The Whole Truth: Only Good Defense…

Have you ever had to stand up for something you believed in? Defend someone because you thought it was right, even though later you found out it was, in fact, wrong. In ABC’s “The Whole Truth” prosecutor Kathryn and defense lawyer Jimmy face those situations every episode.

In the first episode Jimmy is convinced that a teacher, who had given countless hours to help ESL students for low pay, would have never raped and murdered a young student. In the end, the jury found him guilty. When I was pondering this question about defending someone you thought was right, only to find out they were wrong I realized it can be a very mixed emotional feeling. I’m a loyal person, nearly to a fault, so when I stand up for someone I do it whole-heartedly.

At one of my previous jobs, I was good friends with someone who was later let go for non-performance. While I could never see him all hours of his work day, I thought for sure the allegation was wrong. It must be the upper supervisors who had laid off several other team members and seemed to work even less than any one else. I even got into a heated debate with another supervisor about the lay off. I just couldn’t see, like Jimmy, how someone who seemed so great on the outside could do something so wrong. The times I had been at his desk he had been busy working.

It wasn’t until months later when I was discussing it with a mutual friend that he said our friend who was fired finally admitted to him that he had been goofing off and not getting work done. I was shocked and disappointed. Especially after I had gone to bat for the guy!

In the end, I still believe the best of people, but I don’t know if I could handle the emotional stress of working as a lawyer… once every blue moon is fine by me!

Want to see both sides of the case? Watch “The Whole Truth” on ABC Wednesdays at 10/9 C.

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘The Whole Truth.’

The Whole Truth – Review

I’ve always been fascinated with court room dramas. Since I’m a huge mystery buff there’s something to be said for see the legal side after the “bad guy/girl” has been caught. Now there’s been shows about prosecutors and there’s been shows about defense lawyers, but ABC’s newest legal drama “The Whole Truth” gives you a unique combination of both the prosecutors and the defense lawyers perspectives. Every angle is given to the audience and no one knows for sure, until the end, who is right.

The official description of the show follows:

This unique legal drama chronicles the way a case is built from the perspective of both the defense and prosecution. Showing each side equally keeps the audience guessing, shifting allegiances of guilt or innocence until the very final scene.


Kathryn Peale, the product of a New England background and a sheriff father, is the Deputy Bureau Chief in the New York State District Attorney’s office. Jimmy Brogan, born and raised in Hell’s Kitchen and a friend of Kathryn’s since their days at Yale Law School, is one of New York’s rising criminal attorney stars. Buoyed by their respective teams, these evenly matched lawyers — each with a strong streak of competitiveness, a fervent belief in their clients and an equally intense passion for the law — go about creating two different stories from the same set of facts. As this up-close, behind-the-scenes look at the legal process mirrors the excitement of a great championship match, it becomes evident that truth has nothing to do with innocence or guilt — at the end of every trial, the only thing that matters is what the jury believes.

What makes this show really compelling is the frenemy relationship between main characters Kathryn and Jimmy. Friends in a social sense and rivals in the workplace makes it for a fun, dramatic and almost reality show feel.

Frenemies are increasingly common in real life. Competition is usually good for business and can keep people pushing themselves to be better. There’s not many places that I have a true rivalry relationship other than school. In grad school this healthy rivalry right now is posting our word counts in our novels. Seeing someone closer to getting their novel finished just pushes me to be better, but without any hard feelings later.

Of course, a real maturity level is needed to maintain a friendship with a dynamically opposed work relationship and I have to applaud “The Whole Truth” for highlighting a relationship that can be both.

“The Whole Truth” is on ABC Wednesdays at 10/9C.

Find out more about the Whole Truth at
ABC’s site: abc.go.com/shows/the-whole-truth
Or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheWholeTruth
Or Twitter: http://twitter.com/wholetruthabc

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘The Whole Truth.’

BACKSTREET BOYS COMPETE ON THE MyNetworkTV PREMIERE OF “DON’T FORGET THE LYRICS!”

A special all-new celebrity episode, featuring the Backstreet Boys, kicks off the premiere of “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” on MyNetworkTV on Tuesday October 5th at 9 pm et/pt. Backstreet Boys’ Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Nick Carter play the game to raise money for UNICEF.

