Sweeping through

Today is the first day of November sweeps. For you regular people that means good tv shows will start playing all month long! Horray!

For us TV people, that means a whole lot of work. Producing those stories you see promoted all through those good tv shows.

"Can your couch kill you? Find out...tonight at 11!"

Yup. That's what I do for a living. :) But it beats digging ditches. (No offense meant to ditch diggers who love their jobs.)

Tonight though Harlequin NEXT author Hank Phillippi Ryan (PRIME TIME, June 07) and I (STAKE THAT!, Dec 06, lol!) will join the lovely Jennifer O'Connell (oh, damn now I have to go look up her next book to shamelessly promote it. This is what happens when you set a precedent....one sec....here we go....INSIDER DATING, May 07) to go see Stephanie Lessing read her book Miss Understanding at the BU Bookstore. Then we're going out for a drink or two. Fun, fun. :)

Marianne

Writer Drugs

My friend Liz Maverick always says, "A writer's got to have drugs." And no, she doesn't mean the illegal kind. :P The idea is that you're at home, alone, plugging away, discouragements hitting you left and right, and it becomes hard to keep up the motivation. You're a loser. A poser. Why ever did you think you could write books? Maybe you should just give it all up and go be a dentist or something.

Then it happens - you get a fan email, cover art, a new book deal, whatever. Something great happens. And suddenly you're jazzed again, excited about writing, ready to go that extra mile to get it all done. Those, my friends, are the drugs.

I'm happy to say I got some drugs this week - and boy did I need them!

• My agent sent out my new proposal to editors yesterday!!! So I can obsess about that for the next few months. Imagine my new dream book deal, etc.
• I got cover art for my October YA "GIRLS THAT GROWL" and it ROCKS. I love it so much. As soon as it's finalized I'll post it.
• I got invited to speak at the New England RWA conference in April. My talk will be "Not Acting Your Age" and is basically a YA how-to.

So lots and lots of good writer drugs! Now I can keep going!!

Mar

Say it isn't so!

Ryan and Reese getting divorced!?!? Of all couples, I thought these two actually had a chance at a happily ever after. Guess that doesn't happen in Hollywood...

In happier news, Ryan's single again. **evil grin**

For the whole scoop, check out TMZ. And someone get me Ryan's cell # asap!

Mar

Vampires a Mathematical Impossibility, Scientist Says

So I saw this article today:

Vampires a Mathematical Impossibility, Scientist Says

Sara GoudarziLiveScience Staff WriterLiveScience.comWed
Oct 25, 5:15 PM ET

A researcher has come up with some simple math that sucks the life out of the vampire myth, proving that these highly popular creatures can't exist.

University of Central Florida physics professor Costas Efthimiou's work debunks pseudoscientific ideas, such as vampires and zombies, in an attempt to enhance public literacy.

Not only does the public believe in such topics, but the percentages are at dangerously high level, Efthimiou told LiveScience.Legend has it that vampires feed on human blood and once bitten a person turns into a vampire and starts feasting on the blood of others.

Efthimiou's debunking logic: On Jan 1, 1600, the human population was 536,870,911. If the first vampire came into existence that day and bit one person a month, there would have been two vampires by Feb. 1, 1600. A month later there would have been four, and so on. In just two-and-a-half years the original human population would all have become vampires with nobody left to feed on. If mortality rates were taken into consideration, the population would disappear much faster. Even an unrealistically high reproduction rate couldn't counteract this effect.

"In the long run, humans cannot survive under these conditions, even if our population were doubling each month," Efthimiou said. "And doubling is clearly way beyond the human capacity of reproduction."

So whatever you think you see prowling around on Oct. 31, it most certainly won't
turn you into a vampire.

Obviously this researcher hasn't done much research. You don't turn into a vampire just by being bitten by one! Eesh! Has this person EVER read a vampire book in his life? You have to drink the vampire's blood to become a vampire and they're sure as hell not going to let everyone they snack on to bite them back. In fact, most often the blood donor dies. Duh.

I won't even go into the part about why the heck are people studying such nonsense.

Mar

Grrr

I'm so annoyed today. First I wake up to a bird in my apartment. ANOTHER BIRD! This is the 3rd or 4th bird that has flown through my chimney and into my apartment in the last month. And it's nearly impossible to get them to go out the window. They crap all over my stuff and bang against my windows and it's the most annoying thing in the universe. And if I keep my flu closed they get stuck in the chimney and bang around for a few days causing a horrible rukkus and then DIE so when I open the flu dead birds fall into my fireplace.

I told my landlord this was happening last winter and nothing was done. I need to speak to him again. And here I thought a working fireplace was a luxury in a Boston apartment. I'd much rather have a sealed up one at this point.

To make matters worse my monitor died on me this morning. So my manuscript, which I am very behind on as it is, is trapped inside my computer and I can't see it. And of course I have zero money to be wasting on a new monitor and I can't even move the one I have because it weighs a TON. (It's a 25 inch monitor cause I play videogames.)

Sometimes it really sucks to live alone.

Anyway, just had to vent.

MAR

Children of the Universe

I found this on YouTube. I just love it. Had to share.

Friday, Friday!

I finished polishing the first 35 pages of Moongazer and passed them in to my editor this morning. I don't normally pass in books 35 pages at a time, but they're doing excerpt booklets for a special mailing to booksellers and needed some chapters. For two weeks, I've been working overtime to get these pages done. Now I need to get back to Girls that Growl, which I have to pass in mid-November. Then go back and finish Moongazer. Sigh. The deadlines really never end. But the good thing is I LOVE both of these books so they're a pleasure to work on.

I also revised a partial for a new YA book that my new agent will be sending out soon. Currently waiting to hear her thoughts on it. I'm really happy with how it turned out, so hopefully she'll agree!! She's tough - but in a good way! After all, I'd rather have all my submissions perfect before sending them out.

I'm so glad it's Friday - though I'm helping a friend move into her new apartment tomorrow so it won't be all fun and games. But it's all good. I don't mind. I should also try to get some writing done, but I'm really lousy at writing on the weekends. So all in all, probably a mellow weekend. But thats just in preparation for next week's Halloween fun!! Cheer!

Three things on MySpace that bug me:

1) Authors who write erotica who try to friend my teen book. While I have no personal problems with erotica, I don't want to give my 12-17 year old readers easy access to it. PLEASE don't invite me. Invite my adult MySpace page instead. (www.myspace.com/whatnoroses)

2) Authors who spam advertisements in my comments section. I can spot an auto-comment a mile away and it not only annoys me, it makes me not want to buy your book. If you don't have time to comment personally, then don't comment at all. If you want to plug your book - send a bulletin. But don't clutter up MY page with your blatant, non targeted advertisement.

3) People who auto-add you. The guy selling cds for toddlers did not stumble across my profile and say "Hey, she'd be a great friend." And I'm sure the guy writing a literary book about death, sex, and drugs did not say "Hey, here's a teen author who I'd really like to get to know." Bands are notorious for that, too. Using auto-add programs that don't target WHO they're inviting. If you just want a million friends, fine. But everyone I invite to MY MySpace page is invited for a reason. They may like vampire books, they may like Buffy. They may like other authors I do. They may BE other authors I admire. But I've chosen to invite them for a reason. And so if you invite me, I look at your profile and decide whether I want to friend you.

I also am not a HUGE fan of the glitter "Thanks for the add" graphics, but some of them are actually pretty so I'm not putting that on the list. :)

Mar

Win an ARC of Stake That!

Today only - head on over to Out of the Blogosphere and join the block party! Lots of great prizes being given away - including an advanced copy of STAKE THAT! All you have to do is post a comment under my blog entry and you'll be entered. Drawing at the end of the day!

What are you waiting for? ;-)

Marianne

Out of the Blogosphere - BLOCK PARTY!

All this week, the fab paranormal authors on Out of the Blogosphere are having a block party. That means fun posts, free stuff, recipes, contests, and more! My day to post will be tomorrow (Tuesday) but in the meantime if you want a fab recipe for Rebecca York's buffalo wings or to try your hand at winning some books - you'd better head over there now!! :)

I think I'll be giving away an advanced copy of STAKE THAT! tomorrow. And maybe other fun stuff. Just don't expect any recipes from me. I'm a city girl. I do takeout.

Mar

Moongazer

I'm currently taking a break from writing GIRLS THAT GROWL to write and polish the first 30 pages of my August book MOONGAZER because Dorchester is putting together special excerpt booklets for the first three books in the new SHOMI line to send to booksellers and needs the excerpts super early for the mailing. It's a great opportunity for some extra promotion so of course I am working overtime to get the partial done.

And I'm having a blast writing it. There's just something about starting a brand new book that I find exhilarating. The joy of meeting the new characters and discovering their personalities. Crafting that perfect beginning. Plotting how the story will unfold.

And this book is extra special cause it's my first foray into speculative fiction. Imagining and creating a brave new post-apocalyptic world from scratch. So much fun--especially for a sci-fi junkie like myself. This is also my first non-comedy, though I can't help but throw in some sardonic humor here and there. It just wouldn't be a "me" book without it. It's also still first person, so it's not a complete departure from my normal style. Basically if you took the voice of a chick lit book and threw it into the Matrix, you'd get something like Moongazer. I think. I hope. Well, you'll see. :)

Anyway, I could go on and on -- I'm really excited about this new project as you can tell. But it's Friday and the 13th and so I'm off to a Friday the 13th movie watching party. Gotta love Jason Voorhees!!!

