Hey Everyone,
Sofia and I will be participating in Strut Your Mutt, in Los Angeles this October. We are walking with Best Friends Animal Society, L.A. The event raises money for animal shelters and rescues across the country – a cause everyone who knows me well knows is near and dear to my heart! If anyone would like to make a donation to our team, or if you’re in LA and want to join us, here is our page 😀
Hey everyone,
Just wanted to let you know that in celebration of the new Dancing with the Stars season, the Fever boxed set (Books 1-3) is discounted to only 99 cents! But the sale is only on for four days; ending Thursday, 9/17. So, if you – or any of your romance-reading friends – haven’t read all three books yet, now’s the time to get them at a big discount 🙂 Book One is still free by the way.
Here are the links to the retailers for the boxed set:
Amazon
iTunes
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Happy reading! And happy DWTS-watching 😀
It’s that time of year again when I do my annual link to my favorite essay ever, by Colson Whitehead. Every year that I read it again, I find something different to focus on. Now, probably because this September marks ten years since I lost a beloved pet, four years since I moved from New York to California, and over two decades since I originally moved from the west to the east coast, for school, I think about the passage of time when I read it, how that’s measured, which for me, is by my memories, and my surprise at how things have changed.
For some reason, his mention of the travel agency caught my attention this time. I remember the place I used to use in Greenwich Village. It was a chain but I can’t remember the name of it. I remember a green awning, and that it was down the street from a good cafe and a few blocks down from a Barnes and Noble and a Cohen’s Fashion Optical – the first place I worked at in NY. I remember the colorful brochures and the lobby chairs that resembled a row of airplane seats where you waited to speak to an agent. The place was always packed. I remember booking trips to Russia and Prague, and cruises to Nova Scotia and Bermuda in that little agency. I remember the agent with the short blonde bob and English accent selling me on an inexpensive “floating hotel” docked on the Neva river in St. Petersburg, and promising me the boat wouldn’t “cart me off” anywhere overnight. And I remember the big buff agent who cruised to Puerto Rico every year with his boyfriend convincing me to splurge on a room with at least a porthole (instead of an inside apartment) on my first ship. It’s been over a decade, I think, since I’ve booked any other way than through Expedia or Kayak, etc., but I remember certain special little things about the people who helped me plan my trips and that little storefront.
Whitehead’s main point is how place is different for everyone, depending on experience and memory. I don’t think that is more true anywhere than L.A. Everyone here seems to have an entirely different experience of this city. But that is definitely a topic for another day. I just started a crazy gig and have been working long hours. This will have to be it for now. Goodnight, and have a peaceful 9/11.
Above photo taken two days after 9/11/2001 at Union Square in NY.
Last night, a filmmaker friend and I attended a launch party and fundraiser for The Hidden Tears Project, which is a group comprised of filmmakers, producers, and actors working to create a documentary series about the world of sex trafficking. From what I learned, there are to be a dozen or so episodes and it will likely air on a cable network. So, I’m thinking it will be like HBO’s Vice.
There were tons of people there. It was held at the Sofitel Hotel, L.A., which is gorgeous. I’d never been inside before though I’ve passed by it often. There were excellent musicians – including an amazing violinist, entertaining speakers, and really beautiful artwork for auction and sale.
For people who’ve read my Fever series – possible SPOILER ALERT – you know that one of the characters has a backstory involving this issue. It’s always been something I’ve cared about greatly. So, I really hope they raised a lot of money and the series will be made!
For more information, visit their facebook page or website.
I had the funniest dream last night. I usually don’t remember my dreams but I kept waking up in a sweat during this one – and it wasn’t even disturbing, or it shouldn’t have been anyway!
I was at a romance writers’ conference – it wasn’t clear which one but it was somewhere in the South- and at the hotel we were at, each room came equipped with piles and piles of shoes for us to wear to the different events! There were some really gorgeous stilettos and colorful platforms. Of course not any pairs that would be ideal for walking around or standing in long lines in! But I was so excited. I was also nervous though, because I had already brought some of my own, and I kept getting them mixed up with the shoes we were given. I was afraid I was going to leave some of my own shoes and bring home a pair that wasn’t mine.
