Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Old Lady Rodriguez’ Guide to Email Etiquette

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:34:00 +0000

Well, you can thank the DH for the title to this blog because when I went into a rant yesterday on the flurry of rude emails I’d received he told me I was turning into “Old Lady Rodriguez.” Though I prefer to think of myself as Kramer in that Seinfeld episode when he puts in the screen door and starts screaming at those damn kids in his apartment building. Anyway, I have issues with impolite electronic communications.

This includes all forms: text, email, Twitter, MySpace, you name it. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not technology averse. I love these forms of communication and am addicted to some of them. But I’m polite. Emily Post taught me well. And since she’s not alive to teach the younger generation (well, I think there’s actually someone from her estate still writing books in her name, but whatever), I’ve decided to assume the role.

Please take into account that this blog does not apply to fan letters. Fans can send me communications in any tone of voice they want, because fans are awesome and I love them. Send me smoke signals, and I’ll still be thrilled.

But for all others, behold….

Old Lady Rodriguez’ Guide to Email Etiquette

1. Introduce yourself. If I did not go to high school with you, if you are not my old college chum, if we do not share blood, then it is safe to say you are contacting me in a professional capacity. We don’t share pints at the pub. So if you email me, especially if it’s for the first time and I don’t know you, then say hello (not “What up!”), write in complete sentences, and leave a closing (with your name).

2. Say thank you. If I take the time to proofread your manuscript, give you a referral, edit your query, introduce you to a contact, then the next time you contact me, say thank you. It doesn’t need to be calligraphied on parchment; a simple “Thank you for your help” is just as nice. Think karma.

3. Don’t use odd slang. Now, I’m not a huge stickler here. You can see that throughout all of my blogs and novels, I use plenty of slang. But in a professional email, think about whether “OMG let’s tweet up, yo!” is really appropriate.

4. Be nice. I may be alone in this, but I think one-line emails are rude. No greeting, no closing, just “Let’s meet” or even worse, “Call me.” If you want to talk to me, then pick up the phone. Don’t send a one-liner with no explanation for the conversation.

5. People forward emails. If you need any more incentive to be a bit more polite, don’t forget that all important “forward” button. Millions of people could see that communication. Don’t believe me? Ask the professor I know who shares every incoherent email he gets from a student with his entire base of friends and family. Take note, college freshmen.

Okay, rant's over. I’m getting off my soapbox now. And I’m sure in a few hours I'll get a bunch of one-liners saying “What up spanky?” in a ALL CAPS and comic sans font. But in the meantime…

Thanks again! I appreciate your time.
Best,
Diana

POP CULTURE RANT: Tik Tok by Kesha

I warned the DH I would be doing this since he titled my blog, but yes, Tik Tok has invaded my husband’s brain. He manages to find it on the radio every time we’re in the car (and that song is on a lot). He even has a little dance, and once he walked into a meeting saying, “The party don’t start ‘til I walk in!” Kesha has gone too far. So I must appeal to DJs everywhere to consider reducing its rotation down from every two seconds, or SNL will soon be doing another sketch like this in its honor.

Adventures in Prequeldom: When Outlines Attack

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:35:00 +0000

I promised that I would blog about the experience of banging my head against my laptop…um, I mean writing my prequel. And since I am a glorious, fantastic, drop-down-on-my-knees-and-give-praise 20,000 words into the prequel, I think I’m ready to dispel with the words of wisdom.

The process of getting from “staring at the blank page before me” to 20K goes a little something like this:

Prequel, How Not To Lose Sanity While Writing

Step 1 – Break book into acts. The first 20,000 words for me represent Act 1. It’s just like a play. I put an initiating incident and mini climax into each act as I build to the ultimate climax and dénouement at the end. For this book, I have three acts planned.

Step 2 – Stare at your pretty outline with three clearly defined, color-coded acts and feel proud. This is particularly important for me because I’m not an outliner, so I expect applause and a standing ovation for this feat.

Step 3 – Place bulletin board with clearly defined, color-coded acts in front of your husband’s dresser so every time he has to open a drawer, he has to move it. Share the pain.

Step 4 – Transfer the clearly defined, color-coded notes for Act 1 into an artist sketchbook in “Mind Map” format and keep sketchbook by laptop while writing. This is where I add additional color-coded notes to the outline to identify things I’ve changed while writing. (I change a lot. Outlines are made to be broken.)

Step 5 – Watch a rerun of Buffy and marvel at the awesome dialogue. “Make with the happy, people.”

Step 6 – Write first chapter. Read first chapter. Rewrite first chapter. Read first chapter. Repeat, repeat, repeat. (I don’t know why but I always spend a lot of time reworking Chapter Numero Uno before I move on. It sets the whole tone of the book—the voice, the characters, the everything. It’s important.)

Step 7 – Force yourself to write between 1,500 to 3,000 words per day while listening to the Adult Alternative channel on Comcast Cable.

Step 8 – Dance. No joke. You pound out 3,000 words that day, you stand up and you dance. Trust me on this.

(Yes, all I could find on Youtube was a video with Asian subtitles.)

POP CULTURE RANT: American Idol
I’m still coming out of my Olympic coma and checking out what’s been on TV since before the days of snowboard cross and men’s free skates. And I just caught my first episode of this season’s American Idol. Yeah, not good. I saw the guy’s Top Ten. Or that’s what they claimed, though the only one worth a mention was the David Cook sound-alike at the end. The rest—in the words of Simon— were either “utterly forgettable” or “self indulgent.” A couple actually tried to take Marvin Gaye and Tina Turner songs and “make them better.” Um, yeah, good luck with that.

Nancy Drew and The Mystery of the Haiku Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:25:00 +0000

I went antiquing over the weekend. Doesn’t that sound grown up? Like I should be sitting in front of a fire sipping a cup of tea from 18th Century china while resting my feet on an early American leather ottoman. Well, it wasn’t that romantic. Mostly because I was in Maryland.

Not there’s anything wrong with Maryland, it’s just not one of the fancier states in my opinion. Now, if I was antiquing for jewelry in New York or scouring for Civil War artifacts in Georgia, that might be worthy of the Antique Roadshow (sad, that PBS symbolizes the pinnacle of success in this business). But alas, I was looking for lamps and mirrors in Maryland to go in my new house, which is currently buried under snow. (Old Man Winter and I have some issues right now.)

But while immersed in furniture antiquities, I did not forget my day job. Not that I could, those places are swimming in books. And thankfully there are a few Nancy Drew enthusiasts in the area. So I picked up a couple hardbacks to contrast with the more modern versions Simon & Schuster put out after that Emma Roberts movie.

The over-designed paperback Nancy Drews I bought in a box set on clearance at Borders. The others I bought for $2/piece at antique stores, one of which (the blue one in the middle), was published somewhere during 1942-1945 (you can tell by the really poor quality, we-can-barely-afford-tree-pulp-because-we’re-at-War paper). The rest are from the ‘60s and 70s.

I’m not really a book collector (unless you count signed YA novels), put I’m rather pleased with my new Nancy Drew shelf, which corresponds to the other mysteries I’ve been reading as research as of late.

And this of course brings to me to more….

MYSTERIOUS HAIKU REVIEWS

NANCY DREW (multiple novels), Carolyn Keene
Love those ghost writers
They created an icon
who now says “You know..”

THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, Arthur Conan Doyle
A coke-snorting sleuth
with super intuition
Mentalist rip off

CASINO ROYALE, A JAMES BOND NOVEL, Ian Fleming
Will shag any girl
but will not notice her brain
Until he’s tortured

VALENTINE’S DAY, the movie
Cute, okay chick flick
If we just had that gay kiss
to rival Brokeback…

POP CULTURE RANT: Ice Skating
I hate this new scoring system. It makes it virtually impossible for people at home to understand what a good score is. One skater gets 152, another 172—is that a big difference? An insurmountable difference? What’s a perfect score? Is perfection even possible? I miss the days of the standard 6.0s. And I miss when judges weren’t using a 400-percent zoom on a skate to determine whether a jump was a good. It just doesn’t seem much in the spirit of the Olympics. What’s next? Penalty flags when they don’t finish a rotation?

What Olympians Can Teach Us Dear Writers

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:26:00 +0000

During the Summer Olympics (God, I can’t believe I’ve been blogging that long), I wrote a blog comparing my writing style to water polo. It’s oddly, to this day, one of my most read blogs ever, so I’m taking it that I have a lot of Olympic fans out there. And since I’m obsessed with the Games, have watched every minute, and I tear up every time I see a montage about an athlete’s search for “redemption,” I’ve decided to expand upon the topic.

Let’s face it, we’ve got some hardcore sob stories here. The Canadian skier racing in honor of his disabled brother. The American snowboarder famous for a hotdog move gone bad who came seeking respect. The 30-plus-year-old Chinese figure skaters with a Romeo & Juliet love story. Apolo speed skating rather than dancing (wait, he’s not just that guy who tangoed with Julianne Hough?). The Russian male figure skater hoping to squash his “enemies” like an evil secret agent.

