Actually, Blue Bloods’ publication day was yesterday. But it STILL wasn’t shipping from Amazon. Thankfully, it is now! Have you ordered your copy yet? 🙂

Right now I am madly trying to polish the first 30 pages of Blue Bloods Two for my editor (a progress report) before we meet for lunch next Monday.

And I thought I would take the time to answer some questions readers have been sending in:

-When does Blue Bloods 2 come out?
-Right now it is scheduled for April 2007. I know, a whole year away. I’m sorry! It just takes a long time for me to write the Blue Bloods books, and my publisher needs at least ten months (they prefer a year) for marketing and pre-sales. But I promise it is worth the wait!

-When does Au Pairs: Sun-Kissed come out?
-June 1, 2006 is the official publication date, but it will probably be in stores a week or two before then.

-Is there an Au Pairs 4?
-Right now, no. I have no plans to continue the series for now. I know, I know. But I am working on a HOT new series called SOCIAL LIFE, which is coming out next summer, and it’s about three girls who zoom around the world in a private jet, and their adventures on the “international social calendar”–you know, the one that says one *must* spend New Year’s in Aspen, Spring in St. Barth’s, July in St. Tropez, and Christmas in Palm Beach. 🙂 It’s going to have all the fun, shopping, hot boys, scandal, gossip, social-climbing and intrigue as the Au Pairs, but with a new cast of characters I *know* you will love. Also, this is going to be a paperback series–I know a lot of you guys have emailed me saying you love to buy my books but hardcovers are expensive–we listened! And this one is coming out in paperback. Yay!

-What is Angels on Sunset Boulevard about?
-This book is about a cute tomboy girl from the Hollywood Flats, and a handsome preppie boy from Bel-Air, who discover a secret cult in Los Angeles that is exploiting and manipulating teens in the city. There’s a lot of L.A. club hopping, crazy parties, sexy drama and West Coast adventure! It comes out this December. Yay.

And in other news..

WOW. The Kaavya plagiarism story just keeps going doesn’t it? I am so curious to see what Meg Cabot says about it in her blog (which I am addicted to). She has such a great, funny take on the whole situation.

I’m also a little annoyed with all the chick-lit slamming going on in the Kaavya coverage. There is this conception on the part of the “serious” writers of the world that chick-lit is something anyone can do in their sleep. I’m sorry, but it is REALLY hard to be funny and entertaining. It is a craft, like anything else. It requires work. But it is ALSO a lot of fun. I can’t tell you how many times I sit at my computer and just GIGGLE because the scene I am writing strikes me as so funny.

For instance, in Sun-Kissed, I describe Mara’s high school graduation where the class had to sing the Class Song, “Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson” because their real choice “American Idiot by Green Day” was banned by the administration. Can you just imagine a class full of seniors half-heartedly singing the lyrics to “Breakaway”? How FUNNY is that??? When they really wanted to sing American Idiot?? LOL.

I also have to share that when my friend Jennie (my best friend from college) read the book and came upon this sentence, she GUFFAWED and yelled across the room, “They SANG Breakaway?? That is hilarous!!”

Don’t worry, I’m a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson and mean no offense. But you know, the whole “Class Song” deal is kind of ridiculous… We had to sing the Theme from St. Elmo’s Fire at my graduation. “We laughed, until we had to cry, we loved, until we said good-bye.” Blecch!

And the whole scene is inspired by my husband’s story that for his eighth grade graduation, they had to sing “Greatest Love of All” after their real choice, Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was banned by the administration. The funny thing is, Mike said that after the class voted on Bohemian Rhapsody, the music teacher went out and bought the music so they could all practice. (The teachers had never heard of the song.) But once they saw the lyrics, which open with “Mamma, I killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled the trigger, now he’s dead”–they immediately put the kibbosh on it.

What strikes me as so funny about this story is that the schools always GIVE you a choice– a vote–democracy!–but when the real voice of the American teen is heard–Bohemian Rhapsody please! American Idiot!–they SQUASH it and make the kids sing some asinine song instead.

Although at my high school, the sad story is that all the popular girls CHOSE the St. Elmo’s Fire theme and made us all vote for it. And like sad little sheep, we did…

Oh well, at least it makes for a good scene in a book. See, it’s just one sentence, but there is so much HISTORY behind it. 🙂

Ok, back to work or my editor will have my ass.
xoxo
Mel