Monthly Archives: January 2009

And Blue Bloods is hanging on at Number 10 or Numero Diez on the New York Times Best-Seller List!! Awesome pawsome!!

For those who are counting (cough, me, cough) that makes six weeks on the Times list and six weeks on the USA Today List. Double sixes! Thank god it’s not triple sixes or you know I’m in trouble!

Before I ever hit the list, Wednesday was always just another day. Hump day, perhaps, because it is in the middle of the week. But now that I have tasted the best-seller life, in the back of my mind, I always wonder, “So did we hit the list this week?” And it is a WE. It’s my name but there are so many people behind that book: my husband who is my co-conspirator, my editor, my agent, everyone at Hyperion, and all of you who are reading the story. Yay, us!!!

xoxo
Mel

I was driving around yesterday and the iPod spat out TinaMarie’s “Lovergirl”. I heart this song so much. It brings me back to 1985, when we first moved to the U.S. That song should not bring back good memories, because that was a hard year for me and my family…we had to leave Manila and our lovely home and all our things and all our friends and family…but when I hear that song I remember being EXCITED about life… hearing that song on the morning commute to school, my dad at the wheel, I usually got shotgun ‘coz I was the oldest, and even though school was pretty miserable…why is it that when I listen to that song I remember feeling happy?

I think it’s because everyone has an inner life…and my inner life was pretty great, because I loved books and art and music, and even though I was lonely at school and had no friends, I had this wonderful family around me, who treated leaving everything behind and starting anew in America as a Great Adventure. Also, something about that catchy beat and TinaMarie’s tough-girl-rap is so hilariously cheesy and great at the same time.

Anyway, all this is a big introduction to my news: we have ourselves a cover! Oh yes. The Van Alen Legacy has a cover!!!! And it is sooooooo pretty and romantic and gorgeous. I will share once it is 100% done, as we are still tweaking with colors still. But my editor loves it, I love it, my husband loves it, the sales team loves it, so there’s a lot of love going around.

Shooting down more rumors about the Blue Bloods series. Is the Internet a huge game of telephone? You remember that game, you sat in the circle and the first person whispered something to person next to them and so on and so on and then the person at the end has to say what he/she heard. And it’s ALWAYS wrong.

Anyway, the latest rumors are about the Blue Bloods movie. Because I had an animated trailer produced for the third book, there’s a misconception that there is a movie or TV show coming out, and that it might be animated. I am here to say all that is wrong. I produced the trailer in anime style to promote the book. That’s all it is.

And I’m sad to say there is no movie in development. There was a TV show at one point, and we got close enough to getting it made that I was starting to, you know, get that big head that people get when they think their project is actually going to get produced. But the journey to TVland is a very long and very fraught journey, there are so many hoops to jump through, and so very many people have to say YES before you actually get on the network schedule.

We got about midway through the process, with lots of Yes’s piling up, and you know, my head kind of getting HUGE, (oh yes, ask Mike, I was kind of annoying to be around during this time). But then we got stopped cold in our tracks.

A big bad NOPE.

Then pfffftttt—all the air went out of my balloon-sized head.

I got back down to earth. And I think I was sad for a day but then the next week, I was fine. I finished a book, I wrote new outlines, I wrote a new proposal, and I know one day not far in the future, I’ll go on the Hollywood merry-go-round again.

The funny thing is: I’ve been on this road for ten years now. Hollywood is sooo seductive. It’s a dream factory. The first time was with the How to become Famous reality show, that was going to star me and my co-author Karen. We really thought this was going to happen. And then it didn’t. And the movie didn’t get made either. After that, I swore I would never believe anymore. Not until I saw my show on TV or the movie in theaters.

But you know what: I am an eternal optimist. And I BELIEVE. I really thought that by this time, Blue Bloods would be in pilot mode and picked up for series. But we got killed before we could even write a pilot script (the first episode of a show that’s a test episode).

It was a fun couple of months, and the people I met and worked with were awesome, and I know one day, like I said, I’ll get my head puffed up again and maybe my heart broken again. But so what?

I have my books. It was always my dream to be a novelist. The TV show or the movie or whatever comes from it, is just gravy. A bonus.

In the end, it’s the books that are the most important. (Although I don’t mind driving to the studios for meetings: I have to say: it’s ALWAYS a thrill.)

So: The news: No movie. No TV show. At this time. Maybe one day. Who knows?

But what I do know is:

GIRL STAYS IN THE PICTURE is out June 2009!

BLUE BLOODS IV: THE VAN ALEN LEGACY is out September 2009!

WOLF PACT (The awwwwwsome Blue Bloods spinoff about werewolves) is out Spring 2010!

