Brittany the Book Slayer

Love is a Battlefield

2012-02-14T10:01:00.012-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

If you're like me though, you're not IN LOVE with Valentine's Day. It's not that I dislike the day, I just think that if you're single, it's a reminder of that fact, which can make most people feel depressed....and if you're a part of a couple, you're sort of required to profess your love on a specific day, instead of showing your significant other that you love and appreciate them every day. But this isn't to say that I don't like getting gifts (hint, hint Matt: pick me up something pretty) and spending some time with my man....just, do we really need a day designated to do all this?

Anyhow....in honor of this love-a-dub-dub day, I thought I'd give you a little something to start it off right. Whether you're single and a little annoyed at Cupid or involved and looking for love every day of the year, you're going to dig this great read by debut author, Ryan Gielen.

Love Bomb and the Pink Platoon is an adult novel that blends the military with a little don't ask, don't tell action. After pissing off the wrong people, General Newman Ginger is forced to participate in a top-secret government experiment that turns a whole platoon of unwanted soldiers gay. But that's not the only side effect...the men also acquire other special skills that make them into the ultimate fighting machines. Needless to say, the military does not take the news well, and what comes next is explosive.

Here's what author and film director Ryan Gielen had to say about his controversial but love-ly book:

You're doing a big push for Love Bomb on Valentine's Day...Can readers expect an epic love story?
Ryan Gielen: Absolutely! A bitter, old washed up general must learn to love his all-gay platoon in order to survive his mission. Because the central experiment potentially turned him gay, too, he also wrestles with his love for himself--is it great enough to withstand such a life-altering event?

Where did you get the inspiration for your book?
Ryan: The book is based on the true story of the military's secret aphrodisiac testing program. They wanted to sexually arouse the enemy to distract him on the battlefield. It felt like the perfect vehicle to examine the military and government's bizarre fear of all sexuality--I truly believe that most self-righteous politicians are terrified of their own reproductive organs, and that makes me laugh.

You tackle two very controversial topics in the book--people's stance on the military and war, and homosexuality. What do you hope people get from reading the book?
Ryan: I hope people laugh, and see a few things they've always wanted to say or always thought, in print. I hope the book does for some people what Orwell or Dr. Strangelove did for me--they enhanced my distrust of "very serious people" and helped cement my complete and unwavering distrust of authority. If I can make even one person point to a pundit or politician on TV and yell "bullshit!" at the screen I will feel like it was all worth it.

Do you think some people are going to be angry after reading the book? Do you care?
Ryan: I do not care at all. I'm sure if the book is successful enough, and reaches enough people, it will anger some of them--but good art challenges. There's no fun in playing it safe.

You're actually a film guy who's written several screenplays, one of which has been made into a full-length film that's garnered quite a bit of attention from indie fans [The Graduates is available to watch on Hulu and Netflix]. In fact, Love Bomb was actually a screenplay before you adapted it into a novel. What was that experience like for you to switch over to novel-writing and why did you decide to turn it into a book?
Ryan: I was always a writer--growing up, I wrote and sketched and took photographs constantly, and I write humor pieces for websites, so the novel wasn't a huge leap. And 90% of the filmmaking process is writing and rewriting, even in the editing room. So the process was both familiar and new. I was thrilled to be able to discuss the inner life of characters--in a screenplay you have much less room, a fraction of the words, and you can't really jump into characters' minds. I loved having the room to follow a thread inward, on the page.

I think the next 5-10 years will favor those artists who work with multiple forms of expression. The audience has exponentially more options for entertainment now than even 2 years ago, and that's only going to continue to increase exponentially. We have to be prepared to express our ideas across media to reach as many people as possible.

Read any good books lately?
Ryan: I absolutely loved Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer by Steven Millhauser. It was simple, honest and moving. I also really loved Life, the Keith Richards autobiography. He was pretty honest if you read between the lines, and lived 10 lives in one.

You're an indie guy who's had a pretty good track record for self-distributing.... what made you decide to self-publish and do you have any advice for others who are thinking about going down this path?
Ryan: I forced myself to go through the whole agent submission experience, which was just as pointless as the screenplay submission process. Gatekeepers want something familiar and easy, and Love Bomb, in my opinion, is bold, new and complicated to sell. So, predictably, it was universally rejected. I was fully prepared for this with my marketing plan already in place. I'm taking from my experience marketing my films and others' and adapting that approach to book selling.

My advice is to let go of the romantic notion of the tortured author who gets paid to write and paces around his cabin in the woods, then hands his manuscript to a waiting, eager publisher who markets it to the world. Accept that when the laptop is put away, you are the marketing department, and start studying people who have created their own success in book selling. John Locke is a good place to start, regardless of what you think of his books. I'll be creating a whole series of videos and blog posts about my approach as well.

What's one thing people might not know about you?
Ryan: I have more pictures of my golden retriever, Tyler (it's a girl), than of the rest of my family combined. I love my family but I--like most golden retriever owners--believe I have the greatest dog in the world.

Whose career do you admire?
Ryan: Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, Stanley Kubrick, the writers of "Modern Family," Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Louis CK. There are too many authors, screenwriters and artists to list them all.

As a film director, can we expect to see the book made into a full-length film one day? If given your pick, who would play the cast in the movie-version?
Ryan: Yes--and you'll have to wait and see. ;)

So, there you go. Love Bomb and the Pink Platoon is available nationwide today. For more on the book or the author, visit the site at www.lovebombbook.com, or you can purchase it in paperback here, for the Nook here, the Kindle here, the iPhone/iPad here and the Sony Reader here.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

5x5,
B.

My home office....

2012-02-10T10:37:00.016-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

So, I'm sure all of you have been wondering where I work now that I'm not going into an office everyday. Well, contrary to popular belief, not all full-time writers pen their masterpieces at their local coffee shop (which, and let's be honest, for most means Starbucks)...thanks Hollywood. I mean, put me in a Starbucks and I'd spend the whole day people-watching and being annoyed at what the other patrons (and their kids) were doing to distract me from the writing I was supposed to be doing. Ugh. I get anxious just thinking about it.

So, I thought I'd let you see where the magic happens for me. Take a look and then tell me if you think Starbucks is still the better writing environment...

Yep, this is what my writing space looks like. In the morning, I snuggle up in my little blanket cocoon, laptop on my lap, Murray at my feet, pink pillows at my back and the television on in the background!

Murray thinks of himself as my muse, so he's always giving me the, "Get to work" eye.

...And then he promptly takes a nap as I get to typing.

Sometimes I even do some arts and crafts. Here is my paper pile after cutting out pics to create my character collage for the prequel/spin-off to "Life's a Witch."

Here's your sneak peak at who I would cast to play the characters in my next book. What do you think?

So, where's Cohen during all of this? In my bottom drawer, inside my dark closet, where he's planning his own evil book.

Now, to all of you guys out there...what does YOUR work space look like? Send me pics of where the magic happens for you, and they might end up here on my blog!

5x5,
B.

I Overslept....

2012-02-08T10:42:00.004-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Ugh. So, it's my first official day writing (I talked with my editor yesterday and I promised I'd have an outline for the prequel/spin-off of Life's a Witch by Monday)...and I woke up late! Usually I wake up about 10 minutes before Matt leaves for work and then head out to the Bux to get coffee and then am back to the apartment by 9 to get my day started.

Today, when I woke up, it was 9:40!!!

I was not happy about this, considering I have an outline to get started on! Luckily, I already know a lot of what is going to happen in the book, so it'll be more a matter of getting it all down on paper (or a word document, really). But FIRST, I'm going to focus on a little, good old-fashioned crafting. I like to make collages of my characters before I get started, so I have a very clear idea of who they are, their likes and dislikes, what they look like physically, etc. And THEN I'll get to writing.

But I'm still a bit miffed about waking up late...UN-acceptable.

However, I DO have some good news to share....I just found out that I sold Life's A Witch in Romania!!! Woo hoo!

Now, back to work!

5x5,
B.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

2012-02-07T10:42:00.016-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

Soooo, I have a meeting today to talk to my new EDITOR (I know!!! I'm still trying to get used to the sound of that, too!) about my first writing project, which will be a prequel/spin-off of Life's a Witch. And this means that my days of being a woman of work and leisure is about to change to just a woman of work.

Don't get me wrong...I've been working every day since I left Cheerleader, but it's definitely been at a low-key pace (with some mid-day workouts and talk shows mixed in for good measure). But after today, I will officially get down to the business of writing! Woo hoo!

So....before I crawl into my writer's hole (otherwise known as my blanket cocoon on the couch) and refuse to come out until I've written at least 10 pages a day, I wanted to share some fun pictures that I've been hoarding on my desktop, but haven't gotten around to sharing with you yet. So, here goes...enjoy!

Okay, how cute is my friend Colleen's daughter, Sailor? I think she may be my youngest fan yet!

This guy's broomstick apparently broke down and he suddenly found himself stuck riding the subway like the rest of us non-witches.

My friend, Kate, knew just what to get me for Christmas: "Everything I need to know I learned from Buffy."

All she wanted for Christmas was a new car...her parents gave her Life's a Witch and said, "It's going to take a spell to make that appear out of thin air."

Cohen was so happy when he found the prize at the bottom of the box....And now I know where all my hairbands go.

5x5,
B.

Sweet message from Google...

2012-02-06T11:03:00.006-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

So, in the mornings, a friend of mine likes to chat online to catch up and talk about our upcoming day--but on occasion, I'm not always on there right away. Needless to say, she is NOT happy when this happens and that's when the e-stalking starts...

Check out the message I had waiting for me in my inbox last week when I finally logged on:

Gchat is an instant messaging service provided by Google, the company slowly (but surely) taking over all facets of modern life, including (but not limited to): technological communication, public holidays, news and your very soul.

Please chat with Kate or she will be forced to take radical action, like pick up a phone or (gasp) see you in person.

With thanks,

Your Google companions

I post this to warn all of you out there of the possible consequences of not being available to your friends online. Google sees you when you're sleeping (what do you think the webcam is really for?), it knows when you're awake, it knows if you've logged on or not, so you better get your butt in front of a computer (or phone) and press the available button. Trust me, there's no telling what could happen if you don't.

Happy typing!

5x5,
B.

20 days of Buffalo Chicken Recipes...

2012-02-03T16:20:00.031-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

So, yesterday I get an e-mail from Matt with a link to a list of 20 amazing recipes using Buffalo Chicken as the main ingredient. In case you don't finish off all the buffalo wings you're sure to be munching on this Sunday, here are some of my faves:

1. Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

2. Buffalo Chicken Bread Bowls

3. Buffalo Chicken Mac-N-Cheese

4. Buffalo Chicken Bites

5. Buffalo Chicken Pizza Rolls

6. Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

7. Buffalo Chicken Pasta

8. Buffalo Chicken Sushi

9. Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

10. Buffalo Chicken Soup

11. Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak

12. Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes

Yes, I know Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes are pushing it a little, but make the cupcake cornbread and you've got a good little meal!

So what do you think of the roundup? Will you be trying any? If you're looking for more, be sure to visit the original roundup here. In the meantime, happy eating!

5x5,
B.

Ch-Ch-Ch-CHANGES!

2012-02-02T10:26:00.008-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

I've got SO much to catch you up on today....My life has changed drastically in the last two weeks. Seriously, I'm not exaggerating. My life as I knew it, is over...and thank God for that, because what I've got now is beyond my wildest dreams. Let me explain...

FIRST: ...Nearly two weeks ago, I went to Mexico on vacation with Matt and his family to help celebrate his Dad's 60th b-day and that was SO much fun! First off, it was a surprise that we'd been planning since his b-day in November. Matt's mom decided to plan a trip for her and Matt's Dad--and then have the kids all surprise him by showing up!

Well, the whole way down, we were coordinating with Matt's mom about how we'd surprise his dad: Showing up at dinner after they'd sat down to eat, us being at the dinner table when they walked up, surprising them while they lounged by the pool, showing up during the evening entertainment, etc. Well, we'd finally agreed that we'd surprise him by the pool and so we hurried up in checking in as well as going up to our rooms and changing.

Then we got into the elevator and started to head downstairs to go out to the pool....and Matt's dad walked in! He did a total double-take and was like, what the heck are you guys doing here? He was so confused and surprised and happy...it was really funny! I think it took him about a half hour to get used to the fact that we were there!

Anyways, so the trip itself was gorgeous and so much fun. We were staying at the Iberostar Cancun, which was an all-inclusive resort, and the food was UH-Mazing, as were the fruity, tropical drinks that we were served poolside. It was such a nice vacation and exactly what I needed because.....

SECOND: ...when I landed in Mexico, I found out that American Cheerleader had been sold to another company who'd chosen not to keep any of the staff. So, yes, I found out, on vacation, that I was now unemployed. And it was hard, because it was where I'd spent the past 10 years of my life and had put my heart and soul into my job--and that was ending. But we were on vacation, in this beautifully tropical place with amazing company, so I shed a tear, took a moment and then tried to let it go. And luckily, I was able to do just that and really enjoyed myself for the rest of the weekend. Part of the reason I was able to do that though was because....

THIRD: ...I knew that back home, I had a lot of interest in my book, Life's a Witch. After my last article in Publishers Weekly and the write-up in Huffington Post, my agent Kevan Lyon (from the Marsal Lyon Lit Agency) had started to get a ton of interest in my book from mainstream publishers. So, even though I had to come back to NYC and clean out my desk (10 years worth of stuff is no joke!) and say goodbye to that chapter in my life, I had something very exciting on the horizon.

Within a few days, we had interest from four major publishers who were all ready to bid on my book and we went into an auction (where publishers make offers until someone makes the final bid). And two days later, I'd made the decision to go with one very special publisher in a 3-book, 6-figure deal. I can't tell you who just yet, because we're officially announcing it next Thursday, but I promise it's coming, and it's AWESOME. But that's not all, because....

FOURTH: ...I was approached by a really talented, super powerful movie and television agent who is going to be selling the movie rights to my book. Her name's Brandy Rivers and she's with Magnet Management and she's worked with Jerry Bruckheimer and on the Twilight movies for Summit. She's the real deal and totally knows what she's doing.

So, needless to say, I might have more news to tell you very soon, but I wanted to try and get you all caught up. Thank you all for your support and love and here's hoping there will be much more exciting stuff to announce.

Oh, and if you want to be kept up to date on my happenings, be sure to follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheBookSlayer

5x5,
B.

Publisher's Weekly Follow-up!

2012-01-18T14:07:00.005-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

Have you heard? The super, sweet Calvin Reid from "Publisher's Weekly" did a follow-up interview with me last week and just posted the story online! If you haven't already, please check it out here. In it, Calvin talks all about what wonderful opportunities I've been given since my book was published. I can't spill the beans just yet, but I'm talking with a variety of people regarding several really awesome projects and my hopes are that a special publisher sees the potential in the Life's a Witch brand and wants to make a deal to rep the whole series! And of course, I've got other books just waiting in the wings, too.

We'll have to see though. Right now, I'm just content with the fact that those who have read LAW, have loved it, and are telling their friends about it! So....if you've read LAW and loved it, show your support by telling your friends by reposting this article on FB, Tweeting about it or mentioning it in your blogs. Every little bit helps!

Thanks to those who have helped me along the way and all of you for your love and support!

5x5,
B.

You could intern for Book Slayer Productions!

2012-01-10T23:28:00.007-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

I've got an exciting opportunity for a PR/Publicity student who's looking for an internship! Book Slayer Productions is currently looking for an intern to help create brand awareness for my recently published book as well as help to create a publicity plan for me. Position is unpaid, but interns can do the job remotely.

Candidates should be studying either PR/Publicity/Marketing, have an interest and love for young adult fiction and a working knowledge of social media (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Blogger, etc). Must be creative and a self-starter.

If you know someone who needs an internship and who would be interested, please tell them to e-mail a cover letter explaining why they want the internship as well as their fave young adult books. Send all requests to: bookslayerproductions@gmail.com, subject: Internship

5x5,
B.

Help me choose my character's names!

2012-01-01T14:56:00.006-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

So, I've FINALLY started to write the sequel to Life's a Witch, tentatively called, The Witch is Back, and though I can't give you too many details, I can say that there are at least three new big characters in the book. And here's where my fans come in! I need your help on choosing names for them! Here's a brief description of the three characters (so you can get a feel for their personalities). Please pick from the list of names in the polls on the side of this blog to let me know what name you want each character to have!

