Bad News / Good News

Well, today I wanted to get to the city to meet this wonderful author and down-and-out cool chick, but alas, a little snag in the plan, namely three little snags -- Ajers, Diva and Tukey prevented me from glamming it all up, hopping on a train to head to the city where I would fake being a cool free and easy chick about town, stopping for a latte before I went to a hip book signing where I would not only get to meet Karyn, but hopefully also Oprah, Mayor Daley and Michael Jordan.

Oh, and lest we forget the ever-famous Nukes, pictured here, who was sculpted into a very important character in Twenty Times A Lady.

Dragging myself out of bed, depressed at the thought of frozen waffles (two kids preferring butter and syrup/one has to have choc chips melted onto hers) and a swim lesson that's so short, the kids barely get wet before the whistle is blown for class to be over, I started my day in a backward slump.

But alas! Not is all lost! Our mail arrived early, and I received a gift from Karyn! If you are a regular reader, you know that I hold the award for the first ever winner of Karyn's Love, Sex and the Ex (read my story here), and boy oh boy, that prestigious award is going onto my dossier you can bet your ass!

Because I had already won an Advanced Reader Copy (known in the industry as the ever-coveted ARC), of the prize, Twenty Times a Lady, Karyn offered to send me her first book, Save Karyn, One Shopaholic's Journey to Debt and Back.

I have to tell you, I had heard Karyn's story many times prior to her writing Save Karyn, and saw the book at Target every time I went to the book section to drool and wish I had enough money in the world to buy every single book there. I don't know what stopped me from shelling out the $13.95 for the book a long time ago.

Maybe I was expecting fate. Perhaps deep down, I knew that Karyn's and my path would cross someday, and that we would fast become friends. We have so much in common! She is a young, hottie traipsing it up in NYC, debt-free and living the fast lane with friends, and book tours, and novels being published left and right, and I... well, I am a stay-at-home-wanna-be-a-published-author-so-bad-I-can-taste-it-more-than-the-fraps-I-slug-down-mom-who-blogs-alot.

See, we were destined for friendship!

And Karyn was so great to sign the inside of my newly coveted book, which I am especially thankful I didn't pop open that Sarah Dessen novel I was going to start because, and all apologies to you Sarah--I love your novels, and plan to read every single one of them--but Karyn's Save Karyn comes first.

Here's what Karyn wrote:

Manic (well, she wrote my real name, not my Blog name, and I think you all already know my real name, so why should I pretend you don't),

You are amazing, funny, talented and BEAUTIFUL! (yes! She wrote beautiful in all caps--I am gushing here totally!) Please enjoy this cautionary tale!
XXX,
Karyn Bosnak

P.S. Stay gold. (At least I think it says Stay gold. It might say "Stay yold," but I don't really know what "Stay yold" means. Actually, I don't really know what "Stay gold" means either, but if it's coming from Karyn, I'm going to assume it means stay.... hmmm... actually I have no idea. I would like to think she thinks I'm as cool as gold, or as bright as gold, or as classy as gold (ha, now that's a laugh, me classy, especially after our vacation extravaganza). None the less, I'm going to take it to be complimentary and am so happy, happy, happy right now.

Thanks so much Karyn! I am cherishing this gift from you! You rock!

P.S. Stay Platinum baby! (Am I on the right track here?)