Jane Green on Better TV

I talked last week about meeting chick lit author Jane Green and interviewing her for Better TV. Well, here's the final segment, all edited together. A really heartwarming story. Enjoy!

My latest Better TV segments & RT News

Here are the latest Better TV semgents I produced. As always my disclaimer, go to www.better.tv for the high quality versions. :)

First up - martini pairing. We're used to pairing wine with food, but what if you're in the mood for martinis instead? Pay special attention as you watch this to the glasses the martinis are poured into. They're created by a woman named Lolita (she's the blonde in the segment) and are hand painted in a huge variety of designs. On the bottom of each glass is a recipe for a particular martini. She also does margarita glasses. I have two of those - strawberry and lime - and they always get a great reaction from people when I pull them out to use. You can check out all the different designs here.

Keeping with the drinking theme, next up we have a DailyCandy.com segment I produced with Dannielle Kyrillos. This one talks about the hot "speakeasy" trend in Manhattan drinking establishments. From old time decor to drinks that are recreated from recipes over 100 years old - these places take you back to the 1920s and 30s...when drinking was actually illegal.





Of course these types of places are recreations. My former favorite NYC place - Chumley's - was an actual speakeasy from the 1920s. It had a real secret entrance and used to be the hang-out of writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hemmingway. Sadly, the building got condemned and they had to shut down. :(

Clover Club, the piece featured in the above story, is in the Cobble Hill neighborhood in Brooklyn which, incidentally, is also the stomping grounds of Romantic Times Magazine. Which brings me to my next exciting news:

Rebels of Romance take RT Magazine!





Be sure to check out the September issue of Romantic Times Magazine this month to see our cover story! Yes, we made the cover! Well, technically it’s Lori Foster’s book on the cover, but we made the sidebar cover. Good nuff 4 me.

Anyway, the article is a travelogue Liz and I wrote based on our adventures in Japan. Photos, hijinx, hilarity. Well worth the $3.95 price tag or whatever it is they’re charging these days. Buy it, read it, write to RT and tell them it was zomgwtfawesomeness and they ‘totes need to have us become regular contributors to the mag. (You can paraphrase, of course.)

That's all for now! Happy Weds!
Marianne

Just FYI...

I am not going to be at RWA this year. This is the first year of me not going since 2004. For the record it has nothing to do with last year's costume controversy, as some may assume. It's simply a matter of me having no money and no vacation time.

Hope everyone else has fun!

Marianne

Weekend Wrap-Up

On Friday I went to a funeral for one of Jacob's coworker/friends who got hit by a drunk/drugged driver when riding on his motorcycle. He was only 39 - so tragic and sad! The funeral was at a Greek Orthodox Church so the ceremony was not in English, but it was still so sad. I felt so bad for the family and his friends. Thirty-nine is way too young to die.

Friday evening Jacob and I went over Morgan and Nick's for dinner/wine with Leanna and Elizabeth. Was fun to see everyone. Then on Saturday night we went to see X-Files. I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. It wasn't mysterious enough and it just seemed like a long drawn out episode. It was good to see Mulder and Scully again, but it just wasn't enough to justify the $13 ticket.

On Sunday, as I mentioned before, we played tennis, which was fun.

Now back to work. Hopefully this week will be better than last -- which had to be the worst week for me this entire year for reasons I can't go into on a blog. Suffice to say many tears were shed. Luckily I have an amazing support system of friends to stand by me and encourage me, even when I feel the lowest of low. I haven't always had that and I greatly appreciate the fact that now I do. Makes me feel like I can get through any personal disapointments that might come my way.

Anyway, I'm optimistic that this week has got to be better, right? :) Gotta soldier on and keep reaching for the stars no matter what!

Mar

Tennis!

Jacob and I were finally able to play tennis this morning. We tried to play yesterday, but when we got to the Astoria courts, the woman told us you either needed a season's membership or day passes. However, they didn't sell day passes at the courts - or anywhere near them. (How stupid is that?) So we had to go all the way to a sports shop in Union Square to purchase some day passes. Each one is $7 and gives you an hour to play - but really it's $14 since each person needs a pass. Kind of expensive for city courts, but it's NYC, right? Anyway, we got to the courts around 10am and played 'til 11am. We missed the rain by like 1 minute, so that was good.

