Proposal Writing

I've been spending the week creating a proposal for my next project. And I have to say that, for me, proposals are the most fun thing to write. Brainstorming to come up with a cool project, having ideas soldify into a real story--I love it!

If only there was a job where you could just write proposals all day and then never have to finish the actual book! hehe.

I'll be working on this proposal over the weekend. I hope to get at least the synopsis done. Then I need to work on the actual sample chapters. At some point, however, I'll need to switch gears back to my Gamer Girl book - to put in the revisions my agent will give me. Then I can concentrate on the proposal in earnest. I need to get it done by July 15th and with Nationals coming up, that might prove to be a bit of a challenge. But I'm willing to have no life for the good of the cause. ;) It helps that I really love my new story.

It won't be all work and no play, however. I'm going to go to Coney Island tomorrow! How fun is that? I've never been - but obviously it's something I've heard about since I was a kid. I'll give you a full report when I return.


Marianne

Busy, busy

Whew. After a back breaking writing weekend, I was able to complete Gamer Girl and send it off to my agent yesterday evening. Cheer! I can't wait to see what she thinks. She's a great editor, too, so I'm sure the book will be even better after she makes her comments.

No rest for the wicked, either. Got my page proofs for Girls that Growl to look over and a proposal to write for my next adult book. Then must move right into the anthology due September 1st.

Not to mention go to Nationals in two weeks! And then Comic Con/Mexico/Blizzcon at the end of the month. Busy, busy! But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

The sequel to Diana's Secret Society Girl book is out today. Go forth to yonder bookstore and purchase and learn what happens to Amy and her fellow secret society members of the Rose and Grave.

Next week is the official launch of the new SHOMI line with my dear friend Liz Maverick's book WIRED hitting store shelves. Woot! Expect me to be talking about this ad naseum for some time to come. In the meantime, it's shipping from Amazon if you can't wait. Buy it. It rocks.




After all, you need something to read while you wait for that Harry Potter book... And at least in these two books neither of the authors is threatning to kill off their heroines anytime soon! You hear, that JK?

Mar

Romantic Times reviews Moongazer

And it's a good one! :) 4 Stars! Read below...

Dreams, reality and virtual reality collide in Mancusi’s exciting and frightening new futuristic thriller. This adventure, told in the first person, follows one woman’s quest to discover the truth about her reality. Complex plot threads weave around intense emotions and give real punch to this chilling tale.

SUMMARY: Everyone dreams, but New York computer programmer Skye Brown dreams she’s another person entirely. Skye begins doubting her sanity when she’s pulled into a post-apocalyptic world where her name is Mariah and she’s a freedom fighter against an oppressive regime. Skye just wants to get back to New York and her life, but a mysterious man insists this is her reality and that she’s betrayed her people. What is real? The answer is more complicated than Skye ever dreamed. (SHOMI, Aug., 352 pp., $6.99) Jill M. Smith

Virtual Reality Chat TONIGHT 9pm Eastern

Hey all,

I know this is last minute, but I just found out I'm online chatting tonight at The Romance Galleria about my new book, Moongazer.

It's not your everyday internet chat, however! It's a special virtual reality type chat. You go to this website and download this special software and basically you pick a character (avatar) and walk into the virtual reality theater and I'll be there (with my own character) answering questions!!

It's sort of like Second Life, I think.

Pretty cool, huh? I've never done this kind of thing before so it will be a first for me too! I hope some of you can come by and check it out.

I'll be chatting starting at 9pm. Here's the website. Download the software before 9pm so you can be up and running by the start of the show.

http://www.theromancegalleria.com

Hope to see you there!
Marianne

The presidential election WILL be YouTube'ized

From official videos like this one of Hillary spoofing the Sopranos:

Powered by AOL Video

To this voter made video spoofing the 1984 Mac commercial to promote Obama:





Are the days of expensive tv spots gone the way of the dinosaur? That would be really bad news for local tv stations. They depend on that revenue - especially during a big election year. But now, with the power of the Internet, anyone can make a campaign video - and it's absolutely free to broadcast it.

I bet we'll be seeing some real creative videos over the next few months!!

Marianne

Monday, Monday

I didn't get to go to Boston after all this weekend because I managed to lose my wallet. And my wallet had my license inside. Bleh. Totally sucks. I missed out on a fabulous weekend and now I have to deal with acquiring new license and credit cards. Sooo annoying!

I did get a lot of writing done though, which I am happy about. I want to send my finished manuscript to my agent on Friday so she can suggest any changes before I deliver it to my Dutton editor. I think this is doable, though it will make for a very busy week. I'm really happy with how it's coming out, though. So that's good.

In World of Warcraft news, I paid my money and signed up for this year's Blizzcon - an entire convention for WoW and other Blizzard game players. It's in Anaheim in August. Should be a fun, but crazy time. And as if that wasn't enough, I think I'm going to hit San Diego Comic Con the weekend before, too, then spend the week inbetween hanging out with Liz in LA, doing some Shomi signings, etc. since my book will be out then. Should be fun. I miss California. Haven't been back since I moved away 5? years ago. I am so ready to go back - especially to get my geek on at TWO conventions. I think I need more costumes! Oh and we're going to hit Disneyland while we're there!! Woot!

