GH MOLLY WRITES A BOOK... OR IS THAT CONNIE?

The moment General Hospital's Molly announced that she'd written a novel (off-screen), savvy fans knew what was coming.  Can you say tie-in, boys and girls?  I knew you could!

Love in Maine, described in publisher Hyperion's catalog as "Who knew one of Port Charles’s most demure residents had a romance novel in the drawer? This page-turning new book, penned by one of General Hospital's best loved characters, will give fans new stories to follow and characters to love... Featuring all new content with stories and characters fans haven't seen on the series, this emotion-packed love story will bring readers even deeper into the world of their favorite soap."

And therein lies my problem with the project.  New stories to follow and characters to love... All new content with stories and characters fans haven't seen on the series....

As the author of three soap opera tie-ins of my own, Oakdale Confidential (which was also released in conjunction with As the World Turns' 50th Anniversary), The Man From Oakdale, and Guiding Light's Jonathan's Story, I fought to make my books be about the characters the fans already loved, not newbies they had no investment in.

Granted, this made the writing process much harder and produced incongruities like the fact that in The Man From Oakdale, Dusty is dead, while, by the time the book was published, he was alive again.  A novel like One Life to Live's The Killling Club or All My Children's Charm! is much easier to coordinate with the shows ongoing storylines... since it doesn't really need to coordinate with the shows ongoing storylines at all.

But, that's not the kind of book I wanted to write.  As a soap fan before I was a soap opera tie-in writer, I knew that I wanted to read original adventures featuring my favorite characters.  I wanted to know more about them, what they were thinking and feeling while the camera was somewhere else.

That's why I loved what Shari Anderson did with the Days of Our Lives tie-in novels.  She allowed fans to keep up with John, Marlena, Belle, Shawn and more, even while introducing a new family.  (Read my rave review, here.)

It was exactly the same strategy I employed in my books.  Not only did I feature favorites like Katie and Mike, Jack and Carly, Henry and Vienna, Craig and Sierra, Tom and Margo, Lily and Lucinda, but I tried to fill even minor roles with familiar faces from the past - Lucy, Maddie, Sabrina, Frannie, while I incorporated as much cannon history as I could - who remembers James' sister, Ariel, or his manservant, Nels?  I wrote my books specifically for the fans, both old and new.  And I especially loved the fact that, with Jonathan's Story, the actions described in the book were actually referenced on-screen.  Reva and Alan came back from looking for Jonathan (off-screen) with a whopper of a secret, and viewers got to see the consequences play out.  It was very, very tough to coordinate in real time.  But, the show and I did it.  Because we thought it was worth the extra effort.

Molly Lansing may be a wonderful author (though I too tried my hand at writing romance novels when I was her age.  And let's say the results were less than publication worthy.  I didn't sell my first book until I was 24.  And, in retrospect, I was still too young and mostly faking it.  I even reread books I wrote in my twenties, featuring characters in their 40s and, now that I am 40+, cringe - see details.)  And Connie, who appears to be the one taking credit for the work, may well be a wonderful plagiarist (after all, she does have two personalities working on the project instead of one), but, no matter how great of a romance novel Love in Maine turns out to be (or, rather, how good the actual ghostwriter is), it will still not be a true General Hospital novel, in the way that, say, Robin's Diary was.

And that just makes me mourn the lost possibilities.  Imagine if, instead of strangers, we'd been treated to a book about one of Luke's off-screen adventures (maybe he's with Laura, reliving their glory days).  Or Jax (maybe he's with Brenda).  Or Lois and Ned, or Robert and Holly on their hunt for Ethan, or Anna, Frisco and Sean's WSB case files, or even Helena's autobiography.

What kind of tie-ins do you prefer?  Please tell us below!

SOAPS' GREATEST MOMENTS: STONE'S DEATH (GH)

In memory of Stone's death, 17 years ago today, a look book at what one soap expert picked as an example of soaps at the top of their game.

Originally published 10/25/11:

BLOOD LIBEL

In lieu of yesterday's General Hospital episode where whack-a-doodle Lisa attempted to inject Patrick with his wife, Robin's, HIV+ blood, opinions on my particular Twitter feed (@SoapOpera451) were split between those who thought the act was daringly and perfectly in character for a demented supervillain like Lisa and a pertinent nod to Robin's history, and those who were disgusted and offended at the misinformation such an act could trigger as well as the exploitation and the suggestion that threatening to infect anyone with AIDS could ever be considered entertainment.