It was a lot of fun, though neither of us are very good. But I figure that means we ran around after the ball more, which equals better exercise! Anyway, we've vowed to try to play once a week now that I have my racquet and we understand how it all works.

Marianne

Geek Shoes

Somehow I can totally see Liz sporting these...

Be sure to note the "choose your appropriate heel height for the occasion" functionality...

Marianne

My new Better TV segments

Here are two segments I produced that aired this week on Better TV. They're both with DailyCandy.com editor Dannielle Romano and talk about home spa products you can make at home. Recipes listed below the videos in case you want to try them yourselves. :)

Tropical Honey Facial

1/3 cup honey
1 ripe papaya, peeled and seedless
1 banana
1 tablespoon chamomile tea

1. (Steep a teabag for 5 minutes.)
2. Mix honey, papaya and banana.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of the tea, mix well.
4. Apply to skin in circular motions.
5. Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Rinse with lukewarm water, then finish with a cool rinse.


Gold Silk Body Butter

½ cup honey
2/3 cup Shea butter (can substitute cocoa butter if Shea is unavailable)
3 tablespoons wheat germ oil
2 teaspoons grapefruit seed extract (optional)
3 drops sandalwood oil (optional)
23-karat gold sheets (available online and in specialty food shops)

1. (If you’re using cocoa butter instead of Shea butter, soften it in a double boiler first.)
2. Blend honey, Shea butter and wheat germ oil until completely mixed.
3. Add grapefruit seed extract and sandalwood oil
4. Crush 2 sheets of gold until it’s almost powderlike. Add to the mixture.
5. Smooth onto dry skin and allow the skin to absorb it!

Golden Honey Body Polish

½ cup honey
½ cup Epsom salts
2/3 cup grapeseed oil

1. Mix honey, Epsom salts and grapeseed oil.
2. Apply in shower to wet skin, especially rough areas like elbows, knees and the soles of feet.
3. Rinse well.

Acheron

Acheron, originally uploaded by starrgirl77.

Look what I got yesterday, messengered over from St. Martin's!! Advanced copy of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Acheron. I'm 100 pages in already and omg it is soooooo good. SOOOO good!! I can't even stand it. It's heart-wrenching, sweet, brutal, amazing. Just wow.

I'm doing a feature on Sherrilyn for my Better TV show in August when she comes to NYC for a booksigning, which technically makes reading the book part of my job. Which means I should be able to read it while at work, right? :)

Seriously though - you all need to pre-order this NOW. You will not be sorry.

Marianne

Mar

Jane Green

Jane Green and me, originally uploaded by starrgirl77.

Today I got a chance to interview one of the very first chick lit writers, Jane Green, at her lovely home in Westport, CT. She was fascinating to talk to and I really loved hearing what it was like for chick lit authors in the early days. Of course now both she and her writing have grown up and she's no longer writing that "single girl in the city" type tale. (In fact, she's a mother of four children--including a set of twins!)

I just finished reading her latest novel, "The Beach House" which was a delightful women's fiction novel -- a real feel good story with characters I quickly fell in love with. Highly recommend it to anyone who wants a great -- well, beach read! I'll post my interview here in a few weeks after it airs on Better TV.

I gave her a copy of News Blues and she said she was excited to read it. Not sure if she really will or not - I'm sure she's crazy busy! - but it was very sweet of her to be so enthusiastic about my work. Made me feel really good. Don't you just love people like that? Those who are equally supportive of others' efforts, even if they pale in comparison with their own successes. She was humble and generous and just an all around lovely person. I was truly impressed.

Marianne

My Small Closet = Free Books 4 U

In NYC, closet space (well, space in general) is at a ridiculous premium. And when you're an author and you're sent boxes upon boxes of books, that space gets taken up fast. But my space woes are your gain.

I'm going to give away 5 free advanced copies of Razor Girl, my September Shomi release. That's right - you get a copy a month before the book is released! All you need to do is comment below and I'll pick randomally. The only thing I ask in exchange? That you read the book and post an honest review somewhere. Amazon, B&N, Good Reads, eHarlequin, MySpace, whatever. Just so I can get the word out about its release.

