seems to be confiding her frustrations in hunky handyman Connor, and not her own boyfriend, Sammy.

When Sammy starts keeping an awfully tight leash on her, Alana wonders whether Connor might be a better match. But Alana's puppy love comes to a screeching halt when she learns that Connor isn’t who she thought he was. Is Alana barking up the wrong tree with him, too?

The Twelve Dates of Christmas
By Catherine Hapka

Lexi’s feeling a little holidazed this winter...

Lexi Michaels has been with her boyfriend of four years, Cameron Kehoe, way too long. Sure, he's a nice guy, but lately she's felt like there's a spark missing between them. And his plan of staying close to their Christmas-obsessed town of Claus Lake, Wisconsin to attend culinary school just don't mesh with Lexi's big-city dreams. She comes up with the perfect plan--get Cameron to fall for another girl, and she'd be free--guilt-free, too.

But on a chilly December morning, when Lexi sees Cameron looking awfully cozy with new girl Jaylene, she realizes that she's made the stupidest mistake of her life. Will one of Lexi's many schemes get her all she really wants for Christmas--her boyfriend back?

Sea of Love

By Jamie Ponti

When it comes to love, sometimes it’s sink or swim

Like it’s not bad enough that Darby had to leave her longtime boyfriend and NYC life to move to Florida, where her family’s started running a hotel. Now Darby has to help with the hotel’s annual Valentine’s Day "Cupid’s Ball." Things start looking up when local beach hottie Zach takes Darcy surfing and shows her around. Beach life actually starts to grow on this fish out of water.

Then--surprise! A week before the ball, Darby’s NYC ex decides to pay her a visit. Darby’s knee-deep in guilt--because she realizes that she’s head over heels for Zach!

This Valentine’s Day, is Darby ready to dive into a new relationship with the guy who’s captured her heart?

Miss Match
By Wendy Toliver

Want to snag that certain someone? You need Miss Match!

Sasha Finnegan has always had a knack for matchmaking. It all started with Barbie and Ken and grew from there. Now she runs her own match-making business under the disguise of "Miss Match." So far, most of her clients have been strangers...but when Derek Urban hires Sasha to match him up with none other than her gorgeous and popular sister Maddie, she's not sure if she's up for the challenge. Especially since Sasha's crushing on Derek herself.

Entering Storyland (aka: Netflix)

I have finally, finally run out of DVDs, old videotapes, and my backlog of shows on DVR and joined Netflix. Though I am a bona fide movie lover, and there are a TON of movies I'm dying to see, I resisted because I kept thinking things like, "Well, do I really want to spend $8.99 or $13.99 this month when I still have five episodes of LOST to watch?" or "I already spent my TV hour today watching The Young & The Restless. I really ought to work instead of ordering Pineapple Express from Netflix..."

But here's the thing: Watching movies is--for me--a little like work. I get caught up in how the writer(s) crafted the story. I'm in the middle of HBO's Rome right now. Not only am I sooo loving Kevin McKidd (and yes, I did see him in Journeyman, which should NEVER have been cancelled), I'm also loving how the writers brought Rome to life both through the viewpoints of both the haves and the have-nots.

My queue on Netflix is now huge, and it's comprised of TV shows and movies that are (from what I've heard) solidly written. Yes, I did add Pineapple Express. No, I won't stop watching Y&R (Writing tip: if you ever want to know how to make characters interesting over the course of several books, watch soap operas.)

And I'm even doing some of the exercise videos on the "watch instantly" queue (which is work of an entirely different kind.)

So what's in your Netflix queue? What shows or movies have captured your interest with their wonderful storytelling?

I Heart 25 (Bradfordly) Things

Sort of. Actually, I've been tagged by the 25 things note a few times in the last few weeks, but couldn't for the life of me think of 25 things about myself that other people might find interesting. So instead, I've come up with 25 Things about Bradford, aka my new series from Simon Pulse. Perhaps it will even inspire you to swing by our Bradford Blog Bash (www.bradfordnovels.blogspot.com, running thru 2/20), to have a peek at the books.
Think of it as a spreading the lurve this Valentine's Day weekend.

Without further ado:

1) Since Spencer Kelly is a distant relative of Princess Grace of Monaco, some of the proposed titles for the books included names of Grace Kelly movies, such as High Society, Rearranged, and The Philadelphia Story, among others.

2) Micol and her FlirtyGirl editor, Liz, have actually been friends and colleagues for many years. In fact, they worked together at Simon Pulse—the imprint that is publishing the Bradford series—back when it was launched.

3) Micol had never heard of Twitter until she began working on the Bradford series.

4) The Bradford Prep website is so realistic-looking that we have received serious queries about how to apply to the school! (And we are working on designing a fake application, just for fun.)

