She keeps going and going and going...

My week of non-stop’ness has not stopped yet. Tuesday J and I went to see Marilyn Manson in concert, which was actually pretty cool. I’m not a huge fan, but he puts on a really high energy show. It was also fun going to the nearby diner afterwards and seeing all the goth kids eating burgers and drinking milkshakes under harsh florescent lighting.

Last night I went to my wine bar (Riposo 72, which is downstairs from my apartment, hence the “my”) with my friends Chris and Mike. I love that place so much. We had wine, cheese, and interesting debates that got quite heated, considering the banal subject matter.

Tonight we’re on the hunt for mustaches for J’s friend Sarah’s mustache party on Saturday night. Yes, even the girls are required to wear them. Going to hit Halloween Adventure down in Union Square, which is a great year round costume store. Then I’m going to go meet up with my old Boston coworker/friend Justin at Westside Brewery. I haven’t seen him since I left Channel 7 and it turns out he and his wife live on the Upper West Side too. Total randomness.

Tomorrow is Friday (yay!) but we’re skipping the goth club in favor of a bar that features old school videogames like PacMan and Galaga. Should be fun. There used to be this great bar in Boston called Jillians that had every videogame you could think of—including really high tech, virtual reality ones. Then they remodeled and took out the games and put in a bowling alley. Can we say L-A-M-E?

Saturday is my friend and fellow author Melissa Walker’s book release party at Lancôme (free makeup – yay!) Liz and I are going to drop by to that. Then Sarah’s mustache party. Then Sunday is Superbowl Sunday! GO PATS! GO TOM BRADY!

Oh so J and I were talking about Friday the 13th movies and the question is – which one had both counselors and actual kids attending the camp? As opposed to the usual counselors are there but kids haven’t arrived ones. I say it’s either 3 or 6. We’ve decided to have a Friday the 13th marathon movie session sometime next week. At least 1-6 since then they just get horrible. (I know you’re thinking. “Aren’t they ALL horrible?” Well, the answer, my friend, is NO.) I found part 3 in actual 3D dvd on eBay and ordered it. So we’ll get to see it how it was meant to be seen! Woot.

Hm, is anyone still reading or are you running screaming from my dorkiness yet?

Marianne

I can walk like a Penguin!

It's funny how sayings you grew up with mean nothing to people from other parts of the country. Every time I think of penguins I think of the little girl in the New England Aquarium saying, "I can walk like a penguin!" It's what we would say EVERYTIME someone brought up penguins. It just was. But I realized today that the rest of the world has grown up with absolutely no idea about the penguin thing.

Luckily now with YouTube you can share this kind of stuff with your penguin loving, non New England born friends. So without further ado, one of my favorite childhood commercials.


The counterpart was the "I want to know what makes an ocean wave wave!" which was a Musuem of Science commerical. Not as good, but still iconic for a New England kid growing up in the 70s and 80s.



Anyone else remember these???

Marianne

Goth Night Out - the photos

Morgan was nice enough to take pictures at the Goth Night Out pre-party this past Friday. Here we are in all our midnight glory. :) Creative attire (and makeup) was mandatory, the bull and goose was flowing, and a fun time was had by all. Enjoy!

The whole gang, clockwise from left: Liz Maverick, Jacob Beach, Morgan Doremus, Isabo Kelly, Stacey Agdern, Nick, Elizabeth Mahon, Leanna Hieber, and Marianne Mancusi.

Another pose... And yes, I'm wearing wings. Had to try out my gothic lolita fairy look that I'm thinking of sporting at this year's RT fairy party! Elizabeth was bailing before club time so you'll have to excuse her non-creature of the night getup.

Sometimes it hurts to look this good. Liz Maverick and Leanna Hieber showing a little "restraint"...as usual.

And then there's Jacob...showing none.

The Rebels of Romance, strike a pose.

RAWR!!! We have PhotoShop and we're not afraid to use it! ;-)

A super fun night and one we won't forget! (But plan to repeat as soon as possible.)

