Cover Reveal!

I'm super excited to share the cover for my next novel, Unravel Me, with all of you! 

Fell in love with Alastair and Lia in Catch My Breath? Don't miss this, the next installment in their love story...

Lia's meant to be on cloud nine: ever since she and Alastair finally confessed their love for one another, their relationship has never been so good.


Her British-born Adonis is all intent on sweeping her off her feet, showering her with gifts and affection more than worthy of the girlfriend of an international, millionaire businessman!


But their past seems to be intent on dragging the both of them down, and the hushed gossip of a dark secret begins to cause havoc to Lia's life...


With an ocean separating her from her love, Lia can't help but wonder if she can ever feel secure with a man who still plays everything so close to his chest, including her.

UNRAVEL ME will be released on July 17, 2014 and is available for preorder now on Amazon and Google Play. 

First Time Was A Great Time, Second Time Was A Blast

I never need an excuse to go to London. Never. I'd go tomorrow if a pile of cash fell on my lap. *looks up to the sky*

Last week I made the long, long trip from San Francisco to London for the best reason ever: to visit my publisher.....for the second time. I had the good fortune to meet the gang at HarperImpulse last October for the fun and fabulous 'autumn fete.' I had such a great time I secretly hoped they'd gather all the authors together again. Most of them live in the UK with a few others sprinkled around here in the US and even a couple in South Africa. Needless to say, unless we all lived on the same street it's rare that we're able to see one another. 

When I found out HarperImpulse was hosting another event, I just had to go. I had to. It took months of pleading my case but the universe finally smiled down on me and gave me the go-ahead.

Isn't the London office gorgeous? Of course there was an amazing reason to be there this time too. It was HarperImpulse's first birthday. The imprint, part of HarperCollins, hosted a seminar featuring the music and entertainment manager for Twitter UK and then talked about their vision for the future. 

Oh, and there were cupcakes with glitter on the frosting. That's right. Glitter cupcakes.

After the workshop we all went across to the pub. I had the chance to see many familiar faces and meet a few new ones. As someone who's never been published before, I think it's so great that we, as authors, can have little get-togethers like this. Everyone is so fantastic. Really.

When I went in October I was so bright eyed and in awe of everything. I'm happy to say that feeling hasn't gone away. Walking through the front doors of the HarperCollins building should be enough to convince me that I'm one of their authors but I still get all starry eyed. That says a lot because I'm not one who dazzles easily. =)


Check us out. Aren't we fabulous?

Minds of Their Own....

Any author will say that their characters tend to have a mind of their own and do whatever they want, no matter how hard we try to guide them.

Mine are no exception....

They took it upon themselves to give an interview to one of my fellow authors on her blog. By all means, stop by and see what Lia and Alastair have to say for themselves. Click on the image below. =)

It's Publication Week!

My debut novel is set to be published on Thursday. 

Let me say that again.....my debut novel is set to be published on Thursday. How unbelievable is that?!

Are you ready to meet Lia, Alastair, Stephanie and Darren? They can't wait to meet you!

Lia Meyers' plan for a relaxing Scottish vacation is short-lived when one uncharacteristic moment of clumsiness lands her in the arms of her very own Knight in Shining Armani…

The perfect opportunity for a much needed holiday romance? Wrong! Lia’s still reeling from the mother of all bad breakups, and she really doesn't have the patience for Alastair Holden – despite his effortless charm and cute British accent.

Arrogant and totally inscrutable, he's exactly the sort of guy she wants to avoid but can't: the man behind the mystery proves just too tempting to resist.

Drawn to him, Lia is forced to battle with her own insecurities, and the closer they become, the more she recognizes her own weaknesses as she peels away his layers with every night they spend together. Discovering the past Alastair is so desperate to conceal, Lia must decide if they can heal one another together or if their deepest fears will tear them apart.

Order your copy now on Amazon

One Step Closer

I'm still too excited to properly form a sentence so....

THIS IS THE COVER FOR MY DEBUT NOVEL!!!!

Sorry for the shouting. Isn't it gorgeous? (yes, I'm biased)

It's starting to sink in now, this whole 'I'm going to be a published author' thing. Receiving the email that Harper Impulse loved my book enough to want to publish it was exciting in it's own right. Getting an agent was even more surreal. Signing the contract? Insane.

