Ch-Ch-Ch-CHANGES!

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.

Go get your GROUPON!

by Brittany Geragotelis

First thing's first, right after I got my first rejection for Painless last week, I promptly received a request for a full look and synopsis from another agent! So, WOO HOO! Can you say glass half full?!

So, since I'm riding the high of my first manuscript request, I thought I'd bring all of you a little glass half full news too! Anyone ever try Groupon? Well, if you go to www.groupon.com, you can sign up to receive daily deals that will knock your socks off! Each day the site has a super deal (like a month unlimited membership to YogaWorks for $15 or a $50 gift certificate to the GAP for $10) that you can get in on. The deals are so good that the other day I purchased 6 sessions of laser hair removal for $100 (this usually costs anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000!)!

So, the way groupon works is that there's a deal of the day and if enough people sign up for it, the deal is on! Seriously, check it out...signing up is free and you may just get a wicked deal on a deep tissue massage or a boat trip around NYC!

5x5,
B.

First rejection: doesn't hurt as much

by Brittany Geragotelis

As you all know, I sent out my first round of query letters for my latest book, Painless, on Wednesday—Well, I just received my first rejection.

Yeah. Bummer.

What's surprising me though, is that the sting doesn't hurt as much as it did with my last book. Painless is the sixth book I've written. Let's say that each book has averaged about 20 rejections, then that means I've already received approximately 120 letters essentially telling me I'm not a good enough writer, that people didn't "connect" with the characters in my books, that they didn't believe in my writing enough to give me a chance.

Each of these rejections hurt. Because writing is my passion, because it's all I've ever wanted to do, to have strangers tell me it may never happen...well, it's hard thing to take. And I haven't always dealt with these "opinions" well in the past. I've cried, thrown fits and asked my boyfriend (on far too many occasions according to him) why it's not happening for me. I've even given up. Not something I recommend, btw.

But this time, the rejection didn't hurt as bad. In fact, I'd describe it more as annoying than upsetting. Do I want an agent? Of course. Am I going to die if it doesn't happen right this second? No way. Is my life going to be over if I NEVER get an agent? I used to think so, but not anymore. Why? Because one way or another, I will be published. I already have people asking to read my books, well-known authors willing to write blurbs for them, so the only thing really stopping my books from being available to the public is....me. What a revelation that is!

So no, another rejection isn't bringing me down. If anything, it'll make the victory of seeing my book in the hands of readers that much more sweet.

Happy Friday!

5x5,
B.

So close I can taste it...

by Brittany Geragotelis

My friend and co-worker who edits all my books, just returned Painless to me after having looked at nearly all of it. (And to answer your question: Yes, she is a saint for doing this six times now. Thanks Marisa! Couldn't have done it without ya!) So, I've got her copy in my hands and am planning on spending my Labor day weekend making her edit changes. We were only able to talk briefly yesterday as we ran out to grab lunch, but it sounded like she liked it! She said that it definitely has a different feel and voice than any of my other books; this is good news, since Painless is way edgier than anything else I've written.

Now that I have her edit suggestions, I just have to make the changes and then create my list of agents to send it out to. I'm planning on sending them to a few agents who were interested in Ki$$ & $ell, but ultimately didn't love it enough to take me on, but expressed interest in my writing. Then, I'll go through my list of other YA agents and see if I can find anyone who fits the vibe of this book. Once I send out my query letters, I'll have to sit back (patiently) and wait for the responses to come trickling in. This is always the hardest part. Dealing with rejections (because let's face it, these are much more common than yeses) and getting your hopes up only to be let down...

But I'm getting ahead of myself (and apparently I'm getting a little pessimistic, too). The point is, after this weekend, I'll be ready to send stuff out and then hopefully, if the stars align, I'll get that elusive acceptance e-mail saying, "We read your book and love it. We've got to have you as a client." To which I will humbly say, "Thank you. Where do I sign?"

I'm so close now, I can practically taste it!

5x5,
B.

Friday Likes and Gripes...June 11, 2010

by Brittany Geragotelis

It's that time of the week again...and that means Likes and Gripes are back! Read on as I sum up this week!

