What becomes a legend most?

Robin Hood, King Arthur, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sherlock Holmes, The Three Muskateers, Tristan and Iseult, The Holy Grail, Antony and Cleopatra. Legendary characters, some of them based on actual people, but all of these characters have entertained people through out the centuries.

And now recently the romance of Rome and Greece has come to the fore in books and movies, think Gladiator with Russell Crowe, HBO's new series Rome, and ABC's recent Empire, not to mention the PBS/BBC series, I Claudius.

But one of the most famous legends of all is that of Helen of Troy. Even her birth is legendary. The story is that Zeus seduced her mother Leda in the form of a swan. Yes, a swan. Ick! I don't even want to think about it, but that's the legend. Helen was the woman whose face launched a thousand ships, and started the Trojan War (really it was also an excuse for the Greeks to get their hands on Trojan wealth, as well as defending male pride).

Her story has inspired everyone from Shakespeare (Troilus and Cressida), Marlowe, poets, painters, poets and playwrights. She is a symbol of erotic desire and what lengths men will go to to abain it.

In Troy, Helen was played by the beautiful blonde but vapid Diane Krueger, and Paris by the delicious Orlando Bloom, but the movie wasn't really about them or even the Trojan war. No this movie was all about Achiles as played by Brad Pitt, or more importantly Brad Pitt's thighs, his abs, his ass. Despite the fact that Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, and Sean Bean were also in the movie (why doesn't someone do a remake of Prisoner of Zenda and cast Sean Bean please?).

There was also a TV movie on the USA network starring the beautiful but vapid English actress Sienna Guillory as Helen as a beautiful half-wit. The movie is about the same length as Troy but it manages to tell the entire story of Troy in the same amount of time from Paris brith (and Cassandra's prediction that Paris will end up destroying Troy to Helen being kidnapped by Theseus. Agamemnon is played by the gorgeous Rufus Sewell.

Because Helen's beauty is so legendary, I think any actress is at a distinct disadvantage from the start. It's not like playing Cleopatra who all the historians agree was not that attractive. So any movie about the Trojan War is bound to disappoint on that account. You almost wish that Helen could be heard but not seen so that the audience could imagine her beauty for themselves.

Still Helen is more popular than ever. Two major books are coming out in the next year about Helen. Amanda Elyot's arrives first in November and Margaret George should have hers in stores next year. The legend continues.

What is your favorite legend, and do you have a favorite movie?

Getting my knickers untwisted

A little hungover today from the lethal fruity drinks I had last night at the after-party.

I don't know if it's the heat this week, or having PMS or feeling left out because I'm missing the conference, but everything has been getting my knickers in a twist lately.

The latest was feeling compelled to defend mass-market fiction to a film critic. I was reading Jeff Well's column over at Hollywood Elsewhere. Scroll down the page until you get to the photos. Mr. Wells wanted to know why all the women he saw on the train platforms were reading mass-market fiction instead of say, Faulkner or Gore Vidal.

This was Mr. Wells response to my email: "I don't like mass-market popular fiction, as a rule. It's basically junk-food stuff. There is a world out there...an amazing wonderful world of knowledge and exotic places and fresh atttitude and beliefs and sensuality and illumination...all of which is barely paid attention to by mass-market fiction writers. Don't try and justify lazy, degraded literary appetites. So you read this crap yourself, right? That's what your letter was about? You feeling vaguely guilty about putting junk-food fiction into your brain and your soul, and wanting to rationalize the anti-intellectual, impulse-minded, short-attention-span tendences of women of your generation? Something along these lines?"

Wow! Can you see why I'm ticked off? At least he called me young!

So then I picked up a copy of the new issue of Vogue. Normally, I don't buy Vogue because there's no way I can afford the clothes, so what's the point, but Madonna was on the cover, so I bought it. The article is basically about how Madonna, aka Madge, aka Esther, aka The Kaballah Queen (as I like to call her) has reinvented herself once again. The pictures are gorgeous, and I love the fact that she and Guy bought Cecil Beaton's estate.

So what ticked me off? Well the fact that this was Vogue's age issue. Anna Wintour patting herself on the back for featuring articles about women of all ages instead of the usual under-fed models and celebrities that Vogue usually features.

This was on the heels of hearing that NEXT, the new Harlequin series that was supposed to be about women in the next stages of their lives is publishing a book featuring a thirty year old heroine. Oy!

Yesterday, I spent 4 hours watching the new TV pilots for First Quarter 06 for the channel that I work for. I can't discuss what I saw yet, but it cheered me up immensely.