But a book cover? With my name on it? That's dream come true status.

One of these days I'll write a post all about my journey from 'I'm going to write a book' to 'I have a contract.' The journey was fast, I will say that!

CATCH MY BREATH is scheduled for release on April 17, 2014. Pre-order your copy now at Amazon.com or Google Play. 

Selfies, Pizza and Memories

I love award shows. Love them. The glamour, the weird hats (Pharrell), the crazy acceptance speeches, the name butchering (I'm looking at you, Travolta). 

A few years ago I had the good fortune to be able to attend one of the glitzy Hollywood award shows; the Primetime Emmy Awards. I walked the red carpet and everything. So last night I, along with millions of others, watched the Academy Awards. Celebrity selfies and pizza were the highlights. I mean, come on:

Anyway, this morning my publisher blogged about Leonardo DiCaprio and how he looks like he needs a bit of cheering up after losing Best Actor to Matthew McConaughey. I reposted their blog along with the comment "if this doesn't cheer you up, think back to the time we spoke on the phone in college. (True story)." I also tweeted that Matthew McConaughey was my first celebrity encounter when I interned at Warner Brothers.

Now, contrary to the above statements, I don't ever talk about the celebrities I've met or dealt with over the years mostly because I'm not one to brag or name drop. Also, it was part of my job so I became immune to the whole star thing.

As you can imagine, I received a few curious responses, especially about the Leo phone call. It's a dull story, really. I was a freshman in college, hanging out in my friend's dorm room. She lived with two other girls. The phone rang and I happened to be the closest so I answered it. Some guy named Leo was looking for my friend's roommate. After the call ended my friend says, "You know who that was, right? Leonardo DiCaprio." 

Cool? Yes. We still laugh about it to this day. 

As for my encounter with Matthew McConaughey, I'd just started my internship at Warner Brothers and was trying to familiarize myself with the backlot. A nice-looking guy in jeans and green t-shirt politely asked me if I knew where the offices for J.K. Livin' Productions were. I apologized and told him it was my first day there and barely knew where *I* was going. We chatted for awhile and went our separate ways. It wasn't until later in the day that I realized who the guy with the relaxed, southern drawl was. I'm not sure if he ever found the office or if they're still on that lot. ;)  

In any case, those are a couple of random stories that are tucked away in my vast files of memories. Until the next award show....=) 

Flashback, Throwback: Travel Edition

Every week on the social medias (yeah, I said 'medias') I see my friends post photos from back in the day. Some are hilarious ones from high school and others are just some random memories from a place in time. 

I'm a big fan of traveling and have had the opportunity to visit many great cities and countries. I thought I'd share some of my favorites: 

 (Brighton, England)

(Brighton)

(Edinburgh, Scotland) 

 (London. Yes, that's me in front of #10 wearing a Tom Brady jersey)

(Stonehenge)

 (Denmark)

 (Sydney, Australia)

(Sydney, Australia)

 (Blue Lagoon, Iceland)

 (Iceland)

(For anyone wondering, yes Iceland was cold but we were happy to be there!)

So those are some of my travel throwbacks. I have lots more photos but wanted to share a few to start. How about you? Do you have any travel throwbacks? 

Such a Tease

If you've seen me smiling a little brighter recently it's because....I'M GOING TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR.

Whew.

Been waiting to get that out of my system for awhile. 

I'm so excited to be a part of the HarperImpulse team. For those of you who don't know, they are part of the HarperCollins family and publish fabulous romantic fiction. I signed with them over the summer and have been BURSTING to tell all of you. 

Oh? You didn't know I wrote a book? Actually, there are three. I know, I know....show off. I wrote them more as a challenge to myself to see if I could do it. My inspiration came from a 2006 trip to Glasgow. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I heart anything British. So yeah, the trilogy takes place in the UK and here in the States.

I've never written anything professionally before, aside from TV news stories and radio copy, so this is as exciting as it gets.

It's so surreal to say that "my debut novel" will be released soon. You'll all get to meet the characters that have been so near and dear to me since they invaded my head in the spring of 2011. They're a vocal bunch, trust me.

In any case, the first chapter of my book is included in HarperImpulse's free sampler for New Year's. You can meet my characters along with others from eight of my fellow authors. 