So in honor of these athletes (who remind me of USA Network’s “Characters Welcome!”), I’ve decided to extrapolate what we as writers can learn from their personal histories.

Alexandre Bilodeau
If that older brother of his can defy the odds and walk long after people insist it’s impossible, then we can all get the heck out of bed and write 3,000 words per day. Writers have a gift not that dissimilar to athletes. Only we don’t run laps and drink wheat juice to train, we sit ourselves in a chair, alone, with no coach, and force ourselves to pound out those words. It’s hard work and athletes do it for years, every day, before anyone acknowledges their efforts. Sound familiar?

Lindsey Jacobellis
Just because you think you’ve earned respect, and just because you try as hard as you possibly can, you don’t always get what you think you deserve. Hers would have been the ultimate story of redemption, she could have shown the world how much she’d grown these past four years, but still she fell short. Sometimes, you don’t always get what you want when you want it. So anyone out there querying agents, or sitting on submission, think of Lindsey and then watch that Dan Jansen Visa commercial. Because if you work hard enough and don’t give up, your time will come, you just can’t control when.

Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo
Sometimes it’s nice to have someone you love beside you when you fight for your dreams. Whether it’s a spouse, a friend, a parent, or a sibling, having someone tell you repeatedly not to give up can make all the difference.

Apolo Anton Ohno
Even when you’re in fourth place, getting shoved and elbowed farther back, watching person after person pass you by as they soar closer to the goal you’re trying to achieve, sometimes the unforeseen happens. There’s a little bit of luck involved everything, whether it’s winning a short track race or getting a book deal. But you have to be there prepared, well trained, and ready to take advantage of that luck when it comes your way.

Evgeni Plushenko
If you guys do all of the above and do reach the pinnacle of your career, sometimes people just aren’t going to like you. It could be an Olympic competitor or an Amazon reviewer. So you can either take those comments in stride and appreciate that they come with the success you’ve worked so hard for, or you can make a video montage that makes you seem like an evil Bond Villain bent on destroying your “enemies” with a death ray. Either works.

POP CULTURE RANT: Starbucks
Okay mega coffee house, I give you props for finally creating a system to give frequent visitors free Internet access (if you don’t yet have their loyalty card, get it). But for the love of God, when did you start playing a mind-numbing mix of Easy Listening and Golden Oldies? Maybe it’s the switch from the city location to the ‘burbs, or maybe you’re going through an awkward phase, but I can’t tell you how hard it is to work when a loud, unbearably annoying version of the “When Saints Come Marching In” is blaring in a speaker above your head.

How I Spent My Snowtorious Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:55:00 +0000

I was born in a blizzard, and I have now come to realize that this was an omen for birthdays to come. I had many an elementary school party canceled because of snow. I was stranded in NYC once when my husband and I went to see Wicked. I got stuck shoveling my sister’s driveway one year when we went to tour D.C. So I am aware that snow and February 10th go hand in hand. But nothing—absolutely nothing—can compare to the “Snowpocalypse,” “Snowmaggedon,” or “Unusually Large Snowstorm” (as The Daily Show said) that occurred yesterday.

All of my sad little birthday messages from friends and family were like, “Hope you’re not shoveling on your birthday!” “Hope you asked for a blizzard for your birthday!” or “Snow My God! It’s your birthday!”

So what do you do when your area is blanketed with 17 inches of snow on top of the 56 inches you’ve already gotten this winter? Well, I’ll show you. But first a moment of silence for the birthday plans that should’ve been…

Here’s What I Had Planned to Do Yesterday For My Birthday:

Eat an awesome brunch in a South Philly restaurant that usually has a 45 minute wait.

Visit my new house, which is still under construction but which might have our bathroom tiles now installed.

Shop for cute antiques to put in said new house by perusing the store’s on Pine Street.

And finally have a romantic dinner at Buddakhan with a charming candle placed in my fancy dessert.

Here’s What I Actually Did on My Birthday:

Made up for a lost day at the gym by shoveling snow that weighed more than I do.

Danced on top of a snowdrift compiled by all the snow we shoveled.

Took time to read the paper.

Attempted to make a snow angel only to realize despite gym efforts my legs could not push that much snow.

So there you have it! This will truly, unmistakably, be a birthday I will never forget. And thanks to “Those Who Will House Me ‘Til Then” for the special birthday breakfast and the candles in the cranberry bread. We’ll make up for the lost festivities this weekend!

POP CULTURE RANT: The Oscars
Anyone else think it’s beyond silly that there are 10 movies up for Best Picture? The cartoon Up is nominated? And The Blind Side? Really? Now, I’m not doubting these are good movies. But best of the year? It kind of takes the prestige out of the nomination if nine of your closest friends get nominated too. Don’t get me wrong, I typically am not a fan of any of the movies nominated for Oscar’s Best Picture. But I can still appreciate the quality of the film and the style of movie associated with such an honor. We have the Golden Globes to recognize the best comedies, and the MTV Awards to recognize the best blockbusters. Leave the Oscars to the indie films, like ‘em or not they deserve it.

How to Write a Prequel and Not Go Crazy

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:10:00 +0000

You ever wonder why in the world bizillionare George Lucas would create the mind-numbingly awful character of Jar Jar Binx? I think I know why. Not that I can relate to the mountains of cash Lucas sits on while drumming up these wild ideas, but I’m starting see how writing a prequel can make you cat poop crazy (I don’t like bats).

Here’s why:

You’ve already written the next book.

Seems obvious, even helpful. At first.

Consider all the perks: you know your characters, you know how they speak, how they think, what would do or not do in any given situation. You know exactly where the story is going. These are valuable steps in the writing process.

Here’s the part that makes you long for a padded cell:

You’ve already determined exactly where the story is going.

See how I’m talking in circles here? It’s kind of like the quantum physics lessons in Lost: on one level, your brain is wrapped around them; on the other, your eyes are glazing over.

Because writing a prequel is not that different from jumping around in time with a bloody nose (sometimes I think my laptop and I are on that island). A prequel jumps you forward, so that everything you now write has to get to the end result that you’ve already determined. If your character makes one bad decision, the actions of the next book no longer make sense (nor do those scenes you love so much).

It’s really hard, and for some reason, I’m setting off on the journey anyway.

Don’t get me wrong. My process is not nearly as complicated, or glamorous, as George Lucas’. The novel I’m prequelling (yes, I made that word up) hasn’t been published yet. (If this book has to go out posthumously from my grave, ANASTASIA will see the light of day.)

But to prove that I will never give up on her (yes, I think Anastasia’s a real person) and that I will not rest until her story is told, I am taking my mother’s advice, splitting my book into two, and writing myself one heck of a prequel. I’ve even tackled an outlining process I’ve never attempted before (mostly because I’ve never outlined before, I’m more of an organic writer).

See, mom! There are notecards and everything:

I’m only a few thousand words in, but to keep myself sane until I reach “the end,” and to not make “Those Who Will House Me ‘Til Then” regret housing me during this process, I’ve decided to blog about my Adventures in Prequeldom (yes, I made that word up too). Stay tuned and hope I don’t ever get to the point where Jar Jar Binx sounds like a really good idea.

POP CULTURE RANT: General Hospital
I think all of us GH fans need to send the original Lucky a thank you note, because he’s resurrected this character of the depths of “I don’t give a crap.” Honestly, until he came back, I could’ve cared less if Elizabeth jumped in bed with half the town. Now, miraculously, I do. And tell me you didn’t all hear those wonderful suggestions of Sonny “losing all legitimate assets,” of “Jason becoming a P.I.,” of Franco preventing them from ever killing again, and not think: Hallelujah! Wouldn’t it be awesome if the mob suddenly ended? If the show went into a different direction? If we got something different for once? Not that I mind a little gun fighting, it would just be nice if the fights weren’t simply part of a recycling program drudging up stories we’ve seen a million times. I say, arrest Sonny and hit the reset button on this sucker.

Become a Smitten Kitten with GCC Member Suzanne Young

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:54:00 +0000

“Mashed potatoes and gravy!” I’m so excited to be talking about GCC member Suzanne Young’s new book, The Naughty List. I read an Advanced Reader Copy, so I can tell you it’s “Holy Canoli!” awesome. It’s written with a very cute and very funny YA voice that’s just going to make you love those cheerleading Sex Kittens. (I mean Smitten Kittens).

As always, here’s a little bit about her book to get you hooked:

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

Follow the squad online.

Here’s what Suzanne had to say:

Q: In AMOR AND SUMMER SECRETS, Mariana discovers a hidden family secret. Are you a good secret keeper?

Suzanne: Good gravy, I’m terrible at secrets. If you can’t read it on my face, then I’ll probably tell you in five minutes anyway. Imagine Christmas at my house. I walk around giggling all day, asking my husband, “Are you sure you don’t want to know?”

Q: What is the favorite place you ever traveled to, and what was the coolest thing you saw/did there?

Suzanne: I’m still waiting to have that amazing trip abroad. For now, my favorite time was when me, my husband and my kids got in our RV and roadtripped for ten days. We drove down to Disneyland, then Phoenix, then the Grand Canyon and finally Las Vegas. Sure, the last day we almost died in a snowstorm, but the trip was still amazing.