For newer viewers, the history they refer to is Robin's original diagnosis in 1995, as recalled in my book, Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments by Soap Opera Weekly's Mala Bhattacharjee, who wrote:

As a young girl growing up along with Robin (we're exactly the same age), I invested wholeheartedly in her first real love story. My heart fluttered right along with hers as she experienced the highs and lows of forbidden romance. But the pathos was taken to another level when, in the wake of a deadly mob hit, a wounded Stone revealed to Robin that he'd tested positive for HIV. Bloody, defeated and terrified, he begged her to go away, to leave him. Of course, viewers already knew they'd been having sex without a condom… and while Robin's eventual HIV diagnosis wasn't that much of a surprise, it absolutely gutted Stone, who had developed full-blown AIDS.

Equal parts personal, human tragedy and teaching moment, (Headwriter) Claire Labine's beautifully crafted story drew on the medical expertise of characters like Alan Quartermaine and Kevin Collins, who supported Stone and Robin and educated the audience about HIV and AIDS. Robin's uncle Mac, her guardian in the wake of her parents' presumed death, had to grapple with guilt and a sense of failure while trying to be strong for his niece. The entire community of Port Charles pulled together, with then-villain and supporting player Sonny Corinthos showing depths that would soon make Maurice Benard the show's lead.

Read more from Mala and dozens of other soap opera experts, actors, writers and producers at:
http://tinyurl.com/SoapMomentsEBook.
And catch her no-holds barred opinions on all things pop culture at: http://badnecklace.com/

Stone's death:

ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #186-2

Rachel sniffed, “Carl, Spencer and Lucas conspired together to bring the compound down.  They were each involved equally.  Why should Carl and Spencer be the only ones punished?”

Alice probed, “You’re certain that Carl and the children’s deaths….”

“What else could it have been?”

“A tragic accident.  Accidents happen.  Steve and the helicopter in Australia… The car crash that ended up killing him, and nearly you.  Not everything needs to be a part of some grand conspiracy.”

“Carl Hutchins was not the sort of man to perish in an accident,” Rachel reminded haughtily.

“Lucas,” Alice began cautiously.  “Lucas fears that he hasn’t, in fact, gone unpunished.  Lucas is afraid that Lorna’s death, along with Carl and the twins, was his payback.”

“There is no proof that Lorna was on that plane!”

“She disappeared the same day they did.  That’s too big of a coincidence to dismiss.”

“An accident,” Rachel reminded.  “A tragic, random accident.”

Alice said, “You know, if Lucas is on the right track, it is very possible that Carl wasn’t the one responsible for kidnapping Lorna.  The compound might have grabbed her along with him and the children, forced them all on-board and crashed the plane.”

Rachel’s eyes lit up at a possibility she’d never previously considered. 

****

Alice offers Rachel an alternative theory regarding Carl, Allie and Zeno confront Sharlene - with shocking results, Jamie gets a proposition, Kevin moves to get to the bottom of Horace's murder, and Grant struggles with how to tell Marley about Sarah.

The weather may be getting colder, but Bay City is heating up at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2012/2012_186p2.html

PARENTING MADE EASY

Last Tuesday, I wrote a piece for Kveller about my husband's weight (read it, here).  I was promptly inundated with tweets and emails telling me what a horrible wife I was and how they expected my next piece to be about him leaving me.  (For the record, had anyone bothered to ask, my husband knew about the post before it went up and was fine with it.  He doesn't consider being heavy a personal matter out of bounds for discussion; it's a health condition like any other, one that he needs to treat better than he currently does.)

But, within 24 hours of being informed that my marriage was doomed, Kveller's server was crashed by another piece of news, my fellow contributor, Mayim Bialik, announcing her divorce from her own husband.

In that announcement, Mayim stressed that their attachment parenting - co-sleeping, extended breast-feeding, baby-wearing, elimination communication instead of traditional toilet training, etc... - had no bearing on the couple's decision.

To tell the truth, I have absolutely no idea if it did or it didn't (it's also none of my business).  But, it did remind me that I too practice an unconventional form of child raising, one that's pretty much the opposite of attachment parenting.

And I think it really deserves to catch on (where's my TIME Magazine cover?).

I call it Occam's Mother.

