Susane Colasanti - Journal

the coolest street in town

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:14:45 GMT

Forty years ago today, the first episode of Sesame Street was born. It was sponsored by the letters W, S and E and the numbers 2 and 3. Since that day, the show has done a brilliant job of evolving with the times. It is still relevant. It is still teaching in a way that speaks to us. And it is still freaking awesome.

I've posted some clips of the Yip-Yip Aliens already, so here's one with Kermit, Cookie, and the Mystery Box. I love that Cookie has recently explained how cookies are "sometimes food" while fruit is for everyday. Not that he's thinking about fruit here.

Happy birthday, Sesame Street!

looking forward

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:57:06 GMT

Last week kind of sucked. On Monday and Tuesday, I felt like I was coming down with a cold, but it didn't really materialize into anything serious. Then on Wednesday it was like, Wham! What I thought was a cold revealed itself to be a nasty stomach virus. Not cool. It was disgusting. Fortunately, it was not as disgusting as that crazy food poisoning thing a bunch of us had a while back. Which was caused by E. coli from tomato plants, by the way. Judy Blume had it. She posted a photo on her blog where she was sleeping on the bathroom floor with pillows and blankets and stuff. I remember being like, Dude! That's such a good idea!

This was not that bad. Mainly, it just made me exhausted all week. I'm not good about working when I'm sick. I probably could manage to write, but I'm sure that everything I write would sound all groggy. So I took several sick days. Luckily, my boss is flexible about such things. That's a joke because my boss is me. Hilarious. You know Michael's World's Best Boss mug on The Office? I just got a World's Best Boss mug keychain, since it works both ways.

So yeah. It's back to work time! Plus, there are lots of things to look forward to this week. I will hopefully be making progress on this second draft. I'm visiting Manhattan Village Academy's book club today as part of the Adopt-A-School program. Sesame Street is celebrating its 40th birthday tomorrow. I'm finally going to see Whip It this weekend, if it's still playing. And I just heard some exciting news from my agent. Something Like Fate is Penguin's lead book for the Summer 2010 season! That means fun times are ahead. I should have marketing details to share with you soon. In the meantime, back to making some second draft magic...

clarity

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:29:16 GMT

In a negative situation, I always try to find something positive. Something positive about not having dental insurance is that I can go to any dentist I want. True, I might have to take out a small loan to pay for my visits. But I have finally found an Awesome Dentist! I always hoped that the Awesome Dentist existed, despite worrying that he was merely a mythical entity, rather like unicorns or zero-calorie cupcakes that taste like real cupcakes and not some sugar-free, low-fat variety which, really, why even bother? So I am very happy to announce that for the first time in my life, I have an Awesome Dentist. I've had Dumbass Dentist, Ghetto Dentist, Evil Dentist, Evil Dentist Group Practice (who were clearly practicing how to extort ridiculous amounts of money from their patients by performing all sorts of unnecessary procedures), and Grumpy Dentist. How relieved am I that dental karma is now showering me with its powers?

About as relieved to discover that my bottom wisdom teeth will never be pulled. Awesome Dentist took a 3-D image of my mouth and determined that the only way to pull my wisdom teeth would be to first remove chunks of my jawbone. Um, I'm good with all my jawbone intact, thanks. He also said there's no reason why they should be pulled, despite all previous dentists yammering at me to get them out. Not only is Awesome Dentist awesome, he also specializes in sedation dentistry, dealing with sensitivity, and Invisalign. So I'm going back next week to do impressions for my braces. And then I'll have braces. Invisalign is crazy expensive, but it comes with perks (like going on the back of the teeth and taking them out to eat), so hopefully having braces 20 years too late will be minimally traumatic.

Remember that rad poster alert from Wednesday? The mystery has been solved. It was part of Penguin's booth at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where galleys of Something Like Fate were distributed. More photos from the fair were posted at The Letter Garden. Thanks to Ka-Yam for this incredible documentation! My editor also helped crack the case by discovering that it wasn't actually a poster. It was more like a wall panel, so there's no way to get one. Which is sad because it would have made a sweet door poster. But hey, maybe more Something Like Fate walls will pop up at book fairs here in the States! Let's be on the lookout.

rad poster alert

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:17:10 GMT

Spotted: One rad poster.

