MERRY CHRISTMAS...

Not much else to say today other than that, is there?

Except maybe Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa (a day early), Happy Holidays.

Anyway, whatever you are celebrating, I hope it's lovely.

If you're in NY on February 11...

....come see me read from GEEK CHARMING as part of the fantastic Teen Author Reading Night series that writer/editor/cruise director David Levithan organizes each month.

Here are the deets:

When: February 11
6-7:30pm

Where: Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL
425 6th Ave, at 10th St

Who: Madeleine George, Looks
Robin Palmer, Geek Charming
Lynn Weingarten, Wherever Nina Lies

We interrupt this program for some shameless self-promotion

As it's officially freezing - at least here in NYC - chances are you have no interest in leaving your house to go holiday shopping. Chances are you'd like to do all your shopping online and buy the people you care about....a book. Probably a fun book. With a sparkly cover.

Guess what? You're in luck.

Because I know of TWO books with sparkly covers that you could buy said people you care about without leaving the house.

One is Cindy Ella and the other one is Geek Charming.

Now, Geek Charming isn't actually going to be released until February 5th, but that's actually good, because that means that those people you care about will have something to look forward to. Chances are they'll get a bunch of other gifts around the holidays, so in a way, you'll get extra bonus points because your gift will arrive when they're in the zenith of post holiday depression and really need to be cheered up. And studies have shown that books with sparkly covers have the same effect as 100 mg of Prozac.

Better yet, look at this way: you're actually buying two people holiday gifts: the person who will be receiving the book with the sparkly cover and me, the author.

I thank you in advance for your gift.

And now we return to our regular scheduled programming.

Too cute...

Love this.

But I have to admit that if I weren't already a published author, I'd be jealous. Who cares if he's only nine and totally adorable? It's every man/kid for himself out there...

Okay, so they're not Prada or Gucci....

which is what I was partial to back when I was a high heel kind of girl, but maybe I should ask Jessica Simpson for a blurb?

The shoes on the cover of GEEK CHARMING, which I blogged about a few posts down? Turns out they're from her line.

Click here to read.

Let's hope the book gets as much press as the shoes.

So that you don't miss a single word I type...

...okay, why I think reading my words is all that interesting to you, I have no idea but it was the best title for this post that I could come up with.

Anyway, you can now "follow" my blog by clicking on the right. That way, whenever I post something new you'll be alerted. Not that anything I write here is all that interesting, but it'll give you something to do if you're, you know, trying to avoid doing your work.

Whatever it takes to get readers...

Click here and scroll halfway down to read about what Elizabeth Bird had to say about GEEK CHARMING.

Or, more specifically, what she had to say about the shoes on the cover.

For those who knew me way back when, when I had a slight problem managing and controlling my designer shoe consumption, they'll see the humor.

I can't even remember the last time I wore a pair of Manolos. Now it's all about Chuck Taylors and Frye motorcycle boots.

That's either about old age or wisdom, depending on the day.

Tragedy + Time = Comedy

Summing up a relationship--or, in this case, the demise of a relationship--in six words may not be easy, but the good news is that trying to is kind of like playing with one of those Rubik's cubes: providing you with infinite possibilities and hours of entertainment. Not to mention hours of diversion from the writing for which you're actually getting paid.

My six-word memoir on love and heartache will be appearing in Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartache: by Writers Famous and Obscure, (obviously I'm more on the "obscure" end of the scale) which will be released in January. Oh, and if you haven't figured it out from the picture above, I chose the heartache option because, as they say, "tragedy plus time equals comedy."

I'm not going to tell you what my six words were, because if I do, then you won't click here and order a copy.

Here's how I'll be spending my next five summer vacations...

Okay, some very cool and exciting news to report.

This appeared in Publishers Marketplace today:


CHILDREN'S: MIDDLE GRADE
Author of CINDY ELLA and the upcoming GEEK CHARMING Robin Palmer's YOURS TRULY, LUCY B. PARKER, about a 12-year-old girl whose new stepsister isn't just pretty and popular, she's a Hannah Montana-type superstar, so Lucy emails a Dr. Phil-like celebrity therapist for advice, to Jennifer Bonnell and Eileen Kreit at Puffin, in a five-book deal, for publication in Fall 2010, by Kate Lee at ICM (World English).

I'm beyond thrilled about this. In fact, this blogging post is but a mere short commercial break before I return to working on the first book.

I've just done your holiday shopping for you...

Let me start out by saying that I'm a little prejudiced when it comes to this book due to the fact that the fabulous AstroTwins, Ophira and Tali Edut, are friends of mine. That being said, I've been known to have spent more than a few minutes over the years in the Astrology section of the bookstore -- especially after finding out the sign of a guy I like. (I can't believe I just admitted that in print)

So you can believe me when I say that I know when an astrology book is right on, and when it's cheesy.

And you can believe me when I tell you that The AstroTwins' Love Zodiac is not only right on in terms of how they nail the different signs, but it's also hip and wry and funny. Just like the Twins themselves.

You can click here to read an excerpt and see what I'm talking about.

Think of how easy it will be to do your holiday shopping this year: all you have to do is go to Amazon and order twenty or so copies for your girlfriends and you'll be all set.

And I will leave you with this...

Everything they say about Sag men?

Completely on the money.

Believe me, I know of which I speak.

What I'm Doing When I'm Not Coming Up With Witty Entries To Entertain You...

When I'm not updating my blog, I'm usually avoiding my own writing by reading other people's blogs.

Recently I was asked to be a guest blogger on blogs.com with my top 10 blog picks.

As I'm currently obsessed with decorating my apartment, I've been spending way too much time looking at paint colors and overpriced furniture. Hence, my mindset when they asked for my list.

Click here to see it.

GO SEE THIS PLAY

So Blair Singer is a not only a phenomenally talented writer who is currently writing a movie for me at MTV, but he's a wonderful human being as well. And talented--did I mention talented?

Anyway, he has a new play opening called THE MOST DAMAGING WOUND -- click here to read more about it and buy your tickets. Because Blair is that cool and you really should support good writing.

But even more importantly click here to see the trailer that his 3-year-old daughter Eliza shot because it's just too cute.

So if you're in NY, go see the play. And if you're not in NY, make a special trip TO NY to see the play. Apparently you're allowed to bring snacks into the theatre, which should make it even more enticing. Actually, what I was told was that I could bring a Diet Coke in. Snacks--ie. candy, cookies, cupcakes--were not discussed.

But give it a try.

Meanwhile, in other news, the Halloween parade is going down 6th Avenue. I live on the corner of 6th Avenue. Suffice to say it's very loud.

Please don't feed the mermaid

If you're in New York and you want to see something surreal on Wednesday, come to Datavision, located at 445 5th Ave. at E. 39th St. at 11am where you'll be able to see me sitting in a front window display space--yes, you read that right--reading from a Sony Digital Reader as part of National Book Month.

From the press release thingy:

WHO: Beginning Oct. 1, World-renowned speed reader and Guinness World Record-holder for memory, David Farrow, will live and read his way through 30 days (or 720 hours) in a front window display space in New York City to coincide with National Book Month.

WHY: In an effort to combat a nationwide decline in reading, particularly among young people, Sony Electronics is spearheading a “Reader Revolution” with the goal of sparking the imaginations of young readers and engaging the public in digital reading and the donation of 15 million eBooks to schools nationwide.