5) Several of the models who portray the main Bradford characters have friended their fictional likenesses on Facebook and MySpace. How many can you find?

6) Jeremy's musical tastes are inspired in part by several people in Micol's life: specifically, her brother and her fiance.

7) The school that CJ White's sister, Alexa, attended in New York City is based on LaGuardia Arts High School, which includes among its famous alums Sarah Michelle Gellar—long live Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

8) Websites that Micol uses for Bradford research include shopintuition.com, thefrock.com, iheartdaily.com, and Daily Candy Philadelphia. She loves that she gets to window shop in the name of her writing career!

9) Spencer doesn't drink coffee...but Micol is addicted to the stuff. Micol's editors frequently have to correct references to Spencer swilling lattes in between classes.

10) The ring that Tyler gives Spencer retails at Tiffany & Co. for over $700,000.

11) Trish Harlowe borrows her last name from Joel Maddon and Nicole Ritchie's daughter, who was born around the time that Micol was working on character profiles for the series.

12) The items listed as up for auction at the Hollywood Ball were strictly fictitious—if they exist, Micol didn't know it at the time.

13) Though she writes about VERY glamorous girls, Micol owns infinite pairs of yoga pants and track suits, and can usually be found wearing one of them while she writes.

14) Micol and her editors are constantly scanning online for interesting spa treatments and other fun, expensive activities for the Bradford girls to try out.

15) Although Micol has both a home office and a share in an NYC writing space, most of GoldenGirl was written in a West Village cafe: Cafe Henri on Bedford Street.

16) Blogger Toni the Tigress was modeled after snark supreme Perez Hilton.

17) Although Spencer's blog is titled All That Glitters, her favorite jewels are Majorca black pearls, which technically don't glitter.

18) Micol learned all about the Main Line area while researching for Bradford, and became hooked on the Pretty Little Liars series (also set on the ML) in the process.

19) Micol wishes fervently that Smooch was an actual shop that she could visit; the Dulce de Leche gelato sounds YUM!

20) Micol has almost as much of a crush on Jeremy as Spencer does.

21) Madison's blog, Prêt-a-Party, was actually named by a GUY!

22) Although it isn't mentioned in the books, Paige's minion Kaylen Turner is totally obsessed with Harley Pasternak's Five Factor Diet.

23) Some of the Bradford-related Philly research has led editors and writers to new hair salons, clothing boutiques, and restaurants! The Philly board of tourism should thank us.

24) Although Spencer takes French in school, Micol is Puerto Rican and studied Spanish. Hence Spencer's sign-off, Besos.

25) Micol and the FlirtyGirls have already plotted out some MAJORLY scandalicious secrets for Bradford Novel #3 . . .
but they're staying secret for now.

Okay, I've shown you mine, now you show me yours--tell me something fun about YOU!
And HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, Ro Com readers!

xx,

M

I am huge in Malaysia!

A couple of weekends ago I traveled to New York City for a writers’ conference, and I was fortunate enough to have coffee with my new Simon Pulse editor. We chatted about Erin and Wendy and Jamie and P.J., and about Micol’s very cool new Bradford Novels series with lots of online content (today I’m a guest at her blog party here.) And then I happened to mention to my editor that I get a lot of e-mail from readers overseas--Brazil, Finland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and particularly Malaysia.

My editor was all astonishment. Apparently he had no idea about my books’ popularity in Malaysia. So of course I held up my hands and announced to the coffee shop in general, “I AM HUGE IN MALAYSIA!”

Editor: “Right, like David Hasselhoff is huge in Germany.” I had a sneaking suspicion he did not believe me! I am TOTALLY like David Hasselhoff!

So, dear readers, I have a deal for you.

1. Take a photo of Major Crush or The Boys Next Door next to a sign or a landmark—something that tells us where you are.

2. Post your photo in the comments here OR send it to me at echolsjenn at yahoo dot com, along with the city and country where you took it. (You MUST include the city and country. Do not trust me to figure this out from your photo. Americans are notoriously bad at geography.)

3. The three participants farthest from my home in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, receive a copy of my latest book, Going Too Far, which will be published by MTV Books on March 17. You’ll get it before it goes on sale in the United States, and WAY earlier than it will be available overseas, according to the Australians who have been complaining to me about this.

The fine print: contest ends Saturday, February 28. If you e-mail me your photos, I would love to post them on this blog (thus proving my point to my editor), but I will not unless you give me permission.

And hey, there, Socapatoy, Alabama! Even though you are only 70 miles from me, you should still enter this contest. You never know--Malaysia may not show up.