MaR

Random Stuff

Ooh guess what? I finally have a website devoted to my teen books. I'd been using my adult website and MySpace for the longest time so it's nice to finally have a real site. Check it out here. Thanks to the awesome Dreamforge Media for setting it up. I think it looks really cool.

Cindy Holby posted some fun pics of our NYC adventure on her blog, including all those yummy desserts we devoured. Mmmm... I can still taste the sugar.

My February book "A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest" is now up for pre-sale on Amazon. Horray! This is the sequel to my first adult title "A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court."

And okay, for you guys who thought that loft apartment on the Upper West Side was too small, how about this one I found on Craigslist today. Pretty nice, huh? Then again, it darn well should be for $11,000 a month!!

Back to writing....
Mar

NYC/NJ Trip Report

I'm back from my NYC/NJ adventure. I had sooo much fun!

To recap: I took a train into the city Tuesday night and hung out with my friend down in the East Village. Then Weds I went to Dorchester where I worked with my editor to finalize revisions on A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest, my February book. Then I met up with my partner in crime, Liz Maverick, at our hotel (a great little Comfort Inn in Hell's Kitchen which, despite the name, is really a cool area.) We went out for sushi in midtown at a place called Blue Fin in the W Hotel. Good stuff.

On Thursday, Liz and I went back to Dorchester to have lunch with the head of sales, head of publicity and our editor Chris to talk about all the fabulous plans they have in store for the launch of the new Shomi line. Liz is doing book #1 in the launch (WIRED) and I'm doing #2 (MOONGAZER). I'm so excited about this project because 1) It's a very cool, different style of book for me to be writing and 2) it's part of a launch so there's all sorts of special promotion attached that a midlist writer like me doesn't normally get. I can't wait! Of course this means very tight writing deadlines, but I know I can do it. I can't wait to see the manga-inspired covers, too.

Thursday night was Dorch author night. Liz, Jade Lee, Cindy Holby and I went down to Greenwich Village to eat at a former speakeasy called Chumley's. Then we found a terrific Italian bakery nearby where we pretty much ordered everything in the case and drank cappaccino. Mmmm... delicious!!!

On Friday we headed down to the NJ RWA conference. It was a lot of fun. This is the 4th year I've gone to this conference and I always have a good time. We went to a great plotting workshop by Bob Mayer which was both inspiring and scary. Then Liz won an award for her book Crimson Rogue. I also got to see lots of my writer buddies - including Alesia Holliday and Barb Ferrier and Nadia Cornier. It's so not fair that I don't get to see these people on an everyday basis.

Saturday night I came back into the city to hang with friends and Sunday I went home. Now I'm back to reality with all sorts of crazy deadlines, but at least I had a really fun week!!

Marianne

I <3 NY

It's Monday, but since I'm only working today and tomorrow it feels more like Thursday. Yay! Two day work weeks are the best! Especially two day work weeks that end with exciting trips to NYC!!

Okay, fine, I go to NYC so much I don't think I'm allowed to call the trips exciting anymore. Except that they are. I love NYC so much. My ultimate life's goal is to live there. Right on the Upper West Side, probably in the 70s/80s. A few short blocks away from Central Park. Even if all I could afford was a tiny studio - not much bigger than a closet. After all, the city itself would be my backyard!!!

Here's my little UWS dream apartment. Isn't it just too cute? I love the loft bedroom. I could SO see myself living here. Of course to you guys who aren't city people, this may seem a small version of hell, but I'm a total city girl at heart and this apartment is totally me.

Marianne

Fun Friday (not)

Insomnia has to be the worst thing in the entire world. Because of some personal and professional stresses I'm going through (yes, yes, what else is new Mar?) I couldn't fall asleep until like 4am. And when I did finally fall asleep I had this horrid, horrid, horrid nightmare about bedbugs. So let's just say I'm not a happy camper today.

On the brighter side, I get to dogsit my ex husband's dog Adora this weekend, which is very exciting. She's such a cutie! Aaron doesn't know it, but I'm going to dress her up in clothing and take lots of photos and post them to the Internet. Mwahahahah!! See if I ever get asked to dogsit again! :)

Then next weekend he's going to take my dog cause I'm off to the Big Apple. Liz Maverick and I are doing the NYC thing for a couple days. (I'M the one supposed to be the tour guide so we'll see how lost we get.) While there, we're going to meet with our publicist at Dorchester to talk about all the fab things in store for the new SHOMI speculative fiction line we're doing books for. Cross your fingers she'll have some kick ass manga cover art to share. Then we're heading down to New Jersey for the RWA conference there.

Fun, fun. Though at the moment, I'm tired just thinking about it! I'd better get some sleep before then...

Marianne

My new agent!

I've been waiting for this to be official and since I finally signed the contract this week, I guess it finally is!

I just signed with the fabulous Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literay Agency.

Kristin is awesome - tough as nails, but still really nice. She's done wonderful things for her clients and they all love her to death. I'm so excited to be working with her.

She's currently helping me perfect a really exciting new YA project that we hope to shop out soon. I can't wait!!!

Marianne

Mrs. Giggles!!

Ooh, I'm so excited! My books were FINALLY reviewed by the infamous Mrs. Giggles. For those of you who don't know her -- for shame! She writes some of the most fabulous reviews of romance novels. And by fabulous I mean she usually completely trashes them. But in such an entertaining way. Never will you read a romance review like a Mrs. Giggles romance review. They're awesome. Especially the bad ones.

Anyway - I actually got a really good rating for A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court. I agree with a lot of her criticisms too. If I had written that book today I would have definitely changed those things.

And she totally TRASHED "What, No Roses?" Basically saying Dora was as stupid as a Kaite MacAlister heroine. (Yay - I love Katie MacAlister!!!!) Honestly, I don't think she quite got into the spirit of the book - it was purposely slapstick and silly. Dora being a competent, smart heroine would have ruined all the fun. She's dumb, she's bumbling, but she's got heart. At least that's how I see her. :) But Mrs. Giggles does NOT tolerate fools in any romance book. In any case, I found her review very entertaining all in all. You've got to have a sense of humor about these things.

Oh and she liked The Rat!! Yay!

Anyway - if you want to read her reviews you can check them out here.

Marianne

You can post ANYTHING on YouTube

I have a confession to make. I am a YouTube addict. It could be dogs sleeping, kids having their stuffed animals dance, paint drying. If someone posted it to YouTube, I'll probably watch it and send the link to all my friends. Sigh.

So one day, when I was avoiding my revisions, I decided to upload two videos.

The first was a video message to my readers. I added it to my MySpace profile. I think it's an effective way to communicate to teens and plan to update it often - answering questions, annoucing contests, etc. etc.



The second was...well, (blush) a video of my dog howling...



Guess which I'm most proud of...
:)
MARIANNE

Celebrity Lookalikes

I stole this from Gena Showalter's blog, but it's pretty cool. It's a site that will analyze your photo and then tell you which celebrity you most resemble. Of course it didn't pick Jennifer Jason Leigh, who I've been compared to all my life, but it's still pretty fun. :)

Just a random update

So a lot of things in my life are in the works. Many good and potentially good things, but until they are all finalized I cannot talk about them. Grrr... Sucks to have a blog and not be able to share everything. Oh well. Soon, soon.

Just finished writing A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest, the sequel to CT Fashionista. Going to pass it in on Monday. Very happy to be starting Girls that Growl, book 3 in the Boys that Bite series. Those books are just so fun and easy for me to write. The second I opened the blank word document, the story started just flowing out of me. I couldn't type fast enough to keep up with my ideas. Maybe it's cause I know the characters so well now and I love being in Rayne's head. She's such a great person to write. I feel almost as if she's real.

Started reading Diana Peterfreund's Secret Society Girl today. Got totally sucked in at the doctor's office and ended up reading 61 pages, which is a lot for me in one sitting. No wonder there was such interest in this book! I'm also reading The Winds of War, a world war two book, which is going to take a lot more time to finish, considering it's 1,050 pages and very small print. It's really interesting though--and I feel like I'm learning something about history. Plus the people seem very real.

BTW Dorchester finally posted pics from the National Conference. For once I'm not in half the shots, which is probably best. I like to think it means I behaved myself this year. ;-)

I have NOT yet seen Snakes on a Plane. Sooooo sad!!!

Marianne

Prime Time

I'm so excited to post this! My longtime mentor/coworker/friend/critique partner Hank Phillippi Ryan, the investigative reporter at my tv station WHDH-TV just signed a two book deal with Harlequin for their NEXT line for her humorous reporter mystery series.

You can read more about it in today's Boston Herald.

It's a really fun book. Make sure you pick it up when it comes out.

Marianne

All About Romance

All About Romance website -- You know it, you love it, but you also know what a tough site it is for reviews. Unlike some reviewers, they sure don't just give away those good grades! So I was really excited to get this review for "What, No Roses?" Sure, a B- doesn't seem too high at first glance, but the reviewers on this site are TOUGH, so I take it as a huuuge compliment. :) Plus the review itself is great! I'm so glad she loved Ratty!! He's my favorite part of the book, too.

Anyway - just wanted to share!
Marianne

Romantic Times Convention

Yes, it's only August, you've barely gotten your breath back from Nationals, but it's already time to start thinking of next year's Romantic Times Convention!! (I mean the costumes alone take a year to plan, right?)

I am pleased to announce I've been selected as the Captain of the Young Adult panel discussion for next year's RT. How fun is that? I'm thrilled and honored they want me! Now I just have to gather my panel members and decide on two sessions worth of topics. Any suggestions?