And there will be more Girl books and Blue Bloods books and Wolf Pact books in the future…

In the meanwhile, the iPod is cranking out another fave song: Don’t Stop Believin’!!!! Oh yeah!! (Hold on to that feeeeeeling!!!)

xoxo
Mel

It feels like your whole life is going well too…

I am nicer to my husband, play more with my kid, I exercise more, I eat right, I sleep better at night.

When the writing goes well, it’s like everything in your life is dipped in golden honeydew good-writing light.

The birds are chirping, the rainbows are rainbow-ing, the skinny jeans fit!

But when the writing is going badly, it’s like I’ve gained ten pounds, am on the brink of divorce, and the kid is bawling…

Right now, though, the pistons are firing and the words are being written and the book is growing and all is good in the world.

xoxo
Mel

You all know the sales are still going on right? I mean, wow, things are really, really cheap out there. I went to Barneys the other week and walked out with five pairs of shoes. The prices were ridick. I mean, Alaia heels for $300??? They were originally $1700. Okay, so $1700 is an exorbitant price to pay for footwear. Granted. And $300 used to buy you a pair of Miu Mius. When did prices get so out of control?

When I was shopping in the 90s, you could buy nice designer shoes for $300. Which seemed a normal price to pay because Nine West was around $80. Nine West is still $80 but now Miu Mius will run you around $600. And Blahniks are $700 on average and Louboutins, forget about it, if you want a pair of those, they are $900. Sigerson Morrison used to be around $200 but now they cost $500-$600 and their “cheap” line, Belle, costs $300.

So anyway, it was nice to see shoes for what they used to cost retail. I bought hot-pink Blahnik patent pumps for $280 (from $775) and a pair of those gold metallic flat Louboutins for $249 from $675 (I guess flats are cheaper for Loubs if you want a heel they add $300), they have that cool turban knot in front with the peep-toe and are so comfy. Then the two pairs of Alaias, one a zebra ponyhair with a cone heel and the other a square-toed black school-marm-ish pump with lizard detailing, both were $300 and $350 from $1600 and $1700 respectively. Then the piece de resistance: THE Balenciaga boot of the season, that white knee-high one with the built in and hidden wedge? $600 from $1900.

I was at Intermix the other day and this lady came out of the dressing rooms wearing a one-shoulder black cocktail dress and hot-pink stilettos (the new ones from Stella). I just thought she looked so fantastic and I want to wear the same outfit sometime this year for one of the weddings I’m going to. Which is why I bought the hot-pink Blahniks. Now I just need the one-shouldered cocktail dress to go with it. You would think that in my closet I would own something like this right?? I mean, a one-shouldered black cocktail dress??? And yes, yes, I do! I bought this Marine Sitbon black cocktail dress about eight years ago and it still looks LOVELY. I think I bought it at Century 21 for $200 from $800 or something like that. I wore it to my rehearsal dinner the night before my wedding. Maybe I’ll wear it again. It’s the last time I wore it.

This discovery has made me wonder what else in my closet I can dig out and wear again. The olive green Gucci dress from Tom Ford’s last collection? I wore it once during the Fashionista book tour. I haven’t worn it since. The Burberry trenchcoat dress, that I wore once to a meeting with the TV studio that bought the How to be Famous book? (They were going to put Karen and I as on-air hosts for the reality show based on the book. I was thrilled and appalled. I had and still have no desire to be on television.)  Oh my god I just found the sexy backless Clements Riberio dress I wore to the Fashionista book party in Boston, that was co-hosted by Shoshanna. She was so very sweet and so pretty and called everyone “Sexy” like “Hey, Sexy!” How do you not like someone like that? I miss my old life sometimes. What else? I just found a yellow halter sundress I bought at Bloomingdale’s for $80 that I have never worn. And a Helmut Lang gown that also still has price tags. Back when Helmut was still designing his own line. And how exciting that the First Lady wore Isabel Toledo??? Soooo very fashionista. Barneys just tore down all their displays and put Isabel’s dresses all over the windows to celebrate. Now I want an Isabel Toledo for my collection too, but first I’ll have to try to wear something AGAIN that I only wore once.

Remember, it’s not old—it’s vintage!

xoxo
Mel

Oh yeah, baby, Blue Bloods is back on the New York Times series list at number ten!! Woo-hoo!

Also, thanks to all of you who have been emailing me with questions about the Van Alen Legacy. Apparently, there are some websites that are posting the “first chapter” or “sneak peek chapters” of the Van Alen Legacy. None of those posted chapters are mine and real. They are fan fictions. Also, The Van Alen Legacy is the correct and ONLY title of the book, NOT “The Van Alen Legacy: Eternal Ties” or any other title you might read about.