Queen Bee--girl is gorgeous (think supermodel), blond, perfect, snobby, self-absorbed, used to getting her way, bossy and a bit of a bully.

Geek Chic--she's very smart, has a photographic memory, not totally a geek, but wears glasses, knows her stuff when it comes to magic and history, shy when it comes to guys.

Witch Teacher--freshly out of school guy; young but good looking, clean-cut, a gentlemen.

I can't wait to see what you all choose!

5x5,
B.

Keep your PULSE on popularity

2011-12-23T10:41:00.004-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

Just wanted to send you a quick e-mail to let you know that the lovely ladies at Y-Pulse published an interview of me on their site! It was awesome meeting them at my book launch party and I'm so grateful that they are sharing my experience with writing and publishing with their readers! Please take a look at the article here.

And don't forget that I'm uploading the next chapters of Fate Reloaded tomorrow, as well as a few special surprises from the newest project I'm involved in! It's going to be the BIG REVEAL!

Happy Friday!

5x5,
B.

Readers: Take back your power!

2011-12-21T13:27:00.002-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

So, IndieReader.com (the premier site for everything Independent Books related) was kind enough to ask me to be a guest columnist on their site...please blow up their site and read my article if you have the time (Mine is the first feature you see on the homepage! Click on Mr. T!)!

Thanks so much and happy Wednesday!

5x5,

B.

Super-Secret, Super-Awesome Project

2011-12-20T09:36:00.004-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

EXCITING NEWS!!!!

Hey all! I have some super-secret, super-awesome news.....

I just wish I could tell you about it!

Wait, what was that? You want me to dish you the deets even though I've been sworn to secrecy and had to practically sign away my first born if I told you all about it?

Ummmm.......OK!

I suppose it wouldn't totally be going back on my (contract) word if I just gave you some of the 411, right? Right?!

Cool, here goes:

Yours truly was one of a select group of Wattpadders chosen to be a part of a really cool new show that's being released in January! Yep, you heard that right....it's a SHOW! And for all of you out there who are thinking, "It's about time that girl had her own reality show!"—well, I agree with you, but this isn't it.

It's better!

I can't tell you the name of the show or even the storyline yet, but I can divulge the fact that I wrote TWO of the stories connected to the series! The project's unlike anything you've ever seen before. It's not quite a movie but not totally a TV show.

Like I said before: It's better.

And that's seriously all I can say right now, since I faintly remember the contract saying something about being hunted down by the FBI if I gave away too much—but stay tuned for more, because eventually I will SPILL. And if I don't, it'll all be out on Wattpad soon anyways!

So, please, keep checking back as I drop more hints to all my fans. I promise if you stick around, it'll be totally worth it!

:)
Britt "The Book Slayer"

Life's a Witch is available on the Kindle and Nook!

2011-12-15T09:27:00.007-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

Sorry I haven't updated in the last week, but ever since my book went on sale, things have been CRAZY! Crazy good, but crazy nonetheless. Because of my article in Publisher's Weekly, I've been approached by a ton of people about my book; foreign rights agents, publishers, movie and TV rights agents, talent agents and even a comic book company about the possibility of creating a graphic novel based on LAW! I'm still in the process of talking to different people, so nothing's been decided or set in stone, but as soon as I know, I'll announce it here on my blog! So exciting!

In the meantime, I just found out that Life's a Witch is now available for the Kindle! Woo hoo! So, for all of you out there who were waiting for the e-book, here's your chance to buy your copy. And the best part? I'm selling it for a special holiday price of $2.99! And for all you Nook customers, don't worry, I've got you covered, too! Life's a Witch is also available for the Nook! The special holiday price of $2.99 applies here, too!

So, if you haven't already, please support a self-published author and help me get on the New York Times Best Sellers List (yes, I'm setting my sights that high!). Thanks to all of you who have already bought your copies and don't forget....they make great Christmas gifts!

5x5,
B.

Party excitement hangover...the cure? Kind words.

2011-12-09T17:34:00.004-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hi all!

Sorry this is coming out to you so late, and unfortunately, I don't have photos (yet. Many were taken and I promise I will have a whole photo gallery up soon), but last night's book launch party? UH-MAZING! So many of my friends showed up to share in my very special day--I got to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in a while, hang out with buds I see on a daily basis and meet new people. The media was there. My friend Calvin from Publisher's Weekly who wrote such a lovely article on me earlier this week; a few lovely ladies from Y-Pulse who I had a ton of fun talking to about books; a publicist who reps a few literary industry peeps that I finally got to meet in person; and a reporter from the Post even crashed the party. Matt told me later that, "You know you've made it when the press is crashing your party."

Whether this is true or not, the night was truly magical. I usually get very overwhelmed when people are all focused on me, but last night I was on point. I don't know if it's because I've gotten so good at interacting with people and chatting with strangers through my job or if I was just excited to be talking about my biggest passion: writing, but I actually had an amazing time.

And I think everyone else had fun, too....but I guess we'll see when the pictures come out.

Anyway, I woke up this morning, exhausted from all the fun and satisfied with the turnout....ready to have a lazy day around the house. Which I did. But then I found out about this amazing blog that Famous Last Words wrote about Life's a Witch and it instantly perked me up. It's really very sweet, and is all about supporting authors. And then I had the pleasure of being interviewed by good friend and co-worker, Morgan McMurrin, earlier this week for our magazine's website! She did such a great job coming up with fun questions and I had a blast answering them.

Okay....so until I have pics from the party, I'll be sure to keep you up to date on all the happenings of Life's a Witch! In the meantime, enjoy these interviews!

5x5,
B.

Buy your copy of Life's a Witch today!

2011-12-08T09:15:00.006-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

A note to all my TWITCHES:

I have a secret to share with you: before posting Life’s a Witch, I’d experienced about eight years of rejection. Rejection by agents, editors, publishers, etc. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “You’re a great writer, but this just isn’t for us.” After a while, I began to question whether I should be writing at all, and even took a hiatus from it.

Of course, as writers, we write. And before long, I felt the itch and decided that I no longer cared what a select few thought of my books. What mattered to me, I realized, was the opinion of the people who I was actually writing for: YOU!

So, I took a chance and decided to write something original for Wattpad and leave that choice up to you. And thus, Life's a Witch was born.

And I’m so glad that I did, because you all seem to have fallen in love with Hadley and the rest of The Cleri; you’ve rooted for her, gotten angry on her behalf, acted out her fight scenes in public and even threatened to kick her enemies’ butts for her. I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you all how much I’ve appreciated your continued support as I published Life’s a Witch. Your loyalty and kind words have been nothing short of phenomenal and you’ve each given me the encouragement to keep writing.

And because of all your support and encouragement, I'm taking another chance and am publishing Life's A Witch myself. So, if you love Hadley and the rest of The Cleri, go ahead and pick up your own copy today! Not only is there a BONUS CHAPTER that wasn't posted here on Wattpad, but there's a surprise in there for any fan who wrote a comment on the book (up until 3 weeks ago)!

And because of this exciting occasion, I've got a contest to share with you! Visit my amazon page, write a review of the book and then come back here and post the link to your review, and you'll be entered into a contest to win one of five autographed copies of Life's a Witch! Winners will be chosen on or around Dec 24th!

Please help spread the word about the book to your family and friends. Because you can have magical powers, too--You have the power to take matters into your own hands and decide for yourself what deserves to be a best-seller. So, use your powers and buy a book today!

Thank you and I love you all,

5x5,

Party in the NYC!

2011-12-07T10:03:00.006-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

Soooo, one day to go until I publish Life's a Witch in paperback! Woo hoo! I know I promised you details on my launch party, so here's a sneak peek at what it will entail:

Incredible Food: My favorite gluten-free diner, Peters Gourmet Diner, will be catering the event and everything sounds UH-MAZING! Some of the menu items? Chicken fingers, grilled cheese and prosciutto wrapped melon. Mini cupcakes will be provided by My Dads Cookies! Mmm, Mmm, good!

Awesome Guests: I can't name any names, but there will be a few celebrities in attendance. Both from the acting world and from the book world. I promise, once the event's over, I'll post pics of everyone and give you the scoop on everything.

Entertainment: Not only will there be some very special witchy entertainment going on, but there will be awesome music and a step and repeat and a red carpet provided by Red Carpet Runway, where guests will be able to stop and take their pictures, celebrity-style.

Goody Bags: Guests will get to take home a goody bag with the very first copies of Life's a Witch, along with a few other surprises from both my book as well as from Wattpad.

Now, just to give you a glimpse of what attendees will get to experience, here's a look at the uber fabulous shoes I'll be wearing. Love them? Me too!

5x5,
B.

People are talking about....Life's a Witch!

2011-12-06T09:43:00.004-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

I can't believe it's only 2 days until the world launch of Life's a Witch in paperback! And I couldn't have done it without all of you....my fans, friends and family. Well, I've been blessed so far this week with a little press on the launch of LAW. Check out what people are saying about your favorite twitch!

Publisher's Weekly did a really nice interview about my journey to self-publishing and what made me decide to do it all on my own.

Crushable.com featured an excerpt from LAW that enticed readers to check the rest of the book out!

I can't wait until Thursday when everyone can grab their own copy! And log on tomorrow, when I'll talk a little more about my book launch party!

5x5,
B.

You could go to the Life's a Witch book launch party in NYC!

2011-12-02T09:23:00.005-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hi all!

So, as you know, something very exciting is happening next Thursday, December 8th. I'm launching my debut novel, Life's a Witch on paperback and for the Kindle! I'm very excited about this as it's been a dream of my for, like, ever. Well, along with the launch, of course, comes a PARTY! There's going to be food, drinks, a few surprises and celebrities in attendance.

Here's where you come in!

I'm going to give five (5) lucky fans the chance to come and help me celebrate! How cool is that? Here are the details of how you can win!

—You MUST live in or near NYC or be willing to travel there on your own.
—You MUST be 18 or be accompanied by an adult to enter the contest.
—You MUST be able to attend the event from 7-9PM on Thursday, Dec 8th.
—To enter, just videotape yourself telling me what you like most about Life's A Witch. You can talk about specific chapters or parts, act out parts of the book to get your point across, sing a song you made up about Hadley and The Cleri, dress like your favorite character...pretty much anything you want as long as it has to do with LAW.
—Upload it to YouTube and then either put the link up on my profile or e-mail it to me at lifesawitchlaunch@gmail.com along with your name, age, city you live in and your contact info (by uploading the video, you're giving me, Brittany Geragotelis, the rights to put the video up onto Wattpad, as well as use it in promotional stuff).
—Based on the video answers, I will choose five (5) fans to come to the launch party. All winners will take home a paperback copy of LAW as well as other goodies.

Good luck everyone and can't wait to see your vids!

5x5,
B.

The mystery behind my cover for LAW...

2011-11-28T12:33:00.005-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hi all!

I've got a full week of posts just itching to be read, so let's get started!

The wonderfully amazing Melissa Walker just did a cover story about Life's a Witch on her uber-popular book website! She was so sweet about it and is helping to spread the word that LAW will be available in paperback and ebook format on December 8th! I'd like to thank Melissa for including me and hope you'll all take some time out of your busy Monday back after Thanksgiving to read up! In the interview, I talk about the inspiration behind my cover and praise my talented designer Toni Misthos for her creativity and skill, because without her this book wouldn't be the same!

5x5,
B.

Road to Self Publishing: Starting Your Company

2011-11-26T13:28:00.011-05:00

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

Learning what it takes to publish a book has been a real trip so far. I always thought it was just going to involve me deciding to publish it myself and then, POOF!, it would be ready and out there. But there's SO much more that goes into it than that.

One of those things is the need to create your own business. When I was first setting up my account with CreateSpace, I saw that one of the first things they require you to do is set up a business of some sort. This is because if you're going to be collecting royalties, they need to send all earnings to the IRS and that means you need a tax ID number for your new venture.

Sooooo, one of the first things I had to do before uploading my book to CreateSpace, was start an LLC. Luckily, my boyfriend has been through this before (with his brother for the movies they make), so he was nice enough to get online and fill out the request for an LLC for me. We got ours out of Delaware, but you can get them from any state. After you fill out the forms, you get a temporary license until you're approved and they send you the official papers.

Less than a week later, I was the proud Owner of Book Slayer Productions, LLC!

Of course, along with that, I also needed a business bank account, so that all my future profits would have a place to go and would be connected to my new business. That was relatively easy, too. All I needed was the proof that I'd started the business and some seed money.

Once I'd created my LLC and opened up my checking account, I was ready to finish setting up my account....and closer to publishing my book!

5x5,
B.

Road to Self Publishing: Choosing a Publisher

2011-11-26T12:37:00.007-05:00

Hey all!

So, one of the most important decisions you'll have to make in your journey to self-publishing, is choosing a Publisher. Luckily, there are plenty of services out there for a person to choose from, and we're in a great place in the publishing world right now that we have the ability to choose a print-on-demand option, which means no out-of-pocket costs. Or low out-of-pocket costs, depending on which service you go with. And with most of these publishing companies, you'll have other services at your disposal (for a price) if you need/want them.

Now, when it came time for me to choose a publisher, I was really only considering two companies: Lulu.com and Amazon.com. After doing some research into both, I realized that with Lulu, there were set-up fees (a couple grand), along with distribution fees I'd have to shell out up-front before the book was set to be published. Amazon, however, had no up-front costs and seemed to pay a decent percentage of the profits (the big upside to self-publishing!). Amazon also has the appeal of their audience. (Who DOESN'T already buy their books on amazon.com?)

So, I turned to Amazon's self-publishing service, called CreateSpace to publish LAW.

There were a few things I had to do before I was able to upload my book for publication (I'll talk more about that in my next blog), but once I was ready to upload, things went pretty quickly. Like I mentioned before, you can choose to use Amazon's services for a fee if you would like. They have people who can create a professional book cover if you need one, you can get access to professional editors, you can pay to have a book trailer made and even sign up for a team of PR/publicity people help market your book when it comes out. Luckily, I already have access to all of those talented and intelligent kinds of people, so I didn't have to pay anything extra to publish my book. But it's nice that the services are there if you need them.

Amazon makes it really easy to upload and format your book, too. In fact, all you have to do, is choose the size of your book, download a template, then copy and paste your book into it. After that, I just did a little formatting and tweaking and it was ready to be made into a PDF. The only other thing I had to do, was to have my book cover/spine/back of the book created by my designer. For this, she had to figure out the dimensions of the book based on the size and number of pages and then design it from back to front.

Now, I ran into some issues with uploading my PDF's, but with one phone call, I was able to get one-on-one help from an amazon associate. Their customer service is top-notch and the woman I talked to was very helpful and even uploaded my PDF's for me when I couldn't do it. This was a big draw to working with Amazon on such a personal endeavor. I really liked having access to help along the way if I needed it.

After that, I finished up a few things and it was all done! Within about 12 hours, I had been cleared to print and ordered my review copy. Now, I'm expecting my first copy of my book less than a week after I hit publish.

I can't wait to see what the final product looks like and tell you all about my experience!

If you guys have any questions for me, please send 'em! I'd love to help answer any questions you may have about self-publishing!

5x5,
B.

Road to Self Publishing: Covering your butt

2011-11-26T12:13:00.010-05:00

Hey all!

As promised, now that I've had a week off of work and am completely on top of my launch party plans, I finally have some time to write down my experiences so far in my journey to self-publishing Life's a Witch.

Today, we're going to tackle the tough question of lawyering up before letting your book go to print. Right after I made the decision to publish LAW myself, I knew that I wanted to do things the right way. And for me, that included having a lawyer look at my book and council me on what could stay in the book and what needed to go. In other words, I don't want to get sued.

So, I started by talking to one lawyer about it and he told me it would cost me around $5,000-$10,000 to have someone look at it. I have to admit, I was SHOCKED at how expensive it would be just to have someone read my book and tell me what could potentially get me into trouble. And frankly, I don't have that kind of money laying around to pay a lawyer. But I knew I had to cover my butt in some way.