But then I read today that Barb Ferrer, President of the Chick-Lit chapter, just sold her first book in a two book deal with MTV Books/Pocket. Congratulations Barb!

So panties officially untwisted.

Can't we all just get along?

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Since I missed the chick-lit party last night at National, I thought I'd have one of these as I watched 3 hours of Law & Order: SVU. Do I know how to party or what?

Sigh! I wish some of my friends would call me to let me know how it's going, so that I can live vicariously. Anyway, it's not like I'm not reminded of National. When I got home last night, my August RWR was in the mail with a snazzy new design (nice to see what my RWA dues are paying for!).

In the letters to the editor, the argument is still raging about romance vs. romantica or erotic romance. The only thing I have to say to this argument is: Why can't we all just get along?

Why are so many people getting their panties in a twist over this issue? The biggest complaint was the covers. Apparently Ellora's Cave paid for a huge ad on the back cover of the May issue, and this author was taking exception to the covers that were featured, hence this whole graphical standards issue that we're getting into.

Erotic romance or romantica is here to stay people. Why? Because readers are demanding it that's why, and it's selling. Publishing is a business, and romance publishers are trying to woo younger readers who have no interest in traditional romance formats. They are however interested in romantic, paranormal and chick-lit which is why these books are selling like hot cakes, and why Harlequin increased the number of Blaze books from 4 to 6 in July.

When I first started reading romance at the tender age of 12, the books that I gravitated to were the gothics, Harlequin Presents, and Dell Candlelight Ectasy. Why? Because there was sex. When Silhouette started, I read the Desires, and then Temptation back in the days when Barbara Delinsky and Jayne Ann Krentz were writing for them. I remember reading a Barbara Delinsky book where the hero and heroine saw each other across their courtyard and without words communicated their desire, until he came over and they had sex on her living room floor. It was hot, and it was a romance.

Then the babies, cowboys, virgins, angels, amnesia books started happening and I stopped reading category and started reading more romantic suspense and single title romances. I just didn't relate to these books, but I didn't demand that the publishers stop printing them just because they weren't my cup of tea, and I certainly didn't accuse the writers of writing drivel just because I didn't like the books.

What gets me about this whole argument is that the detractors of erotic romance probably haven't read any of them. Talk about judging a book by it's cover! One author, who published on her blog her objection to the books, and to the RWA recognition of the publisher, admitted that she'd only read like one book. Yet, she dares to criticize an entire genre?

The publishing industry is not the same as it was when RWA was founded, and RWA has to respond to the industry as it exists, not the way we want it to be.

The organization should be focusing on issues, like offering insurance to their members, and fair contracts, not on vilifying their own members.

Okay, I'm off my soap box for the day.

Hot in the City

It is so hot here in New York, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk. Yesterday, it was 98 degrees, and something like 90% humidity. So what did I do, when I got home? I decided to have crab cakes for dinner. Because nothing says summer, like turning the oven on to 375 in your kitchen which is already about 100 degrees, to have crab cakes. FYI-the crab cakes were great, but I almost passed out baking them.

Today, everyone will be arriving in Reno for the conference, if they're not already there. Sigh! I hate not being in the thick of the action. I had so much fun last year, and the year before in New York. And this year is the 25th anniversary of RWA.

I got another rejection letter on Monday, but it was actually okay because I had a feeling that my novel wasn't going to be to her taste. At least, I received a personal rejection letter this time which was nice.

Jennifer Crusie talked about making collages in the RWR a few months ago, so I've decided to make one for my new book that I'm working on right now.



That's my half-black, half-jewish heroine Emma. I'm trolling the net right now for pictures of her cousin, her other relatives, and her love interests.



Her brother Justin, who has his own independent record label in Austin, TX.



A possible love interest.

I think this is a good way of getting to know your characters. It's also alot of fun! I plan on hanging near my computer while I work. Do any of you use actual pictures for your characters? As a visual aid?

Website Mania

Addendum to yesterday's post. Regency House Party was produced by the same people who did Manor House, 1900's House, and 1940's House in the UK, and Frontier House and Colonial House in the US. They've just finished casting for a new show, Texas Ranch House. I'm waiting for them to come up with Tenement House! What would be lovely is if they could do a show in Newport to show what it was like during the Gilded Age, that would be awesome.

I've been trolling the web looking at author websites, both published and unpublished to get an idea of what I want my website to look like. Yes, I'm thinking of putting up a website, folks.