I don't know where this is or where it came from. All I know is that it's freaking awesome:

Sources say it may be located in Germany. Jack Bauer is on a mission to identify its coordinates.

Over.

between drafts

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:41:33 GMT

Over the weekend, I finished the first draft of book five. My goal was to finish this draft by the end of October. For a while there, I wasn't sure I'd make it. But when failure is not an option, magic happens. There's still a ton of work to do. My first drafts are never pretty. I have to do a second draft and then a third before I can submit the manuscript to my editors. Hopefully, I'm in for a fun ride.

Then there was the big Village Halloween Parade. Even though it passes by right around the corner, I hadn't seen it in years. We had a friend visiting who wanted to see it. So we stood out in the warm night (which was awesome because having to wear a coat over your costume sucks) and watched the fabulous parade. The best costumes were some Wild Things. Every year there's this group of weird skeletons. They are huge! I might have a short video of them to show you soon.

Our friend was visiting from Toronto. He works on the set of Degrassi! He brought me swag! They just wrapped season 9 and wait until you see what happens. There's a major plot point that, sadly, I cannot share. However, I am allowed to tell you the following:

1. The main actors get paid a flat rate of $1,000 per day, regardless of what they do. Whether someone works for a few minutes in a short scene or they have to pull a 14-hour day, they still get paid the same. Fascinating.

2. Joey sold his hat from Degrassi Junior High on eBay and the studio got mad at him. I'm siding with Joey on this one. If the studio is going to be all possessive about their stuff, then they shouldn't give it away. I wonder if Joey regrets selling his famous fedora.

Okay, the second draft is waiting to be written. I wonder if there's a way to work in a Degrassi beach towel...

5

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:02:55 GMT

1. Yay for Laurie Halse Anderson! She rocked the house yesterday on Penguin's Point of View website. Her reading/Q&A event streamed live for all to see. You could even submit questions online. I was stoked when my question was selected! I asked, "What's the one thing you hope that your books can do most for teens?" And guess what? Laurie and I have the same exact answer! Which is to help teens feel less alone. I was a bit verklempt to be connecting with one of my role models in this way, all united by a common purpose. Love her.

2. The Cybils nominations are out. This list of awesome YA novels that were released over the past year includes lots of my faves. It's a good resource if you're looking for new book recommendations.

3. When I signed some books recently, I noticed that When It Happens is in its 10th printing! It was really cool to see that "10" there all by itself. I was a bit verklempt again. Of course, a 10th printing would not be possible without everyone who has read or talked about or shared this book. Word of mouth is a very powerful force. So I have all of you to thank for your kindness. Thank you thank you thank you! You guys rule.

4. Princess Bookie recently had a contest where you could redesign certain book covers. Although the contest is closed, it's fun to see alternate cover designs. Redesigns of the Something Like Fate cover were included. Cindy's blog is super impressive, so go on over for a visit if you haven't seen it yet.

5. Apparently, Halloween is tomorrow. Do not get me started on how quickly October flew by. We have a friend visiting, so we'll watch the big Halloween parade here in the Village. If I dress up, I'm going as three-hole-punch Dave, a composite of two Jim Halpert costumes. My Yip-Yips costume idea will have to wait. Whether you'll be trick-or-treating, partying like the rock star you are or having a low-key night, be safe and have a fabulous time!

sensitivity

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:43:04 GMT

Guess who's getting braces?

That would be me.

I probably should have gotten braces, like, 20 years ago. As a neglected teen, I usually didn't have even the basic things I needed, much less some expensive braces. My Gram did intervene in her classic superhero ways and managed to set me up with a retainer. But the retainer hurt. It kept scraping my gums. It was anchored around my bottom wisdom teeth, which hurt all the time. And I kept throwing it out with my lunch. So now I need to fix the problem. Oh, and those bottom wisdom teeth? Need to come out.