Luckily, my good friend's mom is a lawyer and an avid reader, and she offered to take a look at LAW for free and then tell me what may get me into trouble if I kept it in. In the end, I ended up changing quite a bit (I'm big into using pop culture in my books), including my crack about Lady Gaga really being a witch. That one killed me to take out, but no way am I chancing getting sued by the Gaga. So, I took all her suggestions (along with a few of her edits) and incorporated them into the final version of my book.

Now, do you HAVE to have a lawyer look at your book before you publish it? Probably not. BUT I have to say that I feel a lot safer knowing that I've taken strides against leaving myself open to litigation. Even in fiction, a person has to be careful about using real people's names and likeness'. I did, however, recently meet another self-published author and asked him if he had someone look it over before he published and he said that he didn't. He felt confident that the disclaimer at the beginning of the book was enough to keep him safe from legal problems. Whether or not that's true, I'm not sure...I'm not a lawyer, after all. But for me, getting a lawyer to cover me was something I felt safest doing.

Has anyone else self-published? What do you guys think?

5x5,
B.

Look HOT in Life's a Witch gear!

2011-11-16T00:38:00.006-05:00

Hey all!

Sorry I've been internet silent the past few weeks, but ever since I decided to publish Life's a Witch myself and got the ball rolling on all the details, I've been seriously swamped. There's so much to get done before my launch party (yes, I'm throwing myself a party...and don't I deserve it?), and I promise that while I'm off of work next week, I'll make sure to catch you up on all the details.

But for now, I need your help...

For my launch party, I'm going to have promotional T-shirts made, and I'm toying with a bunch of different phrases. Some are cute; others are edgy; a few are just silly. BUT since you all helped me to choose the name of my main character in LAW (Hello, Hadley), I figured I'd ask you all to help out one more time.

I'm sure you're wondering....but Britt, what's in it for me? Well....I promise that after this launch is over, I'll create a similar version for sale on cafe press, so you can all be honorary twitches, too!

So, help a girl out and let me know which slogan is your favorite. Leave your choices and comments below....and if you can come up with a phrase better than these and I choose to use it instead, I'll send you a free shirt!

Okay, here are your choices:

*What a twitch
*Life's a Witch...and then you fly!
*Wanna see my magic wand?
*Life's a Witch
*Team Cleri
*Witches Brew: the official drink of Salem
*Show me your magic and I'll show you mine
*Hex and the City
*My wand's bigger than yours
*Do you believe in magic?
*Kids, don't try this spell at home...
*This is your brain on magic...
*Are you a good witch or a bad witch?
*Honorary twitch
*Twitch for life

Let me know what you think!

5x5,
B.

The biggest day of my life....so far.

2011-11-08T09:11:00.004-05:00

So, I've been hard at work over the past three weeks, trying to put some stuff in motion in order to publish Life's a Witch myself in December. This has included but is not limited to: hiring a lawyer (to let me know what parts of the book might get me sued...no more suggesting that Lady Gaga is really a witch. :( ); filing the paperwork for the copyright of the book; writing a bonus chapter for the print version (a little something extra for my die-hard fans!); writing my acknowledgments (there are a LOT of people I need to thank for getting me here); starting an LLC so I can be on the up and up with the IRS; and finally, deciding on a launch date.

That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I'd like to officially announce that Life's a Witch will go on sale (for all who care to buy it!) through Amazon worldwide on December 8th! Just in time for the holidays (and x-mas presents, hint, hint!).

Of course, no book launch would be complete without a launch party....and that's what I'm doing now. Planning my party. I'm so excited about it, and Wattpad has been kind enough to help me out with some of the details, including drumming up a little publicity for the book as well as hooking me up with a space to throw the party! I'm such a lucky girl and really don't know who to thank first for making all of this possible. In a way, this party will be my thank you to all those who've had a hand in getting me to where I am today. And if that's not enough—there's still space left in my acknowledgements!

So, that's the scoop, kiddos. Life's a Witch goes on-sale nationwide December 8th, with a kick-butt bonus chapter! Tell your friends!

5x5,
B.

Scary Movie Countdown

2011-11-01T11:28:00.002-04:00

Hey all!

Halloween's over for this year (a fact I'm both sad and happy about—don't even get me started on the whole slutty costume bonanza I had to walk through to get home from work last night. It was whore-ifying.), but that doesn't mean the scary stuff has to end just yet. Just so you don't have to go cold-turkey, here's a list of my top 20 scary movies of all time. I've listed them in order of my faves, given a synopsis of each flick as well as some behind the scenes fun facts. You'll never guess what made it to #1!

5x5,
B.

Light shows aren't just for Christmas anymore...

2011-10-25T22:03:00.005-04:00

When Matt and I were shopping this weekend for our upcoming Halloween party, he mentioned that when we have a real house one day (yep, he said it) we're going to have so much fun going all out on Halloween. And then he promised that he would dress up, decorate, the whole nine yards...when we have a place to display it all. There were even talks of creating a haunted house.

Well, we may not have a house yet so I can't promise anything too flashy, but that doesn't mean that other households aren't doing their parts in celebrating the haunted holiday. Take a look at this family who either has way too much time on their hands, really loves Halloween or specializes in lights, wires and special effects. Either way, I've got to give major props to the genius who created what might possibly be the best damn Halloween light show EVER. Take a look and start celebrating early!

5x5,
B.

Running from zombies is excellent exercise

2011-10-20T23:17:00.006-04:00

Okay, so some of my boyfriend's co-workers were over at our apartment the other night filming something for work and before they left, one of the guys was talking about a 5K run he was doing this weekend. Pretty typical, right?

Uh, not quite.

He went on to explain that the event is called "Run For Your Lives" and is an apocalyptic race that involves zombies who run after you and try to "turn you" as you attempt to complete 12 different man-made and natural obstacle courses.

By this time, I was totally fascinated and enthralled with the whole thing, so I took a look at the website and decided that this might possibly be the coolest thing I've ever heard of. Or the scariest. Because, although you'd logically know that the zombies are just people dressed as flesh-eating undead....I have a feeling part of me would be wondering if they really were zombies. Nobody wants to have an anxiety attack mid-race. Especially when some really cool medals are at stake.

Check out the video below to get your blood pumping and then visit the website for more info, including participating cities and dates.

5x5,
B.

Love me some Dirty Soap

2011-10-16T14:24:00.041-04:00

There are a lot of new shows this season that I'm enjoying: "Ringer," "Hart of Dixie," "The Secret Circle," "Whitney," "PanAm" (RIP) and "The Playboy Club" (RIP) to name a few. I'm really digging them all. But there's one show that I am absolutely OBSESSED with, and that's "Dirty Soap."

"DS" is a new reality show on E! that follows a group of young actors/actresses who are Soap stars. Now, I've been a fan of "General Hospital" since I was a little kid, because my mom always had the show on in the afternoons. In other words, I've grown up watching it. I don't really have the time to watch it anymore, but given the longevity of some of the characters on the show, I happen to know a couple of the actresses who are on "Dirty Soap." That's not to say I know everyone on the show, but I don't think you necessarily need to know them to enjoy it. The bottom line is that "DS" is good, dirty, drama-filled fun. And the more you watch, the more you'll get to know the players, anyway.

The "DS" cameras follow around Farah Fath ("One Life to Live"; dating John-Paul Lavoisier), Kirsten Storms ("General Hospital"; former BFF's with Farah, now they're enemies), Jenna Gering (actress and model; married to Galen), Galen Gering ("Days of our Lives"; married to Jenna), Kelly Monaco ("General Hospital"; winner of the first season of "Dancing With the Stars"), Brandon Beemer ("The Bold and the Beautiful"; dating Nadia Bjorlin), Nadia Bjorlin (formerly of "Days of our Lives"; dating Brandon Beemer) and John-Paul Lavoisier ("One Life to Live"; dating Farah Fath). And just because the show's not scripted, doesn't mean there's a shortage of fabulous storylines. We're talking cat fights, love spats, love scenes and breakups...what's not to like? It's deliciously dirty and something you just have to watch.

So what do you guys think about "Dirty Soap?"

5x5,
B.

New updates to Fate Reloaded!

2011-10-15T11:07:00.004-04:00

Hey all!

So....it's Saturday, and that means updates on my latest book, Fate Reloaded, on Wattpad! Because my fans are the BEST, I'm starting to upload TWO chapters every Saturday for you! If you haven't already checked out Fate Reloaded yet, here's a summary of what you can expect!

Jordana Kane is your typical 15-year-old sophomore who’s moving through high school as a part of the in-crowd. One Friday night, her friends make plans to go to the movies, and Jordana’s decision to go with them or not will alter her life forever. If she decides to stay home, she finds herself witnessing a crime happening next door and decides to put on her detectives hat and launch her own investigation. When she chooses to go to the movies, but leaves early, Jordana meets a mystery traveler who wiggles his way into her family’s home and her heart, before she discovers that he’s actually a famous movie star. Choosing to head to her local diner causes Jordana to meet a bad-boy musician who sweeps her into his world of rock and fame, which ends in a record deal and booze-filled parties. And if she stays through the movie, she’ll end up the star of a student film, finding herself acting alongside her number one crush. Which decision is the right one and what will seal her fate forever? You'll have to read to find out!

Can't wait to hear what you think!

5x5,
B.

My apologies...but I hope this will make it up to you.

2011-10-13T23:44:00.006-04:00

I'm so sorry to all of my loyal fans for having been away for so long. So where was I, anyway? I could say work's been crazy-busy, filled with lots of traveling and not a lot of free time (It has. We just put out our Debby Ryan issue, and our next one features Jamie Foxx's daughter, Corinne Foxx). Or maybe that I've been concentrating so much on publishing my stuff on Wattpad that I couldn't focus on writing anywhere else (I'm up to 9 million+ reads of my book, Life's a Witch, and just finished pubbing the first part in my book, Fate Reloaded). I could even argue that I've been enjoying life with my beau (Matt and I are doing amazing...nothing's better than spending a lazy weekend with my man). But the truth is....there's no excuse for me not popping on here to say something.

So, I'm here to say I'm sorry for the long wait....and I hope you can forgive me. (And just to sweeten the deal, here's an adorable pic of my nephew, Cash!)

Yes? You'll forgive me? Phew! Okay, now that that's all worked out, I wanted to let you guys in on a little announcement. After lots of encouragement and prodding, I'm moving forward with publishing Life's a Witch myself. That's right....within the next few months, I WILL be a published author.

I'm still in the beginning stages of things though, working out the details and all, but already, I'm finding out there's a lot more that goes into publishing a book than just writing the book and making the decision to supply it to the public. No, I'm learning that I have to deal with copyright, trademark, registration, legal issues, choosing a publishing service....ahhhh, there's SO much to do! But don't worry, I'll be taking you along for the ride with me, because I want you with me every step of the way!

Okay, so now that the word is out, I need to get back to preparing for my dream to come true.

5x5,
B.

Things my friend says...

2011-08-27T20:49:00.015-04:00

Recently, I went on a trip with a friend of mine (Let's call her Blondie-Pop). Now, this was the first time I'd ever traveled with Blondie-Pop and I was still sort of getting to know her. Needless to say, she had me dying laughing the entire time. After the first few hours, I started to write down all the funny things she said, because I knew it would make for an incredible blog.

So now, just because I love all of you so much (and her....I'm going to miss you!), I'm unveiling some of the hilariously ridiculous things that were said that weekend.

You're welcome.

On Brazilian
Me: Have you ever had Brazilian?
Blondie-Pop: Waxing?

On the phone with UPS
Blondie-Pop: What if I was shipping body parts? How would you guarantee I got them before they went bad?

About ex-boyfriends
Bondie-Pop: I had a boyfriend named Matt once....He's gay now.

On her favorite iPhone app
Blondie-Pop: Did I not show you pocket pole?

On her lineage
Blondie-Pop: I'm French, Australian, English, Dutch, Swiss--pretty much everything that's white and blonde.

About Taylor Lautner's new movie Abduction
Blondie-Pop: Hey look, it's Taylor Lautner on that billboard.
Me: Yeah, he's an animal.
Blondie-Pop: Wow, he's really branching out.

On bug bites
Bondie-Pop: I keep getting bit...not by people, but...

5x5,
B.

How do you feel about Friends with Benefits?

2011-08-21T23:27:00.016-04:00

I went to the movies this weekend, to take a little girl time out to see a chick-flick called Friends With Benefits with my BFF Tammy. Starring smooth-dancer and pop crooner Justin Timberlake and the sassy, sexy Mila Kunis, FWB was super fun and super funny. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon with the girls.

The premise isn't exactly groundbreaking: Girl (Mila Kunis) is dumped by boy (Andy Sandberg) for being too clingy. Guy (JT) is dumped by girl (Emma Stone) for not being clingy enough. Girl and Guy meet, become friends, decide that instead of dating they're just going to sleep with each other—no strings attached. And neither of them thinks they'll get hurt in the end.

Uh, huh. Yeah.

Besides the obvious plot points, I really liked the movie. I enjoyed the playful and sarcastic banter between Mila and JT's characters. I also loved that by taking out the romance at the beginning of their relationship, they were much more capable of being honest with each other. Neither is trying to impress the other, so they can say and act exactly how they want, being more themselves than with anyone else.

Now, I was already a fan of Justin Timberlake (what can I say, I grew up listening to N*Sync and loved him in the Disney movie Model Behavior back in 2000) and Mila Kunis has officially become one of my top girl crushes (ever since I saw her in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I've thought she was so freaking cool), but the movie really was worth paying the $12.50 for admission. There are a bunch of throw-backs to 90s music and some pretty fun dancing scenes. Oh, and did I mention that JT and Mila are naked almost the entire movie (I don't think anyone in the theater was complaining)?

So, yes, a bit unoriginal, but better than the other similar movies that are out there. So, grab your girls and go see it. You won't be sorry!

5x5,
B.

Fashion magazines and Politics

2011-08-21T14:14:00.012-04:00

Hey all! Since it's summer time and that means most of the TV shows I watch on a regular basis are on hiatus (except for pretty much everything on ABC Family and "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"), I've been enjoying watching old shows on demand. Most of these shows are ones I never watched when they actually aired, but now that I'm watching them for the first time, I totally wish I had (kind of. I really do like watching shows without commercials or having to wait each week for a new episode).

Two of the shows I'm really digging right now are "The West Wing" and "Ugly Betty." Both are totally different in subject and sentiment, but both are rocking my world.

"The West Wing" is all about politics (duh), which I tend to not be interested in at all (although since I started dating Matt, he's forced me to pay attention to them a lot more. Damn you Gielen!), but the show isn't just about politics. In fact, it's more about the relationships between the characters than anything else. The writing is amazing and the topics are relevant—even so many years later. The actors are great (who knew Martin Sheen was so likeable and commanding and Dule Hill is absolutely loveable.). While watching, you can't help but wish politics was as caring and personable as it is on this show. But I'm sure that's because we finally get to see the relationships behind the scenes....things that we don't get to see in reality. I like to think though, that Obama is the same way when we aren't seeing him as his TV persona....and this show is leaving me with a better feeling about the political world. If you haven't seen the show yet, you totally need to Netflix it. It's SO worth it!

Now, "Ugly Betty" is all about the magazine world—a topic that is much more closely related to my life. However, Betty works at a fashion magazine (not exactly American Cheerleader), which definitely means that I don't completely relate to her world, but still, it's enjoyable to watch, because I understand it. Of course, "Ugly Betty" is a bit more dramatic than my publishing world, mostly because there are no murder mysteries going on at AC, and our worth around the office isn't based on what designer label we're wearing. And that's really the part that I love...it's not exactly reality, but it's about a topic I'm familiar with. The storyline is engaging and fun and the mystery will keep you guessing. The perfect blend for a perfect TV show.

If you're looking for a new show to watch while you wait for the Fall season to start I strongly suggest one of these shows. Anyone else have a suggestion for what I should watch next?

5x5,
B.

Weddings: the good, the bad and the ugly

2011-08-21T12:47:00.020-04:00

So, this past weekend seemed to be all about weddings. Not only did my totally awesome friend, Amanda get married to her longtime best friend and girlfriend, Melissa in a super gorgeous, fun and touching ceremony at the Botanical Gardens, but Kim Kardashian married Kris Humphries on Saturday in a lavish and star-studded event that will air on the E! network in October.

