Little Dead Riding Hood

I had to try on and photograph my Halloween costume a few weeks ago. It may change a tiny bit from this, but it'll give you an idea of what I'll be doing tonight.

By the way, the blood in this photo was photoshopped. Hopefully I can make my real/fake blood look just as cool.

I made up this costume from bits and pieces bought online or from my closet. The wig is from Ricky's. I have so much more fun coming up with costume elements individually than just buying a bag costume. Probably more expensive this way, but I feel more pride in the final product.

When I was a kid my mom always would sew my Halloween costumes. It was a special thing that I will never forget. She made me princess and fairy and angelc costumes - I always wanted to be something girly. I don't think that's changed much over the years.

What are you guys going to be for Halloween?

Marianne

Pranna

Jacob and I attended a restaurant opening on Tuesday night at a place called Pranna - a huge space (15,000 square feet - massive for Manhattan!) on Madison and 28th. The design is sleek and elegant with soaring ceilings, open kitchen and a balcony lounge.

While most people seemed to go expecting straight-up Indian food from chef Chai Trivedi, Pranna offers a much wider variety of pan-asian cuisine. The menu was actually inspired by the chef's six month motorcycle tour of Southeast Asia. Dishes offer a variety of Indonisian, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese flavors.

Sadly, there was much competition for actual food at the opening. Well heeled patrons lucky enough to snag an invite descended like vultures on the hapless waiters carrying steaming plates of food. Jacob and I managed to score two chicken skewers but that was about it. The free flowing champagne dulled the hunger pains though. :)



Me at Pranna


In all, I wish I had gotten to try more dishes - but the place definitely intrigued me all the same. And I love the deocr. I wouldn't mind returning to actually dine sometime soon.

Marianne

Booklist Review for Gamer Girl

Got a great review from BOOKLIST on Gamer Girl (release only 2 weeks away!)

After her parents’ divorce, Maddy has to leave her ultra-hip Boston life for a New Hampshire suburb, where she, her mother, and her sister stay with Grandma. Not only does Maddy have to deal with missing her friends and father, but Grandma ruins her first day at school by insisting she wear a unicorn sweatshirt and then by embarrassing a popular boy with stories of his childhood bed-wetting. Bullied by the in-crowd (“the Haters”), crushing on the wrong guy, and stuck with the nickname Freak Girl, Maddy escapes into her drawing and the online game Fields of Fantasy, where she can vanquish enemies and make friends far easier than at school. After encouragement from a sympathetic teacher, Maddy makes friends by starting manga club. But just when things are improving, the Haters strike again.

Mancusi believably captures the hopes, disappointments, and awkwardness of high school life. While the trendy elements may eventually become dated, the story of a girl finding her inner strength will always resonate.
— Krista Hutley

My day with Nonsociety

I'd read so much on the Nonsociety girls - Julia Allison, Megan Asha and Mary Rambin - since they started up back in the spring. Before that, really, if you count when Julia Allison was doing this sort of "lifecasting" solo. In fact it was probably about a year ago, when she was dating Jakob Lodwick and they had that Jakob and Julia blog. I was just beginning to date a Jacob myself and so I found myself tuning in to see their adventures.

For those of you undoctrinated into the Julia Allison phenom that all we New Yorkers are fascinated with, a brief history. Julia Allison is a 20 something journalist who moved up to New York after leaving Georgetown University to follow her dreams. She got a job at Star Magazine as their editor at large and started writing a dating column for Time Out New York. Somehow (I'm not clear on the details since I've read so many different accounts) she caught the eye of Gawker editor Nick Denton and the snarky Gotham based blog started writing about her and her adventures on a sometimes daily basis. Someone told me once that they took it upon themselves to see if they could, just by posting about someone, make them into a celebrity. And they certainly did - not without Julia's help, of course. In fact, say what you will about her, but she is a marketing genius! As a self-promoter in the minor leagues through Rebels of Romance and my book writing, I am in awe of all she's able to accomplish. I want her secrets!