The other bizarre thing was that all of the meals were made entirely of cake! Everything I went to bite into – whether it was a long twisty piece of pasta, or asparagus – those were two items of food I distinctly remember eating in the dream – it only appeared to be such; when I tasted it, it had the consistency and flavor of cake! It actually made me nervous because when I realized everything at the conference would be made of cake, I got worried that I had to eat as much as I could. Where would everything be made of cake again! I had to get my fill! Of course I wasn’t anxious over the more logically worrisome issue: that I’d get sick eating nothing but cake for several days.
Finally, I kept losing my keys. The over-sized purse I always carry with me (in real life) just kept eating them. At one point, I realized that I didn’t actually need them, because if you just pushed on the door at certain angle, it would open.
An older man saw me trying to break into my room without my key. I didn’t want to let on that my door would actually open without them because then he might come in and steal the shoes when I was away. So, I laid off the door and pretended to search my bottomless pit of a bag.
For some reason, I had my dog, Sofia, with me. The man began to approach me, asking me if I needed help. I was worried Sofia was going to start barking her head off, which is what she sometimes does when we’re out for a walk and a stranger tries to talk to me. But she was actually very well-behaved.
The man looked down at her and said, “What kind of dog is that?” – a question I think every single person on Facebook who’s seen her picture, or who we’ve run into on the street, has asked me at least once.
“I don’t know,” I said. “She’s a mixed breed and I haven’t had her DNA done.”
“She’s more like an idea of a dog than an actual dog,” he said. “She has floppy ears and a long body and long legs and a long face and…” he shook his head like something was all wrong. I felt my back rise and started to get defensive over his insinuation that my dog wasn’t actually a dog.
At that point, my cat, Katusha, jumped up on me and started kneading my stomach with her claws, waking me right up. I tried to go back to sleep but I couldn’t pick up my place in the dream.
I hate that!
So, of course I had to analyze everything. Right before I went to bed, I was wondering when the RT Booklovers Convention was going to open for registration. I’d just looked at the website and it said late August or early September but hadn’t yet given a date. I was anxious about registering because I’m hoping to get a seat at an author signing table and I know they sell out in a matter of seconds. I’m also excited about the upcoming InD’Scribe conference I’m attending in Palm Springs, and a couple of other conferences I want to go to next year, including Romancing Lake Tahoe, Authors After Dark, and of course RWA. So conferences have definitely been on my mind.
And last weekend, I’d gone to a “Depressed Cake Pop-Up Shop” in Costa Mesa. They had so many pastries and it was for a good cause (all proceeds went to a mental health institution). So I totally bought out the place. Still have more goodies left 🙂 Anyway, likely where the everything is made of cake thing came from.
Also, I’d won a poster of The End of the Tour movie signed by the actors and director and I just picked it up and hung it on my wall yesterday. I had to rearrange some of my other artwork, including a small painting of Magritte’s “This is Not a Pipe” that I’d bought in Montreal years ago. I think that’s where the whole idea of the dog not really being a dog might have come from… Who knows!
And the unlimited shoes: those I have no idea! I guess I need to go shopping 😀
I was so excited when it was announced a while back that my favorite ballet company, American Ballet Theater, will be performing its Nutcracker season at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, in Orange County. I’ve so missed ABT since moving out of NY, and now I’ll get them for a whole two weeks! Alexei Ratmansky’s version of the classic is one of the best. And of course ABT has the greatest dancers around, in my admittedly very biased opinion 🙂
My faves, Marcelo Gomes and Veronika Part, will be opening the season. I’m also excited to see Misty Copeland in the lead, and Hee Seo.
If you’re in O.C., I hope to see you there!
Below is the just-announced casting:
Thursday, December 10, 7:30 p.m.
Veronika Part
Marcelo Gomes
Friday, December 11, 7:30 p.m.
Gillian Murphy
James Whiteside
Saturday, December 12, 2 p.m.
Isabella Boylston
Alban Lendorf
Saturday, December 12, 7:30 p.m.