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” is the musical game show that tests contestants’ knowledge of song lyrics from different genres, decades and artists. “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” is the ultimate rock star fantasy taking viewers on a dramatic, heart pounding, rollercoaster ride of music and edge-of-your seat entertainment.

Mark McGrath, a member of the multi-platinum group, Sugar Ray, hosts “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” where he brings ordinary people center stage for a chance to win a fortune – just by knowing the words to the biggest hit songs ever recorded. “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” first premiered on July 11, 2007 on FOX and became one of the most popular shows in America, as well as an international phenomenon where contestants around the globe put their winnings on the line as they tried to not forget the lyrics.

In addition to MyNetworkTV, the program is nationally syndicated 5-days-a-week (check your local listings); as well as weeknights at 7 pm et/pt on VH1

This upcoming season the program welcomes celebrity contestants from “American Idol”, the Backstreet Boys, and the NFL; Plus special themed episodes including “Movie Music Week”, “Rock the Troops Week”, and “Rock the Cradle Week” featuring moms-to-be.

My (Dream) Life of a Celebrity and Entourage

Since we’ve been talking about Entourage (and being on 5 nights a week now), I’ve been thinking a lot of how someone’s life changes when they hit celebrity status. Steve Martin used to bike and work at the magic shop in Disneyland. Now, he can get a behind the scenes VIP tour.

I don’t think anyone is really ready for the change in lifestyle that fame brings. Yet, as the song goes, sometimes I really want to be a billionaire. Of course, I can’t imagine being famous without bringing my friends a long with me. We’ve done so much together that it’d be hard not to see them working with me. Especially the great friends I’ve made in school and through Between the Lines Studios. Since I really want to write and make movies I can just see begging friends to move out to Los Angeles and join our media empire. I don’t think I’d have everyone move into the same house like Vince (I like my friends, but I need my space). But it’d be great to live within driving distance of some of my best friends who live thousands of miles away.

Of course, the ultimate would be throwing a big party. However, I don’t think my friends and I are as sophisticated as the folks on Entourage. Our first party would, of course, be more like Zachery Levi’s nerd parties! Wii games, Mt. Dew, and lots of geekdom. Maybe a Buffy trivia night or a game of Fluxx! Yeah, we really know how to party (just kidding)!

What a lot of people don’t realize is the social scene of Hollywood isn’t just about having fun, it’s about work! A lot like Entourage portrays there’s wheeling and dealing and connecting in the LA party scene. As much as social media has brought people together there’s nothing like a good face to face.

One of the other ways my dream would match Entourage is having a solid core team of folks who fufill vital roles in making sure the business keeps running. I have always believed in having a great team around you of people who have skills that you don’t. Much like Vince’s friends: “E”, “Drama”, “Turtle” and “Ari” – despite their flaws they have Vince’s back and together get him into as much trouble as they get him out of (as good friends should).

My team? Looks similar to my team right now (without the celebrity fame).

Kim “AthenaMuze” – the co-executive producer. She’s got my back always! She’s the one who sees the plan and tells me where it will fall apart (and how to prevent that).

Emma “Emmawesome” – the writer. The driving force behind implementing the text of our great ideas. Thoughtful, quiet but deadly.

Clay “it’s his fault” – the creative joker. A wild card who keeps the gang lighthearted, but don’t let that fool you – he’s a creative force all of his own. Talented and funny? That’s a rare combo.

Heidi  “make it work” – the trouble shooter. A fantastic go-getter, Heidi keeps us sane and organized.

Andrew “BFA” – the director. My best friend in college, Andrew has the eye for dreaming big and bringing together talent no one else can see. Together we were unstoppable in college and I would love to make it happen again.

Want to dream big?  You can now watch “Entourage” five nights a week! Check your local listings here: http://www.entourageweeknights.com SP

If you hit it big as a celebrity how would your life change? Leave a comment below!

I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘Entourage.’

PBS Brings Inspector Lewis Season 3 to DVD

The very awesome mystery series, Inspector Lewis (a spin off of the Inspector Morse series), is coming to DVD this fall. This series has wit, charm and great characters and is a must watch for any fan of the mystery genre. Inspector Lewis, Series 3 is set for a DVD release on October 12.

Inspector Robert Lewis (Kevin Whately, Inspector Morse) and his partner, the enigmatic Detective Sergeant James Hathaway (Laurence Fox, A Room with a View, Becoming Jane, Elizabeth: The Golden Age), return to the idyllic Oxford countryside and university in five new thrillers, forcing the pair to revisit the past—and to reconsider the future.