Why put up a website when I'm unpublished? Well, because I intend to be published, and why not use the web as a way of promoting my work? Put up original stories, link the site to the blog I created for my character Julia in Nearly Famous.

It's been an interesting experience looking at the various websites. There are some authors who really need to do an overhaul on their websites, because (in my opinion) they're horrible and outdated. Alot of websites I've looked at are created by Waxcreative which is the company run by Julia Quinn's sister. Now, I don't have the money right now for a Waxcreative site although they are lovely. An author friend of mine told me that she used up her entire advance for her first novel on her website. I don't have that kind of cash.

Some sites are incredible, with flash, and mini-movies. Other's are more simple. Suzanne Brockmann and Nora Roberts have sites that are very simple for authors who are selling millions of books. I think Suzanne created her own site. Wow, but when you sell as many books as these ladies, you probably don't need a flashy website.

I've thought of doing the website myself, with Microsoft Front page, buying a simple template, but considering how difficult I found it to load the new template for my blog, I think I'll pass!

I want something that reflects what I write, multicultural contemporary urban comedies aka chick lit, and paranormal romantic comedies. I want something modern yet retro to complement the design of my blog. I love art deco, and the look of the forties and the fifties, yet at the same time, I'm a modern woman. Confusing no?

Anyway, I've narrowed it down to two companies, Moxie designs and Ciao Bella and I've emailed them for an estimate. In the meantime, I plan on registering my domain names.

Question of the day: to website or not to website. What's your opinion?

Regency Romp

I spent almost 9 hours in Regency England this weekend, what with watching the DVD of Vanity Fair with Reese Witherspoon and the delectable (and possibly the next James Bond) James Purefoy.

Vanity Fair is a novel by William Makepeace Thackery. Becky Sharp is the daughter of an impoverished artist and a french opera dancer, and she has to use her wits and her good looks to make her way up the social ladder in Regency England. She manages to marry the second son of Sir Pitt Crawley, expecting that his aunt will leave Rawdon all her money. To her surprise, the aunt cuts Rawdon off without a penny due to his impetuous marriage. Not to be outdone, Becky allies herself with the Marquess of Steyne, and finally takes her place in society. Eventually, she is ruined and ends up alone, living on the continent.

I saw Vanity Fair, in an advanced screening last August. Seeing it again, I was struck anew by how much Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind owes to Becky Sharp. She's the original anti-heroine. There would be no Scarlett or Amber in Forever Amber without her. The film softens her considerably but you expect that when you have Reese Witherspoon in the lead. Becky is much more avaricious and bitchy in the book. The film gives Becky a happy ending which is different from Becky's fate in the novel.

After watching Vanity Fair, I plunged into watching all 6 hours of Regency House Party. The premise of the series was take 5 men, and 5 women from the 21st century and plunk them down for a house party in Regency England. The general idea was that they would have to try and match up according to their station.

Maybe it's the actress in me, but I would have a great time doing this series, although I would have been relegated to a chaperone. What was interesting was seeing how little freedom women in the Regency actually had. We tend to get a different impression in Regency romance novels, where women are constantly paying calls, shopping or attending balls in London. In the country, you were pretty bored for the most part. The men got to smoke, drink, ride, shoot, fight, drink, argue, drink, and drink. The women had to embroider, take tea, ride and that's about it.

What was really interesting was that one of the participants was a West Indian heiress, who was black, which was a shock. Apparently there were blacks living in Britain at that time. I got more of a sense of what it must have really been like then I have from most of the novels that I've read. Maybe it's because they didn't gloss over the less savory aspects of the regency like the lack of bathing, and what women actually had to wear during their periods.

There were lots of dancing, inappropriate liaisons, fighting amongst the chaperones, parties, romance, drinking, one guy who couldn't hack it and left. I was so sad when the series ended. Of course, now I have to buy the companion book to the series, damn it.

I love the Regency period. When I first started writing, I thought that I would write Regencies, but after reading Mary Balogh and others, I thought that I didn't have anything to say, but after seeing this series, I may have to rethink that.

Hmm!

Hot Gossip

Okay, Nicole Ritchie has a book deal? For a novel? Who's next? Omarosa? Johnny Fairplay?

Now, I know that Nicole probably didn't write this book by her lonesome, anymore than Pam Anderson or Fabio, but still it irks me that she has a book deal while so many deserving writers (like me) are still struggling, not only to find an agent, but also to get published.

Of course, Naomi Campbell once wrote a book as well. Didn't know that? That's because the book sank without a trace.