Q: I often tell the story of how a psychic once predicted that I would go on to write children’s books. Have you ever visited a psychic?

Suzanne: I LOVE psychics!! One time when I had my tea leaves read, the woman told me that I’d soon have something happen to my car. Sure enough, when I got outside, someone had smacked it and left a note. Talk about predictions!! Another time I had a psychic tell me never to get on a motorcycle. Later that night, I sort of did. And I’m still here!!

So you don't think the psychic whacked your car herself? :)

Q: My character Mariana spends her summer in Puerto Rico connecting with her father’s heritage. Have you ever researched your family tree?

Suzanne: I’ve never personally researched my family tree. I know my grandmother was Italian and my grandfather was Polish. So my cooking skills consist of lasagna and kielbasa recipes.

Q: Where were you when you found out that your book was going to be published?
Suzanne: This is humiliating. But I recorded this a few days after I found out: http://lipglosslit.blogspot.com/2008/07/suzs-book-deal.html

Too cute!

Thank you, Suzanne! Now, everyone go out and buy books, lots and lots of books!

Bond -vs- Holmes: The Ultimate SmackDown

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:43:00 +0000

So I’ve been brushing up on my mysteries as research for my WIP. Yeah, I know, tough work. I wanted to go with more of a “method” approach, but I thought committing a felony to determine how the cops would handle the case might be the long way to publishing a novel (though these days, who knows?). Instead, I’ve been reading James Bond and Sherlock Holmes.

It’s my first foray into these classics. I mean, I haven’t even watched an entire Bond movie (unless you count Austin Powers). And I had no idea that Sherlock Holmes was a collection of short stories and not a collection of novels (or that they were told from Watson’s point-of-view— curious). So I went into these books cold, and after about 15 minutes of careful deliberation, I’ve come away with who I think is truly the mystery-solving mastermind.

So here it is, my analysis of Casino Royale and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes:

Bond -vs- Holmes: Two Sleuths Enter, One Sleuth Leaves

1. Holmes is a coke head. No joke! Page two it says Holmes is “buried among his old books, and alternating from week to week between cocaine and ambition…” Maybe Robert Downey Jr. was a good casting choice.

Bond likes his drink, though it’s not a classic martini. It’s an original concoction he created: three parts Gordon’s, one part vodka, a half part Kina Lillet (no idea what that is), shaken until ice cold and topped with a lemon twist.

Point: Bond. Crack is whack.

2. Bond can handle his torture. He gets tied to a chair and is beaten in a very graphic manner. Let’s just say, “yuck.” Though I was surprised this super spy had be rescued not once, but twice in this book.

Holmes isn’t just some wimpy brainiac. He threatens to whip one bad guy with a hunting crop (or cane) and actually does slug another criminal with it. He will mess you up with that walker.

Point: Holmes. Smart and sassy.

3. Holmes is a collection of short stories because it takes the character no more than one page to solve the mysteries. Man can put some pieces together.

Bond is a few steps behind. Yeah, he doesn’t get dead, but that’s mostly out of luck. He’s too busy drinking and wooing women to consider that the bad guys might try a counter attack.

Point: Holmes. I’d say his IQ score is a few points higher.

4. Bond is incredibly misogynistic. And I don’t mean because he’ll shag you, baby (though he never says that). I mean, he actually calls his female partner “a blithering woman who thought she could do a man’s work.” Sexism = not sexy.

So far, Holmes hasn’t spent much time looking at the ladies. Now, I’m not going to say that he and Watson have a little something on the side, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you know what I mean.

Point: Holmes. At least he respects the brawds.

5. Bond has shades of inspiration that I could trace in modern day creations such as: Alias, Taken, 24, the great Austin Powers, and pretty much anything spy-related (he perfected the genre).

Holmes’ near psychic powers of intuition make Psych (on USA) and the Mentalist virtual rip offs. He also could be credited as being one of the first criminal profilers given his psychological analysis of perpetrators. So add Criminal Minds and The Profiler to the list.

Point: Tie. They both warrant every literary allusion they’ve generated.

So there you have it, my entirely scientific comparison of two classic mysteries. Holmes could officially whip Bond’s butt. Mostly because Bond isn’t quite smart enough to see it coming. Though if it ever came to blows, Holmes is dead man. You don’t bring a cane to a gun fight.

Pixies and More with GCC Member Carrie Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:38:00 +0000

Well, if you haven’t read Carrie Jones’ (http://www.carriejonesbooks.com)
NY Times best-seller, NEED, rush out and buy it right now so you’re all caught up and ready to read its sequel, CAPTIVATE. It just debuted this month through Bloomsbury USA and it had one of the prettiest covers ever! Check it out!

As always, here’s a little bit about her book to get you hooked:

In this NYT-Bestselling sequel to NEED, Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

Here’s what Carrie had to say:

Q: In AMOR AND SUMMER SECRETS, Mariana discovers a hidden family secret. Are you a good secret keeper?

Carrie: I am. If I let out my family secret…well, let’s just say I’d be in the tabloids. Plus, it’s not really mine to tell, you know? That’s the problem with knowing secrets they start weighing you down.

Q: What is the favorite place you ever traveled to, and what was the coolest thing you saw/did there?

Carrie: Oh man… I love to travel too, but I am so bad at picking favorites. I think Scotland is my favorite place and the coolest thing that happened there was I was staying in this castle. All night long I kept smelling this really strange perfume. I have a wicked nose and I’d literally follow the scent around the hotel room. Then the concierge person told me the next morning that the room was haunted. A kind of similar thing happened in Austin, Texas.

Although the coolest COOLEST thing was probably when I was swimming off the beach in Naples, Florida and all of a sudden a pod of dolphins were swimming all around me. That was beyond cool. I was the only one swimming because it was January and everyone else on the beach was 123 years old. It was probably THE most amazing thing that’s ever happened in my life.

Okay, I'm officially jealous of that dolphin story.

Q: I often tell the story of how a psychic once predicted that I would go on to write children’s books. Have you ever visited a psychic?

Carrie: When I was in high school my mom took me to a psychic fair in Salem, Mass and there were all these psychics sitting at tables. You had to sign up for a psychic. Most had long lines, but this one lady had no line at all. I felt so badly for her, so even though she was giving off this super evil vibe I went to her. She looked at me and said, “You will go crazy and be institutionalized before you’re 30.”

This was so not cool.

I basically just sat there for a minute, trying to be calm and then I left, but this really beautiful man with John Gorka brown eyes waved me over to his table and said, “Whatever she just told you is not true.”

And I was like, gulping back sobs and said, “It isn’t?”

“No,” he says. “She does that.”

And then he offered for me to come in his line for free. I liked his line a lot better. I got to be a reincarnated French noble woman who rode horses along the Seine, and all sorts of cool stuff. Sigh.

My infamous psychic was in Salem too. Oh, those wicked witches.

Q: My character Mariana spends her summer in Puerto Rico connecting with her father’s heritage. Have you ever researched your family tree?

Carrie: I have. My family tree goes back forever, past Charlemagne and Viking kings. It’s kind of daunting because seriously? How do you live up to Charlemagne?

Q: Where were you when you found out that your book was going to be published?

Carrie: Here is the story of my first book, which was TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (ex) BOYFRIEND. It’s more interesting, I think. The story about CAPTIVATE is on my publishers’ website for me. They have an awesome win-a-computer contest there too. You should totally enter.

It begins as all good things do with an email announcing the creation of Flux, an imprint of Llewellyn. Flux was accepting YA novels. Hhm? I thought to myself. I just wrote a YA novel. Sure, I hadn’t shown it to my advisor at Vermont College’s MFA in Writing Program. Sure, I hadn’t let ANYONE read it. Sure, I only just wrote it in the last month and it was rough, rough, rough. But I sent it in. I chugged out a cover letter. I found some stamps. I mailed it.

Here is what followed, taken from my livejournal entries.

Sweet Editor Man called me within a week of me mailing the manuscript. Seriously. It was wild.

The 30th, 2006

Okay. Here’s the big question of the day: Why am I so stupid?

I will work on the self esteem exercises tomorrow… but today! Today! Today I am allowed to realize the full extent of my idiotness. Here’s why.

I sent out some manuscript queries on Thursday. I get a phone call this morning, from a real live editor who says, “Um, is this C.C. Jones?”

“Yes,” I say while pouring out cat food. He then proceeds to tell me he got my query, wants to see more of my manuscript, but his email requesting it bounced back.

“Really?” I say. “That’s weird.”

“Let me tell you the address,” he says. “cjonese at…”

“Oh,” I say. “Oh. Oh. Oh.”

“What?” he says.

“There’s no e on the end of Jones.”

“I didn’t think so,” he says. I then apologize and berate myself for not even being able to spell my own last name! What an idiot. He gives me an email address. I send him the rest of the manuscript.

Yeah, that baby’s going somewhere. Not.

Although, he was kind and he did say, “It’s the manuscript I care about, not your inability to spell your own name.”

