And Another Thing...

I know I usually write about stuff around town, but this time I'm going to write about stuff I do at home when I'm mellowing out -- mainly reading.

So here's the thing...I love Douglas Adams' (the guy who wrote Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and I love the whole Artemis Fowl series by Irish author Eoin Colfer. But I'm just not sure I like the idea of Colfer writing as Douglas Adams.

Yes, I know there are other writers out there writing Bond books as the new Ian Fleming, but it just seems strange that someone can just come in and pick up where you left off after you're dead.

Imagine if someone decided that they were just going to continue writing the Harry Potter as the series is reportedly over. Do you think J.K. Rowling would allow that?

Of course, in this case there won't be any lawsuits because Colfer has the permission of Adams' widow to write the next part of the Hitchhiker's series -- and I must admit he's really, really funny in the Artemis Fowl books (which I wish he would write more of, because Artemis is my favorite anti-hero).

The new Hitchhiker's book, by the way, is called "And Another Thing." And for those that are fans, in the last book Arthur Dent, our towel-toting hero, had he made his way home to (one rather pleasant version of) planet Earth. He then discovered that it was about to be blown up...again.

So did he die? Well, apparently not because Colfer promises to propel Dent and the other character through another intergalactic screwball adventure.

The book will be out late October, so let me know what you think.

Will I be reading it? Most-likely, yes -- just because I want to see if Colfer can pull it off, but he does have high expectations to fill.

But maybe it will be even better than original. Maybe...

Whitney Casey's Man Plan

All you true Houstonians know all about Whitney Casey. You've either watched her on Great Day Houston or read her weekly column in the Houston Chronicle. But as I've only been here a few months, Whitney was just a name that I heard around the station.

You see, she left KHOU a couple of months before I started, so we were like ships that passed in the night -- or maybe more like blondes who frequent the same wine bars. Whatever the case, when I heard she was launching of her first book, I had to go check it out and meet the woman behind the legend.

THE BOOK SIGNING AND GIRL TALK

Whitney's first book signing in Houston was last Thursday and it was kind of a special one for her.

"I only had one other book signing so far and that one was in New York. This is my first one in Houston so it's special," said Whitney. "I actually dedicated my book to Houston and it's 'Great Days'."

The signing wasn't held at a swanky bar or some over the top party place. Instead, she had it at the Upper Hand Hair Salon on Westheimer, which was perfect. It was intimate, friendly and best place to launch a book about dating, because as every girl knows, the hair salon is where we go to talk about guys...and other stuff.

And girl-talk was the talk of the night.

The women I met ranged from University students to women in their 40s. But they all had one thing in common: they were friendly and open. It was a relaxing, positive experience that reminded me of a girls' night at home.

Plus, to make the night even more decadent, there was pink champagne and of course chocolate -- courtesy of Ooh-la-la cupcakes.

It was the perfect haven for the approximately 200 women (and a few guys) who showed up to learn more about Whitney's Man Plan and to meet her in person.

THE BOOK AND WHITNEY'S MAN PLAN

"I was in the audience once when she was on Great Day Houston," said one of girls at the event. "She was great on the show, so I wanted to drop by and say hello."

The girl was going to get to say a lot more than hello.

If you've never been to a signing, let me tell that usually the author just scribbles your name in the book and moves on to the next person. But this wasn't the case on Thursday. Whitney talked, laughed and took her time with every single person who showed up. She didn't treat them like fans, but like girlfriends.

And this skill of listening to people is what makes her book special. Because let's face it. Whitney is gorgeous. So what kind of man advice could an attractive, successful and confident woman have? She's already got men dropping at her feet.

But instead of telling people what she does, Whitney actually went out and interviewed men, women and professionals everywhere to get the inside scoop on what guys want-- and what they don't.

And no, this is not some sort of boring psychological get-to-know-yourself journal that will take years of in-depth soul searching to perfect. The book is witty and real.

"The advice is really practical. It's mistakes that you don't even know you make, but you do them," said one of the women at the book signing who just finished reading the book.

SNEAK PEAK OF WHAT'S INSIDE THE BOOK

Practical and simple advice for everyday women is exactly what I thought when I was reading The Man Plan. And to prove it, here are three little tips that I read in Whitney's book:

1) Don't bring a big handbag when going out. Men start to wonder why you brought it. Was it luggage? Were you planning on sleeping over? Are you going some place after? You get the picture...big bags are not date material.

2) Don't wear your night time makeup for day dates. Men want you to look natural and dewy during the day, but this doesn't going without. If they saw you without any makeup, they would say that you look plain and tired.

3) The hottest hostess has the hottest home, so skip the family pictures in the bedroom, hide the medication (he doesn't want to know where you itch) and buy a comfortable couch.

Didn't I tell you they were easy tips? The book also has practical advice on what shoes to wear on dates, why you shouldn't wear black, what food men would like to see in your fridge, and even what to do (and what not to do) in the bedroom.

RELATED LINKS:

Learn more about Whitney Casey's Man Plan

Seduced into the "Twilight" zone

I admit it. I'm hooked. I tried to resist, but after hearing all the hype about Stephenie Meyer's best-selling series "Twilight," I finally caved and bought the books...and then I couldn't put them down.

Yes, it's true...I've been seduced into the Twilight zone!!!

Thankfully, I'm not the only one who has gone gaga over the whole girl-meets-vampire phenomena. Millions have read the series (there's 4 books and one online book). And now there's a movie that has fans lining up. In fact, according to Fandango, a company that tracks movie ticket sales, theaters have been selling up to five tickets per second.

And get this....they claim that Twilight advanced ticket sales have surpassed "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" sales.

So what's the big deal? Is it the magic? Is it the forbidden love? Is it the danger?

I'm convinced that it's a combination of it all.

Underneath all the supernatural fun, the story is your traditional romance. You know the one where the girl is just your average teenager who happens falls for someone totally out of her species -- kind of like I did for Kermit the Frog when I was five.

Of course, the hero of Twilight is a little less green than Kermit, and much more seductive. But then again, he was created to be irresistible to his prey -- namely humans. Sigh.

I'm not going to tell you anything more. You'll just have to read the book...or see the movie which just came out on November 21. Yay!!