She's posted online about her life through relationships, break-ups, successes and failures - posting even the painful stuff online for the world to see. Sometimes reading about her can be unbearably painful and you just want to hug her or tell her to stop oversharing because you know there are people out there who are just waiting to hurt her for doing so. Sometimes you think it'd be amazing to be her, othertimes you couldn't imagine undergoing the public scrutiny.

I'm digressing too much - all I wanted to do was write about my day with the girls. So to sum up, last spring, Julia enlisted her two best girl friends - Megan (a former hedge fund manager and self-professed geek) and Mary (a handbag designer) and together they started "lifecasting" through their new company Nonsociety. Each day they post stuff about their daily lives - both professional stuff (dating tips, technology updates, and fashion advice) and personal (sometimes very personal - though they told me they've learned how to draw the line the hard way.) They started an internet based show called TMI where they chat about these topics as well. Basically the whole thing is a like a multi-media magazine and diary combined.

So, of course, I figured the whole thing would make a great story for Better TV. To talk about what lifecasting is, why they feel compelled to do it -- the good, the bad, the ugly, etc. But I have to admit I was a little nervous to meet them in real life. It's weird to meet someone for the first time that you've read about for a year. Made me almost feel stalker'ish or like a voyeur who finally comes out of the closet, admitting they've been watching. But, I realized, that was silly. After all, they want to be watched. Otherwise they wouldn't be online to begin with.

Well, I needn't be worried. They were open and friendly and allowed me in without a filter. They talked openly about their experiences both on-camera and off. They're very much like their onscreen personas in real life and yet you get a touch of something more three-dimensional when you talk to them one on one. They're very enthusiastic about their company and what they plan to do with it. They have hopes and dreams and are having a ton of fun reaching for the stars. They're very honest that not every day is sunshine and roses, but in the end, they find it worth it.

I got a lot of great footage and I think it'll be an interesting piece that my viewers will really be into. Of course of all days I forgot my camera but here are a few iPhone shots and a couple I stole off their own blogs.







Here they are filming their show "TMI."


Me interviewing Julia.


The gang all at Merkato 55 - where I set them up to have dinner. More on the fab meal there soon!


And lastly, here's a video they took while Mike (my photographer) was taking a video of them!



Merkato 55 from Meghan Asha on Vimeo.


All in all it was a really fun day and I walked away with a newfound respect for what the Nonsociety girls do. Keep at it, girls! And know that for every loser who has nothing better to do than to cut you down to make himself feel good - there are hundreds of other people whose days are brightened by what you do!

Marianne

Interesting comparison...

...between Razor Girl and Life as We Knew It (another post-apocalyptic book) on SFSite.com.

As the World Turns Backstage Tour

Yesterday morning, bright and early my photographer and I hopped into a car service (since no taxi driver in his right mind would take us) and headed deep into the bowels of Brooklyn to film a segment on the CBS soap opera AS THE WORLD TURNS.

We met up with Terri Colombino who plays Katie Peretti on the show and had her give us a backstage tour. They have two stages they film on - each filled sets of different rooms, restaurants, and shops. Each had three walls that looked just like a living room or kitchen or coffee shop - with a fourth open wall to film through. It was kind of like walking through a furniture store. I don't know why--I'm usually pretty jaded!--but it struck me as immensely cool. Like a little world existing on a soundstage. They had a huge wardrobe room, filled with outfits - including wedding dresses, of course! (Terri's character has been married six times during her ten years on the show - though only to five guys, she pointed out, since one lucky man got to walk down the aisle with her twice.) I especially loved the prop room - where each character had a basket filled with personal items. Terri rummaged through hers and found her alter-ego's fertility pills from when she'd been trying to get pregnant.

It was especially cool to tour As the World Turns in particular because my step-grandmother has worked on the show for the last thirty something years. She plays Kim Hughes, a member of one of the original families on the show. Unfortunately she wasn't filming the day we were there - it would have been so thrilling to see her at work! But I'm glad at least I had a chance to check out where she spends her days.

All in all, I found it a fascinating experience - to see how a soap opera works behind the scenes. I'd love to someday write for one. I think that would be the best job ever. I'll post the segment when it airs on Better TV, of course!

Marianne

Anniversary Weekend

This weekend marked Jacob and my year anniversary of dating. I can't believe it's been a year and at the same time I can't believe there was ever a time when he wasn't in my life.