Veronika Part
Marcelo Gomes
Sunday, December 13, 1 p.m.
Stella Abrera
Alexandre Hammoudi
Sunday, December 13, 6:30 p.m.
Gillian Murphy
James Whiteside
Tuesday, December 15, 7:30 p.m.
Hee Seo
Cory Stearns
Wednesday, December 16, 7:30 p.m.
Misty Copeland
Herman Cornejo
Thursday, December 17, 7:30 p.m.
Isabella Boylston
Alban Lendorf
Friday, December 18, 7:30 p.m.
Sarah Lane
Joseph Gorak
Saturday, December 19, 2 p.m.
Stella Abrera
Alexandre Hammoudi
Saturday, December 19, 7:30 p.m.
Misty Copeland
Herman Cornejo
Sunday, December 20, 1 p.m.
Hee Seo
Cory Stearns
Sunday, December 20, 6:30 p.m.
Sarah Lane
Joseph Gorak
Photo of Hee Seo and Cory Stearns by Gene Schiavone, courtesy of Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
I’m just not a gym-goer. I never have been. Even when I lived in an apartment complex with a small free gym for its tenants, I just didn’t go. Working out needs to be fun, and for that, I need to be in a class with other people and an entertaining teacher. And I love dance!
So was so happy when I moved to L.A. to find an absolute abundance of dance-based workout classes. There are a bazillion, and I tried practically all of them. My favorite quickly became Cardio Barre (pictured left).
It’s very ballet-based. One of my teachers actually calls it “ballet on crack!” It’s basic ballet – with tendus and grand battemants and deep plies and arabesque holds and kicks and releves for calf strengthening. They teach you what everything is when you take a class; you don’t have to know the terminology! But unlike a regular ballet class, this one adds, as the name implies, cardio. So you’re doing everything very fast to spiked-up pop music. In addition to burning off calories by working up a good sweat, the instructors teach you how to extend your lines and stretch and strengthen so that you’re toning your muscles as well as elongating them. So you build long, lean muscles – like a ballerina – instead of just bulk. I love it.
When I first moved to California I gained a lot of weight – about forty pounds! Basically all the sitting in cars and eating Mexican food. I was used to walking all around New York, and NY did not have very good Mexican food. I credit Cardio Barre with losing all of it. I’m serious. I dieted a little bit but I still ate what I wanted. It was the workout that made the difference. Plus, it just makes you feel pretty while you’re doing it – like a ballet dancer 🙂
Today, I had a teacher who had actually competed on the very first season of So You Think You Can Dance. She was really encouraging everyone, and handing out these words of wisdom about moving better and improving your body, and just about life in general. It reminded me of the yoga teacher in Maria Murnane’s delightful novel, Katwalk, about a young woman gaining courage to make big changes in her life – my favorite type of story. Part of her acquiring that courage came from a yoga teacher’s simple little words of advice before and during class. Like the classic hairdresser / therapist but teacher / therapist instead!
I’m also a big fan of LaBlast. This was founded by Louis van Amstel of Dancing with the Stars and is a Latin-dance-based workout. I love it for obvious reasons 🙂 It’s kind of like Zumba but more Latin than Hip Hop. Not that I don’t find Hip Hop fun; it just doesn’t look as good on my body, or I just seem rhythmically challenged or something. I just like Latin better. So LaBlast is a lot of the Latin ballroom-based steps but with more cardio, kind of bouncier and done in sneakers rather than heels.
Third is hot yoga. I don’t know if yoga is officially dance-based but it always feels balletic to me with the stretching and strengthening, and even acrobatic in the more crazy poses. It’s just classic. Yoga always relaxes me – especially in a nice, darkly-lit studio, like the one I go to (Aura Yoga). I can really clear my mind when I’m cocooned in that little room, in those deep stretches. And the poses build a lot of core strength, which is so important to prevent injury when you dance or do other kinds of workouts, or just in everyday life, lifting things and whatnot. The more strength you have in your center – your abdominal muscles – the less stress you put on your back or hips. I always love stretching and the feeling of lengthening my muscles. And if the room is heated to 85 degrees or above, you can go really deep in to those stretches. Plus, being from AZ, I love heat 🙂
Did I miss anything? Do you have any favorite workout?
