The Spa Treatment

Sometimes a girl has to pamper herself. And tonight was one of those nights. :) I went for a facial at this really excellent spa called "Exhale" in Boston. It was soo nice and relaxing, even if the esthetician did call my freckles "discolorization of the skin" and lectured me about not using exfoliant to get rid of them.

What I want to know is - since when did freckles become a bad thing? I like my freckles. I don't really WANT to get rid of them, even if they are technically skin discolorization.

So :P to her.

However, she did give a very very nice neck/head massage so I will (this time at least) forgive her for her callous anti-freckle comments. I am such a massage whore. If I were rich I'd get them every single day. Hire a cute cabana boy with strong hands. :) heh. Who's with me?

And on that silly note...
Mar

The IM Reunion

Hey all,

So you know I've been kind of freaking out on my book deadline. Well I got my contract yesterday and it says the book isn't due til October 1st. Here I was thinking I needed to turn it in September 1st! I'm so happy - a whole extra month! Whoo hoo! I feel so much better now. Not that I'm going to slack, mind you. But it does relieve some of the pressure.

Last night I finally got to IM with one of my best friends - Ali - in Florida. She and I have been through a lot together - much good, but also much bad. She's really helped me through some tough times over the years and I consider her and her husband to be the kind of kindred spirits that come around only once in a lifetime. They're the kind of people that I can see once a year and we jump back into our friendship as if no time has lasped. I love them dearly and care about them like few other people on this earth. In fact, if circumstances were different I'd move back to Florida for the sole purpose of living near them.

Anyway - that said, last fall we got into a really stupid fight based on a misunderstanding of an event. And because we live so far apart, it was easy for us (both master avoiders) to just stop talking. When I say "easy" I don't mean emotionally so, however. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't miss her dreadfully. But I was proud and stubborn and humiliated by the event and didn't know how to break down and tell her I missed her.

This went on for 6 months. Evidently she emailed me once, but it was to my old email account that I don't check anymore. (too much spam!) It wasn't til one day recently when I got an accidental IM that everything changed.

For fun I'd changed my user name on my IM account to something silly as a joke and so Ali's husband Bobby - thinking I was someone else - sent me a webpage link to something funny he'd found. I IM'ed him back, happy for the excuse to talk to him. During our convo, he told me Ali missed me and was sorry and stuff and that I should email her. I did and she emailed me back and last night I IM'ed her.

We talked til midnight and I'm so happy that we did. It means so much to me to regain her friendship. She has a year old baby and I feel I've missed a good 6 months of him growing up. I don't want to miss anymore.

She jokingly said she's been "stalking me" and my career so if that means reading my blog - Ali I love you and I'm so happy we're talking again. I'm not usually an overly sentimental person - but you and your friendship mean a lot to me and I never want to lose you again.

And as for the rest of you, there's a moral to this story: IM addiction can be a good thing. :P

Marianne

Unmasked

One of the great things about being a Dorchester author is being in the company of other great Dorchester authors. I'm still the new kid on the block and at times it truly blows my mind how much talent some of my fellow "Leisure Ladies" have.

Case in point: CJ Barry. She writes futuristic romances -- a genre I love. I mean what can be more sexy and romantic than a dashing space pirate? Yum. So I'm psyched to report that CJ has a new book out. It's called Unmasked and it's topping my TBR pile.

Here's a blurb:

To the merchants he plunders, he's the Ghost Rider of the Dead Zone. To sector law enforcement, he's a wanted pirate. To the slaves he rescues, he's the savior, laghato. To one determined female, Qaade Deter is serious trouble. Torrie Masters had heard of the legendary raider, but she'd never expected to encounter him. Nor would she have expected that beneath his black mask lurked an enticing man destined to challenge her in ways she couldn't shoot her way out of. But a great threat has emerged-one that's left no choice but for them to join forces. Entrusted with the fate of thousands, Torrie has discovered Qaade's impossible dream. Only she has the power to help him. Only she has the power to see him UNMASKED.

Sounds good, huh? If you're intrigued, you can find an excerpt on Dorchester's website.


Marianne

Go see Batman Begins!

Managed to accomplish everything I set out to do yesterday! Wrote lots of words, swam at a local lake with the dogs, and saw Batman Begins. Great movie, by the way. Nice and dark--just how I like 'em. And Christian Bale was perfect as the troubled, but fearless Bruce Wayne. (I'd say very yummy as well, but I don't want to cheapen his excellent acting.) Actually there were lots of great actors in it. Anyway - a definite must-see summer movie.