The book is a post-apocalyptic action romance tale. Or as I like to say, "Casablanca with Zombies." Here's the blurb:

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: The Magic Kingdom, where everyone knows it's a small world after all.

Sound good? Then let the closet purging begin!
Marianne

My latest Better TV stories

Here are a couple of videos I recently produced for the day job @ Better TV. As always, these are the YouTube, compressed versions. For the good quality versions, head over to Better.tv.

First up, an entrepreneur story featuring celebrity handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff. Her bags are so amazing! No wonder they're in demand by all the stars. And Rebecca herself is pretty impressive as well. At only 27 years old, she's already a worldwide success.

And secondly, remember how I mentioned interviewing Kyra Sedgwick a couple weeks ago? Well, here's the finished video I put together using that interview.



Enjoy!
Marianne

Weekend Wrap-Up

On Friday night Jacob and I met up with Chris and Jenny at Dinosaur Barbeque – a famous Harlem landmark. The place was packed and the wait was an hour and a half, but it was completely worth it. So delicious. I think this is my favorite bbq in NYC to date. I definitely want to go back and bring Liz. (Though not on a Friday – at least without a reservation, which you have to make like two weeks in advance.)

On Saturday, Jacob and I took a walk over to the UES and bought me a tennis racquet at a sporting goods store. Then later that afternoon we went to see Batman. It was pretty awesome, though not perfect. Heath Ledger was definitely the star and Christian Bale was good as always. The plotline was kind of convoluted though and I found myself having a hard time following it—which shouldn’t happen in a comic book movie! I also didn’t like that Gotham looked just like present day NYC or Toronto. In the previous Christian Bale Batman movie, the city looked dark and mysterious and had that monorail (or whatever) line that made it look very different. They didn’t do a lot of city set dressing this time around, which was disappointing. Anyway, just being picky. It was a fun movie. I won’t say anymore cause I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.

Sunday we were woken up early by a triathalon running down my street. Actually the runners were quiet – it was the constant cheering and cow bell ringing that annoyed the heck out of me. We met Leanna for brunch at Arte Café and then headed over to the MET to check out the Superhero costume fashion exhibit. It was pretty cool, but I wish they had more real costumes – especially old school ones – and fewer fashion interpretations. (Or at least a wider variety of designers participating.) Worth checking out though.

We then headed back to the West Side and got supplies for a picnic. Grabbed Molly and a blanket and went back into the park. We ate chicken sandwiches and played Frisbee until it started to get dark. Then we headed home.

All in all – a fun weekend and I feel we packed a good amount in. Now time for the beginning of another work week – fun, fun.

Marianne

Gossip Girl ads

I love Gossip Girl. The books and the show. (Especially the show.) So I'm more than a bit amused at the blatent, giving-the-finger-to-morality-and-all-that's-decent-in-the-world marketing campaign the show's promoters use to get attention. At the same time, I can't believe they can get away with some of this stuff! :)

Here's the ad that first caught my attention. We all know what OMFG stands for, right? And yet it here it is - smack dab in the middle of Times Square.

But if you think that's bad, take a look at what they're doing this time around. These ads were just released. (Courtesy of Gawker.)









I always kind of secretly enjoy when a book or film or television show flaunts reviews that are supposed to be negative - waving them in the air with a fierce sense of pride. I've never written books controversial enough to take advantage of this type of promo, but I do kinda love the idea of working it if I ever did.

As far as what this teaches our kids - that's a debate for another day. I'm looking at this from a pure marketing standpoint.

Do these ads make you want to watch the show?

Mari

Restaurant Review: Elizabeth

Last night Jacob and I tried a new restaurant that recently opened up in the East Village near Houston/Broadway. It's called Elizabeth, after the street it's located on. The menu offers small plates of American style entrees, fun, fancy cocktails and a pleasing wine list. The place is quite scene-y--the bar in the front was packed with beautiful people, all dressed up for a Thursday night out.

