Category Archives: Uncategorized

Hey all,
So much stuff has been happening…I’ve been on book tour for Girls who like boys who like boys, I was at the fabulous BookExpo America where I did two signings and met tons of great authors and many of you wonderful readers, we had tons of parties–oh the parties! And I didn’t welsh on my Fashion Challenge! I now own two Philip Lim dresses–I bought a white one to wear to the GWLB book party in New York. (It was $350 from $515 at the Barneys sale.)
And now we’re home and there’s so much dry-cleaning it’s sick.
And I’m STILL writing the Ashleys!! Which is coming out this December!! I am now in the major rewrite phase wherein I discover my first draft truly, truly, awfully sucks the big one and I have to rewrite everything and get in there and WORK.
So…I must bid adieu…
xoxo
Mel

Oh! And I forgot what I wanted to say: I’m going to be chatting with readers at the Blue Bloods forums on June 25th at 4PM PST/7PM EST. It is run by the fabulous Amanda, who almost got run over by an out-of-control motorized wheelchair at BEA during my signing. We survived, thankfully.

Awww, you guys are AWESOME!!!

Okay, so here’s a sneak peek at REVELATIONS: I’ll just say that part of it is set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. You know, the city with the Jesus statue? Formally known as Cristo Redentor on Corcovado Mountain. Rio is called “A Cidade Maravilhosa – “The Marvelous City”. Corcovado means “hunchback” in Portugese.
I have to stop talking because if I keep talking I’ll tell you all about the book and I’m still working out a few things and I don’t want to give it all away!

I love all the excitement… although I have to admit it’s such a double-edged sword. It’s hard to write a book knowing so many people are waiting for it. THE PRESSURE!!!!

Anyway, something VERY exciting happened last night…I saw my FIRST EVER STANDEE!!!

You know those standees? They are cardboard stands that hold an author’s book? Well, it has been my great ambition to be one of those authors with their very own standee.

And last night, I finally saw one for MY books. For Masquerade. FRACKING AWESOME!!!

I will post a picture here once we go back to the B&N and get a shot. We didn’t have our camera last night, sadly.

If you see any standees in your neck of the woods, will you send me a pic?

The very nice B&N rep told me that they are called, in the industry, “Dumps”. So that was my “very first dump.” LOL.

Okay? So tonight? CRAAZY HOT PARTY!!! And it’s fracking Crazy Hot here in SoCal. It was 100 degrees yesterday.

Come one, come all…

‘CRAZY HOT’ LAUNCH PARTY IN THE VALLEY!!!
Shopping! Dancing! Mayhem! Goodie-bags!
May 9, 2007
6:00 – 8:00 PM
M. Fredric at The Commons
4751 Commons Way
Calabasas, CA 91302

I seriously don’t know what to wear.

For the LA Times Book Festival I wore a blue floor-length silk halter dress (Urban Outfitters $80) with an airy white sweater (Club Monaco $90) and Jack Rogers flats ($90) and Me and Ro silver hoop earrings ($500). Its too hot to wear complicated clothing!

Last night I wore a black a-line Diavolina top ($350), Nordstrom leggings ($20) and tan Sigerson Morrrison sandals ($100 at the sale) and my fabulous Anthony Nak earrings ($4000) that Mike bought me as a “delivery gift” for delivering his child. I think these are also called “push presents” but somehow I don’t like the sound of that.

Lalala…my book has a standee…lalala….and tonight I’m having a partee…lalala…

xoxo
Mel

Hey Blue Bloods peeps–

If you are in the L.A. area come out and see me tomorrow night!

I’ll even tell you what’s in store for Book III: REVELATIONS–which comes out in Fall 2008!

MASQUERADE READING, DISCUSSION & SIGNINGÂ
May 8, 2007Â
7:00 PMÂ
Barnes & Noble at the Third Street PromenadeÂ
1201 Third StreetÂ
Santa Monica, CA 90401Â

xoxo
Mel

I feel sooo guilty about my reader mail. I have been so late on my
correspondence lately. But please know I READ every one of your emails,
and I am still holding on to wanting to respond PERSONALLY to each one,
so it just takes a while for me to get back to you.

