Read What the New York Post's Page Six Has to Say about IMPOSSIBLY TONGUE-TIED:
November
25, 2006 -- BRAD, Angelina, Britney and Kevin may want to check out
Josie Brown's new novel, "Impossibly Tongue-Tied," for its
ripped-from-the-headlines plot that mixes their scandals together. In
the book, a stardom-seeking pretty boy named Nathan Harte, "pegged by
the tabloids as 'the next Brad Pitt,' falls for his own hype and winds
up in the arms of his co-star," according to Brown's publicist. "[He
leaves] behind [his wife] Nina and child, a la Kevin Federline." But
Brown says her story isn't a downer, insisting, "At least in fiction,
you can count on a happy ending." -- New York Post's PAGE SIX
And Lynda Johnson, of Phoenix's National Ledger, expands on the story here...
_______________________________________________________________________________
Now Read What the New York Post's Page Six Has to Say about TRUE HOLLYWOOD LIES:
HOMAGE TO US...
ONCE
again, PAGE SIX has been featured in a fine piece of literary work. In
"True Hollywood Lies" by relationship expert Josie Brown, the main
character, second-generation Hollywood royalty "Hannah," rehashes all
the press she receives when her relationship with Hugh Grant-like
"Louis Trollope" becomes public. Of all the publications the character
lists, only this esteemed column got it right - and first, of
course...
(November 23, 2005 Wednesday, Pg. 14)
__________________________________________________
Angelina Jolie, Brad & Jennifer Aniston: 'Impossibly Tongue-Tied'
by Lynda Johnson
Nov 25, 2006
NATIONAL LEDGER (Arizona) The rock-star Hollywood
trio of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt are constantly
tied together in the entertainment media reports - so why not tie them together in fiction? The NY Post reports that is just what happened in a new book.
Calling it a 'tabloid tease' Page Six suggests that Brad and Angelina, Britney
and Kevin may want to check out Josie Brown's new novel, "Impossibly
Tongue-Tied," for its ripped-from-the-headlines plot that mixes their
scandals together.
The Post reports that in the book, a stardom-seeking pretty boy
named Nathan Harte, "pegged by the tabloids as 'the next Brad Pitt,'
falls for his own hype and winds up in the arms of his co-star,"
according to Brown's publicist.
"[He leaves] behind [his wife] Nina and child, a la Kevin
Federline." But Brown says her story isn't a downer, insisting, "At
least in fiction, you can count on a happy ending."
***
A release promoting the book gives this tease:
Jennifer and Brad. Jessica and Nick. Reese and Ryan. And now Britney
and Kevin can be added to the long list of Hollywood’s famous -- albeit
failed -- marriages. Why are the odds for wedded bliss so dismal in Tinseltown?
"We look at these beautiful people, and we just assume that they were made for each other; that they’ll live happily ever after. But the burden of celebrity
comes with an enormous amount of stress which can crack up even the
strongest relationship. Add to that long stretches apart when one
partner must be on location, and the romantic temptations that pop up
while working with other beautiful people, well, you can just imagine
how that kills the odds for a successful celebrity marriage.”
***
The publicist touts it by noting that as an entertainment feature
writer, Brown has seen such dangerous celebrity liaisons first hand.
Though she changes the names to protect the infamous, the plots of her
books they will revolve around such naughty antics.
Sounds like the perfect Holiday stocking stuffer.
___________________________________________________
07/10/06 Mediabisto.com's Galleycat:
Not So Many Happy Returns, But Could Prada Have Legs?
The big story at the multiplexes this weekend, of course, was Pirates of the Caribbean, but it might be worth noting that ticket sales for the runner-up, Superman Returns,
fell by just over 58% in its second weekend. And here's another blow
for the Man of Steel: While the long-awaited sequel/rebooting averaged
a little under $13,000 per screen on its debut weekend, the limited
release this Friday of A Scanner Darkly, the equally anticipated adapation of the Philip K. Dick novel, averaged about $23,900...on just 17 screens (or 4,048 fewer screens than Returns).
