The Intern Diaries #2: Boston, Journey & Witches

by Rose Kahn

           “Boston, is the perfect state of grace.”

So much has happened these last few weeks my head is spinning. All the things we were doing to promote What The Spell was so exciting—until the Boston tragedy occurred. I have family in Boston and have visited a few times, and have fallen in love with it. It’s a unique city with a long history. It’s not just a capital, not just a place. Boston, President Obama quoted, “is the perfect state of grace.” It is where the American Revolution began and as a New Yorker, where we have our biggest rivals (The Red Sox). But on that Monday we weren’t rivals anymore, we were all Americans, all human beings that were trying to overcome the darkness with good. The photos and stories of individuals lending helping hands really warmed my heart, and reaffirmed my belief in the goodness of mankind. Brittany was so kind as to check up on me and make sure I was dealing with tragedy okay. I told her it was awful and hurt my spirit, but that the best revenge is to be kinder, friendlier, more helpful, stronger and to go on living your life with gusto. Like 8-year-old Martin said (on a class project for school prior to tragically losing his life in the Boston bombing): “No more hurting people. Peace!” #BostonStrong 

“Don’t stop believin’!” –Journey

With that said, I’ve now turned my attention back to my intern duties with that same gusto. I need to catch you guys and gals up (like my own version of the water cooler) on what’s been happening on the publishing front! First is that What the Spell was on one of my favorite shows… “GLEE”! I was so excited when I heard the news that Brittany’s book would make a cameo in an episode titled “Guilty Pleasures.” I was literally jumping up and down. I mean, I sing all their songs all the time, in the shower, on the train (sorry homeless man on Canal Street)… I was just so excited and happy for Brittany. I truly think the book was a perfect fit for the show, as it portrays very similar themes. From Brooklyn’s deep need to fit in and her journey to love and accept her true self, these are the same ideas “Glee” touches on in each episode—complete with a Journey song in the background! They deal with body image, bullying and self acceptance. These are all issues that most young people deal with.

That night I sat on the edge of my fold out chair and did something I haven’t done in over three years: watched a live episode of TV, all the while texting Brittany every 10 seconds (sorry so annoying!) [EDITOR’S NOTE: Not annoying at all.] We finally saw a glimpse of the book when Tina Cohen-Chang held it in the macaroni art scene! As an avid macaroni artist back in summer camp in Staten Island, I totally appreciated the reference. But back to Tina holding What the Spell! When I saw it, I screamed in my Brooklyn apartment (half expecting someone to lean out of their window and yell, “Shut Up!”) and then quickly texted Brittany like a mad woman. All I could think about was that it had made it on “Glee!”

I watched the episode closely after that, searching for more cameos, and though there were others, they were less noticeable. Still, I was floating on air. I loved the rest of the episode and laughed through everyone’s guilty pleasures especially the Spice Girls moment. (“Oh tell me what you want, what you really really want…” hello 7th grade!) After Brittany found the perfect screen capture and we sent it along to an awesome Glee fansite, Glee-Fans.Org, we felt elated. Don’t stop believing, kids!

“Love is never having to say you’re sorry.” --Love Story

So spring doesn’t just come with cherry blossoms and iced lattes (my addiction!), but holidays like Passover and Easter and fun events like book signings and WEDDINGS! Passover came and went, and for this “Jewish American Princess,” that meant I got to hang out with my whole loud, Jewish family, for a fun-filled 10 days that will be repeatedly retold to my therapist for years to come. The fun part was giving my sisters and nieces Brittany’s books to read, and then discussing and comparing notes. There were fights over who would read what first. My 15-year-old niece got first choice because she’s kind of awesome and will be a kick-ass lawyer one day (you go V!). She picked Life’s a Witch, (yup, Brittany gave me an advance copy, one of the perks of an unpaid intern. How do I afford the lattes you might ask…. …shhh…it’s magic ;) and she loved it!

One of my sisters got What the Spell, and she thought it was adorable. She loved the high school setting, Brooklyn, and everything about it. They switched books and the rotation continued. My older sisters loved Life’s A Witch for its retelling of the Salem witch trials and the rest of my family just loved the books for the very fact that Brittany has worked so hard and come so far. They commended her for her resilience and perseverance and will read anything she writes from here on out.