All official and authentic Blue Bloods news or sneak peeks will come from this site only, or the official Blue Bloods website, or from my publisher, Hyperion.

Phew! Now I know what Jennifer Anniston feels like. 😉

It’s kind of flattering to get gossiped about, and I’m so psyched interest is so high! That is so very cool. So to assuage you all, I will post a sneak-peek on Valentine’s Day, February 14. Consider it my valentine to all of you. 🙂 

xoxo
Mel

I have to hide behind sunglasses because my eyes are so puffy. Spent the whole morning blubbering with Mike as we watched the Inauguration. Dressed the kid in an Obama Girl t-shirt and dropped her off at pre-pre-preschool late, late, late.

How fantastic was the whole thing??? Michelle Obama looked INSANE, I was shocked when I saw what she was wearing but now I love it and I’m so glad she wore it. The gold brocade coat in that gold/green-y color. It was dramatic, unexpected, and had FLAIR. It was SO her and looked awesome next to Laura Bush’s conservative pastels, the usual wardrobe of the American aristocracy. There was something really brash and wonderful about Michelle’s outfit, it was an outfit that somehow had a Beyonce-put-a-ring-on-it-sistahs-attitude while still being incredibly tasteful and beautiful. Bravo!

And the little girls looked wonderful too, just so appropriate and festive. And loved how Obama was kind of nervous and flubbed the Oath of Office a bit. And that speech! Wow, wow, wow. And how wonderful to have music and poetry—YoYo Ma playing “Simple Gifts” – a Quaker hymn (Remember learning it at school? We sang it every Thanksigiving at Convent). A wonderful event all around, and really a proud day for all of us.

xoxo
Mel

Today we welcome the lovely Miss Sarah Mlynowski, author of many amazing books including the wonderful Magic in Manhattan series, the latest book, Parties & Potions is out now! I thought I’d ask Sarah about her um…shopping habits! Because, c’mon! We need to know!

1) Do you consider yourself a shopaholic? And if so, what’s the particular addiction? Shoes? What? And if NOT, what kind of shopper are you?

Hi Melissa! Thanks so much for taking the time to ask me all these questions. I don’t think anyone has ever asked me about my shopping habits before…which is a shame because I LOVE to shop. I shop in department stores, at boutiques, at drug stores, on-line. I have two recent addictions: nail polish and books. I’m a big pink fan—pink polish and pink books.

2) Do you have a favorite designer? Who and why?

I love all things Theory. My sister used to work there and she got me hooked—the 30% family discount didn’t hurt. I’m not so into patterns, and I like how their clothes are mostly solid colors.  (I’m short and I’ve convinced myself that solid colors make me look taller.)

[I love Theory also!! Their white shirts are the BEST. And I agree about solid colors=more height.]

3) What’s the one thing you would love to buy but haven’t?

A MacBook Air. I really, really want one. They look so light and fluffy.  My laptop is kind of on its last legs, so I might get one when it dies…just hoping it doesn’t die before I back everything up. I’m really bad with the back up. Maybe I should do that right now. Okay now. Soon, I swear.

4) What’s your proudest purchase?

The no-name high black boots I bought in 2002. I tried on about a hundred pairs before I found the perfect ones. Plus, I discovered them two blocks from my apartment, they were cheap, and I still wear them.

5) Is there anything in your closet you regret buying?

Um, yeah. The Tory Burch slip-ons that give me blisters because they’re too small. The Mary-Jane Cole Haan heels that give me blisters because they’re too big. I’m like Goldilocks with shoes.

[And of course we need to know about the books too! So some book questions…]

6) What is the new book about?

Parties & Potions is the fourth book in the Magic in Manhattan series. Rachel and her sister are both debuting at a magical party called a Samsorta, which is a debutante ball for witches. Of course the ball has boys…cute, charming, witch boys. Sure, Rachel is still madly in love with her boyfriend Raf…but Raf doesn’t know her big, witchy secret. And she can never tell him. Or can she?

7) What are you working on now?

A new novel called Gimme a Call.  It’s about a high school freshman who finds a magical cell phone and can call herself in the future as a senior. If only Future Me could e-mail myself the finished draft…

8) How is it different writing for adults than it is for teens? Can we expect more adult books? Which type of book do you prefer to write?

It’s not that different…my tone and voice are pretty similar. I do feel more pressure writing for teens than I do for adults since 14 is much more impressionable than 24. When I write for teens I’m extra careful about having characters swear, drink or hook up. When I write for adults I dive right into bad twenty-something behavior…it’s a swearing, drinking and hooking up extravaganza.
I’d like to write another adult novel again, but I’ve been pretty busy with my teen books lately. I like writing both, but my true love has always been YA.