Our first date took place here: At the Morgan's Hotel bar on Madison. Unfortunately it's since been renovated and turned into a gym. Too bad cause it was a beautiful space - and a great place to have a first date.

So we couldn't go back, but we made the most of the weekend anyway. Here's how it all went down.

I got out of work on Friday and came home to a candlelit living room and a bottle of champagne. He'd snuck out early to surprise me! For my gift, he gave me a pair of gorgeous silver earrings from Tiffany's. I was thrilled. Not only gorgeous earrings (he has great taste!) - but the first time anyone had every bought me something from Tiffany's. That little blue box ... it's a girl's dream come true!

These are what they looked like.




And here's me wearing them. Jacob took this in "a gossip girl book cover" style...cutting off my eyes like they do in so many YA books.





So what do you buy the type of guy who will brave the 5th Avenue Tiffany's? Why tickets to the Dallas Cowboys, of course! :) I got him tix to the game where they play the NY Giants in December. It's especially exciting since this will be one of the very last games ever played in the old Texas stadium. Plus it's against the Giants - who I love to hate. I hope the Cowboys run them through!!! (No, I'm not naive enough to think there's a good chance - but I can still hope!)





After champagne and gift giving, we headed to one of our favorite eating places. No, not a fancy 5 star restaurant, but Dallas BBQ. We hadn't been in a while since I moved to Astoria and no longer lived across the street from one.

We got "Texas size" margaritas.









The restaurant had its Halloween decorations up. I liked this skeleton spider.





Oddly enough, we sat down next to a couple who were in the process of breaking up. Kind of sad to hear during a happy anniversary dinner, but from the sounds of things, the girl was so right to be getting the heck out of the relationship!

After dinner we headed to the movies and watched SAW 5. Yes, we saw SAW 5 on our anniversary. Cause that's how we roll. See, we are the PERFECT couple!! :) Unfortunately, while not terrible, it wasn't as exciting as the rest of the Saw movies. Almost a placeholder, really, to get us through the wait of a sixth film. I thought they could have done a much better job. Still, it was great to see Jigsaw again! :)

Anyway, lest you think we just ate bbq and watched horror on our anniversary, the next morning we woke up bright and early, driving upstate NY to Cooperstown, home of the baseball hall of fame. We were staying at the Otesaga, a huge 100 year old hotel sitting on a gorgeous lake.













We went to the Fenimore art museum and the baseball hall of fame that day. And then at night we ate at the hotel dining room where they served a meal that was first served when the place opened 100 years ago. (It was all part of their 100 year celebration.) The food was delicious! I was stuffed afterwards!

The next day we walked around Cooperstown, checking out all the amazing old homes and baseball stuff. I love the architecture of that town! They don't make houses like they used to, that's for sure. I should have taken more pictures. Here's one of Doubleday field, though, home of many Hall of Fame games.





After wandering around and checking things out, we headed home (4 plus hour drive!) and got ready for Monday morning reality! It was a great weekend though and a great anniversary. The first of many to come, I hope!!!

Marianne

Gypsy: The Better TV Segment

I talked a while ago about going behind the scenes of Gypsy and meeting the legendary Patty Lupone. Here's the final segment based on that trip!

Marianne

Forge

Forge, originally uploaded by LeChatBleu.

Last night I met up with some publicists I work with for dinner at Forge, a new American cuisine restaurant in Tribeca. It was technically a working dinner, but Jacque and Eliza were a lot of fun to hang out with, so it wasn’t exactly a chore. We ate like everything on the menu! It was all so delicious. The chef kept sending out extra food for us to try – including a stuffed pear dessert. I left in almost a food coma.

The chef and co-founder, Marc Forgione, is only 29 years old. And he's not a graduate from some fancy culinary school either. Instead, he got hands on experience at his father's restaurant, An American Place, since he was sixteen years old.

According to their website:

"He has created a straightforward American style with bold flavors and playful touches. Forgione manipulates citrus, heat and fresh herbs to create maximum flavor; and his sophisticated dishes blend familiar elements with precise technique. Menus change frequently to showcase fresh ingredients and new twists on seasonal American favorites."