But here’s what you guys want to know…

WHEN
IS MASQUERADE OUT? It’s out NOW! Yippee! Kirkus called it "a tasty and
alluring sequel for the vampire-sex-and-fashion set". And readers who
pre-ordered it seem to like it too. I re-read it last night because I’m
gearing up to write REVELATIONS right now and I have to say, it’s a
fun, fun read. I forgot all the twists and turns that I even riveted
myself. Heh Heh. I’m told REVELATIONS is scheduled for Fall 2008.

WHEN
IS CRAZY HOT OUT? It’s out NOW! Yippee! It’s the fourth book in the Au
Pairs series, and there’s tons of fun stuff in it: Jacqui meets a sexy
Aussie photog, Jeremy gives Eliza a "Holly-rock" (major bling, minor
commitment?), and Mara has a hot new boyfriend, but does she still have
the hots for the old one (ie Ryan Perry?) Find out in CRAZY HOT! Will
there be a new Au Pairs book? I’m not sure! Stay tuned. It’s never up
to me. It’s always reader demand that decides whether the series will
continue. So if you DEMAND it, I will write it.

And to those
readers who asked, the Au Pairs series goes like this: Book One is Au
Pairs, Book Two is Skinny Dipping, Book Three is Sun Kissed and Book
Four is Crazy Hot.

I SAW A BOOK ON AMAZON CALLED ST. TROPEZ BY
YOU. WHEN IS THIS COMING OUT? Not yet! St. Tropez is my first book in
my new series called SOCIAL LIFE, which I believe debuts in Summer
2008.

WHEN IS YOUR BOOK THE ASHLEYS COMING OUT? Ashleys comes
out December 2007. I am still writing this book!!! It’s about the four
coolest seventh-graders ever to wear designer saddleshoes.
You know
what saddleshoes are? They are those white-and-black shoes that private
school kids have to wear. Yes, I wore them. They were ugly. But you
know what? Chanel and Louboutin now make high-heeled designer
saddleshoes. They call them "spectators". They rock. And my girls rock
them in the Ashleys.

ARE YOU WRITING A SEQUEL TO ANGELS ON
SUNSET BOULEVARD? Yes! I don’t know yet when this book will be
published, but I am writing a sequel to it. The tentative title is
ANGELS FLIGHT or ANGELS SONG. We’ll see which one works better. It
might have a completely different title by the time I’m done with it.

WHAT
ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW? My tan. Ha. Seriously. I am overwhelmed with
work. Don’t even talk to me about work. There is too much of it. Plus
my baby is still not sleeping thru the night. So can you say "sleepless
zombie"??

I’M HAVING A PARTY! For CRAZY HOT – IF you are in
the O.C. area, come by the Calabasas Commons – at the M. Fredric store
on May 9th from 6-8 pm. We’ll have raffles, goodie-bags, a popcorn
machine, a frozen & fruity drink machine, a DJ, and I’ll be
chatting and signing books!

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN BUYING? Lots. I’m
re-writing some really important shopping scenes in the Ashleys and I
of course had to go shopping with my BFF Jennie (we’ve been BFFs since
college) so that I could have some fun material to work with. Everytime
I am with Jennie I feel like I am eighteeen again, atlho truly, we
regress to two 14 year olds, which is about right since that’s my
EMOTIONAL age.

One of the fun things we did was Jennie and I
bought the same Michael Stars hoodie ($74) and she really wanted me to
buy the same wedges as she did, but I am scared of wearing platforms
now because I need to hold the baby and I’m scared of tripping in my
heels while I’m holding her. Jennie and I always used to buy the same
shoes. Same shoes=the sign of true friendship.

When we were in
college, during one Spring Break that I spent with her in B’more, we
bought these ass-kiccking cowboy booties together (they came back
briefly a few years ago). They were so hot. And $14 each. From
JORDACHE! We also peeled off the label together and vowed never to
reveal where they came from. So when people would ask us where we got
them, we would say "Kenneth Cole" or "Bloomingdales" because we were
embarassed of their provenance! So funny. I have owned tons of shoes in
my life, some in the four-figure range (those rhinestone Manolos are
expensive!), and nothing warms my heart as much as the memory of those
$14 Jordache "booties".

And now, I must go back to my regulary scheduled writing…

xoxo
Mel

I am making a bunch of appearances this year! Come by and get your books signed! Ask me how I’m doing the Book Tour Fashion Challenge!