We managed to get a table indoors in the second room (the outdoor patio area in the very back was packed full) and ordered drinks. I got their signature drink, The Elizabeth, which contained Pimm's, 42 below vodka, rose syrup, strawberry, grapefruit, ting float. It was delicious. Just the right sweet/tangy mix. Jacob got some kind of scotch, of course. :)

For dinner, I tried the Hanger Steak, cooked in a red wine béarnaise and accompanied by fingerling potatoes and romaine hearts. It was delicious, but I have to say Jacob's choice of the Organic Chicken with dried fruit and coconut sauce was the better choice. It came with curried cous-cous, but Jacob substituted fries because he's not into curry. The chicken was so tender and flavorful and didn't have any bones. (I don't like chicken with bones.)

It was a lovely meal in a gorgeous space. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a classy night out. They also serve brunch, so we may have to go back and try that next time.

Marianne

DragonCon

I was so disapointed that I couldn't go to Comic Con this year due to the ridiculous costs of airline tickets and hotels in San Diego. But now I'm happy again cause Jacob and I are going to go to DragonCon instead!

According to their website:

Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US.

DragonCon has all the geeky costuming and party fun as Comic Con--if not more!--so I'll no longer feel like I'm missing out! There are some great celeb guests attending as well - including James Marsters - aka Spike from Buffy and Adam West -- Batman! :)

I've always wanted to go to this, but before now have never had the chance. So I'm thrilled!

One drawback - all the neighboring hotels are booked up so I had to book a room that's a mile and a half away. I'm hoping they'll release some room blocks as the dates get closer... It'd be much more fun to stay on site. I guess that's what I get for registering late...

Oh well, it'll still be awesome! If any of you have attended in the past, I'd love to hear your thoughts/experiences. :)

Marianne

You know you're from New England if...

Stole this from Rebloggin' Baugher... It's sooo true!!!


-you use the word “wicked”

-you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same time.

-if you hit deer on a regular basis.

-you know that the things you need to start a campfire are matches, newspaper, tinder, sticks, fuel logs, and spent motor oil.

-chocolate sprinkles will forever be known as “Jimmies.”

-“Vacation” means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend.

-you can go from one side of your hometown to the other in less than 15 minutes and see atleast 15 losers you graduated with doing the exact same thing they were doing the last time you saw them.

-you measure distance in hours.

-you have switched from “heat” to “A/C” in the same day and back again.

-there are 25 Dunkin ’ Donuts within 20 minutes of your house.

-the transportation system is known as the “T,” subway is just a fast food place.

-you meant to go to cvs, but you miss the turn by five feet and wind up at walgreens; look across the street, and decide you’d better go to brooks instead.

-a Crown Victoria = undercover cop.

-Sox-Yankees games are a life and death matter.

Central Park Day & Night

When people think of living in New York City, they think of hustling crowds, dirty streets, smelly subways. But this is also New York City...

Walking through Central Park this afternoon, I was thinking about how lucky I am to live half a block away from such a beautiful piece of nature, sandwiched inside the city. Eight hundred and forty three acres of grass, lakes, trees, and trails.

Tonight, because of the All Star Game, they let off fireworks in the park. I could see them from my apartment window and decide to lean out (just a bit!) and take a few pics!

Beautiful, huh? You gotta hand it to New York. There's always SOMETHING going on here!!

Marianne

Good food, Good friends

Last night Liz and I headed to Sambuca's, a yummy family style Italian restaurant on 72nd and Central Park West to meet up with some long lost friends.

Authors Alesia Holiday (aka Alyssa Day) and Barb Ferrer (aka Caridad) and their two precious, adorable children were in town so the kids could attend Broadway camp. (How fun is that?) Author Cindy Holby (aka Colby Hodge, since everyone seems to have a second name here!) was also in town and joined us for the dinner.

We scarfed an enormous dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, which was delicious, and the grown-ups talked while the kids drew manga in their notebooks. (They're both super creative and talented.)

After dinner we picked up my dog and headed to Cold Stone for some ice cream. Then we walked over to Central Park to work off some of those calories. It was sooo good to catch up - I hadn't seen Alesia or Barb for quite some time as they weren't at RT this year. I missed them!!