I didn't make it to the beach yesterday, unfortunately. I had to take our basket to UPS to send it to National, and it cost a fortune. I oculdn't have flown the baset as carry-on for what it cost the chapter to send it. If you're reading my blog, and you're going to National, please put it a ticket for the RWA-NYC basket. Thank you kindly.

I did however hit the bookstore to gaze at all the books I can't afford, and don't have time to read right now. AS I was glancing over the new non-fiction offerings, what do I see? Yes, another book on Princess Diana.

I was 16 and spending the summer in London when she married Prince Charles, I was in London in college when she gave birth to Prince Harry, I skipped classes to watch them arrive at the state opening of Parliament. I was in London the last summer she was alive, when teh papers were full of her relationship with Dodi Fayed. Can't this woman rest in peace?

Poor Mohammed Al-Fayed is still trying to find out who killed them. Mr. Al-Fayed, if they can't find out who killed Tupac and Biggie, not to mention JFK, do you really think that they're going to find out if Dodi and Diana were killed?

Since her death, everyone and his mother has written a book. Her first employers, her astrologer, her press secretary, the bodyguard in the car, another bodyguard, her butler (the biggest betrayal of all), Andrew Morton who started it all (frankly no one wants to read anything he's written unless it's about Diana. Sorry Monica Lewinsky).

Now her pyshic healer has written a book. When is it going to stop? This book supposedly claims that Diana had an affair with JFK jr. Isn't it convenient that both of them aren't here to deny it?

I feel most sorry for her two sons who have to see their mother raked over the coals by people just trying to make a buck. They deserve better than this.

Off to Goodwill to donate some old clothes, and to Home Depot to find stuff to repair my tub.

TGIF

Hey, it's castle day here at The Lady Novelist. This is Chenonceau in France, given by Henri II of France to his long-time mistress, Diane de Poitiers, the uncrowned queen of France. This is another great love story. Diane was almost 16 years older than Henri, and a widow, when she became his first lover. Henri fell in love with her, and stayed devoted until his death, seriously pissing off Catherine de Medici, who seized the chateau after Henri's death. Remember, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Catherine was pretty upset that Diane had to send her lover to impregnate the Queen, so that France would have an heir.

Okay, before I go on to our regularly scheduled blog, I just have to have a mini-rant here. Now I know that agents are very busy people, between their own clients, dealing with editors, listening to pitches at conferences, and the many other myriad duties. I get that. But when I sent out a partial proposal on a Monday night at 7:00 p.m. and I get a unsigned form rejection letter on THURSDAY of the same week, I get pretty steamed, because I know that my manuscript has not been given the 'careful consideration' stated in the letter. Now this agent has gone to the bottom of my submission pile, and I doubt that I will ever submit to that agency again.

Rant over. Other than the rejection, it's been a pretty good week. I managed to find the last bag of dark chocolate M&M's at Target, 8 items on my reserved list at the library, including the complete Regency House Party, are ready for me to pick up, so I'll be busy all weekend, I had a great night at a hotel, 2 Orchestra tickets to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels which was fabulous, and a backstage tour.

I even finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Tuesday night, and all I can say is Wow. I'm still trying to digest what happened in this book. I stand in awe of JK Rowling, and what she's achieved with this series. Harry is growing up, with everything that it entails. I don't know how she's going to tie everything in the last book, or if she will at all. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read the book yet, but I thought it was better than Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The problem with that book for me was that Harry was so angry and angsty for the 3/4 of the book, and I thought it dragged the story down. This book had more moments of lightness than the previous book. I can't wait for Ron and Hermione to finally just admit that they have feelings for each other and get on with it.

Also, I've discovered another new Bombshell author that I'm loving, Stephanie Feagen. Her book Show Her The Money, is everything that I've wanted Bombshell books to be, fast, funny, and lots of tension. I can't wait to read the second book in the series.

Well, I'm off to the beach this weekend with Janet Evanovich's new Stephanie Plum.

Stay cool!

What mythical creature are you?

"And The Goddess planted the acorn of life.
She cried a single tear and shed a single drop
of blood upon the earth where she buried it.
From her blood and tear, the acorn grew into
the world."

Some examples of the Goddess Form are Gaia (Greek),
Jehova (Christian), and Brahma (Indian).
The Goddess is associated with the concept of
creation, the number 1, and the element of
earth.
Her sign is the dawn sun.