Thank you, Carrie! Now, everyone go out and buy books, lots and lots of books!

Stealing Your Ideas, and Other Things I Noticed in Avatar

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:19:00 +0000

Like most people with a pulse, I caught the hype and went out to see Avatar (in 3D Imax!) and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not a fantasy person. I only watched half of the first Lord of the Rings movie and hated it. I’ve never read a Harry Potter (and I write YA!). And I don’t even like superhero movies unless they’ve got Hugh Jackman shirtless. So for me to say Avatar was good means something. They converted me. But, it doesn’t mean I was oblivious to the dozen or so movies they ripped off in the process.

Let me explain. All writers steal stuff (subconsciously or consciously) from other works of art: books, movies, tv shows, songs. It’s true. As many an English professor will tell you: every story out there has already been written, you just have to find your own way to write it.

So Avatar ripping off other movies isn’t scandalous. It’s just curious and, at times, obvious. To prove this, my DH and I have compiled a list of all the movies we noticed (striking) similarities to. This is just our opinion, so don’t get in a tizzy if you bow down at the feet of the great James Cameron. This is purely for fun.

SPOILER ALERT! (Read no further if you haven’t seen the movie. I will ruin it here.)

List of Movies Avatar Ripped Off

1. Return of the Jedi: I’m not even a Star Wars junkie, and even I noticed that the fight scene at the end was straight-up Ewok. I was just waiting for one of the blue people from Pandora to jump into a robot machine like Chubaka and turn their weapons against them.

2. Braveheart: There were a lot of similarities during the ground war where the underdog blue people (called Navi) try to outsmart the opponent who outnumbers them. And really, when Sully gave that inspirational speech, I know part of you was expecting to hear they’ll never take “THEIR FREEDOM!”

3. Apocalypse Now: Come on, military guy gone rogue who’s lost all empathy for others? I was really hoping the crazy marine would just wink at the audience and say, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

4. Last of the Mohicans & Dances With Wolves: White guy who fights alongside the natives— been done a lot. Actually, I think it would have been interesting if Sully wasn’t white. I mean he’s blue half the movie anyway, so why not mix is up, JC?

5. Independence Day: Michelle Rodriguez sacrificing herself by using her plane to try to blow up, for lack of a better term, the “mother ship.” And though Rodriguez was still typecast as a hard-nosed girl who can fight, it was refreshing to see her on the side of the good guys for once. All we needed to round out this movie homage was Bill Pullman declaring, “Today we celebrate our Independence Day!”

6. Thank You For Smoking: When Sigourney Weaver demanded a cigarette after getting out of the Avatar chamber, my first thought was: how much did the smoking lobbyists have to pay to get that in there? Hey, the money for that big budget had to come from somewhere. And I think we all know Philip Morris chipped in a good chunk.

So there you have it. And please take into account that this list is based purely on the movies we’ve actually seen, so it’s incomplete. Feel free to add to it because, really, the possibilities are endless. I mean, blue people = Smurfs, there are a lot of ways to take it.

POP CULTURE RANT: E!’s Fashion Police
Watching Joan Rivers back on the fashion police was like watching Dick Clark on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve— just sad. Please, retire this woman. Again. She not only has no right to be criticizing anyone else’s appearance (her pot’s not only black, but it’s plastic), but she has one of the most painful voices put on this Earth. It’s like Rachel Ray mixed with squawking crow. Get me back Debbie Matenopoulos, at least she’s cute and age appropriate (by several decades).

Teaser: A Glimpse Inside “The Ex BFF”

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:37:00 +0000

So I’ve been beating my head against this book for so long, I’ve decided to break down and share a peek. It’s a blogging necessity really. When you spend so much time consumed by something, how can you not blog about it?

So below you’ll find two snippets from THE EX BFF (as the book is currently titled, it’s had many). For those who follow my blog, this is the novel I call my White Whale—mostly because it’s the first novel I ever wrote and it’s gone through so many revisions it’s barely recognizable to the first draft.

Now, some background. This is a “tween” novel, the girls are 13 and in the eighth grade. The book is told from four different girls points of view. Yup, count ‘em, FOUR. So below you’ll find a look inside Deirdre’s mind (who for all intents and purposes, is the “main” character). And you’ll find a look inside Allie’s mind (who’s one of Deirdre’s friends).

Both snippets are from the first 30 pages, and they are talking about the same “incident” though they have very different perspectives on it. I hope you like it. Enjoy!

THE EX BFF

DEIRDRE

You’d be surprised how much time a person can spend in bed. Deirdre was growing a newfound understanding for those enormously fat people who shut themselves into their homes, eating nonstop until they’re unable to move. If it weren’t for the constant visits from her father over the weekend, she could’ve easily boarded up the doors and windows. There were worst ways to go than eating oneself to death— think of all the cake she’d enjoy first.

Her bedroom door creaked open.

“Dad sent me to check on you,” her sister said, sounding bored. “You still crying?”

Deirdre wiped her eyes. “No,” she croaked.

Truthfully, she’d cried so much since that phone call on Friday that she was probably suffering from dehydration. The way Amber sounded, what she said, it twisted Deirdre’s heart in a way that kept the tears on a constant flow. It was as if her body ached from the rejection.

Nikki swished her glossy hair over her shoulder as she dropped onto the rickety desk chair. “Why are you fighting with Amber? I thought it was Becca who hated you.”

Deirdre ground her teeth. Everyone loved her sister— boys, girls, mailmen, dentists, stray dogs. Nikki had no idea what it was like to panic that any wrong step, any misspoken word, would give someone not just reason to hate you, but to make everyone else in the universe hate you too. That’s what that phone call really meant. They might as well have mailed a dead fish to her doorstep, because the call was a warning that the drama had just begun.

ALLIE

It wasn’t even eight a.m. and already Allie felt bored with the school’s latest gossip. Of course, given that the rumors had to do with Becca that was to be expected.

“Oh. My. God! I cannot believe Deirdre!” squealed Joanna Goldstein, spit misting from her lips onto the school’s bathroom mirror.

Allie cringed. She hated the sound of her friend’s voice— all lispy and high pitched, like a drunken French poodle.

“She tried to steal Lyle away from Becca! Can you believe it? Like, sheriously, that would ever happen,” Joanna continued, her speech impediment sputtering through. “Amber was so right for dropping her. I heard she wantsh nothing to do with her, and Becca’s obviously pished. What do you think we should do?”

Gee, here’s a thought, Joanna. Maybe you could think for yourself for once. Allie sighed. She had elevated Joanna from the slobbery kid classmates called “rain shower,” to one of the coolest girls in school. At first it was fun, making over the nerd like they do in the movies. And it was nice having someone hang on her every word for a change. But eventually, being expected to tell someone what to do every second of every day gets exhausting.

-------------------------------------------

There you go, the first look inside my latest WIP. I’ll keep you posted if anything interesting happens with it.

POP CULTURE RANT: General Hospital
I am now officially going to say that I think James Franco sort of sucked in this soap opera experiment of his. I don't know what he was hoping to get out of it. But he really over-acted his part. Every line he said came with a cheesy look. And wow, were some of his lines cheesy--to the point I think they may have been going for comedy at some points. "Assume the position, Jason." Really, GH. Really? They should have just had them make out--with "Mad World" playing in the background.

Curious Observations About Living in Suburbia

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:11:00 +0000

So in the 48 days I’ve been living with “Those Who Will House Me ‘Til Then,” I’ve noticed some odd things. Not about my hosts, who are lovely, but about the world of picket fences and snow shoveling. You know, I’m a city girl. At least I have been since I moved out of my parents’ house. So I thought I’d compile a list of how different it is to live in a community without police sirens and stores within walking distance.

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you all to my:

List of Curious Observations About Living in Suburbia

1. The gym here doesn’t provide towels. Really? You can’t throw some cheap white hand towels in the wash each day?

2. People shop at Target. A lot.

3. When you’re at the grocery store only buying a can of pumpkin, corn bread, and heavy cream, at least three people will stop and ask you what you’re making. Many more cooks in this world.

4. You can’t walk anywhere. Even the end of the driveway seems far.

5. Starbucks not providing free Internet access is much more annoying here because your alternative options are very limited.

6. My cat thinks deer are awesome.

7. There are stores in the local mall (Bakers?) that I was certain went out of business in the late ‘80s.

8. There’s more snow to shovel. Though oddly, the streets seem to get plowed faster than they ever did in Philadelphia (I’m talking to you, Mayor Nutter).

9. It’s much harder to find yoga.

10. There is no need for an alarm clock because woodpeckers will wake you every day at 7 a.m. They are evil little birds.

11. Food prices seem insanely low. I don’t even want to tell you what I was paying for an apple in the city.

12. A girl who once hated to drive has now found herself blowing through town in an enormous flat-bed truck. People change, folks!

So there you have it. My current list of odd observations, which I’m sure will grow in the months ahead while I wait for that construction crew to hurry up and put my drywall in already. Though before I move, I will create a bucket list of “Things I Must Do Before Leaving the Suburbs.” Maybe you all can help me get started. Any suggestions? And before you ask, yes, “Eating at the Olive Garden” is already on it.

