Well, the day has finally arrived, and if you've been following this blog, you know that this day has been a long time coming. Yes, it is Cinco de Mayo, and also– it is PUBLICATION DAY for not one, but two Culwell books! These books were written at different times, have different editors, and were put out by different publishers, so I think it's very "funny strange" that they happen to have come out on the very same day. All in all, this day reflects about four years worth of work, which is pretty amazing when you think about it. It's like graduation or something!
The first book is Hollywood Car Wash: a novel, which as you might recall was out in 2007, was picked up by Simon & Schuster, got a new edit and a totally cool new cover, and is now out again. I'll be posting the schedule of book signings this week for that one.
Here's a Booklist review: In this dishy debut, a midwestern college student finds herself the
star of a hit TV show. Amy Spencer, a drama student who aspires to make
indie films, goes to an audition for a new television show and, to her
surprise, ends up beating out typical Hollywood beauties to get the
part. The network claims to want a girl with a “midwestern look” in the
role, but no sooner is Amy cast than the demonic network executive
overseeing her show presents a laundry list of demands, including that
Amy lose weight, get plastic surgery, and even change her name. Though
she is put off by the superficiality and pressure, Amy acquiesces,
lured by the novelty of lavish free gifts and paychecks she can use to
help her mother. But when Amy’s agent pushes her into a deal with a
handsome film star that requires her to fake a relationship, Amy starts
to wonder just how far she is willing to go. Anyone who has paged
through a celebrity gossip rag will devour this juicy exposé.
So, if you think you might want some beach reading, I would recommend picking it up. I know, I'm biased, but I've heard people think it's funny. You can order Hollywood Car Wash here on Amazon, if you are so inclined. If you read it before, I will say it is a totally new, better edit.
But, let us not forget the other book, which has been even longer in coming. Million Dollar Website, which is a non-fiction book dedicated to helping small business people construct good websites and optimize them for the internet, is also awesome. It condenses alot of my internet-industry experience, and is definitely worth the money if you have a website of any kind, just for what it will teach you about keyword research, usability, and self-promotion. I'm not even saying that in a pushy way– I actually think this book (again, with the help of a great editor) puts these techy things in a really user-friendly context, which was the whole point of the book. You can also order Million Dollar Website on Amazon, if you have a website or know someone who does. I promise, you will end up getting something out of this book that you totally didn't think of, and that one thing will totally change your website traffic and / or improve your business. I'm also teaching a class on this topic starting this summer through UCLA Extension.
Wow– just writing all of that up made me tired all over again. I am going out to buy some celebratory shoes.