The dinner really reminded me of how important it is to have good writer friends. So often in this business people who you think are supporting you are actually busy stabbing you in the back or at least wishing for your failure. So it's tempting to just dismiss everyone and try to go at it on your own. But at the same time, you really need friends who understand the business. Then, when you have a triumph or failure, you'll have people you can cheer or cry to that understand what the heck it is you're talking about. :) So I consider myself really lucky to have that in these talented ladies. We're in this crazy business together!

Marianne

This used to be my dog, Molly

see more dog pictures

Yes, last year at this time, she was a WoW dog widow. But now that I'm on a perament WoW hiatus, I have much more time on my hands to dress her up in silly costumes!!

Here are the two of us, dressed up as angels in black. :)



She looks thrilled, doesn't she? ;-) If she had money, I bet you anything she'd have already ordered the expansion pack for me...

Marianne

Weekend Wrap-up

Saturday night I had a few people over for strawberry margaritas before going out dancing. We made the margaritas differently this time - adding triple sec and orange juice to normal the strawberry and tequila mixture. (I learned this recipe from Jacob's mom when we were in Texas.)Everyone raved about them! Next time I want to try doing it with fresh strawberries...

After the drinks, we headed down to Don Hill's for the one year anniversary party of Salvation, a goth night.

Ronan Harris, singer of the band VNV Nation, was there spinning. He's my friend Leanna's HERO and so she was so excited to see him. Suddenly, we look around and she's nowhere to be found. She comes back a few minutes later practically beaming. You can go to her blog to read about what she was up to. :)

We were talking about, while there, how much can happen in a year. One year ago, when Salvation began as a club night, my life was so different. I didn't know Leanna then--we met at the NJ RWA in October. Liz was still in LA. I hadn't even been contracted to write Razor Girl yet. In fact, my first Shomi book, Moongazer, hadn't even been released. Our show, Better TV, wasn't on the air. (It launched in September.) I was playing far too much World of Warcraft. And, of course, I had never even met Jacob and had no idea he even existed!

So I guess the moral of the story is that when things seem bad or boring or you don't think anything good will ever happen again - just remember what Duran Duran says: "Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow." :)

Marianne

Fab or Fug?

mar and liz 013, originally uploaded by starrgirl77.

Okay, Keira Soleore has laid down the gauntlet. Is Liz's shirt "fab" or "fug"? Liz declared "fug" on Twitter after donning the shirt last night. I say "fab." Keira says you guys need a photo in order to cast your vote. So here it is.

Fab or Fug? Vote in the comments now!

Marianne

5th Avenue Apple Store

apple store, originally uploaded by starrgirl77.

Jacob still hasn't gotten his iPhone. We walked over to the 5th Avenue Apple Store today to check out the scene. As you can see, we weren't the only ones with this idea. In fact, I think the line here was longer than the one to the free Bon Jovi concert in Central Park.

Still no new iPhone two days after its released. He may have to turn in his early adopter card. :(

Marianne

The Girls!

Marianne, Liz, Leanna at Say Hi To The Babs Night!, originally uploaded by Liz Maverick.

Awh, I luvz my girls!! :) Here we are at the Commodore Lounge at the Grand Hyatt during ThrillerFest. I'm so lucky to have such good friends in NYC.

A couple more pics from the night:

Drive By with Barbara Vey

Last night Liz, Leanna and I met up for drinks with Barbara Vey, romance blogger extraordinaire from Publisher’s Weekly. She was in town for ThrillerFest. Liz and I first met Barb back at the 2007 Romantic Times convention – when she’d only been blogging a couple weeks! Now she’s a romance world sensation!

Barb is famous for her trademarked “Drive By Videos” in which she gives each author 30 seconds to talk directly into the camera. So we decided to turn the tables on her! Here she is, doing a drive-by video of her own.


"Drive By" with Barbara Vey from Marianne Mancusi on Vimeo.


During the night we also chatted with Shiela Clover English of COS Productions (who was lovely, as always! The woman is a marketing machine and really has become the go-to person for the media talking about book trailers.) and Douglass Clegg, author and promotional guru. I had read he and MJ Rose’s “Buzz Your Book” e-book, which was like a Bible on self-promotion back in the day. Gave me really good ideas for my first book.