POP CULTURE RANT: Comcast & Verizon
This isn’t a rant so much as helpful hint since I’m on the topic of curious observations. Did you know that if you call Comcast to complain about your cable, they’ll give you free stuff? No joke. My DH just finagled 6 months of free HBO and Showtime. Let’s repeat: FREE. And then he called Verizon and got the phone bill of “Those Who Will House Me ‘Til Then” lowered by more than $20/month. Though I will admit my DH is very patient and lives by the Power of Nice, something I find hard to do when talking to customer service reps.

Get to Know a Mean Girl with GCC Member Eileen Cook

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:15:00 +0000

Oh, I love a good mean girl story. Forget making sequels to Karate Kid and Fame, Hollywood should do a remake of Heathers. You can’t go wrong with Christian Slater and Winona Ryder offing the popular girls. Well, unless you’re reading the new YA novel, GETTING REVENGE ON LAUREN WOOD, by GCC member Eileen Cook. The book’s got a Barbie on the cover! With a knife in her plastic back! How awesome is that? So check it out, it just debuted this week through Simon Pulse.

As always, here’s a little bit about her book to get you hooked:

Popularity is the best revenge.
In the final weeks of eighth grade, Lauren Wood made a choice. She betrayed her best friend, Helen, in a manner so publicly humiliating that Helen had to move to a new town just to save face. Ditching Helen was worth it, though, because Lauren started high school as one of the It Girls--and now, at the start of her senior year, she's the cheerleading captain, the quarterback's girlfriend, and the undisputed queen bee. Lauren has everything she's ever wanted, and she has forgotten all about her ex-best friend.

But Helen could never forget Lauren. After three years of obsessing, she's moving back to her old town. She has a new name and a new look, but she hasn't dropped her old grudges. She has a detailed plan to bring down her former BFF by taking away everything that's ever been important to Lauren—starting with her boyfriend.

Watch out, Lauren Wood. Things are about to get bitchy.

Here’s what Eileen had to say:

Q: In AMOR AND SUMMER SECRETS, Mariana discovers a hidden family secret. Are you a good secret keeper?

Eileen: I want to be a good secret keeper- does that count? I am the world’s worst liar. I could never go into a life of crime. I could keep the secret unless someone started asking too many questions and then the gig would be up.

Q: What is the favorite place you ever traveled to, and what was the coolest thing you saw/did there?

Eileen: I love to travel too! London is my favorite city to return to, but an all time favorite place to visit was Egypt. We did a ton of cool things including camel rides through the desert and going into the giant pyramid.

Q: I often tell the story of how a psychic once predicted that I would go on to write children’s books. Have you ever visited a psychic?

Eileen: My first book was called Unpredictable and it is about a woman who pretends to be a psychic in order to give a fake prediction to her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. When I was researching the book I went to over a dozen psychics. There were a few things they predicted that came true- but I’m not sure if it was because they were good psychics or if they would have come true anyway. I think going to a psychic can be fun, but you have to find your own way in life.

Q: My character Mariana spends her summer in Puerto Rico connecting with her father’s heritage. Have you ever researched your family tree?

Eileen: My parents are both interested in their family histories so I’ve lucked out in getting to see all this neat history without having to do any of the research work myself. I have some pictures of my grandfather in college (he went to Notre Dame in the late 1920’s) that I love. I’ve been to Ireland where my family is from, but the house my grandmother grew up in was torn down to make a gas station. Hard to feel too sentimental about a gas station.

Q: Where were you when you found out that your book was going to be published?

Eileen: When I heard my first book was going to be published I was at home waiting for the car repair place to call and give me the bad news on what my costs were going to be. I had been planning in my mind for so long what it would be like to get the call, down to what I would be wearing and how I would act, that when it finally happened it didn’t even seem real. I’m pretty sure my agent thought I was taking heavy medications. I was very calm, all “yes, I see. Mmm-hmm. That sounds good.” I hung up the phone and kept thinking. “this is it. this is it,” but it took forever to sink in.
Thank you, Eileen! Now, everyone go out and buy books, lots and lots of books!

Just in Time for Christmas: Haiku Reviews for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:11:00 +0000

So it’s Christmas week, and I know each and every one of you has your gifts wrapped in matching themed paper, your dinner menus planned with place cards scripted in Old English calligraphy, your cookies baked and covered in sprinkles, and your cards signed and mailed to everyone who attended your wedding (insert laughter here). But seriously, some of you may still be looking for a last-minute gift, so why not think BOOKS!

Judging by the amount of a coupons I’ve been emailed from Borders lately, we’re on the same page (at this point, I think their stock is 30% off too). And the clever folks at IndieBound would like to remind you that, “A Scented Candle Never Changed Anyone’s Life.” So don’t just buy your milk local, buy your books local too.

And to help you out, I’m dipping into my big Santa bag of tricks to create some Haiku Reviews that might inspire you to pick up a book for that special someone. Because nothing says “Ho! Ho! Ho!” more than kids fighting to the death. Um, Catching Fire...

My Haiku Reviews

CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins
Survivor All Stars
revolt and die in the ring
Can’t wait for book three

THE NAUGHTY LIST by Suzanne Young (advanced reader’s copy)
Meg Cabot humor
with some Sex Kittens thrown in
Cutest book ever

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER by Jennifer Weiner
Sweet and nostalgic
A high school reunion meets
Thelma and Louise

PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS by Michelle Zink
End of days is near
Modern day gothic novel
Like the evil twin

THE LATKE WHO COULDN’T STOP SCREAMING, A CHRISTMAS STORY by Lemony Snicket
Chrismukkah on crack
For those who celebrate both
This book is way fun

Feel free to leave your own Haiku reviews in the comments. I’m always looking for book recommendations to spend my coupons on!

POP CULTURE RANT: General Hospital
I’ve waited as long as I could to say this, but the Franco storyline just isn’t grabbing me. You’d think an A-List celebrity doing a soap opera would be daytime gold, but so far it seems disconnected from the show. I don’t care about this character at all. And Jason fighting yet another threat to “his family” on the heels of Alcazar, Manny, the Russians, Jerry Jax, just seems played out. I wish the writers had done something else with “Franco.” Because right now, the Liz-Lucky-Nick triangle is more interesting. And this is coming from a Sam fan.

It’s a Chrismukkah Miracle!

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Oh, Chrismukkah! Oh, Chrismukkah! How lovely are your candles! For those who don’t know, my DH and I are rocking the interfaith marriage. He’s Jewish, I’m Catholic, and for the past 11 years, we’ve pretty much perfected the menorah/Santa hybrid holiday we call Chrismukkah. But this holiday season, we’re staying with “Those Who Will House Me ‘Til Then,” so there have been lots of inquiries as to whether we can pull off the season in temporary digs.

Now it must be said that I am a Christmas freak. I can’t help it. I was raised by a Christmas freak. My sister’s a Christmas freak, my aunt’s a freak. The seasonal sickness has a long and lengthy family history. So I am publicly admitting that there are seven large Home Depot plastic garage tubs in our basement labeled “Christmas.” We’ve got inside decorations, outside decorations, ornaments, lights, wreaths, you name it.

Add to that, two menorahs, two Chrismukkah books (Yes, they actually make these. We got them as gifts), and plenty of challah. Plus, we also go to the DH’s annual family Hanukkah party, which was this past Saturday.

So our Chrismukkah-filled weekend went something like this:

FRIDAY
- Lit candles for first night of Hanukkah with DH’s parents and grandma. Blessed the wine, blessed the challah, ate chicken, gave each other candy.
- Went to friend’s birthday party in Philly and drank a little more wine— this wine was not blessed (accept by Napa sommeliers).

SATURDAY
- Went to Home Depot, bought seven-foot Christmas tree (I like Noble firs), and plopped it in one of the cool foot petal stands.
- Went to Hanukkah party, brought fruit salad, lit candles for second night of Hanukkah, ate latkes, exchanged Pollyanna gifts (got an iTunes gift card, gave a Philosophy gift set).

SUNDAY
- Decorated Christmas tree with my husband’s Jewish family. How nice are they? They even listened to Christmas carols as they hung the Potterybarn crystal snowflakes.
- Ate sushi and latkes.
- Baked Christmas cookies. My signature cookie is the Maple Lace (they’re these lacey oatmeal cookies sandwiched with melted chocolate).
- Watched the Eagles game. They won! And they’re in first place, officially making it a Chrismukkah miracle!

POP CULTURE RANT: Eagles
How awesome was that Eagles-Giants game last night? I cheered, I panicked, I bit my nails. And to top off their win, the Cowboys lost (Thank you, San Diego!). But, I will say I was a little shocked by all the punches. I mean, what good is it throwing a punch at someone wearing a helmet and a few tons of protective pads? It’s a wasted effort that will only get you thrown from the game. Whether you’re winning or losing, don’t be a jerk about it. This isn’t hockey.

* Those are photos of my actual tree and actual Hanukkah party, slightly blurred to protect my pint-sized relatives. It is the Internet, folks.