But don't just take my word for it. Even Mrs. Giggles liked it!

Hm. What else? I ran into my high school ex-boyfriend Craig at the mall yesterday. (I'm not normally a mall person, btw, but it was like 100 degrees out!) Anyway - Craig said that he was going through some old stuff at his parents' house and found some notes I wrote him back while we were going out. If I can get him to give them to me I'll post any juicy excerpts. It's funny - I have all these notes other people have sent me over the years (I'm a total sentimental packrat for stuff like that) but of course nothing that I myself wrote to someone else.

Today I'm going shopping, I think. I need summer clothes BADLY.

Sorry not more to report...
Marianne

What's the Story Morning Glory?

Happy Saturday!

It's going to be a hot one here in Boston. Supposed to feel like 110 degrees if you can believe it. Gah. Maybe I can finally get a tan. I'm going to California late July (before Reno) to do a mini book tour (with Crimson City'ite Liz Maverick) and I don't want to have fryable skin.

Last night I went to see Oasis in concert at The Tweeter Center. Liam and Noel rocked. They were sooo good live. It was a warm summer night, perfect for an outdoor concert. The Australian band "Jet" opened and they were great as well.

My goal is to go see Batman Begins this weekend. I hear it's excellent. And I love Christian Bale. Of course "seeing a movie" and "getting a tan" aren't exactly noble weekend goals, so workaholic me is adding "write at least 3,000 words of the book" as well. :) We'll see which goals I accomplish though.

That's about all to report. Boring, I know. But hey, welcome to my life. :(

Marianne

GCC: Larger Than Life

Today we've got a new offering from the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit. Alison Kent's steamy, thrilling Brava romance "Larger than Life."

Here's te blurb:

With her wildly popular SG-5 series, Alison Kent proved that taut suspense and hot, sensual romance make for an irresistible mix. Now, in LARGER THAN LIFE, Kent ups the ante again with a story of two people caught in a high-stakes game where their hearts and lives are on the line?

After being beaten and left for dead in the New Mexico desert, Smithson Group agent Mick Savin tries to piece together his last few days. He remembers bits and pieces: gathering crucial intel. An ambush by Spectra thugs. And then?nothing, except waking up in some medical center in rural West Texas. His mission was top secret. So how did he end up here?

The answer is Neva Case. If the former big-city attorney hadn?t been out in her pick-up, Mick wouldn?t be alive. Mick?s never met anyone quite like Neva. She?s smart, sexy, and passionate. She also has a secret. Neva runs the Big Brown Barn, an underground shelter for young girls forced into unwanted polygamist marriages. Neva would do anything for these girls?and that?s what worries Mick. Neva may be trusting, but Mick?s instincts tell him that something?s not quite right. He?s not about to let someone get to Neva and the girls on his watch. Especially when one of the girls brings trouble straight to the barn's front door . . .

Now, with the shelter in unimaginable danger and time running out, Mick is in for the fight of his life, one that could cost him the woman he?s come to love more than anything?

---
Sounds exciting, huh? You can read an excerpt here.

Alison writes for both Harlequin Blaze and Kensington Brava. In other words - very sexy romances. And since I'm trying to make my current WIP a little hotter myself, I thought I'd ask her this question:

What's the secret of turning up the heat - without losing the romance?

Here's her very insightful answer:

Emotion, emotion, emotion. Ya gotta have it! And I'm not talking about hearts-and-flowers love. I'm talking about fear and panic and what-have-I-done emotion. Because falling in love encompasses all of it. It's an overwhelming change to the way we've been going about our lives for so long. Now there is another person in the picture All Of The Time and that is HUGE. Love scenes have to be about more than sex. (I mean, that's a given, right?) But, imo, the sexier the book, the bigger the need to make sure the characters emerge from any intimate encounter to face even larger personal stakes. In books where intimacy is the climax, so to speak, the conflict is all about getting there. Since characters in the sexier books have already climbed that particular mountain, keeping the emotional tension twanging keeps the reader reading for the rest of the romance!
----

So there you go! :) Go check out Larger than Life for some real summer sizzle!

Marianne

Ladies, Start your engines

I STARTED MY BOOK!!!