LOS ANGELES TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS AT UCLA CAMPUS
April 28, 2007
11:00am -12:00pm
Autographing at Simon & Schuster/Whale of A Tale Booth #829
(Children’s Area North)
UCLA is at
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90095

MASQUERADE READING, DISCUSSION & SIGNING
May 8, 2007
7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble at the Third Street Promenade
1201 Third Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401

‘CRAZY HOT’ LAUNCH PARTY IN THE O.C.!!!
Shopping! Dancing! Mayhem! Goodie-bags!
Welcome to the O.C. byatches!
May 9, 2007
6:00 – 8:00 PM
M. Fredric at The Commons
4751 Commons Way
Calabasas, CA 91302

GIRLS WHO LIKE BOYS WHO LIKE BOYS BOOK TOUR INFO COMING SOON! Melissa will be in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and East Hampton!

MELISSA WILL BE AT BOOK EXPO AMERICA THIS YEAR, SIGNING FOR S&S AND HYPERION – STOP BY!

MORE AUTHOR APPEARANCES COMING SOON…

Although really, if you would like to see me, just pop into the Barneys in Beverly Hills or Fred Segal on Melrose on a weekday afternoon…I am usually there when I am not writing!

xoxo
Mel

Mike, me and the babe just got back from San Antonio, where we had attended the annual TLA (Texas Library Association) conference. It was my first conference/convention EVER and we were all so excited. At least, I was. Mike was being a good sport about playing daddy nanny to the baby for the day that I had to do appearances at the conference, and baby was just happy to be with her parents as usual.

I am STILL working on THE ASHLEYS and it’s getting down to the wire where every night I look at the pages I wrote and rewrote that day and I think, GOD THIS SUCKSS!!! And then a couple of hours later I look at it again, and I think, OKAY, THIS ROCKS!!!! It’s been that kind of book. Which is kind of every book really. I am really looking forward to turning this in so I can relax again for a couple of days.

The TLA conference was my first time trying to do both mothering and my public work, as in I actually had to be somewhere at certain times, while making sure baby was fed and happy. She’s five months now but still exclusively breastfed, which has been very difficult but I am getting through it because she simply REFUSES to take the bottle and hey, we can’t let her starve.

So of course, we were a bit late to my signing at the Hyperion booth, because loading baby, carseat, stroller, diaperbag into the cab and making sure we knew where the convention center was took all morning. Phew! But I did finally get there, in my Marc Jacobs black satin dress and Sigerson Morrisson pointy black flats. I’d bought the dress last year for the Blue Bloods party but ended up being too pregnant to wear it, so I was happy to debut it in San Antonio. It’s very goth-glam so appropriate for a vampire book author I think. I REALLY wanted to wear heels but knowing I was going to carry the baby sometimes made me think twice. I didn’t want to pull a Britney and almost drop the kid just for the sake of wearing platforms! I also had my hair blown out at the lovely salon in our hotel since it has been, oh, THREE months since I had a haircut! And one should look nice for one’s readers, I think. And not show up with dreds in one’s hair. (Yes, it’s gotten tangled again.)

There was actually a long line of people waiting for me to sign their books! Librarians rock!! Texan librarians rock hardest!! Everyone was so nice and friendly and had the best accents. And everyone from Hyperion at the booth was so cool, including my lovely editor Jen, the school/library coordinator Angus (who has a fab accent of his own) and the other fab marketing guys there – RaShan and Scottie. And my fabulous publicist Jenn, who worked on my books at S&S but is now at Hyperion. It was so great to be around New Yorkers again too. I love New Yorkers, I miss them so. They had a bigass poster of Masquerade in the booth and I felt so proud!

Then we headed over to the also fabulous S&S booth and hung out with the sweet girls over there–Jodie and Lisa and all their crew. They had a humunguous poster of ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD which was awesome. And lots of promo materials for the Au Pairs and the Ashleys book…which made me feel mega guilty since the Ashleys is not done yet and they are already selling it! So I need to go back to work as soon as I finish blogging…

Then after the signings I was making an appearance at a panel for “Ghosts and Vampires: What’s the YA attraction?” with super awesome authors Stephenie Meyer, Amanda Jenkins and Laura Whitcomb. A lot of my readers ask me if I’d read Twilight and I haven’t yet because I didn’t want to read any other vampire books while I was writing Blue Bloods. But Little Brown sent it over and I thought it would be polite to read it if I was going to be on a panel with her so I started reading it–and yes, I love Edward too!! Stephenie is really great, very cool and very girlie too, so it was fun to chat with her. I haven’t read Amanda’s or Laura’s books (both are about ghosts) but they are now on my list.