My New York State of Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:10:00 +0000

Ah, Manhattan at Christmas time, gotta love it. Of course when I lived in Times Square and my roommate worked at Rockefeller Center, she swore we “lived in Christmas hell.” The crowds can be rather aggressive, you know? But still, it’s very pretty.

And I’m proud to report that I even got a little snow when I visited this weekend. I felt just like that Alabama song.

“By now in New York City… There’s snow on the ground…” Christmas in Dixie

Anyway, as a former resident and current tourist of the great city of New York, I have a few observations to share.

Things I Noticed About Christmas in NYC This Year:

1. You won the World Series! Does anyone remember that? Because Philly does, painfully. Yet you can walk around Manhattan for days and see no evidence of the Yankee’s accomplishment. There are no signs in the windows, no banners in store displays, no flags on cars. If the fans really care that little, I think we should take back championship.

2. We found a rockin’ four-star hotel on Lastminutetravel.com for $179. Considering NY prices, that’s practically free. And our place had a bedroom, two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a dining room! I’m not joking. It was extended stay that was bigger than my friends’ apartments.

3. Takashimaya, the Japanese department store, has the best selection of under $25 Pollyanna gifts ever! There was a Lego calculator, a funky paper wallet, an engraved silver NYC subway map, typewriter key cufflinks. You name the random crap, and it’s got it!

4.The tree at Rockefeller Center has no ornaments. Was it always that way?

5. The price of a caricature in Central Park has gone down from $20 to $15. See, the economy has affected everyone.

6. We found three—count ‘em THREE—free parking spots over the weekend. We didn’t pay for parking once. The odds of that happening are about as good as me winning the lottery, maybe I should play…

7. If you go to the Met, you don’t actually have to pay $20 per adult (as the sign says). It’s just a “suggested donation.” You can just give them $5 if you want. Really.

8. There are “bridal consultants” in the J.Crew in Rockefeller Center.

9. The ring that inspired my engagement ring is no longer at Tiffany’s. (Six years ago, my DH took the Tiffany specs of that ring to a jeweler in the Diamond District and had the ring recreated for much less. He’s so smart.)

10. I'm mad old. At one point while visiting a college friend, I realized we had just spent thirty minutes discussing furniture and the prices at Pottery Barn. That's sad, folks. We used to do shots.

POP CULTURE RANT: Shrek the Halls
Okay, I think this is officially the best modern Christmas movie in existence. If you haven’t seen it, rent it. Now. It’s really funny. And as always, my favorite character is Puss ‘n Boots. If you’ve got a cat, you’ll find this clip funny. “I’ve shamed myself.”

GCC Member Debbie Rigaud breaks barriers at Simon Pulse

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:52:00 +0000

I’m excited to introduce everyone to GCC member Debbie Rigaud, who has a breakthrough young adult novel debuting through Simon Pulse. PERFECT SHOT! marks the first book in the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies series to feature an African-American protagonist and to be written by an African-American. Talk about breaking down some barriers! And to make Debbie even cooler, she lives in Bermuda. Jealous, yet? Okay, so let’s talk about her novels.

As always, here’s a little bit about her book to get you hooked:

What’s the wackiest thing you’ve ever done after a crush attack?

High school athlete London Abrams is more likely to spike a volleyball than wear spike heels. Yet in one crush-tastic moment, she signs up for a modeling contest as an excuse to meet the photo intern Brent St. John. But instead of getting a call back from Brent, London gets a call back from contest judges! Now she’s in a fierce modeling competition feeling way out of her league, and Brent’s camera is zoomed in to document everything. Suddenly, London’s not feeling so ready for her close up.

Here’s what Debbie had to say:

Q: In AMOR AND SUMMER SECRETS, Mariana discovers a hidden family secret. Are you a good secret keeper?

Debbie: I try to be. I look at it this way, there are too many people spilling secrets and feeling okay about it, just because they convince themselves that it's okay to tell one trustworthy person. That one person then tells their one trustworthy person and so on. Pretty soon, everyone knows that secret.

Very perceptive. I think that IS how many secrets are spread.

Q: What is the favorite place you ever traveled to, and what was the coolest thing you saw/did there?

Debbie: Ghana, West Africa. It was such a culturally and spiritually enriching vacation. The coolest thing about my trip was vibing with the people. From friendly teen students, knowledgeable tour guides, market vendors, hip hop MC's and talented dressmakers (who hooked me up with gorgeous traditional dresses), I was given the warmest welcome.

Sounds like an AMAZING trip! I must add Ghana to my list of must-see places!

Q: I often tell the story of how a psychic once predicted that I would go on to write children’s books. Have you ever visited a psychic?

Debbie: Yes, I have visited a psychic before. I went with friends, which made it more fun. I'm totally fascinated by all things paranormal. Ironically, I absolutely don't like getting predictions. Predictions mess with my head. I'm afraid of hearing anything unpleasant, like when I was told that my college boyfriend wasn't "the one." At the time, I really wanted him to be and didn't want to hear anything to the contrary.

Q: My character Mariana spends her summer in Puerto Rico connecting with her father’s heritage. Have you ever researched your family tree?

Debbie: Sad to say, but I haven't yet visited Haiti, the place my parents were born. But I adore everything about the vibrant Haitian heritage I inherited. In researching my family, I've learned that my relatives left their mark on Haitian history. For example, my dad's great great grandfather played a role in the Haitian Revolution. My dad even pointed out the page where our great-great-great grandad's photo was included in his school history books. Pretty cool.

Q: Where were you when you found out that your book was going to be published?
Debbie: I was on vacation in Accra, Ghana with my husband. We stopped by this tiny but crowded Internet cafe in the heart of the busy capitol one night. That's where I read my agent's email announcing my book deal. I was mad excited, but I kept cool until I exited the café, so as not to cause a scene and incite panic in such a tight space. Once outside, I told the hubby and we celebrated over chilled bottles of pineapple juice.

Thank you, Debbie! Now, everyone go out and buy books, lots and lots of books!

Hi, My Name’s Diana, And I Didn’t Like New Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:33:00 +0000

It’s painful to admit it. And I know it’s unpopular. But I have chosen to confess publicly that I did not enjoy the big screen version of The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Like, I thought the special effects guys should get a raise and the director should have to sit in time-out and “think about what he did wrong.”

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read the book(s), please lift that rock above your head and read no further. Because I’m going to delve into plot points.

DOUBLE SPOILER: Also, if you haven’t seen the movie, plan to do so, and don’t want me to ruin it with my critical opinions, stop here.

Okay, so let me first say that I love the Twilight book franchise. I’ve read them all more than once, and I even own the DVD of the Twilight movie.

Now given that, I had some problems with the first movie, namely the special effects--like, I honestly laughed when Edward jumped from his bedroom to that tree and they looked like they were suspended with the Peter Pan wire from your community’s last theater production. I also thought the love story was rushed in Twilight and could have used a few extra scenes to better show the evolution of their relationship from strangers to soul mates.

However, comparatively speaking, I have now come to appreciate Catherine Hardwicke’s vision. She was creative, she was edgy, and she went off script (or off book). She gave you fun relevant scenes that weren’t in the novel. Like the vampires killing that guy in the fishing boat. Like the opening with the deer in the woods. Like the “Say it, out loud. Vampire,” scene. And her montages during Bella’s lullaby and the ballet studio, all gave viewers peeks into moments we didn’t get to experience as readers.

Chris Weitz, however, showed the creativity a tree stump. If Stephenie didn’t write it, we didn’t see it (with the exception of one brief fight scene with Felix in the Volturi chamber).

When the movie opened with Bella’s dream of her grandmother, my heart sank with disappointment. It was so boring compared to the deer in the woods. Or even the glimpse of Bella in Arizona. Those “extra” scenes in Twilight made me excited for the rest of the movie.

The dream was dull. I would have much rather have had a montage of Bella and Edward all happy and in love during the summer, something readers never got to enjoy. Show us the honeymoon period, so the impending loss would be more dramatic. My DH didn’t even realize that New Moon was supposed to be set in a new school year, he thought it was the day after the end of Twilight.

And Bella's depression? I can't believe they just had her sit in a chair and flash the names of the months. It was a great technique in the book, but for a movie, I would have rather seen Renee show up and try to pack her things, the doctor call her comotose, her dad frustrated by her pain. Something blurry and warped through the lens of her depression.

And don't even get me started on the quickie rush through the Volturi. After the millions of trailers, I thought (hoped) half the film would be in Italy. And it should have been. Michael Sheen as Aro rocked to the point he should get a spin-off prequel: “Twilight: The Rise of the Volturi.” But no, we were in and out of there.

Overall, halfway through, the DH turned to me and said “this movie sucks.” And I have to agree. It was just too literal. I know as a reader and an author, I should appreciate a movie being so closely tied to the novel. But I felt it was just missing that “movieness,” that little something extra that captures the essence of the book without boring you with a page-by-page Cliff’s Notes synopsis.