To order a copy of Inspector Lewis 3 or other PBS titles, please call (800) PLAY-PBS or visit shopPBS.org. To purchase DVDs with public performance rights, please visit ShopPBS.org/education.

Weezer Invades YouTube on Sept 14th

(Via Press Release)

LOS ANGELES, CA – September 14, 2010 – For their Red Album in 2008, Weezer invited YouTube stars to be in their video for “Pork and Beans.” The inclusion of such Web celebs as Tay Zonday (“Chocolate Rain”), the Numa Numa Guy, and the melodramatic Chris “Leave Britney Alone” Crocker struck a chord with the viewing public, as well as the media, and ultimately led to the Weezer clip winning a GRAMMY for “Best Shortform Music Video.” Two years later, the band has decided to turn the tables by making themselves available to leading YouTubers for inclusion on their channels. Today, on the release date of Weezer’s new album Hurley (Epitaph, Sept. 14), a de-facto Weezer-ization of YouTube is in effect, as all the participating videos are being featured, in rotation, on the site’s homepage all day.

Weezer, long known for their satirical and quirky world-view, originally chose to embrace the “outsider” talent found on YouTube for “Pork and Beans,” and now they have let it run rampant. To facilitate this free-form taping, they set aside two days in a Los Angeles studio with instructions that read, “We’re up for just about anything that can be filmed in the studio. The finished clip will be yours to release and distribute on Sept. 14, 2010. Acting, performance, interview, make-up, comedy — you let us know what you want to do and how much time you think it might take to film.” It was then up to the YouTubers-whose channels have millions of subscribers and aggregated well over a billion total video views-to write and produce the segments with the band.

The talent/channels that took Weezer up on their offer include:
AutoTune The News: http://www.youtube.com/schmoyoho
Cyr1216: http://www.youtube.com/cyr1216
DaveDays: http://www.youtube.com/davedays
Fred: http://www.youtube.com/fred
Hot For Words: http://www.youtube.com/hotforwords
MagicHugs: http://www.youtube.com/user/magichugs
Mystery Guitar Man: http://www.youtube.com/user/mysteryguitarman
Onision: http://www.youtube.com/onision
Ray William Johnson: http://www.youtube.com/user/RayWilliamJohnson
Real Annoying Orange: http://www.youtube.com/user/realannoyingorange
StSanders aka Kiss Shreds: http://www.youtube.com/StSanders
Tay Zonday: http://www.youtube.com/user/TayZonday
The Key of Awesome: http://www.youtube.com/barelypolitical
UsofAnderson: http://www.youtube.com/usofanderson
KeepTheHeat (Snuggie cameo) http://youtube.com/keeptheheat

In addition to the YouTube invasion and the “Pork and Beans” video, Weezer have a history of idiosyncratic and collaborative works. Their Red Album tour was even unveiled as a “Hootenanny,” where fans were invited to bring their own instruments to play along with the band. They have written songs for a myriad of other performers, as well as crowd-sourced Weezer material from the population at large (via IndabaMusic.com and YouTube). Recently, the band was in heavy rotation in South Africa and around the globe, when Rivers’ pet project, an anthem for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, was embraced by the team after its debut on the band’s “Radio Weezer.”

This winter (November/December), Weezer will launch a multi-city U.S. tour, dubbed by fans as the “Blinkerton Tour.” The band will play two shows in each market-on the first night Weezer will play the Blue Album in its entirety, and the second night they will play Pinkerton in its entirety.

We all Just Wanna be Big Stars… (Entourage)

Growing up in Los Angeles you learn one thing: everyone wants to be famous. Anyone who tells you differently is probably lying or has seen the reality behind being famous – it’s a lot of work. But really, who doesn’t want their creative and/or work recognized with fame and celebrity-dom?

Entourage is a pretty popular show because it shows the lives of Vince and his friends who, no matter what, always got each others backs in the end. The scripts are snappy, witty and show the charmed life with a sense of realism (it’s not always big houses and fast cars).

Fame has always been a two edged sword in my mind. Of course, I’d love to walk a red carpet for a movie premiere of something based off my best-selling novels. I’d love to have some fun celebrity friends (Zachery Levi? Call me). I’d love to spend all the hours of my life just doing what I love to do – being creative. I probably would never want to be an actor, but the call of the Hollywood scene is still rather appealing.