I Apologize

Okay, I know, I haven't blogged in a VERY long time.  But I have excuses. Lots of them.  (Hey I'm a writer, creating things is what I do, right?)  And most of them are even true.  For starters, I'm working on four series now and that's a book a month.  Sure, some of them are short (Appleville Elementary is a series for kindergarten and first graders) but I've discovered that it's a lot harder to write a short book with limited vocabulary than to write a novel.  I've also discovered that you have to spend a lot of time creating series bibles if you want to be able to keep all their characters and universes straight).

Also, we have been in college application hell around here.  As many of you know, my daughter Amanda is an actress/model.  In the past few years she's shot a few unaired pilots, (although one is with a big studio right now!) but has discovered that her real passion is writing.  So come the fall she will be going to Pratt Institute in the fall for Creative Writing.  (Yes, private college, hence the four series!)  You would think a child who has spent her entire life hearing her mother say, "As soon as I get paid/get my royalty check, we can go get you the new sneakers (or prom dress, or fall jacket or . . .well you get the picture) would want to go into something more safe (say studying to be a bungee jumping instructor or an alligator wrangler ), but that is not the case.  And the truth be told, she's a better writer than I was at that age.  And she's already had two poems published.  She also plans on writing a one woman show so she can combine her two great passions.  Boy, teens are really ambitious these days.

Anyway, now we've officially got two writers in the family (Ian is only 14 so his ambitions largely center around making starting pitcher on the school baseball team (he made varsity in his freshman year, which I'm told is really great, although I know nothing about sports!),  getting really good tickets to the Metallica concert, and being popular with girls!) And while I'd love to spend hours and hours bragging to all of you about my kids, this writer has to get back to work (on a Sunday, which should tell you just how crunched I am for time).

I promise to post more often.   Really.

xoxo

Nancy

Breakfast with the (Literary) Stars

Hello everyone - Erin Downing here. (*Waving at Jenn Echols* - "I'm back!")

Like Micol, I'm full of excuses, but I swear I have been feeling ever-so-guilty about my lack of blogging here on our very fine blog...BUT I have a (sorta) good excuse. I have been in the middle of a major house renovation, which includes creating an amazing writing office in my this-old-house's third-floor attic. It will be done in a few weeks, and I'll be back to post some pics of my inspiring new (bright GREEN) space!

While I get my desk space in order, I've been spending the last few months tinkering and thinking a lot about what my next project will be, and this morning, I went to the perfect place to get my creative juices flowing...the Children's Literature Network's Book Breakfast. There were more than 35 Minnesota/Wisconsin authors/illustrators and hundreds of educators, teachers, and book fans to cheer us on. It was so inspiring to realize just how many talented and award-winning authors and illustrators live around me in Minneapolis. To prove it, get this - these were just some of my breakfast pals:

Derek Anderson, Stephanie Watson, Susan Marie Swanson (2009 Caldecott winner!!), John Coy, David LaRochelle, Rick Chrustowski, Debra Frasier, Lauren Stringer, Marion Dane Bauer, Lynne Jonell, Mike Wohnoutka, and on and on and on....

I feel so lucky to have moved from New York, which is chock full of publishing people, to another amazing book hub: Freezing Cold Minnesota (where we all have funny accents and everyone is overly polite, but we love it anyway).

Later,
E.

Research...Procrastination...Research...What's the Diff?

Here is a secret about writers: the blank page sometimes scares us (picture Stephen King sized fear). Or maybe I'm just speaking for myself and I like the illusion that other authors share my fear of that pristine white document (though mine is blue, with a white cursor, but I digress), with the patiently blinking cursor. Whatever.

Anyhoo -- my point is that when the blank page is looking particularly ...ahem...menacing to me, I do the prudent thing and run away.

Other people call it research. And I'm happy to jump on the bandwagon. So tonight I came home and pulled up a blank file to write a new bridging scene for the manuscript I am currently in the process of eviscerating and putting together again much in the manner of a Frankenstein monster, and...crickets. Scaaaary crickets.

So. I knew I wanted to use sea glass in the scene. I'd had that insight earlier today when I was unable to write anything because I was helping other people (very nice, sweet people I am lucky to know and tutor) read a little more fluently. I made a note, and even wrote a few longhand sentences on my notepad in between students.

But now comes the terrifying reckoning of the blinking cursor and blank page. And where to run? Maybe the beach, to find some actual, real seaglass? Sure, except...it is dark outside. And 9 degrees. And winter in Maine, which means the sea glass will be frozen to the shore.

So, what is a good procrastinator...ummmm...researcher...like me to do? Why, Google. Search for seaglass. And Wikipedia, of all places: here, to be precise.

Who knew? I never do. Sometimes my procrastination...I mean research...yields nothing but more crickets...vampire crickets.