Occam's Razor is a scientific heuristic that, simply put, states the easiest solution to a problem is, more often than not, the right one.

I am Occam’s Mother. I believe that the easiest thing for me to do, vis-à-vis my kids, is, more often than not, the right thing. 

For instance: My husband and I are as different as can be when it comes to sleep and waking cycles. I am pretty much useless past 10 p.m., but have no problem waking up at 6, 5, even 4 in the morning, and leaping straight into my day. My husband rarely hits the sack before 2 a.m., and, if he had his way, would sleep in until noon seven days a week.

So when all three of our children were infants, we had a schedule. He’d bring me the baby into bed for midnight and 2 a.m. feedings while taking care of the diaper changes and anything else, and I’d get up with them at 4 and 6 (and the rest of the day). As they got a little older and could sleep for longer stretches of time, he’d stay up with our kids until midnight, giving them a pumped bottle of breast-milk before putting them to bed, and I’d wake up with them in the morning, no matter how early that happened to be. Some days, our kids might sleep as late as 8 a.m. (which was particularly helpful with the younger ones, as it gave me a chance to get their siblings up, fed, and dressed for school without interruption.)

Our friends who had children the same age would complain about how theirs woke up at 5 a.m. every morning.

“Well, what time do you put them to bed?” we’d ask.

“7 p.m.”

“Why 7 p.m.?”

“That’s when you’re supposed to do it.”

Maybe. (I’ll be honest, I never read a page of Dr. Spock, so I don’t know.) But, 7 pm.m didn’t work for us as a family. Midnight did.

It was simpler for the parents, so it was right for the kids. (For the record, they are now 12, 8, and 5, and have no problem going to bed and getting up on time. We did not alter their body clocks for all eternity.)

Read the entire manifesto at:  http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/whats-easiest-for-mama-is-best-for-kids/

FOR GOOD - GIVING TUESDAY

After Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, now comes Giving Tuesday, a way for those of us who feel we've been extraordinarily lucky in our lives (my family moved from the USSR to the US when I was a child - if nothing good ever happens to me again, I am still more fortunate than most) to give back in whichever way we find appropriate.

There are many wonderful organizations listed at the link above.  My personal contribution is below:

Originally written 11/5/12:

Last week, I posted a note from The Ice Theatre of New York, who provided video for all of my enhanced figure skating mysteries, and who lost their offices and more in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

ITNY is accepting donations to help them rebuild and, to encourage contributions, I offered to send a free multimedia skating novel to anyone who did so.  (Details, here.)

Over the weekend, my family and I did the best we could to help those who have been displayed by the storm.  We gathered up clothes, blankets and children's books and donated them to a shelter that had been set up in one of our local schools.

Now, in an attempt to keep the contributions coming in a variety of forms, I am extending my original offer.  Donate to any charity of your choice (it doesn't have to be ITNY or even Sandy-related; the fact is, when a disaster hits and receives prominent news coverage, money that might have gone to another worthy cause is diverted to the more immediate concern, leaving the other organizations struggling down the line), and I will thank you with a copy of Counterpoint: An Interactive Family Saga, the romantic serial where what happens next is up to you.

Simply email me at AlinaAdams@gmail.com with a copy of your receipt and let me know if you would like the book in mobi for Kindle or ePub for Nook form.  (You don't need a designated reading device to experience either.  Just download the FREE Kindle or Nook apps for your phone, iPad, laptop or desktop computer.  Basically, if you can read this, you can read an ebook.)

Let's everyone do what we can.  Thanks in advance!

BLACK FRIDAY/CYBER MONDAY/THRIFTY THANKSGIVING BOOK DEALS!

Updated for Cyber Monday on 11/26/12.  See below for all 2 for 1 Alina Adams Media enhanced ebook deals:

That I am cheap is a well established aspect of my character.

I wrote about it here: http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/am-i-too-cheap-and-is-it-messing-up-my-kids/

And here: http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/five-easy-ways-to-save-money-for-your-family/

And here: http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/a-cheap-persons-guiltiest-secrets/

To continue the theme, I wrote this round up of Black Friday bargains for Mommy Poppins: http://mommypoppins.com/newyorkcitykids/black-friday-the-scoop-on-where-and-how-to-get-the-best-deal

And this guide to thrift shops for Red Tricycle: http://www.redtri.com/new-york-kids/thrift-stores

Which is why I, personally, find it so odd that, starting today, November 21, 2012 and running through Cyber Monday, November 26, 2012, I'll be the one offering bargains instead of hunting for them.  But, here goes:

In honor of this weekend's upcoming shopping frenzy, take advantage of the following deals:

* Buy a copy of Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments and receive Counterpoint: An Interactive Family Saga, where what happens next is up to you, FREE!

