Yesterday I gave a talk at the Bermuda Youth Library in celebration of Teen Read Week. The event was organized by the wonderful librarians and their Teen Advisory Board (yes, the library has one!).  It was a pleasure to come out and work the reader cheerleader role. And  It was cool to hear that some of the attendees were in the middle of reading Hallway Diaries. After my gabfest, the floor was open to lots of good questions, which kept the conversation flowing until it was time to raid the sandwiches and drinks the library spread out for us.

Here I am with some of the students and Teen Advisory Board members. Great meeting you, guys! Thanks for coming.

BTW, when I arrived at the library, I learned that CITV, the government TV station, would be filming my entire talk. (Can I get a "Zoinks!") I think I may skip watching it when it airs next week. I’ll probably be too embarrassed to watch myself on screen. (I’ve discovered that I make the oddest John McCain type faces when I know I’m on camera–nervous eye rolls, odd grimaces, and all!!)

What a week! The annual Bermuda Music Festival is finally upon us and this year’s lineup is FI-YAH. Alicia Keyes, Lyfe Jennings, Beyonce and Solange, to name a few. Of course the big-name acts are cool, but I was excited that the Steve Harvey Morning Show would be here. I was a regular listener of his syndicated radio show (via New York City’s 107.5 WBLS) when I lived back home. Hilarious! Steve Harvey just cracks me up.

Mr. Harvey hosts this music festival annually. Incidentally, years ago I listened to him go on and on about how crystal clear Bermuda’s turquoise waters are and how progressive the island nation is. It piqued my curiosity about Bermuda. I wanted to know more about life on "the Rock" (as Bermuda is affectionately called by locals). Who knew that I’d eventually be living here–and crossing paths with Steve Harvey here.

I went to two live broadcasts of the morning show (yesterday and Wednesday). It was so much fun. A highlight was Michelle Obama phoning in to encourage folks to register to vote. But what I especially enjoyed was being among my back-home people. Folks flew in from Phili, DC, Galveston, Atlanta and everywhere in between.

Here’s a shot of Steve Harvey broadcasting live from Bermuda’s Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel.

Now on to last night’s concert highlights. It rained most of the afternoon, but by the time we got to our wet seats, the rain tapered off. Solange Knowles kicked the night off with a strong performance. When she sang her hit "I Decided" I had to get up out my seat.

Next on stage was Lyfe Jennings, Mr. R&B in a Hip Hop Guise. The brotha  showed grit, passion, and soul. I was impressed.

And last, but not least–and please excuse the shaky recording and blury picture–the Suga Mama herself, BEYONCE, backed by an awesome all-female band! (Of course I couldn’t just take a picture of the the dazzling Mrs. Carter. Her performance was too off-the-hook for a still shot.)

And that’s how you rock the Rock!

I just finished reading Love, Hollywood Style, the Simon Pulse ro com by P. J. Ruditis. Following the silver-screen-inspired adventures that character Tracy Vance goes through in this fun story got me thinking about movie montages. Yes, those narrative scenes stitched together and packaged with a rockin’ or sentimental tune lands a part in Tracy’s romantic plot. But while Tracy goes for the energized romantic montages, I usually like the more wistfully sentimental ones.

One of my favorites is from "13 Going on 30." Okay, so I was going through my "Alias"-obsessed phase when "13" came out–plus the crush-tastic Mark Ruffalo is the romantic lead–so I was an instant fan of the film. In it, a nostalgic and heartbroken Jennifer Garner returns home to Jersey (nevermind that she’s clearly riding the LIRR and not a NJ Transit train at the start of the montage, but who needs strict fact checkers for a fantasy romantic comedy?).

Not only do I love-love the Billy Joel song "Vienna" that’s featured , but I can so relate to that yearning for childhood comforts of home.  Anyone with me? I’m sure a few of my girlfriends can testify. This isn’t your typical busy, multi-scene montage but it is a narrative set to music. Feel your gurl Jennifer’s anguish in this sweet clip:

Another one of my ro com montage favorites is from "Just Like Heaven" staring Reese Witherspoon and, you guessed it, Mark Ruffalo. As with most montages, the music is initially what got me liking it. Amos Lee’s touching song "Colors" supplies the soundtrack to the "Just Like Heaven" montage (beginning at minute 3:01 to 4:57)–which happens after Mark is pained to find that Reese has come out of her coma with no memory of their special relationship. (sniff)

Can these kind of montages tug on your heart strings without the sentimental sounds of strings (or piano, brass, vocals, etc.)? I doubt it. [deep, wistful sigh]

Thanks, P.J., for triggering that waltz down memory lane.