Yup, the 1920's book, the one with the synopsis from hell, is now officially underway with the first 1,100 words (5 pages) down on paper. (er, screen.) I know that's not a lot, but I feel it's a good start, considering that the first scene in the book can be especially daunting. It's a mental thing, I think. Staring at the blank screen. Typing Chapter One. Fixing margins, typeset, double spacing. Doing everything but typing that uber important first line...

But I did it. I got past it. And now hopefully I can roll along at a good speed. :) Check back for crazy celebratory pics like Liz's on September 1st.

Okay - since I have to get to work (see when I'm writing you get short blog entries) why don't you click on the comments section and answer the following question.

-- If you're a writer, tell me what's the first line of your book.
-- If you're a reader, tell me a first line of a book that you especially like.

My first line is:

"I can't be the only one in this goddamn city who's too stressed for sex!"

What's yours?
Marianne

Awaken Me Darkly!

Today I'm going to tell you about a FAB new book that's just been released as part of Pocket Book's Bad Girls of Downtown press. The book is called "Awaken Me Darkly" by Gena Showalter and it rocks! It's like Laurell K. Hamilton with aliens. What could be better? Nothing. Simply nothing. First - take a look at the rockin' cover. This alone screams BUY ME!

Anyway - the heroine, Mia Snow, alien huntress is one kick ass chick. The kind you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. She's also cool as anything. The kind of girl I wish I could be. At the same time, she's not the Terminator. She's had a traumatic past and even in some tough situations still manages to retain an inner sensitivity. (Even though she'd rather kill you than admit it.) She's someone you could totally be friends with. If you, um, didn't intend to ever piss her off.

Anyway - I'm about 100 pages into the book and let me tell you, the action doesn't stop. It's hard to put down and this morning I was actually wishing my commute was LONGER. :)

Anyway - go here for an excerpt. I dare you not to go buy the book after you read it.

I asked Gena a few questions about the book:

Did you enjoy writing a kick ass heroine like Mia?

God, yes! Writing the book was great therapy for me. I am an emotional person, and when someone made me mad, Mia got to kick their ass in the pages. What a sweet job I have!

Hmm. Remind me never to make you mad in real life. :) Anyway, you do a fab job making her uber tough, but still human -- with doubts, fears and weaknesses. Was that a challenge?

Absolutely. In my rough draft, she came across as Super Woman, someone who could do everything, needed no one, feared nothing. Who can identify with that? Not me, that?s for sure. I had to really examine her life to discover her vulnerabilities, then go back and add them in the story.

There seems to be more and more kick ass heroine books being released lately. Do you think this is a trend that will continue?

I certainly hope so. I adore reading about strong, assured woman who will fight for what they believe in. That, and I have several stories in the works with this type of heroine and want them to do well LOL

AND FINALLY... Are you for or against conference chicken? ;)

Before joining the Chicken Brigade I would have said I was against conference chicken. However, now that I am a member of such an elite society, I find there?s nothing more delicious, savory, and succulent than floppy, plain, and tough chicken.

Well there you have it. Author, Chicken Brigader, and all around cool chick Gena Showalter, everyone. Go buy the book! Or she'll sic Mia on you...

Marianne

Mission Accomplished & Fave Children's Books

You will be happy to hear my synopsis saga has a happy ending. As does my synopsis itself, which, of course, is equally important, since we're talking romance here. I came up with a great twist of an ending and I'm very pleased with myself. **grin** Now I just have to write the book! But I feel much better doing that now that I have a detailed roadmap to follow.

You know, I think I need to train my brain to focus better. I mean when writing one book I should not be having wild and crazy fantasies of writing another. It's kind of like cheating on your boyfriend. You're with him everyday, but your thoughts and mind are elsewhere. Not a good situation. (And unlike with a boyfriend you can't break up with your already-contracted book, especially if it's scheduled to hit shelves in 12 months.)

I've come up with this awesome concept for this huge paranormal series that I think would really rock. I'm so excited about it - I think about it all the time. But I have four more books to get through before I can start something new. So it's pointless to dwell on.

Okay wow - we need some cheese with all this whine, huh? I should be celebrating - synopsis is done! Synopsis is done! It's just my mental state has been a little low lately and also my new puppy woke me up at 4:30am. Again.

But okay - here's something fun. What books do you remember fondly as a child/teen? Ones that really spoke to you - ones you read over and over again. Mine are all fantasy books.

Here's my list:

The Hero and The Crown - Robin McKinley - Quite possibly my favorite book as a child. I read it over and over and over. It's the story of a girl who has to wield a legendary sword to fight a dragon. A girl fantasy book, basically. I actually just ordered a new copy off of Amazon to see if it holds up now that I'm an adult.

