I ‘m sitting here going through the copyedit for ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD, my new trilogy coming out from Simon & Schuster in February 2007. This book was a bitch to write, in that I wanted to write about so much: Los Angeles, cults, the Internet, skateboarding, rockstars, private school vs. public school, cars, identity, love, loyalty, friendship, music and magic. So in June I turned in a draft that had all of that and the kitchen sink, but no semblance of a plot, and my amazing editor helped me streamline the story and figure out what the book was really ABOUT.

And now I’m looking at the lean and mean pages, and I am just BURSTING with pride. After months and months of thinking my work is shit, now I think it’s THE shit. Which is awesome. Because if writers can’t please themselves, how can they please their readers? And we all write for ourselves, don’t we? For our own amusement and entertainment. So that we can cackle madly at the keyboard. I write the stories I want to read…(as opposed to writing the songs the whole world sings).

Plus, if you haven’t already – go log on to the Harper Teen Fan Lit site, and join the contest! I will be blogging on Tuesday, Oct 24th so come stop by and check it out!

Also, I will be part of this fun LA YAs Speakeasy Pajama Party with all these fab peeps on Sunday, October 29th. Come in your PJs and hang out! (Although I don’t know if I will come in PJs, who wants to see a pregnant lady in her shortie nightgown? I think I will stick to my fall uniform of Vince tunic and Gap leggings and Louboutin platforms.)

Here’s who’ll be there:

Cecil Castellucci ( The Queen of Cool ), Dana Reinhardt ( A Brief Chapter In My Impossible Life ), Jordan Roter ( Girl in Development ), Kerry Madden ( Gentle’s Holler ), Mark L. Williams ( Danger Boy ), Melissa de la Cruz ( The Au Pairs ), Sally Nemeth ( The Heights , The Depths and Everything In Between ), Amy Goldman Koss ( Poison Ivy, Side Effects ), Rachel Cohn ( Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist , Two Steps Forward ) and Francesca Lia Block (Weetzie Bat)–Woohoo!

LA YA Pajama Party Smart Gals Literary Speakeasy!

Sunday, October 29th 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Mt. Hollywood Underground 4607 Prospect Avenue, Los Feliz

Admission: $7.00 (general), $5.00 (members) Bookmarks: $10.00, purchased separately Information and passwords: (dinky hocker shoots smack!)

323.302.2257 or www.smartgals.org

Hope to see you there!

xoxo

Mel