Weekend Wrap-up

Happy Monday!

Good weekend, got a lot of writing done. Book is going swimmingly now that I’m back on track. I’m hoping it continues and that there will be no problem meeting my deadline. Fingers crossed, if you will!

Friday Jacob and I went out to a delish Cuban place called Socialista for dinner. It’s in the middle of nowhere - just south of the meatpacking district and I guess it can be kind of a scene’y type place but we were there early enough that we didn’t have to deal with any of that. They make strawberry daiquiris with real strawberries crushed in with the ice which was yum.

After dinner we went to our friend Morgan’s tv studio where we had our pre-clubbing party, which turned out to be so much fun that I didn’t even care about going clubbing. We did though and got our dance on later that night. Didn’t stay out too late – I think we left just after midnight – but it was really fun all the same.

Saturday brunch with Jacob and Liz then Liz and I met Leanna and we worked on our books in Starbucks. That night went over Jacob’s and we had a James Spader movie marathon while painting the little plastic zombie figures from the Zombies!!! game we played the other night. Okay, we’re dorks, I know. Still, my gun metal and glitter zombie dogs rock. Sunday more writing and we were going to see No Country for Old Men, but it was sold out so we just went back to my place and watched the Heath Ledger junkie movie Candy. It was weird to watch him on the screen and think about the fact he is dead. So sad.

Marianne

Razor Girl: The Cover!!

Check it! The cover for Razor Girl, my September 08 Shomi release. Pretty darn cool, huh? Very different than the original batch of Shomi books...

THE WORLD HAS ENDED, MOLLY.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?

Molly Anderson is not your average twenty-one-year-old. It’s been six years since she and her family escaped into a bunker, led by her conspiracy theorist father and his foreknowledge of a plot to bring about the apocalypse. But her father’s precautions didn’t stop there. Molly is now built to survive.

Yes, Ian Anderson’s favorite book gave him ideas on how to “improve” his daughter. Molly is faster, stronger, and her ocular implants and razor-tipped nails set her apart. Apart, when—venturing alone out of the bunker and into a plague ravaged, monster-ridden wilderness—what Molly needs most is togetherness. Chase Griffin, a friend from her past, is her best bet. But while he and others have miraculously survived, the kind boy has become a tormented man. Together, these remnants of humanity must struggle toward trusting each other and journey to the one place Molly’s father believed all civilization would be reborn: a magic kingdom, where everyone knows it’s a small world after all.

It's almost Friday...ALMOST!

It was great to see April last night. She and I had a blast talking about old times and old friends. So nice to reconnect. Hopefully we’ll be able to hang again soon. She wants to come goth clubbing with us, but tomorrow she has a bday party so it’ll have to be another week.

Tonight some friends and I are doing a restaurant week night out at Delmonico’s – a fancy steakhouse in the financial district. Should be delish. I love restaurant week ‘cause you get to try new places that you might normally not be able to afford.

Found another pic from Bowie Ball. This is the only one where you can see my whole outfit, so I’m posting it here. Courtesy of this party promoter girl named Etie who I met at the ball. She was dressed as a Little China Girl and looked quite awesome.



That’s about all going on here.
Marianne

Thru the lens of a camera...

I need to buy a camera. I hate not having one. Mine was left in Cabo this summer and it’s felt like such a void in my life ever since. Like with the Bowie Ball. I had to troll flickr to find ONE picture of us at the event. And no one likes how they look in it. Maybe I will buy a cam before Friday. We’re doing another goth night out with a pre-party at Morgan’s tv studio. I need pics of this event!!

Last night I had drinks/pizza with my friend Jenny at Riposa 72, the wine bar beneath my apartment. I hadn’t seen her in forever, so it was good to catch up. Then Liz and Leanna and I went to Magnolia’s Bakery. They opened one at 69th and Columbus – yay! Now I have two terrific cupcake shops within a block radius. I <3 NY!

