Breakfast at the Waldorf Anyone? My Meeting with my Editor...

I was back in my old stomping grounds on Monday. I gotta say, it’s amazing to see things in New York unveiled that had been under scaffolding the entire time I lived there—like the new subway entrance near Penn Station and the new Borders near Madison Square Garden. I worked at One Penn Plaza for nearly three years and when I walked out of the train station two days ago, I was almost confused because the area looked so renovated. Of course, when I worked there it was immediately following 9/11, so most of my memories of those sidewalks were of standing aimlessly waiting for our “Fire Safety Warden” to clear the building of the “suspicious alarm” that was triggered. Ah, the memories…

Anyway, I headed up to NYC to meet with my editor for breakfast and then with my former college roommate who’s on maternity leave. It was a full day. And I got a lot of free food, including a $22 two-egg omelet at Oscar’s Restaurant at the Waldorf. And you know what? It tasted like eggs.

Personally, I think it’s always good to a get a little face time with people who are crucial to your career. I met with my agent when I first signed with her (coincidentally, I had already planned a vacation to L.A. that perfectly corresponded with her offer for representation). But now I get to picture her whenever we talk, and I really feel like I know her better. If it weren’t for that meeting, she’d be some strange version of “Charlie” on Charlie’s Angels—a mysterious voice on the phone who gives me advice on missions (or books).

So, likewise, it was great to meet with my editor again. We had already had lunch together when I had first signed the contract, and at the time, I got to talk about edits and meet with the art director who’d be designing my covers.

This time, my editor and I discussed book promotions. This is the hard part of the process, because authors don’t have a lot of control over what happens here. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m doing my part. I’ve mailed all of my ARCs to reviewers, I’ve gone around to local bookstores to introduce myself and give away bookplates, and I’ve even sent out my own press releases to schools and reporters.

But I can’t control things like print runs, or publicists, or Walmart. And this type of stuff can drive you crazy; so consequently, I’ve decided to take a cue from mass cards everywhere and learn to “accept the things I cannot change.” It’s more fun to focus on the writing, and my book launch party, and my MySpace page. Besides I’ve got a really cool WIP that my agent is reading right now. That’s why I got into this business. I’ll let my husband handle the sales stuff. It’s what he does. ;)

Thankfully after my fancy lunch, I got to spend the day with my former college roommate and her new baby. I’d post his picture here (he’s adorable!), but I doubt the Internet is a safe place for baby pictures. Don’t worry, Margit, I’ll try not to forward those cell phone pics to too many people! Hehe.

But, the little man gave me a nice way to end the day. Plus, I got him the cutest new outfit—a black onesie with a sketch of a wagon that says “That’s How I Roll.” And of course, being an author, I also got him a board book. If you know anyone who has kids in the city, they’ll love this, “Urban Babies Wear Black." I don’t know how many copies I’ve given as gifts, and I have no affiliation with this author. Truly. It’s just a really cute book.

POP-CULTURE RANT: Reruns

You know the summer line up sucks when you find yourself scanning the “Free Movie” section of On Demand. Have you looked at some of the movies there? I actually watched a few minutes of “Village of the Damned,” because I’d never heard of it yet it starred Christopher Reeves, so I thought it had to be good. Wrong. Very, very wrong. I miss Lost already. How long until the new season starts?

Oh, to Finally Hold the Book in My Hands

So it’s real now. I really wrote a book. And it’s really going to be published. I know this shouldn’t come as a surprise at this point, but still nothing prepares you for receiving a random FedEx in the middle of the afternoon that, upon opening, you see is filled with copies of your first book!!

We’re not talking galleys here; these are not bound versions of a rough draft laced with typos and a plain pink cover. No, this is the actual book. The final copy. All the revisions are there. The cover is on. My bio and photo are on the back. My dedication is present, and my teaser covers are displayed.