If it wasn't for the issue of getting my wisdom teeth pulled, I wouldn't be so resistant about braces. They're not the old-school metal kind that Miranda had in Sex and the City where she asked that girl, "Are your braces blue?" and the girl was all, "No, they're sapphire." Mine will be the invisible kind that go on the back of your teeth, so no one can even tell you have them. Plus, my dentist says they'll only be on for less than a year. So it's time to move forward, despite the horrific expense. Did I mention that I don't have dental insurance anymore? I know, the fun times just keep coming!

My top wisdom teeth were pulled years ago. It was pretty bad. Mainly because I have a really sensitive system. I would love to be less sensitive, but that's not happening. My pain threshold is so low it's subterranean. I can't drink caffeine without feeling sick. Even cold medicine makes me feel weird. But I have to accept who I am and make the most of my lacking attributes, of which there are many. While sensitivity sucks in the face of teeth yanking, it's good for writing books. So I'll focus on writing. And psyching myself up to make that appointment. Which I'll be making any minute now...

my neighborhood rules

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:51:34 GMT

People sometimes ask me why I pay so much rent to live in a tiny apartment (which is an average size for the West Village but microscopic anywhere else) when I could own a massive five-bedroom house in Kentucky for the same amount. The reasons for this are infinite. It's mostly about the energy. It's also about experiences like last Saturday night, aka The Ultimate New York City Night.

I'm a huge fan of a certain famous person who lives in my neighborhood. Out of respect for his privacy, I can't write his name here. However, I can give you the following hints about his identity:

1. I mentioned I was going to his house on my Twitter.
2. We get together now and then to have lunch.

He just bought a house a few blocks away from my place. You basically have to be him to own an entire brownstone around here. A friend of mine is his interior designer, so I got to visit his house. It's still being worked on, which means I'm allowed to show you a photo or two. This is part of his changing room:

The first floor has an amazing front room with a fireplace (I think there are eight fireplaces in total) and built-in bookshelves around the windows. Built-in bookshelves are a passionate desire of mine. These won't stay white like mine will be one day, but they are still gorgeous:

After the tour, we went to The Waverly Inn. I've always wanted to go there. It's this restaurant that doesn't even have a phone number -reservations are that exclusive. But another friend of mine (who is the boyfriend of my interior designer friend) is a fitness instructor at Equinox around the corner, so he'll saunter over during the day to make reservations. I know, my friends are outstanding! Shout-out to SP for hooking me up. Usually there's some movie star or other at The Waverly Inn. There wasn't anyone famous there Saturday night, though. Just some guy who looked like that guy from that show. But I do have one thing to show you:

See this plate of mac and cheese? It's not just any mac and cheese. This mac and cheese is $95.00. It has shaved white truffles on top. While I think it's outrageous that there can be $95.00 mac and cheese, I cannot deny its deliciousness.

That's the news from the nabe for now. When his house is finished and I get to see it again, I might be able to post a photo or two here. Stay tuned.

5

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:11:55 GMT

1. As Teen Read Week wraps up, I'd like to remind you to read something out of this world. To celebrate this most fabulous week, Readergirlz has been posting tributes to authors made of awesome. If you're looking for some good book recommendations, you should head over there.

2. Dissecting Perfection has compiled a Fall 2009 playlist entitled YA Celebs Playlist. Along with a bunch of other authors and bloggers, I answered the question, "What's your fall anthem of choice?" Regular readers will be less than shocked by my response.

3. Speaking of John Mayer, I'm a bit irritated. His new album, Battle Studies, drops on November 17. I could not be more excited. He's even having a small album release concert. When tickets went on sale, they were only available to existing members of his fan club. Which of course includes me. But I didn't get my tickets! Because right when they went on sale at 10:00, the website didn't refresh my page the way it was supposed to. Then it was 10:01. Then 10:02. The dread was unbearable. At 10:03, I was forwarded to the sales page. By then all the good seats were sold out. I could always go and sit way in the back, but I know me. I'll just be fuming the whole time that I'm not closer and I can't see and there's some dumbass who's not even a fan in the front row, checking his messages and not knowing any of the songs. Blerg.