Two things to consider, though: With so few showings, the per-screen
average would naturally be boosted by audiences' limited options, and Warner Bros. wins no matter how you look at it that doesn't involve Disney
But let's not forget, too, that ticket sales for The Devil Wears Prada only went down 43% this weekend. Why's that significant? Well, as chick lit author Josie Brown remarked after we solicited comments from other writers,
"Now perhaps more contemporary, funny women's stories will be
considered as viable source material for Hollywood," something many
writers were worried about after the adaptation of Jennifer Weiner's In Her Shoes
performed below expectations last fall. Bottom line, according to
Brown? "Women go to the movies, and want to see their own stories
reflected on the screen." Which should bode well for projects like the
planned adaptation of Darcy Crosper's Wedding Season as a Nicole Kidman vehicle, or Reese Witherspoon's pickup of A. M. Homes's This Book Could Save Your Life... —Ron Hogan
_______________________________________________________________________
02/26/2006 6:58 AM EST, Lowell (MA) Sun
LOWELL (MA) SUN: TAKE FIVE
Red Carpet Read...
Before you check out the stars walking the red carpet at next Sunday's Oscars, spend time with True Hollywood Lies. Josie Brown's new satirical novel is about an irritating actor nominated for an Academy Award, his harried personal assistant and all the angst endured from the moment the nominations are announced until the winning name is read out loud. Brown, a journalist with her share of celeb interviews, drops names a-plenty in the new book, out now from HarperCollins.
_______________________________________________________________________
7/13/05, Chicago Tribune
CURRENTS/ OFF THE SHELF
What did you dream about last night? Blogging? Kindergarten? Brad Pitt?
Indeed, real life invades our sleep. So what does it mean? Josie Brown, in "A Modern Girl's Dream Dictionary: Last Night I Dreamt of Cosmopolitans" (St. Martin's Griffin), offers her tongue-in-cheek insights. Here are a few:
Barbie: Barbie reminds you that her measurements are the equivalent of someone who is 36-18-33: in other words, no one on the face of this Earth.
High school reunion: Will the sophomoric pop tunes of yore emanating from your gym's dance floor soothe your savage cantilevered breast, or will they rub your emotions raw, like salt on a decade-old wound?
Pilates: This dream wants you to face one fact: It's better to have a strong transversus abdominus than a drawer full of bodyshapers, so don't skip class.
Sushi takeout: This fantasy advocates expanding your dating borders.
_______________________________________________________________________
Pre-Red Carpet Must-Read: “True Hollywood Lies” Turns Oscar Fact into Titillating Fiction
What is black and white and red carpet all over? The answer is “True Hollywood Lies,” a satirical novel about an actor who is nominated for an Academy Award, and the harried personal assistant who has to endure his angst—and romantic overtures—from the moment his nomination is announced, up until the winning name is read out loud...
What is black and white and red carpet all over?
The answer is “True Hollywood Lies,” a satirical novel about an actor who is nominated for an Academy Award, and the harried personal assistant who has to endure his angst—and romantic overtures—from the moment his nomination is announced, up until the winning name is read out loud.
Is “True Hollywood Lies” ready for its close-up? Author Josie Brown, a journalist who has done her share of celebrity interviews, thinks so.
“Be it contemporary fiction or historical fiction, a lot of research goes into the creation of any novel,” explains Brown. “‘True Hollywood Lies’ is no exception. Most certainly the book does its fair share of namedropping: you know, the hottest designers, the most sought-after stylists. But I also wanted to give readers a bird’s eye view of the excitement that occurs when a star reaches the pinnacle of his or her profession.”
Critical consensus is that Brown has succeeded. According to Publishers Weekly, the book “…confirms just what you suspect about celebrity, and unfolds with all the inevitability of a romantic comedy,” while Romance Readers’ Connections feels that “Brown does an outstanding job capturing the glitz and glamour of Hollywood living, yet illuminating the stark loneliness present beneath the façade.” The Wall Street Journal says, “The tone is confessional, the writing laced with venomous humor.”
The novel also reflects the elation, self-doubt, double-dealing and politicking that take place during Oscar time—none of which you see on television, says Brown.
“Instead, we hear the carefully prepared sound bites and the usual patter, like: ‘I’m just honored to have been nominated.’ But deep down inside, the stars are just like us: they are frantic, frenzied, and freaking out. Heck, who wouldn’t be? What happens that evening can affect the future success of the actor’s entire career!”