While I'm posting (I've been so lazy/busy!) here are a few more pics from Nationals.

Cindy Holby, Chris K, and I -- propping up the bar

Watch out - Serena Robar is braced 2 bite!

Bar Divas - always cute and fun and never drunk and annoying!

"No you can't take my Rita home with you!"
Have a great weekend! I'm off to get wine and sushi with my friend Mary. Yummm!!!

Mar

Back from Atlanta

I am wayyyy too tired to tell you everything that happened in Atlanta (and - heh - maybe some of it best stay in Atlanta anyway :P) but needless to say the conference was a blast and I'm so glad I went. It was wonderful to see all my fabulous author friends!

But the big news of the week?? Guess what my dear friend Alesia Holliday won! Yup, a RITA! For best novella! WOOT! Sooo well deserved!!!! Here are the two of us. Doesn't she look sooo happy?

For those of you not in the writing world, that golden statue is called a "RITA" and it's the best award a romance author can win. Sort of like an Emmy. Yay Alesia!!

Mar

P.S. For those of you wondering, my apartment is fine. No lightning disasters this year!

Next stop: Atlanta!

Well in two days I'll be off to Atlanta for the National Romance Writers of America conference. I'm so looking forward to seeing all my friends and going to all the parties. If you see me in the hall, please stop me to say hi. I love meeting new people!!

Stuff I will definitely be attending:

* Paige Wheeler's Chocolate Devastation party (my agent's party for clients)
* From the Heart Romance Writers party (Thursday)
* National Reader's Choice Awards (Thursday) - wish me luck in the Young Adult Category!
* Berkley book giveaway - signing copies of "Boys that Bite"!! (Friday afternoon)
* Dorchester Publisher's dinner (Friday)
* Berkley cocktail party (Friday)
* Ritas/Golden Heart post party (Saturday night)

I was thinking of trying to sightsee during the day on Saturday. Anyone know any cool stuff to see in Atlanta? I've only been there once, for a work related thing, so I'm not very familiar with the city.

I have the BEST dress for Friday night! It totally looks like something right out of the 1920s - flapper style - to go along with my "What, No Roses?" book's theme! I can't believe I found such a perfect dress. :) Very psyched to wear it!

Marianne

Blog Slackers Unite

Hey all,

Sorry for the week of silence. I've just been going through some personal drama that has sadly become all-consuming. But hey, what else is new, right? :P And, as they say, whatever doesn't kill us will make us stronger. (And after the last year, I'm destined to become the strongest person ever!)

Anyway - I'm looking forward to seeing people at Nationals in Atlanta next week. I am going for a few days - just to network and party. I'm up for a Reader's Choice Award, which is cool. If you see me, make sure to say hi! My usual partner in crime, Liz Maverick, is in Paris and can't make the festivities - so if you're an author behaving badly who has a thing for conference chicken, find me in the bar!!! :)

I got a copy of the coverflat for "A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest." It's really pretty - much prettier than the online version. The lettering is pink foil. (Did I mention I love foil lettering? haha) I've got to stop using really long titles in my books though - my name is practically microscopic in order to fit it on the page. Ah well. Maybe people with bad eyesight will confuse it for a Katie MacAlister book!!

That's all for now!
Mar

Now Touring: Angel with Attitude

I read Michelle Rowan's "Bitten and Smitten" and it was really cute! Now she has a new paranormal comedy out called "Angel with Attitude." The interesting thing is that book features a talking rat--just like my new release, "What No Roses?" Isn't that a crazy coincidence? Obviously talking rats are the new black!!! :)

Anyway - the book looks like a lot of fun. Here's more info:

ANGEL WITH ATTITUDE by Michelle Rowen
(Warner Forever, July 2006)

When you're hot for a demon, you might as well kiss your halo good-bye...

Falling naked into the killer whale tank at MarineLand is always bad news, but it's a real bummer when you've just been kicked out of Heaven. Former angel Valerie Grace is determined to reverse her banishment-Earth's just no fun.

Her best friend is a slightly perverted human-turned-rat, and she's being tailed by a sexy Tempter Demon named Nathaniel, who's trying to lure her to hell with kisses that are almost worth the trip. With the talking rodent sneaking peeks down her shirt and Nathaniel getting more irresistible every minute, this ex-angel has only one hope: find the stolen Key to Heaven and go home.

Then the oddest thing happens-Nathaniel starts to show signs of loyalty and love. And soon Val is asking herself if it is such a bad thing to have the hots for a demon.

ABOUT MICHELLE ROWEN
Michelle Rowen was born in Toronto, Ontario. As a child she decided that when she grew up she would become a flight attendant, a jewel thief, or a writer. One out of three ain't bad. She is a self-confessed bibliophile, the proud owner of an evil cat named Nikita, Reality TV junkie, and has an unhealthy relationship with all things Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

REVIEWS
Rowen does a delightful job mixing things up with her sassy and sexy characters. She has her own unique spin on life and the afterlife and good and evil, which makes for downright fun reading. 4 stars ? Romantic Times

ANGEL WITH ATTITUDE is such a fun story...Michelle Rowen has proven herself to be an ace storyteller with a truly fresh and sharp sense of humor. I'm officially a fan! -- Lani Diane Rich, RITA Award-winning author

An amusing heavenly romance with a hell of a price to pay for not reading it. -- Harriet Klausner

Website: http://www.michellerowen.com/

A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest - COVER!

Okay here it is - the long awaited (at least by me!) cover and back cover blurb of the sequel to "A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court".

(And yes, Diana, it's still mostly blue!)

A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest

"Mancusi writes with style, wit and charm...an absolute treat!"
-USA Today Bestseller Julie Kenner

If Chrissie Hayward knew that morning she'd be traveling back through time to rescue her crazy coworker Kat, she'd have worn better shoes. Doubly so if she'd expected to meet her true love. According to the mysterious gypsy, Chrissie was "the gentle soul who would tame an outlaw's thirst for revenge"-aka, the real Robin Hood. So how come the guy was such a dud?

LOST...IN SHERWOOD FOREST?

No, Robin of Locksley was no Prince Charming. And the part about robbing the rich to feed the poor? He didn't get the memo. In fact, all the guy seemed to do was mope. (And he and his not-so-merry men thought Chrissie was a boy. Sure, she wasn't stacked, but still!) Nonetheless, he was loyal and brave and handsome as sin. If Chrissie could just get him with the program, she could right this wagon and get these boyz 'n the wood to be heroes of the realm instead of twerps in tights. Only then could this prince of thieves become king of her heart.

--

There you have it! Let me know what you think!!!
Marianne

ITALIA!

Well they're dancing in the streets where I live in the North End of Boston (Little Italy) this afternoon! A nailbiting penalty shot finish had Italy beat out France for the 2006 World Cup. Traffic was blocked off on Hanover Street and people overflowed out of bars and restaurants--cheering and singing and dancing and waving the Italian flag. I've never seen anything like it! It was great - so much energy and patriotism! It made me proud to be Italian.

I grew to love soccer/football while married to my ex who is from England. He believes there is nothing better in the world than soccer and can't understand how America isn't into it like the rest of the world. My cynical thoughts are it's because you can't throw in advertisements every 5 seconds in a soccer match like you can with American football. But in any case, it's become one of my favorite sports. I called him after the match and he was saying over 1 billion people watched the game. Incredible.

It may be too loud to sleep tonight- I'm sure the celebrating will go on til the wee hours of the morning--but I don't mind. This is a world event and I'm happy to be a tiny part of it.

Marianne

MySpace

For those of you wondering, yes my Boys that Bite MySpace page has disapeared. I'm not yet sure what happened - it seems to have been deleted somehow. I'm working to figure out what's going on, but haven't heard back from MySpace just yet. Pretty distressing, considering how much time I put into the page. :( But what can you do?

I finished my charity anthology story for "Fangs Again" today. I love how it came out!!! I could totally expand on my main character - the were-dragon virgin Ash-lee Firebreath - and write a whole book on her. I know that after the last anthology some of the authors got a deal with Berkley to do "Mysteria" based on the same characters/storyline of Bewitched, Bothered, and BeVampyred. So you never know. But for now, suffice to say I'm happy with my chapter and glad to be a part of such a noble cause as raising money for breast cancer research.

Other than that, it's been a quiet weekend so far. Which I needed, considering I just got back from five days in NYC. Time to clean my apartment, have a 24 season 1 marathon, and continue to read Shogun. (I'm almost 400 pages in now - what a great book!)

Hope you're also having a great weekend!
Marianne

Thursday Stuff

I've been working on my charity anthology story for part two of "Bewitched, Bothered & Bevampyred: Fangs Again." I absolutely love how it's coming out. It's so fun to write a short story after working on novel length fiction. Totally refreshing. Plus, how cool to write a book and have the proceeds go toward breast cancer research. It's such a great idea. But after I'm done I must buckle down and complete "A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest", which is due at the end of the month. Gah!! Lots of work ahead of me.

I'm supposed to get a royalty statement sometime this month for my first book, "A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court." That'll be pretty cool to see. My first royalty statement! I mean I'm not expecting a million dollar check here - who knows if I even earned out. But it will be very interesting to see the breakdown. Another writing milestone.