That's all for now. Happy Monday everyone!

Mar

Yay Friday!

I went to a Ladies Home Journal lunch yesterday and met Robin Roberts, the anchor of Good Morning America. What an inspiring woman! I was very impressed by her. Being in the news industry, I know there are a lot of divas, more concerned with their hair and makeup then making a difference. Robin is exactly the opposite.

She has a new book out called From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By.

I'm heading to Boston this weekend. Should be fun--seeing friends and family. And I love the train ride there and back - great solid writing time.

Oh and the SHOMI team has a new member. Please congratulate Michele Lang on her sale of Netherworld. It's like Robin Hood in outerspace -- with the heroine playing the role of Sherriff. How cool a concept is that? I just love how unique each Shomi book is. Can't wait to start working on the proposal for my next one.

That's all for now. Have a great weekend!

Marianne

Check it out!

Colby Hodge got her cover for her Shomi book TWIST, which comes out in February 08.

It totally rocks.

Mar

Monday Stuff

The SHOMI team (Liz Maverick, me, and Eve Kenin) is blogging over at Romance B(u)y the Book today. If you want to win free copies of the first 3 Shomi books - head on over!

It was nice to have a weekend in which I did nothing but relax. I had wanted to get more writing done, but it was what it was. Sometimes the brain just needs a quick vacation. Will get back on the wagon this week. I am still on schedule for my deadline so I'm not worried.

Once this book is finished, I need to write up a proposal for my next Shomi book. I have a really cool idea for it - but I just have to push it to the back of my brain until I am finished my current WIP. So many ideas, so little time to write them. :)

For you World of Warcraft addicts out there, I have currently saved 3,500 gold toward my elite mount so far. Just 1,500 to go! Arghhh! As soon as I get my $5,000 I'm going to do all the Netherdrake quests so I can get myself a dragon! Woot. It takes sooo long to save though - especially as a warrior with my killer repair bill. I totally see why people buy gold from chinese farmers!! (Not that I would - I just understand the frustration!)

By the way, I have a contest going on at my MySpace page if you want to head over and enter. I'm giving away a Moongazer arc and some mangas that I acquired at BEA.

Speaking of which - I am totally addicted to manga now. I've been reading it as research for Gamer Girl and it's sooo fun. I especially like Dramacon, Vampire Knight, and Princess Ai. (All the sojo (girl/romantic) stuff.) I need to go pick up more soon. At BEA, Liz and I actually ended up hanging out and drinking champagne with the president of Tokyo Pop and picked his brain about the industry. So interesting! I'd love to do a Sojo manga about World of Warcraft. I think a lot of girls would be into it.

Mar

Go forth and buy yourself this book...

PRIME TIME

By Hank Phillippi Ryan

Could an innocent e-mail offer really result in murder, mayhem and a multimillion-dollar fraud ring? The last person to ask is dead - but that won't keep Charlotte McNally from poking around. Face it: in the cutthroat world of television journalism, this seasoned reporter knows that she'd better pull out all the stops or kiss her cushy job (and that means her life) goodbye.

But all too soon her investigation leads her straight to Josh Gelston, who is a little too a lot too handsome. Could she trust a word he said? Charlie might have a nose for news, but men are a whole other story. Which means she is putting her job, life and heart on the line....

--

The woman who wrote this book, Hank (a female Hank) is the investigative reporter at the news station I used to work at in Boston before I moved to NYC I was actually her intern back in 1996. Then I was her producer a few years ago. I was her critique partner on this book and let me tell you, it's great! So funny and it has great characters. Not to mention an insider's peek into the world of TV News. Oh and it got a TOP PICK from Romantic Times--and you know how hard those are to score.

So...GO BUY! You won't regret it.

Marianne

First review of Moongazer

Got my first review in for Moongazer and it's a good one! :) From SF Scope, a sci-fi type review site. So cool that they compare it to the cyberpunk classic Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson - one of my favorite books!

Moongazer

Shomi/Dorchester, $6.99, 368pp, pb, 9780505527257.

Action romance. On-sale date: August 2007.

An enthralling combination of The Matrix and Snow Crash with a bit of Blade Runner thrown into the mix, Moongazer immediately draws the reader into one woman's terrifying struggle to understand her identity—is she Skye Brown, a successful game designer living in Manhattan or is she really Mariah Quinn, a woman haunted by the post-apocalyptic dreamland she escapes to every night? But what is reality? And who can she trust to find out the truth?

A two-time Emmy Award-winning television news producer, Marianne Mancusi has made a career of challenging the traditional understanding of the romance genre. Her debut novel, A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court, and its sequel, A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest, hilariously refashioned the classic legends of Camelot and Robin Hood. She has also written three successful Young Adult novels under the pseudonym Mari Mancusi.

Shomi BEA!

The Rebels of Romance (aka Liz Maverick and I) take on BEA...

Be afraid...be very afraid...