I feel like I’m in a really good spot now with the Blue Bloods series–the mythology and story are firmly established and I’m not worried about being unduly or unconsciously influenced by other vampire books so I am going to let myself enjoy other vampire books now. Scott Westerfeld’s Peeps is next!

Anyway, there were like, THOUSANDS of people in the auditorium. I was so shocked and pleased, it was so awesome. There were so many people it was an SRO – Standing Room Only event! And I was running late again because we had to feed/change the baby/grab something to eat in the forty minutes after my S&S signing and the panel, and we were running around the convention hall LOOKING for a bathroom with a changing table and could not find any until the very last second! Oof!

But I made it finally, and it was really fun. I have done a couple of panels already, so I kind of know how to do them now–just relax, be yourself, and enjoy yourself. Everytime I get nervous, I clam up and no one has a good time–least of all, me! The Texans were all so fab–they laughed at all my jokes and there was just a good feeling of warmth and love for books all around.

Then I went to the wonderful dinner hosted by YA librarians at a cool Mexican restaurant. I met all these great teen librarians from Austin and there were tons of fab YA authors there, including Cecil Castellucci, who is so full of life and awesome, and whose new book is the Plain Janes, about four girls named Jane, so we are going to do something with my Ashleys since it is about three girls named Ashley. I didn’t get to meet too many of the other authors, although I did see Scott Westerfeld in the next table and was a bit author-struck, and also E. Lockhart came by our table but I didn’t get introduced and I was too shy to say hi. See, when I get shy nothing happens…

And then halfway through the meal my husband called and I could hear the baby SCREAMING in the background. She was hungry, and I had to feed her… sigh. So I had to leave before getting a chance to meet more people. I also spied Rachel Vail, and I love her books too and wanted to say hello. Oh and I met Patricia McCormick who wrote the awesome book SOLD but when I met her I didn’t know she was THAT Patricia McCormick so all we talked about was the rain massage I had gotten back at our hotel. Duh! And I also met Jamie Adoff, who wrote Jimi and Me and now I have to go get his book too.

For the dinner I wore my brandnew J Brand for Ron Herman skinny jeans and my Lotta Stenson silk top with the turquoise beading and a Proenza tanktop underneath and Joseph sleeveless cape-sweater and Giussepe Zanotti jeweled flats.

Then the next day we headed back to LA and traffic on the 405 was TWO HOURS. ALMOST AS LONG AS THE FLIGHT FROM SAN ANTONIO! Ugh! The baby was going ballistic in the backseat and we had to exit the freeway to calm her down. Babies DO NOT like traffic.

The whole experience was pretty difficult–it’s really really hard to be a working mom. Sometimes I just…it’s hard. I feel like quitting. But I’ve worked SO HARD for years to have this career that I love, and doing public readings and panels and signings is the FUN part of being an author, otherwise you’re just at home, writing (which is fun too, but in a totally different way. And sometimes, it really isn’t fun at all. Like when you think your book sucks. Even though it doesn’t.) And at home no one cares if you are wearing Marc Jacobs.

I just need to find the right balance. We’re just kind of muddling through. But it was worth it to be with the baby (there is no question of leaving her) and I am so lucky my husband has his own business and can work on a laptop. And does not mind taking care of the baby for a couple of hours while I work. We were going to bring our nanny, but it didn’t seem necessary for just three days. When we’re in New York for two weeks, we will bring her otherwise neither of us will get any work done.

Anyway, I’m rambling. I should get back to THE ASHLEYS.