This got me thinking about weddings in general and all the different touches each ceremony has that makes it special. Here's a roundup of some of the most legendary celebrity weddings in the last 10 years.

Kim Kardashian marries Kris Humphries
The ceremony included over 450 guests including Brody Jenner and Avril Lavigne, Lindsay Lohan with mom Dina and sister Ali, Eva Longoria, Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough, Kathy Lee Gifford, Mel B, Brittny Gastineau, The Spin Crowd's Jonathan Cheban, Mario Lopez, Ciara, Joe Francis, George Lopez and Serena Williams. The bride wore a total of three dresses throughout the night (all Vera Wang) and guests enjoyed Wolfgang Puck creations for dinner, which kicked off with a buffalo mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad with basil and "tomato chips"; followed by a choice of hand-formed agnolotti with sweet corn mascarpone and summer truffles, or roast chicken with Yukon Gold potato puree, caramelized brussels sprouts and summer truffles. The wedding will be broadcast on E! in October in a two-hour special and photos will be shown exclusively in People magazine this week.

Prince William & Kate Middleton
The whole world tuned in to watch the Prince and his princess swap vows earlier this year, and with over 1,900 guests, this couldn't be described as an intimate affair. Celeb guests included Victoria and David Beckham and Elton John. The ceremony cost an estimated $70 million.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Despite that it was his second wedding and Katie's first, the event certainly wasn't mission impossible. For about $2 million, TomKat got married in a castle outside of Rome, Italy, and enjoyed a delectible 5-course feast. Celebs who attended included Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith, and again....the Jada Pinkett-SmithBeckhams.

Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt
Their fairytale romance may have ended in divorce (we're looking at you Angelina!), but at least the beginning of their marriage was beautiful. In a ceremony estimated at miniscule $1 million, Jenn and Brad enjoyed the company of celebrity friends like Cameron Diaz, Selma Hayek, Courteney Cox and David Schwimmer. The night ended in fireworks...literally. Hmmm, come to think of it, so did their marriage.

Victoria and David Beckham
They might not be royalty, but these two sure act like it. The soccer stud and former spice girl were married in a $800K ceremony, which included 250 guests. The duo sat on red velvet thrones throughout the evening and Victoria's train was 20-feet long. Guests were serenaded by Elton John before enjoying fireworks.

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale
The No Doubt frontrunner wore a beautiful Christian Dior gown that went from white and faded into pink (my kind of girl) and her rocker husband chose to have his sheepdog to accompany him. The ceremony took place in London, but two weeks later, the couple had an additional ceremony in LA for all their stateside friends, which included Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller.

5x5,
B.

Lessons in Love

2011-08-18T23:36:00.006-04:00

Today, I have the honor of attending a very close friend's wedding. Amanda is one of those people who has changed my life. She's a positive, loving force who gives excellent advice, is an even better listener and never ceases to amaze me.

Her impending ceremony got me thinking about relationships and I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you all the things that Amanda's taught me about love over the past few years. I hope you all learn just as much from this blog as I have from Amanda.

Don't listen to nay-sayers. Amanda and her soon-to-be-wife, Melissa, originally planned their wedding when the state of NY wouldn't have recognized it as a legal marriage. But they loved each other and wanted to make that commitment, and didn't let that stop them. I like to think that the universe had a hand in passing the law in NYC, legalizing gay marriage just in time for their wedding. You shouldn't listen to anyone else but yourself when it comes to what's right for your relationship. Sure, others may not understand or agree with it, but that's a decision for you and you only.

Love can develop when you least expect it. Amanda and Melissa knew each other for a long time before they ever dated, having been friends and roommates in college. I don't think either of them expected for their friendship to grow into love, but it did and they went with it. Just because a relationship starts out with the tiniest of sparks doesn't mean it won't catch fire and burn for a long time. Be open to the idea that love can develop anytime, anywhere, and you may just find your perfect match right in front of you (whether you expected to or not).

It's human to be scared, but we can't let fear run our relationships. Just because we've been hurt before, doesn't necessarily mean that we will be hurt in our current relationship. Yes, it's normal to get scared every once-in-a-while. Scared that the relationship will end, scared of being cheated on, scared you'll never live up to the other person's expectations, scared that they might not think you're "the one." But just because we feel scared, doesn't mean we need to act on it. Amanda's taught me that my fears are just that: my fears. They're not based on fact and if I let it run my relationship, there might not be a relationship to be had. This means that if I have a dream where my boyfriend cheats on me, it doesn't mean that I can punish him for his evil cheating dream self. I need to treat him like the flower-buying, hug-giving, funny, loveable guy I'm actually dating. (Unless you're psychic, in which case, feel free to punish away.)

Know what your deal-breakers are. One of the pieces of advice that Amanda gave me when I first got into my current relationship was to make a list of all the qualities I wanted in a significant other (and the kind of person I wanted to be in a relationship) and then move towards that ideal. Another thing she said was to think about what my deal-breakers were. Whether it's smoking, breaking plans, drinking, religious beliefs, over-spending, anger issues, etc., you need to know where to draw the line for you to be in a happy, healthy relationship. This is going to be different for everyone, but it's important to ask yourself this before you get into the relationship. And if you decide that a habit isn't worth ending a relationship over, then you need to let it go, because you can't expect to change the person you're with.

Trust, truth and teamwork. To see Amanda and Melissa's relationship you can tell that three things are at work: They trust each other, they're honest and they tackle all their problems together. Enough said.

Laughter is the best medicine. OMG, Amanda and Melissa laugh so much together. Sure, life can get serious, but in the end, they make each other smile and truly enjoy being around each other. Not only do they love each other, but they actually like each other! One of the things that Amanda always reminds me about my relationship with Matt is that we crack each other up and always have fun together. What a novel concept...and one that I certainly don't take for granted.

Soulmates don't have to be romantic in nature. Through my relationship with Amanda, I've learned that some friendships are just as important as romantic relationships. Amanda knows all of my secrets (seriously...Every. Single. One. And that's not always pretty.), she is the one I trust to give me unbiased, brutally honest advice (even if it hurts my ego sometimes) and she'll always love me unconditionally. Having this relationship with her has made my relationship with Matt better than it ever possibly could have been without her guidance and knowledge.

So, thank you Amanda and congratulations on your marriage. You deserve all the happiness in the world!

5x5,
B.

My latest video: Am I published yet?

2011-08-16T00:05:00.004-04:00

Hey all!

So, the time has officially come for me to unveil my latest video. It's not another book trailer, but it is about books. My books specifically. My latest author video is all about my state as an author, and I answer the age-old question: Are you published yet? You'll have to watch to get the answer!

5x5,
B.

Cheer camp with the Kardashians....

2011-08-14T20:43:00.017-04:00

So, a week ago, I headed off to Ontario, CA, to go to The Spirit Consultants cheer camp with Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Corinne Foxx. The week was long and full of screaming girls, but totally worth it, because I was able to get a really sweet segment on Access Hollywood about Kendall being on our cover in May and Corinne being our December cover girl. Yay me!

But what was SUPER exciting was that on the last day of camp, "Keeping up with the Kardashians" was filming at the camp! And get this: the whole Kardashian clan was there. Well, except for Kim. She must have been off figuring out last-minute details for her fabulous wedding, which is less than a week away! But the rest of them were there....here's the run-down:
Kris, Bruce, Mason, Kourtney, Khloe and Lamar!

The girls looked beautiful as always and I even scored some one-on-one time with Kourtney, talking to her about how she was the perfect size to be a cheerleader. She explained that there wasn't a cheer squad when Kim and her were in school, but that they took dance classes for a few weeks during that time. It turns out, Kourtney was actually a big soccer player. But she was super psyched to see Kendall and Kylie in their element.

She wasn't the only one though...Khloe was taking pictures the entire time and then later posted them on her blog. And when the girls first came out onto the floor to compete in the camp cheer contest, Lamar attempted to do a high kick. Granted with limbs as long as his (I went up to his hip), he nearly fell down in the process.

Everyone was SO nice and they were all so proud of Kendall and Kylie! You could tell that they're really a family that cheers on each other. Anyway.....here are some pics I took from the VIP section of the camp. Yep, that's right...I was in the same section as the Kardashians! They don't have a cheer magazine reality show yet...don't you think they should?

5x5,
B.

New haircut, new me.

2011-08-14T20:28:00.012-04:00

Hey all!

So, this weekend, I decided to make some radical changes....to my hair! In the past, I've been color-happy. My hair's been red, blonde, hightlighted, low-lighted. I've done it all. It's been long, short, flipped and swooped.

But the last time I went crazy on a hairstyle was nearly four years ago. Soooo, for no particular reason, I felt it was time to put a little change in my life. On Saturday, I went to get my hair cut and colored (a luxury I don't usually imbibe in). Because he was afraid someone would butcher my hair and that he'd end up with a short-haired girlfriend (no offense....what can I say? He likes it long.), Matt offered to pay for it!

Four hours and four magazines later, and I had a haircut I now love, and a color that is not as dramatic as I'd wanted, but which looks really good! My hair inspiration? For the cut, it was Miley Cyrus' layers, and for the color, Rachel Bilson. Apparently the dark on top, light on the bottom look is called "The Ombre." What a weird (and unsexy) name for a hairstyle, huh? Anyhoo....take a look! What do you think? Love it or hate it?

5x5,
B.

Lizzie McGuire Preggers!

2011-08-14T19:39:00.008-04:00

Do you guys remember the show on The Disney Channel, "Lizzie McGuire?" I used to watch it growing up...I loved the fact that scenes were broken up by the little cartoon Lizzie. Anyways, the little girl who played this cute and precocious blonde, has grown up to be the gorgeous and talented Hilary Duff!

And now, little Lizzie McGuire just announced that she's pregnant! Can you believe it? After almost exactly a year of wedded bliss, Hilary and her hubby, hockey player Mike Comrie have announced that they're expecting! In a smart move (I like her style and tend to agree with her on this), apparently the two decided to give themselves at least a year to enjoy some couple time before getting their baby bump on. "I think it was important to us that we had a year to just do whatever," Hilary told E! News. "And maybe longer than that because we enjoy having so much freedom. But we're thinking about it."

Well, the two are finally ready to make their twosome into a threesome (the family kind). And though we haven't caught a look at her baby bump yet, here's a pic of the actress from a movie where she played a pregnant woman, in case you need an idea of what we might expect in the upcoming months. I for one, have enjoyed watching the Disney star grow up to be a good role model for younger generations and now, for her son or daughter. Way to go Hilary and congratulations!

So, what do you think? Is it going to be a boy or a girl?

5x5,

B.

P.S. Hilary just ruined our winter fashion idea! We'd just contacted her publicist on Friday to see if she could participate in our December issue. Too bad our idea didn't include winter maternity clothes (though we're sure Hilary would be the cutest soon-to-be mom EVER!)

A little animal action to get your day started

2011-08-11T09:12:00.007-04:00

I don't know about you, but this week I'm dragging. Blame it on the heat, the funky full-moon stuff or just plain jet lag (I just got back from a week in Cali)...either way, it's been really difficult to sleep and even harder to get up in the mornings.

So, just in case you're in the same boat...here's a little pick-me-up in the form that only animals can provide. Enjoy!

5x5,
B.

Brings a whole new meaning to the hotdog.

Keyboard Cat!

I'm king of the tile!

True love.

Kendall and Kylie at cheer camp!

2011-08-03T21:16:00.004-04:00

Hey all!

As you might know, I'm at cheer camp this week...with Kendall and Kylie Jenner, and Corinne Foxx (Jamie Foxx's daughter)! I'm having so much fun, but don't worry--I'm doing a lot work while I'm here too! Case in point, check out the segment on Access Hollywood that I set up on Monday! Pretty amazing, huh?

5x5,
B.

Life's a Witch Trailer #2

2011-08-02T15:01:00.003-04:00

Hey all!

So, I know that I promised this to you a while ago, but the moment is finally here! Here's the world premier of the second video trailer for my novel, Life's a Witch! Take a look and then let me know which one you liked better!

The Unveiling of "Fate Reloaded"

2011-07-30T12:10:00.006-04:00

Hey all!

So, because you've all been such great fans when it came to reading Life's a Witch, I'm coming to you first to unveil my newest book, Fate Reloaded. Check out the ridiculously gorgeous book cover, that the super-talented designer Toni Misthos created for me! How hot is it?

Now, please go and check out Fate Reloaded on wattpad now! Here's the synopsis:

Jordana Kane is your typical 15-year-old sophomore who’s moving through high school as a part of the in-crowd. One Friday night, her friends make plans to go to the movies, and Jordana’s decision to go with them or not will alter her life forever. If she decides to stay home, she finds herself witnessing a crime happening next door and decides to put on her detectives hat and launch her own investigation. When she chooses to go to the movies, but leaves early, Jordana meets a mystery traveler who wiggles his way into her family’s home and her heart, before she discovers that he’s actually a famous movie star. Choosing to head to her local diner causes Jordana to meet a bad-boy musician who sweeps her into his world of rock and fame, which ends in a record deal and booze-filled parties. And if she stays through the movie, she’ll end up the star of a student film, finding herself acting alongside her number one crush. Which decision is the right one and what will seal her fate forever? You'll have to read to find out!

5x5,
B.

All good things must come to an end...

2011-07-25T08:50:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's true. The last chapter of Life's a Witch has officially been posted, which means that the story of The Cleri and Hadley Bishop—descendent of Bridget Bishop, the first person killed during the Salem Witch Trials—is over.

For now, at least.

Posting my book on Wattpad has been a thrilling ride so far. When I decided to publish my book on the site, I never thought it would be like this. That so many people would fall in love with the characters and the story; that fans would act out scenes from the book in public; that they'd threaten to kick the bad characters' butts; that they'd request to PURCHASE their own copies of the book because they wanted that tangible thing in their hands and on their bookshelves. And lastly, that my fans would log on every Saturday to help me reach the phenomenal number of 6 million reads!

The success of LAW has exceeded my wildest expectations and feeling all the love and support from everyone who's championed it from the beginning has been heartbreakingly awesome. I just wanted to take this moment to sincerely thank each and every one of you who've stuck around, dealing with the fact that I would only publish one chapter a week, and often left with cliffhangers, which I know kept you on the edge of your seats. You've all been incredible and without you, I wouldn't be where I am today.

So, here's to an amazing experience in posting LAW. I hope you all stick around to read my next book, Fate Reloaded, which I'll begin to publish next Saturday.

Thank you again and I heart you!

5x5,
B.

My blog's gone Hollywood

2011-07-22T08:31:00.002-04:00

I had no idea, but apparently my blog has hit Hollywood! I mean, I knew all of you read it (which is amazing as it is!), but now I have confirmation that Tinsletown (or the media that reports on Tinsletown) is taking notice of Brittany The Book Slayer.

Check out this video from CelebTV, which randomly came up in my Google alerts for Corinne Foxx. The video itself isn't bad (and they give me credit for the info and some of the pics), but they didn't even ask for permission....which is usually a no-no. But for now, I'll let it go, and share the final product with you!

Self-publishing made easy

2011-07-20T23:28:00.009-04:00

I've already said on here that I'm fully ready to publish my books myself if the mainstream publisher thing doesn't work out (although I do have a phone call with a publisher today to discuss doing edits on my book Painless for possible publication!). I think we live in a really exciting time, where we hold the future of our passion in our hands. Whether you're an aspiring musician, actor, filmmaker, artist or author, technology is out there which allows us to bring our craft to the masses—something that used to only be relegated to the elite gatekeepers who would decide what was worthy of public consumption. This is no longer the only way a person can be successful doing what they love (Um, hello? Look at bigtime author Christopher Paolini who published his book Eragon himself, before it became a national hit!).

I met with a 16-year-old cheerleader on Monday who recently published her first young adult novel. Now, I've read plenty of self-published books over the years, both for the magazine, and now on Wattpad.com; some of it's good and some of it's bad. The point is: I get to make up my own mind about what's worthy of me reading or not.

But back to this girl's book. After chatting with her for a few minutes, I found out that she hadn't really been interested in writing until she fell back in love with reading. And then she used writing as an outlet for what she was experiencing in high school. Before she knew it, she was writing a book, one which followed a girl who didn't fit in at her school or with her classmates...mostly because she has supernatural powers!