My favorite part? The potato dinner rolls - which are kept warm in a 1906 cast iron oven in the dining room and served with caramelized onion butter.

Actually, the stove is just one special touch I liked about this restaurant. The whole place has sort of a vintage, old-fashioned, almost rustic feel. There's glass lanterns with lit candles hanging from the ceiling and bookshelves full of family memorabilia Forgione got from his father's basement - including vintage James Beard cookbooks. So while it's an expensive restaurant, it doesn't have that museum-like feel that other similarly priced establishments might have. It's cozy and warm, just like the food itself.

I highly recommend if you're looking for good American cuisine with a twist you try Forge for yourself.

Marianne

Tea Party - The Video

Here's the final product of the socialite tea party story I was talking about earlier in the week. I am really happy with how it came out. Makes me want to host my own tea party someday! :)

City of Ember: The Final Product

I talked a few weeks ago about my adventure of meeting Tim Robbins and Tim Murray during a press junkett for City of Ember. Here's the final piece, as aired on the Better TV show.

I've since read mixed reviews of the movie - many saying it's not as smart or interesting as the books its based on. But personally I have to say (without having read the books) that I really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun and held my attention throughout - which is rare for me these days, it seems. Some criticized the movie for ending like a Disney ride. But then, I like Disney rides!

Marianne

Better TV: Halloween Costumes for Kids

Another Better TV story from yours truly. This one on popular Halloween costumes for kids. The kids are so cute, I had to post it!

So what are you guys going to be for Halloween? I'm going to be Little Dead Riding Hood! :)

Marianne

Tea Party

PICTURED: Anisha Lakhani (Author of Schooled), Tracy Stern (founder of Salon Tea), Me, Mina Jacqueline Au (Luxury Lifestyle expert and founder of Bon-Luxe), and Melissa Foss (celebrity stylist/former editor of Harper's Bazaar.)


I meant to post this photo before now, but didn't remember until today when I wrote the High Tea story for Better. A couple of weeks ago my photographer and I went to the beautiful Upper East Side home of Tracy Stern, Manhattan socialite and tea entreprenur, and shot a segment on hosting tea parties in your home.

Tracy had laid out the most gorgeous table I've ever seen, choosing a colorful garden theme. There were little watering pails for the milk and even the mini sandwiches had a flower theme, with edible geraniums and salmon rosettes. Move over Martha Stewart!

She talked about the odds and ends she picked up here and there to make the display. Stuff anyone could find - even on a budget. But it takes someone with a good eye - like Tracy - to pull it all together. Seriously, the woman is majorly creative!

Her teas were delicious too -- try them once and I guarantee you'll give up Lipton forever! :) Her company is called SalonTea and they import teas from the finest estates from around the world. She's even written a book on hosting tea parties - the subject of our segment.





It was a really fun segment to shoot and her apartment was to die for. She was really sweet, too. And so passionate about her teas - it's not just a business for her. It's a lifestyle.

I'll be posting the Better TV segment soon. For now, check out the SalonTea website and get yourself some tea!

Marianne

Come chat with me tonight!

All week long, in honor of YALSA's Teen Read Week, readergirlz has been hosting chats with outstanding authors at the readergirlz forum. Tonight, we'll be wrapping up Night Bites with four authors who really like to sink their teeth into a good story.

Friday, Oct. 17: Gothic Bites
Holly Cupala (A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT)
Christopher Golden (SOULLESS)
Annette Curtis Klause (BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE)
Mari Mancusi (BOYS THAT BITE)

Vampires, shapeshifters, and other gothic staples come into play in these delightfully dark tales. Won't you come play, too? Join us at the readergirlz forum - http://groups.myspace.com/readergirlz - at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST TONIGHT. The chat will last for about an hour.

Hope to see you there!
Marianne

Shopping with Jamie Lynn Sigler

Yesterday I headed to Saks to interview Jamie Lynn Sigler. You might remember her as Meadow from the Sopranos. After six seasons on the show, she’s all grown up and moved on to new ventures. She’s appearing as herself on at least three episodes of Entourage. (And rumored to be dating the guy who plays Turtle in real life, though she didn’t confirm that on camera.) She just finished filming a movie this summer and will soon be introducing a new jewelry line called “C.J. Free” after her friend Holly Freeman’s son. The jewelry will be available this winter and can be customized with different charms. I couldn’t find a photo online, but she was wearing one of the bracelets during the interview and it was quite cute. When I post my Better TV report in a week or so, you’ll get to see it.