I keep having to pinch myself. Can't wait until I can share the cover and release date for my debut novel....... =) 

Dream Team

While I sat in the car yesterday for hours and hours and hours and hours (driving to and from Yosemite), my brain kept drifting to a couple things: how the hell I'm going to finish my next book and the casting announcement for Fifty Shades of Grey. Random thoughts, I know. 

I would be lying if I said I had no actor/actress in mind for the unlikely film adaptation of my trilogy. I have a secret Pinterest board with all of them in full color. Wishful thinking at its finest. But as an avid reader I often found myself averse to having a book turned into a movie. My imagination is so vivid I like to create my own version of the world an author puts on a page. There have been many times I've seen the movie version of a book I loved and was totally disappointed by casting decisions or the director's vision or what have you. Yes, movies are awesome and who wouldn't want to see their world interpreted on screen? The thing is....a reader's mind is so subjective *nobody* will ever be good enough to match who they pictured as the main hero or heroine. Even the actors I chose for my "dream team" cast on my secret Pinterest page don't completely embody the hero and heroine I created. Okay, one of them does but that's besides the point. 

The backlash I saw online yesterday about the decision to cast Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey was horrid. Grown women were throwing fits because their version of a fictional character wasn't cast. Someone even tweeted to the producer that she hated him. Hate is a strong word. It's only a movie. There are numerous factors that go into casting a role. I do not envy casting directors, although I think their job is pretty cool. 

As a new author with high hopes and all sorts of aspirations for the books I'm writing, reactions like that scare me. Obviously, not every book is made into a movie or TV show so I'll probably just stare at my Pinterest board forever. 

I mean, honestly, is Charlie really that bad?

Road Tripping. (Or, just tripping)

For anyone who hasn't driven across the country, the idea sounds so epic and adventurous, right? To a certain extent, yes. I did it once with a good friend when we snuck out of Los Angeles in the wee hours of the morning to drive back to Massachusetts. But I was only 22 and everything was fun back then. (Even driving through Kansas at night and inhaling cow manure the entire time. No, wait. That wasn't fun either).

Flash forward to January 2013. A cross-country trip back to California. Another adventure. Will it still be just as fun?


1. Everything is enjoyable for the first 20 minutes.
The car is packed, good-byes are said and then *poof*....nothing but open road. Oh, and screaming cats. Seriously. 

Yes, they're in a doggie crate. It was huge, but they chose to smush 

themselves in the corner closest to me.

For the record, Brady meowed from Rhode Island to Ohio. No joke. 

2. Once you get past Chicago, don't expect to see ANYTHING of interest.

Aside from experiencing the enigma that is "lake effect snow," driving west through the Northeast is enjoyable. There are mountains, cities, lots of rest areas, etc. You know, civilization. Once you leave Chicago, everything disappears. That includes Dunkin Donuts. (What I wouldn't give for a French Vanilla Iced Coffee...) Be prepared for flat land, straight roads and hours upon hours of nothing.

The bear was bored, too

3. Driving through time zones is a torturous, slow form of jet-lag.

Your body will be extremely confused, slightly angry and definitely cursing your very existence. The Central time zone isn't that bad, it's the Mountain one that starts to wreak havoc. 

Chasing the sun. Why can't I catch you?!?!?

4. Living in hotels with cats.

This needs its own blog. Between the two of us struggling to get the travel cage out of the car without it opening and unleashing the furry beasts to pushing it through the lobby on a luggage-transport-thingy as quickly as possible because Brady is screaming bloody murder, traveling with pets is a special type of insanity. 

5. Keeping up appearances

Highway travel should have its own reality show. Dazed travelers! Tired truck drivers! Generic service areas! Filthy cars! It's almost, *almost* like The Walking Dead, without the flesh eating zombies.

Don't look directly at the filthy beast

6. Other-worldly scenery

Parts of Utah were covered in so much snow and ice, I thought I was approaching The Wall in Game of Thrones.

  WINTER IS COMING!!!!!

7. It gets better....

If you survive driving through the "fly-over states" you'll be rewarded. Just when you've reached the edge of sanity and can't bring yourself to look at another farm or cow or amber wave of grain, you see it looming the distance. A mountain. A change of scenery. A curve in the road. Is it real? For the sake of cramped leg muscles and stale conversation, it better be.

They do exist!

