Tuesday 17 March 2015

J.J. SALEM AND HIS ALTER EGOS




I’ve been had, dear readers.  Big time.  Here I was thinking that J.J. Salem—whose past bonkbusters were huge best-sellers in the UK (one of which I even reviewed here)—only had two books under his belt. Not so it seems. Words on the street is that Mr. Salem has been writing for quite some time using pen names such as Kylie Adams or Jona Jeffrey, just to name a few. Now Salem is back to deliver not one, not two but six glam-oriented digital novels this year, starting with REUNION GIRLS (March 31st from Saturn Girl Media), the tale of three exes who certainly have more than revenge on their minds for a certain little hottie. 

"Dean Paul Lockhart is America’s fairytale prince.  His wedding to a reality starlet is sending shockwaves through the celebrity gossip trade and rocking the worlds of three Brown University graduates who once dreamed college love would last forever . . .   For Lara Ward, it’s a reason to go wild.  By day, the class act and society fixture oversees a glitzy event planning firm.  By night, she scorches the sheets with a fireball Latin polo player in an all-out bid to ease her heartache. For Babe Mancini, it’s a reason to get revenge.  Snapping candids of the rich, famous and glamorous for glossy mag 212 has taught her the power of the right image.  And she’s got some very personal photos of Dean Paul that could crash the TMZ server faster than you can say full-frontal.  For Gabrielle Foster, it’s a reason to panic.  Her reinvention as take-no-prisoners rap priestess Brown Sugar meant burying her privileged past.  But now the ambition of rival rapper Queen B and the renewed media interest in Dean Paul’s romantic past just might blow her cover. When three ex-girlfriends reunite for the wedding of the century, old wounds trigger new problems in ways that change their lives forever in this funny, dramatic and poignant page-turner."
 
 


 
 
 
REUNION GIRLS is a reprint of EX-GIRLFIENDS published in 2005 under the Adams name.  It will be “revised and rebranded”.  In fact, all of his forthcoming titles will be revamped editions.  Here’s the scheduled lowdown:


 
MAD GIRL (formely 2001 FLY ME TO THE MOON) 05/19

ADORE ME (formely 2000 THE PERFECT MOTHER) 07/14

B-LIST GIRL (formely 2002 BABY BABY) 09/08

SOMETIMES IT’S A BITCH (formely 1999 SEDUCING TONY) 11/03

TABLOID GIRL (formely 2005 THE BRIDESMAID CHRONICLES) 12/22





 

 
 


 
  
Moreover, NEW titles will be announced in the near future.  But if you can hardly wait for these aforementioned releases, you can always go-ahead and purchase some of Salem's other Kylie Adams titles already available on Kindle or in trade paperback.  

 




 

Until next post—Martin

 

 

Tuesday 10 March 2015

OSCARS 1993: 'WOMEN IN FILMS' TRIBUTE



Ever since catching the Women in Films montage at the televised Oscars in 1993, I’ve always wondered who's the person behind the beautiful music showcased half-way through the tribute.   Well, it may have taken some 20 odd years, but I finally got my answer.  It’s none other than famed composer Ennio Morricone, whose cinema score ranges from THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1968) to LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (1978) to the recent DJANGO UNCHAINED.  Some of you elitists might express a Duh! regarding my cluelessness.  My answer? That’s what living under a pile of degenerated B-grade films does to you.  Anyway, here’s the Oscar clip montage, plus a live performance conducted by Morricone himself.
 
 
 

Love the teary-eyed reaction of Kathy Bates caught on camera.



 
 
 

Until next post—Martin

 

Tuesday 3 March 2015

JUDITH KRANTZ—IN HER OWN WORDS



Here’s an interesting discovery.  While surfing the Internet I came upon this handwritten note explaining some of the reasons why author Judith Krantz quit the publishing business.  Inscribed in her 1996 best-selling book SPRING COLLECTION to someone she obviously knows it goes on saying “I’d had enough of living alone with a computer all day.”  Here’s the full text:
 

September 17, 2005
Dear Michael’s family,
This book was lost in a past secretary’s office for three years! I discovered it yesterday with horror –you must have thought I’d disappeared. I’m always delightful to hear from you—especially since you write suck kind letters.
My husband, family and I are well and working.  I quit writing five years ago— I’d had enough of living alone with a computer all day—and since then I’ve been going to art classes and learning something entirely new! P. 123 “’Besides, I was still in the mood to dance, damn it!’” With my best regards—Judith Krantz”
 
I’ve always wondered why she wasn’t writing anymore.  Now I know.  And so do you.
 
 
Until next post—Martin
 
UPDATE:  Turns out it was an eBay auction of a person who had been in contact with the author and who was sent the hardcover back three years later after asking for a personal inscription.  He or she asked $45 for it online and it never sold.
ANOTHER UPDATE:  Well, it looks like the book is back online at the same asking price.  So if you’re interested…