For every page Farrow turns on his Sony Digital Reader, Sony will give an eBook library of 100 classic titles to a U.S. school. Sony’s goal is to provide 150,000 eBook libraries, or 15 million eBook classics, to schools and learning institutions nationwide.

WHAT THE HELL I HAVE TO DO WITH THIS: I have offered to be a “relief reader,” which means that I have agreed to sit there like something in an aquarium so the poor guy can go to the bathroom or get something to eat.

To be honest, I have no idea what the hell I have gotten myself into. When I finally took the time to read the fine print, all I could think of was this hotel in L.A. on Sunset Blvd called The Standard where, in the lobby behind the reception desk, there's a woman in a glass cage. I can't remember if she was supposed to be a mermaid or not, but that's what I seem to recall. Maybe that's just because I like mermaids.

Anyway, if you're around and have nothing better to do on Wednesday morning, come by and check it out.

But please don't feed the mermaid.

Or heckle her.

I take that back--if you bring cupcakes, you can feed her.

Sadly I won't be reading from CINDY ELLA because, um, it's not currently part of the Sony eBook library. That being said, neither is ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT'S ME MARGARET, CATCHER IN THE RYE, or FROM THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER, which were the other books I asked if I could read from, so at least I'm in good company.

When I have some extra money...

...after the apartment is painted and furnished and all that good stuff, I am going to become an art collector.

Specifically I am going to become a collector of my friend Susan Burnstine's photography. Click here to see her work.

I met Susan a million years ago when she was dating a friend of mine and then we re-met through the internet. I don't know if she was shooting back when we were friends, but I was astounded at her talent as a photographer. She has an exhibit opening in Woodstock on Friday, which happens to coincide with when I'll be there, so it'll be great to see her work hanging in a gallery.

I probably don't need to remind you that my 40TH BIRTHDAY is coming up in January...in case, you know, you want to get me a gift I will cherish forever...

How NOT To Get A Guy

I haven't written here in a million years because I've been way too swamped working on stuff that's scheduled to be on bookshelves at some point in the semi-near future.

Plus, to be honest, I haven't come across anything particularly witty lately.

Until this morning.

Click here for a link to Ariel's column this week. Personally, I found it hysterical. Maybe it's just because I know and love her, but even if I didn't, I'd still find her brilliant.

Do your part to get Obama elected...become a Schlepper.

Click here to watch a really funny video. (BTW, the guy in the video is my friend Alex Desert from L.A. who has one of the greatest smiles in the world.)


Interestingly enough, the book I'm working on now is about a girl who goes to Florida to visit her grandmother....

Yeah, me, too...

Look at this...two posts in less than 12 hours.

Anyway, this is a line from a review of CE that someone just brought to my attention:

"I wish real life would always let you end up with the guy you want to be with all along."

Um, yeah, me, too.. why do you think I'm a WRITER?! So I can control SOMEONE'S world!

Has it been almost a month...

...since I've written?

Um, yeah.

I have lots of excuses as to why..actually, I have one...and when you hear it, you'll understand why I haven't written:

I MOVED.

Which meant the following:

1. Hours spent surfing Craigslist for apartment listings
2. Schlepping around Manhattan to look at said apartments (FYI? "Cozy" and "charming" translate to beyond small and beyond old)
3. Finding an apartment
4. Freaking out about shelling out so much money (can you say 15% of annual rent broker's fee?!)
5. Packing.
6. Unpacking.
7. Countless trips to Bed Bath & Beyond and Container Store (thank God I live across the street).
8. Numerous visits to Crate & Barrel website to decide which couch to buy for O'Neill to use as an oversized scratching post.

Add in writing, MTV, deciding what to wear to baby brother's upcoming wedding on Saturday (I take that back - to be honest, I gave that about five minutes thought, while in the shower this morning, and thankfully came up with an idea right then and there), and before you know it almost a month flies by.

But now I'm in and settled. Well, as settled as one can be without a dresser which means that all my clothes are still in boxes.

I adore my apartment. I adore it even more now that they've removed the fiberglass bathtub liner that had so much water underneath it that it made it feel like I was trying to balance on a raft when taking a shower. And I'll adore it even more when the re-glaze the tub on Thursday.

I even adore my Barbie kitchenette. At 39 years old I no longer feel bad about the fact that I don't like to cook...because if I did, I'd be miserable because there's no room to make anything more elaborate than an English muffin.

It's funny -- when I moved to NY last year I walked around for the first six months saying "How could anyone live anywhere but NY?" and now that I've moved down here, I walk around saying "How can anyone live anywhere but down here?" I'm quickly becoming like most NYers I know -- where I start to get anxious when someone suggests I leave my three square block radius for dinner.

I love my new home and I love NY (August 29th was a year) and I love my life.

It's all good.

I am proud to announce...

..the birth of GEEK CHARMING.

Weighing in at 338 pages, she's a big one and although I'm terribly biased, I think she's beautiful.

Baby is resting comfortably. Mother? Not so much, due to the fact that she's moving in less than two weeks and therefore knee-deep in boxes as well as 125 pages pregnant with the next kid.

It can never be said I don't have good taste...

So as I was having a long overdue catch-up dinner with my agent, Kate Lee, tonight, I learned something about her which I hadn't known due to the fact that one of the reasons I adore her not only as an agent but as a person is because she's so humble.

What I learned is that she was ranked #21 on the New York Post's list of "The 50 Most Powerful Women In New York City."

Click here to see the list.

My Kate -- number 21. Ranked HIGHER than Sarah Jessica Parker, thankyouverymuch.

I'm so proud of her!

Watch The American Mall on MTV on August 11 -- So I'll Continue to Have a Job to Go To

As well as Cindy Ella is doing, I am sorry to say that I have yet to reach Stephanie Meyer-level sales figures (accent on "yet")...which means that I still have to work a day job. I'm lucky in that mine happens to be a very cool one, where I oversee the development of the movies that premiere on MTV. Not only do I get to work on fun things, but I basically get to wear whatever I want to work.


On Monday August 11 at 9PM EST/8PM CT, The American Mall will premiere. It's from the producers of High School Musical and it's very cute. Here's a link to the official website.

And People Magazine gave it 3 stars out of 4!

So watch the movie (and then buy the DVD and the soundtrack), because if you do, that means we'll continue to make more of them. And if we make more movies, that means I will continue to have a job. And if I continue to have a job, that means I can afford to pay the rent on my new apartment that I've been spending every waking moment looking for.

Think of it as being of service to your fellow humankind.

Thank you.

GEEK CHARMING available for pre-order on Amazon

It's not coming out until February which is still six months away, and the cover art isn't there which sort of makes me feel like I'm speaking too soon and ruining the whole effect, but if you click here you can pre-order my next book GEEK CHARMING which is a retelling of The Frog Prince. It's not a sequel to CINDY ELLA but it is set at Castle Heights High.

I happen to be one of those people who loves to have things to look forward to, so pre-ordering a book -- even if I know it won't arrive for another six months -- sounds like something I'd do right about now.

I Heart NY (even if the quest to find the perfect apartment is kicking my butt)

There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter — the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. […] Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion.

--E.B. White, Here is New York

Yes, I'm still alive...

...I just haven't written here for - oh - over a MONTH.