Below the Root - Zilpha Keatley Snyder - I was a big fan of all Zilpha's books as a kid, but this fantasy series was especially cool. I think it's out of print, unfortunately, but if you can get a copy in the library, it's well worth reading. A beautiful story that I'm surprised was not more popular. There are also two sequels to it and an old computer game from the 80s that I used to play.

The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis - My dad read me these books as a child and they really opened up my mind. My favorite is Voyage of the Dawn Treader - perhaps the darkest of the series. It was beautiful and strange and opened up new worlds of possibility in my young mind.

Chronicles of Prydain - Lloyd Alexander: A great children's fantasy series about Taran, the assistant pig keeper, who ends up saving the world. Disney did a stupid cartoon on one of these books called "The Black Cauldron." Insulting to the greatness of the books themselves.

A Wrinkle in Time series -Madeleine L'Engle - I had a slight problem with the heroine in these books and at times they were a bit hard for the young me to grasp all of the concepts - especially in the later books. I might have to reread them someday, as I've read now that there were all sorts of adult symbolism "wrinkled" into the sci-fi fantasy storyline.

What are yours?
Marianne

Happy Father's Day!

Today we're taking time off from my traditional bad blog behavior of moaning and groaning about my synopsis to talk about a very special person in my life: my dad. You see, it's Father's Day today and I wanted to take a moment to mention how much I lucked out in the Dad department of life.

My dad was always there for me. From Day one. When I was a child, he read to me all the Narnia books and instilled a love of fantasy. He taught me how to use a computer at a very young age - putting me ahead of the game in school. He taught me to ride a bike - even though it took me about three times as long to learn as other kids. He took a summer off to take me and my family on a 9 week cross country camping trip. (Think a seven and five year old in the car for eight hours straight.) In high school, he hated all my loser boyfriends and yelled at me when I slacked off at school. (I didn't like him much then - but appreciate it now!) He shelled out the $$ for a very expensive college because I wanted to be a tv producer. And when I got my first tv producer job and it paid $6/hr without benefits on the 3am-9am shift and I had to move back home - he never once suggested I "get a real job." And everytime he goes into a bookstore, he can't resist picking up a copy of CT Fashionista so he can tell the clerk his daughter wrote it. (I think he's bought about 20 copies by now - excellent for my sell-through!!)

Anyway - I could gush on and on but I think you get the point. My dad rocks. I wouldn't trade him in for anyone. And to celebrate him on this Father's Day - I've uploaded a few pics. Enjoy!

Marianne

I HATE SYNOPSES!!!!!!

So it's Saturday. My day off. But in my world a true day off doesn't exist so I'm madly working on the synopsis for my 1920's book. (Which needs a title, damn it!) I'm doing a pretty detailed synopsis - (which is unusual for me) because I really feel I need a roadmap for this one so I can bang it out quickly once I start writing. I'm about halfway through and I like everything I've written so far. I think it's going to be a really fun, cool story.

But now I'm stuck again. And my editor made me promise to have the final product in his email by Monday AM.

Gah.

I wonder if he'll fall for the old book report style of the synopsis. "If you want to know what happens next - read the book!" Heh. Think he's wise to that one????

Anyway - I've done all I can for today. I've still got Sunday and early Monday AM to think of something. I'm not worried. (Okay, I'm totally worried, but I'm thinking glass half full here.)

And so this entry is not just me whining yet again about the stupid synopsis, here's a little something to entertain you. My new puppy Adora - enjoying some conference chicken.

Yum!!

Oh and my last thing - I just found a review of CT Fashionista that said "If Ms. Mancusi felt like it, she could easily write an excellent straight fantasy." (!!!!!) This is probably my favorite compliment to date!! I am such a fantasy junkie. I love to read it. And I would really like to write one someday. How cool to get a review that says that? Now I just have to get an editor to agree with them...

And um, on that self-congratulatory note, time to torture myself with more synopsing.
Marianne

Dresses, Plots, and Avalon

The National RWA conference in Reno will be here in a little over a month. And you know what that means...SHOPPING! Oh yeah, baby! Any excuse to buy new clothes, right??