* Buy a copy of The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition, a middle grade fantasy novel accompanied by its own original musical score, and get a copy of Murder on Ice: A Figure Skating Mystery, FREE!

* Buy a copy of Counterpoint: An Interactive Family Saga and get a copy of When a Man Loves a Woman, a medical romance named to list of 1000 Best of All Time (#506!), FREE!

All books are available on both Amazon.com and BN.com.  Simply send me your proof of purchase to AlinaAdams@gmail.com and tell me which format you want your FREE book in.

Plus, find out how you can get any of my five Figure Skating Mysteries FREE, here!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #186-1

“Sit down, Iris,” Rachel hissed, already kicking herself for allowing this farce of a family celebration to take place.  She’d known from the start, of course, that Iris was up to something.  That much was a given.  Unfortunately, Rachel had naively assumed it would be directed against her.  At worse at Amanda, for something having to do with Cory Publishing.  But, to go after Rachel’s grandson….

Except that Rachel’s grandson was the only one who had yet to react in any way.  Like with everything that caught him unaware, Steven mechanically shut down, opting to calmly and rationally evaluate the situation before offering a response of any kind.  There was nothing on his face that either confirmed or denied the charge.  And he intended to keep it that way.

As a result, Rachel plunged ahead on her own, snapping at Iris, “How in the world would you even be privy to that sort of information?”

“Donna told me,” Iris leaned back smugly in her chair, confident there was nothing Rachel could do to her – except ultimately, after she’d gotten over the shock, back Iris’ objection to Sarah giving the child away.  Now that she’d been made aware, there was no possible chance of Rachel standing for… “That’s why Donna was so keen to adopt it.  It’s her great-grandchild, after all,” Iris enjoyed taunting her rival with the words that drove home how ancient she was.  Despite them applying equally well to herself.

“And how would Donna know?” Rachel launched the question more at Matt than at his wife.

“Allie told me,” Donna blurted out, looking to shift the blame to yet another member of Rachel’s family.  The last thing she wanted was to implicate Marley and admit Steven’s aunt had known the truth all along.  Unlike the Cory clan obviously, Donna Love knew how to protect her own.

“That doesn’t matter,” Jamie, his face crimson – which, in a way, was better than the ashen it had been these past few months; at least he seemed finally back in the land of the living – dismissed Rachel, Iris, and Donna’s petty squabbling as unimportant.  “The only thing that matters is,”  he turned to Steven, “Is this true, son?”

****

Iris' bombshell pits Rachel's guests one against the other as Jamie demands answers, Marley stuns Donna, and Russ does an about-face while Frankie and Cass face an uncertain future, Allie faces danger, and Grant faces an ultimatum from the absolutely last person he expected.

Your Thanksgiving may be over, but the Corys' is just beginning at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2012/2012_186p1.html

ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #185-1

“What kind of situation?”  John hadn’t seen Allie in close to a year.  All he could do now was stare at her.  And remember that this was the last face his son saw before he died.

“This,” Zeno held out the envelope Allie had received.  “Somebody stuffed it under Allie’s windshield wiper a couple of days ago.”

John sifted through the contents.  “All these clippings.  They’re about…”

“Gregory, yes.”

“Gregory’s death,” John’s head jerked up.  “These clippings are about Gregory’s death.  There was a hell of a lot more to my son than just the way he died.”

“You’re right,” Zeno said.  “I’m sorry.”

“What’s this supposed to mean, Allie?” John shoved the stack back under her nose.

****

Allie and Zeno attempt to pin down her stalker, Iris makes overtures to Steven, Kevin breaks the news about Horace to Jen, Matt explains himself to Sarah, and Rachel reverts to her old ways - for a new cause.

Stay together or break up?  You decide at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2012/2012_185p1.html

THE MAN WHO MARRIED LUKE AND LAURA

Originally posted on 11/17/11

AFTER THE ANNIVERSARY

Yesterday's "celebration" of what would have been Luke and Laura's 30th wedding anniversary on General Hospital left many fans unsatisfied... to say the least.

