Carly Phillips's Blog: Carly's Web Blogs, page 95

I'm a Soap Mag Star – Sorta!

By now, everyone knows I adore soap operas. ABC Soaps to be specific, which means I am still in mourning over the television demise of All My Children and soon One Life to Live. I'm counting on Prospect Park to bring my beloved Soaps and stars to the Internet. I'm also hoping for hour shows not mini type ones but time will tell. In the meantime, you probably also know how vocal I have been in support of my shows. (That's what my Grandma Charlotte called HER soaps and they weren't ABC – GASP! – And yes I had a Grandma Charlotte – no relation to Kiss Me If You Can's Grandma Charlotte but some very definite similarities, but I digress!)

So in my vocalness, (is that a word? Don't think so) I caught the attention of a Soap Digest editor, Mala Bhattacharjee, who asked if I'd write up something about my feelings on the matter. If you missed it, the article, ABC Daytime jilts Carly Phillips ran in April 2011. I was and am ridiculously proud of getting onto Soap Digest online, in fact it's been one of the highlights of my career. In case you don't know, my Kelly Ripa Fairy Godmother moment was the main moment and not just because she chose my book, but because I got to meet Hayley Vaughn, her All My Children Character. I do have my priorities, people!

Anyway, back to my vocalness over what I call on Twitter #ABCFAIL for cancelling MY shows. That article somehow led to the opportunity to be interviewed for the magazine ABC Soaps in Depth (a magazine I have always read!). I've been waiting with baited breath and finally the day arrived! The Magazine is in stores NOW, the October 17th issue!

As you can see, Serendipity got a shout out too!

I hope you'll look for the magazine in stores and let me know if you find it! I also hope you've bought a copy of Serendipity in some format – and if so THANK YOU the book is a bestseller thanks to all of YOU!

As you might have figured out, we're having a topsy turvy week here in the jungle!

So we'll all (mostly) be out of order this week!

Monday – Carly

Tuesday – Janelle

Wednesday – Julie

Thursday – Leslie

Friday – Janelle

And then back to our regularly scheduled programming!

Friday's Winner & Sunday Funny

The winner of the Plotmonkeys' Amazon Gift Card is:

Carly M. Comment # 108!

#

Please email Carly at: carly phillips @ mac . com (no spaces) and confirm your email to receive your prize!

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SUNDAY FUNNY

Not sure if this is an oldie/repeat but we're all short on jokes lately!

Bob forgot his wife's birthday. His wife was mad. She told him "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in 6 seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE!!!" The next morning when his wife woke up, she looked out the window to find a box… gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway. She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale. . . Bob has been missing since Friday!

New Month New Books – What'cha Reading?

So … (Carly here and I LOVE LOVE this day of the week in the jungle!) … What are you all reading? My Kindle just downloaded the new Victoria Dahl – Bad Boys Do; and the second in May Banks' Highlander Trilogy (historical) – Seduction of a Highland Lass. And I know on Tuesday October 4th so many more goodies will be coming my way! How about you? What are YOU currently reading?

I can SEE!

(Carly in for Julie today!)

OK this is a "Carly" story and by that I mean long, involved and it happened to anyone else would have wrapped up much faster. Just be warned! This may be my longest blog ever …

When I was sixteen, I got my permit and my driver's license. Where I live (then and now) kids are so excited to get their license, all they want to do is drive, especially once they are allowed to drive at night after dark. Whenever we'd make plans, I'd let my friends do the night driving. One day, my parents asked me why – since I had access to a car. I remember telling them, I don't want to tell you because then you won't let me drive at all, but … because I can't see very well, especially at night. OK maybe most kids would have thought to mention this but to me, I thought it was just the way it was. My eyes. Mom made an eye doctor appointment and low and behold, I needed distance glasses! (You can stop laughing at me now. I'm just getting started! When we went to pick up my eye glasses (and I remember this like it was yesterday) I slipped them on, looked out in the distance and said, "Oh my God there are spaces between the leaves on the trees!" I could see. Back then I didn't have to wear the glasses except to drive. Over the years, this has changed to the point where I put my glasses on when I get out of bed and don't take them off until I go to sleep. I did wear contacts for awhile but allergy and dry eye and in the end, glasses are just more comfortable. Also I've never been totally comfortable driving at night but I do it when I have to. Still, I would drive my husband crazy because he likes alcohol on the weekend if we are out for dinner, I abstain, and yet I won't be the designated driver. Just can't do it.