Anyway, was fun. Like a romance conference, but with male attendees! Haha. Not something I’d ever attend myself – as I certainly don’t write thrillers – but good to hang in the bar and schmooze since it was literally across the street from where I work.

Marianne

It's new iPhone Day tomorrow!!!

Don't worry, Jacob's not in line yet.

He's waiting until morning.

The good news? I get his hand-me-down, old school iPhone! (That's the great thing about dating an early adopter!)

The bad news? I'll have to switch from Sprint to AT&T. Also, I'll have to learn how to type on the darn thing.

But...an iPhone! Yay!

Marianne

Stake That! - In Japanese

I just got a letter from Berkley yesterday letting me know that rights to STAKE THAT! (Book 2 of my vampire series) have been purchased by the same Japanese publisher who recently released BOYS THAT BITE. Woot! That means more manga of Sunny and Rayne coming up!! Yay!

The German version of STAKE THAT! is coming out in September. No drawings in that version, but still very cool! I get a lot of email from German teens who've read the first one. Hopefully they'll like Rayne's story just as much! The German publisher has also acquired GIRLS THAT GROWL right as well. :)

Marianne

Two (or one?) degree from Kevin Bacon

Tonight I interviewed Kyra Sedgwick (aka Mrs. Kevin Bacon) who was doing a screening and q&a for a group of moms of her hit show The Closer. I remember first seeing Kyra back in the day when she was one of the characters in the grunge hit Singles. Now, of course, 16 years later, she's all grown up.

She looks amazing. Tall, thin (but not grossly so), with a flawless face. (I can't believe she's 43!) Prettier in real life and a good interview. She looks you right in the eye (Not all stars will do this!) and answered all my questions very candidly. She has two teens and so I asked her about being a mom along with questions about her movie.

Some interesting things of note:

* She is still, after 20 years of marriage, completely in love (and in lust!) with husband Kevin Bacon.

* According to her, the secret of a good marriage is not being naive enough to think there is a secret.

* She loves Brooklyn and told Kevin she wanted to move there (from Manhattan where they currently live.) He said, hell no.

* She used to be a compulsive exerciser, giving into Hollywood pressures to stay thin and beautiful. Now she's come to accept her body. She still gets mad when celeb magazines show stars who have lost the baby weight in, like, three weeks.

* She loves junk food in real life - just like her character on The Closer.

* She says the "F" word a lot. :)

So there you have it. Only one question remains: am I two degrees or one dress from Kevin Bacon now? Is the degree by the link? (aka I interviewed Kyra who is married to Kevin) or is Kyra herself the link, meaning I'm one degree from Kevin? I've gotten mixed responses on this. Anyone know for sure?

Marianne

Japan Fashion Trend

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, but hadn’t gotten around to cropping the photos before now.

When Liz and I showed up in costume last summer at RWA, the biggest cause for alarm was the fact we were wearing thigh highs. One person even went so far as to say we’d be arrested as prostitutes walking around like that in her home town.

Well, that may be so in some small towns in America. But certainly not in Tokyo, Japan! EVERY girl wears thigh highs and knee socks there. Not just Gothic Lolitas and not just those in costume. Thigh highs and knee socks are normal, everyday attire for these girls. I find it so interesting how fashion can differ from country to country. (I suppose Japanese girls are more likely to have the legs to look good in them…)

But while most of the girls (as you can see below) looked really cute in their outfits, one thing we found a bit disturbing fashion-wise was the thigh highs with jean shorts and high heels look. Ugh! Hopefully THAT trend will never catch on in the US!!!

Drinks at Carnegie Club

Last night, fresh back from my Texas trip, I rejoined NY society by having drinks with Liz and Ron Hogan, Media Bistro's Galley Cat blogger extraordinaire at the Carnegie Club

We talked books and blogging and adventures in travel while sipping our martinis and feeling very New York amongst the dark wood and dusty books decor. (It's technically a cigar bar, but smoking is so not my thing.)



