DIARY OF A GIRL-NEXT-DOOR HEAVY METAL NOVELIST

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October 30, 2005
Best. Halloween. Weekend. Ever.

I love Halloween, and I've had some great ones. A year ago, I sneaked away overnight from my day job (I was supposed to be on call) and I went to see my favorite KISS tribute band. I guess it was only a matter of time before I completely quit my job to pursue a life in rock & roll. This year started with the traditional ensemble cast of my friends. One year, we had a KISS theme. The next year, we were Batman villains. Last year, we went out as the castaways from Gilligan's Island. This year, we were the suspects from the game Clue. We looked fantastic, and we each sang theme-related songs at karaoke.

That was just the beginning. On Friday night, I drove to NYC to film an interview for a tv show called NY Rocks. Imagine SCTV combined with Janet Reno's Dance Party. There were bunnies, Jedis (I met Mara Jade!) and international men of mystery, and a house band dressed up like Catwoman and her henchmen. It was a freakin' blast. Here are some memories:

There was a professional makeup artist in the greenroom. I felt like such a star!

I got to sit on the set through the whole show like the weekly guest on Mike Douglas. Remember...?

I knew as soon as I got in my car that night that it was going to be a special road trip. When I turned the key in the ignition, the radio was playing "Won't Get Fooled Again," and it was at the part of the drum solo that builds up to the Roger Daltrey scream.

But, baby, the weekend had only begun!!! Last night, I went to Virginia for a KISS party. A KISS slumber party!!! If you're not a KISS fan, I can't even begin to describe the splendor. There was KISS karaoke, KISS trivia, KISS singalong, KISS stories, KISSopoly, and when we got tired, people put on KISS pajamas. Would you believe that I heard "Won't Get Fooled Again" in my car on that trip, too??? I think the last several days have been as perfect as I could ever imagine.   From Tiny P and Me, Have a purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfectly HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

November 1, 2005
Doggone it. I just found out I might have an orchestra concert the same night as the KISS tribute show I planned to attend in Virginia in two weeks.

See, this is my life now. It's excrutiating.

Jealous?

November 2, 2005
Sales of Won't Get Fooled Again are on the rise. I'm not sure what's in the water, but keep drinking it people. An article that came out yesterday quoted me as saying, "Being famous has no relationship with being rich." Amen to that. I still dream of paying off my mortgage with WGFA royalties so I can truly live the fantasy.

What exactly IS the fantasy? Well, usually the fantasy has something to do with Paul Stanley (from the Revenge era) and me in the sleeper car of a train. I'm not actually living that fantasy, I'm afraid. So, sometimes the fantasy is about being an author, or performing as a drummer in an orchestra, which I'll get to do on Saturday night. I'll probably come home after the show, slip into something comfortable and set about changing the cat litter. See – there are so many dreams that can come true. If you believe, you can make it happen.

November 3, 2005
I'm feeling really famous today for some reason.

Starting tomorrow, the Halloween episode of New York Rocks will air in NYC.

Ch.35 11PM Friday Staten Island
Ch.35 12PM Friday Brooklyn- Time Warner
Ch.67 12PM Friday Brooklyn-CableVision
Ch.56 2Am Monday Manhattan- Manhattan Cable

On Tuesday at 8:00 p.m., I'm going to be a guest on RockLandWorldRadio, also from NYC. It's sports talk show, but the host is a huge KISS fan. And don't think for one second that I can't hold my own in the NBA debates. Tune in live at their website to hear me talkin' smack about Stephon Marbury and rallying the KISS Army for next summer's Hall of Fame Protest.

Tonight I got an email from the owner of KISSMuseum.com. He sends out a catalog of KISS stuff twice a year, and he says he wants to feature Won't Get Fooled Again prominently in the Christmas issue, which is sent to 23,000 customers. Two words: Color and glossy. I want my whole life to be color and glossy, and it's happening. Plus, isn't the word "prominent" sexy as hell?

Perhaps not as exciting, but still...An article I wrote about mentoring future college administrators went live today. Thankfully, they spelled my name both "Colette" and "Collette" so hapless Googlers can find me either way. Good thinking!

Today in the mail, I received a thank you letter from a school where I did a career fair presentation a few weeks ago. Enclosed were two handwritten letters from 6th grade attendees. One wrote, "I am an aspiring writer, and you have inpired me to follow my dreams." The other wrote, "You are lucky that you don't have a dress code and you can lay in bed while you work." Ah, how I love passing on my wisdom to the next generation.

There's more, but my ego needs a nap and I'm all worn out from an evening at karaoke. Good thing I do my best work in bed. I think I just found the new tag line for my next business cards. Don't tell anyone a 6th grader wrote it, okay?

November 7, 2005
Tomorrow night is my second stint on RockLandWorldRadio. Back when I scheduled the interview, I was feeling cocky about my ability to talk pro hoops with the big boys. Now I'm completely stumped. All the teams I like are winless, or close to it. Please listen live!

In better news, I scored a huge sale with a retailer tonight. He bought more books than anyone in the history of Won't Get Fooled Again, baby. Just in time for the holidays.

I can't decide whether that dude, or the staff from the JV Brown Library in Williamsport, PA should be the KISSfiction MVP lately. Last week, they sent me a copy of their latest newsletter, which is sent to boodles of Pennsylvanians. I was knocked out by the article they wrote about my upcoming visit. Yesterday, I received a poster in the mail. I have my own poster! Okay, so I'm not exactly Farrah in the red bathing suit, but I am a rabid KISS fan in a mini red dress. I like to think that's the best kind of rabid KISS fan. (continue)