Fast forward to four months ago. As I'm driving, I realize as I look into the distance, the two lanes (mine and the other) are converging into one. I CAN'T SEE to drive. Day or night. But this is the only time I have a vision issue. So I make an eye doctor appointment, explain things and he checks me and increases my prescription. As this is a normal thing on occasion, I make up all sets of eye glasses, including buying a new pair of frames (regular and sunglasses) with my prescription at the store within the office. A week or so later, I pick up the first pair that is ready, try them on, they seem fine and off I go. Except within two days I know – these are no good. They are too strong and I'm having more problems than I did before. Back to the shop who says, no worries, make an appointment with the doctor. We'll deal with the glasses (in other words they'll eat the cost). Very nice! I make an appointment, can't get one for two weeks, go back and I suggest (after talking to mom), a prism. Oh, he says, and looks at my file and realizes five years ago he gave me a very mild prescription for one for the same problem, rechecks my eyes and writes up a new prescription. I hand it in, they make up one pair of glasses, a week later I go back, put them on, I can't see out of them at all. Completely blurry. No worries, the nice guy at the shop says, I'll talk to your doctor. My doctor suggests I see an optician (he's an optometrist) in his practice. I make an appointment – two weeks away. In between, my doctor calls me and says come back in. I do, he checks, fiddles with prescription, I cancel other doctor, hand in the prescription, they make up the glasses, I put them on, and in my gut I know they aren't perfect but keep in mind a) I'm feeling like a PITA; 2) I'm driving WITH ONE EYE CLOSED b/c that is the only way I can see two lanes; and c) I think maybe it's all in my head and I'll get used to them. And after a week or so, I decide it's as good as its going to get, make up the rest of my glasses with this prescription. You know, the extra pair of eye glasses in case mine break b/c my prescription takes so long to make, and sunglasses.

Oh!!!! I forgot to mention that from the beginning of this ordeal four months ago, I can't see up close and now need reading glasses. Because I am migraine and eye sensitive, we decide no, we won't make bifocals (which seemed like a good thing once I started having all the above issues) so I've ALSO purchased READING GLASSES with my prescription because I also have an astigmatism which means I can't just buy the 1.25 over the counter readers like the rest of the world. So in between, I'm putting on readers, taking off distance and visa versa. All the while I'M FEELING BLIND!

Fast forward to one month ago. I've had it. I just can't see and I am back to driving with one eye again. This time I decide I'm not going back to my eye doctor, I'm going to the optometrist in the practice that he recommended. I make an appointment. I go in. I'm practically weeping. HELP ME! She is amazing, checks, rechecks, rechecks, rechecks – and says – wow. You are really cross eyed (not to the naked eye but enough to explain my situation – I'm not CRAZY! (yeah yeah I hear you, that's debatable). Anyway, she says, your eyes are so strained, I'm getting different readings each time. Go home for a few weeks, wear your readers ONLY except when driving, rest your eyes that way, come back I'll recheck you and write you a new prescription. Now mind you I'm still praying one day I can see, but I agree. Which means, I'M STILL DRIVING WITH ONE EYE CLOSED – and I do tell the doctors this.

I go back in two weeks, all excited to finally be able to see (knowing I'll still have to wait to have glasses made up – another expense) – and they don't have me in their appointment book. The doctor is running behind and I can wait (it'll be awhile for her to squeeze me in) or I can come back at 3 PM. I opt for 3 PM. I go back, and she works with me for over an hour. In the end, she suggests that I do BIFOCALS – so I will have distance, reading, PRISM and astigmatism correction all in one eyeglass BUT if it works, I will always be able to see. I'm skeptical but at this point, what do I have to lose? So I hand in the prescription, and of course the new frames I bought are too narrow to hold my whole prescription – but don't worry, they'll take back the frames I bought 4 months ago and take money off the new ones. I'm already in this for a small fortune so I'll take what I can get. I leave, telling them please rush these glasses if they can, and I'm praying when I put them on in two weeks I can see or else I'll be mortified AND up the creek. I leave, STILL DRIVING WITH ONE EYE CLOSED except I realize if I wear my reading glasses to drive, I can sorta see, not have to shut one eye, and just not read road signs. OK I can live with this. The doctor said do what I have to in order to get by.

Finally the day arrives, the glasses are ready! I go in and put them on, keeping my eyes closed the whole time, praying and afraid to open them and be completely dizzy and have to start all over again. Finally, finally I peek. Guess what? I CAN SEE!!!!! I'm not dizzy. I'm not like the rest of the world that takes a month to get used to the no line bifocals, it's just all one world WITH SPACES BETWEEN THE LEAVES ON THE TREES!. I'm in heaven. I give it some time, make sure and call to order my prescription for my other glasses. Except I realize, the nose pads on the new frames are KILLING me, they hurt and they are making huge indentations in my skin. Yes, you guessed it, back in I go. He loosens them. Within a few hours I know they're worse. I call. He says I can replace with silicone ones. (Why didn't he tell me this to begin with?) I go back same day and he replaces the pads. I realize within 24 hours, no better. I call and he says, no worries, come PICK OUT A NEW FRAME. No I am NOT NOT kidding. Back I go. I pick a new frame knowing I have to make do with the old ones until the new prescription that fits the frames comes in … except somehow something goes right and he is able to pop the lenses from the hurting frames into the new frames – and I can walk out that day with new glasses that don't hurt!

So now I can see. The world has opened up for me. I realize how bad my vision was before because I can see distance while driving, I can see the dashboard, I can watch TV and read at the same time. I am LOVING life.

Except for what it took to get here. IF you stayed with me through the end of this blog … THANK YOU! You must be a glutton for punishment like I seem to be! Just kidding.