I recently saw Magic Mike XXL and, though I generally loved it – the endearing actors, the engaging characters, the setting – it’s just a generally fun movie – I have to say, compared to the first Magic Mike, I just thought something was missing. And it wasn’t the plot. Who really cares about such things in a movie like this! You see it for the aforesaid. No, it was the dancing that was missing for me. The first movie was filled with fun, interesting, well-choreographed routines, many of which kept you on the edge of your seat wondering what was going to happen next. And Channing Tatum’s hip hop acrobatics were both mouth-watering and thrilling. It seemed like the performances in XXL consisted mainly of the guys shaking their booties, and crotches, in the women’s faces, and not a whole lot more.
Yet it mirrored what I’ve recently seen in Vegas. NOT that I’m any expert on male strip shows, but I’ve been going to this romance novel convention there for the past couple of years and the man who founded it has a friend who choreographs for male revues. The choreographer, who’s also a dancer, creates a little show for the convention’s attendees, and also invites us to his formal revues off the strip. Last year’s performance, which he made for the cover model “casanovas” at the convention had a lot of the Magic Mike-esque routines performed on a raised stage by the men. Then, he performed his own routine and he did all these amazing gymnastic stunts, flipping over and atop the female romance novelist brave enough to participate. It was jaw-dropping; it completely wowed all of us – you could tell by the noise the audience made. But then, he invited us to his show this year, and it was mostly just the men working the audience, giving individual lap dances and gyrating in women’s faces. I figured they might have taken the gymnastic feats out for liability purposes. But most of the fun group numbers were gone too.
So, I was excited to see XXL. And then disappointed. It was the same as the show I’d just seen. So is this how strip shows are these days? Is this what women are wanting?
I remember going to Chippendales when I was younger, and that was full of actual choreographed dancing – cleverly arranged numbers, amazing movement, and, yes, stunning bodies. But the hot bodies without the artistry of the dance are just somehow not as hot.
During an interview for the original Magic Mike, Channing Tatum reflected on differences he saw between male and female strip club goers. He said men tend to take it more seriously, actually thinking or hoping they may get a date with the stripper, whereas women know it’s all just for fun. I think another difference is that women want artistry. During the Vegas show I kept thinking how I wanted the guys to stop shaking their crotches in my face and go up on stage and dance – a thought I’m sure no man in a strip club has ever had! I dunno. That’s what I think anyway. Maybe other women are different and really enjoy the lap dances and that’s what these shows and movies now are catering to…
Hey Everyone!
My FEVER blog tour begins today! Please feel free to visit any of the stops (listed under the “Follow the Tour” tab via the link). There will be excerpts posted of my favorite scene in Book 2 of the series – the one where things really begin to heat up between Sasha and Rory! And you’ll have several chances to win a paperback copy of Book 2 (The eBook version of Book 1 is currently free in most online book stores, so you can easily read the first one if you want to get caught up for Book 2). There will also be some interviews, and some reviews of Book 1. The tour is on until August 21st.
I hope to see you along the way 🙂
Hey everyone,
I wrote earlier about this new website called Reading Alley, where avid readers can get free digital copies of books in exchange for an honest review. I now have some more information, and did a little interview with them, below.
They’re having their grand opening this summer, so if you register now, there are lots of games and challenges where you can win prizes. And if you’re a writer you can sign up for an account and submit digital copies of your book for review. It’s basically a fun community of readers and writers! I received one of my most enthusiastic reviews yet for Fever 😀
Here is the interview and more info:
1) What exactly is Reading Alley?
Reading Alley is a site that caters to passionate book reviewers. Book reviewers get the chance to read the latest books in the market for FREE. In exchange, the only requirement is for them to submit their honest, unbiased reviews afterwards.
We feature a variety of books from different genres, and these books are from both known and up-and-coming authors.
Authors are welcome to set up their books for review at a reasonable price. By joining Reading Alley, authors gain instant access to this community of reviewers who can share their thoughts and recommendations, leading to greater awareness and exposure of their books.