Not this time. This time I got more than I bargained for. Now I know what to do with the scene. And it is something I would likely never have done without Wikipedia. So -- research or procrastination, you decide...I have to go write a scene that takes seaglass to a whole new dimension.

Kelly

Long time, no post

It seems like I'm always making excuses on this blog!

The truth is, I'm one of those multi-taskers who always has a bunch of irons in the fire at a time. I complain and complain about being overcommitted, and then, the minute things ease up a bit, I take on something new.

It happens. Every time.

Just this past week, while I was up in Vermont at my GRADUATE (woo hoo) residency from my amazing MFA program, I was thinking to myself, "gee, without school, things are going to slow down a little bit." Then I got a phone call from an editor friend of mine who is looking to start up a new tie-in program at her publishing house. She was wondering if I might want to sign on for one or two titles.

Well.

What do you think?

The fact of the matter is that I work much, much better under pressure, and actually tend to feel anxious when things are too slow-going. When I came home from my ten-day, super-intensive residency, I told my current editor that I'd be taking the weekend off.

By Saturday afternoon, I was going stir-crazy, and resigned myself to my usual post, butt-in-chair, back at the computer.

Maybe it's a disease, this inability to sit still. But it also means that as long as I can maintain my (somewhat questionable) sanity, I get the chance to juggle lots of different projects at a time!

In fact, my newest baby, The Bradford Novels series, launches tomorrow, and we'll be hosting a month-long party on our dedicated blog: www.bradfordnovels.blogspot.com.

The first title in the series is called GoldenGirl, and it's told in blog format from the POV of Bradford Prep's It Girl, Spencer Kelly. You can read all of Spencer and co.'s secrets in her blogs, and then log on to www.bradfordnovels.com to visit their student pages, friend them on Facebook, sign up for their Twitter feeds, and read lots of exclusive web content from online-only blogs. This is, as far as I know, the very first fully-immersive book-online series, and I'm so excited to be a part of it. It's published through, yes, Simon Pulse, and as a former Pulse editor and Ro Com author, it's really comforting to be working with some of my oldest and dearest colleagues.

I hope you'll stop by our blog bash between now and 2/20--you can read lots of interviews with different authors and bloggers, and we'll have quizzes, prizes, and lots of other fun stuff, too!

In the meantime, though--I think there's something I'm supposed to be doing!

:P

xx,

Micol

Inauguration Celebration

What a history-making week! Barack Obama became the first African-American president of the United States. I went, I shivered and I witnessed. My hubby and I trekked down to DC to be a part of it. We flew to JFK and then drove a rental car the four-hours plus to Washington.

It was amazing, awe-inspiring and every other superlative you no doubt heard and read about. But one thing I was struck by was the vibin’ energy of the crowd. Sure it was freezing cold, and nope, we didn’t have a spot anywhere near the Capitol (“A shout out to the makers of jumbotron!”). But like Obama said once, this isn’t entirely about him, it’s about all of us. And nowhere did this statement ring more true than out there among the masses. [Note: Sorry about the poor quality pics--having computer issues.]

Despite the large crowds, folks were calm, cooperative and patient. Things were so slow-moving at some points that a full stride felt like the best thing since sliced bread. After almost an hour of baby paces, walking normally was like, “Aaaah.” During the slow procession out of the mall after the free concert, people broke out in song, smiled at each other, struck up conversations with strangers, and did I mention they broke out in song?? Some songs overheard: “America the Beautiful,” “Dancing in the Streets,” “My Country Tis of Thee.” (The crowd danced to "Shout" during Garth Brooks' rockin' performance at the concert. Yes--Garth turned it OUT!)
But one thing I realized about us a culture—we’re a bunch of jokers. Talk about immature! During the HBO-televised “We Are One” concert at the Lincoln Memorial, people busted out laughing during what was supposed to be serious ceremonial moments. This is partly because of random misfires in the show’s production. Some examples: As an actor made mention of Lincoln, a tight shot of the president’s stony face beamed across the jumbotron. It just looked mad ominous and shadowy. I reacted as quickly as everyone else with a chuckle. Then when Tom Hanks took to the stage, the band accompanied his message in a weird crescendo of drama-filled notes. Everyone burst out laughing again, turning to look at each other with WTF? expressions. And that’s not even getting into the funny commentary different people shouted at random times.

That’s something you don’t find everywhere. I think of the times my jokes fell flat when I lived in London. The jokes usually bombed if they were too heavily American in their pop culture references.

Humor is about more than tickling funny bones. Punch lines—when delivered well—are easy to find. But to unanimously pick up on something not meant to be comedic is something cultural. It’s like sharing a sense of humor with your bff.

Humor has always been an important part of my family life. It’s the way we ease tension, build bonds and entertain each other. So it’s so nice to know that on that cold day on the mall as we joined in raised hope to celebrate President Obama and a new era, I shared a few laughs with my extended family (almost 2 million strong) on the mall.