As someone whose mom picked her up from school early so I could see the wedding (I think it was the first and last time I was ever in sync with anything mainstream, or, at least, vaguely popular), not to mention a cliche who got hooked on soaps via Luke and Laura in the first place, obviously the day means a lot to me.

But, the exchange of vows is actually not the moment everyone remembers. That came afterward and, as described by then headwriter Thom Racina:

Tony and Genie had that chemistry that you just can't create no matter how hard you try. And my favorite moment is one that I pulled out my writer's hat at the last minute – Scotty catching the bouquet. It's a twist and, God knows, in daytime, twists are the foundation of keeping the audience tuning in tomorrow.

Watch the clip below!



To read more from Thom, as well as other soap opera writers, actors and producers who made the moments fans voted as their favorites of all time great, check out Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments enhanced ebook on Amazon and BN.com.

Plus, read the book GH's Ice Princess storyline was based on, The Great Los Angeles Blizzard (aka The Deep Freeze) by Thom Racina, here!

And how did Elizabeth Taylor end up at the most watched daytime wedding of all time?  Find out, here!

CLASSIC ENDING

Beginning earlier this week, SoapClassics.com, the site that, over the past year, has been selling DVD sets of As the World Turns and Guiding Light, has been sending out the following message to customers:

Because our distribution license for As the World Turns and Guiding Light expires soon, these DVDs will no longer be available once our current stock runs out.

If you were planning to fill out your collection, or to give some of our DVDs for Christmas, please act quickly. Some of our collection is already gone, but many of our best titles are still available.

We are also offering, as a Christmas special, a beautiful boxed set of our best ATWT titles. This is the perfect Christmas gift for any ATWT fan (including yourself!), and will certainly become a rare collector's item. We have only a limited number of these.

I have to confess, I found the news rather disheartening.  The optimist in me had been really hoping for Family Guy level sales, followed by the same kind of miraculous resurrection the FOX cartoon enjoyed (I wrote about it in more detail, here.)

Despite initial enthusiastic response from the fans, I started to suspect my dreams wouldn't come true almost exactly a year ago, when no hard numbers were forthcoming about precisely how many DVDs were being sold, and how many needed to be sold in order for the program to be considered a success.

Things got even worse in December of that same year, as the progress reports got progressively vaguer, and promises made were immediately backtracked (examples, here).

But, still, I clung to hope.  And I'm going to continue doing so.  Maybe this experiment didn't work out exactly the way that it's producers hoped it would.  But, maybe there's another, better idea out there.  And maybe, when it comes, we'll have real numbers to work with and the die-hard fans will be able to rally and demonstrate, without a shadow of a doubt, the true power of a soap viewer.

Even if this vehicle wasn't it, we've just got to try harder next time.

ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #184-2

“How are you managing?” Rachel pulled up a chair, sitting next to her son, noticing how consciously he avoided her eyes by focusing exclusively on his girls.

“We’re managing.  Kirkland has been a huge help.  Steven, too.  Alice, Felicia, even Amanda.  And we all know how she feels about kids.  But, I can’t keep imposing on other people like this.  Finally broke down and hired a nanny.  Had to, especially for nights when I’m on call.”

“You can always call me, Jamie, you know that.  Please say that you know that.”

“You’ve had a lot on your plate, Mom.  I didn’t want to add to your problems.  You need time to….” Jamie changed his mind about finishing the thought, observing instead, “By the way, saw you on TV the other day.  With Grant.”

Rachel saw no need to defend her actions, only reminding, “Chase Hamilton does not deserve to be Mayor of Bay City.  I should think you’d be first in line to agree, after he nearly sent you to prison for a crime you didn’t commit.”

“Chase Hamilton had me arrested based on evidence that strongly suggested I had committed said crime.  And let’s not forget the part where I confessed.  Once he had evidence to the contrary, he let me go.  And arrested the next guy who confessed.  And the guy after that.  He was the District Attorney, Mom.  It was kind of his job.”

“He wasn’t District Attorney when he went after Carl for no reason.”

Jamie shrugged and went back to wrestling with Devon over her spoon, flicking tiny grains of oatmeal from his daughter’s hair, even as she laughed and attempted to stop him.

Sensing she’d gone too far, Rachel backpedaled.  “So what do you think about my proposition?”

“You and Iris hosting Thanksgiving dinner?  I think you should sell tickets.”