It's been super busy. All good stuff, but I have now officially become one of those New Yorkers who doesn't have time to breathe and rushes around the city and thinks about what it'll be like when I finally have that house in the country that I can go to on the weekends so I actually can breathe.

London was fantastic (can't believe that was almost a month ago!). Great weather, great company, great food.

And now I'm back, with a new obsession which is looking for an apartment for September. I've found one that I love. Click here to read Ariel's column on how I've been going about it. (I am - and will forever be - Sophie in her columns. Although sometimes I am also Heather, which makes me feel like I suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder).

Also, this essay entitled "I'm Y.A. and I'm Okay" appeared in last week's NY Times Book Review about the prejudice against YA vs. "real" novelists. I especially love Mark Haddon's quote. As for me, I definitely get a lot of sympathetic looks that translate to "Oh, don't worry -- if you work hard enough and really hone your skills, then maybe one day you'll write a real, honest-to-goodness adult novel."

Um, yeah, thanks.

More later. Now it's back to scouring Craig's List for more 250 square foot apartments for $1800 to go see.

Three generations of CINDY readers

I received this a while ago, but I've been remiss in posting it. My bad.

Anyway, when I did a signing at the Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach, CA, I was lucky enough to meet Fiona and her grandmother Teri, who had both read the book. Unfortunately Fiona's mother Jennifer wasn't feeling well that night, so she wasn't there. I had asked them to send me a picture of the three of them and here it is...along with the emails I received from them.

I feel so lucky to have met them. And I have no doubt we will indeed be reading Fiona's work soon -- I was incredibly impressed by the amount of poise and self-possession she had as a 14-year-old. When I was her age I was slumping down in my seat and hiding behind my hair.

I have to say, I hear a lot of stories from writers who find it absolutely agonizing to have to do readings and deal with real live human beings. Maybe it's because I desperately want to be the center of attention (I do...but then I don't...and then I do...and so on and so on and so on..) but I LOVE meeting the readers. And when I letters like this, it makes all of the struggle and all the hours spent looking at blank computer screens worth it.



Ms. Palmer~ It was amazing to meet you at the Barnes & Noble event in Huntington Beach! I really enjoyed talking with you, hearing about your experiences, and also getting your best friend's side of things. Your advice on book writing was very helpful! I am super excited for your next book to come out next year!!! Hopefully, thanks to your advice, you'll be seeing my work soon.

Sincerely,
Fiona

Ms. Palmer~ My mother and daughter both attended your talk/book signing at our local Barnes & Noble a few weeks ago. They both came back singing your praises! My 14 year old daughter, Fiona, especially, was literally vibrating from the experience. The way you spoke to her, answering all of her questions, the fact that your friend also took the time to tell Fiona what you were like while writing---it truly touched me. Not only have you written a heart-warming, funny, unique book, but to give of your personal time to answer a young starry eyed girl questions, you impress me. Thank you for not shooting down her dream of being a writer and also for not making writing sound like a lark, but a real job! All 3 generations; my mother Teri, myself Jennifer, and my daughter Fiona, loved your book and look forward to all your future work. My 10 year old is chomping at the bit to be allowed to read your book also. Attached is the picture you asked Fiona to send you of the 3 of us. You have all of our permission to use the picture on your website or whatever.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Baumann

A cat on a head is worth...

Okay, maybe it's not worth any money, but it's worth a laugh, which I sorely needed as I walked by this guy this morning.

The day did not start off all that great. In fact, forget great -- it didn't even start off good. In fact, it started off really shitty. But when I saw this guy on Broadway as I was walking to work I took it as a sign that I should just lighten up. Which I did. And I took it as a sign that I should take a picture of him with my BlackBerry. I stalked him for a while, and then as I was taking one more, he whipped around and caught me mid-snap.

Me (trying to pretend I'm not about to take a picture of him): Oh. Can I, uh, take a picture of you?

Him: You know, I really need money to eat.

Me (fishing in wallet for a dollar): Here. I have a dollar. Is that good?

(Like he's going to say "No"?)

Him: That would be great.

So I gave the cathead man a dollar for my picture.

Maybe I should try and train O'Neill to stand on my head. It could help pay for this next round of psychoanalysis that begins tomorrow.

Thou Shalt Not Think (at least not in July)

My friend Terri Wagener who is not only one of the most incredible writers I know and one of my Fairy Godmothers Of Writing, but also beyond wise when it comes to the heart and Relationships-with-a-capital-R posted this on my Facebook page:


Make you a deal. Let's have a pact that we two shall do all in our power to Not Think in the month of July. We think too much. We over analyze. We think it gives us some kind of control/protection in Life. It does not.

We don't have to be superficial till July, though. Which gives us a couple of weeks to note how deeply we are attached to thinking and also to practice skipping along the surface, like smooth stones on a pond.

Are you game? Or do you want to sink below and down like usual? Much like stone trying to find the fresh air and float?

I wrote back and said that, yes, I was indeed game. God, am I game. Because I'm sick of Thinking--especially about Relationships-with-a-capital-R. I asked Terri if that means we can just talk about nail polish and People magazine for an entire month and this was her reply:

Re nail polish and People. NO. We can't talk about those -- it will tempt Fate. We'll have opinions. The point is to just observe life, have no opinion, no desire (Very Buddhist), float above. Kinda act stoned -- but in a good way. Turks & Caicos? And LONDON for the 4th? Your life is magnificent, Robin. It is The Best Ever! By YOUR efforts. Let it BE. :->

So my July resolution is to Not Think And just Let It Be And See What happens.

Maybe I won't even wait til July. Maybe I'll start now.

One (and probably the only) reason I wouldn't mind being in L.A....

If you live in L.A. you should go see the Marlene Dumas exhibit at MOCA because I can't because I live in NY and that way I'll be able to live vicariously through you.

And you should read this article that was in the NY Times magazine last week about her.

What was I thinking...

...using a PC all these years?

It's hard not to wonder what my life would have been like today had I been a Mac user vs. a PC one. Would I have moved to NY sooner? Would I have become a brunette earlier? Would I be married with four kids and living in Des Moines? (um, that one? probably not)

At any rate, I have been Mac-curious for a while now. And every time I'd go to write in a coffee shop, a sea of glowing apples would be shining, their owners happily typing away while I'd be forced to wander around until I found somewhere I could plug in due to the fact that the battery on my PC was only good for an hour. So on Friday I woke up and turned on my laptop only to find the blue screen of death staring back at me which sent a chill through my veins. I called my brother Josh because he works with computers for a living, and when I got his voicemail (it was only 7:30 in the morning) I started freaking out. And started freaking out even more when I took it to a computer place and was told that it would "probably" cost me $700 to recover the data and fix it.

So I went to the Apple store and got myself a brand new white MacBook.

And the two of us lived happily ever after.

I have a feeling it's going to change my entire life.

Okay, maybe not my entire life. Maybe it'll just make it so that now I'll be able to write in a coffee shop without worrying about finding a place to plug in. Which, believe me, is worth every penny I spent.

Needless to say -- life is very, very good today.

Especially since the lovely people at Tekserve were able to recover the 50 pages of my latest novel that I had neglected to back up.

WWTDGD? (aka What Would The Dead Girl Do?)