The Stuff We Collect

You can learn a lot about a person by what he or she chooses to collect. People collect rare stamps and coins, baseball cards, art, Barbies, shoes, handbags, lip balm, stickers, books, snowboards, sports cars, postcards--you name it. Some people collect items that follow a certain theme, like Hello Kitty, cows, chickens, dinosaurs, etc.

I collect three things. Bratz dolls is my smallest collection at two. But I think they're really cute and I'm the only female in my family (not counting pets) so it's my job to represent the daughter who never was. I also collect voodoo dolls. I'm not sure what this says about me, because I don't do spells or anything, but I just think they're cool. Whenever someone I know goes to New Orleans, I ask them to get me one. I get to go there next summer so I'll be sure and get myself one while there.

My favorite collection is my glassware. As you can see from these photos, I have a special place to keep them and I have many kinds. Some glasses were bought at retail stores (above, right and the "No Evil" monkeys to the left), some at art festivals (below right), and I received the wine glass with Roxy (from The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren) hand-painted on it from my friend Anna (below left).

What do you collect?

Inspiration

I've blogged here previously about my penchant for reading weird, offbeat news stories in my downtime. Sometimes, though, I think those stories are a great source of inspiration.

For instance, have you seen this week's news story about the couple who got married at Taco Bell? There's not much detail in the piece. We know they met online, but not how their first in-person meeting went. We don't know why they chose Taco Bell, why their friend was the one who married them, or why they picked that particular Taco Bell (though I found it hysterical that it's in Normal, Illinois!) But without all those details in place, I'm intrigued by the what-ifs of their tale, because it's the what-ifs of life that provide the seeds of a great story. (Yes, I'm working on it!!)

In the meantime, what are your thoughts? Would you consider getting married in a Taco Bell? What about another unusual locale? Or do you fall hard for the idea of a traditional wedding? (Or does it depend on the person you're marrying?)

I'd love to know!

All A-Twitter... Sort of...

I have to give a shout out to Simon Pulse for the fabulous work they've done on their website! Do you want to know more about your favorite Simon Pulse author? You can find out right on the website.

For example, if you want to know about me, you can go here.

If you want to know about any other of your favorite authors, just type in their name and go find out. Try it with some of the bloggers here, just to...you know...test it out.

I will confess, I wasn't sure what was going to happen when my editor contacted me about this page, but I was willing to play. So I answered the questions they asked, and...this part was hard...joined Facebook and Friendfeed. I couldn't quite bring myself to Twitter, yet. But I'm working up my courage. Facebook scares me (I'm on MySpace, which I still barely understand), but after my Christmas holiday odyssey (8 days, 5 destinations, a gazillion relatives, 72 hours of driving, plus one flat tire), I succumbed to my sister's insistence and learned Facebook. My family loves it, and I was glad I joined because I got to see everyone's trip home pictures pretty quickly (one of my cousin's daughters is a fabulous photographer -- she was snapping away on Christmas day as we participated in a family tournament of Wiifit, pool, poker, Whip It and Bunco.

This is a quick pic April took of one set of Bunco dice (she's only in high school!).





So -- I guess I have Simon Pulse and my youngest sister to thank for dragging me further into the instant age.

I may even be ready for Twitter soon...maybe.

Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday (wouldn't have missed mine...well, except maybe for the flat tire part of it).

Kelly

It’s that time of year again...

American Idol time!

Oh, you’re not a fan? That’s okay. I’m fan enough for both of us. I have been looking forward to the season premiere on January 13 since...oh...Halloween. Each night when it starts, my son and I have a dance that we do to the opening credits music. Do YOU have a dance for your favorite show? Of course you don’t. You can’t possibly love your show as much as I love American Idol--plus, dancing in front of the television is something you would be mortified to do as a teenager. But when you hit 39...watch out.

In honor of this fabulous show, I’m going to recap the highs and lows--or at least MY highs and lows--of every season.

Season 1

Okay, I’ll admit it--I didn’t watch season 1. Not a single episode! I had a brand-new baby. The baby ate every three hours, all day, all night. If a show didn’t come on while it was time for me to sit down and feed the baby, I didn’t watch it. I did, however, watch a LOT of infomercials during the 1 a.m. feeding, and I was delighted to discover that COPS comes on at 4 a.m. I am not sure what this did to the baby. If he suddenly develops the urge to chase criminals or order Kinoki Foot Pads, I will know why.

But you know what? If I’d REALLY wanted to watch American Idol that first season, I probably could have urged the baby to eat when it came on. Sad to say, spending a couple of years as a music major made me a bit of a snob. I can’t sing, but I do have a pretty good ear, and a healthy disdain for other people who can’t sing AND don’t have a good ear and therefore don’t realize they can’t sing. I figured even the finals would be full of these people.

