Hey everyone. Thank you for having me here today. I'm very excited to make the rounds on my blog tour and get the word out about my debut release – What Lies Beneath. I'm running a contest for the blog tour. The details are at the bottom of the post, but be sure to comment to get an entry for a beautiful pink sea glass locket.
Today, I want to talk about television. Lately, I don't get to watch much, and if I do, it's something I taped on my DVR. Honestly, there isn't much on TV that thrills me, even if I did have the time. If someone recommends a show to me, I rarely watch it because I'm either disappointed, or immediately hooked and get behind with my schedule. So I don't bother.
The trend of the last decade has been reality shows. I'll admit, I'm not a big fan of reality television. I don't watch the Bachelor, Amazing Race, Survivor or American Idol. I'll see an episode here or there, but I've never dialled in to vote for anyone. That's not to say I don't watch any. I do have a few I like. But I prefer the shows where skills and ingenuity under pressure are rewarded. My favorites include Project Runway, America's Next Top Model and RuPaul's Drag Race.
Project Runway is my top show, however. I have a massive crush on Tim Gunn. I envy the ability to design and sew clothing. I was barely able to stitch on my patches in Girl Scouts. Actual sewing… um, no.
Fortunately, I can live vicariously through my characters. My heroine in What Lies Beneath is a fashion designer. I guess I got to design dresses for her in a way, but I didn't have to execute them. She's a skilled seamstress that can whip out a gown in no time flat. At least she could until she's almost killed in a plane crash. Then she has to rediscover her skills, and her life. In doing that, my character got to shop at Mood Fabrics, where the contestants go on the show.
When I went to New York, it also meant I had a really good reason to walk around the Fashion District and see landmarks from the show, including Mood and Parsons School for Design. I got a t-shirt. I stood outside Liz Claiborne for a while and never saw Tim Gunn. Darn it. Not exactly sure what I would've done if I HAD seen him, but it would've been a good story.
What are your favorite reality shows? If you write, what's something you'd love to experience through your characters?
Andrea
WHAT LIES BENEATH
April 2012, Harlequin Desire #2152
She’s Awake. So Why Can’t She Remember?
They say she’s Cynthia Dempsey, fiancée of media mogul Will Taylor. But try as she might, she can’t recall their high-society life or the man sitting by her hospital bed. Though her body certainly remembers him. Even as she senses the distance between them, the electricity when they touch is undeniable.
Will can hardly believe Cynthia’s transformation. Gone is the ice queen who betrayed him, and in her place is a woman who seems genuine and warm. But can he risk his heart again, not knowing what might happen when her memory returns?
The winner will be chosen at random after the conclusion of the blog tour – Friday, April 27th and announced on the Writing Playground blog (http://www.writingplayground.blogspot.com/). The winner will have 7 days to contact the author at author@andrealaurence.com with her mailing information or the prize will be forfeited and re-awarded.
Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting a 4 1/2 stars from Romantic Tomes for your first book. The only reality shows I watch are Amazing Race, American Idol. The Voice, So You Think You Can Dance and part of Dancing With the Stars. (I watch the first and last episodes usually) I also DVR them all and fast forward through the slow parts and commercials. My 13 year old daughter watches America's Next Top Model and Project Runway as well as the shows I watch.
Hi, Tammy. Thanks for joining me today. I was stunned when I got my review. I never expected to get a Top Pick. A very pleasant surprise. I have several friends who just love So You Think You Can Dance. They're both former dancers and really get into the show. I flunked out of ballet in second grade. :)
DeleteCongrats on your debut release, Andrea. My favorite reality shows include Basketball Wives and Amazing Race. I still watch DWTS, but I don't watch it as religiously as I did before.