I meant to write about this last week but then life intervened but I'm writing about it now because I'm trying to come up with all sorts of innovative ways to avoid working on my book and I've already spent a half-hour scouring Craigslist for apartments even though I'm not moving until September. And it's only 7:30am.

(BTW, apparently people don't care to respond to emails asking if the apartment they've advertised for rent immediately might be available in September, or might they have a similar apartment avail in September that's actually less money than the one they've advertised for rent immediately. Yeah--from the lack of responses I've gotten back, I'm thinking they don't really care about my anxiety about finding an affordable, a-little-bigger-than-a-postage-stamp, vermin/bug-less pets-OK pre-war apartment in Chelsea. Oh, did I mention it needs to be affordable?)

Anyway...I digress. As usual. Maybe that's because I have a codependent cat who spent all night scratching at the bedroom door because I wouldn't let him in because I wanted to test out my theory that I'd get more sleep with him out of the room rather than in.

Theory disproved.

Now. On to The Dead Girl.

Okay, so last week Ariel suggested I come to London for July 4th weekend and although part of the reason I moved to the east coast was so that I could go to Europe more frequently because it's a much easier trip than going from L.A., and even though I have the money, and even though I'd have a free place to stay, I still hemmed and hawwed because of the Impending Apartment Move because, like I mentioned, I'd like to live somewhere...you know...livable because I find that living somewhere livable really helps with things like my mood and the ability to write.

So I hemmed and hawwed about the London thing to my friend Michele, and then I hemmed and hawwed about it to my friend Deb, and I hemmed and hawwed about it to myself, and then I heard about The Dead Girl.

So on Memorial Day, this 26-year-old woman named Lauren -- aka The Dead Girl, but obviously not dead at that moment -- was jogging around the reservoir with her boyfriend and she dropped dead of a heart attack.

26. Dead. Just like that.

And the kicker is that apparently the boyfriend was planning on proposing that upcoming weekend. Now, I don't know if that part of true or if it's quickly become urban legend, but I do know she's dead because I know people who were close friends with her. I did not know The Dead Girl but I hear that she was just lovely in every way.

And as I listened to this story, in addition to feeling just awful for her family and her boyfriend/would-have-been fiance, and her friends, I thought about London. Specifically, I thought about the fact that The Dead Girl would not be able to go to London. Ever. Because she's dead. She wouldn't have been able to go even if she had the money, and she wouldn't have been able to go even if she didn't have the money and decided to charge it.

Because she's dead.

I bet, if she could, she'd go.

So right then I decided that, in her honor, I would go instead.

Not just because I have the money and don't even have to charge it, but because I can. Because I am alive and healthy and -- as far as I know -- don't have a heart condition.

I booked my ticket the next morning. I'm going from July 3rd-6th. I haven't been to London since 1991. I'm so excited I can't stand it.

And I'm going to trust that not only can I go to London, but I can also find an affordable, a-little-bigger-than-a-postage-stamp, vermin/bug-less pets-OK pre-war apartment in Chelsea for September 1st as well.

That is, if anyone on Craigslist ever emails me back.

I Do-Not-Heart Sex & The City

Warning -- if you're planning on going to see the Sex & The City movie, don't read this.

Because I'm going to ruin it.

But I don't feel bad ruining it because IT ruined my Sunday evening. I left the theatre SO pissed off yesterday I can't even BEGIN to tell you. Like smoke-coming-out-of-my-ears pissed off.

The only good things that came out of that movie were that 1) I now know what color I want to paint the walls in my new apartment when I move in the fall (the blue that Carrie painted hers) and 2) I now have a picture to show my hairdresser the next time I go to get my hair colored (the reddish-brunette look she adopted during her mourning period).

I guess those two things are worth $11.25.

Maybe.

I went with my friend Michele -- who upon reading the blog has now asked for an entry expressly devoted to her, which I promise to do, but not today -- at 4:30 on a Sunday and it was a madhouse. I had read this scathing New York Times review, but went anyway because despite the fact that, as someone who's making a career out of rewriting fairy tales, I had a slight problem with the idea that Carrie ended up with Big at the end of the show, I still had a soft spot in my heart for it because it replaced Lifetime as my guilty pleasure-calorie-laden appointment television.

So the movie starts and the big secret is not that someone dies, but that Carrie is left at the altar by Big. Who, as evidenced by his incredibly dispassionate, ambivalent marriage proposal (which, by the way, came about because Carrie's friends put the fear of god in her after she told him that it would be his name on the mortgage of the new apartment they were moving into and she was afraid she'd be cast out and screwed over if they ever split up) -- not to mention his well-known fear of intimacy -- didn't want to get married in the first place.

That being said, I can understand how alarming it might be to see a 40something woman get so caught up in a wedding, what with the poufiest dress known to man and a 200 people guest list. (I thought that stuff was for girls in their 20s, but maybe that's just me...) But, yes, getting left at the altar would suck big time. That being said, she wasn't so upset about the fact that he didn't want to marry her -- it was more about how it would look to people, as evidenced by the fact that her parting line is "You humiliated me!"

That's when I started getting pissed.

I started getting even more pissed when I then had to sit through an hour and a half of her moping around...but THEN...when she sees him again...and he proposes again...she accepts. On the spot. Just like that. And she apologizes as if the WHOLE THING WERE HER FAULT because she had gotten so swept up in the wedding.

And then they go get married at City Hall and -- as far as we know -- go on to live happily ever after.

Why couldn't her happily-ever-after have been that she got over him and just went back to living her life, trusting that someone else would come along? Or maybe someone else wouldn't come along and it still would've been okay?

I vaguely remember some line about how the heart doesn't know from logic. And I totally get that -- believe me, do I get it -- but still...WHY?! One of the great things about the show was that, at times, it had presented the world with women who were unapologetic about who they were. Women who slept with guys and didn't feel guilty. Women who threw themselves un-wedding showers.

So why did they have to make a movie about a woman in a stupid poufy dress who falls into a deep depression when she's jilted and then takes him back because he emails her famous mens' love letters because he's so out of touch with his own feelings?

I know what it's like to fall for ambivalent, emotionally unavailable men. B-E-L-I-E-V-E M-E, I know. In fact, maybe part of why the movie got me so angry is precisely because of that very reason -- but the Women's Studies part of me is just fuming that there was a collective "Awwww" in the theatre when Big proposed at the end in the middle of the huge walk-in closet he had built for her and, because he didn't have a diamond on hand, instead presented her with a hideous Manolo Blahnik shoe.

That's why my princesses wear flip-flops.

And that's why, if and when I get married, I'm wearing a slinky red pouf-less dress.

I spent...

...an exquisite afternoon on a park bench in Central Park today.

And that's all I'm going to say about it.

Best t-shirt ever

Up until today, my favorite t-shirt saying was one that Cindy wore in the book which said My therapist says I'm a great catch.

But I think I came across one that tops that.

While sitting at The Bean at 6th Ave and 10th St (my new de facto office), working on Book #3 today, a guy walked by wearing a shirt that simply said

I HAVE ISSUES.

Separated at Birth

Click here to read Ariel's column in the Sunday Times Magazine this week. I am 'Sophie.' (Actually, I was Sofia, but it got changed. I was a little upset when I heard because I feel Sofia is a lot more sophisticated and glamorous than Sophie which is either a 85-year-old or 5-year-old Jewish old woman/little girl, but I'm coping.)