Boy was I wrong. I was driving in the car one day, weeks after the show was over, when I first heard “A Moment Like This,” Kelly Clarkson’s winning song. The girl has pipes. That day I vowed never to miss another episode of American Idol. I don’t think I have. To find out how big a Kelly Clarkson fan I am, all you have to do is read The Boys Next Door. And I don’t care what you say--My December is an excellent album!

Season 2

I actually called my husband work to say, “On American Idol there is an enormous man wearing a T-shirt with our telephone area code on it who just made it to Hollywood and is hollering, ‘205, Birmingham, Alabama, representing!’” My husband did not believe me. And I never quite believed that Ruben Studdard could be THAT good a singer. Every episode he was a joy to listen to. And I don’t care what you say--Soulful is an excellent album!

So it may surprise you that I didn’t even vote for my hometown man! That’s right, I was one of those women with a little *ahem* Clay Aiken problem. Lucky for me, I really thought I needed to get over it, so I wrote an American Idol knockoff romantic comedy novel. It didn’t sell, but it did get me writing again, and Major Crush sold the next year. And I don’t care what you say--Measure of a Man is an excellent album!

Season 3

Let’s skip season 3. I do love Fantasia’s funky song “Hood Boy,” but I was for La Toya London, who came in 4th. My son was for Jennifer Hudson, who got eliminated really early. Does he have an eye or what?

Season 4

Another Birmingham boy! Bo Bice attended the church next door to my son’s Montessori school. They had signs up all over the place, and everyone in Birmingham was hopeful for another hometown Idol after Ruben. It’s all anybody talked about. You can imagine this just fed the bad dancing that was going on at my house during the opening credits.

But I liked Carrie Underwood too, so I was okay with her winning. The amazing thing about both her and Jennifer Hudson is how paralyzed with fright they seemed on stage back then, and how easy they make it seem when they perform now. Clearly you CAN learn to be a princess!

Season 5

Oooh, oooh, season 5! It was about this time three years ago when I got my hair cut and asked my stylist if she watched American Idol. She said a guy who made the finals just left the salon a few minutes before. He’d been getting his hair cut there forever. He played in bands around town. They begged him to let them dye his prematurely gray hair and he refused. Well! Needless to say I was intrigued. When I watched the audition episodes and heard Taylor Hicks sing, I was floored. And soon the American Idol opening credits dance turned into the Taylor Hicks dance. My son started doing the Taylor Hicks dance all over town, in public, in the grocery store, in Macy’s, whether there was music or not. I am all for enthusiasm but this was a bit embarrassing even for me.

When Taylor hit the final three and came home for his parade



all of Birmingham was beside itself. Especially me. I really empathized with Taylor, who had practiced the craft he loved for so long, with so many doors closed in his face. The publication date of Major Crush was only two months away and I really felt both of us had FINALLY MADE IT. Go Taylor! Go me!

You’re right, now Taylor has lost his recording contract.

What are you implying?

And I don’t care what you say--Taylor Hicks is an excellent album!

What a great season all around. I have bought albums by Chris Daughtry and Elliot Yamin and singles by Katharine McPhee, and I have a lot of admiration for Kellie Pickler, who is NOT faking that accent. You should hear mine.

Season 6

Can we skip season 6 too? I was for Melinda Doolittle, who came in 3rd.

Season 7

David Cook all the way. He was a true musician and his intepretation of some of those songs was nothing short of masterful.

I do not want to hear your pleas about Archuleta. Archuleta is doing okay for himself. Yesterday in the drugstore I saw that he had his own Teen Beat-type magazine with pages and pages of nothing but Archuleta-y goodness. And I don’t care what you say--David Cook is an excellent album!

Season 8

I’m predicting a down year, since last year was an up year, and I am not sure about this additional judge. But hope springs eternal. There is no better television than one of these amateurs really nailing a performance in front of a national audience. Makes me wish I could sing.

At least I can dance.

The Worst Gifts of the Season

Seeing as how this is the season of giving and all, I'd like to do my part by helping those of you getting desperate for last minute holiday gifts. Not that I have suggestions for what to get, beyond echoing Micol’s call that a book always makes a great gift. But I’m offering equally useful advice for the last minute shoppers. I know quite well that as the clock ticks down even the tackiest of gifts begin to look promising. But I beg you. Put. Down. The. Chia Pet. And while you’re at it, avoid the following (especially if you happen to be shopping for me). They may seem like good ideas in the moment, but they are prime candidates for re-gifting…

Fruit Cake

A train with square wheels, a Charlie-in-the-Box, a cowboy that rides an ostrich, or a doll with emotional issues. They’re on that island for a reason. (Hey, maybe that’s the secret to the island on Lost. Sawyer is totally a misfit toy.)