4. When Thirtysomething was on, I was 13. I was not interested in watching the show. It was about grownups. Grownups were not interesting. Even so, I remember getting a sense that the show would be good. So I've been watching the first season, and it really is good! I love shows where people just sit around talking about everyday stuff that we can all relate to. If you can look past the goofy 80s fashion atrocities, you'll see a show that was ahead of its time.

5. The last few days were gorgeous! Today is cold and rainy, which is actually a good thing. It was so perfect out yesterday that I kept finding excuses to do errands. Now I have a lot of writing to do. Last night we went to the High Line to watch the sunset. That place is magical, especially at night. It was all city lights and big sky and waxing crescent moon:

Hoping you find some magic this weekend!

automated message

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:27:31 GMT

Dear Blog Readers,

Susane will not be writing a journal entry today. After a freakishly early attack of pre-winter, she is spending the day outside. It is 70 degrees. It is sunny. She will be wearing flip-flops and hugging trees in the park.

Peace out.

Love,
Sexy New iMac

the return

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:15:50 GMT

When I graduated from high school, I ran out of that place swearing that I'd never go back, ever. I was finally free. Never ever would I ever go back to the scene of countless emotional traumas.

So of course I just went back.

Facebook was involved. I reconnected over there with my friend from back in the day, Paula. I thought it would be really fun to see her after almost two decades. Around that time, I was considering going back to my old high school for reasons related to the new book I'm writing. Then my lIbrary event was scheduled (thanks for an awesome time, Kimberly!) and...it all came together.

When we graduated, a massive renovation of the school was just staring. Now the kids have an insanely schmancy new auditorium, new high-tech photo lab, new cafeteria, new freaking everything. I'm all jealous of their improved school experience, but I'm not jealous that they're there. I was drooling over the new science wing. The only remaining science teacher from the old days totally remembered me from Science League!

Which got me thinking about the things we remember about school and the things we block out. I seem to have blocked out a lot of the horror. That's one reason I wanted to go back - I was hoping the visit might unlock some things. Paula remembers so much, though. She was telling me about all this stuff that happened and I was like, Really? I did that? She brought her photo album to show me old pictures of us. Here's what's strange: Looking at pictures of yourself with no memory of being there, doing whatever you were doing in the picture. Apparently, I was a Corn Flake for Halloween one year.

Was I traumatized by my return? Not at all. In fact, it was a good example of how time heals. To all of my teen readers who are having the worst experience of your life right now, please know this. The badness comes to an end. Your real life starts. And everything just gets better from there. So keep the hope of a better life alive, and one day soon you will be living it.

secret adventure

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:50:00 GMT

Starting tomorrow, I'll be embarking on a secret adventure. The secret adventure will commence after my visit to the Elizabeth Public Library in New Jersey. If you're a teen who would like to stop by, here are the details.

Some things about the secret adventure are:

1. It involves doing something I said I'd never do.
2. It's both exciting and scary.
3. It involves a reunion.
4. It is not sky diving.

Of course I will document everything for you. Until then...

event news

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:34:13 GMT

This Thursday, October 15 I'll be at the Elizabeth Public Library in New Jersey for a Q&A session in the Teen Department. The event will take place from 5:00 to 6:30. I'll also be signing books and enjoying some Coffee Talk with my people, only without the coffee. If you are a teen who wants to stop by, here's where you can find me:

Elizabeth Public Library
Teen Department, 3rd Floor
11 South Broad Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07202
908.354.6060 x7235

Until then, I'll be reading over the first pass of Something Like Fate. The first pass is printed from the galley pages, corrected by copyeditors, then passed on to the author for final corrections. This is my last chance to catch any remaining typos or make small changes if anything sounds off. I am scrutinizing!