And by the way, San Antonio is a really beautiful city. The weather was great, and the RiverWalk is so charming. I HEART San Antonio!

xoxo
Mel

The Blogger’s Cliche/The 30 Day Fashion Challenge!
I will start with a blogger’s cliche – I’m so sorry I haven’t posted lately. Things have been incredibly busy both personally and professionally…

My dad was in the hospital for a month. He had a sixteen-hour surgery in the colorectal area (he has colorectal cancer) and it was pretty rough going for a while. He was in the ICU for almost three weeks. He’s home now, and doing a lot better, but it’s going to be a long recovery. It was hard for me because I couldn’t be in the hospital so much –I’m still exclusively breastfeeding the baby so I could only do brief visits. The good news is that he is cancer-free now. The doctors did not find any new tumors and with the original source of the cancer now completely removed, they think this is his best shot EVER. My dad has such a great team of doctors–one of whom was a friend of his from college.

The funny thing is my dad was really popular in college, and his doctor was apparently one of the “nerdier” guys. But they were friends. They have become really close now, and his friend, this doctor, has basically saved his life over and over again (he was the one who did my dad’s surgery four years ago too). So be nice to the people you went to school with! One of them might save your life one day…

In the meantime, our baby is still not quite sleeping through the night! It has been five months of sleepless nights, and some days we are so exhausted we are sleepwalking zombies throughout the day. But every morning when she wakes up it is like the sun shining through clouds. She is AWESOME. Everyday we love her even more.

It’s so weird how much I like being a mom. I had no idea what motherhood would be like, and I assumed that I would be able to work the way I have been and just pawn the baby off on nannies and my parents. But I really ENJOY spending time with her and it’s so hard to do anything else.

But it is really nice to be able to work. I was feeling down about my new book because I wasn’t sure it was good enough, but I just got great feedback from my editor who said she loves it and it’s propelling me to the finish line.

I know I keep mentioning it, but I only do because I am so proud of this book: ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD is out – and if you liked BLUE BLOODS, you will love ANGELS.

MASQUERADE, the second Blue Bloods novel is out very soon. We just got the finished books the other day, and they look GORGEOUS!!! Wait till you see.

In more fun news, for my book tour this May and June I am going to try to institute a no-repeat fashion policy. I have so many clothes I have not worn with price stickers still attached to them. And I have about a month’s worth of events and I have sworn to myself I will not repeat one outfit. I have to utilize all the new clothes I’ve bought for the tour as well as the old clothes in my closet. I’ll document my outfits here so everyone will see if I meet the challenge!

Now I must really go back to finishing THE ASHLEYS!!!

xoxo
Mel

Well. It finally had to happen. Kirkus LOVED one of my books!!!

ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD – Melissa de la Cruz

“Sex, drugs, and rock-‘n’-roll, combined with a popular internet cult, dominate this mystery about the dark side of finding fame in Los Angeles. Nick is new to the TAP, the website all the kids haunt, but Taj is a founding member. When a new rock star popularized by TAP literally vanishes, Nick and Taj try to find him. Every week TAP sponsors parties, gives participants a drugged drink and holds secret rituals in dark back rooms. Worse, kids disappear, including Nick’s younger sister. As Nick and Taj delve deeper into the mysteries of TAP, serious consequences ensue. De la Cruz hits all the buttons sure to entice YA readers. Fame, wealth, music, romance, ultra-hip characters and looming danger abound. She deftly spins it all together in an angels-or-devils story that grows ever darker, but ends with a twist. A Faustian morality tale and a certain hit.”

THANK YOU KIRKUS!!!!! YOU ROCK!!!!

Angels on Sunset Boulevard is my 9th book and 5th novel, and I’ve gone from devastatingly bad to just plain bad reviews in Kirkus, to okay-but-restrained, to good-but-trashy…and now finally, a SOLID RAVE!!!!

See, just like that New York magazine article about “The Danger of Praising Your Kids” says, if you don’t succeed the first time, try, try again…and maybe on your 9th book, they’ll finally like you!

You just have to stick around long enough…or maybe, um, get better at writing books, and one day, you’ll win over even your toughest critics.

Like Stephen King, who was TRASHED by critics for years, until finally even the literary establishment had to accept he was a good writer, and now he writes for the New Yorker, for godssakes.

