Merry Everything!

Wishing you a happy, safe and beautiful holiday season. XOXO

And, as an early "present", a parody of a query letter. I don't recommend this, but maybe it would strike the right agent on the right day. It helps to enjoy the humour of a situation, right?

(To the tune of The Beatles "Paperback Writer")

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
It's a funny book about a funny girl
And I need a job so I want to be a published writer
Published writer

It's a Hollywood story of a Midwest girl
And she's just been thrown in a brand new world
Her dashing boyfriend's technically her boss
It's a risky move, but she wants to be a horror screenwriter
Horror screenwriter

There's an absent dad and a friend or two
As for conflicts, there's more than a few
Maggie's new at this, but she's got great style
Some pretty cute shoes, and she wants to be a horror screenwriter
Horror screenwriter

I really hope you will enjoy my tale
I'm truly quite desperate to make a sale
The rent is due and my job won't pay
So I need a break and I want to be a published writer
Published writer

Maggie's Shoes

In my book "Becoming Magdalene" there is a scene where the heroine, Maggie, and her friend Tatiana go to an outlet mall in Southern California in search of the perfect outfits to wear to the wrap party for the film they both worked on. I had never been to that particular mall when I wrote that scene, but I did my research and found a great pair of shoes for Maggie.

Or so I thought.


My boyfriend and I actually went to that mall on Saturday. I'm not sure who was dumber: him for suggesting that we go to an outlet mall the weekend after Thanksgiving or me for agreeing to it. Regardless, we had a great time and I found the perfect pair of shoes for Maggie.


Behold, Christian Dior Cruise 09:

I knew, as soon as I saw these, that Ms. Maggie Vega would go CRAZY for them. Sure, the price tag was a little steep at $975.00, but I want my characters to have whatever their little hearts desire.

A girl can dream, can't she?

Could I Create a Time Warp?

Full confession time: although I am a HUGE fan of scary movies (trust. I am total "genre girl"), I have never seen EVENT HORIZON. I know that it's supposed to be really good, but I have a good reason that it never made it to my viewing list.

The setting: Winter of [date redacted]. I am on a first date with a boy I have a huge crush on. We're in the movie theatre, watching EVENT HORIZON. Only, I'm not really paying attention. It's dark and we're sitting RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. He goes to hold my hand....I'm so nervous! Does he want to kiss me? I think he wants to kiss me. Maybe he'll kiss me. Wait, what is this movie about?

It doesn't matter, because the theatre has technical difficulties and we never see the end.

The relationship doesn't last, but I forever associate that movie with that boy and that date.

Flash forward to the present day: my boyfriend is shocked that a horror buff like me has never seen EVENT HORIZON. He insists that I put it on my Netflix queue. I do, it arrives and I go to watch it.

It doesn't work.

It won't play on either of the Blue Ray players that we have. It keeps skipping and bouncing and pixelating.

My current theory is that I'm just not supposed to see this movie. That if I watch it, I will create some sort of rip in the space-time continuum and it will create chaos for us all. Should I even order a replacement disc or will doing so force us all to come face to face with our future selves (a la STAR TREK) and create an alternate universe?!

Or, will I just get a disc that actually works? Only time will tell.

I'm baaaaaack!

I'll bet you thought that I'd forgotten you. Mea culpa. My absence was far too long to be forgivable. In my defense, I've had a lot of irons in the fire and I'm only now starting to get back into the swing of things.

Happy NaNo one and all! I'm participating this time around. Maggie Vega and Nick Cooper are getting their final touch up before the query letters go off to the agents. Gulp. I have a healthy fear of agents, despite the fact (or perhaps due to?) the fact that I work in the industry and my boyfriend works for them.

My current NaNo project is tentatively titled "How to Not Be a Movie Star in Seven Easy Steps." I either really love the title or really hate it. I'm undecided. Thoughts? The story is about gossip blogger Lola Reyes who gets a little more than she bargained for when she writes a story about over-exposed movie star Jack Reynolds and he shows up on her doorstep. Between teaching Jack to be a regular guy, calming down her bridezilla best friend Stephanie and figuring out what the heck is up with her long term boyfriend Adam, Lola's life just went from domestic to insane.

How's that? Yeah, I totally used to work in marketing. I still think in blurb.

Off to NaNo. Cheers!