I am also trying to remain calm in the midst of this strange pre-winter. I get the feeling that this winter is going to be an extremely cold one, complete with a blizzard or two. It really doesn't help that Pier 1 already has Christmas displays in their windows or that every night this week is getting down into the 40s. How bogus is that? It's the beginning of fall! But we must go with the flow. So I will think warm, tropical thoughts and try to focus on appreciating the Now. Even if the Now includes a busted radiator.

it's a jam thing

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:42:39 GMT

After several long days of getting my Dreamweaver and Photoshop on, I've managed to revamp my website with some updates. Before my website was designed, I knew I wanted it to have a scrapbook theme. I'm into archival scrapbooking and I think the layout reflects the tone of my books. So I didn't go in and overhaul the whole look or anything. I just redid the homepage with new colors and fonts, plus updated my Q&A page. I also created a Something Like Fate page. If you're wondering what the book is about, you can find a short synopsis there. Your feedback is welcome - is there anything not on my website that you'd like me to add?

Speaking of websites, the fact that Jim and Pam's wedding site is a real thing redefines spectacular. I think it's so cool when fictional characters make their way into the real world. Since I live in this world, I am aware that the big wedding was last night. I am also aware that, being a hardcore fan, I should have watched it at a friend's place. But I'm still savoring season four, so I didn't want to encounter any spoilers. It's taking Pam coal walking strength for me not to watch it online. Not having a TV can be frustrating sometimes (like, once or twice a year), but I do love the anticipation. Conflict! I did go ahead and sign Jim and Pam's guest book, though. Did you?

shiny new paperbacks

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:23:15 GMT

Exciting news: My paperback covers have a fresh new look! The main images are the same, but the covers have new fonts, tag lines, and embossing! I am so excited to see these on the shelves. They should look gorgeous because the spines all have a new look, too - these sweet watercolor stripes. Although the new editions won't be out for a few months, I just had to share them with you. If you see these When It Happens or Take Me There covers out in the world and are inspired to document them for me, that would rock.

When Waiting for You comes out in paperback next spring it will share the look, which actually isn't much different from the hardcover edition.

I love how my covers have a uniform, matching look now! Organization makes me happy.

seriously?

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:32:50 GMT

I'm grieving the loss of someone who isn't real.

I realize that T.R. Knight leaving Grey's Anatomy is old news. And I knew he left the show before I finished watching last season because I live in the world. But knowing something and having it hit you full-force are two completely different things. Last week as I was watching last season, I kept wondering why there wasn't enough George. The boy did not have one plotline. Not one! What kind of way is that to treat the best part of the show? Grey's Anatomy without George is like a S'more without the toasty marshmallow.

After I watched the last ep (which totally brought back that classic season two magic), I did some Googling. There was T.R. saying how he left because he was reduced to this random character with hardly any scenes. That was just a raw deal. It was a mistake to fade him into the background and I think the show will suffer that loss. Those of us who love George will require much recovery time. Plus a whole lot more of that season two magic.

George O'Malley, you live on in our hearts.

nick hornby = rock star

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:03:25 GMT

Back in 1998, I sent Nick Hornby a letter telling him how much I loved High Fidelity. Since Nick is awesome beyond belief, he sent me back a postcard. Of course I still have this postcard. His music obsessed characters and I have a few things in common. When one of my favorite authors sends me a postcard, I practically rent a billboard about it.

Here I am showing Nick the postcard after his Juliet, Naked reading on Tuesday:

I was in full-on Freaking Out in the Presence of Rock Star mode, which is how I always get when I meet my authors. Symptoms include nervousness, increased pulse rate, and incessant babbling. So of course I went on to babble about how in 2001 Nick signed my copy of High Fidelity and I asked him if he believes in true love and he said yes, do I? And I said that I do and how does he define true love? Nick wasn't sure. Then I was like, "Your characters never seem to find true love." He said, "No, but they will."

Now, a conversation like this was a lot easier to have eight years ago. Back then, it was just me and a few other people at Nick's reading, all gathered in an intimate little group chatting about life. This time, his reading was at the ginormous Union Square Barnes & Noble with tons of people standing in the back. I got there two hours early for my usual second-row center seat and was shocked that it was still available. It's official. Nick Hornby is a rock star.