2) What made you decide to create a review site like this one?
There’s a long story, but the creation of Reading Alley comes from a desire to provide convenience and exposure to authors in the matter of book reviews. Authors can tap on the community of reviewers at Reading Alley, and they save precious time that can be used for writing more books or spending more time with their family. Authors can also manage and keep track of everything from a convenient page with our user-friendly tools.
Reviewers, on the other hand, get to choose from a wide variety of books to read for free, provided they submit their honest reviews afterwards. Reading Alley also conducts activities from time to time to make things exciting and interesting for everyone.
3) What genres of books can be found on the site?
We have a lot of fiction books up at the site in genres such as Mystery and Thriller, Romance, Erotica, LGTBQ, New Adult, Paranormal, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Young Adult, Women’s Fiction, etc. We are still working on our non-fiction selection, but we do have something up as well.
Examples of books we have up at the site:
4) Are most of the books listed new releases?
Most of them are, and we do have several that are not yet released, so giving interested reviewers a first look at the books.
5) What will readers gain from the site?
Readers have the chance to read books for free and share their thoughts and opinions about the books with all book lovers. They are also automatically enrolled in the Rewards Program, where they will receive points for being active at the site, like participating in events, review challenges, etc. Accumulated points can be exchanged for attractive rewards.
As a matter of fact, we are giving away a lot of prizes and points during our Grand Opening event, which is slated to go on until September 6, 2015! Everyone is invited to join us in a variety of site activities, such as our weekly contests, review challenge and referral program. The more active you are, the higher your chances of winning in our Grand Draw. Lots of irresistible prizes, including an Amazon Kindle and gift certificates, are up for grabs.
On July 3, Week 4 of our Weekly Contest goes live. Answer 3 questions and get a chance to win an Amazon Gift Card! Each week, we will have different winners, for a total of 12 winners by the time the party is over.
So don’t wait! Click here to join now.
You can also find Reading Alley on Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress.
I wrote an earlier post on dance books you should read. Now that this absolutely wonderful Goodreads review – which totally made my day! – suggested that Fever should be made into a movie (thank you so much, reviewer Lillian – my dream!) and mentioned the film, Save the Last Dance, I felt like I should do a post on dance movies I’ve loved over the years. I have to admit, I haven’t seen Save the Last Dance (though I will), and I’m sure I missed other good ones back when I was studying for the bar exam or something crazy, and therefore living in a hole.
Anyway, here are some of my favorites:
Strictly Ballroom by Baz Lurhmann.
I found this a wickedly funny comedy ridiculing the stringent rules of ballroom dancing and how dancers can be punished by the powers that be at these championships for thinking – or stepping – outside of the box. But it also has some of the best paso doble I’ve ever seen, and a sweet little romance to boot. When I started dancing I went out and rented it. I remember trying to see if I could name all the samba steps they were doing in the opening scene. And I remember being madly in love with the male lead – Paul Mercurio 🙂
I actually saw the first, Japanese version before I ever began dancing and found it so charming and sweet. I thought the storyline actually had more resonance in that version than the American one because of the more ascetic nature of Japanese society – i.e.: it’s a lot more shocking and scandalous for a Japanese business and family man to be discovered taking ballroom dancing lessons at night than it is for an American. But I liked the American version anyway, mainly because of all the actors: Richard Gere, JLo, and Susan Sarandon. And I found it funny when, on re-watching it, I realized the actor who won the Golden Globe for playing that horrid gangster on Boardwalk Empire – Bobby Cannavale – also played the fun gay guy in this movie! And of course it’s fun to see Tony Dovolani of Dancing With the Stars rip Stanley Tucci’s toupee off. Imagine that, Tony Dovolani as the meany 🙂 Even though there are no steamy love scenes in this one, I love how dancing rekindles the main character’s relationship with his wife.