Tonight I’m meeting up with a long lost high school friend named April for dinner. So looking forward to seeing her. It’s fun catching up with people from my past. Got to love technologies like MySpace that can bring people together.

I’m really sad that Heath Ledger died. It’s not like I knew him personally or anything, but I thought he was a great actor and seemed like a good person. I remember him reading how him and his ex-finace Michelle Williams were living like normal people in Brooklyn and not caught up in the Hollywood hype. And it’s so sad that their daughter will grow up without a father. I hope it turns out that it was accidental and not a purposeful OD. That would just be too sad. And, um, this is just upsetting! I hope it’s a joke, but I don’t think so.

Weekend Wrapup

Happy Tuesday!

Had a great weekend. On Friday Jacob hosted a Zombie Night where we drank margaritas, watched zombie movies and played a board game called….well, ZOMBIES!!! (Yes, with three exclamation points in the title, lol.) Pretty funny game and there are like five expansion packs to it. I started out strong, but then the boys ganged up on me and it was Jacob who reached the helicopter to freedom first.

Saturday we laid low and Sunday we went to a Red Sox friendly bar to watch the Pats take on the Chargers. Jacob was disappointed for the second week in a row as his second tier team (he’s from Dallas but lived in San Diego for a time just like me) went down to the unstoppable Pats. I actually like the Chargers, but no one can compare to my beloved Tom Brady and his boys. I can’t wait to see them kick the stupid Giants’ butts in the Superbowl. (Just cause I live in NYC doesn’t mean I have to like their teams. I was born and raised in Massachusetts, after all.)

Later Sunday Leanna, Jacob and I went to the Bowie Ball. Yes, it was a ball dedicated to all things David Bowie. Totally awesome. The drag queens had the BEST outfits, too. It was definitely a blast. I found this pic up on Flickr someone took of us. I'm not sure what Jacob's looking at, but I'm sure it was something crazy.

You can check out all the outrageous costumes here.

On Monday (I had it off cause of MLK day) we went to see Cloverfield. Such a cool movie, but the shaky cam made me feel like I wanted to die. I was nauseous the whole movie, just as I was in the Blair Witch Project. But it was worth it. So freaking cool you can’t even imagine. Definitely suggest you go see it – if you have a strong stomach. Heck, even if you don’t, see it anyway. It’s worth being sick for.

Book is going well. I’ve mostly finished rewriting and am starting on fresh material. I’m dedicated to 3,000 words a day, which is a LOT, but I’m doing it. My goal is to have a draft done by February 15th and then take 2 weeks to polish and pass it in to Chris on March 1st.

That’s about all that’s going on here. Hope all is well with you guys!
Marianne

Day #3 Writer Marathon

Okay I'm burning through the rewrites, which rocks! It's making so much more sense with my adjustments that the book is practically writing itself now. Phew. Last night Leanna, Liz and I met at Starbucks to write, then Liz and I went and I got a pedicure and she got a manicure. (Leanna was teasing that I got a goth pedicure cause I had my toes painted this dark blue/black color, which looks awesome.) Then we all met back up for Chinese food and then headed to my place to do some more writing. We wrote to music, which really helped set the mood. I kicked them out at 11. We're going to do the whole thing over again tonight. (Exchanging dinner/pedicures for a little costume shopping for RT.) Gotta mix up the writing with a little fun, after all.

Speaking of fun, Liz and I are planning a futuristic themed Valentine's Day party for next month. Invites will go out soon. And yes, by themed I mean you need to dress up...in futuristic style clothes. I found this great silver dress in Patricia Field's that I might wear. Anyway, we're working on the backstory for the party now, so stay tuned!!

This will be the first in a series of theme parties we're working on. Other future themes may include (but not limited to): steampunk, hooka, viking dinner. haha.

So much fun to be had, so little time to write!

