Tonya Plank's Blog, page 33

I Came To NYC Because I Saw the Brochure

It's the anniversary again. And everyone who has read my blog for some time now knows that on this day, every year, I always post to the best essay ever about NYC – stand down E.B. White! – by Colson Whitehead.

Above image by Peter Kelly, taken from here.

Russian Winter

Has anyone read this novel yet? It's been getting pretty good reviews. I haven't read it yet but plan to once I get some time. I've been working hard on getting a first draft of my second novel down. Real writing doesn't begin for me until the first draft is finished, so I'm really putting myself on a firm deadline with that. Which is why it's been quiet around here lately. Sorry! I plan to try to return to a regular blogging schedule next week once I have a solid writing schedule down.

Dancing at the Movies

An old friend from graduate school whom I recently re-connected with on Facebook sent this to me. Fun! Needs a little more ballet though Anyway, happy Labor Day everyone!

Bovina

I spent last weekend up in Bovina, NY (which is in the Catskills) with my friend, Evangelina. She and her husband, Michael, recently built a country house up there, and it is really beautiful. And relaxing, which I desperately needed. It was also the perfect place to celebrate the 2,000th sale of my novel (a small milestone for me) since I met Evangelina in the writing class in which I began Swallow. Anyway, here are some photos of the area, and of her gorgeous house.

Peaceful country road on ...

Larry Keigwin Will Stage Fashion's Night Out, for Fashion Week, on Sept 7

Larry Keigwin, one of my favorite choreographers, will stage a show for fashion week, which is held this year at Lincoln Center. It's called Fashion's Night Out: The Show, and will be held at Lincoln Center on September 7th. Click below to read the whole press release.

New York, September 2, 2010 – Choreographer Larry Keigwin will stage the largest public fashion show in New York City history on September 7.  "Fashion's Night Out: The Show," produced by Vogue and SPEC Entertainment, will...

Dancing With the Stars Season 11 Cast Announced

Via Marie at Ballroom Dance Channel, the new cast will be:

Women

Brandy

Jennifer Grey

Margaret Cho

Audrina Patridge

Florence Henderson

Bristol Palin

Men

Michael Bolton

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino

David Hasselhoff

Kurt Warner

Kyle Massey

Rick Fox

See Marie for more info on all of the contestants.

Personally, I'm excited for Margaret Cho and Jennifer Grey. Bristol Palin – seriously? What is becoming of the world we live in where politics and celebrity are merging like this through reality TV...

Blog Talk Radio Interview Today!

I'm going to be interviewed by Arizona author Leslie Kohler on her Blog Talk Radio show, "The Writer's Inspiration," today at 11 a.m. Phoenix time (PT), which is 2:00 p.m. EST. You can dial 347-945-7939 to listen in to the live conversation. The interview will focus on my novel, on inspiration for characters, etc., on book marketing tips, etc. etc. If you want hear the interview but can't tune in at that time, no worries; it's taped and will be up on the BTR site for a while. I'll link to it ...

So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Season 3

So You Think You Can Dance Canada, season three, has begun. If you, like me, don't seem to be able to get it on your cable, you can follow this blog for recaps and videos. I love this guy, Denys Drozdyuk, from Toronto!

Swallow is a "great novel, frothy and bubbly like a good champagne, with a touch of angel martinis!" say the Review Broads!

Oooh, I so love this review! Here's an excerpt:

"Tonya Plank has written a novel about a woman coming of age at thirty; about moral and psychological integrity, with strong sentiments on male/female relationships between father and daughters and the undercurrents that appear in love and social relationships within those dynamics.  This is not just regional, women's fiction – it transcends any genre. As the layers unravell like an onion, I fell into Sophie's world most intently.  Ms. Plank's...

Washington Heights

I spent much of this and last weekend up in Washington Heights / Inwood, the area north of Harlem and just below the Bronx on the west side of Manhattan. I have several friends who live up there and are trying to convince me to move. It's really beautiful, much of it inhabited by Dominican immigrants. A-Rod was born there and his father once had a shoe store somewhere in that neighborhood – I really wanted to know where that was!

The top photo is taken more from the Inwood area (the...