I've started reading the book and while it's admittedly, a little unpolished, it pulled me in from the start and is actually an interesting and fun read. Now, I'm only about 100 pages in, but I'm rather impressed with what this teenager has done. After trying to get an agent for her book and being rejected, she decided to publish it herself.

Now, if you're out there and have taken the time to write your own book and feel like it deserves to be out there for all to read, there are plenty of print-on-demand publishers to choose from. I recently came across this article about Amazon's CreateSpace and found it to be really interesting. Be sure to check it out if you're thinking about self-publishing. There are a lot of great outlets out there for us creative types, all we have to do is use them!

5x5,
B.

The NYC subways are getting dangerous....

2011-07-19T22:57:00.004-04:00

Whenever anyone's asked me whether NYC is dangerous, I've always responded that I feel safe here and that I know the areas of the city to stay away from. In fact, I feel safer in NY than I do in California or several other big cities.

But there are things about the city that have made me uneasy on certain occasions. It's not surprising that most of my bad experiences have happened while on the subway. Cramped spaces, lots of people (sometimes strange) and an enclosed area that you're stuck on until the conductors choose to let you out. So, yeah....things can get a little scary.

Just a few months ago, I was heading back to work after going to a doctors appointment in the middle of the day, when we stopped at a station to let people on and off. As soon as the doors opened though, people started running off and shouting, "There's a gun on the train!" Scared to get off, but also scared to stay on, I froze and watched as more than a dozen police officers came down into the station and then went to the back of the train to investigate.

But things like that don't happen all that often (at least that I've seen). What I learned yesterday though, is that hot weather + limited subway service=violence.

NYC in the summer can be rough. The heat often gets up into the 90s and being that we all take public transportation, it means that for most of our commute, we don't have air conditioning. And you know how grumpy people can get when they're hot and sweaty. Add to that, while the subway fares keep going up, service seems to keep going down. Now, the combination of the two can be deadly.

How you ask?

Well, when I was headed home yesterday, I had to wait about 15 minutes for a train to come. By the time it arrived, there was a huge crowd on the platform, as well as an even bigger crowd on the train. I was able to squeeze my way on there, but then, every stop after, more and more people forced their way on. And then started the shoving and the lack of personal space. And then people started to get pissed off.

People who were being pushed by others trying to "fit" inside, started to yell at the pushers and then the pushers began to yell back and before you know it, people are all screaming at each other and threatening to fight. And suddenly what's supposed to be a quiet ride home after a long day at work has turned into a riot.

Ok, maybe not a full-on riot, but it's enough to make a tiny girl like me uncomfortable. So, what is there to do? In a city like NY, it's not like I can choose to drive to work every day...that's just not practical. And if I waited until there was a train that wasn't crowded, I'd never get anywhere.

Of course, what would be nice is if the MTA realized that it's not just annoying when they cut down on service...it's actually making our trips around town less safe. In the meantime, I might just brave the heat and rely on my feet to get me around for now.

5x5,
B.

The World premier of the trailer of "Life's a Witch"

2011-07-13T21:27:00.006-04:00

As you know, I recently traveled to Salem, MA, in order to shoot the trailer for my book, Life's A Witch—actually, it was my first book trailer ever. Anyway, one of my good friends, Alicia Chouinard, was kind enough to play the part of Hadley, braving a hot wig, a tight skirt and a whole lot of makeup to do justice to the character. My super-talented boyfriend was the brains and talent behind the camera, taking my vision and making it a reality. And Alicia's wickedly awesome mom, Sue Chouinard, was the fashionista who found all the pieces of Hadley's outfit and brought her look to life.

We ended up shooting at two different locations: the first was at the house of the judge who found Bridget Bishop guilty and sentenced her to death and the second was at the Salem Witch Trials memorial grounds. Both were awesome and in the end we couldn't decide which we liked better. So, we're going to release both and see what the fans think.

Which brings me to the matter at hand. Here is the first of my book trailers for my YA novel, Life's A Witch. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

5x5,
B.

Hanging out at Jamie Foxx's house....

2011-07-12T22:37:00.012-04:00

Yes, it really happened.

And as promised here are the pictures. But first, let me give you a little back-story, because it's not like I just happened to stumble upon the Oscar-winning actor's humble abode unknowingly. What actually happened was that we were shooting his daughter, Corinne Foxx, for our cover and asked if we could take a few pics of Corinne at the recording studio, since she's been learning more about the industry lately. We also asked if Jamie wanted to be in a few pictures with her.

Being the doting dad that he is (he's SUCH a proud papa!), he offered for us to shoot her at his in-home recording studio! AND he agreed to letting us take some pictures of him with her! SOOOO, after spending the day at another shoot with 6 other celebs, we headed about an hour away into some random farm hills to the little hideaway that Jamie calls home.

The Ray star was kind enough to let us hang out, put us up in his pool house and provided food, snacks and even sparkling apple cider for everyone as we did Corinne's makeup and hair. We took pictures of his sick cars, walked around his pool and even jumped on his trampoline. It was surreal to say the least.

So now that you've got the inside scoop, here are the pictures I snapped while we were there! Enjoy!

5x5,
B.

Hob-knobbing with celebrities....

2011-07-11T23:18:00.019-04:00

I know this e-mail is LOOOOONG overdue, but I've been a bit busy—in and out of town, getting some much-needed R&R, catching up on my reading, etc. Better late than never, right? Okay, so what kind of delicious dish do I have for you today? Well, a few weeks ago, I headed to LA for a few more celebrity photo shoots. The girls were amazing and after we were finished, I walked away with some pretty crazy/awesome memories. So, if you can keep a secret, I'll give you a sneak peek at what (and who) we shot.

Debby Ryan: Sure, she's a Disney channel girl—well-mannered, pretty, multi-talented—but this one's got a little bit of edge to her. Don't get me wrong, the former "Suite Life on Deck" co-star and upcoming "Jessie" star is fully worthy of her mouse ears, but there's more to this fiery redhead than the kid-friendly shows she's a part of. (Hint: Disney's toting her as the next Miley or Selena!)

Corrine Foxx: As Jamie Foxx's daughter, she's become a regular on the red carpet as her dad's arm candy. Though she's not planning on following in his footsteps anytime soon, she proved to us that she's learned a little something from the Oscar winner over the years.

Christa B. Allen: She played the young Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30, and the comparisons don't stop there. This upcoming "Revenge" star is smart and sweet and totally one to watch!

Jasmine V: Look familiar? Besides having a killer voice and an album coming out later this year, Jasmine once had the Biebster singing "Baby, baby, baby" to her. The two were an item before he moved on to Selena!

Bella Thorne: Turn some music on and watch her go! The star of "Shake It Up" on the Disney channel claims she never took dance classes before scoring the role on this booty-shaking show.

Megan Park: The "Secret Life of the American Teenager" star was even more beautiful in person than she is on the show. Though not at all a faith bully, Megan was opinionated and intelligent just like her character Grace.

Sasha Pieterse: You'd never know that the girl who plays manipulative and conniving "A" on the ABC Family show "Pretty Little Liars" would be so young, but Sasha is actually only 15! She was sweet as pie and had a quiet confidence about her that left you wanting to know more about the girl who plays bad so well!

Ayla Kell: Okay, I only recently began to watch the ABC Family show "Make it or Break it," and though I don't usually like watching gymnastics, I couldn't help but fall in love with this show. I'd liked Ayla's character, Peyson, from the start, but it wasn't until I met her at our shoot that I realized just how freaking COOL the she is! A bit of a tomboy, Ayla has a strong sense of self as well as an extreme background in dance (she's a classically-trained ballerina and even danced at ABT!). But beyond that, she's just really down to earth, a hard worker and.....did I mention she's so freaking cool?!?!?!

Hope you like the pics! Tomorrow, I'll be posting pics that I took while hanging out at Jamie Foxx's house. Oh yeah, I said it! Stay tuned!

5x5,
B.

It's Saturday....which means another chapter in Life's a Witch!

2011-07-09T10:56:00.003-04:00

Hey all!

I'm writing you from Knoxville, TN, where I'm currently in town for my old roommate Darcey's wedding. It's really beautiful here: lots of green plants and trees, etc., people are very polite and friendly, the BBQ is UH-mazing and we're having a blast exploring.

But no matter where you are today, don't forget that I've uploaded a new chapte r in my book Life's a Witch! In chapter 28, we get fully into the battle between The Parrishables and The Cleri, and there's no telling how things are going to turn out....

So check it out and let me know what you think!

5x5,
B.

Magic and spells and where I get my mojo....

2011-07-05T23:16:00.004-04:00

Hey all!

So, now that I'm officially finished writing Life's a Witch, you can rest assured that this blog will once again have 100% of my attention. It was so hard to keep up on here AND write pages of my book every single night....and unfortunately something had to take a backseat. But now I'm back and ready to entertain you with the everyday of my life. Lucky you!!!!

To start things off, here's a look at my latest video. In it, I talk about how I come up with the spells in Life's a Witch, a little about magic and whether or not it's all real. Check it out and let me know what you think! And if you haven't already, be sure to read my latest chapter today! Only three more left until the book's over!

O.M.G. Best Dancing EVER

2011-06-22T23:03:00.003-04:00

Okay...So, a friend sent me this video the other day because the girl on it mentions Wattpad! But the real gem of the video happens about 7 minutes in. So seriously, check it out. Feel free to scroll ahead to the good part. Just do it. Trust me....you won't be sorry.

5x5,
B.

Guess which celeb's house I'm hanging out at this weekend?

2011-06-21T08:33:00.013-04:00

Before I get to the celeb-studded weekend plans, can I just mention that yesterday I reached #23 on the HOT list on Wattpad, the site where I've been publishing my book, Life's a Witch? This is the highest up I've ever been and it's no surprise that it happens to coincide with publishing the chapter where I reveal who the traitor is in the book? Have you read it yet? What did you think of the reveal? Were you surprised? Did you kinda already know? Were you happy or frustrated? Whatever you thought, be sure to leave your comments below. I'd love to hear what you think.

On to more celeb-related info...I'm about to embark on another weekend in LA for two celebrity photo shoots. The first is with new Disney It-Girl, Debby Ryan. If you have a younger sibling or child between the ages of 5 and 14 (or are an adult who just LOVES the Disney channel....hey, there's nothing wrong with that), you likely know who Debby is. If you don't, Debby spent the last three years on "The Suite Life on Deck" playing Bailey Picket, with twin cuties Dylan and Cole Sprouse. Well, this cutie-patootie just turned 18 and is starring in her own Disney show called "Jessie", debuting this fall. Disney's already toting her as the next big thing and since Miley and Selena have both moved on, it looks like there's a spot open for a new Disney Princess.

We're also shooting Corinne Fox, Jamie Fox's daughter. Now the cool thing about Corinne is that she's actually a cheerleader NOW. And if that weren't enough, she actually cheers on the same squad as Kendall Jenner (can you imagine what it's like to be on that squad?). So, we're going to spend some time with the teenager to talk to her all about her cheer experiences, as well as the fact that her dad credits her as the reason his music career is what it is today. And Corinne herself seems to have a natural talent for the music world...she's been spending a lot of time in the studio behind-the-scenes learning all there is to creating records. So for this shoot, we've been invited over to Jamie's in-home recording studio to shoot Corinne in her element. Jamie's even offered to take a few pics with Corinne for the magazine! How cool is that? I'm going to be hanging out at Jamie Fox's house this weekend! How random.

But the celebs don't stop there. We're also shooting Christa B. Allen (ABC's new show "Revenge"), Jasmine V (Sony/Epic recording artist and Justin Bieber's ex!), Bella Thorne (Disney's "Shake It Up"), Megan Park (ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager"), Ayla Kell (ABC Family's "Make It or Break It") and Sasha Pieterse (ABC Family's "Pretty Little Liars). It's going to be an INSANE shoot, but I'm beyond excited to see what these girls are like in person!

I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures and I'll be sure to update after the shoots!

5x5,
B.

Chapter 25 of Life's a Witch!

2011-06-18T14:06:00.003-04:00

Hey all!

I've got some crazy cool news for you next week, but for now, here's something to tide you over.....

I just posted another chapter of Life's a Witch on wattpad. For all of you who've been keeping up, please check it out--this is where you'll finally find out who the traitor is! And you'll never have guessed it!

So log on and then let me know what you think. Were you shocked? Surprised? Or did you kinda see it coming. Leave your comments below and then weigh in on Wattpad with my other fans!

Have a happy Saturday!

5x5,
B.

Katy Perry, Nerd?

2011-06-13T14:19:00.005-04:00

Okay, so I'm totally loving Katy Perry's new music video. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. You won't be sorry! Lots of celeb sightings and super fun!

5x5,
B.

A day in Salem...

2011-06-12T22:27:00.014-04:00

So, this past weekend, Matt and I headed off to Salem, MA to film my book trailer for Life's a Witch. We'd taken a look at a few other author's book trailers (check out one of Meg Cabot's below) and sat down to try and brainstorm what we wanted to accomplish with mine. Being that Matt's expertise is video, I left a lot of the planning up to him in terms of exactly how he wanted to execute the video. But we talked out the general storyline for the trailer and then planned our trip.

Like I mentioned in a past blog, I knew I was using my friend, Alicia Chouinard, as Hadley in the trailer. She's been offering to star in the movie or TV show of one of my books for years and since she's an actress/model/all-around cool chick, I knew if anyone was going to play Hadley, it'd be her. And I've gotta say...the girl didn't disappoint!

So we went up to stay with Alicia and her family for the weekend, since they live less than a half hour away from Salem (Alicia's dad even grew up in Danvers, the actual town where a lot of the trials happened), and then woke up early Saturday morning to go shopping! I had to buy a wig...one that would help transform cute, caramel colored Alicia into the brunette bombshell that Hadley is (check out a pic of Alicia trying on wigs; this isn't the one we ended up going with since it was more Betty Boop than Hadley Bishop, but it was fun trying them on!). I also had to pick out an outfit that was fitting of Hadley's personal style. And of course, we had to find the right shoes. We settled on a fierce pair of bright red patent leather stilettos. Seriously hot.

Anyways, once we had the whole outfit together, we traveled to Salem and went to our first location. We'd decided that our first shot would be at The Witch House, which was the house that Judge Jonathan Corwin, the man who sentenced Bridget Bishop (and over a dozen others) to death because of witchcraft, used to live. The house itself is now a museum with guided tours and is painted a creepy gray/black color. As soon as we saw it, we knew it would make the perfect backdrop for the trailer. And the owners were so nice to let us film in front of it!

Our next location was the Salem Witch Trials Memorial Cemetery. Now, Saturday was drizzly and gray out—the perfect setting for the filming we wanted to do. And when we were all set up at the cemetery, among the headstones, we were able to get a few shots that were nothing short of incredible. We even found a stone bench that paid its respects to Bridget Bishop.

While we were at the graveyard, Alicia's mom, Sue (who should get some serious stylist and momager credits...we never would've found Hadley's outfit if it wasn't for her! Thanks Sue! Your 10% is coming!) got to talking to a few other people who were walking around the graves and made friends with a girl who said she was a practicing witch! We almost asked if we could interview her, but we were losing light and didn't want to stay too long in the cemetery with all our camera equipment (did I mention it was raining and pretty chilly?). Alas, we decided interviews would have to be left for another trip.

All in all, the shoot went awesome and I can't wait to see the finished product! I just hope you all like it as much as I had fun making it!

5x5,
B.

Check out my latest chapter!

2011-06-11T22:06:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! In Salem, MA right now, filming my book trailer for Life's a Witch! It was drizzly and overcast today...the absolute perfect vibe for the backdrop of this shoot! My dear friend Alicia Chouinard is starring as Hadley Bishop, and she's doing an amazing job so far. And did I mention that my totally awesome boyfriend is helping me shoot the trailer? He's genius, so I just know it's going to turn out looking incredible! Anyway, I'll be able to give you more details of the shoot on Monday.

But for now, I'll leave you with this, my latest chapter in Life's a Witch. Hope you like it!

5x5,
B.

3 million reads, free books and my book trailer!