As a member of Form 1, you are a charismatic
individual and people are drawn to you.
Although sometimes you may seem emotionally
distant, you are deeply in tune with other
people's feelings and have tremendous empathy.
Sometimes you have a tendency to neglect your
own self. Goddesses are the best friends to
have because they're always willing to help.


> Which Mythological Form Are You?
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Hot Topics

Like the Ladies on The View, I've decided to blog about Hot Topics once a week, just to let you all know what's on my mind.

Has the world gone crazy this summer? When I got to work this morning, there was news on TV about more attempted bombings in London. Fortunately, the bombers weren't as successful as they were last time, only one person was injured, but still it's two weeks to the day of the first set of bombings.

My heart goes out to the people of London who are having to deal with the horror and uncertainty of an unknown enemy. It this because of their support for Africa, the G8, the Olympics? What does this mean to our other allies?

But it's not just the terrorist attacks on London that have me steamed. It's the behavior of celebrities lately. It's like they've been drinking crazy water or something lately. New York Magazine did a cover story this week called Celebrity Psychos with Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise in straight jackets. You can read the article here.

What can you say about a world where Omarosa comes off as Mother Theresa and Janice Dickinson has gone completely off the rails.

Jude Law? What the heck was he thinking? The nanny? Can you be more cliched? You have a beautiful fiance and you can't keep in your pants for a few weeks while you're off filming a movie? Not to mention the trauma to his child, finding his father in bed with his nanny. I really like Jude Law, but he should do himself a favor and spend some time being single for awhile.

He split up with his ex-wife Sadie Frost, and was single for literally 30 seconds before he hooked up with Sienna Miller, and then before you know it, they're engaged. Perhaps Jude should take some time to figure out his emotional baggage, before asking someone to help him carry it.

Colin Farrell? Was anyone surprised that a sex tape exists? I'm only surprised that this is the only one. With his reputation, I expected a whole library of sex tapes. Colin is worried that selling the sex tape will ruin his reputation. Hmm! This is a man who is one of the biggest man sluts in Hollywood, and he's worried about a sex tape. Hasn't hurt Paris Hilton or Pamela Anderson, Colin, so I wouldn't worry so much if I were you.

Pamela Anderson possibly marrying Tommy Lee? Who cares? I would think after accusing the man of giving her hepatitis, and domestic violence, she would think twice, but what do I know.

Oh, and Prince Albert II of Monaco has admitted that he fathered a love child with an airline stewardess. This is actually the second paternity suit that has been brought against him. Hmm! Sort of puts those whole gay rumours into a different perspective.

Maybe it's the heat. It's been incredibly hot in New York this summer. This week alone the temperatures have been in the 90's with 70 percent humidity. That's the only explanation I can give for some of the stuff that's been going on lately.

Sad Note: Scotty from Star Trek has passed away, along with Geraldine Fitzgerald, who starred with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon in Wuthering Heights.

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Cool! Good to know that I'm on the right track!!!

Letter to the Hiltons

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Hilton,

I had the pleasure of staying at your Times Square hotel last night gratis courtesy of Time Out magazine. This was the first time that I have stayed at one of your properties and I must say that while I had a nice stay, I was not that impressed overall with the hotel.

First of all the location is not the best. It would have been better if you could have situated the hotel like the Westin on 43rd Street. Right now, the hotel seems like it's squeezed like a tube of toothpaste between several tall buildings. The downstairs area is just a deserted walkway, you could definitely do something to spruce it up. Perhaps lifesize photos of your two daughters Paris and Nikki? Or a hotel boutique selling Nikki's fashions to the hotel guests! Right now it's just blah.

Second the lobby space upstairs is not well designed. When I got there to check in, there were only two people working the front desk. Having both the bar, and the restaurant occupying the same tiny space as the lobby is not a good use of the space. It would have been better if you had moved the bar and restaurant to the top floor with wrap-around windows. I know Applebees downstairs is serious competition for your guests money, but you could have put a little more thought and effort into your hotel restaurant for the prices that you charge!

My room however was very nice, spacious, nice furniture. The bed was very comfortable, and it was nice to have free airconditioning for a change. However, there were scuff marks in the bathtub, and I'm not sure it was a good idea to have a sliding door for the bathroom. And the products, seriously couldn't you spring for Aveda?

Also, who are you kidding by charging $75.00 for the hotel bathrobe? Really, the Times Square Hilton isn't exactly the Beverly Hills Hotel or the crown jewel in the Hilton Empire, the Waldorf-Astoria.

The fitness center on the 23rd floor could also be just a tad larger, for all your health conscious guests who probably use it during their stay.