LIKES

1. Surprise visits. My friend told me this story the other day and it made me laugh so hard I almost peed my pants. So, my friend is a dancer and she'd just gotten home from ballet rehearsal and really had to go to the bathroom. So she goes inside to does her business, but since she was wearing a leotard over her tights, she had to peel everything down in order to go. As she's getting ready to stand back up, all of a sudden a spider fell onto her leg. She has no idea whether it came from the roll of toilet paper or from the ceiling, but she started freaking out and went to brush it off of her, but it landed inside her tights! Now she's scrambling to pull off her tights and leotard (all the while panicking because she doesn't like spiders) to try and get away from the bug. But then she remembers that she has an anklet on—on the outside of her tights. Finally she manages to get the anklet off and then the tights and leo and killed the spider...but now she's freaked out every time she goes to the bathroom.

courtesy of: Zachary Booth

2. Famous Friends. I just finished editing a feature on my good friend, Zachary Booth. A rising star in the acting world, this "Damages" regular is not only talented, but he's unbelievably AWESOME! Read my interview with him here!

3. Vamplets. I don't think these need much explanation. They're just freaking cute. And they come with their own bottle of blood. It's like Ugly Dolls, only undead! ($15.95; www.vamplets.com)

photo credit: Poppy

4. The book Monster High. I just finished reading the book Monster High by Lisi Harrison (The Clique, Alphas) and I really enjoyed it (book review coming next week and interview with Lisi at a later date). What impressed me most about the book is that Lisi has managed to create a brand out of it. Timed with the release of the novel in September, Mattel will also be launching a clothing line, dolls, action figures, accessories and an animated web series. They've also already sold the movie rights to the novel. This is one of the first instances where I've heard of a company approaching an established author and collaborating with them on a whole brand from day one. And apparently Lisi has a lot of input in everything that's made, which is so rare for authors.

5. Agent Offers. I know this agent at Trident Media Group and last night he let me know that he will be taking on new clients in July...and that he'd like to read my books! Not an offer or anything, but how cool is that?!?!?!

6. The things people will do to drum up publicity for their books. Seriously, check this out.

GRIPES

1. The season finale of "Glee." It's not that I didn't like it...I did...I was just expecting MORE. Where was Kristin Chenowith? Neil Patrick Harris? And I did NOT enjoy the birthing scene (speaking of, since when can a person go into the baby section of the hospital and say, "I want that one" and choose a child to take home like they would an animal at the pet store?). Creepy. And I strongly dislike that Jesse St. James. He's a jerk. But what was most upsetting about the whole thing is that we're going to have to wait all summer to see another new episode! Argh...

2. Bi-Polar Weather. What's up with the weather going from 85+ and beautiful to 60 and rainy? What gives, Mother Nature? Is it maybe time to go on a little Zoloft to balance your mood swings?

3. Health-Food Diet. Now, I'm not a diet person, and I really hate working out, but a few weekends ago I bought a new swimsuit for the summer (mine from last summer is about 2 sizes too small; this was back when I'd lost an obscene amount of weight because I was having health issues) and I was not pleased with what I saw. Bottom line: I need to tighten things up for my vacation at the beach which is coming up at the end of this month. So, I am on a no junk food, healthy food only (Okay, mostly) diet until I no longer cringe when I put on my new suit. Limiting my food makes me irritated, as I do love my desserts (and my chips and french fries and bagels and waffles, etc.). Ugh. Only a few more weeks until I can gorge myself on Boardwalk Fries!

Punked by the universe....

by Brittany Geragotelis

photo credit: MTV/Punk'd

I was having drinks (decaf coffee for me, green tea for her) with Agent X last night, when we started talking about how funny the universe can be sometimes. A friend is asked out by the guy you were crushing on or a co-worker wins a contest to see a band they don't even like, but you love. The world's ripe with these kind of experiences...of course, when they happen to you, it can feel like there's some cosmic joke on your expense. Sort of like, "You want this? Well, hahaha, guess what, we're gonna give it to that person instead!"

