iSeuss?

Have an iPhone or iTouch? Love to read with the kiddos? Then check out this article that shows how Oceanhouse Media turned 2 Seuss classics into interactive, reading fun!

I'm still a bit standoffish in regards to giving up my hard copies in favor of ebooks, but these apps were created with a lot of care and attention to detail. What do you think? Will you test out this new platform of reading with your little ones?

Picasso Award!

LuAnn, of Reading Frenzy, was nice enough to share an award with me! It's the Picasso Award and part of winning this award asks that I share 7 things about myself with you. And I hear that these little tidbits are supposed to be 'true'. Too bad because my fake life is so much more interesting! lol.

*I am younger than you expect, but older than you realize.

*When I was 12, David Copperfield asked me for my phone number...as part of a magic trick he was doing when he took me onstage. :-P

*I love judge shows, especially Judge Judy.

*I almost died from appendicitis when I was a child.

*I was a member of a sorority in college.

*I have never lived alone and think I would go crazy if I did. I need people around me.

*I rode out Hurricane Hugo (1989) on a cot mattress in a tiny motel bathtub with a porcelain doll and my mom.

And now to pass this lovely award along to some folks who I think have some dark secrets to share!:
1. Bermudaonion
2. Savvy Verse & Wit
3. Metroreader
4. Hello, My Name is Alice

BEA and BBC 2010

I was invited to take part in the blog tour hosted by Book Blogger Con to help gear everybody up for the upcoming bookish festivities in May!

Now, if you've never been to BEA, or NYC, I can give you a couple of quick tips:
*wear comfortable shoes. Seriously. The best you can find.
*be bold! If you're not ready to stick your hand out and talk to every stranger you see at these events, it's going to turn out like a bad school dance.
*bring a shoulder bag and set some cash aside to ship books home to yourself. (last year they wouldn't take a debit card)
*plan and map, plan and map.
*buy an NFT Guide...

a WHAT?? The Not For Tourists (NFT) guide book is the best recommendation I have for you. It's small and practical, has the best subway map you're going to find anywhere, and looks far less touristy than giant triple fold maps or cheesy pop-up ones. Don't get me wrong. I totally own a pop-up map. This one works really well if you're trying to get an idea of where certain sights are in Manhattan, but the NFT will offer you detailed maps of each neighborhood. If you're standing on a corner, you can open the book up and find the restaurants, ATMs, coffee shops, etc., in the immediate area.

And while we're chatting about all there is to see and do, I must let you know this: you will not be able to see and do everything you want on this one trip! I lived there and still never made it to the Empire State Building. Most people have an enormous list of 'I wanna see', and there's nothing wrong with that. You just need to be realistic. Manhattan is huge and packed with people. It takes time to travel from one place to the next (20-40 minutes most times) and there are lines for everything. And don't you want to enjoy the time you have in the City?

So here are my tips for ya:
*La Guardia airport is much closer to the City than JFK.

*if you want to go to the Statue of Liberty, please visit the website as soon as possible to plan it. Something is always updating or changing. As of a year or so ago, you couldn't go higher than the pedastal of the statue and you had to reserve those tickets months in advance.

*if you would like to get cheap tickets for a Broadway show, visit one of the TKTS booths. I recommend the South Street Seaport booth. It's less trafficked than the Times Square one. Give yourself time for this because you will wait in line!

*'The Beast' is tons of fun.

*Chocolate by the Bald Man is one of my favorite places for chocolatey goodness.

*I cannot recommend the The Sex and the City bus tour enough! It takes you to several trendy neighborhoods and is a pretty good tour of some places you might not make it to otherwise.

So start planning and get ready for fun! BEA and Book Blogger Con are going to be a blast, but don't forget you'll be in NYC! Be sure to let me know if you have any questions or want some insider tips. :-D

Smurfs Rule!

I wish you all a fun, happy, beautiful Valentine's Day this weekend! I hope you're able to spend time celebrating with the loved ones in your life. In fact, I hope it's Smurftastic! :-P

Emmett James Blog Talk Radio Interview

***This interview is archived and still available for instant replay via the link below***
Alright, Ladies, who digs a man with a British accent? I know it soothes me more than a cat on my lap and a pitcher of mojitos. And if they bunch your knickers and have you fancying clotted cream, then I would tune in on Wednesday, February 10, for a blog talk radio chat between Emmett James and the men of Movie Geeks United!

See you there!

New Blogger on the Block

Sandra Williams has been kind enough to review books for me since I started floundering around online. Back when I was still in NYC and at a PR firm, she reviewed the first book I ever pitched: Angels of a Lower Flight. (Tangent: No one has done more for Haitian orphans than the author of this book. I highly recommend visiting her site. She started the Marcy and Sharing foundation with her own money and continues to commit 100% of all donations directly to their projects in Haiti. Her book continues to resonate with me today. If you would like a picture of what life for orphaned Haitian children is like, please read this book! End tangent.)

Back to Sandra. She has written for Suite101 in a variety of capacities and has most recently been reviewing for the Self-Help Books section. But, the blog bug has bitten her and she's launched her very own review blog called Rebel Book Freak! I wanted to introduce her to everyone and asked if she wouldn't mind answering some interview questions. She didn't.

*If you could hold any original book or document in your hands, what would it be?
"My grandma wrote a romance novel and I believe my aunt has a copy. I’d like to get a copy of it for sentimental reasons, but also to inspire me as I continue writing my own novel."

*What cookbook best illustrates your life?
"I’d pick the Joy of Cooking. It’s all about real food with practical ingredients for the most part. Whether you want cookies, bread, salads or dinner, you’ll find it in that cookbook. I need to pick up a new one because I’ve used it so much over the years that it’s falling apart. I suppose it illustrates my life in that I don’t like to limit myself. There’s a little bit of everything in The Joy of Cooking so you’re not stuck with just baking cookies or cooking casseroles. The book is also simple and practical and I strive to be both of those things."

*You read a lot of nonfiction. Is there one book in particular that resonates so well with you that you continue to reread?
"I’m mad about Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and if I had to pick only one of his books to reread, it would probably be Your Sacred Self. It’s all about growing spiritually, becoming centered and maintaining inner peace."

*What would you title a book about your life?
“From Tough Tomboy to Domestic Diva because I used to hate anything that seemed remotely feminine as it made me feel weak. Because I hung out with my father so much, I think I was trying to be the son he never had. Everything that I rebelled against as a teen I’m now ironically into. Right now I’m cross-stitching a crazy bird onto a tote bag and even my sisters seem to find my new pursuits surprising."

Thanks so much to Sandra for lending her time to answer these questions! Now head on over to Rebel Book Freak and leave her a comment. On a side note, Sandra lives near Toronto and would be interested in hearing from fellow...Torantans? Torontians? Rancho Carne Toros? (any opportunity to quote Bring It On must be taken!) Ok. I give up. What are folks from Toronto called?