Please note that I wrote my recent blog entry about her without knowing what she had written.

I'd say it's freaky, but as you'll see from reading, it's really not.

Ode to Michael Rosenberg

I'm on the phone with the real Michael Rosenberg, who called me to ask why he's not on the blog.

So I'm putting him on the blog.

I should also mention that when I met him 10 years ago, it wasn't exactly love at first sight like it was with my girlfriends, but it was something at first sight as evidenced by the fact that -- as Michael likes to remind me of at least a few times a month -- we "did it." (One of things I love about Michael even though I roll my eyes when he does it is that he likes to use words and phrases from the 1970s such as "did it" and "dynamite") We no longer "do it" -- and have not for many, many years -- but we've remained dear friends, save for a year and a half when I didn't talk to him because I thought he was stalking me. It turned out he was just calling me occasionally to say hello, but I tended to be a bit drama queen-y back in those days.

Michael is my most favorite person in the world to yell at and to quote lines from Annie Hall with -- two very important qualities that one should look for when choosing friends. The only real issue I have with him nowadays is that sometimes when he calls, he doesn't leave a message, even though I know he's called because his name comes up on caller ID. However, after yelling at him enough times about this, he's gotten better and now leaves messages saying "I wasn't going to leave a message, but I know you'd yell at me if I didn't."

Anyway, this blog entry is for you, Michael.

I love you.

Even when I'm yelling at you.

I may not be prom queen material...

...but Jeanine Le Ny was nice enough to lend me her tiara at the Prom Night Borders reading on Monday.

Benefits included

Last nite my doorman Pete told me he'd marry me in a heartbeat.

Yes, there's the slight hiccup that he's already married, but he's got a pension.

I'm not exactly sure what a pension is, but I have a feeling it's a good thing.

Love at first sight

I'm supposed to be writing. And I am, but what I mean is that I'm supposed to be writing the next book. Not blog entries. Or maybe I am supposed to be writing this blog entry because somehow it's going to inform the book.

Who knows. I certainly don't.

Anyway, the last few weeks I've had a bunch of experiences where I've come into contact with people -- either through MTV, or Facebook -- and there's just been this instant bond and a ton of crazy synchronicities. Really amazing.

For instance, I've been dealing with this rather challenging interpersonal relationship (sounds like something on a Human Resources report) and I alluded to it on my Facebook status and got an email from a woman in L.A. who I've known for a while but didn't know-know. For whatever reason I ended up telling her about said challenging interpersonal relationship -- no idea why -- and the amount of identification she had, and the fact that she had gone through something SO similar just blew me away. I like to joke that I keep hoping that one morning I'll wake up with a typed letter from the Universe under my pillow giving me very specific answers to my problems and, honestly, that happened. But it ended up in my email inbox rather than underneath my pillow. Not that she had the answers, but she walked through a very similar experience, which made me feel understood and gave me hope that maybe one day it'll just be an interpersonal relationship rather than a challenging interpersonal relationship.

Okay, so that was just one of the crazy random synchronicity experiences. But the MAIN one occurred on Saturday night.

So on Saturday night I went to an opening for an artist I know and as I was saying goodbye to him, this woman arrived and walked up to him. He introduced us and I immediately recognized her name and we started talking...and kept talking...and kept talking...and kept talking. Through the rest of the opening, through the cab ride to dinner, through dinner, through the movies the next afternoon, through the hour-long conversation we had on the phone AFTER the movie...through our emails the next morning. She's a writer, she's Jewish, our birthdays are 3 days apart in the month of January and we have about nine million other things in common that don't need to be written about in a public forum. Oh, AND it turns out that we had a mutual friend in LA fifteen years ago and met at some point out there. About the only difference I've found so far is that she goes to the doctor on a very regular basis and has the Web M.D. website saved in her "Favorites" folder whereas I, as Amy well knows, prefer to remain ignorant about how the human body and antibiotics work and just suffer.

It was love at first sight with Ariel -- just like it was with Amy eight years ago.

So on Monday, Ariel calls the artist and says "I just want to thank you for introducing me to Robin -- I feel like I've found my long-lost sister." Just at that moment an email from me landed in his inbox. He opens it and it says Thanks so much for introducing me to Ariel. I feel like I've found my long-lost sister.

Seriously.

How's THAT for a synchronicity? Carl Jung must be dancing a jig in his grave at the moment.

My experience is that the older you get, the harder it is to make friends. Acquaintances? Not a problem. Friends? Not so much. I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that (hopefully) as you age, you just know yourself better and therefore you know what works and what doesn't. And if, like me, you're someone who not only spends a lot of time alone but actually enjoys it, it's even more difficult.

It's not that there isn't room to be suprised by people, but sometimes there's just this...instant knowing with friends. This instant bond.

Just like sometimes there's this instant bond with people with whom you then go on to have challenging interpersonal relationships.

Which can be excruciating when you're repeatedly discovering by putting your palm smack in the middle of a hot skillet that that instant bond isn't enough to overcome the "challenges" part of the equation.

The last few weeks have brought what I feel are some new friends into my life. Some of those relationships will blossom and turn into names on my speed dial of people with whom I can just say "Hi it's me" when I call rather than "Hi it's Robin." Or, even better, just "Hi," like I do with Amy and Michael Rosenberg and a few other people.

I'm happy to report that Ariel and I are already at the "Hi" stage.

And some of those new friends who I've met will be people with whom a feel an instant rapport when I see them, or through our emails, but not necessarily people I talk to on a daily basis.

Both are good.

In fact, as my friend Julie says (who was also an instant friend when we met all those years ago at a New Year's Day brunch), it's all good. All of it -- even the challenging interpersonal relationships. They may not feel good in the moment, but somewhere in your heart of hearts you know that they are because they take you where you need to be, even if you have no inkling of where that is.

The shitty part is that sometimes it takes a while for the feeling and the knowing to catch up to each other.

New Yorker Cartoon of the Day

I stole this from my friend Patrick's blog.
I had to...a) because it's funny and b) because I'm burnt out and therefore can't think of anything to write about.

Glass, Cuba and Spring

Sometimes the stars line up just so, or maybe you just get tired of toting around these very heavy bags of expectations and ideas of what life should look or feel like and instead you just go live it, and this alchemy happens where you just let go and end up having an absolutely perfect day which is what I was blessed to have yesterday.

After a few days of rain, spring has shown up again and NY is in that sweet spot where it's sunny but not too sunny and warm but not too warm and people are smiling rather than grumbling about the heat and humidity. So after writing I went to the Philoctetes Center which is this amazing place affiliated with the New York Psychoanalytic Society that has these fantastic lectures and roundtable discussions centered around imagination. I went to see Scott Hick's documentary Glass, A Portrait of Philip in 12 Parts, about the composer Philip Glass, which was beautifully done and inspirational. Then I walked around the Upper East Side which I never do because, well, it's the Upper East Side and ended up at Schaller & Weber which is a German grocery store that sells sausages and spaetzle and chocolate -- stuff that brought back all these memories of my grandparents' house in Germany. And then after that, I went to meet my new gay soul mate Juan for dinner where I marveled at how kind the Universe can be by introducing you to truly lovely human beings on a semi-regular basis. And then we went to see a play called ALL EYES AND EARS by the very talented playwright Rogelio Martinez which is set in 1961 Cuba in the period between the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Really, really interesting -- I'm still digesting it and pondering it so I feel as if I can't write all that much about it yet, but afterwards we were talking about the idea of fear, and how living in that climate affects your behavior, and what you end up doing that you wouldn't normally do if you weren't afraid...(okay, I'm going to have to stop writing about this so I can go back to thinking about it)...And then after the play I went across the street with Rogelio and the cast and we talked about writing and writers and the filly from the Kentucky Derby who met a tragic end and a bunch of other stuff and it was...well, it was as delicious as the single piece of milk chocolate I bought at the German grocery store that afternoon and the perfect end to a perfect day.