What we came up with as a conclusion is that we all go through times like these (and from what I learned, Agent X has a few stories of her own!). There are always going to be times where we don't get what we want—where it feels like the grass is greener for someone else. I think what's important about these experiences is how you react to them. Are you going to sit around and mope or are you going to use the experience to create something positive? Are you going to let it break you down and decide to quit or will it fuel your resolve to try even harder, fighting tooth and nail for what you want?

The bottom line is that we have no control over what happens outside of us. That's up to The Powers That Be. What we do have control over is how we react to things. Today I'm choosing to stay and fight. I'm putting my foot down, letting out my battle cry and fighting the urge to give up.

photo credit: The CW/BTVS

In the words of the wise and fabulous Buffy:

"The hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live."



So, stand up for your dreams, go after what you want and don't let a little "punked" sesh hold you down for long!

5x5,
B.

These are a few of my favorite things....right now.

photo credit: Entertainment Weekly

by Brittany Geragotelis
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
I know it's been off the air for a while, but I will NEVER get sick of this show. In my opinion, it is the most well-written, imaginative and creative show in the history of television. In fact, I'm convinced that Joss Whedon is a genius. I was having a conversation the other day with one of our interns and I was trying to explain that whenever I have to do things that make me scared or stressed (Hello, public speaking!!!), I always like to ask myself, "What would Buffy do?" Sounds silly, but the slayer wouldn't be afraid of speaking to a roomful of people, standing up for something she believes in or talking to a cute guy. She'd go up to the dude, tell him she was into him and then go out and stake a vampire. Plus, she has a kick-ass wardrobe and the show's all about a girl who makes a significant impact in the world around her. Doesn't everyone want to know they've made their mark on the world in a big, big way?

Corn Nuts
They're not quite corn, but they're not exactly nuts. And the crunchy snacks come in all kinds of flavors (my fave is Ranch). I've searched the city high and low and have only been able to find them in certain stores. I still have to double-check that they're gluten-free, but if they are and I can get my hands on a bag, I'm going totally corn NUTS!

photo credit: The CW/ANTM

"America's Next Top Model"
I've always had a not-so-secret love affair with this show. Maybe it's because I run our photo shoots at American Cheerleader magazine and choose the poses our cover girls do. Or maybe, it's because for the life of me, I can't seem to take a good picture to save my life and I'm totally in awe over what some of the girls can do in front of a camera. Either way, I'm fully addicted. Every season I have a favorite girl and this year, it's Jessica. How crazy is it that she got pregnant on her first time having sex...and then her church basically disowned her? The promo for tonight's episode looks ominous though...I hope they don't kick her off! Don't do it, Tyra!

photo credit: ABCFamily/Make It Or Break It

Josie Loren from "Make It or Break It"
I interviewed this UCLA student and star of the ABC Family gymnastics show "Make It or Break It" yesterday and had so much fun! What was supposed to only be a 15 minute interview turned out to last 45 minutes! It was really kind of neat to talk to someone else who grew up in gymnastics AND cheerleading. We ended up bonding over mental blocks with tumbling and how debilitating they can be. She was very sweet and very smart...I've GOT to start watching this show more regularly!

Agent Jessica Sinsheimer
Jessica's a literary agent at Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency and she's the bomb digity! This girl knows her stuff and is WAY passionate about books. From the first time I met her, Jessica has been nothing but helpful to me in my literary journey...And if you're familiar with the publishing world, you'll know it's nearly impossible to get an agent (who's already SO busy reading manuscripts, making deals and otherwise moving the literary world along) to give you advice on your books if they're not your agent. Jessica's just awesome. And I might be guest-blogging for her sometime soon...so, stay tuned!

Iced Coffee
Besides Iced Tea or Lemonade, I don't think there's another beverage more representative of the summer. And with the beautiful weather we've been having the past few days, it's definitely come time to start ordering your coffee's cold. Ice cold. Happy sipping!

Author Jackson Pearce
Her book Sisters Red isn't coming out until June, but I was lucky enough to get a copy early! And it's AWESOME! Jackson's creativity and voice land her at the top of my "Must Read" list. And though nothing's set in stone, I may be interviewing the talented Ms. Pearce in the near future for this blog! How lucky am I (and you, if you keep logging on!)?!?!?!

5x5,
B.