I've been getting some great reviews for "What, No Roses?" which is pretty exciting. Here's a portion of one from Romance Reviews Today:

Slapstick, sarcastic, silly, and downright laugh-out-loud funny, WHAT, NO ROSES? is Ms. Mancusi's second foray into this genre, and it's just as entertaining and hilarious as her first, A CONNECTICUT FASHIONISTA IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT. The time traveling part is logical -- if one believes in time travel, that is. It's a machine; no magic is involved. Everything that happens after her arrival in Chicago is pure fun, although also just a tad on the dangerous side. These are mobsters, after all! But Dora is lots smarter than her 1920's body personifies, and she uses common sense to accomplish her objective. Most of the time, anyway.

WHAT, NO ROSES? is a hoot! For a great summer beach read, don't miss it!

Jani Brooks Romance Reviews Today

Nice, huh? I was thrilled, to say the least. You just never know how a new book will be received.

You know what's so weird? "What, No Roses?" features a talking rat who's really an FBI agent, which I thought was a pretty unique idea. Well, another book - released this month no less - also features a talking rat! It's called "Angels with Attitude" by Michelle Rowan. (Warner I think.) AND there's a new movie where a talking rat gets flushed down the toilet in!!

Dude, talking rats are the new black. It's so obvious!

Off to see "Devil Wears Prada." Will let you know what I think!
Marianne

Happy 5th

I'm back from a terrific weekend in New York. Did I mention I'd really love to live there? :) Seriously, the place has absolutely anything a human being could want! Got to see my long lost friend Jamie (who I mentionde previously) and it was soo good to spend time with her again. I hope we stay in touch from this point forward.

I saw Superman Returns--was pretty good, I thought, though a bit long. Very faithful to the original movies -- and WOW does the new Superman look like Christopher Reeve. Crazy.

Went to the bookstore and saw that "What, No Roses?" really is sitting on the shelves!! It's still pretty surreal to see my book just sitting there, waiting to be bought. I remember for so long going to bookstores and finding the "M" section and imagining my book fitting in between people like Katie MacAlister and Liz Maverick. It seemed an impossible dream, but now here I am on Book #4. So for those of you still submitting, don't give up! If I can get here, you totally can too!!!

Hope you all had a great Fourth of July!

Marianne

Blogging about John Hughes

If you're a child of the 80s like me, you grew up with classics like Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, and Some Kind of Wonderful. This week over at the YA Paranormal Authors blog we talk about our favorite John Hughes movies. Check it out!! '

And have a very HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!! :)

Marianne

Now Shipping from Amazon!!

Looks like "What, No Roses?" is now shipping from Amazon!!! It's probably already out in a bunch of bookstores, too. (I'm going to go check my local Borders at lunchtime.) Official release date is Tuesday.

Run out and get your copy today -- before they're gone!! :P (Now I sound like one of those AS SEEN ON TV people. "If you buy Roses today, we'll throw in a set of knives...")

Marianne

Is it Friday Yet?

It's only Weds and I'm already jonesing for my New York trip this weekend to see my friend. I know it sounds cliche, but I really do love New York. It's such a great city--so alive and vibrant. So many stores, so many people. And yet you can walk down the street in complete anonymity. It's a beautiful thing. I want to move there so badly. Everyone always tells me they can totally see me as a NYC girl and I definitely agree. And hey--I've done the Florida thing and the California thing. I'm sooo ready for the Big Apple. :)

Tonight on Channel 7 I have a story on the air about video game addiction. Men and women who have lost their jobs, homes, families, etc. due to their excessive use of video games. It's kind of an interesting story to me personally because I'm such a gamer myself. And I've seen this kind of intense infatuation many of my friends have developed with the online games. (Like World of Warcraft, for example.)

Psychiatrists say video games can actually boost serotonin levels in the brain, causing gamers to get a high, much like alcoholics get by taking a drink. And the game's reward system allows them a sense of accomplishment they may not be feeling in real life. It's like they're running from something in their real lives--trying to escape stress or financial problems or depression or relationship issues. And the game just swallows them up. They form online relationships that become more real and interesting to them then their real life friends and family. Nothing is as satisifying as logging in. Nothing is worth logging out for.

Some might say, "Get a life!" But I'm not sure it's that simple or that true addicts really have a choice. Unfortunately, because this is a relatively new addiction, there are few therapists who can treat it. Hopefully that will change soon.

Anyway - kind of rambling - but like I said, I'm an avid gamer and I've seen so many people get sucked in. So the subject matter kind of hits close to home.

Marianne

Yay!!!!

Got my author copies of "What, No Roses?" today!!! Woot!!

Next week they'll be sitting pretty at a bookstore near you. Double Woot!

I'm still reading Shogun. Page 76 / 1,1000. This could take a while.

Why is it I write books faster than I read them?

Marianne

In other news...

Thanks for everyone who sent their support for my blog disclaimer entry. :) You guys rock and are the reason it's worth writing.

For those of you following the "MySpace Reunion With Long Lost Friend" saga, I have an update.

(Sorry "Andy" (if that's your real name...) - I know you don't care. Feel free to skip this entry and head over to Amazon to pre-order "What, No Roses?" instead - hehe)

For those of you still with me, Jamie called me today and we made plans to meet up in NYC this weekend!! I haven't seen her in over four years so I am completely thrilled at the chance to reconnect. She's so much fun and a great person. I can't believe she's been this close since January and I had no idea. :) Yay MySpace!!

In other news:

** "What, No Roses?" officially comes out in 8 days!! Woot! Pre-order now and I'll be your slave forever! (No, not a love slave. And I don't do dishes. Okay, I'll be a lousy slave, but I will be very, very appreciative!)

** I've been reading Simone Elkes upcoming "How to Ruin a Summer Vacation" from Llewellen Flux to give a blurb quote to and I absolutely love it!!! A must buy for all teens once it's released.

** I went to the stupid local Borders - the one too stupid to carry Boys that Bite - and realized they're too stupid to carry Gena Showalter's "Oh My Goth" and Caridad Ferrier's "Adios to My Own Life" as well. Though they had ten billion copies of the Da Vinci code, which, duh! Everyone in America (but me) has read.

** I've started reading SHOGUN just to prove to a friend that 1,100 word books about feudal Japan do not intimidate me. Actually it's good so far. I mean, how could you not like a book where a samurai chops off a guy's head simply because he didn't bow?? We need to send him after whoever buys books for Borders.

** I'm kidding!! I love all booksellers - even if they don't choose to carry me and my friends' books. Really! Booksellers rock!! (Now don't forget to place an order for "What, No Roses?" or I'll send Oni-San after you!)

** Diana Peterfreund has an amazing new website called secretsocietygirl.com. I am very jealous of all the flashy technology stuff.

** Congrats to my aunt who just retired after 30 something years of teaching. And to my cousin and her girlfriend for graduating from Yale law school. And to my other cousin who is expecting her first baby in the fall!!

** Congrats to Angelina and Brad for baby Shiloh as well. (Didn't want them to feel left out.)

That's all for today!
Marianne

Blog Disclaimer

Grr. I'm so angry at all these drive-by posters and their comments. (see below entry - I refuse to delete this time!) Especially ones who don't have the guts to link to their profile/blog. So disclaimer time:

My blog declares no responsibility to:

a) Make the world a better place
b) Entertain you
c) Cause you to think
d) Make you want to buy my books (Someone in a drive-by the other day asked if I thought "this depressing crap would make people buy books")

It is what it is. Sometimes I'm going to talk about my lousy day (or my great one!). Sometimes I'm going to post pictures of my dog or me and my friends out at a bar. Sometimes I'll talk about real issues and often I'll pimp out my books. (Did I mention "What, No Roses?" is out next week!?!? LOL) But it's MY blog and I'll post what I want. I'm not looking to win a content award here. I just want a platform to ramble from.

That is all.

Mar

Can I just tell you....

...how much I love MySpace?

I just found one of my really, really good friends from when I lived in San Diego. I lost her # when my cell phone died a few years ago and have been searching for her ever since. She has a very common last name, so I was having no luck. Then I found a profile on MySpace. There was no pic, but it was someone with her name, her age, and lived in San Diego. So I took a chance and wrote her a message.

She responded and said she's been searching for me, too! And that she moved to NYC and comes to Boston all the time!!! She sent me her cell # and I'm going to call her this afternoon!

Yay! I love MySpace!!
Marianne

Hm...Interesting

From Publisher's Lunch:

Children's: Young Adult
Jamie Michaels' KISS MY BOOK, story of a teen writing sensation who gets caught plagiarizing her debut novel, but finds redemption and romance when she escapes to a small town, to Krista Marino at Delacorte, by Michael Bourret at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (World).

Random thoughts

I am still doing my Buzzing your Book workshop over at Romance Divas. Today I wrote about using MySpace as a promotional tool. If you've ever thought of promoting for free to over 87 million people - and no they're not all teens! - you might want to check out my step by step guide.

I'm feeling so much better today than I felt during the beginning of the week. Phew. Sometimes life can really smack you upside the head. But if you can just get through the bad days better ones always come. :) The important thing is that when you're going through bad moods or whatever that you don't take it out on people you love. Especially the ones who are trying to cheer you up. They care about you and want you to feel better and they probably feel helpless because they can't seem to make you smile the way they usually do. And it's so easy to lash out at these people because they are around and they don't run away from your bad mood like casual friends will.

If you can't deal with them, tell them you need some time alone. But never, ever be nasty to them. Because they have opened themselves up, made themselves vulnerable, in an effort to help you feel better. And that, my friends, is something more valuable than gold.

Anyway - that's your psych lesson of the day from Marianne.