But you know, I didn’t write ANGELS for the critics. I wrote it for myself. And for my readers–if you like sexy, hot, scary, and fast-paced, you’ll love ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD.

xoxo
Mel

From http://www.teensreadtoo.com

ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD by Melissa de la Cruz
Category: Mystery/Thriller
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 2/07
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Reviewed by: Randstostipher “tallnlankyrn” Nguyen
Rating: 5 Stars

TAP, The Angels of Practice, is all everyone can talk about. This website/drink/drug is intoxicating and no one can get enough of it. No one can explain what TAP really is, since it is all around them and they are so dependent on it. The company that owns it holds the most exclusive parties, grants everyone’s material wishes, provides all the gossip and promotes the biggest rock star that everyone loves, Johnny Silver.

But then strange things begin to happen. Kids all over Sunset Boulevard are beginning to disappear, including Johnny Silver. No one knows why this is happening, and others are too busy with TAP to worry about what is going on. Everyone except for Nick and Taj, who are the only ones that don’t buy into the whole TAP industry.

Before they know it, Taj and Nick find themselves together, trying to solve the mystery of what is happening and even developing a strong relationship with each other. Unfortunately, it may be too late for them to actually do anything about it.

Told through Nick and Taj’s points of view, Melissa de la Cruz takes us into a world that is far from the AU PAIRS. ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD captures the reader from the very first page with its unusual uniqueness. Each character brings a certain atmosphere that captivates the audience into wanting more. The reader becomes so involved in the story that they will soon become disappointed when the book has to end.

Now the only thing left to do is wait for the next novel, which may be a long wait (well, for me that is).

____

Awesome! So stoked, man! I have been saying ‘man’ a lot lately. Also ‘dude man’. Like the other day, I was like, to my husband. “Dude, man, isn’t it so great to have a house?” And he just looked at me like I was crazy. I guess part of my personality has always wanted to be Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Anyway, I am in SUCH a good mood today. There’s nothing like finding a great review of your last book while work is going well on the book you’re currently writing. I speak of course, of THE ASHLEYS. S&S just sent over the cover and it looks soooo cute. I will be posting it up soon so you can all drool. Hee hee.

THE ASHLEYS is my tribute to HEATHERS that fabulous seminal 80s teen movie with the immortal line, “well fuck me gently with a chainsaw.” Snarf!

It’s always great when the writing is going well. It takes a WHILE for it to kick in. I had to write fifty pages, tear them out and start all over before I could get into a good groove.

So here’s what else is contributing to my good mood…

THE HILLS: I never watched Laguna Beach (just didn’t have the time). But I am LOVING The Hills. I love how everyone is so pretty and rich. It’s like one of my books come to life. Like, in the episode where Heidi takes Spencer back and she’s all decked out in a fabulous sexy black dress and he picks her up in his BMW convertible? Um, that could be straight out of THE AU PAIRS, man. (See, there I go with “man” again.) I LOVED it!

The only things I don’t like about it, is that the boys just aren’t cute enough for the girls. Does anyone else think this? I mean, Lauren, Heidi and Whitney are all so cute, so blonde, so decked out. And the boys they go out with are all gelled-up poser wannabes. Ick. I’m sorry, Brody, Spencer and Jason (Lauren’s old flame) are just too slick to be cute. I prefer the shaggy slim boho type. All the boys are too cheesy.

The other thing I don’t like about it is the whole “reality” angle. As in, these kids are supposed to be living such rich lives. I loved all the wealth and glitz of rich characters in 90210 and The O.C. because it was supposed to be fiction, but if Lauren and all these kids are actually as rich as they are, it’s all kind of gross.

But I am addicted to the show nevertheless. And can we have Emily the super-genius New York intern back??? She’s so pretty and passive-aggressive fabulous! I love how her “East Coast smarts” contrast Lauren’s laid-back Los Angeles vibe.

ANNA DAVID’S PARTY GIRL: My dear friend Anna David just sent me her book to blurb, and I have to tell you to order it now! It’s sooo fun and fast-paced and bitchy and hilarious. Scathing Hollywood dish served up with a poignant ending. It’s a coke and rehab novel, like Bright Lights Big City meets Sex and the City set in L.A. I love discovering a new novelist, even though I’ve been a fan of hers for years (her blog is addictive), I’m so happy to find out her fiction is just as fab. I’m looking forward to Anna’s next book!

What else. I’ve done a bit of shopping…took the baby for her second Barney’s outing in her bugaboo. She was soo good and fell asleep in her stroller so she let Mommy shop for a long time. I only got two things: a Paul and Joe Sister batwing silk top ($250) (in yummy yellow and bright blue floral print, great with skinny white jeans) and a bib-front trapeze Philip Lim dress ($500) in black, which I plan to wear with my patent leather Louboutin platforms. Both for the book tour. And the skinny white jeans I got from H&M for like, $20!