But for some reason, with all that, it was the Acknowledgments page that first caught my eye. I read through the entire page again almost as if for the first time (it’s been awhile since I wrote it). And I actually teared up. Just seeing the names of all the people who helped me get to this point—from my agent to my parents to my teachers to my husband—I felt (to borrow a page from Mike Myers in Coffee Talk) ferclempt.

It takes a lot of hard work to get to this point, people. I’m not just talking about writing and editing. I’m talking about the querying, the submissions, the rejections, the heartbreak, the whole package of misery that comes with trying to sell a book. But now it’s paying off. I can literally touch it. My manuscript is a real book, and it doesn’t just exist on my computer anymore!

So of course, with a lump in my throat, I immediately took a photo of my box of beautiful books with my camera phone and sent the picture message to my husband. It was 7pm, and he was still in an office meeting (he works too much). So then I sent the photo to my agent, who cheerful replied with congratulatory enthusiasm. And then, I patiently read another author’s book while I waited for my husband to get home and celebrate with me, which he eventually did.

We went out to a celebratory dinner, and when I got back I had him take a picture of me. So here it is for prosperity—a photo of me on the day I held my first book:



Aren’t they gorgeous? Dontcha just wanna run out and buy one? And the good news is – you can! Click here to preorder! Shameless plug, sorry. But if you go to Amazon, you can read the first chapter of the book online. Check it out and get a sneak peek.

POP-CULTURE RANT: General Hospital

First I have to start off with, “Where, oh, where is Sam McCall?” That poor girl has been left hanging on the back burner for far too long. I was thrilled to see her today, even though it was for a lame counterfeit drug storyline. But her sudden reappearance made me notice something else—it’s not only Sam who’s been back-burnered, it’s also Elizabeth. I’m wondering if the writer’s were as sick of the baby Jake storyline as the viewers, and they decided these two needed a break before their fan bases actually killed each other. If so, it’s understandable, but let’s not take this too far. There’s only so much Kate Howard I can stand.

The First Review Is In! Drum Roll Please……

When you’re unpublished and you sit down to write your first novel, you don’t think much beyond, “Hey, I wonder if I can write a whole book.”

You’re not thinking about anyone else reading it. At least I wasn’t. It’s more of a nagging story in your head that comes to you some way or another (in my case, a dream) and presents a challenge: can you actually do it?

Then once you’ve finished, you start thinking that maybe this little story is pretty good. Maybe you could get some money for it. Maybe you could even get it published. So you start Googling, “How to get your book published.” You go through the steps: you land an agent, you go on submission, you stress, you panic, you curse every rejection letter, than….MIRACLE! Someone likes it. An editor makes an offer! You jump for joy, or in my case, dance around at a Mardi Gras parade on Fat Tuesday in New Orleans.

But still, even though you’ve got an agent, an editor and a publisher, you’re still not thinking of people actually “reading” your book. Instead you’ve got deadlines to worry about. You’ve got edits to complete. You’ve got proofs to look over, a website to build, a blog to write, sequels to finish, etc.

Then reality sets in. Your pub date gets closer (say two months away). You start seeing your book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and even MTV.

Now, it’s all REAL. And, of course, with that comes your first review. Shudder.

So, low and behold, without further ado….Ladies and gentleman…I present to you…my first review!

This fast-paced and tension-filled story pulls the reader into Mariana's world, as she experiences her first adventure off her own turf and finds love. Amor and Summer Secrets is an enjoyable read, and once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down. The first of three books, it will leave you wanting to read more from this talented new author.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

You can read the whole thing at: http://bergersbookreviews.blogspot.com/2008/07/amor-and-summer-secrets_07.html

I can’t tell you how nerve wracking it is to know that people will now be reading and judging my work. But it’s great that the first one’s out of the way and it’s GOOD, YAY!