Roast Beast

The Moon: George Bailey may have thought it incredibly romantic to offer this to Mary in It’s a Wonderful Life, but it is simply not practical. And don’t even get me started on the idea that he could throw a lasso around it, pull it out of orbit, have her SWALLOW IT WHOLE and then it would still glow inside her. No wonder he never got out of that hick town. (But, like Debbie's post says, this movie is a must see!!)

Hanukah Gelt: Don’t get me wrong. I love chocolate. But if anyone’s going to give me gold, I’d prefer ACTUAL gold.

But no Frankincense or Myrrh.

A hippopotamus

12 drummers drumming, 10 lords a-leaping, 8 maids a-milking (the gifts for the other 12 days are negotiable).

A chain for the pocket watch I don’t own or combs for the long hair I do not possess.

And finally … Star Wars “Disturbance at Lars Homestead” playset: I’d show you a picture of it here, if I could find one that’s not copyrighted, but allow me to describe it to those of you who are fans of the original 1977 Star Wars film. This is a plastic toy playset that recreates the never filmed moment when the Stormtroopers visited the home of Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. It’s a fairly innocent little playset until you realize that the Stormtrooper action figure has a flamethrower on his back because he’s about to TORCH LUKE’S RELATIVES!!! If this morbid toy isn’t a prime guest for the Island of Misfit Toys, I don’t know what is.

Happy Holidays and all the best for 2009!

The Christmas Spirit

My husband, Matt, just gave me the most wonderful Christmas gift ever. He took me to New York. Neither of us had been before, and he thought I'd like to hang out with my fabulous agents and meet my editor and the fine folks of Simon Pulse. Boy, was he right! And what better time to visit the Big Apple than Christmastime?!

We had so much fun, from seeing "Wicked" on Broadway (thanks to my friend Anna for the amazing seats), the Rockettes, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the New York Public Library, the famous departments stores (pictured below left is Macy's window display), the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza (pictured above right), Times Square (below right), Central Park, listening to the amazing Kaskade at Webster Hall, Little Italy, etc., etc. It's taken me a few days to recooperate, but I can honestly say I LOVE NY.

Thanks for letting me share.

Now, I'd like to give away a FREE, autographed copy of The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren. Here's the deal. I'd like you to nominate someone who'd like this book (recommended for ages 14 and up) who has done something special for you lately. Just tell me her (or his) first name and write a few sentences about why this person deserves a new book. Leave a comment here or contact me via my web-site . So this contest is to win a copy of my book for someone else, in the spirit of Christmas. I'll choose a winner on Friday, December 26, which is the one-year anniversary date of The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren.

Best wishes for a fabulous holiday season!

xoxo
Wendy Toliver

Holiday Film Faves

Yesterday I read a NY Times story about the reporter’s first viewing of the holiday classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” This reporter was a teenager in 1981 when his teacher set up the film on the projector for his class to watch one day after school.

That’s kinda how it happened for me—except it was in the 90's, during class, and viewed on VHS.

It was during my senior year Lit class when my teacher first mentioned the film mid-lecture. Everyone served her blank stares. Taking this to mean our memories simply needed jogging, she proceeded to toss out a few freebies:

Teacher: “You know—George Bailey”
Students: [Blink, blink.]
Teacher: “Bedford Falls?”
[Cricket sound effects.]
Teacher: “Lasso the moon?!”
[Flatline.]

I still remember my teacher’s shock that no one in our class had seen nor heard of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” She said something about not being able to live in a world where we haven’t experienced such an enduring holiday tradition. Actually, I’m not sure whether I read it in her aching expression or if she said it out loud. I still wonder if she blamed our lack of exposure to a generation gap or to a socioeconomic one (we were, after all, Black and Latino Catholic school students in inner city Newark).

So with a spirit of community service, my teacher devoted the next few classes to this film’s viewing. And whaddya know—were all touched by the movie!

I’m glad I had that brush with George Bailey. Although, at the time, my family’s holiday tradition was more about singing Christmas carols around the piano, we did have a few film faves. My father adored “Miracle on 34th Street” and my mom loved cracking up at “A Christmas Story.” And, of course, we all enjoyed adaptations of “A Christmas Carol”—like “Scrooged” starring Bill Murray.

Today my favorite holiday movie is “While You Were Sleeping” starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman.

After all, you can never go wrong with a romantic comedy. [wink, wink]

Here's to a fantastic holiday season and a happy new year!

