And the big secret is out: Demi Lovato is indeed dating Joe Jonas. Finally. Lovato, 17, admitted in a radio interview with Billy Bush from The Billy Bush Show that she went from being best friends to now boyfriend and girlfriend with her Camp Rock co-star. She describes Jonas, 20, as a “complete gentleman” who is her “best friend.” The couple first met back in 2007, and Lovato has toured with Joe’s band The Jonas Brothers.
Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy are over. People.com confirmed the split, offering no other details on the break-up. Hewitt and Kennedy had been dating since March 2009.
Carol Snow's latest novel, Just Like Me, Only Better goes on sale April 6th, and I am looking forward to getting my review copy soon. Snow is the author of some fantastic titles, such as Here Today, Gone to Maui, Getting Warmer, and Been There Done That. Be sure to pre-order your copy of Just Like Me, Only Better from Amazon, and look for my review and interview with Carol Snow. Just Like Me, Only Better: Ever since Veronica’s husband found the love of his life—and it turned out not to be her—she’s been a mess. It doesn’t help that she keeps getting mistaken for Haley Rush—the Hollywood starlet whose dazzling life is plastered on every magazine at the checkout line of her suburban California grocery store. So when Haley’s manager offers Veronica a job as a celebrity double, it only takes a moment for the shock to pass before she says yes. Is it a fantasy come true or a disaster in disguise? Ever since Veronica’s husband found the love of his life—and it turned out not to be her—she’s been a mess. It doesn’t help that she keeps getting mistaken for Haley Rush—the Hollywood starlet whose dazzling life is plastered on every magazine at the checkout line of her suburban California grocery store. So when Haley’s manager offers Veronica a job as a celebrity double, it only takes a moment for the shock to pass before she says yes. Is it a fantasy come true or a disaster in disguise?
Kat Miner is running out of luck. Her movie star husband has divorced her, taking off with all the money and leaving behind a son. She is struggling to keep getting acting jobs, but nearing the precious age of 40, jobs are being lost to the more youthful generation. And her mother, living across the hall from Kat and her son, won’t keep treating Kat like she is still child- giving her no privacy to have a personal life. The only thing keeping Kat from losing it all is the support of her two best girl friends, and her part time job as a teacher, teaching adults English as a second language. Magnus Grimmson is one of Kat’s students, posing as an Icelandic foreigner struggling to learn English. What Kat doesn’t know is that Magnus is an undercover CIA agent, trying to find Kat’s reclusive father that abandoned the family when Kat was only 10. Her father is a retired CIA agent, but the agency is desperate for his knowledge on the country of Kyrgyzstan now that political wars are raging. It is now up to Magnus to get Kat on his side to help them track down her father, without letting her know he works for the CIA. Like all good chick lit novels, Magnus immediately falls for Kat, even taking up residence in her spare bedroom. Through some steamy loves scenes, broken friendships, and our heroine finding happiness, Sex as a Second Language by Alisa Kwitney will be a delight for readers. There are plot twists thrown in at the right moments, catching readers off guard, and a happy ending for all.
Q: How did you get into writing? When I was at school about eleven or twelve years old, my teacher set us weekend homework – to write a short story. It was supposed to be one page. I wrote about twenty pages. I typed them up on my Dad's typewriter and even made a cardboard book cover and illustrated it. This book was called Sunbeam, and featured a girl and her pony. I think my Dad still has it in a drawer somewhere. I fully expected an A+ for the assignment. I didn't get it (I got an A- ). It did however, convince me that writing was the best thing in the world to do. Q: Where do you get the ideas for your plots and characters? For me, this is the really magical bit of writing. Ideas can be triggered by anything I find interesting or unusual. Some tiny thing will float around the back of my brain for a while, meet up with another idea and slowly a story starts to build. Most books are several different ideas merged into one tale. People are a constant source of inspiration – usually without knowing it. I have a T-shirt, a gift from another writer, which says… Be careful or you'll end up in my novel. That's not far from the truth. Q: You have a novel coming out in July, Girl Racers. What can you tell us about this book? My brother is a rather successful amateur car rally driver. One day I was driving one of his cars… a classic 1969 Ford Mustang. Within half a mile, I was pulled over by a policeman even though I was doing nothing wrong. He just seemed to find it very strange that a woman would be driving such a car. As a result, I decided to write a book about a girl in a sports car… well, two girls - who might break some speed limits …. and some hearts. Q: What did you do to celebrate your first published novel? All right – I'll confess. The day I got the phone call saying Little Black Dress wanted to publish my first book, I cried like a fool. It might seem silly, but it was the realization of a dream for me. My partner John and I went out for dinner to celebrate. It was a Korean restaurant – lots of raw fish