And I'm pleased to announce that I found the perfect dress. It's so cool looking - very unique. The only thing I'm not sure of is whether I'll wear it to the RITA/Golden Heart dinner or the publisher parties on Friday night. Anyway - take a look and let me know what you think:

Isn't it pretty? I know it's unconventional, but then - so am I - so it works in that respect. :)

In other news, my editor and I hashed out a pretty cool plot for my 1920s book - which, I must admit, I was struggling with a bit. My strength is in creating cool concepts and writing, you see, but I'm lousy at plotting. Usually when I start a new book I talk it through with friends or my photographers at work while we're driving to shoots. I almost think non-writers are better with plots than some of us writers are. (Especially those who watch a lot of movies.) I am hoping I will be able to exercise my plotting muscle to the point where it works on its own soon. But in the meantime, I've now got an awesome story to write and I'm truly grateful that my editor took the time to brainstorm with me on it - especially when I consider how busy he must be.

Anyway, when not writing, I've been watching the Mists of Avalon miniseries on DVD. It's actually quite good so far. I was expecting it to be terrible as it's my favorite book in the entire world and you know how it is when you watch an adaption of a book you love. By the way, if you haven't read it - I highly suggest it. For those of you who don't know, it's basically a feminist retelling of the King Arthur story. The writing is beautiful and the story fascinatingly different than the traditional. Morgan Le Fay plays the heroine of the book instead of her usual villianess role and you feel really bad at all that befalls her. So go to the bookstore now - do not pass go. It's worth the trip.

Time to get ready for work. TGIF everyone!
Marianne

GCC: The Garden Angel

Today we've got another fine selection from the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit. The book is The Garden Angel by Mindy Friddle. It's now out in paperback by Picador.

Here's a blurb:

"In Sans Souci, South Carolina, talk is cheap, real estate even more so. No one knows this better than Cutter Johanson, a gruff tomboy who waits tables, writes obits, and makes every effort, however comical and in the face of her mercenary relatives, to avert the sale of the dilapidated ancestral home. And despite her plucky resolve, all appears to be lost---until she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Elizabeth, a shy and fragile academic who puts both their fates on the mend."

Intrigued? You can read an excerpt here. And info for ordering your own copy here.

She's gotten tons of good reviews too. Here are just a few:

"Mindy Friddle has a great comic touch, and her novel is a touching, heartfelt debut."-Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls

"Friddle has a way with the comic yet apt image...funny, down-to-earth and steeped in a sense of place."-The Washington Post

"The glory of a past that may never be reclaimed is the theme of this unique and satisfying novel ...At times wonderfully comic and sad enough to provoke tears, The Garden Angel is an addictive read, and an enthralling story filled with both loss and hope." --- The Barnes & Noble Review from Discover Great New Writers

Make sure you check out this rising star!! :)
Marianne

Where's the Beef?

So I've noticed a trend of writers inserting "beefcake" in blogs recently. Gena Showalter has photos of hunks every Monday. Vanessa Virtue has posted weekend eye candy. Katie MacAlister's been doing Dishy Guy Monday for a while. And even Liz Maverick has posted some beefcake gone awry. heh. (Well we can't expect Liz to be normal now can we?)

Anyway people seem to love it! They comment up a storm. And I end up feeling horribly left out. You know, I think there's something wrong with me. I just don't get high enjoyment others seem to by looking at beefcake. I never get turned on by a photo of some random guy's muscular chest. Like with those romance covers you see with the beefy guys on them. They don't make me want to buy the book. In fact they make me want to run screaming out of the bookstore. If I ever get a cover like that, I'll cry.

It's not that I don't like drooling over guys. It's just I guess I'm more of a face person. Give me a set of gorgeous blue eyes and a shy dreamy smile over a six pack torso any day of the week. I mean it'd be great if the guy had a nice body too- don't get me wrong - but the first thing I notice is definitely higher up.

And by nice body I mean toned, by the way, not huge and meatheady. I hate huge and meatheady. For example - Jude Law and Ewan McGregor are on my "most desirable guys" list and they're more lanky than hunky. They have great eyes and excellent bone structure and good hair. (Though sadly Jude may be losing his.) That's what I like in a guy.

So I apologize to my readers now. You won't find beefcake here in this blog. But luckily there are plenty of places to go if you get the urge to drool! And I'd be happy tp post Jude and Ewan pics any day of the week! :)

Mar

Who's Stalking Who?

Check out Liz Maverick's um, homage, to CT Fashionista. (And here I thought I was supposed to be stalking HER and her Crimson City'ites...)