9) You’re pregnant. Yay! Are you shopping for the baby? What are you buying? Stroller of choice?

I actually haven’t bought ANYTHING yet. And I’m due at the beginning of March! I’m superstitious, so I didn’t want to get anything too soon. But now I have to get cracking. Today. (Right after I back up my files.) And stroller is up there on the list, although I don’t know which one yet. I did see a really cute pair of pink Baby Uggs at Bloomies last week, but I’m worried I’ll get the size wrong and give Baby blisters…

—-

I bought my baby Baby Uggs too. She NEVER wanted to wear them. Sigh. But I think I’ll try again now that she’s a toddler. Thanks so much for stopping by, Sarah! And do catch Sarah on the rest of her blog tour:

Teen Book Review, Wednesday 1/14
The Well Read Child, Thursday 1/15
Page Flipper, Tuesday 1/20
E. Lockhart, Wednesday 1/21
Bildungsroman, Thursday 1/22
YA Books Central, Friday, 1/23
Ally Carter’s Blog, Monday 1/26
Cynsations, Tuesday 1/27
Random Buzzers, 1/28 – 2/6

xoxo
Mel

Good news! The short story I wrote exclusively for Target, which is from Jack’s point of view and gives a new perspective to the ending of Revelations, is now available for everyone to enjoy!

To read it, go to www.bluebloodsbooks.com/target. It will ask you for a secret password. The password is BLUEBLOODS in all caps. We will be fixing the site so that you will no longer have to key in the password in the future, but for now, you still need it.

And again, Blue Bloods IV: The Van Alen Legacy comes out this September!

We are casting for the photo shoot for the cover of the book right now. It’s like America’s Next Top Book Cover Model over here. Heh. My editor sends me model cards and I send back comments, so yes, it is EXACTLY like ANTM.

Also – please do stop by this Friday, January 16, as the effervescent and awesome Sarah Mlynowski will be joining me on her blog tour, answering all my shopping mania questions. Sarah’s new book Parties & Potions in the Magic in Manhattan series is out now! Tres fun, hilarious and sweet, just like its author! (How cute is HER author photo by the way??)

xoxo
Mel

I have a new author photo! Check it out!

I am sitting in our living room in our fabulous B&B Italia Gaetano Pesce Up chair. Isn’t it gorgeous??? We call it the Dr. Seuss chair. Actually that is not right. We always call it “our fabulous B&B Italia chair.” Other people (guests who shall not be named) call it the Dr. Seuss chair. Design barbarians!!

That’s all for today. Gotta get these copyedits for GIRL out the door!

xoxo
Mel

I just heard from my editor at Hyperion that BLUE BLOODS IV: THE VAN ALEN LEGACY has a pub date! It will be out September 1, 2009. Yay!!! I love the month of September, especially since it’s my birth-month.

Plus there are so many fun songs with September in them, like “Try to remember the kind of September when life was slow and oh, so mellow….” (from the Fantasticks, but here’s one where the fabulous Julie Andrews sings it) and Earth Wind and Fire’s “Do you remember the 21st night of september? Love was changing the minds of pretenders, while chasing the clouds away…” (all together now “da da da… say that you remember da da da…dancing in september…da da da…chasing the clouds awaaaayyyy….”). Good stuff!

And here’s some other fun stuff. Here’s the synopsis and cover for Girl Stays in the Picture. Isn’t that such a great cover??? I love how hot she looks.

GIRL STAYS IN THE PICTURE

If you can’t be a mega-selling teen pop star, maybe you can join her entourage…

Devon—one name only, please—-is the latest and jail-bait-est pop star to hit #1 on the Billboard charts and she’s making her big screen debut in “Juicy”. But after a stint in rehab, the studio isn’t so sure she’s their girl anymore. If they cut any more of her lines, she’ll be a silent film actress! Can Devon regain her star status? She needs to watch her back and make sure that flash doesn’t catch her causing a scene, and we don’t mean the kind you can yell “Cut!” after.

Livia has lost the weight and gained a reputation for attitude in the Hollywood party scene. Her dad’s an Oscar-winning producer, and with a hot Beverly Hills boyfriend on her arm as well as her photos all over the pages of Gossizzle.com, Livia looks like she has a perfect life. But looks can be perfectly deceiving…

And there’s fresh-faced Casey, who left a job bagging groceries at the Piggly Wiggly to play personal assistant to her best friend….and Devon’s biggest rival. She’s got the biggest crush on the biggest star of the film—a hot Brit known for loving and leaving them. Will Casey stay true to herself while trying to find a place in his universe?

Stars. They’re just like us. But what does that mean for the rest of us? Stay tuned, people.

xoxo
Mel
(I still can’t get those September songs out of my head!)