The martinis were cheaper than the Hamptons vodka tonics mentioned below. Half the price, actually. But that's still a heck of a lot to pay for a drink. My guess would be that in a place like Austin you could score four drinks for the price of one in the Hamptons. That said, they were particularly delicious drinks...

Tonight I was planning to attend a Daily Candy book release party, but I'm just too wiped. And I have a night shoot tomorrow interviewing Kyra Sedgwick (I'll be 2 degrees from Kevin Bacon!) and then on Thursday we're having drinks with Publisher's Weekly blogger Barbara Vey. So it seemed like a good idea to just come home and chill. Oh and try to finish the synopsis for my new YA book proposal. Sooo close to being done with that I can hardly stand it! :)

Marianne

And you wonder why I stick to Texas for 4th of July...

I found this on Guest of a Guest. An actual receipt from Nello out in the Hamptons for an $18 dollar bottle of water and a $27 vodka and soda.

And no, it's not a typo or mistake.

Sigh.
marianne

Still twittering...

I'm really enjoying the micro-blog concept on Twitter. And I've noticed in the last few days a lot of people in the romance writing/reading world seem to be joining up! So if you're new to Twitter - or thinking of taking the plunge - you can follow me at mariannemancusi. Trust me, it's a lot more fun than you might think!

Marianne

A second "Razor Girl" Review

5 Stars from Huntress Reviews! w00t!! :)

***** This book will appeal to a large audience, especially for those gamers out there who played "Fallout". This book runs much like two stories. One chapter shows before the apocalypse, the next shows afterward, and it continues to alternate. Normally I detest this type of set up; however, the author did a terrific job and this method actually works extremely well. Molly and Chase are easy to identify with, no matter your age. (Anyone teen and up anyway.) There is a romance which blooms between the two main characters, but the story remains focused on the plot at all times. As with all good books, this opens with danger and will grab your interest immediately. Stellar! *****

Adventures in Texas: Days 3 and 4

We woke up at the “Beach House” the next morning to sit down to a delicious Tex-Mex breakfast of chorizos and migas. Yum! Seriously, I could eat nothing but Mexican food for the rest of my life and die happy.

Then we packed up the car and started our long drive to Dallas.



Through the middle of nowhere. And I do mean nowhere. Nothing but ranches and cattle and scrub brush for miles and miles.







We drove through a few small towns on the way. Most seemed pretty normal – a general store, a feed store, Jessie James museums, and an over abundance of churches. But one particular town struck us as very odd. The population, according to the sign, said 390. But they had a graveyard there with probably more than a thousand graves. The thing was huge! Half the size of the town itself! We found that very strange and creepy! What is going on in that town that there are more dead people than living?

I think vampires is the only obvious answer here…

Anyway, we finally got to Dallas after about a four hour drive. Actually we swung by Fort Worth first to see Jacob’s friends Trey and Carey’s new baby, JT. Poor Carey had to have a c-section so she was still recovering while trying to keep the baby happy. He sure was a cutie though!





After dinner with the new parents, we headed down to Dallas to meet up and go out with some of Jacob’s friends – Jason and Manoj. Went to a few bars. I didn’t get the same cool vibe from Dallas as I did in Austin. I mean, it was a nice city – and there was plenty of places to go out. But it just had that generic city feel, unlike the inherent hipness Austin exudes.

The next day we had brunch with some friends and then Jacob played tour guide and showed me around. Here’s me in front of the oldest house in Dallas. I finally found a Texas dwelling smaller than my NYC apartment!



During our travels we encountered both aligators and Elvis.





We went to the Grassy Knoll (aka Dealey Plaza) where Kennedy was assasinated. It seems weird that tourist attractions pop up in such negative places. The Dakota, down the street from me and where John Lennon was shot, is another popular tourist spot like that.



This here is the Texas Schoolbook Depository where, if you don't believe the conspiracies, the shot came from...



We hit a couple country western stores, too.






And Jacob got his cowboy on.









I found the oddity I was looking for – a stuffed armadillo drinking a beer. (Don’t worry, I didn’t actually purchase it!)



Then we headed to the airport, where we waited for our delayed flight to take off. We didn’t get back home and in bed til 2am – leaving me sooo tired today! But oh well – it was worth it! All in all a great trip!

Marianne