I have an addiction to popular culture. If you're like me, then there are two sites you'll probably want to check out: www.rottentomatoes.com, the ultimate movie review site, and www.adultswim.com, the home website for Cartoon Network's most deliciously twisted set of primetime programming. Rotten Tomatoes is a compendium of reviews, collecting them from different media sources, both websites and national newspapers. They give a "tomato-meter" rating, depending on how many "fresh" versus "rotten" reviews a movie gets. If you're iffy on whether or not you want to see something, the balanced view might help you get off the fence. And Adult Swim… ahhh. From Family Guy to Futurama to Sealab 2021, this block of programming has a very tongue-in-cheek sense of humor that's reflected in the website. Come on. They've got an episode called "50 ways to leave your 50 foot lover." How can you resist? posted:2.01.05
Couchsurfing.com
When I was writing Couch World, I found Couchsurfing.com in an article in the Toronto Star. Just sign up, and you can find people willing to let you crash on their couches all over the country (and in other countries.) You've got to love the mix of idealism and practicality – enough people register, and you'll never be a stranger in town again. posted: 12.07.04
I've always had a fascination with dance clubs and DJ's, so it was a pure pleasure to write Couch World, my next Red Dress Ink offering, coming out January 1, 2005. I had to do a lot of research, and by far one of the most helpful websites I visited was a female DJ collective in San Francisco (which is where the story takes place.) Their website is www.sistersf.com. If you want to learn about the terminology, or anything else about being a DJ, this is the place. I also spoke at length with DJ Amber, who teaches how to be a DJ. She is amazing, and was tremendously influential on the book. posted: 9.01.04
On June 14th, I fulfilled my lifetime dream of becoming a full time writer by quitting my day job at a big healthcare company. My brother clued me in on a funny little website that's designed with quitting in mind: www.iquit.org. Read the resignation letters. My personal favorite is the "Sarcastic" letter, that includes gems like "My experience with you and this company has been so fulfilling and joyful that I almost cried when I realized I had to move on to a different company." Still, if you're fantasizing about ditching your current place of employment, check it out.
posted: 9.01.04
If you're going to write Chick Lit, then you're going to want to bookmark wordspy.com. It's filled with up-to-the-minute multiple usage "new words" and terms such as spim, dormcest, hasbian, Batmobiling, drink the Kool-Aid, spinach cinema and yestersol. As the home page says, "This Web site is devoted to lexpionage, the sleuthing of new words and phrases." And it's a hell of a lot of fun, besides. posted: 4.30.04
chicklitwriters.com is another must-see for all Chick Lit authors… there is a new special interest chapter of the Romance Writers of America, called "Chick Lit Writers of the World." In one week, they signed up 100 members. Join the chapter for access to their yahoogroup, an email loop with tons of helpful information, examples of synopses and query letters, and a place to get your Chick Lit questions answered in a very supportive environment. They've also got a contest running, which is a great way to get your work in front of an editor (the main reason for entering contests, really.) Check it out! posted: 4.30.04
Please take a minute to check out two of my fellow Playing with Matches anthology authors (posted 2.03.03):
Kathy Greyle, http://www.greyle.com,
Karen Harbaugh, http://www.sff.net/people/KarenH/
Sabeeha Johnson, our third author, doesn’t have a website at the moment. They’re all talented, wonderful women. I’m glad I’m sharing a book with them!
www.foodnetwork.com (posted 11.08.02)
The Foodnetwork has everything from recipes to cooking basics, to cuisine around the world, to the perfect accompanying wine. You can also check out the celebrity chefs (my personal favorites: Alton Brown and Iron Chef Japanese Masaharu Morimoto.) Be careful -- this web site will make you hungry!
Why food? It's one of the many Guilty Pleasures...
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