Marianne

Weekend Wrapup

Good weekend overall. Celebrated my dad's birthday with the step-family on Friday night. Then Saturday I picked up the new puppy Adora - who really is Adora-ble. heh. (Will post more photos soon!) Saturday night I went out with some friends to dinner at an Irish pub in Cambridge and then dancing at the 80s club I've told you about before. Very fun. Sunday I led a panel at my local RWA chapter meeting on Conference 101 - what you need to know about the National RWA conference. I thought it went very well. Sunday night I had to go into work (boo!) cause I'd forgotten to do something on Friday. But oh well, other than that it was a great weeekend. Watched a couple of movies - including one called "Miller's Crossing" which is a 20's gangster flick. Perfect for research for my 20's time travel book. I'm actually looking to watch more 20's movies - so if you know of any good ones, please let me know. I'm also reading books for research, but it's easier to write about a time period if you can see visuals as well. At least for me.

Speaking of - I even wrote this AM. I think I'm finally getting back into the groove. Taking a month off between books was a terrible idea. I need to write everyday or I lose motivation, big time! Luckily (or unluckily) I won't have that luxury again for a while anyway. The 20's book is due in September. Then "Stake That!" (Boys that Bite #2) is due in December. Then "The Camelot Code" is due in February and "Hoboken Hipster" is due in July. So I'm basically going to have to write every single day for the next year or I'll be completely screwed.

Okay. Breathing deeply. One day at a time. One word at a time. Not worried at all. :)

Anyway - off to get ready for work!
Marianne

Not so bad poetry

I know you guys love the "blast from the past stuff" so I dug through the archives for something new and I've found the perfect thing!!

For background: I've dated far too many jerks in my life and not nearly enough poets. Therefore I can honestly say only one guy in my entire life has written an actual song about me. He gave me a copy and of course I saved it. I actually think it's pretty good. Sad, but sweet. This was freshman year in college. The guy was Dave and he was a musician from South Boston.

That Song Title

The nightmare never ends
I can feel the innocence slipping away
But I think you're bringing it back.

Too hard to open up - I understand
Running about for comfort
It's all right to cry.

The silk flows down over your shoulder
Your sight is nothing but sadness
Even during the laughter.

A similar view stands out
Eighteen years is a long time
I am scared too.

The ultimatum of time could be offered
That would ruin the little of what we have
But I am impatient.

"Interesting" is something you say
The attraction builds
Let me in
Let me in

Trust is bullshit
Take every chance offered
Time is precious
Take it even if it rips apart

Don't sell things short
I cry as well
You're causing it to return
I will do anything for you.

Because I know who you are.

Meet Adora

I am adopting a new puppy today!! We're going to call her Adora. She's originally from Ohio and was brought in by an awesome rescue group called Pawsafe. She's part Australian Shepherd and part Lab.

Here's her photo:

Tell me she's not the cutest thing EVER. We're picking her up tonight so expect more pics soon!!

Marianne

Mutts...but no Martinis

Last night after work my friends Mary and Heather and I gathered up our dogs (4 in all) and walked downtown to the Nine Zero hotel where they were having "Mutts and Martinis" a benefit for the Animal Rescue League. It was supposed to be a night of drinking, eating, and mingling with mutts. They were even going to have a dog psychic reader. Finally - I'd be able to find out what Molly really thought of me! :) We had been looking forward to it all week.

But when we arrived, panting dogs in tow, we were told it was SOLD OUT!! Funny how the flyer neglected to mention that you could buy tickets in advance! We were so disapointed, as were many other people who were turned away at the door. Boo!!

Since we'd walked all the way down and the dogs needed water (and we needed alcohol) we decided to have our own mutts and martinis party at local Irish pub Kinsale. Luckily, they were nice enough to let us gather around an outside table and eat appetizers and drink sangria while the dogs hung out under the table, poking their noses out to beg every once in a while. There was another couple there too who'd been turned away at the door so it did seem like a little festive party.

It turned out to be a fun night after all, though we were disapointed not to get into the benefit. Supposedly they're having another in September. We'll definitely buy our tickets early this time!!

Anyway - here's a photo of us with our dogs at Kinsale. (Click on it for a larger version.) Note all the water the dogs spilled on the ground!! They're very sloppy drinkers.

Happy Weds!
Marianne

Crimson Envy

Okay first off let me just say I'm not ungrateful for all I have been given. I've been very fortunate this year in the writing world and I'm completely thankful for all that's happened to me.

That said, I do have to admit to a little Crimson Envy.