8. A collective sigh

Civilization. People. Other cars besides massive tractor-trailers. The destination is within reach. At this point in the journey, you're just so happy to almost be done with it that genuine excitement makes an appearance. Translated: GET ME OUT OF THIS CAR!!!!

So close, yet still two hours away.

9. The pay-off

Spending five days trapped in a car with another person does something to the human psyche. It re-balances it. It also makes you want to spend a month in a cabin, alone. Maybe that's just me. In any case, once we reached our final destination, we did the unthinkable. We got back in the car and explored our new home*. It'll do, for now.

DISCLAIMER: I enjoy traveling as much as the next person, probably more. I think everyone should experience what it's like to drive across these United States.  

* I used the word home loosely. San Francisco is not home. Boston is home and I miss it terribly. 

You Can Take the Girl Out of New England.....

"After all, things change, so do cities." 

Life according to Sex and the City. I used to watch that show ad nauseam and can probably quote every single episode if you asked me to. I started watching it again on the Style Network at Christmas. For some reason, reliving my late twenties and early thirties has been joyfully cathartic. For those who are curious, I'm a Charlotte, and always will be.

I do have a point with all this. It's not just about the TV show.

In a few days, I'm moving to northern California, near San Francisco. The old me would be leaping for joy at the thought of a new adventure. I'm not shy when it comes to traveling. Over the past decade, I've been to Iceland, England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, Australia, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas. I've lived in several cities in these United States as well; Los Angeles, Orlando and Boston. 

Boston is home. Technically, Rhode Island is "home." Okay fine, New England is home. When I left the sweltering, oppressive heat of Orlando and moved back here in 2004 I vowed this is where I'd stay. Why would I want to leave again? I love the cold and snow, I love Boston, I love the Patriots. What else do I need? The only other city I ever wanted to live in was London, and that's still on my list of things to do before I turn 80.

Why northern California?

The Dane got an awesome job at Google. As much as I wish the office were located down the street in Cambridge, it's not. It's in Mountain View. I don't want this to come out the wrong way, but I've never had a desire to go to northern California. I liked Los Angeles, but that was about it. Believe me, I've had people coming at me from all directions telling me how great it's going to be, how much I'm going to love it there, how fabulous the vineyards are, etc., etc., etc. 

I get it. 

I'm getting excited. It's taken me a few months, but I'm getting excited. We're driving across the country starting next Monday. Me, the Dane and my two cats. I'm bringing my digital camera and this laptop to document the tomfoolery that is bound to take place as I leave....

...and make my way towards.....

By all means, follow along on this adventure. I promise it'll be entertaining.

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things."  - Henry Miller

Mic'd Up

Twice in my life I've been treated like a 'quasi-celebrity.' Okay, maybe not even that. But I did feel pretty damn special when I got the red carpet treatment for the Emmys in 2009 (hair and make up artist included!). 

Monday was the second time. 

In July, a fabulous friend of mine had the brilliant idea to 'pitch' me to a producer at a, as it was worded in the query, "National Daytime Talk Show." They were looking for people who'd written a book and wanted to learn more about self-publishing, etc. The catch? The show was a Fifty Shades of Grey themed hour. I thought about it for a hot second and told her to pitch away. 

Fast forward to mid-August. My mobile phone rang and I checked to see who was calling. It was a New York number that I didn't recognize so I let it go to voice mail. When I listened to the message I had one of those what-the-hell-is-going-on moments. It was a producer from the brand spanking new Katie Couric Show. They'd gotten my friend's email pitch and wanted to talk to me. To be honest, I'd completely forgotten about the whole thing. 

Of course, I panicked slightly. I called my friend who basically told me to breathe for the ten minutes we were on the phone. After I regained human status, I gathered my wits and returned the producers's call. 

I spoke with a very nice girl who chattered away about what the show was going to be about. EL James, who wrote Fifty Shades, was going to be the guest and they wanted to know if I'd be interested in asking her a question about self-publishing. Basically, I'd be an audience member who got to stand up during the show and ask a pre-arranged question. 

Sure, why the hell not. I sent off a requested photo of myself to the producer and waited to see if I made the cut. 

From this point on, the producer & I communicated via email. Last week everything was finalized. They were putting me up in a hotel in New York (The Lucerne), providing car service for me and giving me tips on what to wear. Needless to say, I was excited. Super excited. 