Jamie has recently partnered with Mastercard to promote their shopping savings program – good timing with the failing economy, everyone wants to save money! The program offers discounts at over 25,000 retailers nationwide for cardholders. You can find out more about the program here.

One of the participating retailers was Saks, where we conducted the interview. After we talked to Jamie, we took her upstairs to their shoe department (so big it has its own zipcode) to film her shopping. Not that she needed shoes – she was wearing an amazing pair of peep toe Louboutin booties. (Awesome, if not a bit tough to walk in…) I’m sure they cost as much as my monthly salary, but I hey – I can dream!

I zoomed in on the photo I had so you can get a better look.





She seemed nice, but pretty quiet. No small talk really while we waited for the elevator. She might have been tired though – this was her last interview of a whole day of interviews! And she was good on camera, which is all that really matters in the end. While it’s more fun to hang with someone who’s chatty (like Bill Murray for example!) in the end, I’d rather have someone who’s bright and interesting when it counts!

Funny - my photographer was excited (for the first time EVER, I think) to go on this interview. He's not really into the Hollywood scene and doesn't know or care about most celebrities. When I got the pitch for Jamie he was like "OMG we HAVE to do this!" So now he owes me big time. :) He was cool as a cucumber in front of her though. Didn't even shake when he hooked up her mic. Restrained his inner fan boy like a pro.





Who would you guys like to interview more than anyone? I think for me, #1 would be David Bowie. Though I'm not sure if I got the chance I'd even be able to stand, never mind speak.

Marianne

Leanna's a Gossip Girl!

Watch carefully in the background of this scene of Monday night's Gossip Girl. You may see a familiar face. Yes, right after Blair and Serena walk through the door in walks our own Leanna Hieber, fellow Dorchester author and now honorary Gossip Girl. I love how she gives Serena a snotty head to toe once over before walking on!

Take a look!

Leanna on Gossip Girl! from Marianne Mancusi on Vimeo.

Weekend Wrap-Up: Massachusetts Edition

Saturday morning, bright and early, Jacob and I packed up and headed north to New England in our rented SUV. (Since I don't own a car, I can justify my once a year use of an SUV when it comes to the environment.)

We arrived that afternoon, grabbed my dad and brother, and headed to the Haverhill Public Library. There, I kicked off TEEN READ WEEK, which this year is themed "Books With Bite." I talked about my Blood Coven series, read from my upcoming GAMER GIRL book, and answered questions from the audience.









And, of course, signed some books.




That night Jacob, my brother Mike, and I headed to China Blossom for a buffet dinner with our extended family in celebration of my cousin's wedding the next day. After dinner, we headed into Boston to see my friend Mary and her boyfriend Greg. We watched the Red Sox lose game two of the playoffs at a Beacon Hill bar called Sevens.

The next day Jacob and I headed to the mall to go Halloween shopping. We bought a cool game called Heroscape and played it all afternoon. It's kind of a dungeons and dragons type of thing.





That night we got all dressed up and headed to Lawrence for my cousin's wedding. She had it in a restored textile mill now called Salvadore's. It was a nice place and I like that they're restoring all these brick factories that have sat shut down and boarded up my entire life. It's right on the river and really beautiful.





Here is Maria and her now wife Abbey (yes, it was a lesbian wedding - we can do that in Massachusetts) posing with her grandparents. The grandparents have been married 63 years!





Abbey's family is Jewish so they did all the traditional Jewish wedding traditions like signing the contract. (Which has a name, but I forget what it is.)





My dad wasn't sure how to wear the yamika for the ceremony, but he was a good sport about it.





Here's my cousin Maria, being escorted by my Aunt Judy.





And here they are, dancing the Horrah. (Otherwise known as the chairs in the air dance!)





I loved my cousin Jen's daughter Ava's dress. I couldn't snap quick enough to get a front shot - she was twirling too fast!






