Saturday, May 19, 2007

Last Call

Hey Everyone-

This is the last time I'll post this- I promise!

Tomorrow, Sunday, May 20, at 3:00 P.M. I will be signing copies of my books and partaking in a "How to Write for the Teen Market" discussion along with author Debby Garfinkle at-

Latitude 33
311 Ocean Avenue
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
949.494.5403

And I hope to see you there!

Also, I did this fun interview in the local Laguna Beach paper, The Coastline Pilot. Click HERE to read all about it!

Enjoy the weekend!

Friday, May 18, 2007

Pretty Persuasion

I have this friend, she’s a mother of two adorable girls. And every night before they go to bed they play this game where they name a part of themselves that they like, and then explain why it’s perfect. I love this. When my friend told me about it, I actually cried. Of course, I pretended it was just steam rising up from the Jacuzzi, but the truth was, I was touched.

I didn’t grow up loving much of anything about myself. I felt awkward and obtrusive and wondered why I got stuck with wavy hair when my friend’s all had straight hair (okay, I still battle with this). But the thing is, nobody ever sat me down and made me write an ode to my baby toe. And I can’t help but wonder if it would’ve made a difference. My friend’s daughters are wonderful, and confident, and charging through life, and if they’re any indication, I’m thinking it would've.

Growing up in California, a place where Christmas can find you wearing shorts and heading for the beach, you can’t help but be a little body conscious. There’s no hiding under big winter coats and bulky sweaters when it’s short sleeve weather for most of the year. But even if you don’t live in a warm weather place, there’s still that pervasive celebrity culture we’re constantly bombarded with. And the ironic thing is, that most of the stars we’re all trying to emulate don’t exactly look like that either. As a former flight attendant who flew the LA to NYC route more times than I care to remember, I had my share of celebrity sightings and I know this to be true. (With the exception of Natalie Portman and Beyonce who are even more beautiful in person—but I digress.)

The last two years I’ve spent a lot of time in cancer wards as several people I love and care about were diagnosed with the disease. And it gave me a whole new perspective on what makes someone beautiful. When people complimented my sister in law on her weight loss, she’d laugh and say it was the cancer diet. And suddenly being healthy grew way more important than being thin. Having a good hair day is always nice, but the courage and strength I saw when my brother in law lost his, was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that in a world that’s all too willing to point out your flaws, I think my friend’s solution is the perfect antidote. So the next time you’re looking in the mirror and hating on something, why not try to turn it around and pick one thing, anything, and remind yourself why it’s perfect.

Which part are you willing to love today?

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

It's Official!


It's official-- KISS & BLOG is in stores now! Which means, I will officially dork out, and run to all of my local bookstores so I can see it on the shelves, and maybe even beg to sign a few copies!


Though I will officially be signing copies and partaking in a "How to Write for the Teen Market" discussion with the amazing, D.L. Garfinkle this Sunday, May 20th, 3:00 pm at:


Latitude 33

311 Ocean Avenue

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

949.494.5403


So if you're in the area, please stop by and say hello!

Sunday, May 13, 2007

In Between Days

Recently, my husband and I were discussing when a particular event occurred, and it went something like this:

He- “It was last year.”
Me- “No, last year, I had the pixie cut. It was the year before that, when I had the chin length bob.”

That’s right, I don’t keep track of my life by calendars or date books, I keep track by my ever-changing haircuts. Seriously. The Great Japanese hair straightening experiment marks my first book deal. But by the time I needed my second author photo, I’d already cut it all off, added some highlights, and was sporting a bob.

I wasn’t always this way. Throughout my childhood and teen years I had long, wavy, brown hair that hung past my waist,and since my hair remained constant, I kept track of my life by summer holidays. And even though mine was not a vacationing family, (my parent’s were divorced and money was tight), I still looked forward to those long, hot, lazy days of riding my bike to a friend’s house, swimming in the pool, and begging our mom’s to drive us to the beach or the mall so we could cruise around in shorts and flip flops, trying on lip-gloss and looking for boys.

The summer going into ninth grade was when I had my first kiss—some semi-pro skateboarder dude with chapped lips and a name I quickly forgot.

The summer going into tenth grade was when I was allowed to graduate from drop off dates to “car dates.” Car dates were big time—no longer did you need an adult to drop you off and pick you up, now it was just you, your date, and, um, his car.

The summer going into Junior and Senior years I was working at a department store selling business suits to crabby, disappointed, middle aged women by day, and hanging out in L.A. by night.

And then came graduation and the end of my summer breaks. And strangely enough, that’s also when I got my first major haircut—though I’m not sure I was cognizant of this life-tracking shift at the time.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that those long ago summers used to represent milestones, growth, and maturity. They were a way to keep track of where I’d been, and where I hoped to be going. But now I rely on my hair, knowing that this summer will forever be referred to as the one where I grew out the pixie and reclaimed the bob.

What about you- how do you keep track of your life?

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

YA Fresh

Hey everyone!

It's a GORGEOUS day here in Laguna Beach, the kind that feels like we bypassed Spring and went right into summer. . .

But just in case you're inside today and looking for something to do, click HERE to read a fun interview I did over at the awesome, YA Fresh!

Have a good day!