So where will Brown be, come Oscar night? She laughs heartily. “I wish I could say that I have my invitation to the Kodak Theatre buried deep inside some beaded Judith Leiber clutch, but, sadly I don’t.”
Instead the San Francisco-based author will be in Houston for an Oscar bash sponsored by Crave Party, where two hundred women will be eagerly eyeing red carpet fashions, dishing on star gossip, and listening to passages from “True Hollywood Lies” that reflect what they are watching on the big screen TVs sprinkled throughout the event.
“The reason why so many of us love watching the Oscars is the glitter factor. Still, it’s interesting to know that there’s some tarnish there, too. ‘True Hollywood Lies’ puts all of it into perspective. I guess that’s why so many Oscar party event planners are putting it into their swag bags.”
# # # #
_________________________________________________________________
TRUE HOLLYWOOD LIES Is excerpted in the December 2006 issue of COMPLETE WOMAN!
Hannah and Louis come alive on page 95 of the December 2005 issue of COMPLETE WOMAN!
(Yep, that's Desperate Housewives' Teri Hatcher on the cover!)
ON NEWSSTANDS NOW!
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GALLEYCAT.COM WRITES UP THE FICTIONISTA CHICKLIT BOOK TOUR EVENT AT SUGARCANE IN NEW YORK:
I Just Wanna Hear Girls Talk
When San Francisco author Josie Brown (left) started promoting her first novel, True Hollywood Lies,
she convinced her publisher, Avon, to round up three more of its chick
lit writers and send them all on a four-city tour at venues she'd
already lined up through her contacts in the Hard Rock Café chain. That
went so well she decided to keep visiting other cities at her own
expense, inviting nearby authors—including several from publishers
other than Avon—to join in. Despite the steady downpour last Friday
afternoon, a crowd steadily gathered at the Park Avenue eatery
Sugarcane to meet Brown and her new friends as they wound up the East
Coast leg of the tour. Chicagoan Jennifer O'Connell spread the word among her alumni network, while Kayla Perrin, who came down from Toronto, and local author Stephanie Lessing
each had a cluster of friends squeeze their way into the back of the
restaurant. Many of those attending were publishing insiders with
various connections to the authors—editors, publicists, agents—making
the evening as much a party as a promotional affair. Nevertheless, a
table tucked into a far corner did draw several visitors who broke away
from the cocktail chatter to examine (and occasionally buy) paperbacks
by each of the four guests of honor. (The authors had also appeared
earlier that day at the Rockefeller Plaza Waldenbooks; the rain may
have kept some people away, they suggested, but it also brought in some
office workers reluctant to leave the building.)
Although Perrin and Lessing were wrapping up their involvement,
O'Connell plans to stick with Brown for a hometown gig in Chicago and
down to Memphis and Atlanta. After that, Brown hooks up with Texans Julie Kenner and Shane Bolks for a four-day sweep of Hard Rocks in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas.
_______________________________________________________________________
Sensual Signings in TracyPhil Hayworth, Tracy (CA) Press, Monday 2/13/06Lust and danger filled the air at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at West Valley Mall on Saturday night.
It had everything to do with the five women who sat alluringly behind a cloth-draped table covered with books depicting half-naked men and suggestive titles like, “The Hard Stuff,” “True Hollywood Lies” and “Racing Heart.”
They were all California romance authors on a tour to promote their latest fare, timed to take advantage of the flood of pheromones — and dollars — that often accompanies Valentine’s Day.
“There’s something very romantic about the combination of suspense and romance,” author
Allison Brennan said.
And there’s something very profitable, too, she admits.
The mother of five recently saw her first book, “The Prey,” hit the New York Times bestseller list. A former legislative researcher in Sacramento, Brennan tired of paying $1,700 a month in child-care fees and decided a few years ago that it was time to put her money — and her pen — where her interests were: suspense and romance.
It was a good career move.
“I just got signed to a three-book contract,” she said.
Brennan and her fellow authors are full-time writers, intimately involved with the super-successful world of romance literature.
“Fifty-five percent of all paperback books sold are romance books,” said
Brenda Novak, who sat proudly behind her latest creation, “Dead Silence.”
Novak is a prolific author of romantic suspense, writing about three books each year. She has 19 books to her credit. Her first book, published in 1999, depicts a half-naked pirate on the cover — a cliché that she admits is still a staple image for the romance genre.