My brother was playing DJ with an iPod and was the only one with an official wedding schedule. That's him and his wife Karen. I haven't seen them in like 4 years so it was great to catch up!





All in all, it was a great wedding. Filled with loving family ready and willing to support the newly married couple on the road of life together! Couldn't ask for more than that!

Massachusetts Library Appearance

For those of you who live in Massachusetts or Southern NH, please come see me at the Haverhill Public Library tomorrow (Saturday) at 3pm. Info is below:


Local Author Returns to her Roots to Kick off Teen Read Week

Mari Mancusi, author of the hit teen book series The Blood Coven (Boys that Bite, Stake That!, Girls that Growl) returns to her hometown on Saturday, October 11th, to help launch Teen Read Week at the Haverhill Public Library.

Mancusi, a former Haverhill resident, spent a lot of time as a teen at the Haverhill Library and is looking forward to speaking with hometown teens about growing up in Haverhill, her dreams of becoming an author, and the steps she took to make that dream a reality. She will also be discussing her upcoming book, Gamer Girl which will be released from Dutton Juvenile press in November.

The event will kick off the annual Teen Read Week celebration, a national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association. This year’s theme, Books with Bite @ Your Library, encourages teens to read for the fun of it and promotes a variety of books from vampires to cooking.

The even will be held at the Haverhill Public Library (99 Main St. Haverhill, MA) on Saturday, October 11th, from 3 – 5 pm in the Johnson Auditorium.

Let's Get Physical, Physical!

It's been quite a month for celebrity interviews. Not sure why they're all coming out of the woodwork in October, but I won't complain. Yesterday I interviewed Olivia Newton John about her quest to educate women on breast cancer and the importance of self examination.

Olivia herself found a lump when examining her own breast and pursued her case, even after her mammogram came back negative. So she's advocating for women to take charge of their health with a new product called Liv-Aid. (Pronounced Live - as in her nickname and also, of course, the obvious.) Any woman who goes into Curves fitness centers can get a free Liv-Aid: a heart shaped medical device used to help with self breast exams.





Olivia was telling me about her recent hike along the Great Wall of China - a 142 mile journey - done to raise awareness and money for the cause. She's quite a woman! Calls herself a breast cancer "thriver" not survivor - and she's been cancer free for years.

Anyway, you'll be proud to know I stayed on topic and didn't break down and beg her to break out in "Hopelessly Devoted to You". :)

Marianne

PS She looked great, by the way! And was very warm and easy to talk to, even though she was exhausted from back-to-back interviews. Very passionate about her cause, too!

Gamer Girl in My Hot Little Hands!

My editor was sweet enough to send me over a couple of advanced final finished copies of GAMER GIRL - my November YA release. Gamer Girl is my first ever hardcover novel so I'm particularly proud/excited!

So proud, I had to take a couple photos of my new baby!

Here it is! Sitting at my desk at work. The cover is even more adorable in real life.

Proud Book Mama!

There's even some inside illustrations - emoticons for all the chapters. That was my editor Sarah's idea. So genius!

The book flap speaks true!

Since you can't read the back from the photo, here's what it says:

ZOMG, it r0x to be a gamer girl!

Maddy’s life: not so rockin’. Her parents split, she’s stuck in a new, small town at a school full of Aberzombies and Haters, she has a crush on someone she really shouldn’t like, and she’s stuck with the nickname Freak Girl.

Sometimes it’s enough to retreat into her drawing – her Manga is totally important to her – but when she gets Fields of Fantasy for her birthday, she knows she’s found the one place she can be herself. In the game world, Maddy can transform from regular outcast high school student to Allora, a beautiful Elvin Princess with magical powers to take down enemies with a snap of her fingers and wave of her wand.

As Allora, Maddy can totally be herself. She spends a lot of time questing with Sir Leo, a brave knight who seems to really like Allora, and maybe even the IRL (In Real Life) Maddy. Allora’s virtual life is perfect, but a real gamer girl understands that real life comes first – Maddy knows she can’t escape from her IRL problems. She has to find ways to kick back at the Haters, rock her manga, and find the new, real life friends she knows she deserves.