After Passover (all that matza) and Easter (yes, I did buy a dozen chocolate bunnies on sale at Duane Read!) came Brittany’s wedding! She looked stunning! At first I thought that getting married at Disney World meant Mickey and Minnie came to your wedding (a little scary). But when I actually saw what her wedding was like, it made me want to change my mind about my own dream location (See, I’ve wanted to get married at the Plaza Hotel since I started planning my special day when I was 12 with my first wedding planner scrapbook—now a Pinterest board. Yes boys, girls really do this.).

Britt’s wedding pictures came flowing in and I gasped after each one. She looked like a princess, and Matt, her prince. This was a magical day for her indeed. From the gown to the ceremony, and the party favors of carved-out books to the wedding cake of books stacked on top of each other, the event looked magnificent—everything the bride and groom deserved. The love and warmth emanated through the photos and filled my heart with joy. (Getting mushy I know, it’s been a tough week y’all, let me have it.)

“Please do not feed the intern! She is on a strict diet of snark and sarcasm.”

When Brittany and Matt came back from their honeymoon all tanned and with perma-smiles plastered on their faces, we attended a book reading/signing Brittany did at Books of Wonder. BOW is a fabulous independent bookstore in Manhattan’s Flatiron district (home of my favorite building). The store has book readings and a café inside with the best barstools (yes, I tested them out). Brittany and four other authors (Alaya Dawn Johnson, Jesse Karp, Nova Ren Suma and Suzzane Weyn) attended the Supernatural Young Adult reading together. They each took their seats at a long table and proceeded to wait for the bookish New Yorkers to fill the room. The authors’ magical stories varied from themes like an Amazonian dystopian future and ritual sacrifices to a girl who can see other missing girls in her dreams.

Then Brittany began to read her excerpt and I was riveted. It was the scene where Brooklyn and Asher first kiss; it was so fun and lovely to hear out loud from the creator herself. The audience gasped and cheered because they too could feel the magic of young love. It was short and brilliant and the crowd loved it. All the authors read their excerpts and then opened the floor to questions. Brittany had some fantastic answers about the writing process and how she found new avenues to get her writing out to the public.

They also discussed how they come up with ideas and what inspires them. Jesse Karp explained that he starts to think about “what if’s.” “What if everyone forgot I existed?” “What if my parents forgot me?” It was then that I wondered whether Jesse had read my 7^th grade diary and began to panic over where I’d hid it all those years ago.

Brittany explained that she drew inspiration from stories that she loved, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She enjoyed how the magical and the mundane come together to make an extraordinary tale that is also relatable to everyone.

When the question segment ended they then proceed to sign books and I wanted them all. Being an intern and living in a big city, budgets are a necessary evil, so I could only choose one al la Sophie’s Choice. After some legit nail biting agony, I chose 17 and Gone, the mystery of missing teens intrigued me, as I often fantasized about running away when I was younger in order to get some quiet from my five siblings. The author signed my copy for me, and I added it to my growing collection of signed books currently piled on my bedroom floor. Brittany, her husband Matt, her publicist Siena (who is awesome, btw!) and myself finished our venti lattes and then proceeded to use all our leftover enthusiasm and adrenaline to go shopping (or it could have just been me.) It was a great event and a wonderful turnout. You should all come to the next one!

            It was a fun (yet somber) filled four weeks of family, wedded bliss and books galore. I could not ask for more. So much more to share, but you’re going to have to hang tight guys and gals—because the intern will return with more lattes, scoops and pop cultured-laced anecdotes about Brittany’s zany adventures. Until next time!

Cheers,

Rose

AKA The Intern

P.S. Follow me on Twitter @krazybklyngurl so you can see more updates on my crazy internship debacles in Brittany’s presence.

Curious Corner--Hour of Distress

Hi. I'm Sacha Breitman and I'd like to welcome you to my brand new column, The Curious Corner. Now, a little about me: I'm a young guy who was raised in the fashion industry of this big--but small--city of New York. Some people may call me an airhead but I prefer to call myself a surrealist. What can I say? I'm a dreamer. I love music, poetry, books and rain. I also love meeting new people. Today I'm sharing one of my short stories with you. Enjoy!
______________________________________________________

Hour of Distress

I have been waiting now ten minutes for her response. My hands and feet are cold; my heart is beating so fast that I feel as if I would soon have a heart attack. I bet you she won’t text back! How ridiculous my text was to her… I asked if she was free sometime this week—but the way I asked it… Maybe she’ll just yell at me. I’d rather her yell at me than ignore me. I couldn’t live another moment not knowing if she hated me. I don’t blame her. Sometimes I don’t like me too—but she has always been so friendly. I hope she likes me. I really like her. Please God! I am trembling! Janie please text me soon! I am begging you.