The Symbol of Death

You might think that this is the symbol of death:



Or maybe this Mexican parade is more your mental image:



But really, it's this:



Last week, while my MacBook was doing nothing more strenous than powering up, I heard it make a series of cranky noises akin to an elderly, lifetime smoker coughing up his left lung. The MacBook had never done that before, so of course, I wondered who'd messed with it (answer: no one.)

Then, when the screen finally blinked on, I got the questioning file folder.

I called Apple immediately ('cause what good is AppleCare if you don't call the gurus?) and a friendly guy had me restart the computer from the startup disks. That worked...I had a beautiful blue screen, with no questioning file folders in sight. I thought I was saved until I went into the Utilities (as directed by AppleGuy) and the hard drive was nowhere to be found. The conversation went something like this:

AppleGuy: You don't see the hard drive anywhere? It should be in the list. Look on the left.

Me: Nope. I see the startup CD. That's it.

AppleGuy: You're looking in the left-hand column?

Me: Yep. (I do know my left from my right.)

AppleGuy: Could it have another name?

Me: No. There's nothing else in the list at all. Just the startup disk.

Big Pause.

AppleGuy: Okay. You may have fried your hard drive, but don't panic yet.

Me: That's not funny.

AppleGuy: Sorry.
Me: Dude, don't say "fried" and "hard drive" in the same sentence! That's going to make a person panic every single time.

AppleGuy: I'm getting you an appointment at the Genius Bar at the Apple Store. They can run some tests. It's possible they can find it. No promises, though.

Me: You said "fried." Once you say that about a hard drive, you know you can't go back.

AppleGuy: Is your data backed up?

Me: About 95%.

AppleGuy: Then you definitely shouldn't panic.

Me: But you said FRIED!

So off to the Genius Bar I went. Sure enough, my not-so-trusty laptop, which is less than two years old, was DOA. Apple offered to replace the hard drive--which they did in only three days--which was nice. On the other hand, since I've never had any trouble with my MacBook before the startup coughing fit, they couldn't tell me what I'd done, or how to keep it from happening again.

On the bright side, no laptop gave me three days to clean my home office. Even the windows got washed. And while I was at the Apple Store waiting for the death sentence to be passed on the MacBook, I splurged and bought a Bose Sound Dock for my still-functioning iPod.

I figured if I was going to panic, I may as well do it with my credit card.

Do you think Apple planned that?!

Read all about it!

Like every single other person in the greater free world, I have lately been giving much thought to holiday gift lists. I'm sad to say, the only present I've bought thus far is for the fiance, and I'm now in lockdown mode of getting everything else ordered and on its way.

Well, it's no secret that the publishing industry (like so many industries, alas) has DEFINITELY seen better days. To that end, I know what I'm buying for most of the folks on my list: BOOKS! And at the risk of being too self-interested, I must implore that you do the same.

The truth is that the right book can be the perfect gift for anyone on your list. Got a fashionista friend? Check out the Olsen twins' gorgeous new coffee-table tome, INFLUENCE. And lots of your favorite series are offering fancy-schmancy boxed sets for the season. My dad loves to cook, and every year I like to buy him a cookbook with exotic new fare to try. My mother loves thrillers. My brother is an avid graphic novel enthusiast.

Yeah, there's a good reason that I've got multiple accounts on file at Amazon.

So what about you? What are you reading this holiday season, and what--if any--books are you gifting? I'm always open to suggestions and recommendations!

Oh--and happy holidays!

Public Displays of Holiday Spirit!

I love people who decorate for the holidays (though my dh may be shocked to hear me say so, since I grumble every time he brings out our bins of lights, houses, and garlands collected in many years of after-holiday sales). I usually leave the in-house decorating to our household Santa and his elves (I do the cards, having the only legible handwriting in the home). We don't do outside, though. Only inside. Mostly the living room.


Some years our living room is blinding. Others, not so much. This year we have our winter village houses out. And some lights (we never get the tree until close to the 24th, since we can then leave it up for half of January without worrying about redecorating the floor with pine needles).

To be honest, if it weren't for the others, I might not do much. Because I'm lazy. Which leads me to the point of my post: those overgifted with the spirit of the holidays. You know who I mean. The people who light up every eave. The people with the giant blowup snowglobe, Santa, Snoopy, electric candles in every window, giant wreaths with big red bows lit by landscape lighting. Yep. Those.

So far, we've been out twice to look at lights. I had been afraid in this economic times no one would light up. Hah! The display is more magnificent than ever.

Maybe dh and I should consider getting out the ladder? [Horrible pictures of me hanging upside down from the ladder, with a Santa around my neck]. Okay. Maybe not.

Don't forget to drive through your neighborhoods and appreciate those people who worked so hard to put up those public displays (and will have to pay the electric bill next month).

If you are one who does the whole PDHJ -- I salute you.

Kelly