But times are changing for romance writers, she said. Subjects and cover art now combine romance with everything from the paranormal to racecar driving.
Take the work of
Rae Monet, a Tracy-based author of a series of books that revolve around the NASCAR circuit.
“For racecar driver Cass Jamison,” teases her latest title, “Racing Hearts,” “driving NASCAR was a dream come true.
For NASCAR legend Justin Steed, driving was a nightmare from the past. Watch these two heat up the track.”
Unlike the ultra-glamorous Jackie Collins-type writers, you’d be hard-pressed to associate Monet — or any of the authors at Saturday’s signing, for that matter — with the dangerous and sensual lives of their heroes and heroines.
Then you learn that the diminutive Monet — a pen name — is a former FBI agent who worked in the violent crime unit in the Bay Area. Her background explains the rather gory title of her futuristic series, “Blood Squad,” and another series based on personal experience in the FBI.
Josie Brown traveled from Los Angeles to promote her first book, “
True Hollywood Lies.” She parlayed her real-life journalism experience covering the lust-charged ether of Hollywood into a story about the daughter of an actor/playboy father. She’s hoping it will resonate with romance fans everywhere.
“I was thinking of a guy like Jack Nicholson, you know, who has a daughter,” she said. “Can you imagine what it would be like to be his daughter, with his reputation?”
The publishing industry calls Brown's book “
Glam Lit.” It’s just one more niche carved out by literary agents in New York City constantly seeking new ways to subdivide a profitable genre that has become much more than half-naked pirates and scantily clad maidens.
And then there’s
Karin Tabke and her modern “erotic romance,” “The Hard Stuff.” It’s an unapologetic look at “What women want,” said the Brentwood-based writer.
“Cops,” she said. “It’s about hot cops.”
The formula works, she said. Tabke once sold a book to publisher based on one line: “Jaded cop versus mafia princess.”
While the choice for book art is often the exclusive territory of an author’s publishing house, the muscular, naked cop on the cover of Tabke’s book strongly met with her approval.
“It’s really an eye-catcher, isn’t it?” she smiled while her ex-cop husband sat a few feet behind and sipped a latte.
While the authors inhabit slightly different areas of the genre, all share a common theme: strong women.
Tabke’s know what they want, Brown’s overcome, Monet’s are smart, Novak’s are gutsy and Brennan’s “do not run from their attackers,” she said.
• To reach reporter Phil Hayworth, call 830-4221 or e-mail
phayworth@tracypress.com.
_______________________________________________________________________ 
CHECK OUT THE AUG/SEPT 2005 ISSUE OF COMPLETE WOMAN MAGAZINE!
On page 86,you'll find an excerpt from LAST NIGHT I DREAMT OF COSMOPOLITANS that includes dream definitions of cosmopolitans (of course), Geroge Clooney, Matt Damon, Johnny Depp, Empty Pocketbook-Dooney & Bourke, Empty Pocketbook - Hermes, Flirting, Gilmore Girls, Google, iPod, The OC, Oprah, Brad Pitt, and Starbucks! You can also enter to win a free copy of the book! (Yep, that's Jessica Simpson on the cover...)
About LAST NIGHT I DREAMT OF COSMOPOLITANS
In a world filled with Starbucks, E!, designer water, and reality T.V., is it any wonder that pop culture icons are invading our dreams? With insightful humor (a sure sign that the only thing implanted in her cheek is her tongue), author Josie Brown explains dream symbolism in terms that any angst-ridden fashionista can readily comprehend.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT "COSMOPOLITANS"...
CandyCoveredBooks.com talks about Josie's 2005 FICTIONIISTA CHICKLIT BOOK TOUR
This fabulous site, run by avid readers Rosa and Liza, is review manna for those who love chick lit, so check out their favorite books...and what they've written about the Fictionista Chicklit Book Tour..
_______________________________________________________________________
Author Josie Brown's "Fictionista ChickLit Book Tour":
Wine, Women and Some Well-Chosen Words Makes for a Great Girl's Night Out
Anytime two or more women get together, the talk invariably turns to
gossip, guys, and the latest fashions. Well, author Josie Brown has
more than a few choice words to say on those subjects, if the reviews
of her new book True Hollywood Lies [Avon 9/27/05] are any indication.