You've probably heard of the upcoming kick-ass Dorchester Love Spell series "Crimson City" concocted by the uber talented author Liz Maverick, right? An alternate reality action romance series of an LA chock full of vamprires, werewolves, and mechs. (If you haven't, check this out here.) The premise is cool. The covers are cool. It just looks awesome.

I wish I were a part of it.

When I went to RT, Liz and fellow Crimson'ite Marjorie M. Liu and I spent one morning promoting our books together. You should have seen the eager faces of the women when they heard about this series. When they laid eyes on the covers.

They couldn't wait to get their hands on these books.

I can't wait either.

On Liz's blog, Crimson writers have been assigned little red oragami birds. As if they're part of some special team. Some cool exclusive club. Probably have even worked out a secret handshake.

God help me if they have a silver initiation pins at Nationals. It would so not be fair.

There's got to be some way I can get involved. Some way I can spend some time under the Crimson sun. Sure, all the authors (teammates (sigh)) have already been selected. Sure, I wouldn't have time to write anything even if they weren't. Sure, my writing style doesn't really match the tone of the series.

But it's just so...cool.

Hmm... Maybe I could start a Crimson City fan club. We could talk about our favorite characters and write fan fic set in the Crimson world. I even thought of a title for mine - Crimson Star. We could create replica silver pins and stalk Liz and the team at Nationals.

Or, um, maybe not.

Anyway - I'm obviously just being silly here (at least about the stalking), but I do think the series has major potential to rock and I plan to be first in line to get a copy.

Marianne

Searching For...

Sometimes it's fun to see how people found my blog. I'd say it's often by accident, judging from the search terms they use. Here are some of my favorites from the last month...


KINDA VAGUE

search - (Anything...er...specific you looking for?)
happy Saturday - (Right. Um, you too, I guess...)
snowstorms - (Hopefully not until next winter, please!)
celebrity crushes - (Anyone specific in mind?)
drag shows - (Town? State? Country? Or are you just looking for pictures?)

CELEB HUNTERS

Sean Cassidy pictures - (Not on my blog!)
good looking guys - (I'm glad to see you're selective.)
linguist David Bowie - (Okay... but me personally, if I had a moment alone with DB, I wouldn't use him for his linguistic skills!!!!)
"Jude Law is my" - (I feel like we're missing a word here. But in case the missing word is "boyfriend" - he's MINE...just FYI)
Adore British men - (Me too, my friend. Me too)
Mark Hamill, sex scene - (Hmm, this must have been post Star Wars?)
Anakin "Paul Banks" - (Anakin = Darth Vader) (Paul Banks = Singer of Interpol) Not sure how they're related, but hey - I dig them both, so it's all good.
sexy Simon Le Bon - (Mmm.. I agree. You're definitely in the right place.)

WRITING RELATED

Kate Seaver Dorchester - (FYI she works for Berkley now)
Berkley Leah Hultenschmidt - (FYI she works for Dorchester still)
"Nadia Cornier" "legitimate" - (Um...Nadia? Something you're not telling me?)

Chris Keesler
Chris Keeslar
Chris Keeslar 2005
Chris Keesler RT convention - (Chris, dude, for Heaven's sake stop Googling yourself!!!!)

HUH?

astropop crack - (I'm not sure I want to know...)
cosmos party - (Did my invite get lost in the mail?)
regret quitting my job - (Sorry to hear that, dude. Next time look before you leap)
slap your irritating co-worker day - (I know the feeling at times...)
"cook dinner for a girl" - (Good for you! I hope she enjoyed it!)

80s MUSIC LOVERS

"right round baby right round" song
you spin me right sound
you spin me right round original - (Wow I should title my blog entries with 80s songs more often!)

who sung the theme song in the breakfast club movie - (Simple Minds, I believe)
The Smiths that's romance - (Are you the St. Louis RT DJ?? Rock on!)

Well that's enough of that! :) Time to enjoy my Sunday!
Marianne

GCC: ENCHANTED, INC

Okay, you've suffered through bad poetry and silly photos enough for one week, I think. :) Today I'm hosting Shanna Swendson as part of the Girlfriend Cyber Circuit. Shanna's a really cool girl from Texas who's a member of my online writing group Chick Lit Writers. Her new book has JUST come out and it looks fabulous. Plus, it's paranormal chick lit. Think Bridget Jones meets Harry Potter. How cool is that? Cute cover too!