So … do you wear glasses? Distance or Readers? (Doesn't it SUCK getting old? Even my manuscript font looks small!) And if you wear both, do you wear bifocals? Progressives (no line) or the ones with the line? Or do you constantly swap glasses? Trust me when I say whatever you do, if it works for you, I can relate because nothing is more personal than fitting a pair of eye glasses. I've learned that the hard way!

My Soaps are Gone – The End of an Era

On Friday we say goodbye to an institution, ALL MY CHILDREN, an ABC soap opera which has been on the air since 1970. From my time here, you know how long I've been an ABC soap fan. I lose ONE LIFE TO LIVE in January. I have no words that aren't angry and upset, hurt and bitter. ABC has not only betrayed its viewers who have been watching forever, made these characters a part of their families (as much as book characters are to us), but they have rubbed our faces in their new choice, The Chew, during the last weeks of our beloved soaps. I have the honor of being interviewed by SOAPS IN DEPTH Magazine, the issue on sale October 3rd. I hope to post more about it soon. The soaps mean so much to mean as a person, a mother, a writer (thank you Kelly Ripa who gave my career it's jump start). I know I'm not the only one mourning the loss.

I feel ABC made a huge error and failed tremendously. I hope the Internet and PROSPECT PARK saves the soaps and revitalizes the genre, much like when the shows went from radio to TV.

Today I hope anyone else feeling as down as I am will come here and talk about their favorite characters, soaps, what the shows mean to them and why, who they love, who they hate, etc. Let's enjoy it while we still can.

Carly's Friday Winner

The winner of Carly's $25 Amazon Gift Card is:

# 80 Barbara Elness

Please email me at: carly phillips @ mac . com (no spaces) and confirm your email to receive your prize!

AND

I posted this on Friday but in case you missed it and apologies for it being so late in general:

The winner of the LAUREN DANE prize is:

Comment # 6 of 84 – LIZ CROWE – Liz, congratulations and contact Lauren at: lauren dane @ lauren dane . com (no spaces!) to claim your prize!

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It's hard to believe but I'm out of funnies! So I'll just wish you all a very happy Sunday!

We Love to READ!

So what are you reading? This week I've devoured G.A. Aiken's newest, The Dragon Who Loved Me and Joy Ride by Desiree Holt. What's next? I have Sylvia Day's Seven Years to Sin waiting on my Kindle. How about you? What are you reading and enjoying this week?

Carly's Contest

Sorry for the delay! I'll be taking Julie's day …

Today's CONTEST!



$25 AMAZON GIFT CARD and I hope you'll HINT order books from the SERENDIPITY SERIES with it! But of course if you win, I'll never know what you really do with it!

Comment for a chance to win!

Also late – the winner of the LAUREN DANE prize is:

Comment # 6 of 84 – LIZ CROWE – Liz, congratulations and contact Lauren at: lauren dane @ lauren dane . com (no spaces!) to claim your prize!

Still Shamelessly Promoting …

Thank you everyone who bought SERENDIPITY! Because of you the book has hit the New York Times Extended and the USA Today Bestseller Lists! I'm hoping you've picked up your copy or will soon! My brain is fried and I'm exhausted, so I don't have much to share today. The dogs are making me crazy, needing vet visits (nothing serious, just time consuming) and I'm busy working.

So I'll remind you to check out the SERENDIPITY SERIES:

And to remember I have older eBooks available for your reading pleasure:

Oh! And did I mention I went RED?

HAPPY THURSDAY!

SERENDIPITY Release Day is HERE!

You've all been so patient and supportive and I'm so grateful! Not to mention that you put up with my nonstop talking about SERENDIPITY! I hope hope hope you'll find the book was worth the wait! There is so much going on along with the release, so I'll give you a short list and you can check out whatever interests you! In the meantime, THANK YOU again. I wouldn't enjoy what I do half as much without all of you!

The reviews have been so great and again, I'm grateful! Want to hear something cool? The amazing Susan Mallery has graciously written up her thoughts on SERENDIPITY and they're posted on Amazon … but here's a quote – "Serendipity is a funny, sexy story with exactly the right mix of sass and heart." Thank you, Susan!

SERENDIPITY CHOICES FOR YOU!

1. Want to BUY Serendipity? Click HERE for a list of links!

2. Need a Serendipity EXCERPT to convince you?

For Chapter One click HERE.

For Select Quotes click HERE.

For a Sexy Excerpt click HERE.

3. Ooh I know! To celebrate the release of Serendipity, my SEPTEMBER CONTEST is … a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

Enter for a chance to win. Click HERE.

4. SERENDIPITY BLOG TOUR is here! For a list of all places for interviews, blogs & giveaways, click HERE.

And lastly:

5. Serendipity and Destiny Limited Edition (signed) Romance Trading Cards still available! Send SASE to:



Carly Phillips

Plotmonkeys – Ltd Ed.

PO Box 483

Purchase, NY 10577

So … I'd appreciate knowing about any SERENDIPITY sightings or if you've found it, read it, etc. Otherwise, just THANK YOU for always being here!