“May I leave you some comps at the door?” She teased.

*****

Rachel extends an olive branch to Jamie - and Lila, while Grant tries to drive a wedge between Marley and Sarah.  Iris is surprised by Alice and Chase fishes for a new suspect in Horace's murder.

Who will take what they've given and who'll fight on today's AWT?  Find out at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2012/2012_184p2.html

EMMA SAMMS, ERIC BRAEDEN & ME

Back when I was a star-struck little Junior High School soap-watcher, it never would have crossed my mind that, one day, the sentence, Emma Samms, Eric Braeden & Me, would ever make any sense - much less be true.

And yet, in yesterday's Tulsa World (hee, Tulsa... Guiding Light... but, I digress...)

Last December, I did an interview with columnist Cindy Elavsky about my new book, Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments, and the future of soap operas overall in the digital age:


Daytime Dial: One of your first interactive projects in the genre was to bring “Another World” back via storytelling on AnotherWorld Today.com. How did you decide on the format in which to bring it back?

Alina Adams: TeleNext had put up reruns of “Another World” on hulu.com. It was 2009, exactly 10 years after the show had gone off the air. I suggested we do some out-ofthe- box thinking.

Instead of just telling people: “Here are some reruns. Watch these episodes,” we’ll update the story. Let’s work with the characters that were in the episodes that they were showing and use the episodes on Hulu as flashbacks, and combine text and video in a completely new multimedia format.

DD: And then when you incorporated Mindy with that by having her refer to “AW” on her Twitter feed, that was a great tie-in.

AA: Everybody loves a crossover! You could either pick up new readers – or in this case, new followers – or you won’t. It’s highly unlikely you would lose anyone as a result of it. So it’s a win-win situation.



Read the entire interview at: http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=275&articleid=20111225_275_TV35_Whiley353384&rss_lnk=4

Now, Cindy has done a follow up in her most recent column, where she's included interview excerpts about my As the World Turns and Guiding Light tie-in books, alongside General Hospital's Emma Samms talking about working with John Candy, and Young & restless' Eric Braeden... being Eric Braeden.

See what we all had to say at: http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=275&articleid=20121111_275_TV35_Mostof723967&rss_lnk=4

ANOTHER WORLD TODAY EPISODE #184-1

“I propose,” Iris turned to Rachel.  “We host a family Thanksgiving.”

“We?” Rachel felt compelled to address each word individually, since they most certainly made no sense all in one sentence.  “Family?  Thanksgiving?”

“Here,” Iris responded equally monosyllabically.  Though still enthusiastically.

“We should host a family Thanksgiving here?”

“You and I,” Iris clarified in case the pronouns remained confounding.  “Just the way Daddy would have wanted it.”

“Oh, there are a lot of things Mac would have wanted you and I to do….”

“And we have sorely disappointed him along each and every turn.”

“That we have,” Rachel agreed.

“Can you imagine how happy it would have made him, you and I, our children, our grandchildren, all under the same roof – his roof?  For his favorite holiday?”

“Nothing would have pleased Mac more.”

“Then we should do it.  For him.”

“A majority of my children aren’t speaking to me at the moment,” Rachel noted.  “How about yours?”

“We’ll tell them to get over it.” Iris shrugged.

Prompting a bark of laughter from Rachel.  “Now why didn’t I think of that?”

****

Iris confronts Rachel with her most audacious scheme yet, Donna presumes she holds the upper hand, Cass and Frankie find themselves in a tight spot, Sarah's words crack Grant's defenses, Zeno has a disturbing idea about Allie's stalker, and Kevin admits Horace's murder may be less straightforward than it seems.

You make the Cory's plans for Thanksgiving at: http://www.anotherworldtoday.com/2012/2012_184p1.html

DO WHAT YOU CAN.... AND GET A REWARD!

This week, I wrote a piece for Kveller.com about how to give to charity even when you don't have the money yourself:

With Hurricane Sandy hitting so close to home last month, my kids and I went through all their things to collect clothes, toys, books, and blankets we could bring down to the school being used as a shelter.

In addition, you can contribute your particular talents to a cause you believe in, saving them the expense of hiring a professional to do the same thing. I’ve written numerous press releases, editorials, and even feature articles in newspapers and magazine for non-profits. Some of them have even served the double purpose of promoting the charity and also letting others know this organization was out there to help. I’ve used my language skills to translate for Russian orphans being brought to the US in the hope of finding them adoptive families, and looked over medical records for American families who want to know what the Russians aren’t telling them.