And she'll be saying them at a Hard Rock Cafe near you.
A literary ladies' night out? It's a natural, insists Brown.
"This sort of book tour combines all the elements appreciated by the Carrie
Bradshaws of the world: a hot place to hang with their gal pals, a
great glass of wine, and listening to four authors who write about the
things they love: men--and fashion, of course."
Even the tour's name is a play on the word "fashionista," a term
meant to describe a woman obsessed with the changing trends of the
fashion industry.
And Brown certainly doesn't shy away from the word "chick lit," a
term used to describe books for and about single women juggling
out-of-control love lives on fashionable three-inch stiletto heels,
that usually end up with the heroine having her Zone-approved cake and
eating it, too.
"Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary may have updated the
genre, but Jane Austen was the original chick lit author, and I'm
honored to continue the tradition. Only now the plots are more
'nonsense and insensibility'--in a word, clueless, but in a
lighthearted way."
Brown first approached Hard Rock with the concept. Having had
success with similar events featuring various musician-authors, the
international nightclub chain knew that the marriage between bars and
books was a winner.
Avon Books, Brown's publisher, felt the same way. For the
California leg of Brown's Fictionista Chicklit book tour, At Brown's
suggestion, Avon also pulled together three other chicklit authors
whose stories will
resonate with West Coast women, and
coordinated with local booksellers, who will be selling the authors'
books at these clubs, on these dates:
Tue September 27, 6pm: San Diego Hard Rock,
801 4 Ave., 92101
Josie will be touring with Kim Wong Keltner (Buddah Baby), Sonia Singh (Bollywood Confidential) and Mary Castillo (Hot Tamara).
Wed September 28, 6pm: Los Angeles Hard Rock,
8600 Beverly Blvd., 90048
Josie will be touring with Kim Wong Keltner (Buddah Baby), Sonia Singh (Bollywood Confidential) and Mary Castillo (Hot Tamara).
Thu September 29, 6pm: Hollywood Hard Rock,
1000 Universal Studios Blvd. #99, 91608
Josie will be touring with Kim Wong Keltner (Buddah Baby) and Sonia Singh (Bollywood Confidential).
Tue October 4, 6pm: Las Vegas Hard Rock,
4475 Paradise Rd., 89109
Josie will be touring with Kim Wong Keltner (Buddah Baby) and Sonia Singh (Bollywood Confidential).
Thu October 6, 6pm: San Francisco Hard Rock,
Pier 39, Bldg Q-1, Beach Street & The Embarcadero, 94133.
Josie will be touring with Kim Wong Keltner (Buddah Baby) and Sonia
Singh (Bollywood Confidential).
After the California tour, Brown will be heading to other cities
with authors from a variety of publishing houses--truly an anomaly in
the pubishing industry. She will show up at:
Washington DC Hard Rock Cafe (Mon 10/10/05) with Jennifer O'Connell
(Off the Record), Kayla Perrin (Gimme An O!) and Stephanie Lessing
(She's Got Issues);
Baltimore Hard Rock Cafe (Tue 10/11/05) with Kayla Perrin (Gimme An O!) and Stephanie Lessing (She's Got Issues);
Philadelphia Hard Rock Cafe (Wed 10/12/05) with Kayla Perrin (Gimme An O!) and Stephanie Lessing (She's Got Issues);
New York (Fri 10/14/05) at Sugarcane 245 Park Avenue South (@ 20th), with
Jennifer O'Connell (Off the Record), Kayla Perrin (Gimme An O!) and
Stephanie Lessing (She's Got Issues);
Chicago (Mon 10/24/05) at
the Encore Liquid Lounge, 171 W. Randolph Street), wtih Jennifer O'Connell (Off the Record),
Laura Caldwell (The Night I Got Lucky) and Stacey Bollis (Sleeping
Over);
Memphis (Tue 10/25/05) at the Hard Rock Cafe, 315 Beale Street, wtih
Jennifer O'Connell (Off the Record), and Johanna Edwards (The Next Big
Thing);
Atlanta (Thurs 10/27/05) at the Aiko Lounge (128 East Andrews Drive), with Jennifer O'Connell
(Off the Record), Berta Platas (Friday Night Chicas), and Wendy Wax
(Hostile Makeover).