So props to the special effects guys—those wolves were awesome! And props to the make up people because all of the actors looked unbelievably better—the Cullens no longer look like the Adam’s family. And props to the actors for doing the best with what they had (this includes Taylor’s abs).

But thumbs down to the director for giving us a film with no more artistic vision than a play-by-play on SportsCenter. Let’s hope the director of Eclipse, David Slade, has a bit more spunk. I want some advanced glimpses of that newborn vampire army, and a heck of a montage of the vampire wars in the South.

But nevermind me, what about you guys? Did you love New Moon? What grabbed you or what didn't? And what would you like from the next film?

My White Whale Lives On

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:46:00 +0000

So back in May, I blogged about my White Whale. My first manuscript. The one that got away. The book that despite a heaping helping of rejection letters, I just can’t let go of. I told you I was going to dust it off, polish it up, and send it out into the world all shiny and new. And I’m happy to report I did just that.

Okay, don’t jump to conclusions. I didn’t sell it. Yet.

But I can say that for the first time in the five years since I conceptualized it, I finally feel at peace with this great white beast. I have conquered my objective to create a realistic depiction of the (often nasty) friendships that exist between 13-year-old girls with enough internal monologue to make even the great Angela Chase proud.

It’s told from four different girls’ points of view and each contains snippets of thoughts and observations that I pulled from my own middle and high school journals. No joke. I really cracked open diaries to get a fresh perspective on how I looked at my friends and boyfriends at that time. And here's what I found.

The Collected Wisdom Of My Teenage Self:

• It’s the feeling you get when he smiles at you and says hi. And the feeling you get when he’s talking to another girl.
• As much as I hate to admit it, I think she’s too much like me. And that’s what makes our friendship so boring.
• Some of the cheerleaders on our squad don’t deserve to be there.
• It hurts every time I see him with her, which is often.
• We’re not friends anymore. Actually, it’s as if we’re acting like we’ve forgotten how much time we used to spend together.
• I have to wonder if he ever thinks of me, and if so does he think of me as much I do him? I don’t think I want to know the answer to that question.
• I’ve said goodbye to a lot of people in my life. But it’s only been one day and I already miss her. Maybe because this is different. I’m missing someone who’s standing right in front of me.
• For that one instant, I had his full attention.

There you have it, a sneak peek-- thoughts plucked from my own teenage brain that I’ve embedded in my manuscript. So if THE EX BFF (current title, the manuscript’s gone through many) ever does make its way to a bookshelf, maybe I’ll do a contest and ask you all to guess which thoughts are mine.

Because much like the Breakfast Club, I discovered that I was once a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Okay, not really. But you get my drift. Ahh, middle school...

POP CULTURE RANT: General Hospital
So James Franco has officially made his debut in the soap world, and so far he’s really creepy. But in a good way. Yesterday’s episode almost felt like a movie, which is about as high of praise as you can give to a daytime drama. It seems as if all the other actors are stepping up their game to match their Oscar-nominated guest star. And it’s impressive. Maybe if the writers and actors put this much effort into all of their work, the genre wouldn’t be in so much trouble. Just saying…

GCC's Laurie Stolarz Has Two Hot Books in the Time for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:45:00 +0000

It’s been awhile, but the GCC is finally back in full swing. And I’m thrilled to kick off this new round of tours with Laurie Stolarz who is the author of not one, but TWO, great new young adult novels: Black is for Beginnings, and Deadly Little Lies. One is even full of pictures for those graphic novel enthusiasts out there.

As always, here’s a little bit about her books to get you hooked:

The BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series that put a spell on more than half a million readers continues – in graphic novel format! Prophetic nightmares. Near-brushes with death. Killers pursuing her and her friends. Stacey Brown knows that being a hereditary witch isn’t all it's cracked up to be.
All she really wants to do is work things out with Jacob and figure out what to do with the rest of her life. But before Stacey and Jacob can have a future, they must face their pasts. BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS reveals the never-before-seen backstory - and what lies ahead - for the young, spellcasting lovers.
BLACK continues the harrowing adventures of Stacey and Jacob in the wake of Jacob's brush with death. Ever since he lost his memory, Jacob hasn't been able to remember Stacey - his own soul mate. He leaves Massachusetts, returning to his childhood home in Colorado, hoping to jog his memory. What he remembers is Kira, his ex-girlfriend. As Jacob works to piece together his past, will there be room for Stacey in his future?

DEADLY LITTLE LIES: Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, a new boy at school who had a very mysterious gift – psychometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry and experiencing strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow been transferred to her.
Ben returns to school, but he remains aloof, and Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Camelia makes the painful decision to let him go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at Knead, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events uncovers secrets from Ben’s past – and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out who – before it's too late.

For more, watch her awesome book trailer.

Here’s what Laurie had to say:

Q: In AMOR AND SUMMER SECRETS, Mariana discovers a hidden family secret. Are you a good secret keeper?
Laurie: I’m the best secret keeper. Seriously, when you tell me something in confidence, it’s like locking it up in a vault. I feel flattered when people feel they can open up to me by telling me something private. I’d never want to betray that. Even if I stop speaking with the person, I feel it’s not my place to tell their secret or story.

Q: What is the favorite place you ever traveled to, and what was the coolest thing you saw/did there?
Laurie: In college, I studied abroad in Cannes and Paris and had the time of my life. I backpacked across Europe with some friends, staying in hostels and sleeping on trains. It’s hard to choose the coolest thing I saw or did because it was all so amazing.

Q: I often tell the story of how a psychic once predicted that I would go on to write children’s books. Have you ever visited a psychic?
Laurie: No, I never visited a psychic, but once when I was in TJ Maxx, Laurie Cabot, Salem, Massachusetts’ official witch, shoved a crystal cluster rock into my hand and told me the entire plot of my novel (one that had already been written and was sitting in the hands of my thesis advisor). She didn’t “sense” it was a novel, however. She pegged me as the main character and she told me my life was in danger and that I had 4 days to do something about it. She went on to describe the killer and told me not to go anyplace alone for one week. All the while she was talking to me, I just kept thinking: this is my novel. Blue is for Nightmares came out about a year and a half later. There’s no way she could have read the novel beforehand. Only some fellow classmates and my thesis chair and reader had access to it.

My fated visit to the psychic was in Salem! Gotta love it!

Q: My character Mariana spends her summer in Puerto Rico connecting with her father’s heritage. Have you ever researched your family tree?
Laurie: I’d love to go to Ireland and trace my grandfather’s heritage. Unfortunately, I never got there when I was in Europe.

Q: Where were you when you found out that your book was going to be published?
Laurie: I actually got the contract in the mail before I even got a phone call. I thought it was a little odd, so I wasn’t really sure it was real.

Thank you, Laurie! Now, everyone go out and buy books, lots and lots of books!

I’m Leavin’ On a Jet Plane

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:24:00 +0000

Okay, actually I’m not. I’m driving in a UHaul, but same deal. “All my bags are packed and I’m ready to go…” And the DH and I are moving to places unknown.

You see, while we may have sold our house and purchased another, the new abode isn’t expected to be ready for habitation until the daffodils bloom. Yeah, that’s a little while from now considering we’re still in the season of mums and pumpkins.

So where are we going to live ‘til then? See I thought you’d ask, but unfortunately, I can’t tell you. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. Or that I’m scared you’re gonna go all Single White Female and start following me in stilettos (well, not entirely because of that).

It’s that I promised “Those Who Will House Me Until Then” that I will not blog about the experience. At least, not directly. ‘Cause you know, they’ve got friends who peruse this blog and it might make for awkward dinner party conversation if they’re like “Hey, I read you left the water running!” Some people just value their privacy more than us bloggers. Weird, I know.

But I will tell you this: a) there are no potholes where I’m going; b) my cat will like the views from the windows; c) there is a cleaning lady; d) it will significantly cut my DH’s commute to work.

I’ll try to slip in some more clues about my undisclosed hidden location as time goes on. And, of course, I’ll post pictures of the new house when there’s more to show you then studs and electrical wires. Not that our studs aren’t awesome. The DH is already very excited about the formation of the ceiling beams (I’m not joking).

And I also have to give a huge shout out (yes, I said that) to everyone who helped us move our unfathomable pile of stuff yesterday. Our awesome neighbors loaded every single box from our house into the moving truck! This was unplanned. They all had other things to do on an unseasonably warm 70 degree Sunday afternoon. But when they saw our moving truck pull up, they came out to volunteer a hand. How nice are they? Seriously. I will miss these people.

Also, thanks to my brother who carried a leather chair and a television set down three flights of steps. And thanks to Jen, Craig, Krav, and Matt for unloading the UHaul. And of course thanks to “Those Who Will House Me Until Then” for, you know, housing us…until then.

POP CULTURE RANT: DVR Countdown
While we’ve moved all of our stuff, we technically don’t settle on the house until Friday. So we’re squatting in our Philly residence with nothing but a bed and a tiny kitchen television until then. This means we have four days to watch everything saved on our DVR. Because once we go to “Those Who Will House Me Until Then,” we will lose our cable box. So here’s hoping we find time to watch half a season of Mad Men, most of 30 Rock, the Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and everything else we’ve got stored to capacity. The outlook doesn’t look good.