Prom Night at Borders!

And even though my prom was a long, long time ago I get to go again.
Okay, so maybe it's not at a hotel, and maybe they won't be serving chicken kiev, and maybe I no longer have blonde frosted highlights, but it'll be awesome.

When: Monday 5/19 6:30p
Where: Borders Columbus Circle
59th and Broadway/Time Warner Center (you can get dinner at Whole Foods)
New York, NY
Who: Me (Robin Palmer, CINDY ELLA)
Brian Sloan (A REALLY NICE PROM MESS)
David Levithan (21 PROMS)
Nico Medina (FAT HOOCHIE PROM QUEEN)
Jeanine Le Ny (ONCE UPON A PROM)
Why: Because there will be punch and cookies and streamers. Oh, and authors
reading from funny books.

(P.S. How awesome would it be if I went all CARRIE during the reading?!)

Reason Number 732 Why I Love Target

So as I've mentioned, one of the only things I miss in L.A. is Target. Some people do walking meditations -- I walk the aisles of Target and feel that all is right in the world.

So imagine my delight when I found out today that CE is officially one of Target's Top 20 Titles this week.
Yay CE!

Yay Target!

Yay Isaac Mizrahi wrap dresses that look just as great as Diane von Furstenbergs for 1/78th of the price!

If she wasn't so nice, I'd hate her.

Okay, so this weekend I signed at the Border's booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books which was a huge honor, even if it was nine billion degrees and I was sweating so much that when I stood up the front of my brand new dress was all wet. What I did not know until I got there is that I would be sitting next to Lisi Harrison, author of the New York Times bestselling series The Clique. It's not like I could tell you what I would've done had I known beforehand. I mean, it's not like I would have said "Oh, sorry, fine people at Borders, but I forgot that I had a previous engagement and won't be able to come sit at your booth." But when Lisi got there and I saw a) that Lisi was Lisi, bestselling author of The Clique; b) that she was tall; c) that she was skinny; d) that she was gorgeous; e) that she was hysterical; f) that she was self-deprecating; g) that she had a super cool and funky gold belt on and h) that there was a huge line of tweens waiting to get their books signed by her which not only did she do, but she did with so much warmth and humor, I almost wanted to crawl under the table in my brand new dress and hide. Which would have been difficult because it's a very colorful dress and sooner or later someone would notice me under the table and wonder what I was doing.

Anyway, I didn't hide. Instead I introduced myself and told her that I worked at MTV which is where she worked before she left to work on The Clique books full time. And so we talked about that, and about how hot it was, and she told me she liked my dress. So not only is Lisi Harrison a very good and prolific writer but she's also just all-around cool and sweet and someone I'd totally want to eat lunch with at the MTV cafeteria but that's not going to happen seeing that a) she no longer works there and b) she lives in California now and the cafeteria I'm talking about is in New York.

Oh, and then she gave me a very good piece of advice which wasn't about writing or book signings or anything like that -- it was something she learned from Tyra Banks which is that when you're getting your picture taken, say "Hey" instead of "Cheese" because it makes you look prettier.

So this is us saying hey.

The Real Michael Rosenberg

So if you've read the book, you know that the one and only date Cindy has been on was with this guy named Michael Rosenberg who is the son of one of her father's golf buddies. The date doesn't go so well, due to the fact that Michael doesn't know that the movie Lord of the Rings was based on a book and because he peppers his sentences with phrases like "Yo, check this.

The thing is, there really is a Michael Rosenberg -- and he's one of my closest friends and this is a picture of us at Chevalier Books on Larchmont Boulevard (the same street where Cindy meets Noah at Starbucks, and where she runs into Adam Silver at the yoga studio, and where she gets her makeover by Esta, and where she learns the shocking news about Noah at Cafe du Village). Michael and I have an agreement that the Michael Rosenberg character will appear in every one of my books. Maybe if he's really nice to me I'll make him a lead.

Greetings from L.A.

I had planned to blog a lot more while I was here, but between signings, school visits, seeing friends, eating at my favorite restaurants, yoga, and working (that thing they pay me for so I have a roof over my head and O'Neill can eat that special urinary tract formula cat food because he's a very sensitive cat), I've been a very busy girl.

Being in L.A. has been great for a variety of reasons; the most important one being that I've been able to see how NYC is now most definitely my home. I will admit it's nice to be able to not have to worry about how much food you buy at the supermarket because you can just shove it in the trunk rather than have to haul it back by foot to your apartment, but other than that, and my friends, and my yoga teacher, and Target, I don't really miss anything here.

Okay, so obviously I miss some stuff.

I read at Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach last night and it was a lovely evening. I met a woman and her granddaughter who had both read CE, as had the girl's mother who was home sick. The idea that three generations of women read the book is just fantastic. They're going to send me a picture of the three of them so that I can post it.

Today I'm going to Harvard Westlake to talk to some students. Interestingly enough, it's the school that was the model for Castle Heights! Tomorrow I sign at the Borders and Penguin booths at the LA Times Book Festival and then I fly home at 7am (I know, I know, what was I thinking?!) on Sunday. As comfortable as my friend Amy's bed has been (she was gracious enough to let me stay at her place while she's in Florida this week), I'm looking forward to being in my own on Sunday night.

I realize this is a very boring post and I aplogize for that. I'm just a wee bit tired at the moment.

Anyway, as nice as it is to be here, I'm ready to be back on the subway.

Finally

Just finished the revision on the new book and sent it off to my editor.

I'm never given birth to a real live baby, but I now get why women scream for epidurals.

Seriously.

I think I'm going to call my agent and have a provision put in all future contracts that the publisher must provide me with one as well.

I'm not quite sure the book is written in English...in fact, I may have made up an entirely new language in those last few chapters, but hopefully Penguin can find a translator.

And with that, I'm going to go take a nice long walk in Riverside Park and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Do you miss me?

I don't think we're in Manhattan anymore, Toto
Ocean Avenue
View from my hotel room
I miss you.

I know, I know -- I don't write anymore, I don't call...

But I can't help it. I'm a busy girl.

Last I wrote, my wallet had been stolen. And returned. All in one day. Then I figured out that the people who returned it were most likely the people who used the cards, which is beyond screwed up. But, hey, I'm just glad it's back because I certainly wasn't looking forward to spending a morning at the DMV getting a new license.

Went to L.A. last Sunday and came back 24 hours later. Weird to be back there --felt like a foreign country in many ways on Sunday, but by Monday felt like I had never left which was a bit scary. Very much enjoyed the sunshine, and the bathtub at Shutters On The Beach, the hotel where I stayed. Going back again on Friday for 10 days.