An old friend from high school just emailed me and we're going out for dinner next week and she might come goth clubbing with us soon. Yay. I love reconnecting with old friends. There's one friend I have never been able to find though. Her name is Gretch Sgouros and she was my best friend in high school. I have absolutely no idea where she is now. I wonder if she got married and changed her name cause I haven't been able to google her or find her on facebook/myspace or anywhere! I don't think there's a single other person in my life that I've lost track of like that. Even other former friends of hers have no idea where she's gone to. It's sad cause it would be fun to talk to her again. If anyone knows her (by some weird coincidence) please email me. She'd be 33 years old and used to live in Groveland Massachusetts. Was kind of a goth girl type. Used to work at Express and went to Salem State. She loved Bowie, Morrissey and Madonna.

Anyway, tangent. But talking to April again makes me think of Gretchen and wonder where she is.

Marianne

Writing Marathon Day #2

Okay I got through Day #1 of my 3,000 words a day. Now just 29 days to go. Ha, ha. I can do it though. I can, I can! It may take a lot of Diet Red Bull, but the end will justify my caffeine addiction and sleep deprivation and WoW abandonment. Yup, you heard it folks. I’m giving up WoW until the book’s done. It’s sad, but it’s also the right thing to do. WoW is fun, but a time sucker. Work comes first.

The good thing with rewriting versus starting a book from scratch is that the basic skeleton and plot is there. It’s not like I need to change events or fight scenes – it’s more the characters reactions to those events and scenes. So it’s not as daunting as it might first seem.

In other book news, Dorchester is doing a Buzz Building Campaign for my News Blues book. So if any of you would like a free advanced copy of the book in exchange for writing a review on amazon, posting info on your blog, etc. email me your address (readerletters at mariannemancusi.com) and I’ll put you on the list. I think we’ve got probably 10 or so slots left.

Last night Jacob and I went goth clothing shopping, which was a lot of fun. (Gotta love a guy who likes to shop!) Saw lots of good things I want to buy for upcoming parties. I’m starting to gather my outfits for the Romantic Times convention, especially. Have a really good idea for the fairy party. (No, I can’t say yet!!) And the vamp party is easy. What I cannot seem to find, though, is a pair of gold platform boots. You see, Dorchester is having a crazy shoe theme for their RT party this year – to go along with the two boots anthologies they’re releasing. (These Boots Were Made for Stomping and These Boots Were Made for Strutting.) I want to wear the same boots as my character does in Stomping, but I wrote them to be gold platform boots. And I cannot find them ANYWHERE. Silver, yes. Gold, not so much. I might have to end up spray painting. Grr.

That's all I got. Happy Weds.

Mar

Back from Boston

Boston was super fun. Went to my favorite sushi place: Douzo on Friday and then to this awesome goth night at TT The Bears called XMortis. It was small, but cool, and they had a steampunk theme and lots of people dressed for it. Think of kind of a Victorian meets futuristic. Awesome.

On Saturday went shopping, had coffee with Dad and my stepmom, then went to my boss Mark’s house in Brookline for drinks. His son AJ is sooo cute and funny. Then we went to a bar to watch the Patriots and then to Clink, the jail bar, then to the Beehive. On Sunday returned to NYC and went to a Texas barbeque bar with Jacob and his friends to watch the Cowboys/Giants game.

All and all it was a great time and really good to hang with friends and family.

Now I’ve got to buckle down for the rest of this month and yes and work on Razor Girl. I actually decided to go back to the beginning and start it from scratch, using some of the scenes I wrote, but completely revamping the book. I realized my characters weren’t working together and there wasn’t enough push-pull conflict. So I had a long talk with my editor and he helped me figure out a way to make it work. Thank goodness for smart editors!! It's scary to start over, but I think it will make the book so much better and easier to write, too. This is why you should always have a good outline!!

Marianne

America's Team... RIP (Sorry Jacob!)

A moment of silence for the crushing defeat of Jessica Simpson's bf and his 'boyz yesterday.

Tom, stop laughing!!!