Now I know that you are busy with your TV show and helping Paris plan her wedding to Paris, but I expected more of the graciousness Kathy, that you school the contestants on. My

I did love the free USA Today, and the TV guide as well as the copy of Conrad Hilton's autobiography tucked in the drawer, just in case I suffered from Insomnia.

RWA is having their conference this year at the Reno Hilton, and I'm sorry that I'm going to miss a chance to check out another Hilton property, particularly one that has a Chevy's and a Johnny Rocket.

I think that the Times Square Hilton should reflect the funkiness of the location. Perhaps have some of the local designers Cynthia Rowley and Isaac Mizrahi re-do the rooms.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth K. Mahon

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Take the What High SchoolStereotype Are You? quiz.

Why am I always blonde?


Well, we're back to the old blog template today. I had this fabulous new template that I had planned on uploading but apparently, I'm not technically savy enough yet to upload it, so until I figure things out, we'll go back to the old one. Hopefully, I won't have to take web design to figure out the new template!

Still engrossed in Harry Potter. I have to say that I admire J.K. Rowling's ability to create this wonderfully believable world, and to keep all the balls in the air with the plot. It's just amazing. I'm 3/4 of the way through the book, and I don't want it to end, because it means that I have to wait another 2 to 3 years before the last book. Which should give me plenty of time to re-read 1-6 again before the final volume.

I know alot of people are going to be said that J.K. Rowling doesn't plan on continuing the series once Harry graduates from Hogwarts (if he graduates) but I think she has the right idea. I would rather imagine what Harry's life is like after Hogwarts. Better to leave the audience wanting more, than to have them get bored with you.

Has anyone read Phillip Pullman? I've heard good things about His Dark Materials and his other Victorian thrillers. I'm always looking for new series to try. I gave up on Lemony Snicket because there were just too many books, and they were too similar.

The series I read now are:

1) In Death series - J.D. Robb
2) The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot
3) Gossip Girl - Cecily von Ziegsar
4) The A-List - Zoe Dean
5) Stephanie Plum - Janet Evanovich
6) The Blackbird Sisters - Nancy Martin
7) The Undead series by Mary Janice Davidson

What series are you into?

The Times they are a changin!

There are going to be some changes to The Lady Novelist as soon as I figure out how to upload the new template to the site. I wanted something a little more original and I managed to find it. Hopefully, it'll look great. I'm looking forward to getting everyone's feedback to the new look.

Didn't do much this weekend apart from reading Harry Potter (review coming), and watching movies. I watched Honey (the less said about it the better), Miss Congeniality 2 (okay, not as good as the original) and Beyond the Sea.

The only thing I can say about Beyond the Sea is that it suffers in comparison to Ray. I admire Kevin Spacey's determination to bring the story of Bobby Darin to the screen, and to revive interest in an artist who unfortunately isn't as well known as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin or even Pat Boone. However, the movie came off more as a vanity production than a movie, a chance for Kevin Spacey to show off his singing and dancing skills rather than a deeply felt movie about a man who was driven to succeed because he thought he didn't have long to live.

Bobby Darin had rheumatic fever, not once but twice, as a child which severely damaged his heart. He was told that he probably wouldn't live past 15, so his whole life was on borrowed time. Because of this, he could be abrasive, demanding, a workaholic, and arrogant. His whole life was devoted to his career to the detriment of his relationships. Then he discovers that his mother was really his grandmother, and his sister was really his aunt.

Unfortunately none of this came across in the movie. I couldn't get past the fact that Kevin Spacey was just too old to play Bobby Darin. Bobby Darin was 21 when he was singing songs like Splish-Splash, and Dream Lover. He was only 6 years older than Sandra Dee, but with Kevin Spacey playing Darin, he just looked like a middle-aged roue after a young girl. None of Sandra Dee's demons were touched on in the movie, the reasons for her excessive drinking or the miscarriages that she suffered. Even the special features on the DVD were heavy on Kevin Spacey, without revealing anything about the real Bobby Darin. A big disappointment. I would give it a thumbs down. Watch Ray if you want to see a warts and all portrait of a talented man.

Hey, J.K. Rowling made $36 million in one day!

It's Here!

It's here!!! I opened my mailbox this afternoon and there it was, just sitting there, nestled tightly in the box. Must go read now! Have a great weekend! You all know what I'm doing.

Wedding Crashers

I am in love with Vince Vaughn. He's tall, handsome, but not too handsome, can dance, keep you laughing until you almost wet your pants, but he also has a slight edge to him. Of course, he's an Aries, and I'm fatally attracted to Aries men.