Is it just me or does anyone else have It Bag Fatigue? I love having THE HANDBAG OF THE MOMENT. The Mombasa, The Paddington, The Jackie, The Motorcyle Classic. But I am also kind of sick of it. It used to be that only the coolest girls would be trucking their stuff in a voluminous Fendi Spy bag. Now it seems even girls with no fashion sense are carting Jimmy Choo Ramona bags.

Ok, so I’m a bit snobby. You know how when you’re a kid and you love some obscure band because it means you are cool and hip and edgy and then everyone else discovers it and starts playing those records on the radio (does anyone even listen to the radio anymore?) and then you stop liking that band because now they’re not special?

I feel that’s what’s happening to handbags. Yes. They are getting way too overexposed. And now everyone has them. And once even Sally-Next-Door thinks it’s ok to spend several thousand dollars on a purse, it’s kind of over for me. Right?

But now my dilemma is what handbag to carry that says, I am cool and hip and rich, without resorting to the mega-brand names? Or is it too much to ask that a handbag communicate all these things?

In any event, the last two handbags I bought were from Target. Rafe, a dear friend and fellow Filipino fashion person (an FFP!), has designed a fabulous line for the store. I bought the straw tote bag and the linen shoulder bag. They are gorgeous! And only $40 each. Not $400. Or $1400. Even though they LOOK like they could cost $1400.

Or maybe I’m just cranky because my Hermes bags haven’t arrived yet. Damn that waitlist!

And on V-D day, I didn’t get the Cartier bracelet. I got a perfectly nice, stylish and comfortable sleeper couch from Crate and Barrel for my office that cost as much as a gold bracelet. Not a very romantic present, but I’m excited to be able to have a place to nap that is only a few feet away. It arrives in May. As does our torrent of houseguests. Hee.

Wishing everyone a warm weekend.
xoxo
Mel

I found the first review of ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD!!

From http://www.teenbookreviewer.blogspot.com:

ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD is a wonderful new novel from the rather brilliant author of BLUE BLOODS, FRESH OFF THE BOAT, and more. TAP is a social networking site much like Myspace for kids in Los Angeles, and Taj, Nick, and Johnny Silver, are, of course, members, along with everyone worth knowing. It seems innocent enough at first, but it turns out to be much darker than it seems.

The Angels Practice is not just a website anymore. It has invaded their real lives, and it’s a rather sinister cult. They don’t wear orange robes and solicit people in airports; instead, TAP has parties, rituals, and a mysterious drug that can be mixed with Kool-Aid.

When kids start disappearing, the sinister nature of TAP seems to be getting a little closer to discovery, especially when it’s the famous Johnny Silver who vanishes into thin air. Taj, his girlfriend, takes it upon herself to look into his disappearance, but she doesn’t look too closely–until she meets Nick, whose sister has been sucked in by TAP. And once you’re in? You can’t get out.

The best part of ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD is the characters. The suspenseful story will keep you on the edge of your seat, and Melissa de la Cruz has proven herself to be a wonderful writer, but that extra dimension is added by the realistic, interesting characters involved in the story. Of course, the whole idea of TAP is original and darkly fascinating; it is scarily real, too, showing the far reaches of the power that the internet can have. There’s not a dull moment in the book; plot twists are around every corner, and each new discovery leads to more questions.

It’s an excellent book, and my only gripe with the story is this: nothing is resolved! It ends with more questions than it starts with! Cliffhangers are just evil. Also, books should be complete stories in and of themselves, even if they don’t answer all the questions that readers have. If it’s a good enough book in the first place, a cliffhanger isn’t needed to make the reader buy the next in the series. Still, I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

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YAY!!! Thank you TeenBookReviewer! This is sooo awesome. ANGELS is very very dear to my heart as it’s a book that I’ve been wanting to write (even before Blue Bloods). So I’m so glad she enjoyed it. As for the cliffhanger ending…well, what can I say? It’s hard to resolve things and still keep things going for the next book, and I always TRY to achieve a balance. And yes, some things are left up in the air, but also there’s such a big discovery in this book that I think it’s OK. Anyhoo, I’m glad it didn’t take away from enjoying the book. And um, “rather brilliant”??? *BLUSH*

Have you ordered your copy of ANGELS ON SUNSET BOULEVARD yet????

