GCC: A Connecticut Fashiona In King Arthur's Court

Today in GCC, I have the pleasure of visiting with debut novelist, Marianne Mancusi , author of A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court. Marianne is more familiar behind the television cameras, than sitting at the writing desk, but with six more novels under contract, I have a feeling that's about to change. Here's the blurb on the book:

Imagine a Bridget Jones like character spiraling back in time to the days of Camelot. That's the unique premise behind the latest chick lit offering from Dorchester Publishing. "A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court" (May 2005) combines, for the first time ever, chick lit attitude with a time travel plot. Debut author Marianne Mancusi, an Emmy Award winning television news producer for the NBC affiliate in Boston, pens a sexy, magical, laugh-out-loud romp through the legend you only thought you knew.

"I love the voice of Chick Lit," says Mancusi. "But I felt the same old plotlines about a girl in the city with a bad boss and good shoes were getting old. I wanted to do something a little different."

Connecticut Fashionista features an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who s certainly not your typical damsel in distress. But when a gypsy curse sends her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she'll need every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity--all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos--takes some doing!

So slip on your stilettos and clutch your Cosmos tight, as Dorchester Publishing and Marianne Mancusi send you on a wild, wacky, and oh-so-fashionable trip back in time.

I picked up the book this weekend and can't wait to read in. In the meantime, I had some questions for Marianne.

Kathleen: Have you always been a fan of the Arthur legend? Which one is your favorite, Arthur or Lancelot?
Marianne: I've always loved the legend of King Arthur and devoured any book I could find on the subject. I'm more of an Arthur fan than a Lancelot one. In fact, I could never understand why Guinevere would leave the kind, honorable, loyal king - her husband - to be with the moody, petulant Lancelot. I always felt bad for the Once and Future King. Actually, it's a theme I explore in great lengths in my book.

Kathleen: Being a news producer is fascinating to me, do you have problems switching between your two roles, or is there some routine that moves you from the real world into your writing?
Marianne: It can be sometimes difficult to balance time wise, but writing wise, the two jobs are very different (writing in script form vs. manuscript form) so it's not too hard to keep them separate. I believe being a tv news producer has helped me in some aspects - handling tight deadlines, writing high concept pitches, and creating believable dialog. (Since everything I write for tv news has to be spoken.)

Kathleen: I see you've got quite a few YA novels in the works. Which is easier for you to write, YA or adult fiction?
Marianne: YA's - because they're half the length! heh. But seriously, I have a young voice anyway - even in my adult stuff - so writing for teens comes naturally. But I enjoy doing both.

Kathleen: I'm a bit of a news junkie, and was curious if you'd be able to share any fun news stories about the life of a producer?
Marianne: I've done a little bit of everything as a producer. I may be uncovering government scams one day and introducing folks to the latest diet craze the next. It's challenging and creative and very, very interesting. In my position I've done everything from cover major political events, such as the Democratic National Convention to interviewing actor Kevin Spacey about his Golden Globe nod. I've journeyed deep into Mexico with a man hunting for UFOs and exposed backyard breeders who neglect and abuse the animals they sell.

Kathleen: What was the most exciting moment when having your book published?
Marianne: I think the original call from my agent saying that Dorchester wanted to publish the book was the MOST exciting moment. I just remember feeling so excited that I was literally sick to my stomach. That and seeing the cover for the first time. I kept staring at it, hardly believing that it was real. That this dream had come true. I want every writer to be able to someday experience that feeling.

Kathleen: That's all the news today. I should be wrapping up the last bits of the book this week and I'll return to being a happy, sane person once more! Happy Memorial Day to those in the States, and for everyone else, have a great weekend.

Excused Absence

Due to severe writing demands from now until 6/7 (and also Little League), I haven't been able to write any blog entries worthy of your time. I have one GCC post coming up, but that will be all I'm doing until probably about 6/7. I promise to have great, insightful, and witty commentary when I return. and if they're not, uh, just don't let me hear you complaining, all right?

GCC: The Bitch Posse

Today's post is about Martha O'Connor's debut novel THE BITCH POSSE. Tired of light, frothy, and forgettable? Well, this is the book you've been waiting for.

THE BITCH POSSE is the dark and thrilling story of three young women, their passionate friendship, and the terrible secret that inextricably binds them together. Bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard called the novel "dark, poignant, and only too believable…a book that will walk alongside you, and haunt your dreams, long after you turn the last page." Her contemporaries have compared her to Alice Sebold, Donna Tartt, and Joyce Carol Oates.