So, yeah, have been writing nonstop and am sure I am technically braindead and should not be allowed to operate heavy machinery. But once the book is done, I promise I will resume my semi-regular posting.

Welcome To NY

So it's the first beautiful spring day; I finish the first pass of the revision of my second book; I go to yoga; I try not to think about the fact that I'm going to have to take a 6 1/2 hour plane ride to LA tomorrow morning only to have to then turn around 28 hours later and take a 6 hour flight home; I get my nails done; I stop at Citarella on my stroll home to get an artichoke and goat cheese sandwich; I'm walking down West End Avenue enjoying the sunshine and my sandwich; I reach into my purse to get my iPod so I can have a soundtrack for the beautiful spring day/delicious sandwich and I realize....

My wallet's gone.

I run back to Citarella, telling myself that I'm getting all bent out of shape about nothing; that of course I just left it there and of course I'll walk in and the cranky woman who rang me up will have somehow transformed into a happy woman who will give me a big smile and say "You left your wallet" and hand it to me but that's not what happens -- instead I run in and the cranky woman is still cranky and when I ask her whether I left my wallet there and she gives me a look like I just asked her for her kidney and gruffly tells me no, I did not leave my wallet there.

This whole thing -- from checkout to the time I ran back -- has taken about seven minutes. So I run to my bank and the woman who helps me says "I betcha the first thing they did was run to the subway and buy MetroCards" and sure enough that's what they did -- $600 worth of MetroCards. Plus about $400 worth of other stuff on one of my credit cards which I still don't know what it is because the charges are still pending. So I spend an hour at the bank closing my regular checking account and my business one, and then I have to call all my credit cards and cancel those, and then I have to call the credit bureaus and report it so I don't become one of those people on Dateline you see who have had their lives screwed up by identity theft. And then I start thinking about the fact that I have to go get a new driver's license, a new MTV ID card, etc. etc. Plus, by this time the cold I've been staving off for days is about 50% full blown.

And then I get home and Jesus, one of my doormen, shows me a note from a gentleman named Richard who said that he found my wallet near 78th Street and that he'll come back to return it later. So I hang out and wait for Richard, but he doesn't come, and then I go to dinner with my friend Heidi, and when I get home, there's my wallet....

With everything in it other than the $2 cash I had in there.

Everything.

Credit cards, bank cards, driver's license.

Moral to the story: it totally sucks that there are people out there who steal wallets and it's totally amazing that there are good, decent, kind-hearted people who will go out of their way not once, but twice to return a now almost-75%-full-blown sick woman's wallet.

And now I'm going to bed because, as you can imagine, it's been a very long day.

More rain

Okay, enough of the winter-like weather.

I know April showers bring May showers but the cold is hurting my bones and the lack of light is hurting my mood.

Meanwhile, I'm in the home stretch of the revision of the second book and once I resurface I will start blogging again because I'm sure all of my many readers (or at least the two I know about, my dad and my friend Amy) have missed my posts.

I'm going to L.A. on Sunday morning and coming back to NY at 4pm on Monday. Way too quick of a trip, but I get to stay at Shutters On The Beach which is a very cushy hotel with fabulous bathtubs. One of the perks of working for a large corporation.

I'm a bad blogger....

I know.

It's been an entire week since my last post.

To be honest, I thought it more like two weeks, so now I feel a little less guilty. But because I was raised Jewish, I can't not feel a little guilty. About anything. Or everything. Depends on the day.

Anyway, the reason I haven't written here is because I've been busy writing elsewhere -- namely working on the revision of my second book. Hopefully I'll be posting a picture of the cover (designed by the incredibly talented Kristin Smith, who did CE as well) soon. It's super cute.

I use a lot of birth metaphors when I talk about writing, and I was thinking about how each book really is like a kid. With CE I felt like I had all this time to...prepare. And I did, because I didn't have a lot going on. But now, in addition to writing the second one, I also have a close-to-full time job at MTV (Did I mention that? I can't remember. Well, I do. I develop the original movies) and I'm busy promoting CE. So now I'm that frazzled working mother who feels guilty (there's that word again) that she's not giving the kids enough attention and worries (another byproduct of Judaism) that they'll begin acting out in inappropriate ways and end up having Lifetime Original Movies based on them.

Hopefully not. Hopefully they'll remain upstanding, well-written citizens and everything will get done and everything will be fine and I can stop worrying.

At least that's what people tell me will be the case. I don't really believe them , but just for today I'll nod and smile and pretend that I do.

LA-LA-Land Appearances

Next month I'll be going back to L.A. for the first time since I moved to NYC and in addition to taking class with my favorite yoga teacher Lucy Bivins and eating as much Red Velvet Cake as possible from Doughboys Bakery with Amy, I'll be doing some bookstore signings/appearances...so if you're in the neighborhood, please stop by.

Saturday, April 19th
12noon
Chevalier's Books
126 Larchmont Blvd. (the very street where a lot of CE takes place!)
Los Angeles

Sunday, April 20th
1:00pm
Storyopolis
12348 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City

Thursday, April 24th
7:00pm
Barnes & Noble
7881 Edinger Ave.
Huntington Beach

Saturday, April 26th
Los Angeles Times Book Festival
UCLA

10:00am-11:00am
Border’s Booth

2:00pm-3:00pm
Penguin Young Readers Group/Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop
(Booth 813)

MySpace...

...is NoPlace to go when you're trying hard to scrub the memory of someone off the surface of your brain with a Brillo pad.

Too easy to do what my Deb calls an "internet drive-by" and find out what they've been up to.

Spring has sprung

Okay, not really, but a girl can dream.

Before I moved, all I heard (from ex-NYers) was "Sure, you'll like New York--but let's see how you feel in February, when it's cold and rainy." And I'd just smile and say "Yeah, well, I grew up in Boston and remember the Blizzard of '78, so I think I'll be okay." And I have been okay. In fact, I haven't complained AT ALL about the weather.

Okay, not exactly true. I didn't start complaining until a week ago and that's only because everyone else started complaining--we're talking native NYers--and therefore I thought it would be okay if I started chiming in.

It's not that the cold is bothering me--it's that it's been going on so long. And the fact that every store window has cute little sleeveless sundresses isn't helping the situation.

So, yes, I'm ready for spring. I'm ready to start wearing flip-flops.

And I won't complain the heat either.

As you can see, I'm really stretching here with stuff to write about. That's because I highly doubt you want to hear about how I spent most of the weekend doing my taxes and working on my rewrite on the second fairy tale.

Oh! I almost forgot. How on earth could I have forgotten this?!

BIG BIG NEWS...

On Saturday I discovered Pell Street in Chinatown. More specifically, I discovered the hair salons there. Where I can get my hair washed and blown out for $15.

$15!!!

This discovery officially made my year.

So as I am writing this, it's with my sleek, soft, straight hair.

I'm officially addicted.

Because if I'm going to be wearing cute little sundresses and flip-flops soon enough, I need to have pretty hair.

10 Things About Cindy Ella You Might Not Know

Okay, here's the deal -- I've been way too busy working the last few days to have much of a life. Not that I'm complaining though--seriously--I'm so grateful for the work. But unfortunately that means that I don't have a lot to write about.

(Meanwhile, I'm watching the news about Governor Spitzer. I mean, come on, man -- what on earth were you thinking?!)

So, anyway, for your reading pleasure, here are 10 things about Cindy Ella--the character and the book--that you may not know.