Coming to a bookstore near you around March 6th!

Meanwhile, I’ve finally finished THE AU PAIRS: CRAZY HOT and am now gunning to finish THE ASHLEYS, the first book in my tween series also called THE ASHLEYS. Oh yes, the seventh circle of seventh grade hell… hee hee.

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and my dear husband asked me what I want. CARTIER LOVE BRACELET!!! Oh yeah! 18k gold with diamonds!! But there are so many things we have to buy for the house I think I want a couch instead. I know, how boring. But I really need a couch in my office so I can have my all-important nap in the middle of the day. This nap is the one that recharges my batteries so I can go back to work immediately instead of walking all the way to the bedroom to nap there, then back to my desk. It would save a lot of time, really!

In other shopping news, I have bought tons of stuff from Proenza Schoeler for Target. The ‘showgirl’ purple camisole top, the trapeze top in rose, the white cropped pants, red striped shorts, and the jeans, which I might return since they are too loose. I also sent away for the bra-top dress, the empire waist dress, the cute beige-and-white striped 60s swing coat. Everything is so adorable and preppie and perfect for the Hamptons this summer! And everything is so cheap! The most expensive thing was the coat, and that was $45.

Mike and I also escaped from the baby (like Escape from New York, except it involves dashing out in our Passat while my parents babysit) for a few hours to hit the Barneys Warehouse Sale. I bought three jersey dresses by Zachary’s Smile, a Jovovich Hawk chiffon a-line dress and a Tucker striped silk dress. Everything was 75% off, the Jovovich Hawk dress was $425 but I got it for $129 and two of the Zachary’s Smile dresses were only $39 each.

I’m book-tour wardrobe shopping, since Tom and I will be doing around twenty events for our book GIRLS WHO LIKE BOYS WHO LIKE BOYS (parties in San Fran, LA, New York and East Hampton! and tons of readings in each city!) and I’m going to the ALAN conference in April for Blue Bloods/Masquerade, and we are going to Maui in March yessss we are going on vacay-tion. With the baby and my parents. It seems that ever since we became parents, we must now also bring our parents to everything so they can take care of the tyke.

Then my dear friend Liz is getting married in May and I am pleased to find out that I can wear (fit in) the black silk ruffled Max Mara dress I bought for my dear friend Karen’s wedding (and never wore since I was three months pregnant and my doctor advised me not to fly) and the insane rhinestone and black satin Gucci heels I also bought for Karen’s wedding and never wore. Savings!

I can’t wait to go out and wear all my new clothes and get all dolled up. Isn’t it great to be a girl? I also finally got the Black Satin nailpolish manicure/pedicure, which I’m loving. I didn’t do it while I was pregnant since I felt superstitious about it, so I love it even though I’m late on the game.

Yes, life is a little better these days. I got my eyebrows waxed, my nails done, and I am SLOWLY starting to look like my old self. But alas, the other day I realized all my friends in LA think I am fat. I’ve lost forty pounds already, and I’m thinner than I was before I got pregnant, but still ten pounds off my usual weight and sadly, twenty pounds from what I weighed when Mike and I met (as in the hot-girl weight).

I was kind of depressed for a while, and chubby, but I didn’t think anyone noticed! How wrong I was! And after the miscarraige, I didn’t lose the weight I’d gained from being three months pregnant. But now all that is going to change, and I was horrified when my friends here, most of whom I met just two-three years ago, told me I looked great, and thinner than they’d ever seen me!

I love my new friends. LOVE. But part of me was a little sad, because these people did not know me when I was called THE QUEEN and I was so thin and bitchy! I miss my old bitchy self. Almost as much as I miss my super-thin self. I used to be so thin that people thought I was SICK. SICK THIN, ha. Those were the days… That’s why it’s good to have old friends. Friends who knew you when you were a size two. And can reminisce with you fondly are good friends indeed.

In those days, I never ate french fries or ice cream. I lived on cigarettes and attitude…but oh well, now that even models have to be hefty maybe that’s good news for all of us!

xoxo
Mel