2011-06-10T08:59:00.006-04:00

Hey all! Lots to catch you up on this Friday! First off, this week I reached 3 million reads of Life's a Witch on Wattpad! I can't even begin to describe how this makes me feel...but I'll try: elated, blessed, honored, exuberant, joyous, excited, proud....well, you get the idea. I never could have predicted that people would latch on to this book the way they have. Sure, I hoped people would enjoy it, but I wasn't expecting this kind of a response. It's truly reinvigorated my feelings on writing. I have the best fans EVER!

So, as a thank you to everyone who logs on every weekend to see what's going on in Hadley's life, here are a few goodies for you. Because I know how much some of you are obsessed with The Salem Witch Trials and Life's a Witch, I've decided to film my book trailer this weekend. And guess where? Yep, good ole' Salem, MA! I've got the whole thing scripted out and my very talented and gorgeous friend, Alicia Chouinard, is going to be playing the part of Hadley. I knew it was only a matter of time before Alicia ended up the star of something I wrote...she's read every one of the books I've written! Anyways, while we're there shooting the trailer, we're going to be taking video, doing interviews with a few of the ancestors of the accused and putting together a sort of documentary of the trip. It should be a lot of fun!

And now, the real surprise...

I'm giving away free books to five lucky fans!

I know how expensive books can be and I'm all about encouraging reading, so I'll be sending out a total of 25 brand new books to winners! Here's what you have to do:

1. Fan me on Facebook and Wattpad (if you're already a fan in both places, encourage a friend to fan me on both and you're in!)
2. After you're a fan, e-mail me at thebookslayer@gmail.com with the subject line: Give me my books! Leave your name, age, address, e-mail address and the name of your favorite book.
3. I'll pick five winners at random and each will be sent five YA books to the address provided.

Thanks again for all your continued support and can't wait to hear what you think of my book trailer!

5x5,
B.

"Crushing" on actress Sasha Jackson!

2011-06-08T08:58:00.008-04:00

I recently did an interview with Blue Crush 2 star—and all-around cool chick—Sasha Jackson for American Cheerleader, all about filming her new surf film (which is on DVD now!). Besides being gorgeous, hilarious and wicked smart, this Jack of all Trades is an amazing actress. So get out your sunscreen and prepare to learn everything you ever wanted to know about this blond beach beauty!

AC: How does it feel to have your new movie Blue Crush 2 coming out on Tuesday?

Sasha Jackson: I don’t really know how to put into words how I feel. I’m proud and excited to see how people will react to Blue Crush 2. I hope they enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it. Basically, it feels rad!

AC: Doesn’t it take a long time to get through the whole process of a movie?

Sasha: It depends on the genre, script, location, etc. Pre-production took roughly three months, but director Mike Elliott and producer Greg Holstein were working on it a year prior to that. We spent three months in South Africa shooting the movie, then post-production took about eight months.

AC: We all saw the original and loved it—so what can fans expect from this one?

Sasha: The only commonalities between the two films is the name (obviously), killer surf scenes and female empowerment. Aside from that, the story is totally different, it doesn’t pick up from the original plot as a lot of sequels do. It’s a brand new cast and location; there’s more intense surfing by some of the top surfers in the world, who are also part of the cast—not just surf doubles.

Blue Crush 2 showcases South Africa at its finest. The audience gets to see parts of South Africa that you’d never be able to see on vacation or on TV. We have everything in this movie: the real Roxy team and competitions, sacred surf spots, exotic animals, friendship and the incredible bond between the most unlikely family.

AC: Did you do your own surfing in the movie?

Sasha: Both Elizabeth [Mathis] and I had three weeks to learn how to surf right at the start of the shoot, but we were mainly taught how to look like we’d been surfing our whole lives. Surfing is made to look so easy, but it was extremely challenging! However, we loved every second. We weren’t allowed to surf after those first three weeks until the very end of the shoot due to insurance purposes, though, which was very tough because we just wanted to catch a wave!

The water week we did at the end of the shoot was awesome and we were surfers by the end of it. We were catching waves and it was a blast. In the movie, anytime you see us paddling and standing on the boards, it’s really us; the rest is mainly our doubles due to the waves being enormous and the conditions being dangerous. There were also moves in there that take years and years to learn, so we could never have done them justice.

AC: What was the hardest thing about surfing?

Sasha: Accepting that you have absolutely no control over the ocean. If a huge set comes and you get held under (unable to see which way is up and being tossed and turned around like a rag doll) there’s nothing you can do about it.

When filming dialogue scenes we’d have to deal with the rip tide, meaning we’d shoot three or four lines of dialogue then have to paddle so hard to get back to the same point so the background was the same. Continuity is very difficult to maintain when filming on the ocean. The ocean definitely controlled our shooting schedule. Days completely changed due to bad weather conditions.

AC: What was it like filming in such a beautiful location?

Sasha: Filming in South Africa was awe-inspiring and incredible beyond words. I feel so blessed to have experienced such a wonderful country. We shot in the winter so it was bitterly cold, which luckily doesn’t come across in the movie. The crew would be in full capestorm wear—gloves, balaclavas, hats, etc.—and we’d be in bikinis, trying to stop our teeth from chattering. But we saw so many incredible things (dolphins would swim around us) and we’d sit and eat lunch while watching the whales breaching. I will never forget it. South Africa is embedded in my heart forever.

AC: Now of course there’s a love story in there…what was it like working with your on-screen love interests?

Sasha: Ben [Milliken] and Chris [Fisher] were both great guys, and we all became good friends, so there was no awkwardness at all. I was so lucky to get to work with such an incredible cast.

AC: Speaking of love interests, who’s your celebrity crush right now? Maybe we can hook you up!

Sasha: I don’t really have any celebrity crushes to be honest—though I do think Eric Dane, George Clooney and Paul Walker are gorgeous.

AC: This looks like one of those girl power movies. What did you learn about yourself while shooting this film?

Sasha: Three months away from my home, friends and family was a big challenge for me. I was in a lot of scenes so I didn’t have as much time to stop and stay in contact with everyone back home or chill with the rest of the cast. It was lonely at times.

Due to the weather, quite a few of us caught bronchitis, lung infections and hypothermia (twice). I fractured my scaphoid bone in my hand and had a tiny hairline fracture on my spine—it was intense. Shooting this film taught me that if I could keep going all day, every day for three months in those conditions, then I can pretty much do anything. The main thing I learned was that sometimes it takes more strength to ask for help and admit that you don’t know what you’re doing, than to deal with it alone.

AC: You had a sick body in the movie…any pointers for getting into swimsuit shape?

Sasha: Swimming is one the best forms of exercise, and yoga was very useful, too. But if you want to get a great body, try surfing!

AC: After being on the beach in paradise, was it hard to come back to the States?

Sasha: Had I been filming for a month it would’ve been so hard to come back. But I was so homesick by the end of the shoot that I was happy to be going home! Plus, I wanted to be in sunny California again.

It was tough to come back and adjust to my normal life again, as South Africa became my everything! It was my home, and my job, and leaving the cast and crew who’d basically become my family was so difficult. I still talk to them every week and I miss them all very much.

AC: When you get a bunch of girls together in one place, they don’t always get along. Did you guys all make friends or cat-fight through the whole shoot?

Sasha: There was no competition whatsoever; it was actually the polar opposite. Having gone through all the tough stuff together, we were incredibly close and became each other’s biggest support systems.

AC: You’re actually from London, but you have a totally believable American accent in the movie. Do you ever trick people into believing you’re American just for fun?

Sasha: I can easily switch in and out of my accent without thinking about it. People actually think I’m putting on a British accent, not the American one. It’s fun to go into auditions American then say goodbye in my real voice and watch the shock on their faces.

AC: What is it about the U.S. that you like better than your hometown?

Sasha: The weather and the beaches!

AC: At the shoot, you told us you were so over the Prince William/Kate Middleton hooplah. Tell the truth…did you wake up in the middle of the night to watch the ceremony?

Sasha: No I didn’t, but I did TiVo it. When I saw that it was five hours long, I fast-forwarded through everything aside from the arrival, the vows and when they came onto the balcony.

AC: You mentioned that you like to write. Is that something you’d like to pursue in the future?

Sasha: I’d love to. I’ve written two movies and one TV series so far. It’s a great outlet for me to stimulate my mind and escape from everyday life now and then.

AC: What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do, but have been too afraid to try?

Sasha: Karaoke.

AC: What other projects do you have coming up?

Sasha: I’m shooting a movie this year called Tarantula, starring Billy Zane, Danny Trejo and Rodger Halston.

AC: Why should people buy Blue Crush 2?

Sasha: Because the surfing is insane, and you get to see South Africa, cute boys and beautiful scenery. To be honest, it’s just a really feel-good movie. I’ve watched people’s reactions and they all leave with huge grins on their faces. And there hasn’t been a Blue Crush film for 10 years! Isn’t that a reason in itself?

**Be sure to buy your copy of Blue Crush 2 today and stay tuned for the August issue of American Cheerleader to see the cast modeling the best in back-to-school fashion!

Roosevelt Island or the scene of a horror film?

2011-06-05T21:48:00.007-04:00

I recently decided to film a book trailer for Life's a Witch and after talking things over with Matt, we figured we needed a really intense backdrop for it. And considering there's going to be an epic battle in the book, lots of destruction and some creepy moments, we thought that the perfect setting for the trailer would be an abandoned building of some sort. Something falling apart or destroyed; possibly a structure in ruins. When we started looking into locations, Matt found that Roosevelt Island had an old, run-down hospital, so we decided to go check it out.

On Sunday, we took the subway over to the island, a place neither of us had been before. Turns out that the building (or what's left of it) was no longer open to the public. In fact, it had a huge fence around it with a big sign telling the public that trespassers would be arrested...so that made this location out of the question. What we did find was an island that was even creepier than the ruins we were hoping to shoot at.

When we first arrived on Roosevelt, we started walking in the direction of the old hospital. The island itself isn't that big. We actually walked around it in about a half hour. But as we began to walk, we started to see some crazy things. The first thing we saw when we walked off the subway was a man lying on his stomach and wheeling himself down the middle of the street on a hospital gurney. As he passed us, we saw that he didn't have a body from the waist down and there was a collastomy bag hanging off the side of the bed. It was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen in real life and I felt like I was already in some kind of scary movie.

But, we kept walking, because we were on a mission. And that's when we saw them.

Cats.

Like, a dozen of them. As we got to the fence of the old hospital, all of these cats (more than half of them were black) started coming out of hiding. Now I love cats—I have two of my own after all—but even I thought this was weird. They were everywhere and looked ferrel (maybe this was my imagination, but after the gurney wheeling guy, I was sort of in an odd mindset) and just kept showing up.

This was about the time when Matt and I decided it was time to get off Crazy Island. If there was ever a place to shoot a creepy trailer this would be it...but I think we need something a little less creepy and more destroyed. I want people to read Life's a Witch, not be terrified by it!

5x5,
B.

The show I've put off watching...until now

2011-06-05T21:47:00.005-04:00

I was a hardcore gymnast from the time I was 8 until about 16. In fact, when I quit, I was training for the Olympics. From the day that I was told that's where I was headed, I started to stress out big-time. I woke up every morning thinking about how I might mess up in front of the whole world. And by this age, I'd also started to realize that if I made a mistake, I could actually die. In basketball you just miss a shot or in volleyball you hit the net. Not a lot of danger there. But in gymnastics? One misstep and you're paralyzed or worse.

But I digress. The point is, gymnastics was my sport. It was my passion and what I trained all my young life for. And I cut my career and dreams short because of fear. Needless to say, I haven't watched gymnastics since. I haven't seen a single Olympics since I've quit. I can't stomach it. It just reminds me of what I could have been...

Because of this, I've been putting off watching the show, "Make It or Break It" on ABC Family ever since it started. But I recently finished watching the entire "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" series and needed a new show to watch. So, at the insistence of several friends, I gave it a go. And although it brings back certain old feelings and I definitely miss those days of training hard for something, I'm actually enjoying the show.

The stars don't exactly have gymnast bodies and some of the drama is a little over the top, but they do get some stuff right. The gymnastics scenes are intense and super fun to watch and the politics that come along with the sport are spot on. I can't help but feel like Jessica Bendinger's movie Stick It helped pave the way for this show in terms of the public's interest in these tremendous athletes. Way to go Jessica!

Either way, I'm definitely getting sucked into "MIOBI" and if you haven't already checked it out, you should--Even if you're mourning the loss of your own gymnastics career. I promise, It'll be worth it!

5x5,
B.

Conversations with Family Members...

2011-06-02T23:29:00.016-04:00

I talked to two of my family members yesterday and both conversations were eye-opening and enjoyable. Let me clue you in to a typical Geragotelis phone call:

The first talk I had was with my mom, who caught me just when I was on my way out of the office for the day. It had been a week or so since we'd last talked (both of us have been super busy) and we took a few minutes to try and catch up. After chatting about boyfriend/relationship stuff, the conversation turned to my writing. That's when she said it:

"Life's a Witch is getting really good!"

Sounds simple enough, but if you knew my mom, you'd know she's not really a reader. Smartest person I know, but she just doesn't like reading the way I do and doesn't do it much for pleasure. In fact, even though she's my biggest fan, she's never read a book I've written. Not because she doesn't believe in me and/or think I write well, it's just not her thing.

Well, ever since I started publishing LAW on Wattpad.com, my mom's been logging on...and reading! It's been such a pleasant surprise and a joy to hear that she's reading my book (finally) and enjoying it! Because what she thinks matters to me (I mean, come on, she's awesome!), it's been really nice knowing that she's digging my work!

So, that was the first family convo I had. The second was with my little sister. She's 10 years younger than me and is working at a company that is owned by Microsoft, testing video games. Or at least that's what she wants me to believe. Here was our talk:

Me: How's work going?
Her: It's fine. Did I tell you I got put on another project?
Me: No! That's exciting! What kind of a game is it? A zombie game? A driving game?
Her: It's not a zombie game....
Me: Well, what is it?
Her: (silence)
Me: Can you not tell me about it or something? Matt said maybe you had to sign a confidentiality clause or an NDA or something.
Her: Yeah.
Me: Wait, so you're not allowed to talk about what you're doing at work?
Her: Nope.
Me: It's like, top secret information?
Her: Something like that. Everyone has different levels of clearance and we aren't allowed to go into certain labs...
Me: Are you sure you're not a secret government agent? It sounds like you're a secret government agent.
Her: I'm sure. But if I were, I couldn't tell you anyway, so....
Me: I know this girl who works for the government and nobody knows where her work actually is. She's not even allowed to bring her cell phone to work with her or surf the internet while she's there.
Her: We're not allowed to have anything with a camera on it.
Me: So you could be a secret agent.
Her: (laughs nervously)
Me: Could they be tapping the phones right now?
Her: I test video games for Microsoft!
Me: Maybe Microsoft is really just a front for a secret government agency. Did you ever think of that?
Her: I'm going to go now.

It's amazing how much I learn every time I talk to my family members. One's reading regularly and the other is a secret government agent...errr, video game tester.

Gotta love family!

5x5,
B.

A haunted river and some freaking hilarious broads.

2011-06-01T23:32:00.004-04:00

While doing some research into celebrities for an upcoming photo shoot, I found myself watching trailers for some of the new shows slated for the Fall season. Now, I'll be doing a Fall TV Preview closer to the time the shows will be airing, but there were a few that I saw today that I just had to share.

Take a look:

The River (ABC)
Scary river goes after a crew of unsuspecting people. From the producers of Paranormal Activity....and yes, you can tell.

2 Broke Girls (CBS)
Quite possibly one of the funniest trailers I've ever seen. One sassy, sarcastic bad-ass girl meets rich-girl-turned-poor-girl. Hilarity ensues.

What do you guys think?

5x5,
B.

2011-06-01T09:30:00.004-04:00

Hey guys!

So....to celebrate Wednesday, Hump Day, and to get you through the rest of your (short) week, here's my latest video. In this episode, I address the theory that Hadley and Fallon might be suffering from a bit of a love/hate relationship....well, you're just going to have to watch to see what I'm talking about!

5x5,
B.

The death of Gossip Girl as we know it...

2011-05-30T15:04:00.008-04:00

There's a new book coming out later this year that's got me super excited! I mean, so excited that I could just DIE.