During the four-city Texas leg of Brown's Fictionista Chicklit Book
Tour, Josie will be joined by Julie Kenner, (Carpe Demon and The
Givenchy Code) and Shane Bolks (The Good, the Bad, and
the Ugly Men I've Dated). Here are those dates and locations:
Houston Mon 11/7/05, 6pm: Hard Rock Cafe,
502 Texas Avenue 77002.
San Antonio Tue 11/8/05, 6pm: Hard Rock Cafe, 111 W. Crockett Street, 78205
Austin Wed 11/9/05, 6pm: Hard Rock Cafe,
222 East 6th Street, 78701
Dallas Thu 11/10/05, 6pm: Hard Rock Cafe, 2601 McKinney Avenue, 75204
Does Brown envision her Fictionista Chicklit Book Tour turning into an annual event, sort of a literary Lilith Fair?
She laughs heartily at that question. "To paraphrase Paris Hilton,
that would be hot! Seriously though, I can't think of anything more fun
that a room full of readers enjoying an author's reading of a good
book, along with a great glass of wine, and the opportunity to flirt.
It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on."
*****
Fictionista ChickLit Tour is a TM of Josie Brown.
About the Author:
Josie Brown is the author of True Hollywood Lies [Harper/Avon Trade]. Her most recent book Last Night I Dreamt of Cosmopolitans
[non-fiction humor, Griffin/St. Martin's Press] was release in May
2005. She is also the editor of the internationallly syndicated "John
Gray's Mars Venus Advice" column, and is a feature writer whose
relationship articles and celebrity interviews have appeared in
numerous publications. Josie lives in Marin County, California with her
husband, Martin and their two children.
Media, please contact:
Kacey Barron, Publicist, HarperCollins Publishers
212-207-7326
ISBN: 0060815876; Imprint: Avon Trade
On Sale: 09/27/2005; Format: Trade PB; Pages: 336; $12.95; $16.95(CAN)
_______________________________________________________________________
DALLAS OBSERVER
Published: Thursday, November 10, 2005
Night & Day
Ladies of the Page: Chick Lit and its creators come to local readers
Fashion. Style. Emotion. Female empowerment? That's right. Move
over, Steinem, Sex and the City mastermind Candace Bushnell has
re-charted the women's movement, and we're taking our Manolos and flat
irons along for the ride. And thank goodness for the shift--repressed
femininity is a witch. Bushnell's latest work, Lipstick Jungle, is one
of the latest in the fast-growing genre known as glam lit (a subset of
the very popular chick lit).
Pronounced like the Mexican gum, chick lit is described as appealing to
empowered women. And "empowered" doesn't mean you don't want to get
married, you don't want to have kids and you can't cry. "What it does
mean," says True Hollywood Lies author Josie Brown, "is that what's
important to women are relationships, jobs, life, love." OK, yeah,
that's all well and good, but the truth of the matter is women also
like to gossip. We're obsessed with celebrity and delight in its
scandals. Just admit it, ladies, the entertainment industry has us
snowed big-time. People magazine is thanking us all the way to the
bank. And chick lit and glam lit give us great big doses of the good
stuff we love.
That's why Josie Brown created "Fictionista: The Chick Lit Book Tour,"
bringing together a group of chick lit authors from around the country
to showcase their work. "We write about bitches and divas," Brown says,
"but none of us are. Writing is such a lonely profession; we have to be
there for each other." Chick lit author Julie Kenner says that
"focused, driven" women are at the backbone of this genre. "And you see
their characters in the writers themselves," she says. The heroine in
her book, Carpe Demon, Adventures of a Demon-hunting Soccer Mom, is a
lot like Julie in that after leaving her high-powered career as a
demon-hunter, yes, a demon-hunter (Julie was a lawyer), she becomes a
stay-at-home mom and learns that demons don't only exist on the dark
side.
Brown, Kenner and Shane Bolks (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Men
I've Dated), are touring to celebrate "wine, women and some well-chosen
words." "We're very supportive of each other," Kenner says. When asked
why she decided to tour with other chick lit authors, Brown says it's
simple: A "higher tide raises all ships." Now that's girl power.