With bold and unflinching language, O'Connor weaves past and present from the perspectives of three best friends, Rennie, Amy, and Cherry – as rebellious teens and then as grown women in their mid-30's coping with the repercussions of their actions. As high school seniors, the girls form a tight circle of friends – which they name the Bitch Posse – in order to lash out against tumultuous situations in their lives.

But as steadfast as their friendship is, it's not enough to protect the girls from circumstances that cause all three of their lives to
spiral out of control. Rennie has a doomed affair with her married
drama teacher, which results in her bearing the psychic weight of an abortion and a blighted love. Amy's parents think their daughter has thrown over her bad-news friends, and upon learning their daughter has become a drug and alcohol addict (not unlike themselves) they turn their backs on her. Cherry's mother finds solace in cocaine, then heroin, leaving her daughter to target her rage at someone, anyone, over whom she has control.

Flash-forward to the present, where one girl is now a wife and mother-to-be, trying to uphold a life of normalcy for herself and her family. One is a writer with a sexual addiction that sucks her into destructive relationships. And one is incarcerated in a mental hospital – and has been since one fateful night fifteen years ago, when a betrayal led them to commit a crime that profoundly changed their destinies.

Fascinated by the struggle between good and evil within the human spirit, Martha O'Connor delves into the dark side of human nature, the intensity of female friendship, and the possibilities of redemption in THE BITCH POSSE. Emotionally raw, upsetting, and provocative, this is the introduction of a huge new talent and will leave readers reeling this season. As Edmund White says, "The Bitch Posse is a debut worthy of Joyce Carol Oates."

The book's accolades are a who's who of the writing and reviewing community, but this one really speaks to me.

"Stuck up middle finger punk fiction." -Mark Farley, Waterstone's Notting Hill Gate, London

Can't wait to check it out.

The Novel Art

There's an article in the New York Times about three novelists who are writing on display in a converted factory in Queens. It's an interesting concept, with very strict rules governing the time in the boxes. According to the Times,

"The writers can emerge for only 90 minutes a day and must record on time cards the reason for their absence (laundry, bathroom, snacks). Each evening they will gather together to eat a meal cooked by a chef from a local restaurant."

I've tried those sort of rules with my own family, but they're not buying into the whole concept. Perhaps what I'm missing is the box to do my actual writing in. Not sure. There are also strict visiting hours for the authors:

visitors can peep occasionally (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m).

Visting hours? Hmmm... 3 to 5pm. That's when the kids get out of school. It could work. I'm going to make a sign and put it outside the dungeon and see who notices it. (Even odds, the answer is 'no one.')

All in all, I can see the seductive premise of a forced confinement, almost zoo-like in it's voyeuristic watching, but will America fall for the idea of watching an author write? My favorite quote was this one from one of the participants:

Ms. Stone, a trim, lively woman with stylish short hair, was drawn by the isolation. "The idea of escaping from TV, all media, was very appealing to me," she said, in an interview before the experiment began.

Yes, those dratted NYT reporter's, following wherever you go....

Comments on Life

Everybody who's really tired of The Runaway Bride and wished she would run away to someplace, like, uh, Baghdad, raise your hand. Thought so. I knew it wasn't just me.

What's up with the the face of captured Al Quaeda big al-Libbi? Isn't that the dead guy from Weekend at Bernie's?

The O'Reilly curse has struck again. Yes, the New York Yankee's are the latest to fall victim to the infamous author's damning pen. Allusions were made to the baseball team's consistently winning record in her latest release, The Diva's Guide to Selling Your Soul, and this season, fans everywhere are in shock as the previously undefeatable jocks have sank to last place in the American League East. Angry fans were last seen picketing the home of the Rockland scribe and threatening to buy up all copies of the tome and burn them in a sacrificial bonfire at the House that Ruth Built. Stay tuned for this developing story.

Today's Post

Today's post (or at least the early one) is over at Romancing the Blog . I decided to tackle the always controversial historical/contemporary debate with hard-hittting detail. Time permitting (and if my sister is flying in tomorrow rather than today like SHE TOLD ME), I'll post again later.

How to Know When a Book Has Legs

Galleycat deciphers the really skinny on the key to a book's success.