Tonight I'm going to a cookout at my dad's. It'll be the last time I see him and my stepmom for like a month cause they're traveling cross country to go to Colorado to visit my brother and camp and hike etc. I'm totally jealous. Oh to be retired and have whole summers to tour the country. Then again, I'd probably just sit at my computer the whole summer if I had a choice.

:)
Marianne

Sunshine and Roses

I took Monday's post down, in case you were wondering, because some anonymous commenter said it was irresponsible to my teen readers to admit to feeling down in a blog. I don't want to be a bad influence so I'm sorry. I was just having a lousy day and really didn't feel like chatting about sunshine and roses.

But now it's Tuesday and it's sunshiny out and ohhh - I have a new book called "What, No Roses?" out in stores in less than two weeks! Woot!! So there we go!!!

BTW if you're one of my MySpace friends, I'm running a special contest til the end of June. Post a comment about what you liked about "Boys that Bite" and on June 30th I'll draw from all the commenters and pick three people to name characters after in book 3 - Girls that Growl. :) Check out MySpace Boys that Bite for more details!

That's all for now! I'll be posting lesson #1 on buzzing your book over at Romance Divas in a little bit - so make sure you stop by.

Marianne

Friday!

It's Friday! Yay! And tomorrow is a special day for me. I'm doing a booksigning at Annie's Book Stop in Sharon, Massachusetts. Now, normally booksignings aren't that exciting, but at this particular booksigning I'll be signing my brand new book "What, No Roses?" You see, my publisher set up the signing and so they're sending books before the actual July release date for it. So this will be the first time I see a copy of my book in book form!! w00t!!

Hopefully I won't end up buying all the copies in sheer exultation...

And yes, the new book thing never gets old. In fact, I bet if I get to book 100 I'll still be just as excited to hold it in my hands. :)

In sadder news, my ex husband Aaron's dog Adora got hit by a car yesterday. She will likely survive, thank goodness, but she has a collapsed lung and multiple fractures and has to have her leg reset. She's only a year old and so cute--Australian Shepherd mix. She had to have surgery today and the whole thing is costing Aaron $4,000. I wish I wasn't so broke or I'd pitch in. I love that furry little mutt.

Okay, now that I've depressed you - have a great weekend!

Marianne

Vegas Pics

Okay I've got a few pics of Vegas for you to check out! Click on pics for larger images.

The girls: Me, Mary, Heather, Lisa, Kara



The view from my hotel room at the Mandalay Bay:



The hotel that the medieval geek in me would like to stay in: The Excalibur!



The clubs were crazy! Huge, with waterfalls and cage dancers and acrobats! This was "Rum Jungle" at the Mandalay Bay.




There you have it! :) I have to say though, Vegas is not my favorite place in the world and while it was cool to experience it, I don't think I would go back anytime soon. It's like Spring Break for adults who want to behave badly. Maybe I'm just not the party girl I used to be, but the atmosphere was just too rowdy for me. I think I'd much rather go somewhere with some history and culture. Or at least just a white sandy beach. The cheesiness and tackiness of Vegas were just too much for me.

Marianne

Now Touring: Julie Kenner

Hi all,

Back from Vegas. Will post pics soon. But today we have an Out of the Blogosphere tour guest. Julie Kenner is the bestselling author of many funny paranormal books. She was also awesome enough to give me a quote for my upcoming "A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest." So needless to say we love her here at Cosmos and Chat.

She has a new book out - second in the series - about a soccer mom who fights demons in her spare time. (I know, you're like "What spare time?") It's called "California Demon" and looks adorable!

CALIFORNIA DEMON: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner
(Berkley Trade, June 2006)

What's a mother to do, when there are only so many hours in the day, and the fate of the world is in her hands?

Kate Connor was a retired demon hunter. Now, after fourteen years busting her tail as a suburban housewife, raising two kids, and supporting her husband's political ambitions, she's rejoined the workforce-and except for a few minions of evil, no one has a clue. She tries hard to keep her home and work lives separate-a good idea when your job involves random slaughter.

Between fending off demon attacks, trying to figure out why the mysterious new teacher at the high school seems so strangely familiar, and keeping a watchful eye on her daughter's growing infatuation with a surfer dude, Kate is the busiest-and most dangerous-soccer mom on the block?

FROM THE DESK OF KATE CONNOR?
? Groceries
? Pay bills
? Gas up the minivan
? Pick Allie up from cheerleader practice
? Clean out nest of evil, blood-thirsty preternatural creatures with a few wooden stakes, some holy water, and a can of Diet Coke
? Self-defense class
? Volunteer at nursing home
? Battle determined demon while making meal
? Put Timmy to bed
? Clean up dishes
? Dispose of demon carcass
? Iron Stuart?s shirt
? Write tomorrow?s to-do list

Read an excerpt here.

ABOUT JULIE KENNER
National bestselling author Julie Kenner's first book hit the stores in February of 2000, and she's been on the go ever since. Her books have hit lists as varied as USA Today, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and Locus Magazine. Julie is also a former RITA finalist, the winner of Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, and the winner of the Reviewers International Organization's award for best romantic suspense of 2004. She writes a range of stories from sexy and quirky romances to chick lit suspense to paranormal mommy lit. Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom, was selected as a Booksense Summer Paperback Pick for 2005, was a Target Breakout Book, was a Barnes & Noble Number One SFF/Fantasy bestseller for seven weeks, and is in development as a feature film with Warner Brothers and 1492 Pictures.
Julie spent four years mainlining venti nonfat lattes in order to write, practice law full time, and take care of her kiddo. Then she wised up, quit the practice of law, and settled down to write full time. She now lives in central Texas with her husband, daughter, and a bunch of cats.

Check out her website: http://www.juliekenner.com/

Viva Las Vegas

Greetings from Vegas. I'm writing from my hotel room at the Mandalay Bay. For those of you who have never been, Vegas is crazy! Everything is HUGE here. And themed. It's like an adult DisneyWorld. Or an adult spring break. Of course it's a total meat market as well, all these overgrown college frat boy types trying to hook up. Um, thanks, but no thanks.

My friend Bobby from Orlando is out here too - attending a conference. So I hung out with him and a couple of his coworkers last night. We found the cheap side of Vegas where there were $1 drinks instead of $11 like at my hotel. Low brow and not as nice, but better for my wallet. I can't believe how much everything costs here. I've done a tiny bit of gambling, but I'm not really into it. The place has a great pool so we went swimming yesterday. I think we're going clubbing at Studio 54 tonight cause my cousin's husband got us on the VIP list.

That's about it for now. I'll post pics at some point.

Mar
PS I've yet to win a million dollars. In case you were wondering.

One more book...

I knew if I started listing July books I'd forget one.

Reality Chick - by Lauren Barnholdt. It's a YA put out by Simon Pulse about a girl who has her freshman year in college videotaped for a reality show. Good premise - I couldn't imagine if they had done that to me my freshman year!! My parents would have probably stopped paying the tuitiion bills once they watched the show, lol.

I haven't read it yet, but Lauren is way cool and she wears tiaras at RWA conferences with me. So you should buy her book. Seriously, go pre-order it now, while you're thinking of it. :)

I'm off to Vegas tomorrow so expect a blog hiatus. But I'll be back Tuesday with lots of pictures. Of course, I'm not sure how many I'll be allowed to post on my blog. After all, what happens in Vegas...

Mar

July Books

July seems to be a good month for new books by friends of mine.

Diana Peterfreund's debut novel - the much hyped "Secret Society Girl" will finally hit store shelves. I remember reading a partial of the manuscript before Diana sold it last year and thinking - wow - how could this book not sell? Then she sent me this email the morning she sold saying, "Hey guess what? I sold my book!" Or something along those lines. No mention of it being the huge sale it was. Now she's on her way to becoming a huge star. Yay Diana! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

Caridad Ferrier (aka my friend Barb Pollack) has her debut YA "Adios to my Old Life" out in July as well. It's sort of a Latino American Idol type book. I got an advanced copy to read and I really loved it. As my MySpace kids say, "This book rocks my socks." The heroine is spunky and cool and I really think kids will enjoy the Cinderella at the ball idea of becoming famous overnight.

Alesia Holliday has a new chick lit called "Seven Ways to Lose Your Lover" out as well. It got 4 1/2 stars from RT! Woot! Go Alesia! I actually don't know too much about this book except that it's written by Alesia so it is guaranteed to be laugh-out-loud funny. :)

Marjorie M. Liu has another entry to her Dirk and Steele series with "The Red Heart of Jade." She also got 4 1/2 stars from RT. A top pick, if I remember right. If you like dark, kick butt paranormal, she is definitely an author to watch and enjoy. Think X-Men with romance.

Anyway, I'm probably forgetting tons of people, but there's a few to start you out with. Besides, can't mention TOO many good July books or you'll run out of money before you get to pick up MY July release - "What, No Roses?" hehe.

Til tomorrow!
Marianne

Don't trust a first person narrator

So I had been waiting for this. A review or comment about Boys that Bite where the user said I unfairly stereotyped or bashed goths, etc. I knew it was coming, and finally I got an Amazon review where it basically said I had no idea what a goth was or how they acted.

First up, I want to point out that I was probably a goth girl before the reviewer (assuming she's a teen) was born. LOL! I know exactly what goths are like, how they act, what's important to them, etc. Believe me, I know (unlike the reviewer claimed) that there's more to being "goth" than dressing in black and watching Donnie Darko, lol.