Who / What:
Fictionista: The Chick Lit Book Tour comes Thursday at noon to Barnes
& Noble, 616 Preston Royal Shopping Center (214-363-0924), and at 6
p.m. to the Hard Rock Café, 2601 McKinney Ave. Call 214-855-0223.
_______________________________________________________________________
Houston Chronicle / Nov. 8, 2005, 7:48PM
'Fictionista' writers take the message to the people
By KRISTIN FINAN
Marketing chick lit with stiletto style
Julie
Kenner, from left, Shane Bolks and Josie Brown discover that book
signings are a lot more fun when done with three writers. (Photo: Bill Olive / For the Chronicle)
It sure sounded like a promising evening, at least if you trusted the press release.
"Kick
off your stilettos and enjoy a rockin' girls' night out," it said. "The
'Fictionista Chicklit' book tour combines a hot locale, fabulous drinks
and a literary (trio), dishing about the things they love: rock, men
and fashion!"
The tour entered its final leg Monday night, kicking off a four-city Texas stint at Houston's Hard Rock Cafe, 502 Texas.
The
lineup was three midlevel authors: Josie Brown, who edits "John Gray's
Mars Venus Advice" column and organized the tour to promote her book
True Hollywood Lies; Shane Bolks, a Houston-based romance and chick lit
writer who recently released The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Men I've
Dated; and Julie Kenner, a USA Today bestselling author who lives near
Austin and penned the chick-lit thriller The Givenchy Code.
Arriving early and wearing not stilettos but heels, anyway, the authors seemed excited about the evening.
"High
tide raises all boats," Brown said. "I have yet to meet a diva. We
might all write about divas, but that doesn't mean we are divas, which
is kind of cool. Everybody has brought something to the table in a
positive way."
Bolks said she was relieved to have some company while promoting her book.
"A
lot of people think book signings are fun," Bolks said "They're not
fun. You sit there for two hours, and nobody buys your book, or they
ask you, 'Where's the bathroom?' It's hard work to smile after you've
worked all day. It's a lot more fun to do this with other people."
Soon,
all three showed just what hard work it can be. At 6 p.m., the time the
signing was scheduled to begin, the dozens of chairs in the
restaurant's Lone Star room were empty, the plate of triangle-shaped
brownies in the back untouched. Chatter was beginning about people
stuck in traffic and a possible hostage situation somewhere that might
be affecting turnout.
"My fiance's here, and my sister's here," Bolks said. "We've got two."
It
was time for what Brown called "stiletto marketing," a down-and-dirty
courtship of those enjoying dinner nearby, using everything from
bookmarks to miniature Givenchy perfumes to Star Wars quizzes to lure
them into the room.
"OK, so now that I've harassed all the
patrons of the restaurant," Bolks joked, taking a break, "they're like,
'Are you with the restaurant? Can you get me more iced tea?' I tried to
plug the free brownies. I'm getting desperate here."
It was working. They found one woman who had read one of Kenner's books.
"Julie," Bolks yelled. "Come sign your book."
Another man dropped in and bought a book from each of the authors.
This
year consumers will spend millions on chick lit, a fiction genre that
features a strong female main character who struggles with issues such
as career, family and relationships.
"(Chick lit is) an industry
term," Brown said. "I don't know of a woman who wouldn't want to be a
chick. When I hear 'chick,' I think of a sexy woman. Would Jane Austen
get offended being called 'chick lit'? She wrote the most successful
chick lit franchise in her time."
Brown said the challenge lies in creating characters who readers can relate to.
"You
want somebody who's sharp and smart and sexy," Brown said. "To give her
that marshmallow middle is the hard thing, because how do you show that
vulnerability?"
Meanwhile, the authors continued to show their
own vulnerability as they visited with people who stopped in, selling
about 25 books total by the end of the night.
"In this day and
age, you can't be shy," Brown said. "You have to get out there and push
your book, because there's only so much shelf space, and there are so
many books."
Near the end of the evening, Bolks approached the
bar, trying to convince a woman holding a copy of Lauren Weisberger's
best-seller The Devil Wears Prada to check out her work.
When the woman promised to stop by in a few minutes, Bolks relented.
"OK," she said. "We'll be here."
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
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Read What the New York Post's Page Six Has to Say about IMPOSSIBLY TONGUE-TIED: 
