authors

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Does daydreaming make you smarter?

You might think daydreaming is a waste of time, but according to some new research it can be one of the best ways to pump up your brain power. On The New Yorker website, in an article “The Virtues of Daydreaming,” Jonah Lehrer argues mind-wandering allows those creative and problem solving juices to flow freely. And that’s a good thing. […]
Monday, April 23, 2012

Ricki Lake’s new book hits store shelves

Actress and TV talk show host, Ricki Lake, has had plenty of life drama. In her new memoir, “Never say never: Finding a life that fits,” Lake shares the lessons learned from a painful childhood, weight issues, divorce, and the struggle to find a comfort level in her own skin. “Never say never” hit stores last week. Lake is out […]
Monday, March 26, 2012

Major Hollywood book to film rights deal for “Fifty Shades of Grey”

Who says romance doesn’t sell in Hollywood? “Fifty Shades of Grey,” a bestselling erotic romance novel trilogy, with BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism) elements, reportedly has sold to Universal Pictures and Focus Features. The X-rated book series was inspired by the hugely popular “Twilight” book saga and is written by British author E. L. James. The romance is about a […]
Friday, January 6, 2012

Writers Guild announces nominees for 2012 screen awards

The Writers Guild of America has put out the rest of its list of nominees for 2012 awards. Yesterday, the WGA West and East, revealed the nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the big screen during 2011. ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 50/50, Written by Will Reiser; Summit Entertainment Bridesmaids, Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig; Universal Pictures Midnight in Paris, […]
Sunday, October 9, 2011

A Look back: A writer’s workshop on how to get an agent

Multi-talented author and Media City Groove guest blogger, Sue Ann Jaffarian, conducted a very informative writer’s workshop called, “Turning Agent Woes Into Agent Wows,” at the Buena Vista library here in Burbank last month. Forty-to-fifty writers showed up for the September 17 workshop. Many spent most of the time scribbling notes as Sue Ann covered the agent search from manuscript preparation to […]
Wednesday, September 14, 2011

How to snag an agent to shop your literary project

For a lot of writers getting an agent is harder than the writing.  Media City Groove Guest Blogger, Sue Ann Jaffarian, has leaped that hurdle to become a best-selling author of three mystery series.  Jaffarian, a paralegal for a Los Angeles firm, started off in self-publishing, and along her writer’s journey picked up a thing or two about making that agent hook-up. […]
Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A Writer’s View: Short stories a hot writer’s market

Since I was a kid, I have loved short stories.  Amongst my favorites were “The Ransom of Red Chief” and “The Gift of the Magi,” both by O. Henry, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, and “The Telltale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. They packed fun, poignancy and terror in just a few short pages, providing word for word a powerful […]
Sunday, August 21, 2011

“The Help” gets promoted to top spot at box office

“The Help” got a boost to number one at the domestic box office with a weekend estimate of $20 million. The comedy-drama is about a young southern white woman and her relationship with the black “help” during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer star. “The Help” is based on the 2009 bestselling novel […]
Friday, July 29, 2011

A Writer’s View: “New York Times bestselling author dishes on the dramatic changes in the publishing industry”

New York Times bestselling author dishes on the dramatic changes in  the publishing industry I always considered myself to be the walking, talking success story of American publishing.  I’m a lawyer, and at age 40, I had two babies back to back.  Suddenly, I was a stay-at-home mom and trying to figure out how to replace the income I relinquished due […]