(Meanwhile, how cool that the (most likely) new governor of NY is blind?!)

Okay, so back to the 10 things. Here they are:

1. Cafe Du Village, where Cindy and Noah have lunch, really does exist. And it really is on Larchmont Blvd. And they really do have great fries.

2. I wrote a lot of the book while sitting at the Starbucks on Larchmont Boulevard.

3. Cindy's English teacher Ms. McManus is named in honor of my high school friend Dawn McManus who teaches English at Monmouth Regional High School.

4. It took almost one year to the day from the time I came up with the idea for the book to the time my fabulous agent Kate sold it to my fabulous editor Jennifer.

5. The day Kate sent the book out to publishers I started crying during yoga class because I felt like I had sent my kid out into the world and I could no longer protect her.

6. I used to own tons of expensive high heels but I had to sell them on eBay to pay my rent because that's the kind of thing struggling writers have to do and now when I put a pair on, I find it almost impossible to walk in them, which is why I wear either flip-flops (summer) or red cowboy boots (winter).

7. The reason Cindy wears the t-shirts in the book with the funny sayings is because I always wanted to make them and sell them, so instead I gave them to her. But I am in the process of making some up to sell on my website.

8. I am so not organized like Cindy is.

9. I used to work in the movie department at Lifetime Television, and a lot of the movies I mention in the book were ones I actually developed.

10. Michael Rosenberg is based on my friend Michael Rosenberg and he's more than willing to sign autographs.

Prom pictures, people, prom pictures...

I can't believe I have yet to receive ONE Scary Prom Picture picture from you people.

SEND THEM IN!!!

Cami Lavoie wants to be famous

Yesterday I spent the day with Cami Lavoie, her six-month-old sister Ellie, and their mother Joli Gross, who was one of my college roommates. As Cami already has a godmother, I am her official fairy godmother, which obviously makes sense considering what I write.

As was appropriate for a fairy godmother/goddaughter outing, we went to Serendipity for lunch (well, really, we went for the frrozen hot chocolate, but seeing that that's not exactly a healthy lunch, we coated our stomachs with food first). Cami will be nine in a few weeks, so I got her some Judy Blume books and an origami kit, and she made us matching friendship bracelets which include a sparkly shoe (natch), a taxi (because we met in NYC), an I Heart Dogs(because we like dogs), and a Best Friends Album. It has officially become my most favorite piece of jewelry and I am wearing it as I type this.

During lunch when I asked Cami what she wanted to be when she grew up she said she wanted to be famous. Thankfully Cami is incredibly smart and precocious and funny and kind and as 9-going-on-30, I have no doubt that she will achieve her goal of making an indelible mark on the world that is more in line with coming up with a cure for cancer rather than ending up on Page Six for being seen at the Beatrice Inn.

Right, Cami?

That being said, her birthday invitation says "Come dressed as a rock star or in your favorite outfit to stroll down the red carpet."

Homecoming Queen. (yeah, right...how about just Homecoming?)

What a fab, fab day.

Rented a car and drove to NJ (who knew driving could be so fun when you no longer have to do it on a daily basis?!) and spoke at my alma mater Ocean Township High School to a bunch of Creative Writing and English class students, which was organized by the absolutely lovely librarian Donna Emeric.

The kids were so great -- asked terrific questions. I don't remember our class having such a high percentage of good looking kids. And all really sweet. Lots of Jordans. And Taylors. I think I'll need to put some in my next book.

Someone asked me who my teachers had been while I was there, and I said that I couldn't remember a lot of them, but that my favorite was my AP English teacher George Ripley, to which a girl said "That's my dad!" It turned out Mr. Ripley (I know I'm 39 and should be able to call him George, but I just can't get myself do it) retired two years ago, but he still helps out with the theatre stuff and after I was done, he SHOWED UP! It was great to be able to tell him in person how much he had inspired me -- even if he did make us read Madame Bovary, which I didn't end up reading until the night before the test.

After that met my prom date Tom for coffee and then headed over to the mall where I had dinner with one of my dearest friends from high school Dawn McManus-now-Collett who teaches at Monmouth Regional High School, which is right near where we grew up. I haven't seen her since I was in college and it felt like absolutely no time had passed.

After that we made our way over to Borders and I felt like all that was missing was the marching band and balloons. Seriously, those guys went to town -- you couldn't swing a cat without hitting a copy of CE which was amazing. I felt as famous as a reality show star. Really.

Tom showed up with his two daughters Allie And Abbey, which was great. And then my old friend Paul Abrams showed up with his wife and two kids. And Jen, my lovely and fabulously talented editor even came by.

What a great, great night.

Sadly I was too tired to take advantage of the Freehold Raceway Mall -- and it was HUGE. I did, however, find myself quite soothed by the amount of strip malls on Route 35 as I drove around all day.

Prom Picture Contest

Okay -- now this is going to get really fun.

So while the woman at the nail salon was cutting my nails down to the quick tonight, I came up with the idea that I think we'll have a contest. And the contest will go like this:

If you click on my How I Spent My Senior Prom entry, you'll see my prom picture and you'll probably laugh (or at least cringe) as you look at my frosted blonde hair. So I was thinking that there's no reason why I should be the only one to humiliate myself on this thing -- and therefore I invite YOU to humiliate yourselves by sending in your prom picture as well -- you know, one where you're either wearing a completely over-bedazzled dress, or have super big hair. And, if you're still in high school and therefore either a) haven't gone to the prom yet or b) your picture isn't all that funny because it was just taken last year and therefore you look, like, normal, then -- I don't know -- ask your mom if you can submit hers. But ask before you do because I don't want to get sued or anything, okay?

Anyway, once I narrow them down, I'm going to post them and then everyone can vote on the Most Critical Fashion/Beauty Emergency one. (Did you know you can set up little polls on this thing and have people vote? How democratic of the blogspot people). And the winner will get a signed copy of CE.

So start sending them -- to robin@robinpalmeronline.com.

I'm so excited.

P.S. Please be aware that this is NOT an example of a hideous prom dress -- in fact, when I first saw Molly sewing away in Pretty In Pink I would've sold my baby brother Josh to the gypsies if I could have had this dress. I LOVED this dress. Now, not so much, but back then? Oh yeah.

P.P.S. Julie Dubensky, you better send yours in...

Appearing nightly at the Freehold Raceway Mall...

Okay, maybe not nightly. Maybe just one night.

And that would be tomorrow night -- Thursday March 6th at Borders at 7:00pm.

When I think of New Jersey, I think of malls. In high school I worked at the Bambergers (before it was bought by Macy's) in a NJ mall. Not this mall -- the Monmouth one.

I love malls. They make me feel safe.

Weird, I know, especially since the chances of a crazed gunman coming into a mall and opening fire are a lot greater than having one come into my apartment, but whatever, it's true.

Anyway, if you live in NJ -- or even if you don't, and you just feel like hopping on a plane and coming to NJ for the evening -- please come see me there. I'll have just come from speaking at my high school and hopefully I won't be too depressed because I will have realized that it's been 22 years since I graduated and that's a bit of a buzzkill no matter how great my skin is looking since I switched moisturizers a few weeks back.

P.S. This is a picture of the mall. It's nice, no? So not only can you come see me read, but you can do buy yourself a new spring wardrobe.