This Is Where We Used to Live

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:28:00 +0000

So I’m officially moving. The date is set. The truck is booked. And the inspection hoo-ha is finally over (finally!). Now I just need to put stuff in boxes, tape ‘em shut, fold some clothes, bubble wrap some wine glasses, take some pictures off the walls, clear some closets out… or, I could just ignore that whole packing thing and throw a party with my neighbors instead. Um, I think I’m gonna go with the last one.

Yesterday, the DH and I hosted a party I’ve aptly named “Goodbye Sweet Neighbors! I shan’t forget you!” (If anyone gets that cultural reference, I’ll send you some packing peanuts.) After six years, I can now officially say that we can cram 20 people into our house (including neighbors, a sprinkling of family, and some pint-sized toddler friends).

I made butternut squash and sweet potato soup; grilled thyme chicken sandwiches with brie, apple butter, pears, granny smiths, and spinach; and a spring mix salad with apples, pears, cranberries, pine nuts, and goat cheese. Fancy, right? Though I hardly ate anything. That’s my problem with cooking for large parties, I spend so much time working on the food that I no longer have interest in eating it. I wonder if Rachael Ray has a cure for that?

Anyway, the best part of the whole party was the champagne toast where my DH and I got to look out at all of our full-of-awesome neighbors who have lived next to us for the past six years. That really will be the saddest part of this move—not the house, or the location, or the Starbucks down the street. But I’ll miss our courtyard friends who throw BBQs, Halloween parties, Christmas parties, and even feed my cat when we go on vacation.

I hope the new owners appreciate them as much. If not, I’m leaving specific instructions with our ghosts to haunt them freely until they do.

POP CULTURE RANT: Bare Naked Ladies
You can’t pack up a house without having “The Old Apartment” stuck in your head. I keep dusting off vases and packing books humming, “I know we don’t live here anymore…This is where we used to live!” Another artist really needs to make a song like this. All these sappy tunes about romance, break ups, heartbreak--we need more moving day representation in modern lyrics. Everybody moves.

I’m your biggest fan, I’ll follow you until you love me!

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:22:00 +0000

I’ve always liked dressing up on Halloween. My earliest memory of the holiday is of wearing yellow footy pajamas with a Tweetie Bird mask in my old house. Ahh, memories. Years past I’ve gone as a genie, a witch, an M&M, a hippy, and more recently, white trash Britney.

Usually I have to force my DH into costume. He says he’s “not that into” the holiday. But when you get invited to awesome parties, you can’t just throw on a cheap wig and call it a costume. You need (as the teacher says in A Christmas Story) a “theme.”

So this year, I thought creative, I thought pop culture, I thought US Weekly, and I came up with what I think is some very timely attire: Lady Gaga and Papa, Paparazzi!

Yes, I realize I look like a complete nutjob, but it's Halloween! Loosen up! Sing with me, “I’m your biggest fan, I’ll follow you until you love me! Papa, Paparazzi!” (Believe me that song sticks in your head especially if you go around all night singing it.)

And I’m not the only one who thought of it!

Turns out our hostest with the mostest, Regina (of the awesome fashion blog, Here Comes Gina) also went GaGa this year. But with a very different look.

So here we are in our dueling Lady Gaga ensembles with the real lady herself in the photos below.

Not bad, right? Considering I bought my outfit on South Street in what passes as a real clothing store (the headpiece is a feather boa twisty-tied onto a headband). Gina’s outfit, I am fairly positive, was purchased in much more classier establishments. And in case you’re wondering, my MTV “moon man” is actually one of my DH’s second-place soccer trophies covered in tinfoil. See, there’s a reason his parents didn’t throw out that room full of little league memorabilia!

POP CULTURE RANT: Alanis’ Lady Lumps
I know I’m late to the party on this, but I heard this song on the radio for the first time during our traffic clogged drive to our romantic hot air balloon excursion. And it took me a good minute to realize what song this was. I’m like “Hold on, is this?” “Wait, no, this can’t be…” “Um, I think it is…” Yes, Alanis Morissette is covering the Black Eyed Peas “My Humps,” and it is straight up fantastic. So check it out. SNL should have thought of this years ago.

You can see the entire video here, they just wouldn’t let me embed it for some reason.

Amelia Earhart Lives in Hawaii, So Say Philly Students

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:17:00 +0000

So I did a workshop at the University City Arts League yesterday with my youngest group of students ever (8-12 years old). And I was a little nervous because when I visited a third grade class last year hands went up after every fifth word I said (“Do you have pets?” “Do you like the Red Sox?”). But I’m happy to report that the group of Philadelphia students yesterday were creative, fun, engaged, and excellent young writers!

Now, my workshop centers on the class working together to create one story based on a nugget of truth from their own lives. So yesterday our story started off with one student’s suggestion that:

He’s “afraid to fly.”

But by the end of that story, our character (Joey, 13, from Philadelphia) had parents who died tragically on the planes on 9/11:

He has a grandmother he’s moving in with who lives in Hawaii and travels for business:

He survives a water landing on the way to Hawaii and has to swim to a deserted island:

Only to find the pilot badly injured and realize he has to fly the plane himself to his grandmother’s house:

Who just happens to be the long lost Amelia Earhart:

Helping him to get over his fear of flying and become an airplane crash inspector:

How great is that?

Thanks to the Philly Spells Writing Center for putting the workshop together. I couldn’t have asked for a more creative bunch of kids!

POP CULTURE RANT: Phillies
I’m so sick of the Yankees. I had the displeasure of living in Manhattan during the (I can barely say it) “Subway Series.” It was a miserable time to be a non-New Yorker in NY. Add to that, I went to school a few blocks from Fenway, and I’ve come to be one of those people who sees (ugh) Derek Jeter and cringes like something smells bad. That said, I’m so glad the Phillies won and put a few wrinkles in all the “predictions” going on in the sports world. As Rich Hofmann of the Philadelphia Daily News said:

“In the end, almost nobody [sports commentators] could see the most clutch team in recent Philadelphia memory pulling out the series…Such is the power of New York, of the Yankees, of the pinstripes. The history and the legacy are clear and unrivaled, and it is all true. But baseball isn't about history or legacy. It is about two teams in 2009 - because, you know, Babe Ruth is dead. Now the Phillies have the advantage and the Yankees are the team facing the pressure in Game 2.”

Goodbye Toto! Goodbye Balloon Boy! My Trip in Hot Air

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Rodriguez Wallach) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:49:00 +0000

So the day after Balloon Boy faked out the country and hid in his attic rather than floating dangerously in a balloon, my DH and I were scheduled to take a hot air balloon ride. No joke. It was our five-year anniversary and we were going to spend it cruising above the autumn leaves in Chester County, PA.

But alas, it rained in buckets, so we rescheduled. And you know what we got instead? A balloon ride this past Sunday on one of the prettiest October days you ever did see. It was warm. It was sunny. And the foliage was all orange and yellow. (It sounds like a cheesy sitcom, doesn’t it? The couple running off to look at foliage?)

Anyway, I thought I’d share my experiences floating around the air in a wicker basket. First, you get pretty high up there. At one point we were at 3,400 feet. We could see all the way from the farms of Chester County to the skyline of Philadelphia (about an hour and half away). We could even see to Ocean City, NJ at one point.

And oddly, you barely feel like you’re moving, just kind of hovering—on your feet, because you stand the whole time (about an hour). And the balloon really does shoot flames, like big hot flames (think dragon breath and that’s what it looked like).

There’s also, surprisingly, competition in the balloon industry. When we were up there, we saw three other hot air balloons cruising, all fighting for market share. Some balloons even have advertising on them.

And finally, but most strange in my opinion, you land randomly in some stranger’s backyard. Yup, the pilot just picks a stretch of grass and plunks the balloon down. Then the entire neighborhood comes out with their kids to greet you.

So I think our hot air balloon ride now makes us officially as cool as:

The cast of Police Academy 4

And the cartoon guys in Up

And... wait for it... the Muppets! How awesome is that?

And of course, Dorothy & Co. in the Wizard of Oz. One of our fellow ballooners even yelled “Goodbye Toto! Goodbye Oz!” as we took off. Too cute.

So if you’ve never done it, I highly recommend it. Just don’t spend all day watching balloon boy coverage before you do. Because it’s way cooler (and less dramatic) than CNN made it seem.

POP CULTURE RANT: NJ Governor’s Race
I don’t even live in NJ, and I’m getting sick of these commercials. But I have to say that the latest one claiming that if Chris Christie is in office women will no longer have mammograms covered by health insurance is kind of alarming (disgusting?). And the sad thing is, Factcheck.org doesn’t completely dispute it. Now I’m not taking sides here. I don’t even live in the state and thus can’t vote, but I would think that in this point in history it’s not too popular to be giving more power to health insurance companies. And given that it’s breast cancer awareness month, and that my mother is a breast cancer survivor, I really hope Christie doesn’t plan to do anything that would even remotely limit a single woman’s access to a mammogram.