ReplyDeleteHi Jane. Thanks for visiting. DWTS is always so funny to me. Sometimes I wonder where they find those people. I've heard they can make some really good money at it, so go them. I'd love to take a go at it just so I could drop twenty pounds practicing all the time! :)
DeleteCongratulations on the book! I like the Amazing Race and The Voice.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Hi Bn. Thanks for joining me today. I haven't watched The Voice, but I think its cool that they have to choose their folks without looking at them. On other shows they're always so quick to judge people for having the right look over the right talent. I think that's great.
DeleteI love "America's Got Talent". I think it would great to be a judge.
ReplyDeleteHi BW. Thanks for visiting today. AGT would be fun to judge. They get some crazy stuff on that show.
DeleteI used to watch several -- Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, American Idol. But Idol is the only one I still watch. With the competition shows you have two nights a week tied up and I just would rather watch a good crime drama now. I have watched two seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race on Netflix. What a hoot!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your release. I've been haunting the stores hoping they'll shelve it early. No luck yet.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn. I do love RuPaul's Drag Race. I wish I could get one to come and teach me how to do makeup like they do. Its a work of art, sometimes.
ReplyDeleteLet me know as soon as you spot a copy! I'm going to start hunting tomorrow.
CONGRATULATIONS on your debut with DESIRE, Andrea !
ReplyDeleteGreat cover too! Sounds like a great book!
Love the necklace!
Thanks for coming to GLIAS for DESIRE WEEK !
~Angi
Thanks for having me, Angi!
DeleteCongrats on your release!
ReplyDeleteI like watching Amazing Race... It's nice to see all those places...
Hi May. Thanks for popping in. A friend of mine tried to talk me into applying to be on Amazing Race. She insisted that two romance writers would be a fun hook for them to have as a team. From what I've seen of that show, I'd be toast. Running and stuff... yeah, not my thing. :)
DeleteHey Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI have just recently started watching Fashion Star with Jessica Simpson and Nicole Richie. It's pretty good. You can actually go online and purchase the designs after the show if they get picked up by a store.
Congrats on your book!
pjk
Hey PJK. I've been wondering about Fashion Star, but I haven't gotten around to actually watching it yet. I think its pretty cool that buyers can bid on items right then and let you buy them the next day in stores. Of course, if its anything like PR, the clothes are all made for size 2 models and would look horrible on me. :)
DeleteCongrats on your release!
ReplyDeleteI rarely watch reality shows.
Hi Chey. Good to see you pop in today. I've really taken to watching Big Bang Theory, lately. I miss sitcoms. I used to love Thursday night on NBC with Friends, Frasier and Seinfeld. Ahh, the 90s. :)
DeleteCongratulations on your debut release, Andrea! As for reality shows, I watched one season of the Bachelorette, when it was Trista & Ryan. That's it. Oh wait. I do watch Dog the Bounty Hunter too. But THAT'S it!
ReplyDeleteHi Alexa. You know, after the season with Trista, I thought maybe the Bachelorette premise was more sound. Men fighting for one woman versus a bunch of women one upping each other in bikinis for a guy. But since then, it seems more about 15 minutes of fame than love. Not that I'd expect to find it on a tv show anyway. :)
DeleteI adore Biggest Loser, but I don't see my Regency characters connecting with that particular topic ;) I also like American Idol, but only if it's DVR'd so I can skip through the blahblah :) Being the huge cupcake baker that I am, I also love Cupcake Wars - and the heroine in my second book owns a bakery!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new release!
Hi Erin. I have watched a couple seasons of the Biggest Loser, now that you mention it. I guess a lot of shows over the last decade fall into the reality category. Definitely not a regency problem, though! I love the Food Network. Does that qualify as reality TV? If it does, then I lied in my post. I have that on in the background a lot. I loved Ace of Cakes and Food Network Challenge, but Cupcake Wars is fun, too. The idea of making 2000 cupcakes in two hours freaks me out, but I love all the different flavors. I've gotten to the point where a plain cupcake doesn't impress me anymore. :)
DeleteMy favorite reality shows are competition shows. I love Top Chef and Project Runway. I like to see people do what they love. Congratulation on the new release, Andrea!
ReplyDeletegeishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com