That said, the book is NOT IN MY VOICE. It's written in the first person voice of Sunny, the other twin. Sunny is not goth. She's mainstream, kind of preppy, and into things like the prom. So when I describe goths in the book, I did it from HER perspective. In her view, bassed on her personal experiences with her sister she believes goths are only interested in dressing in black and hanging out in cemetaries. When I switch to Rayne's point of view in Stake That!, the sequel, you get the opposite. A goth girl who makes fun of jocks, preps and cheerleaders. Is that because I don't know what a real jock/prep/cheerleader is like? No. It's cause is Rayne talking.

Which leads me to my point. When you're reading first person, do you inherently trust the narrator's voice? Do you equate that voice with that of the author and the author's knowledge and experiences? If you do, then you're not (in my opinion) enjoying the story to the fullest. The point is that because we are in a specific person's head, we're getting her colored view of life. She thinks a certain way, makes judgments, compares people and incidents based on her own experiences. Nabokov was a master at this in books like Pale Fire or Lolita. Some of the enjoyment comes when the author realizes that you can't necessarily trust the narrator and his/her judgement calls.

Also, interestingly enough, the reviewer herself was unknowingly stereotyping goths by her post. She says that a true goth wouldn't say certain words or act a certain way. Um, are all goths equal? Do they all have the same speech patterns? Would a high school goth from San Diego act/dress/speak like one from New Hampshire? I would be willing to bet a lot that while there are some similarities in the sub-culture, there are just as many varities. She says Rayne would not be a goth, but a poser. Is that not a judgement in and of itself?

I don't mind people pointing things out about my books or having opinions on the characters and this reviewer was very respectful in her argument and gave good examples to back up her claims. But I also feel I have the right to make a rebuttal. Unfortunately you can't really do that on Amazon so I've got to do it here. Thanks for indulging me. I swear I'll go back to shoes and wine and Vegas topics tomorrow.

YA Paranormal Authors

I blogged today over at the YA Paranormal Authors blogsite. If you haven't checked that site out, you definitely should. It's MaryJanice Davidson and her husband, Gena Showalter, Serena Robar, Bev Rosenblum, and yours truly. We each blog once a week about a specific topic. This week we talk about what we'd like to undo in high school. :)

MJ's story is great. Everyone should bring pickles to Nationals to torture her with, lol. :)

Mar

P.S. Did I mention it's one month 'til "What, No Roses?" comes out? So, um, everyone go and pre-order it so I can obsessively watch the Amazon ranking go up and down. hehe. Just kidding. Well, sorta. ;-)

***Sniff**

Today's kind of bittersweet cause my boss is leaving. She's moving to Connecticut cause her husband got some sweet NYC job and she's going to be a full time mom to her adorable baby. I feel happy for her, but sad for us cause she's been a great boss and also a friend. I'll miss her. I know I'm not supposed to talk about my day job in this blog, but I did have to say that.

I think Gena Showalter's book "Enslave Me Sweetly" is now out in stores. I have to go buy that. I love the cover!! And the first book "Awaken Me Darkly" totally kicked ass.

Nothing too huge planned for the weekend. Going to go to a wine and fondue bar on Sat night. Yum, yum! There's a 21 page wine list! And cheese. And chocolate! Three of my favorite things!

And...8 days til Vegas!!! woooooot!

Marianne

Random Tuesday Stuff

Hope everyone had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. :)

In less than two weeks I'm off to VEGAS BABY!!!! WOOT!! Total Girl trip--five of us--hit the town!!! Yay! We're staying at the Mandalay Bay hotel which has an amazing pool! And my cousin's husband is getting us VIP access to one of the top clubs. I cannot WAIT.

If I don't run into Paris Hilton I am going to be very annoyed.

I saw the Da Vinci Code last night. I thought it was pretty good. I'd never read the book though. (I know, I know, I'm the only person in America who hasn't. Sue me.)

Got my July issue of Romantic Times Magazine today. If you subscribe, check out the Clubhouse section. I have 1920s slang dictionary to celebrate my release of "What, No Roses?" next month. I can't believe it's so close to release day. I remember after my house burned down last summer thinking I'd never be able to finish writing the book. Being funny in the face of tragedy? Not so easy, let me tell you. But somehow I did it. And I'm really proud of how the book turned out. And it got 4 Stars from RT and a great review! So yay!!

Mar

Sunday Blogging

See! It's Sunday and there's another blog entry!! Aren't you impressed? :) I wonder how long I can keep this up.

Went to my cousin's birthday party last night. Found out she's having a baby girl. Yay! First of my cousins to have a baby. :) Then I came home and played World of Warcraft with my friends online 'til 3am. (And you thought I was hip and cool and had a life, lol!)

Today I plan to spend writing on my current WIP "A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest." (Sequel to CT Fashionista, set in Robin Hood times) It's a fun story and boy do I have a crush on Robin Hood!! :) I may actually attempt to go outside for a bit as well, since it looks sunny and beautiful out. I've been sick all week and feel a bit slug like at this point.

Someone sent me this link: MyCatHatesYou.com. Sooo funny. I swear there is a website for everything! It's quite incredible.

Lastly, I need a cool prize to give away for a "What, No Roses?" release contest on Fresh Fiction. Anyone got any ideas? It'd be cool if, well, it somehow tied in to Roses. :)

Marianne

A blog...though not a profound one

Me again! I've decided to (shock/horror!) try to blog everyday again. Even if they're short posts. :) Sometimes I feel the reason I don't blog is I have nothing profound to say. But maybe profoundness is overrated.

So I'm just going to tell you random stuff.

Like that "Date Me Baby, One More Time" by Stephanie Rowe is awesomely funny and if you like Katie MacAlister and Lindsay Sands you should read it.

Or that my dog rolled in something dead while staying with my ex over the weekend and smells really bad now. (No, I don't think he pointed to the dead thing and said "Have at it, pooch! Teach her a lesson!" LOL! He's one of those legendary friend ex's that any girl would by lucky to have!)

Or that I stumbled over the most amazing review for Boys that Bite from Round Table Reviews that made me want to dance on a...well, round table. (Or even a square one...)

Or that at the one meal at the Romantic Times Convention I ate at they did not serve conference chicken, but rather conference tuna salad. And at the Dorchester dinner they had conference ribs. Yeah. I miss the chicken, too. Maybe it was cause Liz Maverick was not there to take pictures of it. Liz, come back to the conference circuit! It's not the same without you!

Or that Alesia Holliday and Cindy Holby are the best conference buddies ever. Even if they don't let me borrow their swords to go to the fairy ball. (Next year I'm so bringing my own plastic weapon of death. The airlines will love me!)

Or that Blushing Fan Girl here went out of her way to give MaryJanice Davidson a copy of her "Boys that Bite" book at the RT booksigning and then got all tongue tied and failed to produce real sentences in front of one of her favorite authors. MJ probably now thinks she's a stalker and left the book in the hotel room in a raging panic. (She was gracious in person and said, "Here, have free stuff!", gesturing to buttons and keychains. Yes, Fan Girl took free stuff and wore the button "Betsy Rules" for the remainder of the conference.)

Or that Blushing Fan Girl avoided Laurell K. Hamilton's table all together because she knew she'd probably fall to her knees and say things like "I'm not worthy!" to the woman who created Anita Blake. The MJ incident was embarassing enough, thank you very much.

And there you have it. Random thoughts, so not profound. More tomorrow, I promise!

Marianne

RT Stuff

Sorry I've been sick and thus a total slacker and haven't had a chance to post photos from the Romantic Times convention til now. It was a fabulous time, as usual and I met many great people, drank far too much wine, and got freaky on the dance floor to really bad music. I can't wait til next year!!! :) This is by FAR my favorite conference of the year.

Oh and I also gave a panel on Chick Lit and signed books at the bookfair. (Just so you don't think I didn't work at all!)

So...(and click on pics to enlarge them) we start with a very serious Marianne signing books. (Just disregard the pink fluffy pen. :)

And here's sweet little Marianne posing by her "What No Roses?" book cover...



And with her editor (um, nice shirt, Chris! Did an animal have to die for that??) and her dear friend Alesia Holliday at the Dorchester 60s/70s party...


But then the transformation takes place!! Sweet innocent Marianne turns into.....EVIL GOTH WARRIOR FAIRY!!


Of course, EVIL GOTH WARRIOR FAIRY needs her EVIL COHORTS! Who better than Alesia Holliday, Allison Brennan, Eileen Rendhal, and Cindy Holby??


So there you have it! RT in pictures! Well, sort of.

Oh and this year's DJ didn't know who the Smiths were either. Sigh. We need to start a campaign! DJs for THE SMITHS!!! Come on, who's with me???

Mar

Boys that Bite Book Trailer

I recently had the (very awesome) COS Productions create a book trailer for myBOYS THAT BITE series. Sort of like a movie preview, but for books! For some reason the framing of this blog prevents me from posting it here, but please go to my website if you get a chance and check it out. You can also find it on my MySpace page. I'm really excited with how it turned out, so let me know what you think!! :)

Marianne

More Covers!!

I've gotten permission to share the cover for STAKE THAT!, the sequel to Boys that Bite. Comes out in December. I love this cover! Let me know what you think. :) (And yes, Diana, more blue!!)

STAKE THAT!

All I want is to be a vampire. But nooo-I have to be Rayne MacDonald, Vampire Slayer....

Sisters. They'll swipe your clothes, your boyfriends, your destiny. But it wasn't exactly my twin Sunny's fault. Magnus, vampire hottie and coven leader, mistook her for me last month and bit her instead. Now they're doing the inter-species dating thing.