Oh yeah, how was the movie? It was fantabulous. It was so good that I would have actually paid to go see it, instead of seeing the advance screening that I saw last night.

Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn play two divorce mediators who live like middle-aged fraternity brothers. Once June rolls around, they become the wedding crashers, spending their weekends trolling weddings to get laid. Everything is going swimmingly in their world, until they crash the wedding of Senator Cleary's daughter, and all hell breaks loose.

Part of the fun of this movie, is watching these two guys fall in love in spite of themselves. They've convinced themselves that they are happy, until they discover that life can be just as much fun when you have a partner that you love.

Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are so charming, and likeable, that you kind of forgive the fact that they behave like overgrown adolescents. The movie cleverly gives you an insight to their strategy, although of course, it's a little light on the character development. We never quite learn why these guys would rather spend their time crashing weddings.

The revelation in this movie was Bradley Cooper, who played nice guy Will on Alias. In Wedding Crashers, he plays the fiance of Rachel McAdams, Owen Wilson's love interest. Zach is a complete and total asshole. The type of guy who believe that women are second class citizens, while pretending to treat them like equals.

The only thing about this movie that was unrealistic was the fact that the movie takes place in DC, and not once did the two characters end up at a black wedding. Jewish, Chinese, Indian, yes, black no. In DC? What's up with that? You just know that Vince Vaughn in real life has probably been down with a few sistas.

If you thought Old School or American Pie (the first one) was hysterical, you'll like The Wedding Crashers.

FYI: 16 hours till Harry Potter!

Happy Bastille Day

Happy Bastille Day everyone. Today is the day the French celebrate the storming of the Bastille and the beginning of the French Revolution. So in honor of this momentous day, I'd like to talk about the unique relationship between the US and France. Most recently France and the US have had their differences over Iraq, but once upon a time, the US and France were good friends.

They helped us with our revolution, helped plan Washington, DC, gave us the Statue of Liberty, runny cheese, champagne, Les Miserables - the musical, french kissing, good mustard, croissants, haute couture, the films of Jean Cocteau, Truffaut, and others. Not to mention the music of Edith Piaf. Also a haven for African-Americans like Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, and James Baldwin who were seeking to escape the racism in the United States.

We've given the French, McDonalds, Burger King, the Gap, Mickey Rourke, Jerry Lewis, EuroDisney, Johnny Depp and John Malkovich, the craziness of Tom Cruise, and the blockbuster film.

Hmm! Doesn't quite seem a fair trade does it?

The lovely lady in the picture is Marie Antoinette (okay, so she's Austrian) the last true Queen of France (I don't count Josephine and Eugenie, who were Empresses of France). I've always had a soft spot in my heart for poor Marie, we share a birthday. I hope the new movie with Kirsten Dunst is great. This is from the Barbie Collection. Can I tell you how much I covet this doll? She's $250, just as expensive as a doll as she was when she was alive. Another thing we have in common. They now have an Empress Josephine, and a Queen Elizabeth doll which I've cast big covetous eyes on as well. Hey, I need a hobby!

I've always promised myself that when I sign my first contract, the first thing I'm going to buy is a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes and this doll.

In the meantime, drink a glass of Veuve Cliquot or Perrier-Jouet, and Vive La France!

Progress

This is Leeds Castle, known as the loveliest castle in England. Since the weather as decided to go back to being foul, I thought a lovely castle would be an inspiring site for all of us.

It was a royal residence during the reigns of Edward I through Henry VIII, but the most famoous resident of Leeds Castle was Catherine of Valois, the widow of Henry V. Remember the wooing scene in Kenneth Branagh's Henry V? Well Henry died soon after Catherine gave birth to their son, the future Henry VI.

In her widowhood, she lived at Leeds Castle where she met Owen Tudor, a commoner who was Master of the Wardrobe. They fell in love, married secretly and had four children, one of whom was the future father of Henry VII. It was a huge scandal in the fifteen century when it was revealed that the royal widow had lowered herself to consorting with a commoner. Not much has changed has it?

The castle entered private hands once again when Olive Baillie the daughter of an American who had married into the English Aristocracy bought the castle and restored it. After her death, her heirs donated it to the nation.

Progress, yes, that's what I'm talking about today. I have two deadlines, by Friday, I have to send my August President's letter to our newsletter editor, along with Market News and the Calendar of Events for the next three months. The second deadline is July 22nd. What happens July 22nd? Well Mercury goes into retrograde. When Mercury goes retrograde, meaning the planet seems to move backwards instead of forwards, communication goes haywire, which makes sense since Mercury was the god of communication.