Now I’m off to view my own personal montage–i.e. sparking up my iTunes while watching a slideshow of my summer vacation pics.

P.S.

- Tomorrow’s my first day blogging over at www.pulserocom.com so be sure to check out my post over there as well as here!!

By popular demand–well, at least at the request of a handful of folks–I’ve enlarged the tiny photos featured on my Ghana travel post.

I got a lot of great feedback about my list of top ten Ghana sights, but lots of complaints that the photos in the post were too small. Well, that was before I discovered the joys of Windows Live Writer. I still have a lot to learn as far as my tech skills go, but a little visual kick goes a long way.

Click here to revisit the Ghana post with its [cue harp sound effect] newly resized photos.

Enjoy!

I just returned from my visit to Jersey/NYC. It was sooo wonderful to be back.

And what a buzzin’ time it was to be in the Sates–the Democratic National Convention was going on and everyone was talking about it. (How exciting was that?) But [deep sigh] the trip was too short, so I didn’t get a chance to see some family and friends. The hubby and I had lots of errands to run and shopping to do because we’re not sure when we’ll be visiting the area again. My suitcase was heavy with new purchases (bed sheets, towels, clothes, etc.), but thank goodness it all fit.

It’s always sad to leave my amazing sister and my precious niece and nephew. Fortunately, the stunning sight of the coral reefs and clear, blue waters surrounding Bermuda brings your gurl some consolation. This clip was filmed a bit too late during the landing, but you get the idea.

And then this Labor Day, my honey and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary with a walk on the beach and my favorite dinner (his fantastic roast chicken). Happy Anniversary, Honey!!

My mood right now? Totally excited! I’m so happy to announce that I am officially a part of the SimonPulse romantic comedy community of authors. Yaaaay! Even though my own romantic comedy comes out in the Fall of ‘09, awesome author/RoCom blog moderator Jenn Echols has invited me to start posting! I’ve been checking out that RoCom blog for the longest, getting familiar with the writers and their YA author adventures. Now my name has been added to their blog team’s staring lineup. So, beginning in September, I will also be  posting my monthly two cents at the SimonPulse romantic comedy blog. Check me out over there around the 19th of every month. (By the way, the new shortcut address to the blog is www.PulseRoCom.com.)

I’m also excited that I’m flying home to Jersey today. Between our visits to family and friends, the hubby and I will be squeezing in lots of shopping (got to restock on stuff we can’t find here on the island).  Nice way to cap off our first summer in Bermuda.

Speaking of summer in Bermuda, for the past few weeks, we’ve been enjoying our first tropical summer with lots of house guests. I finally got to hang out with our wonderful Bermudian cousin Sonia, her son and her husband (my hubby’s cousin). She flew in for the island’s huge Cup Match holiday. And in between our guests’ visits, the hubby and I have been venturing around the island getting familiar with Bermudian summer happenings. Happenings like their annual Non-Mariner’s Race. Don’t worry-we were just as confused as you feel right now. Basically, it’s a wacky race of hilariously-decorated homemade boats/floats. By the way, each "boat" carries a mocking spin on a topical/hot-button issue in the news. The best part is when floats tip over spilling all its creatively-costumed occupants. Below is one crowded float mocking the recent closing of the Stateside Bermuda Tourism office.

And of course, we’ve hit the beach and our backyard hammock for some chillaxin.

Plus I’ve been working a bit on my cooking. I call this one Haitian sushi. It’s a yummy strip of turkey bacon wrapped inside of a sweet plantain.

Before I sign off and hop on our flight, I must express my shock. Can you be-lieve that this year marks 10 years since Lauryn Hill dropped the amazing "Miseducation of Lauryn Hill?" Whuuut? TEN years! I clearly remember being one of those stans who impatiently counted the milliseconds until the CD dropped. There I was on the Brooklyn-bound subway examining my new copy of the CD. Remember the dope cover design? True hotness.

I distinctly remember reading the liner notes like it was a juicy novel and anticipating my subway stop so that I could get home and listen to Lauryn’s soul. Yes, I tell you–I was a straight-up stan for Lauryn.

So, this week I’ve been listening to the CD and finding new meaning in it all over again. (Talk about memories! A fellow Jersey girl, Lauryn’s track "Every Ghetto, Every City" shouts out spots I grew up around in "New Jerusalem.") It’s been a while since I’ve heard it and it’s still golden.

Enjoy the rest of your August! Check back soon.