But back to me. Turns out that for every generation, there's a Vampire Slayer-and this time around, it just happens to be yours truly. My first mission: infiltrate a seedy vamp bar downtown and expose its vampire owner for purposely spreading a blood disease he created himself. A task almost harder than passing trig.

After going it alone once, I realize I need help. So Magnus sends his hot homey Jareth to go undercover with me. And let me just say I wouldn't mind going under the covers with him. Maybe fate doesn't bite after all...

Fangs Again

So check this out! It's the cover for the new anthology I'm contributing to. It's called "Fangs Again" and is the second book in the Bewitched, Bothered, and BeVampyred series. This time all royalties go to benefit breast cancer. I've read some of the chapters and let me just say - anyone who reads this book is in for a treat!

As for me, I'm just thrilled to see my name on the same cover as MaryJanice Davidson's. Not to mention Susan Grant, Gena Showalter, Alesia Holliday, etc. etc.

My chapter's going to be about a young dragon shapeshifter who desperately wants to lose her virginity. Problem is, when she gets hot -- she gets REALLY hot. Like fire breathing hot. A few innocent makeout sessions and the fire department is starting to believe there's a serial arsonist on the loose. Not to mention burning a guy's hair right off his head doesn't normally get you a second date. So how can she learn to control the heat, but still get out of the virginity kitchen?

National Reader's Choice Award Nomination

Ooh I just got great news! My book SK8ER BOY got nominated for a National Reader's Choice Award. Very exciting!! I like this award cause it's judged by normal, everyday readers instead of people in the industry.

I'm especially pleased that SK8ER BOY finaled because that book was released very soon after my house burned down and so I didn't give the release the attention it deserved. (Or any attention, really.) I didn't publicize it. I didn't do any promotion. I don't think I even really told my family it was out in stores. Sad, huh? So it's nice to finally see the little book get some recognition after I neglected it for so long.

Of course it's up against some awesome authors - including two friends - Niki Burnham and Stephie Davis. So cheers to them as well!!

Mar

Back from Conference Land

Hey all,

Monday and I'm back from the New England RWA conference. A fab time had by all. Special thanks to Cathryn Perry who coordinated this terrific event.

Too many highlights to mention, but sneaking out of dinner to head to the mall with my coherts to buy tiaras at Hot Topic comes to mind. Wearing aforementioned tiaras in the bar afterwards. Having Jenny Cruise sign a book for one of my teen Street Team members with the phrase "u r great!" was pretty funny. (I told her it would prob end up on eBay as the only Jenny Cruise book in existence with an AOL speak autograph.) Watching Liana Dalton's face dawn with recognition when they described the winner of the Goldrick award. Ganging up with my new BFF -- author Lauren Barnholt -- to "torture" dearest beloved agent Nadia Cornier - hehe! Passing out the very coveted BITE ME pins to everyone in sight. (People will long remember the pins - I can only hope they remember the book...) And meeting some of my MySpace friends who came to the signing.

In all - a fun time had by all. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. But now back to reality and back to work. Bleh!

Mar

Gone for the weekend

I'm off tomorrow to the New England Romance Writers of America conference in Natick. Hope to see some of you there! :) There's also a booksigning on Saturday afternoon where I'll be signing copies of Boys that Bite. The signing is open to the public and goes from 4:30-6pm. The location is the Crowne Plaza on Route 9 in Natick.

In the meantime, for those of you stuck home, here's a fun website to suck away your time. It's called Dog Pic of the Day and it's soooo funny!!!

Mar

RELEASE DAY!!!

Yay! Today is the official release day of my teen vampire comedy BOYS THAT BITE!! Wooooot!! Sooo excited!! :)

Here's the blurb:

My mom is so going to kill me if she finds out I'm turning into a vampire...

Okay, so technically she can't because I'm immortal. Well, not yet. See, due to the worst case of mistaken identity with my dark-side-loving twin sister at a Goth hangout called Club Fang, Magnus, a vampire hottie, went for my innocent neck instead of hers. Now, if I don't reverse it in time, Magnus will be my blood mate forever and I'm doomed to be a blood-gulping, pasty, daylight-hating vampire. Believe me, it seriously bites!

After the unfortunate slaying of the vampire leader, it's up to me, my sister, and Magnus to find the one thing that can solve my problem--the Holy Grail. No joke. I seriously hope I can get out of this on time because, somehow, I scored the hottest prom date in my school, the mouth-watering Jake Wilder. And I do NOT want to be a vampire for the prom--let alone the rest of eternity.

If you dig MaryJanice Davidson, Katie MacAlister or Buffy the Vamp Slayer, this is the book for you. It's technically a teen book - as in the characters are in high school - but I wrote it like a regular vampire comedy - so I think it's something adults would enjoy just as much. At least I hope so. :)

It's now in bookstores or on Amazon if you want to check it out. You can read a sample chapter here.

Thanks for listening to me ramble. Did I mention I'm excited?!? :)

MAR

Anyone seen Boys that Bite?

Boys that Bite officially hits store shelves April 4th, but I know that doesn't stop some bookstores from putting it out early. If you've seen it on the shelves, I'd love to hear from you! :)

I'm so excited about the release of this book and I can't wait to hear what people think of it!!

I'm off to Florida for the weekend to visit my mom. Yay Florida sunshine!

In the meantime, check out the new paranormal YA author blog Serena Robar and I started, along with MaryJanice Davidson, Gena Showalter, PC Cast, and Bev Rosenblum. You can access the blog from Serena and my promotional site SummerBites.com or directly at http://yaparanormal.blogspot.com.

And I know I sound like a broken record, but if you haven't joined the MySpace party, what are you waiting for?!? Everyone who's ANYONE is there. :P But seriously - I'm having such a blast meeting people and spreading the word about Boys that Bite. What started as a mere promotional idea has turned into a total obsession. :)

My last thing - next week is the New England RWA conference in Natick. Who's going?

Marianne

Introducing Crimson Rogue

Back in the summer I wrote a blog entry called Crimson Envy. About how I wished I could have been a part of the amazing vampire/werewolf/mech/demon world of Crimson City created by the uber talented, red hot Liz Maverick. Well, this month the final book in the series - Crimson Rogue - hits bookstore shelves and I can't wait to check it out. This series has become so successful - several books have hit the USA Bestseller List. And for good reason. The world Liz and her coherts have created is so very cool. Hip, action packed, yet deeply romantic. If you haven't been reading along - well what are you waiting for?!?!

I'm sad that the series is coming to a close, but I can't wait to read Crimson Rogue.

Liz, you rock. Can't wait to see what you come up with next.

Everyone else? Order your copy today!

Mar

PS SHAMELESS SELF PLUG - Liz isn't the only one with a new book out. My BOYS THAT BITE will be released next week too! If you like vampire books make sure you order your copy today! :) And come join me on MySpace! It's become quite the party over there!

Congrats Rita Authors

A big huge Cosmos and Chat shout-out to all the wonderful authors who finaled in the RITAs this year. For those of you who don't know - that's like being nominated for an Emmy in the romance writing world.

Special kudos to:

Alesia Holliday - for her novella story in The Naked Truth
Marjorie Liu - for her paranormal "A Taste of Crimson" - part of the fab Crimson City series
Stephie Davis - 2 noms for her Smooch books in Best Traditional
Myretta Robbins - my chaptermate, nominated in the regency category for Once Upon a Sofa

YAY ALL OF YOU!!! I'LL BE CHEERING YOU ON!!!

Mar

Happy St. Patrick's Day (mmmm sushi!)

As most of you probably know, Boston has a huge Irish population. Some actually from the country itself and others who fancy themselves to be Irish since their great-great-great grandmother's cousin's babysitter's uncle was rumored to be from the Emerald Isle. So when St. Paddy's Day rolls around, it's a huge deal.

So...being a resident of said community, one would think I spent Friday evening downing pints of a Guiness in some dive pub in Southie. Sadly (or maybe not so sadly) you'd be very wrong.

Cause you see, however charming I think Ireland is, I find drunk frat boys screaming "Yankees Suck!!!" and "Wicked Pissa" to be far less appealing. In a way, St. Paddy's Day, like New Year's Eve, is what one might call ametuer night. It's crowded. It's loud. People drink too much and then throw up and get into fights. Once, that might haev sounded like a grand night out. Today, that sounds like a nightmare.

So...my friends and I decided to do the most anti-Irish thing on the planet this St. Patrick's Day. We went to a brand new sushi place in the Back Bay called Douza. The guy who opened it used to work at my fave sushi place in the entire universe -Fugakyu - and he sold his shares and opened up this new place. Well, I can't recommend it high enough. The sushi was absolutely delicious. The wine menu offered many great bottles. Even the bartender was awesome. In short, I couldn't think of a more delicious way to spend my St. Patrick's Day. I may have to make this a tradition.

Anyway - I'm off to my RWA meeting. Have to go congratulate my former critique partner Marley Gibson who just sold a 4 book YA series this week!! Amazing, huh?

Mar

I'm done, I'm done, I'm done, I'm done!!!!

I'm done, I'm done, I'm done, I'm done!!

Please excuse my jubliation, but I'm finally done my latest book - Stake That! - which is the sequel to Boys that Bite and comes out in December. It was a struggle to finish on time - I took two days off last week and then worked the whole weekend, but it's finally done! And I'm really happy with how it came out. I can't wait to see what my editor thinks.