And to add to the good news, I’ve decided to release the covers and titles of the two sequels in the series. So if you can’t get enough of Mariana Ruiz after “Amor and Summer Secrets,” keep an eye out for:

AMIGAS AND SCHOOL SCANDALS, November 2008



AND…

ADIOS TO ALL THE DRAMA, January 2009



POP-CULTURE RANT: Twilight Series

So, I’ve been rereading the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer in anticipation for the launch of the final installment, “Breaking Dawn.” I’ve already pre-ordered my copy and I can’t wait until August! Anyway, I love this series, truly I do, but….

SPOILER ALERT (do not read further if you haven’t read the series)…

I. Hate. Jacob. Black.

I’m sorry Stephenie, but I have to say it. This character makes no sense to me. The entire series is centered around this tortured true love affair between Bella and Edward. I love them. I want more of them. And as I re-read “New Moon,” I’m almost reminded of the sixth season of Buffy. You know, when she comes back from the dead all depressed and suddenly starts sleeping with Spike. Viewers everywhere were like, “WTF?” Aside from the musical (best episode ever BTW – I have the ripped soundtrack), it was a really dark season that veered off course—away from Buffy and Angel, her true love. I feel almost the same way about “New Moon.” It’s a great book, and exceptionally written, but man, it’s really depressing. And the end leaves me not liking Edward for leaving her like that. Sure, Eclipse ultimately redeemed him, but still—really depressing.

Ten Reasons Why Not to Work at the Jersey Shore

When you live in Philly, the closest coastline is that of the lovely Garden State. Us shoobies (vacationers who mob the shore points and make it miserable for the locals) frequent the beaches from Atlantic City (though I’m not sure if anyone actually touches the water there) to beautiful Victorian Cape May. I, personally, am a big fan of Avalon, Stone Harbor and Seas Isle City. My body, however, is not.

You see I’m allergic to New Jersey. Seriously.

I have to medicate myself with Claritin, nasal spray and allergy eye drops every time I visit the state just so I don’t sneeze myself into a coma. But somehow this doesn’t seem to prevent me from hitting the beaches. And this summer, I made the mistake of thinking I could actually get some work accomplished while hanging seaside. Yeah, not so much.

So I’ve decided to create a Top Ten list of…

Reasons It’s Not Possible to Work at the Jersey Shore

10. If you’re sharing a house with a family that has two small children it might be hard to concentrate over Sesame Street and bedtime tantrums.

9. If the house has five bedrooms and each one is occupied with at least two friends/family members, you’re lucky to get time to use the bathroom alone edit your novel.

8. When your rental house has a security-enabled Internet connection and the owners don’t leave the password, it’s hard to rely on the stolen wireless signals of neighbors long enough to check your email.

7. Nice beach days. ‘Nuf said.

6. You’ve pre-cooked three meals for the household and are now responsible for heating them up. And drinking some wine while you cook, and maybe a little beer…

5. When your options of activities range from sitting in the sun, to walking on the boardwalk, to biking to a nature reserve, to getting ice cream—it’s hard to chose the “edit my novel” option.

4. When the shower is drain is clogged with sand, you have to unclog it. And it can take awhile, so you might need another beer.

3. Little kids make lots of noise—did I mention this already?

2. You’d rather read someone else’s novel while sitting on your beach chair than read you own novel for the millionth time.

And number one….

1. My body breaks out in hives when exposed to Jersey air for more than four days. I’m not joking. My legs and arms look like I have leprosy by the end of the week, and I can only survive on Benadryl for so long before I have to rightfully return myself to the City of Brotherly Love.

Sorry Jersey, but as much as I love your seashells and water ice, there’s only so much this Philly Girl can take.

POP-CULTURE RANT: Twilight

I haven’t seen TV in a week, so I have no boob tube rants to report. But I will say that I’m reading Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight and I’m loving it. I was worried that it might be too “Buffy” with a mortal falling in love with a vampire and all—and I love Buffy, so I’m not willing to accept a lowly substitution. But it’s very intriguing in its own right and I can’t wait to read more. It definitely deserves all the praise it received. However, I’m still upset that Buffy is no longer on and I do sometimes find myself humming the musical while turning the pages.