It has been the longest twenty minutes of my life. My hands are still cold—if not colder—and my heart is still racing. Come on Janie please sedate this pain and text me. I’ve checked my phone countless amounts of times and still you haven’t replied. I’ve just received a text! Please be Janie—please be Janie… Raphael! I felt an evanescent ease, but once I saw it was Raphael—Oh it vanished like the wind and my hands and feet grew only colder. I won’t answer Raphael’s text. I am too consumed to ever text again. Until Janie responds I may never write again. But I should do something to get my mind off her. Awaiting her call is poisoning me. It is like one of those suspenseful movies that end during a cliffhanger. I always leave the theatre in confusion wondering if the protagonist will live happily or die miserably. It is a distressful state to leave a theatre in! My hands get cold and my heart also races during those movies. Speaking of movies why not watch some television. That would be a good idea. I will do that. But where is the remote? It is not under the couch and neither is it in the living room. The horrible thing about modern technology is that it only gets more complex. That is not good for the user is it? I do not know how to turn on my TV without a remote. There used to be an on button that one would have to push; but since everyone including me now own flat screen TVs, the button is impossible to find. I also can not search for it in such an obsessed state! Maybe I just need some sleep. No no! I cannot sleep with this heart of rancor! It keeps me restless by beating me into that fight or flight mode. That selfish prick! Thirty minutes now! I don’t know how much longer my heart could beat this way! Maybe if I call Jesse my mind will be relieved of Janie.

“Hello.”

“Hey, what’s up Jesse?”

“Oh you know. Just relaxing and eating a turkey sandwich. You?”

“Um. Nothing much. The same—except I am not eating a sandwich, but what a good idea that is. Maybe I should eat something.”

“Yeah, eating is good. I like to eat.”

“I bet you do Jesse.”

“You hanging out later.”

“I can’t—maybe. Depending if Janie likes me or not. If she does I will see you; but if not I’ll probably want to be alone tonight.”

“Uh, okay. Good luck?”

‘Thanks. I’ll talk to you soon!”

I devote as much time as possible to the making of my sandwich. Just so you know I am a man of extravagance. I love to create lively meals—but only meals that one can prepare in less than five minutes. After five minutes, it is no longer fun for me to cook. But anyways, I am going to combine the roast beef with the honey cured ham and salami. I’ll then add some lettuce and tomatoes and a touch of Dijon mustard. Voila! A masterpiece! But she still hasn’t text me back! Well, fortunately I did kill a good ten minutes—but now she is back in my head. What to do now… Eating the sandwich may kill a couple more minutes. And as you may expect from a sandwich that was materialized by an extravagant character like me, the sandwich tasted pretty bad. Fortunately, I dropped it and then my dog ate it. Oh! Thank God. What a miserable time I had eating that sandwich—but now that the sandwich is gone from my mind; Janie is back. It has now been an hour with no answer. What an ass she is. Actually, I don’t even care to ever hear her response! If I had the luxury, I’d throw my phone right upon this very wall, but I will need it later. Janie can hate me all she wants. I’ll just ignore her back! I swear to you, reader—my phone rings! It must be her. Oh it is her and she wants to meet too! She doesn’t hate me! She loves me just as much as I love her! I bet she needed that hour to think of what to say to me. But what should I answer back? Maybe just give her a mere, “Sounds good;” or should I say something funny? Everyone loves something funny...

by Brittany Geragotelis


Valentine's Day may be over, but Cupid's certainly left some collateral damage in his wake. Whether it's a wine hangover or a love hangover, most of America is recouping today...myself included. Take a look at what my V-day was like.

First thing yesterday morning, I took my daily walk over to the Bux to make sure I would be able to make it through the day...and along the way, saw this:


















and then....


















and...


