After Nick signed my books (while he was chewing a piece of fluorescent yellow gum, which I thought was very cool), I gave him a copy of Waiting for You. He was appreciative:

Oh, I almost forgot. When I asked Nick how he defines true love at this point, he said that he still wasn't sure. Then he asked me the same thing. SP was there as my personal photographer, even though he had just been struck down with a bad cold. I thought that summed up the concept pretty well.

advance copies

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:26:50 GMT

Which book am I kissing this week?

The Something Like Fate galley! No way! I wasn't expecting the galleys to be printed this early, but it's so awesome that they are. It sounds like the friendly neighbors in sales and marketing are planning a lot of fun stuff for this book. I love that they're excited about getting the party started! As part of the fabulousness, the always awesome Penguin will be sending galleys to book bloggers and reviewers.

To be added to the mailing list, you can send me an email at friendly.neighbor [at] hotmail.com. Please include the following information in your email:

Your name
Your complete mailing address
A link to your website or blog

Galleys will only be sent to book reviewers in US and Canada. I'm not sure when they'll be sent out. It might not be for a few months, since the Something Like Fate pub date is May 18. But you should submit your request soon, as the offer is only good while supplies last.

The party has officially started. Woot!

orange sky

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:18:56 GMT

Your TGIM thought of the day is brought to you by this sweet sunset I watched in Mykonos. I spent part of today learning iMovie. Clearly, I have a lot more to learn. This video is jumpy in parts and the framing could be better. But I am learning.

One thing I'm learning is that, even though I perfectly edited "Orange Sky" by Alexi Murdoch as background music and it is the only acceptable sound for this video and I should be allowed to freaking use it because I am not doing anything evil, YouTube is not feeling any of that. So if you want to hear "Orange Sky" over the video, you can start the sound clip below first, then start playing the video.

I hope you enjoy this moment of Zen.

5

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:44:40 GMT

1. Can I just tell you how good Love Happens is? If it's playing near you and you've been considering going to see it, definitely go. It was refreshing to see Aaron Eckhart not playing an a-hole. I've always liked him, especially during his twisted Neil LaBute In the Company of Men days. Jennifer Aniston's character reminded me of Christian Slater in Bed of Roses, this 90s film I adore that never got the attention it deserves. I'm strongly recommending Love Happens, and not just because that was an alternate title for When It Happens. Warning: You will fall in love with the fluffy parrot and immediately want to go out after the movie and get your own fluffy parrot.

2. Before the movie started, there were previews for so many upcoming good movies I can't even. I seriously cannot wait for It's Complicated. Put together Meryl Streep, Steve Martin (love him!), Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski (still my #1 husband, despite rumors of a possible engagement), and a bunch of other awesome people, and you get a magical movie experience that will linger for weeks. Oh, and it's by Nancy Meyers. Enough said. But there's more. Whip It! comes out soon, along with Did You Hear About the Morgans? In that one, Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant go into a witness protection program. Which could go either way, now that I think about it. Precious (based on Push) looks amazing, but my heart shattered just watching the preview. I have a feeling it's going to be like Boys Don't Cry - a brilliant film that I can never watch again because it's too haunting.

3. Speaking of SJP, some Sex and the City movie filming took place right before I left for the islands. I was walking back from Rite Aid when I noticed that Carrie Bradshaw's stoop was being washed, ladders and other official looking equipment were scattered all around, and movie filming notices were posted all down the street. Question: If Carrie's stoop is part of the new movie, does this mean that Carrie and Big are over?

4. A cute box set of three Sarah Dessen books is out. I went hunting for it at the big Union Square B&N and found this:

Her box set chilling with Take Me There in the Noteworthy section! I am honored.