Here's a blurb:

Shanna Swendson's debut mainstream novel, ENCHANTED, INC (Ballantine Trade
Paperback Original, $12.95, May 31, 2005) is a magical story featuring Katie Chandler, a 20 something, small-town Texas girl, who finds that being average in New York City is anything but. Katie loves the energy of Manhattan, andif she finds some of the people odd, well, that's New York, right? Where else would you see a person on the subway wearing fairy wings? In fact, if Katie wasn't completely sure those wings must be a costume, she'd think they were real, the way they flutter in the breeze. Certainly the gargoyle that perches above the door of the church she passes on the way to and from work isn't real. Its eyes seem to follow her, and she could have sworn it winked at her once, but now that she thinks about it, it was really hot that day,and she hadn't eaten lunch....

Katie is still adjusting to life in the big city while working a for a nightmare boss, when she gets a fantastic offer to work for a mysterious company, MSI, Inc. Through her new job and the magical folk she meets, Katie comes to find out she isn't quite as average as she thought; and the fairytale life she has longed for begins to come true in surprising ways.

What Katie doesn't realize is how rare and important being ordinary can be.In fact, it is her ordinary characteristics that make her the perfect secret weapon for MSI, Inc. Suddenly the very qualities she thought made her average are what make her special! Now she has magicians and fairies meddling in her attempted romances, a secret life she needs to keep hidden from her non-magical friends, not to mention that dangerous pull she feels for Owen, an attractive but shy wizard who might be the most powerful magicman since Merlin.

ENCHANTED, INC is a magical delight that will be a fun summer read foranyone who's wished upon a star or hoped for a sprinkle of fairy dust.

How fun does that sound? If you want to read an excerpt you can do so here. I cannot wait to read this book!! :)

And to close, something Shanna related, but non-book related. I just read one of her recent blog entries and she talks about having phone phobia. (Though she doesn't call it that - that's my term) I sooo have phone phobia as well!! I would rather miss out on something important than pick up the phone and call a stranger. I can talk to my friends on the phone, of course. And my parents. But not strangers or people I don't know well. I don't know what it is--what I'm afraid of. Shrug. Anyway - I'm glad to see I'm not the only one.

Marianne

Really Bad Poetry

Oh, so you want the bad poetry, huh? Hmmm. Do I really want to embarass myself further on the web? Post really bad poems about teenage love for all to read?

Sigh. The things I do for you people! I must be a secret masochist.

Okay fine. Here are a couple from high school. But remember - they're really, really bad!!! You will see why I decided to become a fiction writer instead of a poet!! Two things to keep in mind: 1) These were written 15 years ago (!!) and 2) like Adam Sandler in the "Wedding Singer" says before singing his Linda song to Drew Barrymore, I'd been listening to the Cure a lot. A real lot.

Sigh. Okay here we go...

VISIONARY - November 19th 1990

I think that I am just a doll.
I've never been alive at all.
If you're cruel, I'm sure to break
So treat me like glass, for my sake
I always look in the mirror to see
If there's still a face looking back at me.
So far I'm still here - but will it last?
Sometimes I feel I'm made of glass.
I'm not real. I'm not really there.
I'm just a vision in the air.

BLACKNESS OF BLOOD - October 19th, 1990

I sit at my desk on a rainy Thursday
Being so quiet, lest my feelings betray
the hurt that I'm feeling - the knife cut deep
the blackness of blood flows round my feet.
I loved you, I loved you - perhaps I still do
I said one wrong word and you left in the blue.
Every breath I took I thought of you
Even today that statement is true.
But instead of feelings of happiness and joy
It's feelings of death, disintegration and toil
Because when I close my eyes, I see only you
And remember the sweet thngs you would do.
The sky was blue - your heart was mine
But now we're broken in an evil sign.
So now it's raining black blood in my heart.
Is this the end? Is it a new start?
As I walk out my front door
I know I'll never love anyone more
Then I loved you - I'm sorry to say
I'll never be happy, free or okay.

Watching Like a Fly

Watching my old love
As if I were a fly upon the wall.
observing
watching
But participation - there was none.
She came.
She flittered around him like a butterfly
giggling
trying to charm him into being hers
Stealing what once was mine
And I stand here like a fly
helpless
Because I saw his shy grin as he
looked at her
I should be happy for him
for her
life goes on
why couldn't I?
Why did I stand here - watching
like a fly?

SHUDDER! I told you they were terrible!! Now aren't you sorry you asked??? BLEH!!

Marianne