and chilli. Q: What do you want readers to take about from your writing? I write about people's lives and emotions… their hopes and fears and desires. I would like to think that the readers will relate to some of those things. My characters (at least the good ones) always end the book in a better place than they began… and maybe that might give the readers encouragement to look towards their own positive future. I also like to think my books will give each reader a smile – maybe more than one. Q: I read that you have always loved horses- I as well! How hard was it training for horse shows? In the Australian bush, horses are work more than play. I used to muster cattle on horseback. When I moved to the city, I brought a couple of horses with me, and that's when I got seriously involved in competition. I had a 'real' job as usually two horses in training at the same time. I would get up when it was barely light to work one horse before I went to work, then ride the other after I got home. What a great way to lose weight and get fit! On weekends, several of us would travel together to shows to compete. I'm not the world's greatest horsewoman, but I did win a few ribbons here and there. Q: You went into journalism after graduating, is that what your major was? When I was still at school, I saw a reporter on television doing a story about a fancy beach holiday resort. I decided on the spot that was the job for me. Writing and beaches – what could be better? I studied journalism at University, but also stumbled into sociology and political studies. My career as a reporter followed a similar path. I was a general reporter, then became a specialist crime reporter. After that, I migrated across into politics. I never did get to that beach resort. I discovered that whatever field I was in, the best part about it was the fascinating people I met. From Presidents to policemen, movie stars, nuns, teachers to taxi drivers… every single one of them had a story to tell. Q: You now work as a consultant with computers, how did you get into that field? And how do you find time to do that work and write novels? The computer work arose from being a television journalist. I was a producer – working behind the scenes to make TV programmes. I was really interested in the technology that I used to do that. These days, I spend a lot of time designing computer systems to help other producers do what I did – but better and easier. As to time – I do spend a lot of time in planes and airports. I hate both and bury myself in writing when I'm stuck there. I write in hotel rooms where the TV programmes are in languages I don't speak. Basically, if I stop doing anything else for more than a few minutes, I start writing. Even if it's just in my head. There's a lot of thinking and plotting and planning goes into a book before the words get onto a page. I can do that anywhere, anytime. Q: What would be your advice to aspiring writers? There are two things I think are important.. You need to be determined. You'll face a lot of criticisms and rejections, and not just when you are starting out. You just have to take it. Learn from it if you can, then keep going. I have a drawer full of rejections – they were part of the learning process. The important thing is not to give up. You need to write from the heart. Trying to write what you think someone else wants never works – at least it doesn't for me. Write what you want to write. Write something you believe in. That's what makes your work shine. Q: You have lived and traveled a little bit of everywhere! Where would you say is your favorite place to visit? It may sound corny, but my favourite place to visit is somewhere I haven't been yet. The world just fascinates me. Every place is different and has its own special charms just waiting to be discovered. People are fascinating too - how different they are from place to place and how much they remain the same everywhere. But – if you are going to force me to choose… A desert anywhere for the silence and the beauty. Any mountain for the taste of the air. New York for the shopping. London for the theatres and bookshops. Sydney for the harbour. Rome for the men (Mama Mia indeed!).
As I was reading this month’s issue of Shape magazine, there was a featured gadget that I believe I just must have. It’s called The Gruve, and it is an activity monitor that tracks your daily calorie burn. But it’s so much more than that. When you start your day out, there is a red light on the device and when you hit your calorie burning goal for the day, the light turns green. You can also set it up so that it will remind you to get up and move around if you have been stationary for too long. This is a feature that I really like, as I sit behind a desk all day. I could really take advantage of a beeper telling me to go take a walk around my office. And the best part- you can set up a personal webpage to be synched to your Gruve, and watch your progress daily! It may seem a little pricey- The Gruve runs about $150, but if you think of all the benefits you will receive plus a webpage, I think it is a pretty good deal. I think this will be my next fitness purchase, and will be sure to tell everyone about it! You can get more information on this device at myhealthyreflections.com.
Mario Lopez is ging to be a father! The Extra host confirmed to People.com that his girlfriend, Courtney Mazza, is expecting this fall. This will be the first child for both. Lopez, 36, and Mazza, 28, met in 2008 when Lopez starred in A Chorus Line on Broadway.