I got to New York Sunday afternoon. A shiny black Lincoln Navigator was waiting for me, complete with a sign in the window that said "Katie Show" with my name written underneath. I got to the hotel and promptly found a bar showing the Patriots game. Priorities people, priorities. In a nutshell, I had lots of rum and Coke and couldn't feel my face. A good time had by all. 

Monday morning. I was awake before the sun peeked above the horizon. I was nervous. I was excited. I was twitchy. I just wanted to have a good hair day. 

The car picked me up at the hotel at 10:30 and drove me to the studio. I was greeted by the producer I'd been in touch with and escorted to the green room. Yes, it was green-ish in color. There were other women, and some men, milling around. We all had a part to play in the show. 

Our questions were rehearsed and we were given directions as to how it would all go down. There were seven of us who had pre-arranged questions for EL. Mine was the only one about publishing. Everyone else was asking about Christian Grey or sex toys or something of that nature. Katie would call out our names and we'd stand up to ask our question. Easy, right?

It all hit home for me the minute the audio guy mic'd me. The nerves went away and full on excitement took over. I was escorted to the set. The general audience was already seated. Each of us had an assigned seat with our names on it. We all sat sort of clustered on one side of the set. 

The audience warm up guy came out and told silly jokes, did some trivia and gave away prizes. Then, it was showtime. 

Can I just tell you how freaking adorable Katie Couric is? Adorable with a capital A.  Her set was lit in red. You know, like the Red Room of Pain.

EL was introduced and was incredibly funny and shy and also, adorable. There was a lot of adorableness on this Fifty Shades themed show.....

Now, I'm going to preface this next part by saying that I know how live TV works. I know the time contraints. I'd worked in TV news long enough to know that things get cut. So, you know where this is going. 

Only three women got to ask their questions. Like I said, there were seven of us. Even though I didn't get to ask my question, Katie did sneak it in at the end of the show. EL's advice? "Write for yourself. And write everyday."

Done and done. 

Oh, and a side note: EL stayed and signed copies of her book for all of us. We also got the Fifty Shades of Grey Soundtrack. Very gracious. 

Live It Up

Forget 'Magic Mike.' Put Christian Grey's red room of pain on the sidelines for a few minutes. I'm about to get all girlie about five guys who were the first to make my little heart swoon. 


Yes, this is the continuing saga of the NKOTB Cruise. Go ahead, snicker all you want. 


My third adventure sailing the high seas with Jonathan, Joe, Donnie, Danny and Jordan (NKOTB to all of you) certainly lived up to expectations. Although, it could have been a little cooler, temperature-wise. Let's take it back to where it all started, shall we?


My friends and I flew down to Miami the day before the ship set sail. Friend Number One and Friend Number Two flew out of Providence and arrived a few hours before I did. I flew out of Boston and arrived in Dante's Inferno around 12:30pm. Christ on a cracker it was hot. I met up with them at the hotel and hung out by the pool until our room was ready. We met up with one of Friend Number One's co-workers for adult beverages after she got out of work. This is becoming a very fun, very enjoyable tradition. More of her co-workers joined us for appetizers and drinks. We laughed, drank and gushed about Christian Grey all evening until we had to leave for the restaurant. A very nice young man whose name I'm embarrassed to admit I can't remember offered to drive us to the restaurant. NO, he was not just some random dude, he was the son of my friend's co-worker. In any case, I always enjoy making a grand first impression, so true to form, as I was climbing into his massive, shiny black SUV, I fell. Blaming it on my wedge sandals would be a total cop out, but they didn't help. Neither did all the pretty pink adult beverages I had. Suave, party of one. Clumsiness aside, we enjoyed a rather spectacular dinner at a restaurant called STK. If you're ever in the Miami area, I highly recommend it. 


We went back to the hotel and immediately got ready for bed. We had another date with Destiny in the morning. 

The morning of the cruise arrived and greeted us with more hot, sticky weather. Unpleasant? Yes. But we were hours away from boarding the good ship paradise, so who cares. Arriving at the port is always a good time. The line of girls (women??) is long. Very long. Painfully long. But this year, we had an ace up our sleeves. Friend Number Two knows someone who works for the cruise line. What did that mean for us? We skipped to the front of the line at security. Oh yeah. The glares from the other girls waiting in line were white hot. Sorry (not really). After we got into the main terminal and checked in, Friend Number Two's connection told us we'd be able to board the ship before anyone else. Seriously. We waited for about 15 minutes and were then escorted to the gate. When I say we were the first three people, aside from cruise employees, to set foot on the ship, WE WERE THE FIRST THREE PEOPLE TO SET FOOT ON THE SHIP. The little photographer hadn't even set up the obligatory "get your picture taken as your board the boat" backdrop yet. That's how early we got on. Naturally, our cabin wasn't ready, so we went to grab some lunch. And here's where the real fun begins. 