The book? Gossip Girl: Psycho Killer

No, this isn't a joke. Like other reimaginings of classics like, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Slayre and Little Vampire Women, the author who created the famed series Gossip Girl is taking her beloved UES darlings and turning them deadly. I for one am beyond psyched...I mean, would you look at the book cover? Is there anything cooler than that?

In a move that brings her books to a whole new level, Cecily von Ziegesar has taken the book which first introduced us to Blair Waldorf and Serena Van der Woodsen and given it a darker twist. Instead of backstabbing gossip, think actual backstabbing. As in beautiful, popular serial killers!

Now, I happen to have certain connections that have put a copy of the book into my hot little hands and can't wait to check it out. In the meantime, here's a summary of what you can expect:

Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side, where my friends and I live, go to school, play, and sleep—sometimes with each other. It's a luxe life, but someone's got to live it...until they die.

So begins Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer, a reimagining of the groundbreaking first Gossip Girl novel, featuring all-new, hilariously grisly scenes and over-the-top gore, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author Cecily von Ziegasar.

Just as in the original story, Serena van der Woodsen returns from boarding school hoping to make amends with her BFF Blair Waldorf—things just haven't been the same since Nate Archibald came between them. But here's where our tale takes a dark turn: Serena decides that the only way for her to make things right with Blair is to eliminate Nate. If that means killing him, well, c'est la vie. The attempted murder doesn't go unnoticed by Blair, however, who isn't about to let Serena kill whoever she wants—not when there's Cyrus Rose and Chuck Bass and Titi Coates and everyone else who's ever irritated Blair to get rid of first...

American Psycho's Patrick Bateman has met his match in Manhattan's newest, most fabulous trendsetting serial killers, Blair Waldorf and Serena van der Woodsen.

Now this is some gossip, I'd love to hear about! What do you guys think? Pick it up or leave it on the shelf?

5x5,
B.

A $2 million dollar engagement ring?

2011-05-27T00:01:00.040-04:00

By now the whole world's probably heard that Kim Kardashian is about to be made into an honest woman. Yes, after a whopping 6 months of dating (five months longer than the dating time-frame of her younger sister Khloe and Lamar), NBA player Kris Humphries popped the question to the Kardashian Mogul last week on May 18th. Yes, you read that right...they got engaged on MY BIRTHDAY! That makes the news extra special!

The other thing that's special about the engagement? Uh, the 20.5 carats that's now sitting on her finger and the reported $2 mill that Kris paid to get her to say "yes!" After that, I got curious about what other celeb's rings were like. Here's a rundown of some of the hottest celebs and the rocks that made them want to don a wedding dress.

Khloe Kardashian (& Lamar Odom); Cost: $850,000; Carats: 9

Ashlee Simpson (& Pete Wentz); Cost: $150,000; Carats: 4

Reese Witherspoon (& Jim Tosh); Cost: $250,000; Carats: 4

Paris Hilton (& Paris Kasidokostas Latsis); Cost: $4,700,000; Carats: 24

Nicole Richie (& Joel Madden); Cost: $75,000; Carats: 6

Katie Holmes (& Tom Cruise); Cost: $100,000; Carats: 6

Katherine Heigl (& Josh Kelley); Cost: $65,000; Carats: 4

Kristen Bell (& Dax Shepard); Cost: $100,000; Carats: 3

Heidi Klum (& Seal); Cost: $150,000; Carats: 10

Gisele Bundchen (& Tom Brady); Cost: $145,000; Carats: 5

Christina Aguilera (& Jordan Bratman); Cost: $78,500; Carats: 5

Carrie Underwood (& Mike Fisher); Cost: $150,000; Carats: 5

Beyonce (& Jay-Z); Cost: $5,000,000; Carats: 18

Jennifer Anniston (& Brad Pitt); Cost: $500,000

So, which ring is your fave? Leave your answer in the comments below!

5x5,
B.

You don't have to turn off your TV til Fall

2011-05-22T23:46:00.016-04:00

If you're like me, summer used to be a bummer time for me. Beyond the fact that I'm an adult now and no longer get three months off to relax and recoup, the warmer time of year meant that all my favorite TV shows would be going on hiatus and I'd be stuck watching re-runs or crap-TV.

Luckily a few years ago, networks got smart and started to realize that we need our TV year round and began to offer new shows during the summer months. This was a TV lover's dream of course, and I've been in heaven ever since.

So, what shows will I be watching over the next few months? Here are a few I'll be tuning in to:

"The Nine Lives of Chloe King" (ABC Family) premieres June 14th
Chloe soon learns she's part of an ancient race which has been hunted by human assassins for millennia—and that she may be their only hope for ultimate survival.

"Pretty Little Liars" (ABC Family) premieres June 14th
Four teens are being stalked by their dead best friend, while trying to find her killer.

"The Glee Project" (Oxygen) premieres June 12th
From the makers of the show, executives are doing a contest to find the next "Glee" star.

"The World According to Paris" (Oxygen) premieres June 1st
What it's like to be a rich and famous heiress.

"Switched at Birth" (ABC Family) premieres June 6th
Two teenage girls discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital

"Love Bites" (NBC) premeires June 2nd
An hour-long romantic comedy anthology series featuring three loosely connected modern stories of love, sex, marriage and dating. Each vignette will involve an array of guest stars.

What do you think? Are any of these shows going to make it onto your TiVo this summer? Or is your TV watching on hiatus for the summer?

5x5,
B.

I totally love Selena...

2011-05-22T23:29:00.005-04:00

...Gomez if you were wondering.

I'd never really felt strongly one way or another about the "Wizards of Waverly Place" star. I'd seen her when she first appeared on "Hannah Montana" and then watched as she became friends with former Disney star Demi Lovato. I thought she was a bit on the sassy side for the mouse network and always sort of preferred Miley to her.

But as the years have gone on, I've grown to really like the cutie. And not just because she's dating the Biebster (I can't say I've caught Bieber fever yet). Nope. It's a mixture of the projects she's done, the way that she never ends up in the tabloids for anything worse than dating a superstar, how she handles herself in interviews and most recently, the songs she sings. Namely, her latest single, "Who Says." The song's all about how every person's beautiful and that you should never let anyone else tell you that you aren't. I like a young person who can be a role model and try to bring the right kinds of messages to other kids.

So as of right now, I'm officially a Selena Gomez fan. Even though she's dating Justin (we totally saw them locking lips a certain awards ceremony on Sunday, didn't we?)...well, let's just say I won't hold it against her.

A day of Pampering....

2011-05-22T23:06:00.004-04:00

For months, I've been teasingly trying to get my boyfriend to go with me on a spa day. Now, I'm not usually the kind of girl who gets regular mani & pedi's—In fact, I rarely pamper myself in this way....partly because it's a luxury that I can't really afford (and would rather spend on a good meal or a good movie)—but the idea of bringing Matt along with me to have my nails done sounded like a good chance to relax while spending some couple time together.

I always brought up the spa thing in a joking manner...Matt being such a manly guy, I never thought he'd actually go. But for my birthday, he surprised me with gift certificates for a couples spa day which included a mani/pedi, a 10-minute leg/foot massage and a 10-minute back massage. I was so psyched that 1) I was going to get a day of pampering; and 2) Matt was going with me to enjoy it!

Though it took Matt about 10 minutes or so to loosen up (a guy was doing his nails and massage and I think he'd been hoping for a girl to be the one touching his troll feet), eventually he relaxed and started to enjoy his metrosexual experience.

Of course I was in HEAVEN. I rarely get a chance to sit back and let someone massage my stress away and paint my nails, so the day was a treat. Did I mention that the chairs that we were sitting in were AMAZING?!?!?! They were massage chairs and once we turned them on to the "automatic A" setting, these invisible massagers popped out of the inside of the chair like little alien fingers. It felt so good and relaxing, that at some point I closed my eyes and thought I could fall asleep.

I picked a glittery polish for my toes (Matt chose clear) and a shimmery gold shade for my fingers (again, Matt chose clear; I tried to convince him to put on some color and I had the female technician on my side too, but he wasn't having it) and relished in my day of beauty.

By the end of the day, I'd decided that a bit of pampering every once in a while wouldn't be a bad thing. Maybe not once a week like some people can afford, but I think that once a month would be doable. And the best part? Matt thinks so too!

5x5,
B.

Friday afternoon cartoons

2011-05-20T09:21:00.003-04:00

It's no secret I'm a Buffy fan...so, when this video was sent to me on my birthday you know I had to watch it. And even though it's a cartoon, I really wish this show would've been made. I woulda been all over it!

And to think this would have been a cartoon I actually would have enjoyed watching with my kids!

Happy Friday, enjoy!

5x5,
B.

Is it weird....

2011-05-19T00:12:00.017-04:00

So, every once in a while (Okay, maybe more than once in a while), I'll be sitting around and something will come out of my mouth that will leave Matt saying, "Huh?" And then I'm left thinking, "Is it weird that (fill in the blank here)?"

Here's a list of some things I've been thinking about lately...I'm leaving it up to you guys to tell me if they're weird or not:

IS IT WEIRD THAT...

...whenever I put on sunglasses, I actually think people might mistake me for a celebrity? Sort of like Cinderella and her glass slippers. I even find myself thinking about what it would be like to end up on a page in the tabloids like, "Celebs are just like us!" walking around Manhattan with my Sbux.

...I think that my life would actually make for a great reality show. Only minus the bar fights and crazy hookups and drama-rama. But sometimes I just sit there and think, "I'm really kind of funny...now this would be quality TV!"

...I really hate attention but still think I'm going to be famous one day. Seriously, by the end of my birthday day my anxiety levels were on high because of all the phone calls, FB messages, e-mails and texts—and I actually think I'd be able to handle any kind of fame? Seriously?

...I love orange juice but really don't like the smell of oranges. I don't know what it is, but the smell of the fruit really leaves me with an "ick" feeling, but I'd drink orange juice every day if I could.

...Part of me thinks that I'd make a really good cop. Or doctor. Or actress, karate kid, spy, reality show judge, stunt double, chef, publicist, lawyer or teacher. Apparently there isn't anything I think I can't do, there's just not enough time to do it all.

...I kind of think my dreams are prophetic? One time I had a dream about a specific burger they had at McDonald's, but when I went there to get it, they had never heard of it before. A month later the burger showed up as a special menu item. Coincidence? I think the universe was trying to tell me it was time for a new Value Meal #7.

...I can't stand violence but I love horror films. If I see a fight I panic, cry and feel sick to my stomach, yet I would choose a slasher film over any other genre every time if given the choice.

What do you guys think? Weird or oddly normal. Your call....

5x5,
B.

What I've learned in 32 years....

2011-05-15T23:09:00.015-04:00

On the day of my 32nd birthday, I'm taking some time to reflect on some of the things I've learned over the years. Here are my top-10 life lessons:

1. Life gets better. High school was hell for me. Today, so many kids in high school are bullied or judged for being gay or just simply being different and end up taking their own lives. I wish I could tell them all that things get better. The rest of life isn't like high school. If you can make it through those four years of hell, some really amazing times are waiting for you.
2. Good things really are worth the wait. I didn't have a relationship that lasted longer than four months until over three years ago, but growing up I thought I'd never find someone I'd click with. I actually thought that I would be the one person who would be alone forever. It only took me about 27 years, but I'm in an amazing relationship today. I fully believe that everything happens for a reason...even if you can't see what that reason is at the time.
3. Good relationships don't have to be hard. I have managed to be in a few relationships in the past, however there were reasons why none of those relationships worked out. I won't go into the gory details, but the bottom line was that they were all really hard. Sort of like trying to stick a square peg into a round hole. With my boyfriend now, things have always been pretty easy. Now, we're a normal couple who occasionally butts heads, but when it really comes down to it, the relationship is just—easy. In my experience, when it's right, it's right and you don't have to try and make a relationship work...it either does or it doesn't.
4. Do what you love, love what you do. My parents taught each of us girls to go after a job that we loved to do; that it was more important to have a job that didn't feel like work, but felt more like a passion, than one that made us gobs of money, but that didn't fulfill us. Even though there have been ups and downs and I don't always love all aspects of my job, I can come home at the end of the day and say I'm proud of the product we put out and that I love to write. If I had to do it all over again, I'd still choose the same career path.
5. You can find inspiration anywhere. If you know me, you know that I am a huge fan of Buffy. Sounds silly, I know, but there are things about this fictional character who's a regular teen by day, vampire slayer by night, that inspire me. Buffy is a strong female role model who cares more about those around her than herself; she's fearless, strong-willed and fierce; she has gifts and isn't afraid to use them; she's an outsider but doesn't let it stop her from doing the right thing; and lastly, at the end of the day, she knows that she's impacted the world in a big way. So yes, I know she's a made up character, but I also know what a hero looks like because of her.
6. It's better to be happy than right. This could also be described as not sweating the small stuff. There's so much that stress can affect in us: our moods, physical health, our personal lives, etc., why allow yourself to get worked up over something small and suffer the consequences than just letting it go? Now this isn't something that changes overnight—it takes time—but I'm trying to work toward this mindset instead of holding onto all the stress and anger. What will you choose?
7. If something's not working for you, switch it, change it, rearrange it. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If some aspect of your life is no longer working, that means it's time to change what you're doing in order to get a different outcome. I wonder how many more people would be walking around happy with their quality of life if they were just willing to change.
8. Develop an attitude of gratitude. I don't know about you, but I don't always wake up on the rosy side of the bed in the morning. For the last four years I've been doing a gratitude list with a group of friends. We start our day with lists of what we're grateful for. From the small things (like a great cup of coffee) to the big things (keeping a friend safe during a surgery), doing this one small act a day helps me to stay on the positive side of life.
9. I don't have it all figured out...and that's okay. Life's all about mystery. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow or the next day or even next year, but I'm okay with it, because I know that whatever does happen, I'll either be given the strength to deal with it or the piece of mind to accept it.
10. No one loves you more—or makes you more crazy—like family. I've done some pretty stupid stuff over the years and my family has stuck by me through it all. And although they can drive me nuts (AKA, wedding questions, baby questions), everything they do and say is out of love. And no one has loved me as unconditionally as them.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEE!!!!

5x5,
B.

Lauren Conrad—Author, Reality Star or Both?

2011-05-15T22:36:00.008-04:00

Okay, I know I'm a little late on this one, but I finally picked up (and read) a copy of Lauren Conrad's young adult book L.A. Candy. And although it by no means knocked my socks off (nor was it anything particularly new), it was a fun beach read.

Now I'm not exactly a "Laguna Beach" or "The Hills" fan—I mean, I've seen a season or two, but I certainly wasn't obsessed with this reality show the way I am with, say, "Tori & Dean" or "Keeping Up With the Kardashians"—but I'm always interested in the books that celebs end up writing. I know that a lot of authors (and various other book types) cringe when they hear that another celeb has published a book. The argument of course is always that the celeb in question didn't write it and is just passing off someone else's work as their own. Another gripe is that celebs are practically begged to write books (whether they want to or have the talent to), when the rest of us aspiring writers have to practically beg someone to even read our query letters.

So, I know I'm probably going to be asked for my author membership card back (metaphorically speaking) for saying this, but I'm usually fascinated with reading a celeb's book. And Lauren's book didn't disappoint. It was enjoyable with a tinge of realism to it....probably because the fiction in this story easily paralleled Lauren's own life. Here's the gist of L.A. Candy:

Jane and Scarlett are best friends and do everything together: they moved to L.A. together, share an apartment together as well as all their secrets...and now they're starring in a new reality show together. As they say, "They're sort of a package deal." So, when a big-time Hollywood producer discovers them in a club and tells them he wants to make them the stars of his new reality show, the two California girls sign on, hoping to take their friendship in a new direction. What they didn't count on though, was that having cameras following them around 24/7 would actually drive a wedge between them. Now, they're discovering things about the other at the same time everyone else in the world is—on the small screen—and the two are getting a heavy dose of reality...their own.

So, like I said...L.A. Candy is a fun, beachy read. If you're looking for a little gossip and even possibly some insight into what life might've been like for LC all those years on MTV, you should definitely check it out.

Anyone else read Lauren's book? What did you think? Leave your comments below!

5x5,
B.

What's your writing process like?

2011-05-15T22:21:00.005-04:00

Hi all!