This is another one I rented through Netflix after starting ballroom. Vanessa Williams is a really amazing dancer. I was jealous of her crazy fast cha-chas around that pole in the beginning. And Chayanne’s character was really hot! Also, I have to say, part of why I love this one so is that I recognized so many dancers I’ve seen – and some of whom I now know – in the competition scenes toward the end. Always fun to see people you know in a movie, even if they’re basically extras!
Ditto for this one. Yes, I know it’s not really a dance film per se, but a large part of the denouement takes place at a dance competition. Both of those couples that JLaw and Bradley Cooper competed with in the end are high-ranking competitors in national and international championships. I was so excited to recognize them. The standard ballroom couple – Zhan Paulovich and Svetlana Roosiparg – I once sat next to on the train from Manchester to Blackpool on my first trip to that festival. They’re Russian so I couldn’t understand any of what they said, but I was excited to find them on the dance floor later in the week and discover how magical they were. And the male partner in the Latin couple – Tal Livshitz – used to train with his former partner in my old studio. I always thought he was so driven and very talented. He later changed partners to the one he danced with in the movie – Vlada Semenova- and went on to become amateur champions with her. I was so excited the filmmakers actually gave her a speaking role. So she was more than an extra! I was giddy the whole way home from the theater!
Sorry, just have to post a little pic of them 🙂
The Step Up films
I’ve only seen a couple of these. I must see all of them, especially the first one with Channing Tatum and his wife, Jenna Dewar. No, I can’t believe I haven’t seen it. Of the ones I have seen, I most like Step Up: Revolution. I watched So You Think You Can Dance the season Kathryn McCormick placed in second and I really loved her. I thought she danced beautifully in the movie and did a pretty good acting job as well. And I always love Peter Gallagher. Both the romance and the overall socio-political aspect of the story I thought were very compelling. FYI: I interviewed tWitch Boss for the Huffington Post about his role in Step Up 3D!
I know, I know, pure unadulterated cheese. But I was a fan of Ethan Stiefel and Sascha Radetsky and Julie Kent when they all were with American Ballet Theater, and I remember loving Ilia Kulik back when he won the Olympics for figure skating, so I couldn’t help but be enamored with it anyway. There isn’t a central romance, but there are lot of relationships going on, so I’m going to say it has romantic elements 🙂
My very favorite. I loved the professional dancers, and all that sultry dancing in the opening scene, the music – every single song, Patrick Swayze – duh! And I loved the scenes of him teaching Jennifer Grey how to mambo, with all that beneath-the-surface smoldering sexiness. Who doesn’t want Patrick Swayze to teach them how to mambo? And that bird lift at the end, when she finally gets to soar, is now iconic, as made clear by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in Crazy Stupid Love 🙂 But mostly I love the larger story elements – finally getting your chance to shine after living in your supposedly prettier, supposedly more accomplished sister’s shadow, falling in love with the person your family deems beneath you and trying endlessly to get them to understand and accept, the assumptions people from one socio-economic group make about those from another, the way dancers are demeaned by the upper-classes – they still often are. And even though it doesn’t end in a happily ever after romance-wise, he gives her what she needs, changes her forever. She knows her worth and has the conviction to stand up for herself now.
That’s all I can think of for now. I have to go watch Save the Last Dance. Did I miss any other great ones?
So, today marked the launch of my Fever series! I had a really nice day. I am so thankful for all my friends who made it such a success – all the wonderful people in three different writers’ groups I belong to, one of them filled mainly with mystery writers, who all nevertheless bought and touted my romance novel on social media 🙂
And I’m really grateful to my friend, literary publicist Liz Donatelli for all of her awesome support! I’m super excited to read at her upcoming Book’d in Burbank event.
I would also like to give particular thanks to Debra Eckerling, the leader of one of the above-mentioned writers’ groups, for giving me the opportunity to do an early interview about the series for her Write On! newsletter. I had so much fun yapping on and on about ballroom dancing and writing and romance and self-publishing. I didn’t realize how much I had to say!
I’m also super appreciative of all of my friends in general, who aren’t writers and who don’t necessarily read romance, and still bought Book One 😀 You guys are all true friends and you all rock!
I hope everyone who bought the first book, or any of the books in the series enjoys them. Let me know what you all think!