This Live Writer program is really taking your gurl places. Now I’m stepping things up a few notches with this first video post. Painful for me to watch, yes. (And what the heezy is up with the awkward freeze frame shot? Ugh.) But it had to be done sooner or later. And exciting still cuz it’s a milestone for me. Enjoy!

Does this really work? I found out (after reading Andrew Karre’s July 24th post over at Flux) that I could use Windows Live Writer’s simple program to create a blog post right here. The tools are much easier to use. Besides, I’ve been getting complaints that visitors have had trouble opening photos I’ve posted here. Well, folks– try this on for size.

This is a statue of Bermuda’s greeter Johnny Barnes. I adore this man. He’s an elderly, retired Bermudian who stands at a busy "round-about" each early morning to greet passers by on their way to work. And he does this simply because he believes in the good of all people and wants to remind everyone that they’re loved. [Hand over heart and sighing deeply.]

So, for the past 40 years, rain or shine, from around 6am - 10am, Johnny Barnes has been enthusiastically waving at people in scooters and cars, blowing kisses to them and shouting, "I love you!" and "God bless you!" I mean [another deep sigh]–does Oprah know about this? How extraordinary!

The hubby goes for early AM jogs and he jogged by Johnny Barnes–who was already at his greeting post–at 5:30am! (Sidebar: The hubby knows I sweat Johnny Barnes so he joked, saying that as he jogged by, Johnny gave him a thugged-out "Yo, ’sup?" greeting.) I’m so pleased that Bermuda has erected a statue of Johnny in his honor and while he is still living. The statue is located near Johnny’s  round-about and is in his  likeness–down to his scraggly beard, island hat and loving, outstretched arms. Loves it!

Okay, folks. Hope you enjoyed my post using Windows Live. I have to say–I am so excited that it’s much easier to use than my old way of posting. And you can finally see larger-sized photos. Yay! I’ll keep toying with it and will maybe post up some videos soon. Until next post…

Monday night was the opening night of my play, and boy, am I glad I made it through that. Talk about nail-biting! My poor hubby had to put up with my anxiety-inducing “what if” moments. Like, I imagined that nothing but crickets would be heard at the end of each punchline during the performance. The hubby was under strict orders to laugh at anything and everything. He’s got a loud laugh–that hearty, unbridled laughter that I love. My hope was that his laugh might convince the audience that the play is much cooler than it really is. More on that later.
When we got to the theatre, I was happy to see my friends in attendance. We hung out at the theatre bar before the play. There was just enough time to snap these quick photos for my “Scene & Heard” portion of this post.
Meet Maud (right) and Vicky.

We became fast friends because we all moved to the island around the same time. We’ve learned the ropes around here together (with Vicky leading the way). Vicky hails from England and Maud is from France. (And get this kismet connection–I used to live in England and, as a child, French was my first language. Everything happens for a reason, huh?)
And here’s the only photo we were able to get of our friend Laura (right). She and Vicky are pretty in pink.

Laura is a long-time member of the theatre and she had thought-provoking feedback for me the following day.
And here I am standing next to a fellow writer and her husband in the background. These are friends of Karen, the mother of the houseboat dwellers who inspired my play.

At the start of the show, the crowd was warmed up by a playful host with some interesting info. He informed the crowd about this grand event and called all of the playwright “winners.” The judge who will choose the one winning script, he told us, is professional theatre director/writer from the UK, Jane McCulloch–who incidentally “rubs shoulders” with the dame Judi Dench (whom I love). By the way, the six final plays were selected by theatre professionals from New York—Clifford Lee Johnson, director of musical theatre at Manhattan Theatre Club; actor/writer and executive producer of ModernEyes Theatre Company, Jacqueline Raposo; and playwright/director Tom Coash, one of the Founders of “Famous for 15 Minutes.” What an honor to be read by such accomplished artists!
The six plays were fun to watch. Mine was the first play in the second half, so you can imagine how drawn-out my anxiety was. When the time finally came, I held tightly to my honey’s hand and managed to enjoy the show. The four actors in my play had a nice camaraderie on stage. They seemed like old friends as they fell into character and tickled the crowd with a few jokes. All in all, a good play, but with an unexpectedly abrupt ending. So abrupt that the crowd applauded with hesitation when the lights faded out. But I was happy that the director Nicole and the actors rocked it and brought everything to life so well. Congrats to them!
After that, I could finally exhale like Angela Bassett. I was less tense watching the following two plays before the night’s end. Of course, the hubby started laughing the loudest ever at a play that wasn’t mine. I looked at him like, Et tu, Brutus! Then eventually, I had to laugh, too.
Congratulations to all the playwrights, actors and directors of the evening.