It’s getting hot in here…

So if you live anywhere in the Northeast, you’re sweating right now. A lot. Like it’s disgusting here—record-breaking, 100 degree temperatures in Philadelphia with humidity that feels like you’re walking through hot sauce.

Even my cat is protesting the heat wave, because let’s face it, you know it’s bad when your cat shows no interest in going outside. She’s barely moving off her chair—except to vomit.

Now, I could keep the air conditioner running full blast to keep from dripping like that girl in the Ring movies. But, a) I don’t want to go broke given that my electricity bill already costs more than my mortgage, and b) if I pump up the AC nonstop doesn’t that mean all those documentaries I watched on global warming were for nothing?

So, yesterday I decided to work at a coffee shop. They’ve got free internet and free air conditioning, which at this point is my vision of heaven. And while there, I ran into a colleague of mine who’s been helping me plan my book launch party. She was also there hoping to suck up the AC. You see, when you live in Philadelphia and your house is four stories high with your office on the top floor, working from home can get a bit uncomfortable. And by “uncomfortable,” I mean you find yourself cursing your own sense of logic at purchasing a 175-year-old, vertical home surrounded by nothing but brick and pavement. So, I’ve resorted to working in my kitchen, which is in my basement, because it’s cooler (really, you gotta visit Philly to understand). That means I’m working surrounded by my dishwasher, my washer-dryer and my HVAC system, which when all running simultaneously can sound a bit like the opening scene to Saving Private Ryan.

Anyway, I spent most of yesterday reaching out to schools in the Philadelphia area about possible speaking engagements in the fall (when my series launches). And I got a great response! Four school districts are already planning to host me. But that’s not the best part. I spoke to my former high school English teacher and she was so sweet!

First, isn’t it nice to just to be remembered? I graduated with about 400 students let’s just say a few years ago. Second, it’s even better when said teacher sends a glowing email that even your grandma couldn’t write (if my grandma were alive and actually able to write in English). And finally, my English teacher forwarded my email to my Spanish teacher who sent an equally nice email—in Spanish!

After this experience, I have to say to all of you writers out there, when the rejections are pouring in and you feel like you can’t write yourself a Hallmark card, think of contacting your high school teachers. Because you wouldn’t have become writers without them, and they deserve to know how much they influenced you. Plus, you get some really uplifting responses in return, which when your knee-deep in miserable responses from editors can make you feel all warm and fuzzy. Not that you need any help in the warm department—at least not until this heat wave ends.

POP-CULTURE RANT: Legally Blonde The Musical

Now, I haven’t seen the Broadway show…yet. But this “reality” competition on MTV is hysterical, and I’m not sure that’s its intention. Some of these girls are trying so hard to act like Elle Woods that they sound like complete crazies. I’m all for showing a little self-confidence, and I love Legally Blonde, but Elle is a fictional character! Her perky spunk is meant for the stage. And looking into a camera and saying that you’re “awesome, blossom, fabulous, fantastic,” might be taking things one bend-and-snap too far.

New Summer Blockbuster: Wedding Crashers Meets the Perfect Storm

I may have mentioned this before but the year I got married, my husband and I attended TEN weddings (ours being the 10th). My world revolved around the never-ending flow of ivory invitations. That was almost four years ago. And you’d think the wave would be over. How could we possibly know more people?

Um, we do.

We were invited to five weddings between last August and now. Three were held on the same day—seriously—of which we attended two (drove from Philly to Princeton and back again). My husband was asked to be a groomsman in one and the best man in the other. Between now and October, we have another five weddings. Of which I am a bridesmaid in one. Three are destination weddings.

In the last three months, I’ve gone to two baby showers, and I was invited to three bridal showers and a bat mitzvah. My husband just attended a bachelor party last weekend, and I have a bachelorette party coming up.

It is The Perfect Storm.

