Live From Montrose

Women Who Write

I was thrilled to be invited to read last month at Vicki Abelson's Women Who Write, which has to be the warmest, most vibrant and most fun room in all of Los Angeles. (Those of you in the area, you can keep up with Vicki and WWW events by connecting with her through Facebook. Her monthly salon must be experienced to be believed!)

It was an honor to share the podium with Vicki (reading from her very entertaining forthcoming novel DON'T JUMP), Sandy Helberg (whose credits are too numerous to list here, but include the Mel Brooks classics High Anxiety, History of the World: Part 1 and Spaceballs) and Dina Kucera, author of the powerful and funny EVERYTHING I NEVER WANTED TO BE.

Dina Kucera, Vicki Abelson, Sandy Helberg and Moi

Here I am reading "Wham, Bam, Mammogram" and wearing an electric-orange sweater that can be filed under "Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time." I hope it gives you a chuckle!

Jim's Journal Is Back!

Beginning this week, Onion founder and generous LJKGW interviewee Scott Dikkers is once again drawing his wildly popular cartoon strip "Jim's Journal." You can read the new strips at GoComics.com and you can enjoy all of the Dikkers cartoon creations at Dikkers Cartoon Company. Welcome back, Jim!


Listen to Your Mother - Los Angeles

It's not too late to make plans to attend the show this Sunday, May 1 in Los Angeles. Did I mention the reception afterward featuring fresh, handmade tortillas? *swoon* You can find all the details and purchase advance tickets here. Hope to see you at the show!

Happy To See Me, Mr. Freezer?

I Don't Understand My Life Sometimes.

Make That Most of the Time.

From the Newsroom

Broken Breaking News!

Here are headlines from just a few of the stories our spunky LJKGW cub reporters are pursuing right now:

Scientists Isolate Elusive Renaissance Faire Gene

Employee Bludgeoned in Cubicle with
Rolled-Up Motivational Poster

Mother's Sarcasm Backfires
When Friends Stick Heads in Ovens

New Age Movement Loses Key Territories to
Slow But Relentless Old Age Movement

Apple Introduces App That Automatically
Adds Suffix "-ista" to Your Occupation

Twitter User Condenses ULYSSES to
140 Characters - Accidentally Makes Sense of It

Hacker Infiltrates Flickr, Replaces Unattractive People
With More Pleasing Stock Photos

Hugh Hefner's New "Playboy Voles" Venture
Off to Shaky Start

Middle-Aged Vampires File Age-Discrimination Suit,
Cite Unfairly Unrealistic "Hawt" Portrayal in Movies and Media

More Outbreaks of Spontaneous Tap-Dancing Reported
as Researchers Probe New California-Based Strain of
"SAD" or "Sunshine Affective Disorder"

Stand by for developing stories...

Can You Hear Me Now?

If there's one thing I love, it's a badge. Here's the one I just got:

Yes! The show is Sunday, May 1 at 3:00 pm and you can find all the details - including links to the Los Angeles-area writers who'll be reading - here. Also, tickets are available in advance and can be purchased here.

It's going to be a lovely experience - just the kind of event you can bring your mother to and score major bonus points that you know you're going to need down the road. A portion of the proceeds go to both national and local charities (details at the website) and your ticket price includes a reception following the show where we promise to look the other way while you fill your handbag with extra cookies (so bring the big one).

Huge thanks to National Director Ann Imig, Los Angeles Show Director Lisa Page Rosenberg and Los Angeles Show Producer Leane Vandeman.

I hope to see you there!


Thank You!

I want to thank all of you, my alluring, hard-bodied readers, for staying with me even though my posts have slowed considerably in the last few months.

I have been furiously writing (and finishing!) my second novel, to the exclusion of pretty much everything else. (Picture the Bride of Frankenstein in a bathrobe for days on end and you'll have some idea what a lucky man Jon Bon Jovi - not my husband's real name - is.) I will keep you posted on all of that, of course, but I hope you know how much it means to me that you are here. I treasure you guys...truly.

And Thank You...

To Carolyn Watson-Dubisch at Living It Up In Bankrupt California for the Stylish Blogger Award, which I aspire to deserve.