I've interviewed enough authors over the years to know that everyone has a process. One that works for them and allows them to create the wonderful things they put out in the world. Some write in the mornings before their kids wake up; others have the luxury of writing as their day job and have a set schedule that has them writing in the mid-morning and then again in the afternoon; and then there are those (like me) who write at night once all their other duties for the day are done.

The point is, there is no wrong or right way to write. But in order to be successful at writing, you have to find a process that works for you so that you can do just that: write. If you haven't figured out what your own process is yet, feel free to try what works for others until you hit the jackpot for yourself.

Take a look at my video below where I talk a little about what works for me...and feel free to take what you want and leave the rest.

5x5,
B.

Birthday weekend and 20 chapters...

2011-05-14T20:48:00.003-04:00

My totally awesome boyfriend took me away to Ocean City this past weekend to celebrate my upcoming 32nd birthday. I know...32 years old, crazy huh? Sometimes I forget that I'm that old. But still, no stress this year about getting older, because life's pretty good. Living with a guy who's really super, job's going pretty well, I've had more than 1.8 million reads of Life's a Witch so far and have decided to publish it myself in the next couple of months. So as far as where I am at this point in my life....well, I'm pretty darn happy.

And speaking of Life's a Witch...be sure to check out my latest chapter! Things are really heating up in Hadley's life. You won't believe what's going to happen next!

5x5,
B.

It's Celiac Disease Awareness Month—Are you the one?

2011-05-12T09:38:00.000-04:00

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month and in honor of it, I'm hoping to shed some light on one of the most undiagnosed diseases in the world. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease that affects one in 133 people. Unfortunately, about 97% of those afflicted with CD go undiagnosed—which means there are a whole lot of people walking around in pain and damaging their bodies because they just haven’t been given the proper information. Here’s what you need to know:

• CD is an inherited genetic disease. This means if someone in your family has it, your chances of also having it increases.

• CD affects men and women, children and adults. This disease doesn’t discriminate.

• CD is one of the most common genetic diseases in the world. This disease affects more people than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease combined!

• CD is a multi-symptom, multi-system disease activated by eating gluten. When someone with Celiac Disease consumes gluten (wheat, oats, barley, rye), it sets off a reaction where the person’s immune system begins to attack the body. Continued consumption of gluten can result in things as serious as intestinal cancer, Schizophrenia or infertility.

• You can develop CD at any point in your life. Some people are born with symptoms, while for others it’s a stressful event that sparks the disease.

• There is currently no cure for CD. The only course of action for a person with Celiac Disease is for the afflicted to cut ALL gluten out of their diet.

• A blood test is not enough to be diagnosed. If you’re being tested for CD, insist that your doctor perform an endoscopy as well as a blood test. It’s common for the blood test to give out false negatives.

Part of the reason that so many people with Celiac Disease go undiagnosed is because there are a multitude of symptoms, which are often mistaken for other less dangerous conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Here’s a list of possible CD symptoms. If you have any or all of these, you should request that your doctor test you for the disease:

• Bloating, gas or abdominal pain

• Chronic constipation or diarrhea

• Unexplained weight loss or weight gain

• Unexplained anemia

• Behavior changes (depression/irritability)

• Missed menstrual periods

• Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel

But every CD story is different. This is mine:

Back in March of 2006, I went on a business trip and had an allergic reaction to shellfish. My throat started to close up and I panicked. From that day on, I grew extremely ill. Within three weeks, I’d lost over 20 pounds (at my lowest, I weighed a scary 86 pounds); I was throwing up multiple times a day; I’d lost my appetite and felt naseaus round the clock; It felt like there was a lump stuck in my throat; my chest and back hurt constantly; I was light-headed and faint; my hair had started to fall out; I was having panic attacks on a daily basis and I thought that I was dying.

In a month’s time, I went to a total of five doctors to try and find out what was going on (given the sudden onset of symptoms and their severity, I thought I had cancer). None of them had any answers for me until I saw an amazing man named Dr. Harrary. As soon as I told him my symptoms, he said, “I think you have something called Celiac Disease. It’s a disease where your body can’t process gluten which is found in wheat, oats, barley and rye.” When he suggested this as my possible diagnosis, I shot it down saying, “I’ve eaten bread my entire life. That can’t be it.” But despite my disbelief, Dr. Harrary scheduled me for an endoscopy (a procedure where you’re put under anesthesia and they stick a tube down your throat to take pictures and samples of your stomach; this is a very easy procedure and totally painless) and took blood to test for the disease.

Over a week later, I received the call: the tests had confirmed that I had Celiac Disease. Feeling numb over the diagnosis, I barely listened as he explained that there was no cure, that I only had to adhere to a gluten-free diet and it would be like my body was in remission. But I soon learned that cutting out all gluten from your diet is much more difficult than it sounds. It calls for a complete life change. Difficult, but not impossible.

It took some time to get used to my new way of life, and to be honest, for the first six months I only ate Amy’s frozen dinners (she has a lot of gf items) and gf pasta. I wasn’t in the right mindset to dive into gf cooking. But eventually I learned all the ingredients I needed to look out for and started being a little more adventurous with my meals.

Today, I love cooking; I can take just about any recipe and modify it to be safe for me to eat. I’m in a relationship with a non-Celiac guy who has become quite the expert on gf food and doesn’t mind eating that way if it means I stay safe and healthy. And there have been great strides in awareness over the past five years, including better labeling of food allergens and mainstream companies like General Mills who've begun to make whole lines of gf food (Betty Crocker sells gf cookie, brownie, yellow cake and devil’s food cake mixes at almost all grocery stores; Chex has a bunch of gf cereals; and Bisquik has a line as well.), which will help to bring the cost of these specialty foods down drastically.

I can honestly say that I feel healthy today. As soon as I went gluten-free, I was able to gain my weight back and start getting those vitamins back in my body that I’d lost while I was sick. I’m more susceptible to getting other autoimmune diseases because of my condition, but I’m more aware of reactions in my body now and I know not to give up until I find out what’s wrong with me when I do get sick. Being diagnosed with Celiac Disease isn’t the end of the world; with a few lifestyle changes and a little know-how you can feel better in no time.

If you’re suffering from any of the symptoms mentioned above, visit a gastro-specialist who’s dealt with patients who have Celiac Disease before and request they run a blood test and perform an endoscopy. And remember, just because you don’t have all the symptoms or you’re not in enormous amounts of pain, doesn’t mean you’re not doing damage to your body. If you just want to support the cause, please pass this article on to your friends and family, or wear something green in honor of Celiac Disease Awareness Month (green’s the color to support the cause; I even had green extensions put in my hair!) or donate money to Celiac Research here. Together we can spread the word and encourage diagnoses.

*For more information on Celiac Disease, please visit celiac.org.

5x5,

New Interview by fellow Wattpadder...

2011-05-09T14:34:00.002-04:00

Hey all!

Happy Monday! Just wanted to let you all know that a fellow Wattpadder recently interviewed me (yes, I was on the OTHER side of the story this time), because of all the success I've had on the site so far. People are really loving Life's a Witch so far, and I'm up to 1.6 million reads! This is an amazing feat in itself, but I also know I still have 6-8 more chapters left to write....so, things are looking up!

Thanks to all of you who have continued to support me over the years!

5x5,
B.

Oh the horror!

2011-05-06T08:44:00.007-04:00

Something awful happened on my way to work today. As I was walking down 28th street as per my usual morning routine, a man popped out from behind some bushes (literally. This area is the Garden District) and nearly ran into me with his big bouquet of flowers. Once he saw me, he immediately began to apologize and then launched into a slew of semi-cat calls.

"Oh, I'm sorry beautiful! I didn't mean to run into you, beautiful..."

And then it happened.

"Have a great Mother's Day!"

What? Seriously? Really? No! But yes, it appears that I've finally reached the age of—GASP!—MOMdom! (Screams, shrieks, cries of disbelief) This realization caught me off-guard considering I often get mistaken for a teenager, and nothing I was wearing could have suggested otherwise. I mean, I was wearing sunglasses, so he couldn't even see my whole face, and it's not like I was rocking mom jeans or have that telling mom pooch that older women sometimes get. So, how then, could this man tell that I'm officially of Mom-age? Did he somehow know that I'm turning 32 in a few weeks? What was it about me that screamed "I'm a Mom, ask me how" to him?

Well, when I got over my initial horror of the situation I tried to look on the bright side...If he was hitting on me, then that at least meant he thought I was a MILF. And hey, that's something, right?

5x5,
B.

Interview with author Lisi Harrison

2011-05-05T09:10:00.005-04:00

Hey all! Here's an author I recently had the pleasure of interviewing about her latest book! You may recognize her from her series The Clique and Monster High. Her books are über popular and she's super sweet and funny. Take a look at what she had to say about monsters, fitting in and her latest obsession:

Name: Lisi Harrison
Hometown: Laguna Beach, CA
Best known for: The Clique series, Monster High and wash-and-go hair
Fave books: The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Last book I read: A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Brittany: Most readers recognize you for your book series, The Clique. What made you decide to take a break from that series to write Monster High?
Lisi Harrison: I wanted to make a monster series for Clique fans—the kind I would want to read. Ghouls for glams!

Brittany: And now you’ve published the sequel, The Ghoul Next Door. What can we expect from this much-anticipated follow-up?
Lisi: Each new book in the series will feature a new character’s point of view. This book will have Frankie and Melody, but will also include Cleo. Readers will get to know her now. She’s kind of my Massie [from Clique]. Frankie and Melody both have major crushes and the Rads take a stand against the Normies. Unfortunately, this “stand” conflicts with a Teen Vogue photo shoot Cleo lined up and she’s sooooo not happy about it.

Brittany: What are you hoping readers get from the Monster High series? Is there a deeper meaning behind the storylines?
Lisi: It’s about our desire as human beings to fit in and how we tend to hide the things that make us different instead of celebrating them. It’s also about tolerance and acceptance. Oh, and how we’re all kind of m onsterous in high school.

Brittany: Why monsters as a theme?
Lisi: The monsters’ traits are metaphors for puberty and our physical challenges in high school.

Brittany: Are you a monster fan yourself?
Lisi: Generally speaking, I’m not a monster fan, which is why I wanted to try and create a monster world that suited my sensibilities. Something more steeped in pop culture, humor and friendship than we usually find in this genre.

Brittany: Deep down, the Monster High series seems to be about understanding people’s differences and being proud of who you are—no matter what that looks like. What tips do you have for teens who feel like they don’t fit in?
Lisi: Your time to shine will come. Some of us are late bloomers—I was. Be patient, keep calm and carry on. In the meantime, find the people who are most like you and embrace them. Quality over quantity. One amazing friend is better than 20 meanies.

Brittany: Do you have any words of advice for other aspiring writers?
Lisi: Don’t let anyone read your work. Their comments will either make you question your talent or fill you with false hope. You’ll know it’s great when you feel a tingle in your stomach.

Brittany: What are you absolutely obsessed with right now?
Lisi: The feather extensions in my hair, my iPad 2 and doing one nice thing for someone every day (two nice things on the weekend).

Check out The Ghoul Next Door, in bookstores now!

5x5,

I've been a bad, bad blogger....

2011-05-04T09:38:00.022-04:00

First off, I know I have some serious apologizing to do. My life has gotten crazy insane lately: I've been hot in the middle of writing Life's a Witch, which is coming along nicely, but since I'm publishing it as I go, there's a lot of pressure for me to get things right the first time. I've been having to edit it as I go along, which is new for me, because I usually wait until the end to do this. So, it's taking a lot more of my attention away than usual.

I've also been away the past few weeks on business trips. First, to beautiful Hell-A to do a photo shoot with the beautiful and sassy Francia Raisa from "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." I'd never seen the show before, but when I found out we'd be shooting her for the cover, I gave myself a crash-course in the very popular ABC Family show. At first, I thought it was silly....basically "7th Heaven" only preggers. But the more I watched, the more obsessed I got. So now, I am officially a fan, and meeting Francia (who plays Adrian on the show) was a real treat. She was very sweet, a little sassy (in a good way), and totally up to play dress up. And whereas I've run into some trouble in the past when asking actresses about their personal/love lives (some have basically shut down the interview!), Francia wasn't afraid to dish on this side of herself. You'll have to wait for the feature to read exactly what she said, but it was a great time.

Next, we headed over to Universal Studios for a shoot for our back-to-school fashion with the cast of Blue Crush 2. I'll let you in on a little secret....usually when you go to celebrity shoots, the stars are perfectly nice and professional. We have a great time, but in the end we all know that they're doing a job and we never really connect in a real, meaningful way. Don't get me wrong, with some of the people we've shot, I really would have loved to become friends with them outside the realm of the entertainment world...but it doesn't happen often. This shoot was totally different.

So, the star of the movie is Sasha Jackson, a beautiful blond from the UK. I met her for the first time when she came into the office with my contact at NBC/Universal for the Bring It On movies. Right away, I knew she was different than most actresses. Sasha was HILARIOUS (in an amazingly inappropriate way), she has THE best accent, but can switch to an American accent seamlessly. She's gorgeous, has this teeny-tiny little figure, while not looking like skelatore. In short: the girl is freaking awesome!

But again, I didn't know if this was just her doing her job promoting the film or really just her coming through in the meeting. When we eventually got to the shoot at Universal, I realized that this is just Sasha. She's friendly. She's outgoing. She's real. Sasha will be a total professional when the situation calls for it, but when she gets to know you, she's got a dirty kind of humor and won't censor herself around you. This kind of honesty had us in stitches and to be honest—we all sort of had girl crushes on her. While on set, we goofed around, hung out, talked about dating, our personal lives, dancing around our rooms to loud music and bonded over our mutual love of McDonald's. This time, when we left the shoot (and our new fave starlet) behind, I think we actually had a friend. We're now friends on FB and I have the luxury of getting bits and pieces of her wit and talent on a daily basis. How lucky am I!?!?!

But the awesomeness didn't stop there. Because after we wrapped that shoot, we headed over to Kendall Jenner's house—yes, her ACTUAL house. The one she lives and tapes in! We followed her cheer coach over to their gorgeous house (if only I had the money to get a place like theirs....sigh.), and waited (nervously) in the dining room for Kris, Kylie and Kendall to join us. Our staff were all nervous (I mean, how often do you get to hang out at the Jenner house?) and I was just hoping Kendall and her momager, Kris, would like the cover and her feature. As we waited, we checked out a wall full of black and white family portraits over the years. This was truly amazing; to see how the whole fam changed year after year was really cool. We even saw the infamous half-naked pic of Kourtney when she was preggers! Getting a glimpse into their personal lives off-camera was unbelievable.

We'd set things up so E! would come by to cover the unveiling and waited for everyone to arrive. When all the introductions had been made, we got straight to the interview with E! and then dropped the cloth that was hiding Kendall's first magazine cover EVER! Her reaction was perfect; you could tell that she genuinely loved it and was so excited to be honored for something she loves to do. And Kris was gushing over it (this was a far cry from the nightmares I'd been having for weeks that included Kris finding something she hated about it and threatening to sue me. In actuality, Kris was SO nice and complimentary of the magazine and cheerleading.). You could tell that Kris LOVES her kids and is their number one fan. On another note, you have to respect her for being such a great business-woman. She really took charge during the shoot (but not in a control freak sort of way) and knew what she was doing the whole time. It was very impressive just being around her. Oh, and Kylie was there too....a little bundle of energy and was so excited to talk about how she wanted to join the cheer squad next year. Of course, I offered to shoot her for the magazine when she finally does become a cheerleader. Now if we can only get them to let us shoot at their house.....

To round up this little celebrity update, one of my co-workers went to comic-con last weekend and, knowing that I'm a big Buffy fan, got me autographs of the actresses who play Harmony and Glory. He also got pics of them holding up signs for me! How sweet is that?!?! (And expensive...apparently it costs $35 apiece for the signatures and pics!).

So, again, sorry for being MIA....I'm going to try and be better about this from here on out. I hope all these pics made up for it!

5x5,
B.

It's that time again!

2011-04-16T09:32:00.002-04:00

I just uploaded my latest chapter in Life's a Witch and I've gotta tell you...I'm so excited at how popular it's getting! I'm up to 830,000 reads! Can you believe it?!?!?!

So, if you haven't already, please go to Wattpad.com and check it out. Help support an aspiring author!

5x5,
B.