Diary of a Girl-Next-Door Heavy Metal Novelist

Are you...

...heading to the NY KISS Expo on May 1?

AND

...interested in a free KISSfiction T-shirt

AND

...willing to wear said shirt while not talking smack about me?

CLICK HERE to learn more about how the free shirt giveaway works.

Expo details available at www.starzcentral.com/kissexpo

March 20, 2004
I arrived in Norfolk this afternoon. I spent some time picking up copies of publications that mention Living the Fantasy, and I received a tour of the University. Even though a lot has changed, it still feels like Old Dominion. At one point, I wanted to ditch the tour guide so I could just walk around and reminisce. I'm meeting an old friend tomorrow night. I'll save the hard core nostalgia for that reunion.

My ride is picking me up at 6:45 a.m. for tomorrow's tv interview. Ouch. At least I have my outfit picked out. Actually, I have my wardrobe for the entire trip planned (and written) out. I have the full sizzle outfits and the Rated PG alternative (say, for instance. I chicken out of the sheer leopard-nightie-as- blouse Plan A).

Everything I'm doing feels like good practice for my book promotions. I know I'm going to learn a lot. I don't know why that surprises me. Many of my most important life lessons came from this wonderful place.

March 21, 2004
Up at 5:45 this morning to prep for the news. I had one whopping line, but it must have been okay because the producers invited the film festival director and me back to do the actually-watched news at 6:30 p.m. I had two big lines tonight (and even made the interviewer laugh). Now I have to write my speech for tomorrow. I know what I want to say, but I need to tighten it up.

While I was getting ready for my ride tonight, I turned on my computer to play some music. The first song that came on was "(I Belong to the) Blank Generation" by Richard Hell. Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal, but since his mother was one of my first professors at Old Dominion, I thought it was a good omen. The next song (I have my computer programmed to Random Play) was Cheap Trick's "Surrender," which has the line "I pulled my KISS records out" in the lyrics. I have to believe this stuff isn't a coincidence. I had just been having thoughts like "What if tomorrow bombs? What if everyone hates the project?"

In far more interesting news, here is an excerpt from an afternoon conversation:

Former classmate: Have your breasts gotten a lot bigger since we were in college?
Me: No, but my bras have. In fact, I can even fake cleavage now.
Former classmate: Yeah?
Me: Isn't it amazing how far technology has come since we were students?
Former classmate: God bless technology.

One day after my return to the day job, I was called into the Admissions Office for a meeting with the Vice President about new publications. Here's how it went:

Admissions VP: We'd like to update our publications.
Me: Great!
Admissions VP: We're thinking out of the box like any highly prestigious college would.
Me: Great!
Admissions VP: We'd like to get rid of the boring "student looking in a microscope" pictures.
Me: Great!
Admissions VP: How would you feel about painting up like KISS?
Me: Grrrrwhutt?!?!