All those friends and relatives who got married the year I did are now having babies, so their showers and first birthday parties are clashing with the new crop of brides who are having their own showers and receptions. Then toss in the fact that we’re all also turning 30, and thus hosting numerous surprise parties (including my own), and you’ve got yourself a heaping stack of RSVP cards (plus an uncanny ability to navigate an online registry).

We put Luke Wilson and Vince Vaughn to shame. And we can party like them too. Because despite our rapidly filling calendars, we love our friends and we love a good a wedding band. Come on, open bars are awesome!

So, just to add to the madness, I’ve decided to plan my book launch party right in the middle of the chaos. In a three-week span in September, I’ll attend two weddings (one of which I’m in) and host my book party.

And I have to say, preparing for this does kinda take me back to my wedding planning days. I’ve gotten to check out different venues, meet with caterers, negotiate prices, plan a guest list and talk to vendors. I even have a meeting planner who’s offering her advice. And I’ve got a theme!

Now if I could only wear my wedding dress….do you think a tiara would be too much?



Us at our last wedding. Can you tell its the end of the night?

POP-CULTURE RANT: So You Think You Can Dance

So, I understand it’s hard to disagree with your boss. And I get that Nigel Lythgoe is the executive producer of the show, but you’d think occasionally these judges sitting beside him might express a difference of opinion. It’s like they all sit there waiting for their great leader to give the thumbs up or down before they dare speak their minds. If Nigel’s “on the fence,” then they all are; if he then says “yes,” then they all suddenly say yes. I don’t think I’ve seen a judge disagree with him yet. Come on, people, even Paula disagrees with Simon sometimes. Show some backbone!

Didn’t I Already Write This?

If you read my last blog, you know that I recently traveled to Italy to do some research for my WIP. I love doing research like this. My husband and I ran all around Rome, Venice and Cortona plotting out scenes from the manuscript. We scouted the streets the characters would walk down, the places for romantic encounters, and the location of the dramatic conclusion. I mapped it all out. I had to. I only had 10 days to answer any potential questions that might come up.

Problem is that I had only written about 60% of the book before my trip. So in order to make the most of my travels, I had to create an outline for the first time in my writing career. This means I now know if the characters will fall in love. I know if the protagonist achieves her goal. I know all the twists and turns. In other words, I know everything.

This sucks.

Usually I write organically. I sit down with a vague idea of a character, an initiating incident and a climax. Then I fill in the rest as I go along. It just sort of pours out. Then about 75% of the way through, I’m usually positive that book is total crap so I spend a few days thinking about “what’s missing.” I wait for the brilliant idea, then “Eureka!” I add it in and charge toward the ending.

This whole process is completely different.

I feel like I’ve written the book already. But I still have about 30,000 words to go. You’d think the fact that I’ve already written it in my head would allow me to put it down on paper faster, but it’s sort of like watching a movie when someone’s already spoiled the ending. The element of surprise is gone.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love my WIP. It’s my favorite project so far. I’ve put tons of time into the research, which I never did with my previous books. I mulled it over in my brain for almost a year before I got started. I’ve been talking to my agent about it endlessly. I think it may be my one GREAT idea.

Now if I could just finish writing the damn thing…

POP-CULTURE RANT: Saturday Night Live

“Where am I? Oh, yeah. I’m at Brett’s house.”

So I was on vacation and I’ve just gotten around to watching the last two SNLs on DVR (which is one of the most important inventions of my lifetime). They were the episodes with Shia LaBeouf and Steve Carell. Now, nothing against Shia (the guy from the Transformers movie if you’ve never heard of him), but I didn’t have high hopes for his episode. So when it sucked, and it sucked BIG time, it didn’t phase me. But Steve Carell? He’s funny. Really, really funny. And his episode utterly and completely blew. In fact the only funny episode this whole season was Tina Fey’s. I still laugh just thinking about her Rock of Love spoof. “I’m rocking one leg, jealous!” SNL, you need another Tina!