Inevitably, the rest of the cruisers started to board and make their way to the buffet line. We decided to sit upstairs, away from the crowd. Since our cabin wasn't due to be ready until 1:30, we had a couple of hours to just sit and relax. Another small group of girls snagged a table upstairs near us, but that was it. Friend Number Two went down to get some cupcakes and other various snacks. While she was gone, a barrage of beefy looking men came up the stairs. To the trained eye of NKOTB fans, we immediately recognized them as the security team. What we weren't expecting was to see Donnie, Danny and Jordan with them. Friend Number One nearly had a coronary. She whipped out her iPhone but was immediately shut down by the biggest security man of them all, Earl. Dude could be a linebacker for the NFL. Friend Number Two was fortunate to make her way back to our table, because the upstairs section was now closed to everyone. Unless you already had a table. So there we were, sitting in NKOTB jail. The entire security team was upstairs with us. Intimidating? Possibly. But also very amusing. The boys were served plate after plate after plate after plate of food. To say the servings were heaping would be a gross miscalculation. For skinny boys, they can pack it away. The final two members of the group, Joe and Jonathan, arrived. 


We just sat at our table, talking and laughing. I mean, what else could we do? When the guys finally left, we went to our cabin. This year, we were at the very back of the boat. The room was a tad cramped for three people, but it had an extended balcony. We unpacked and planned our door decorating scheme. Our theme this year was "Fifty Shades of New Kids." We had funny quotes, photos, sparkly stuff and randomness. It was a fun door.

After the 'mandatory' muster station safety drill, everyone scurries to the lido deck for the Sail Away party. This is a significant event for two reasons: I get my first rum drink of the cruise and the guys come out to say hello. We grabbed a spot on the level above the main deck. It's much more comfortable up there. I'm not a big fan of being smushed up against sweaty people in a crowd in 1000 degree heat and humidity. Besides, we were eye level with the DJ and the guys when they came out. 

This year's insanity began with Donnie leading all of us in an 'oaf.' For you regular English speakers, that's 'oath.' In a nutshell, he wanted us all to have a good time and leave behind all our stresses, worries, etc because "WE DESERVE THIS." Then the guys made their was down to the screaming crowd to sign autographs, mingle and in Danny's case, be educated on a certain book. 


Joe very succinctly explained that it was the book his wife was reading next to him in bed, and he'd not benefitted from it. One of them claimed to have 'invented' that stuff. Nice try guys. 


But that's not the best part of the Sail Away. Oh no. You know the saying third time's the charm? Well, it is. While we were watching all the activity below, my favorite New Kid was quietly making his way through the crowd where we were standing. Friend Number One told me in rather colorful terms that if I didn't get my picture taken with him, I was an idiot. Here's a little known fact about me. I'm not shy. I can talk the ears off an elephant if I had to. My career has enabled me to meet and chat with numerous celebrities and sports stars. But put me within striking distance of someone I'm the least bit starstruck over and I'm a mute. Jonathan Knight has that effect on me. It's ridiculous, I know. 


I moved timidly and positioned myself so I could ask him for a photo, if I was able to cobble together a cohesive sentence. Remember the aforementioned rum drink? It was a lifesaver. When he was next to me I asked, very politely, "May I get a photo with you?" I'm so polite, aren't I? He said yes and my life was made. 


For those of you still playing along from last year, you know that each night on the cruise has a specific theme. The first night on this year's cruise was "Red Carpet Affair." Basically, we had to dress to impress. And because we're fabulous, we chose to wear sparkly tiaras with our pretty dresses. That's how we roll kids. 