5. After unbearable anticipation, I finally cracked open the last season of The Office. I'll just say this for now. Jim and Pam at the rest stop in the rain? Perfection.

cover love

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:43:04 GMT

Thanks to everyone who commented with warm fuzzies about the Something Like Fate cover! I am just so excited about this book. It's sort of wild talking about an upcoming book so far in advance, especially considering that Waiting for You just came out in May. But that's the world of publishing, always looking ahead. Kind of like how I am about life in general.

I was really impressed to see that several book bloggers had already picked up on the cover, like, not even a week after it was released. You guys rock. You're right about the synopsis not being posted yet. However, as many of you have guessed, the story deals with a lovers' triangle. It's amazing how much a finger touch can say. When we get closer to the pub date, I'll post pics of the cover models so you can see how cute they are. That boy is hot. He's already shown up on two other recent teen novel covers. My editor went to the photo shoot and conferenced with the models, telling them a bit about the book and their characters. I don't know how she did it, but those models totally feel like my characters, even from the back. You can check out the studio where the photo shoot took place.

The cover's not the only exciting part of the Something Like Fate book jacket. The spine has this gorgeous watercolor pattern that will totally pop on the shelves. And guess what? The When It Happens and Take Me There paperbacks have been revamped, so all of my books will now have this cool watercolor pattern in different color themes! I can't wait to see them all lined up together. But that's not all - my paperback covers have been revamped, so now they all have a uniform look. The same cover images were used for the repackaging, but now all the covers have pretty new fonts, enhanced colors, tag lines, embossing, and something called spot gloss, which I am so excited to see. When these editions are released in a few months, I'll post the covers here. I'll also be running contests for you guys to win some.

One last thing about Something Like Fate: The pub date has been finalized as May 18, 2010. This is a strict on-sale date, which is an awesome thing to have with a book. It means that all bookstores should definitely have the book out on that date. There will also be a Something Like Fate floor display, so you know what that means. Even more contest opportunities in the house! And with the strict on-sale date, all of the floor displays should be out at the same time as well. Now I just have to think up a fantastic new floor display contest...

catching up

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:38:58 GMT

The thing about taking a vacay when practically everyone else is going back to school and getting their serious post-summer regimen on at work and such is that you miss some things. So today, I just want to catch up on some stuff that's been happening.

Last night, the preposterous Emmys with their endless commercials reminded me of why I've never owned a TV. How can there be that many commercials now? I don't remember commercials being anywhere near that bad back in the day. A few of my boys and shows were nominated, so I had to make a TV viewing exception and take control of SP's big screen. I should have known better. Why oh why do I always hope things will be different? Look, I have much respect for 30 Rock and Tina Fey. I am a fan. Smart, hilarious, sharp, awesome on so many levels - all that. But Steve Carell, Jemaine Clement, Rainn Wilson, The Office, and Flight of the Conchords were all nominated, and none of them won? Really? Something is not right with that picture. Steve Carell is so overdue for an Emmy I cannot even tell you. And no win for Rainn? Excuse me, but which character is more brilliant than Dwight Schrute? They were robbed! At least Jon Stewart got the attention he deserves. Not much of a silver lining, though.

Speaking of nominees who were robbed, I was stoked to come home to a pile of mail with David Letterman on the cover of New York magazine. My love for Dave is all sparkly rainbows and puffy hearts. I was so obsessed with Late Night in junior high that I used to tape it and watch it after school, recording all of his Top Ten lists in a special notebook. Just one more item I wish I hadn't thrown away before I left for college.

Tomorrow is the autumnal equinox. I find this impossible to believe. I know I'm always like, Wait, it's July? No way, I'm still on April! But this is serious. My time perception issue is getting worse. It feels like June to me. I don't know how to fix my problem, or even if I should classify this as an official problem. Maybe it just means I'm enjoying life (which, within the realm of my entire life, is a relatively new thing). Well. On a related note, it's Climate Week!