My husband, working with a new charter middle school in the Bronx has developed a Kindle-based curriculum for their use, wherein students without access to computers can get everything they need by using a simple Kindle, including access to their free library of classic literature. He’s also physically rebuilt donated computers for a school in Harlem for classroom use.

Everyone has something they can do that offering it for free saves the recipient money. You can teach a class on your hobby at a community center or old age home. You can help new immigrants figure out their tax forms.  You can cook for a homeless shelter or write letters to soldiers serving overseas. Foster and train a service animal. Cuddle hospitalized babies with AIDS or sort clothing at a Salvation Army donation center. Record a book on tape to be enjoyed by the blind.

Read the entire article at: http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/how-to-donate-without-opening-your-wallet/

Following my own advice, I am contributing my special talent - my enhanced ebooks - to encourage people to contribute theirs.  Donate to the charity of your choice this month (it doesn't have to be Sandy related, any good cause will do), let me know about it at AlinaAdams@gmail.com, and I will send you either a free copy of Counterpoint: An Interactive Family Saga in mobi for Kindle or ePub for Nook format, or, if you choose to support the rebuilding efforts of The Ice Theatre of NY, a copy of any of my Figure Skating Mysteries (details, here).

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX

Specifically, Jewrotica, a new website that's about... well, exactly what you think it's about.

I contributed my first article to them today:

Growing up with parents unfamiliar with American culture came with perks. I was watching soap operas at 10 (the summer Luke raped Laura, no less), and reading trashy-but-amazing potboilers like Master of the Game, Mistral’s Daughter and Hollywood Wives by age 13.  (Not to mention that classic of Jewish-American literature, Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in NYC.)  Every single tome was infinitely educational.  In fact, when my husband and I first started dating and he asked where I had learned a maneuver he particularly enjoyed, I referred him, only half-jokingly, to the collected works of Mr. Sidney Sheldon, one of the great and inspiring novelists of our time.

Naturally, with a wasted youth like that, there was only thing I could grow up to be: A soap and romance writer. 

Read more, including why I think romance novels and soaps provide a valuable public service at: http://jewrotica.org/2012/11/the-birth-of-a-romance-author/

GHOSTS OF (SOAP) ELECTION DAYS PAST....

A round up of our favorite soap election days past....

All My Children:



Days of Our Lives:



Guiding Light:




One Life to Live:



Plus:

Another World

As the World Turns

GL Buzz v. Doris

And, of course, daytime's attempt at tackling politics on a regular basis, Capitol:

HELP THE ICE THEATRE OF NEW YORK REBUILD

The Ice Theatre of New York, the company that provided all the video to enhance my Figure Skating Mysteries, Murder on Ice, On Thin Ice, Axel of Evil, Death Drop and Skate Crime, put out the following update regarding their status in the wake of Hurricane Sandy:

Hurricane Sandy destroyed our office, but we had moved our computers, important files and photo archives out of harms way. Anything left in the office was lost in 5 feet of sea water. We are currently working off-site and are looking for a temporary space.

The water pretty much destroyed everything on the ground floor in the Chelsea Piers complex - it was as high as 10 feet in some places.

Chelsea Piers still has no power and the ice at Sky Rink is melting fast. It is unsure if the generators (which were located on the ground floor) will work once the power is restored.

People have contacted us about helping us rebuild the Ice Theatre office. Your support is very much appreciated. Here is a link to donate: http://www.nycharities.org/donate/c_donate.asp?CharityCode=1852

We will let you know when we find a temporary home. To contact us in the meantime, please call our Executive Director Jirina Ribbens at (646)-942-7818 or our Founder/Director Moira North at (917) 499-3663.

If you are a skating fan, please consider giving a donation to help them get back up on their feet.  As an added incentive, donate to Ice Theatre and send me a copy of your receipt to AlinaAdams@gmail.com, and I will email you a FREE copy of an enhanced Figure Skating Mystery of your choice.

In addition, a portion of all the sales from the Figure Skating Mysteries on either Amazon or BN.com will continue to go to Ice Theatre.  Every little bit helps!

Check out video clips and excerpts at the links below:

Murder on Ice
Axel of Evil
Death Drop