The first night also includes a show. It was a game show called 'NKOTB Squares.' You know, like Hollywood Squares. Donnie hosted the game show because apparently their fearless leader Jared was too sober to do it. Girls were chosen randomly to go up on stage and form two teams. Since this was a glorified game of tic tac toe, nothing was as you'd expect it to be. Questions ranged from "why won't you let us get a picture, Earl" to "Joe, if you had to, which New Kid would you....." I would have to say the most enlightening moment of the night was listening to Danny try and explain what a trifecta was. If you don't know what it is, I'm not going to tell you. Google it. And no, it has nothing to do with horse racing. 


Once the game show ended, the lido deck party began. Dancing, dancing and more dancing. A good time had by all courtesy of the fabulous DJ Cheapshot. And the guys looked dashing in their red carpet attire as well. 


The next day was the 'Ship Faced' concert at Half Moon Cay. Blazing hot sun included! We slathered on sun screen and grabbed some floatie tubes. Spending the day floating in the crystal blue waters of the Bahamas sounds like a dream doesn't it. It is, for the first hour. We lasted long enough to see the guys arrive and dive in the water. It was so hot though. We did the unthinkable. We got out of the water just as the concert was about to start and left. We were hot, waterlogged and sunburned. (Note to self: REAPPLY THE SPF 100)


That night's theme was my favorite. Pajama night. Or as they called it 'Up Close and Cuddly.' There's no greater feeling than lounging around in your PJs after a day in the hot sun. There was also another show for us to see. This time it was 'Evening Wood' with Danny and 'A Man in Progress' with Joe. Both of them did a great job, but I have to say I enjoyed Joe's show immensely. That kid can sing, and he's a hoot! His performance ran late because it was raining outside, so he just kept telling stories and singing. Although at some points it felt like a big group therapy session....O_o


I will never be able to do justice to this next bit if I try to explain it. Fortunately, there's a video. If you have the time, watch it. It has everything. Togas, inappropriate names and general tomfoolery. 





Day three was billed as a relaxing day at sea. Total nonsense. Day three was photo day. And what better time to have a photo taken with your favorite boy band than ten in the morning after a late night dancing? We gathered our group of ten people and waited in line. Waited, waited waited. I liken the experience to cattle being shoved into a small barn. But whatever. We finally got to photo area, said our hellos and posed next to our favorite New Kid. Over and done in less than two minutes. 


My friends and I took part in NKOTBingo on the lido deck. It was led by some guy with an Irish accent. Meh. We had the rest of the day to do as we pleased. Friend Number One and Friend Number Two napped. I read. The excitement never ends. 


That night's theme was 'In the 90's.' I had the brilliant idea that we should dress up like the Spice Girls. Friend Number One was Posh, Friend Number Two was Sporty and I was the ass hat in the pink baby doll dress with pigtails and a giant pacifier that squeaked. More importantly, it was DDub's Back Rub night. Friend Number One was in her glory. What is the back rub you ask? It's Cinemax After Dark. It's the Red Room before there was Christian Grey. It's Donnie Wahlberg in a silk robe feeding bananas to blindfolded women, handcuffing a girl because she misbehaved, and pouring whipped cream into the mouths of unsuspecting women who have their eyes closed, all while speaking in a seductive tone. Some people think it's ridiculous. Most people love it. My opinion? It's all in good fun. 


So what do you do with roughly a thousand women who are hot and bothered after all that? You go to a lido deck party with special guests Naughty By Nature. I don't know about anybody else, but I was in the ZONE. Hip hop hooray! Tons of old school 90's rap and hip hop blared from the DJ booth. This little white girl from small town New England was in her glory. Best night of the cruise (so far). 

I do have one sort of funny story from that night. Donnie was mingling with the crowd near us. As he walked by, my foam finger brushed against his arm. Totally not intentional. Anyway, he looks at me and my ridiculous get up and grabs my face in his hands. Now, any other girl would love this. However, this man's lips have been too many places for my liking. As he comes in for the kill, I stealthily turn my head to the side so he gets my cheek. You're sweet Donnie, but I'm not going near that mouth. 


(Oh, I forgot about Jordan's concert. Sorry!!! He performed after Donnie's back rub.)


We all call it a night at around four in the morning. The next day is Key West, so there's no rush to wake up early or anything. Wrong. Apparently the fine people from U.S. Customs were only contractually obliged to check everyone's passport in the God-awful early hours of the morning. We dragged ourselves out of bed and went down to show the nice men in uniform that we were indeed legal residents of the US of A. Apparently, one cruiser named Sonia bucked the system and stayed in bed. How do I know this? Her name kept getting paged over and over in everyone's cabin.