Mmm chocolate

Did I mention I love my job? I just got back from making chocolate and sugar decorations with world renowned pastry chef Francois Payard. He was so cool and had an awesome French accent. It was so much fun I kept forgetting we were working and I wasn't just learning a craft. He helped me make sugar swizzle sticks to use for stirring martinis. So much fun! We also learned techniques to decorate a cake with chocolate.

I swear I'm going to end up a total foodie working this job. I never really understood it before, but now I'm hooked.

My other exciting news: Liz and I bought our tickets to Tokyo for June!! Woot. That is going to be the trip of a lifetime. I've never even been to another country besides Mexico and Canada, which don't really count. :) It still doesn't seem real to me that we're actually going. It's something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember. I just think Japan is the coolest ever.

Off to Boston! I probably won't post til I get back so have a great weekend!!

Mar

I <3 Hillary

I <3 Hillary...

another day, another blog entry

Shot a segment on a cool fitness class yesterday. It’s called Inten-Sati and it’s sort of a half aerobics, half motivational seminar kind of class. You basically chant affirmations while you work out. It sounds kind of corny, but it’s really, really cool. I want to go try it out. This will mean joining the gym, which I’ve been meaning to do anyway. I did go jogging for the last three days, taking advantage of the 60 degree weather. Yesterday I ran a 5k even. Let’s just say my legs aren’t working properly anymore. Heh. I have to say, I like jogging better than any other exercise cause it totally clears your mind. It’s great to figure out life problems or to work out book plots. And as a bonus, you get a sleek, lean runner’s body. I want, I want!

This weekend I’m heading to Boston. Should be fun. Can’t wait to see all my friends and visit my old haunts. I don’t miss living in Boston AT ALL, but I do miss the people. Sadly my dad is going to be away skiing so I won’t see the family, but I’m sure it’ll be a fun trip all the same.

I can’t believe it hasn’t even quite been a year since I moved to NYC. (I moved on March 5th.) It seems like I’ve lived here forever. I’m so entrenched in the city now – I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. I love everything about NY and have such great friends and a great job and a great life. I’m happier now than I can ever remember. I just feel so positive and good about life. Which is so unusual for me. I’m usually all sad/emo girl. But whatever. I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts!

Marianne

Gamer Girl cover

As promised, here's the cover art for my November book GAMER GIRL! Isn't it the cutest thing ever? I love it sooo much! It's very special, too, cause it's my first hardcover book. It's being published by Dutton Children's. They've been absolutely great to work with so far and I can't wait to see the finished book!

Marianne

Goth Night Out Recap

Sorry haven’t posted. Recap the weekend:

Friday Jacob and I went to Rosa Mexicano for dinner. I had met the chef doing a story there earlier in the week and so he did a special tasting menu for us to try. It was awesome. Like seven courses of delicious food. And they totally accounted for our allergies (mine shellfish, Jacob’s dairy) so we were able to eat everything placed in front of us. There was so much food – we couldn’t eat it all. But we did manage to make it to dessert, which was worth it. I highly, highly recommend trying Rosa Mexicano if you are in NYC. Absolutely worth it.

Then we headed back to my place to get the party started. Liz, Nya, Leanna, and Marcos all soon arrived and we drank Grey Goose and Cranberry while listening to music and dressing up. Painting nails, applying glitter, lacing boots, the works. My goal had been to take three million pics, but forgot to actually use the camera. Here are a couple of Liz and I, though, so you can see outfits.

(Liz is also wearing her infamous black shiny boots, though sadly they're cut off in this pic.)





(I'm not a fan of this one below, but it's the only one where you can see my whole outfit. And my new docs! Which, by the way, were really comfy!)