Most importantly, another September 11 has passed. My friend Stephen usually visits so we can walk to Ground Zero and take part in certain rituals. Our annual walk to Ground Zero symbolizes the walk to the Twin Towers we, thankfully, never took in 2001 as planned. This is a day I will never forget. Not only because our lives were saved, not only because the magic of the Towers drew me to New York, but because I live close to where they stood. I rebuild them behind my eyes every day. And every day, I thank the Universe that I am still here. I'll leave you with this photo of us from last year. To me, it looks like hope.

santorini, finally

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:03:09 GMT

For so long, I've been hearing that Santorini is the most beautiful place on Earth. But nothing could have prepared me for how amazing it was.

First of all, the view from our hotel room was spectacular (you can click on each photo to see it full-sized; my journal format cuts them off a bit):

Santorini is the result of a volcanic eruption. The island is a circular formation that's actually the rim of an old volcano, with many exposed rock layers along steep cliffs. Which means to get up or down the cliffsides, taking an alarmingly fast cab ride zinging around sharp curves is pretty much the only option. You could Google "Santorini caldera" to get an idea of the vast awesomeness of these cliffs. Homes were carved out of pumice in a uniform style, all curved and white with highlights of Aegean blue. Here's the town of Oia:

Our hotel had one of the top five infinity pools in the world. If you don't believe in love at first sight, then you really should have seen me with that pool. I spent every morning / early afternoon by it in my lounge chair. I don't know how to swim, but I clung to the edge of the pool so you could see what it was like:

The food was very fresh. I was totally getting my nutrients on:

Santorini is known for its beautiful sunsets, like this one:

I had to be pried from Santorini, crying like it was the last day of summer camp. We had a serious connection. However, it was good to visit some other Greek islands as well. Paros contained many cats. The cats come up to you with sharp eyes, scavenging. We ended our trip with a visit to Mykonos, where I procured some mati items. Mati means eye, and it protects against the evil eye, which is the collective negative energy. Mykonos also has a famous large pelican named Petro. Actually, there are three large pelicans, so it's a collective Petro:

So now I'm back, with two weeks of life to catch up on. For now, I'm celebrating the last day of summer with a rainbow snow cone. Cheers, everybody!

something like fate

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:16:05 GMT

My next book, Something Like Fate, will be released on May 13, 2010. I am beyond excited to share the cover with you:

What do you think?

I think this cover is hot. My publisher even did a photo shoot for it, which is a rare thing. And an awesome thing, because these models are my characters. Even from the back, I can tell. It's unreal. The designer (you rock, Jim!) just finished the book jacket. It is so gorgeous. I seriously cannot wait for you to see it.

I'll tell you about the photo shoot and some other fun stuff when I return from the Greek Islands. I'll be on vacay there for the next two weeks. As I'm not sure what the Internet access will be like, I don't know if I can blog before I get back. But I will try my best to post a few photos from Santorini. I've been hearing that Santorini is the most beautiful place in the world for years, so I'm psyched to immerse myself in all the beauty. The forecast is almost identical for every single day - high of 80, low of 70, low humidity, totally sunny. Yay yay freaking yay!

Enjoy these last two weeks of summer! For those of you going back to school, I hope you have an incredible year.

intensity vs. longevity

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:41:10 GMT

One of the concepts I'm exploring in my new book is whether a relationship can have both intensity and longevity. We all love the rush of those passionate first few months of a relationship (or if we haven't experienced that intensity yet, we can imagine how awesome it is). But as anyone who's been in a long-term relationship knows, that initial euphoria fades away after a while. I've been wondering if it's possible to have an intense relationship that remains just as intense past those first few months, something I like to call "movie love." In my experience, the more passionate a relationship is at first, the worse that person is for you.

This issue made me think about Serena and Dan vs. Blair and Chuck. Which couple (if any) are soul mates? It's clear that Blair and Chuck have more fire, but are they better for each other than Serena and Dan because of it? Is it better to be with someone who cares about you and will always be there, or someone you're so insanely passionate about that will most likely fizzle in the near future?

I asked these questions on Facebook yesterday. In my highly unscientific survey, everyone felt that Blair and Chuck are the more intense soul mates, while more people felt that Serena and Dan are better for each other. What do you think? Is movie love possible? Or does it only exist in movies?