Key West is one of those places I heard all sorts of great things about. When I lived in Orlando my friends would always tell me I had to go there. I never did, so while the ship was docked we decided to explore a bit. By the way, if you ever want to know what it feels like on the surface of the sun, go to Key West in early June. Hot is not a strong enough word. We walked around a bit and did some shopping, but we didn't last long at all. Back to the ship we go.

That afternoon was the NKOTB Town Hall. Everyone gathered on the lido deck, in the searing sun, to ask them questions. It was town hall style, like the candidates do on the campaign trail. Nice idea, but they should only answer questions that are pre-screened. Some of the more spontaneous questions were uncalled for. We stayed for a good chunk of the town hall, then went back to our cabin to start packing. Sadness. But we still had one more night to party with the boys. And this party wouldn't end until the sun came up. 


GPS Love Fest started at 11:30pm. Everyone had some article of clothing on or a flag or a sign or something that signified where they were from. 

Yes, we're from New England. Rhode Island to be specific. Biggest little state in the union!

I thoroughly enjoyed looking around the ship and seeing all the different flags and signs people brought. There were girls from Germany, Sweden, Canada, Denmark, Brazil, Great Britain, Chile....so many places! It looked like one giant united nations meeting. Only with better music and a lot more smiling. The party did indeed last until the sun came up. We lasted until 5am. Nobody wanted the night to end. It's safe to say that this cruise ranks pretty high out of the three that I've been fortunate enough to take. Each cruise has it's own special memory or event or funny moment. Even though people roll their eyes at me when I tell them that I go on the NKOTB cruise, I'm not going to stop being a part of it. It's harmless fun to lose yourself in the safe, giddy world of teenage years long filed away. It's also healthy for the soul to remember what it felt like to have the world at your fingertips. Think of it as a way to recharge the batteries. Until next time....

Next Up, Nutella?

I've firmly entered the "oh my gosh, what I'm writing totally sucks and I need to burn it" phase. I'm assuming the next step is sinking into a vat of Nutella, never to be seen again. 


The writing process is a funny thing. It starts so purely, with an idea. You know like how Oprah had her "Aha!" moments? Yeah that's it. Over the past few weeks I've learned a bit about the self-revealing process that is writing. Seeing as I haven't come close to finishing what I'm working on, I thought it would be fun to review the various phases I've had the pleasure of experiencing.


The "Inspired" Phase
This is a fun one. The ideas are so vast I mentally compared it to the universe. Each galaxy a novel, each star an idea. This is the phase when characters are born, their personalities jumping up and down, jockeying to get center stage to tell their stories. In my case, one lucky character was making so much noise that I couldn't ignore her any longer. And she convinced me she had one hell of a tale to tell. 


The "Pulitzer Prize" Phase
This is the phase that inflates your ego and makes you think your story is so grand, so perfect, so unique that the New York Times is waiting with bells on to review this budding masterpiece. Words pour out so effortlessly it's hard to believe that people complain about "the process." This is also the phase where I didn't sleep. But you're so wrapped up in the characters and the world you've created that you forget there's life outside the bubble. Once you poke your head back out, you realize that everyone who you've told that you're writing a book wants to read it. 


The "Oh-my-gosh-what-I'm-writing-totally-sucks-and-I-need-to-burn-it" Phase
Enter self doubt. Hi, how are you? At this point all the arrogant confidence gained in the Pulitzer Prize phase has dissipated. Or rather, packed its bags and high-tailed it out of town. I find myself reading and rereading and rereading everything. The end result is usually the same. This. Sucks. I even went to so far as to start rewriting the whole thing in the POV of the main character. Thankfully, my brain stopped humming to itself and convinced me to stay the course. I'm pretty sure at some point people move on from this phase. At least I hope so. 

Since I've been stuck in this phase I've found myself perusing Amazon.com and other bookseller websites. Just for the fun of it, I'll click on the little "LOOK INSIDE!" and see if my drivel is anywhere near as good as something that's published. Sometimes I think I can hang with the big kids. Sometimes I think I should stick to my day job. 


Whatever the outcome, the writing continues. Someday I'll let someone read it. Maybe. Depends on what the next phase is....or if I'll forever remain lost in a vat of Nutella.