At around 10:45 we headed to the subway and down to the club for dancing. It was a blast and everyone had a good time – even the newcomers to the scene. I’d tell you all the funny stories, but what happens at the goth club stays at the goth club – so you’ll just have to come with us next time! :)

Saturday I was totally exhausted but I had a hair cut/color so I crawled out of bed to head to the hairdressers. I looked like a total mess, I’m sure, remnants of glitter still stuck to my lashes. And of course who is in the next chair over but Vanessa Williams. Yes, I’m sitting next to former Miss America. Not my best moment.

Sunday Jacob and I watched Edward Scisorhands, as planned, and some Angel. I’m thinking I should go back and watch all of Burton’s films. Next up should definitely be Ed Wood. Classic.

That’s about all. Next post I’ll show you my new Gamer Girl cover. It rocks!

Mar

Yay Friday!

It’s Friday! It was a short week, but felt rather long. I guess ‘cause I’m just getting used to being back at work.

Tonight Leanna and I are hosting “Goth Night Out” for some of our friends. Having a little pre-party at my apartment and then heading down to Necromantic, our favorite goth night at the Knitting Factory, for some dancing. We call it Goth Night Out cause we’re indoctrinating our friends into our little gothy universe. The one requirement? They have to dress all in black. Ha ha. I told Liz to bring her camera so I should be able to post some pics this weekend. (I left my camera in Cabo, which is why this blog has been so picture-less lately.) I need to decide what to wear since – my original outfit – short velvet skirt by Shrine - may not be suitable for the extreme freeze we’re undergoing here in NYC.

Before the party, Jacob and I are grabbing dinner at Rosa Mexicano. A Mexican place that has the best guacamole in the whole wide world. They even make a variation with mango and pineapple and it is to DIE FOR. Seriously.

For those of you following my WoW adventures, was raiding Kara last night and snagged King’s Defender. Woot. Perfect, since they keep making me off-tank the instance…

King's Defender
Binds when picked up
Unique
One-HandSword
182 Armor
98 - 182 DamageSpeed 1.60
(87.5 damage per second)
+28 Stamina
Requires Level 70
Equip: Increases defense rating by 13.
Equip: Improves hit rating by 17.


Bee-yoot-iful tanky sword. Yay me.

As for the rest of the weekend, I’m getting hair cut/colored (thank goodness) on Saturday. More WoW playing Sat night. Then probably going to write on Sunday with Liz then go watch Edward Scisorhands over Jacob’s. After seeing Sweeney Todd we both were jonesing to see it again and so he downloaded the new high def version. Ah Johnny, I luvz yah so…

I think next weekend I might go hit Boston. Need to go hang with Mary and the gang. Miss them.

Mar

New Year's Resolutions

I forgot to post yesterday and list my new year’s resolutions. So here goes:

I resolve to:

* Not over commit myself with projects so I can still enjoy life and not always be stressed out about deadlines.

* Learn to cook.

* Join the gym and exercise regularly.

* Stay in better communication with family and friends who don’t live nearby.

* Not compare myself and my progress with that of others.

* Embrace life with both arms and have as many experiences and adventures as possible this year!

Happy 2008!!
Mar

Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a good New Year's. Mine was very fun. First went to dinner with Jacob at Sambuca, an Italian restaurant on my street. Was very delish. Then we went over to the east side to a party one of his friends was throwing. It was low key, but everyone was really nice and fun. We drank champagne and watched Dick Clark ring in the New Year. Then we left and met up with Leanna and Marcos and the four of us went back to my place for more champagne and a little impromptu dance party. It was more fun than a club cause we could pick our own music and didn't have to pay for drinks.

Today Jacob and I went to see Sweeney Todd which was AWESOME. Burton really outdid himself this time. So so good. Johnny Depp was amazing as always...very Edward Scisorhand'esque. Who knew he could sing!? And Helen Bonham Carter was great too. And the settings were so creepy Burton style. I definitely give it two thumbs up.

But now the time of fun has come to an end and tomorrow I have to go back to work. It's going to seem weird being back after such a nice extended vacation. But what can you do?

I realize I need to make some New Year's resolutions. Maybe tomorrow I'll come up with some and post them...

Marianne