Computers can be screwed up, travel plans go awry, planes are delayed, projects can be postponed. Communication gets really difficult during a Mercury retrograde period. The planet goes retrograde at least 2 or 3 times a year. Ouch! Mercury doesn't turn forward again until August 15th, so I'm trying to get as many queries and partials out there as possible before the 22nd.

My other deadline is to try and do as much research on being a museum curator by the end of the month, so that I can really move forward on my WIP. I don't want to spend too much time on this because I'm afraid that I'll use it as an excuse not to write. I also want to start rewriting my chick-lit romantic comedy paranormal so I can start sending that out.

So that's a lot of deadlines. Which means that it's time for me to bid adieu and get cracking!

AKA Goddess

Today, I'm reviewing AKA Goddess by Evelyn Vaughn. Book 1 of the Grailkeeper Series. August 2004 Silhouette Bombshell.

When members of a secret society break into Maggi's apartment for notes on her "family" goddess, Melusine, then injure her great-aunt in another burglary attempt, Maggi is off to France to try find and protect the legendary Melusine Chalice before they can. Along the way, she'll become involved with a handsome Welshman, Rhys Pritchard, who has a personal secret... and with her old lover, billionaire Lex Stuart, who has more secrets than she ever imagined! But there's more than danger lurking in the medieval ruins, underwater rivers, and Metro tunnels of Paris and Southern France. There's a chance at feminine empowerment.
That is the premise of Evelyn Vaughn's book, A.K.A. Goddess.

When Silhouette first announced that they were going to be publishing a line of kick-ass heroines, I was excited and trepidatious at the same time. It sounded good on paper but how would it actualy be in the execution? Particularly in the series format. I've always thought that the genre would be better served in a single title format like the Luna Books.

A.K.A. Goddess is the first Bombshell that I've actually read. I'd heard good things about the book, and the fact that it was nominated for a RITA sold me on it. Plus, it dealt with goddesses and grails, which was different than the usual CIA agents, or secret societies.

I really liked this book. It started off slowly, and then as the book went on, it got better and better. Maggi is a likable plucky heroine who uses ingenuity and her training in Tai Chi to get the best of the villains. There are echoes of the Da Vinci Code in the book, but the book is much more plausible in many ways. It doesn't rely on as many coincidences as the Da Vinci Code, although the book isn't quite as fast paced. The story is extremely clever in the use of the Goddess myths, particularly the Goddess Melusine who isn't as well known as her Greek and Egyptian counterparts. It's also clear that the author has done her research as well.

The best part of the book is the on/off relationship between Maggi and Alexander Stuart. Evelyn Vaughn cleverly reveals the history of the relationship in carefully selected flashbacks that tease and intrigue you. Lex is an alpha male who is surprisingly vulnerable and likeable. I totally bought into the deep love between the two of them, as well as the suspicions that keep them apart.

My only quibble with the book was the slow pace in the first half of the book. Although the book starts off with a bang with the burgalry, it drags a bit in the execution of getting Maggi started on her quest.

I've already picked up the next book in the series, Her Kind of Trouble, which takes Maggi and Lex to Egypt in search of the Isis Cup. And I look forward to the rest of the series.

I'm still not quite sold on Bombshell as a series, but I am interested in giving the series more of a chance now.

On the other hand, the BBC/A&E series MI-5 (known as Spooks in the UK) is nothing but fast-paced. I am addicted to this series now that I've caught it on DVD without the commercials. This is the anti-Alias. Where Alias deals with the mythical Rambaldi and secret societies, MI-5 deals with the counter-terrorism unit, as well as it's dealings with it's sister agency MI-6. In American terms, MI-5 is like the FBI, and MI-6 is more like the CIA.

The BBC website has a spy academy where you can train to be a spy. Apparently, I'm a menance to the public in terms of my shooting ability. You can check it out here.

What Book are you?

You're To Kill a Mockingbird!

by Harper Lee

Perceived as a revolutionary and groundbreaking person, you have
changed the minds of many people. While questioning the authority around you, you've
also taken a significant amount of flack. But you've had the admirable guts to
persevere. There's a weird guy in the neighborhood using dubious means to protect you,
but you're pretty sure it's worth it in the end. In the end, it remains unclear to you
whether finches and mockingbirds get along in real life.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Hmm! Very interesting!