Of course, now I have to start right up on the next book, but for a few blissful hours I can breathe and bask in the happy feeling only a completed book can bring.

For you other writers out there - how do you celebrate "the end"? (Or the "to be continued", as is the case with this book.)

Mar

Florida Fun

Hey all,

I just got back from a fabulous trip to Orlando where the weather was 80 degrees (as opposed to Boston's currently 20s.) I got to see my best friends Ali and Bobby (who live there), celebrate my birthday with chocolate cake and champagne, and spend a day at Walt Disney World. We also saw one of my all time favorite goth bands, "Sisters of Mercy" on their 25th anniversary tour. On Saturday, Ali and I went to Casadaga and got our tarot cards read by a psychic. That was pretty interesting, let me tell you! We bought a deck home with us and were doing our own readings for anyone who would let us. After a few glasses of wine, we had convinced ourselves that we were darn good psychics.

Anyway, I just got home today and I'm kind of sad to be back. I love it down in Orlando. It's one of the few places I can travel to and not feel anxious and homesick. I used to live there for about a year and a half back when I was 23 and it still feels like home to me. Plus I miss my friends. I wish everyone I loved could live close to me. It seems just the opposite. Most everyone is far away. :( I guess that's what you get when you have lived the nomadic tv news lifestyle.

I thought I'd post a couple pics for your amusement.

Ali and me at Epcot
We ate (and drank) at Epcot's Germany
We needed help finishing these beers!
For the last nine years Bobby has tried to take a sexy photo of Ali and I on the old fashioned car at MGM Studios. It never comes out exactly right, but has become a tradition.
"Disney World, I wish that I could quit you!"
Woof! A big dog nose in the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground"
Glowy Drinks at MGM's SciFi Diner


Back to nature

Ali and Bobby's adorable son Ian

Yup, they carry it in Florida bookstores, too!

Ali is enthralled.


PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME GO HOME!!!

Friend Me!

I've set up a new MySpace page today for my "Boys that Bite" book and I'm in need of friends! (All I've got right now is the default friend Tom and he's more of a music lover than a reader, I think....) So please, please, please those of you who have MySpace profiles, click on the link below and "friend" me and my book. The vampires will greatly appreciate it. :)

For those of you who don't know what the heck I'm talking about, ask your kids. (And have them "friend me" too! :) Or read this article.

Liz on Geraldo

Geraldo did a segment on the growing popularity of erotic romance last night and my friend and fellow author Liz Maverick was interviewed! You can watch the streaming video here:

I wish I could write erotica. It's so (pardon the pun) "hot" right now! But I just don't have it in me. :) More power to those who can though. Looks like there's a lot of potential in this growing subgenre.

Happy Friday everyone!!
Marianne

Website Update

Did I mention I *finally* updated my website? It really needed it, that's for sure. I hadn't updated it since before the fire. I'm so glad it's finally done. If you get a free sec, take a peek and let me know what you think. There's also an excerpt up on my April "Boys that Bite" book. I'll post one of "What, No Roses?" soon.

I'm madly working on the ending of "Stake That!" It's due March 15th and I'm in the home stretch. It's been such a fun book to write. Rayne, the heroine, is certainly a character.

Next up on the writing agenda - A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest!

Marianne

Starry

As most of you who read this regularly know I'm a huge gamer girl. I play World of Warcraft, which is the MMORPG. That stands for Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game. The only way I can describe it is if Dungeons and Dragons were an animated videogame that you could play with people all over the world.

ANYWAY - I'm in a guild called Meiyo Seraph and one of my guildmates, Setsuna, drew a sketch of my character, Starry. It came out so good I just had to post it. :)

I just love people who can draw manga style. I'm glad it's becoming so popular in the US, but at the same time it feels a little like someone's discovered your secret playground. Lately, a lot of underground things I've loved for years are becoming very mainstream. Not sure why. Maybe it's due to the decentralization of media. Today, everyone has a voice and sharing what you love and bonding with others who love it is so easy. And that's certainly not a bad thing.

Anyway - happy Saturday!
Mar

Weekend and Alternate Realities

Soooo happy it's Friday. Not sure what's on tap for the weekend - definitely gaming tonight and then going out with the gang tomorrow night as per usual. Sunday I've got an RWA meeting and then my dad and stepmom are taking me to dinner for my birthday. My birthday actually isn't til March 2nd but I'm doing a month long celebration. :P Next weekend I'm having a big Boston bash and then the following weekend I'm off to Orlando for a joint celebration with my friend Bobby who is only 4 days younger than me. Sure to be a fantastic weekend, complete with concert going (Sisters of Mercy for you goths out there), Disney World, and warm sunshine!! Can't wait! I love birthdays. It's even worth getting older, just for the parties.

BTW did all you writers see this? Dorchester is putting out a new line of speculative fiction romances. Heroines are young - 18-25ish and kick ass and the subject matter is all alternate realities and dystopian societies and such. Kind of chick-lit/sci-fi if you will. AND as a bonus they're going to have anime/manga covers!!! How cool is that?!?! Totally a Marianne type of book and I'm sooo submitting a proposal. I applaud Dorchester as a company for taking chances and doing different types of books like this. It's great for writers like me who love to color outside the lines. Just cross fingers that my idea matches up with their vision...

In other good news - I've heard a rumor that the new CW network may bring back Firefly in some way shape or form. CHEER!!!!

Anyway - Happy Presidents Day weekend to everyone who has Monday off. For all of you who have to work, take comfort in the fact that I'll be slaving away with you. In TV news we don't get days off during sweeps. :(

Marianne

Buried in Snow!

Hey all,

So are those of you in the Northeast all dug out from the weekend's blizzard? I was so not interested in leaving my house on Sunday. Saturday night though I went to the movies with some friends and saw Firewall. While Harrison Ford is always a good actor the script was your standard cookie cutter thriller. Absolutely nothing original. Nothing geeky techy cool either which could have somewhat redeemed it for me. It wasn't boring or anything, just typical. Afterwards we went for a drink at some swanky bar under the Ritz called Jer-Ne. (Pronounced Journey.) They had a very interesting interpretation to Boston Creme Pie.

Other than that the weekend was mostly filled with doing my revisions for "What, No Roses?" I've finished though and will send them back to my editor tomorrow. The funny thing is that the book has to do with Valentine's Day (and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre) and I'll have actually finished it on the holiday itself. Pretty amusing. Hopefully my editor will like all my revisions cause now I've got to buckle down and finish "Stake That" by the end of the month. After that I get to start on the sequel to A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court which will be fun, I think. For those of you who don't know it's called "A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest."

Tonight I'm doing a Valentines booksigning at a Barnes and Noble in Bellingham, Massachusetts along with a bunch of other local romance authors, including the fabulous Niki Burnham who also writes YA. She's got a new book, "Scary Beautiful" that I have to pick up.

That's about all for now - though I should mention in 2 days I'll have been blogging for a whole year! Crazy. Esp when I think about how much my life has changed in that time. If only I knew then what I'd be in for...

Marianne

What, No Roses? (The Cover!)

Ooh, ooh! Finally got the jpg version of my July Love Spell book cover. Check it out! :)

I think they did a good job on this. It's so fun looking and I love that the heroine has a tommy gun! I told them to make her look like Renee Zellweger's character in Chicago and I think the artist totally nailed it. Also I'm psyched about having silver embossed letters.

This book is a time travel to the 1920s. You can read the blurb here.

Anyway would love to know what you think!! (And if you'd like to pre-order the book (insert shameless begging here ) it's now up on Amazon!)

Marianne

What, No Edits? (Okay, maybe 4 pages worth...)

Hey all,

I know, I know, blog slacker as usual. But I've got a lot going on. None of it probably interesting to write about. I will say that I've teamed up with Braced2Bite YA author Serena Robar to do a fab teen promotion for our upcoming vamp books. More to come on that very soon! It's so much fun to have a promotion partner - much better than going at it alone. I'll tell you more when we get closer to launch.

I got my edits for "What, No Roses?" today. Now I've got 2 weeks basically to do them. Along with finishing Stake That! which is due March 1st. Ugh. At least my revision letter is only about 4 pages long, as opposed to the urban legend 15 pagers that my editor is known for. Or maybe it's not an urban legend, don't know. I'm just relieved that mine isn't. Four pages is long enough, thank you very much. Actually my editor said the book was very good and that he was pleased with it. Phew. You never know when you get switched to a new editor if your styles are going to jive, so of course I was a bit nervous when passing it in. Actually, now that the book is done, I'm really happy with it. :)

Ooh ? I also got a copy of the "What, No Roses?" cover flat. I've got to scan it in so you can see it. I think it's adorable - eye catching and fun and fits the book perfectly. And it has --get this --silver embossed lettering! I know, I know, I'm such a geek, but I've never had a book with embossed lettering before. I feel so...important! Heh.

Speaking of Dorch writers who are "important" (which, uh, in reality is NOT me...) the fabulous Marjorie Liu has a new book out this month and it's skyrocketing up the charts. The girl is only like 27 years old and she's already a bestseller. I'm telling you - she's going to be the next Christine Feehan. And bonus - she's totally nice!! We bonded at the RT conference last year, when both of us were totally newbie Dorch authors, a bit overwhelmed by it all. And, even better, she's a total sci-fi geek. You've got to love that. Anyway - her book is Shadow Touch. A sequel to Tiger Eye. (Which I need another copy of, since mine burned in my house fire.) Go buy it. You won't be sorry. :)

kk that's all I got for today.
xoxo
Mar