Seriously, they were up and down the block...

















I have a feeling Isobella was one happy girl when she got up to go to work in the morning! Either that, or she was freaked to find out she has a stalker.

Next, I made a little Valentine's day treat; it was a play on an old recipe, but with a little something extra. These are dark chocolate-dipped chocolate chip cookies. To achieve this amazingly delicious choc-tastic dessert, I used Betty Crocker's gluten-free chocolate chip cookie mix and prepared as suggested on box (only, I switched out butter for applesauce, which makes the cookies more fluffy and cake-like). After they'd come out of the oven and I'd let them cool for about 10 minutes, I took half a tub of Cool Whip and a generous amount of dark chocolate chips, put them into a bowl and nuked it for about a minute. Once done, I stirred up the mixture until I had a dark chocolate dip. After that, I took the cooled cookies and dipped the bottoms into the chocolate and then placed them chocolate side up on a plate and let them harden a bit in the fridge. Once they were done, I had a chocolatey gooey mess that was truly delectible.

Mmmmm.

Next, I had to get Matty a hot V-day present, so I went out and bought him a mixture of loungewear: sweats, pajama pants and boxers. I even flared the boxers out on top of the bag, to make it look like tissue paper (which I think was a little bit genius. Move over Martha Stewart).

















By the time I got home around 9pm, Matt and I were officially ready to celebrate the holiday. We did this by ordering in Mexican food, watching "Glee" and exchanging presents. So, what did Matt get me? Well, take a look.


















I was not happy when I began to flip through the cards...


















When I frowned, Matt started to laugh...


















Notice how it says cuddle time is only "2 minutes max." Matt explained to me that that's all he can take before he gets too overheated. Romantic, huh?


















By this point, I was like...Seriously? This is it? But after laughing his butt off, Matt handed me this.


















So, in the end, Matty pulled through with an amazing gift of an hour-long couples massage and a mani/pedi session. Way to go, babe!

And, of course, Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without a little present from my mom. Here's what came in the mail for us:


















I've said it before and I'll say it again: My mom gives great gifts. How cute are these his/hers pillowcases?

So, as you can see, I had a pretty nice V-day. How was yours?

5x5,
B.

Lessons in Love

by Brittany Geragotelis

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.

by Brittany Geraogtelis

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.

A day of Pampering....

by Brittany Geragotelis

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.

DELETE--Who shot Cupid?

by Brittany Geragotelis

Once a week, my guest blogger (who shall remain nameless...okay, not nameless...let's call her Ms. Sassy Pants. Sassy for short) stops by to share all the things in her life that deserve a big, fat DELETE. Anyhoo, her majesty is back and this week she's got beef with good, ole Cupid. Check out what she had to say and then come up with a few DELETES of your own.

Ah Valentine's Day. The dreaded holiday of all singletons. Or as I like to call it: You're a Loser if You're Not in a Relationship Day. You just can't get away from it. It's a constant kick in the face; everywhere I turn, there it is. From my doorman asking me, "why don't you have a boyfriend?" to the numerous New York Times articles outlining how difficult it is for women to find love in the City. Apparently there are over 100,000 more single women in NYC than men. Why don't you just kill me now? Apparently, I'm going to have to move to Alaska to find a soulmate. For the love! So my ladies...I'm sure you know where this is going. Valentine's Day...DELETE!

Here are just a few of the cliche's that need to be DELETED around this bullshit holiday:

Boxes of chocolates. Really? The only people eating those chocolates are the single girls who are at home alone watching rom-coms and getting fatter by the minute...DELETE!

Getting flowers at the office. Any woman who displays flowers sent by admirers today should be stoned--publicly--and then have her pretty petals taken away. Period. DELETE!

Romantic candlelit dinners. I can't see the bleepin menu because of the dim lights. And by the way...a few open flames and a hot meal doesn't mean you're getting laid. DELETE!

Getting engaged. Oh wow, how original. Getting engaged on Valentine's Day. That's SOOOOO romantic. DELETE!

Gaggles of single bitches going out to celebrate being single. Oh please! You look desperate and pathetic. And we all know you're really going out to troll for men, so enough already. Go home and eat some chocolates. From a box. DELETE!

And on that note, I'm off to kick some cupid ass and break some arrows. Until next week...

5x5,

B.