Unlike Vince and the boys I probably wouldn’t want to live together with some of my best friends (as much as I love them all). But I would love for some of my best friends to move to Los Angeles so we could all work together. We’re already doing fun things like Between the Lines Studios — imagine if we had money! Could you imagine the Between the Lines studios folks relaxing in a large pool in the Hollywood Hills hashing out our next adventure packed movie? Fantastic.

One of the things I’ve always wanted to be able to do is just enjoy talking the creative process with folks who are my heroes. Being able to sit in a room with writers and actors as colleges instead of me being merely perceived as a fan girl would be fantastic. Not to mention the fun of signing autographs and inspiring other people to write or create.

Of course, there’s a lot to do before my name is up on a big screen or small screen, so until then we’ll watch Entourage and live vicariously through the show. Upside? I have to deal with a whole lot less drama that way.

Watch “Entourage” five nights a week!  Check your local listings here: http://www.entourageweeknights.com/

“I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for ‘Entourage.’

Living a Bit Greener: Costume Swap this Halloween!

[Guest post by Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson]

t may seem early to be talking about Halloween, but one of the best ways to celebrate green is by planning ahead.

In 2009, $4.75 billion was expected to be spent by consumers for Halloween. And you can bet that this spending ultimately results in a lot of waste, some of which is attributed to costumes.

Swapping half the costumes that kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons, equal to the weight of 2500 mid-sized cars, says Bob Lilienfield of Use-Less-Stuff.com.

Millions of parents buy new costumes each year wanting to fulfill their childrens’ fantasies. But like a wedding day, in general, costumes are worn once, then thrown away. Relatively small numbers are kept in dress up boxes and reused or donated to thrift shops. Most are likely sent to the dump.

So this year, why not make a boo-ti-ful Halloween resolution and swap?

It’s easy to plan a family or neighborhood swap. Just sent out e-invites inviting guests to bring outgrown costumes in good condition. Make it a party by adding activities like thedesign-a-bag contest from ChicoBag where your kids can win $250 for them and the same for their schools. Or dunk for apples, make goodie bags or add other Halloween/seasonal games. Or how about staging a fashion show with kids wearing their new-to-them outfits!

If you’re interested in staging or attending a public event where more costume choices should be available, check out www.CostumeSwapDay.com where you’ll find a database of swaps plus tips on how to set one up.

Add another aspect to a public swap by teaming with a non-profit. Charge a small swapping fee that goes to your partner.

And if you can’t make it to a swap or there is none in your area, the internet comes to your rescue. Do a search for “costume swap” or “clothing swap” and you’ll likely find online alternatives.

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, available at www.CelebrateGreen.net

The Vampire Diaries: Quotable Quotes

(Photo: CW)

I don’t know about you, but I love funny/sarcastic and just plain profound quotes from my favorite TV shows. The Vampire Diaries has some great ones thanks to the dueling brothers Damon and Stefan. Damon plays the perfect sarcastic, dark and teasingly evil bad guy to Stefan’s nearly Superman pure goodness.

Here’s just a few of my faves:

Damon (to Stefan): It’s Founder’s Day. I’m here to eat cotton candy and steal your girl. (“Founder’s Day”)

Damon: I do believe in killing the messenger. Know why? It sends a message. (“Isobel”)

Elena: I’m not gonna be one of those pathetic girls whose world stops just because of some guy. (“You’re Undead to Me”) [This one cracked me up, especially in light of Buffy, Twilight, and other tween vampire novels]

Damon: We’re a team. We could travel the world together. We could try out for The Amazing Race! (“The Turning Point”)

If you’ve watched Vampire Diaries, what’s some of your favorite quotes?

Leave them in the comments below!

If you are digging the show make sure you check out the books! A new series is coming out from Harper Collins. Find out why the love of a dangerous girl turned brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore into deadly enemies in The Vampire Diaries: Stefan’s Diaries #1: Origins! You can pre-order for your Kindle on Amazon by clicking here: The Vampire Diaries: Stefan’s Diaries #1: Origins

I have been hired by Warner Bros WB Word division to raise awareness for The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season – which arrives on Blu-ray/DVD on August 31. Discover which vampire is your love type by taking this matchmaking quiz: http://bit.ly/aPyuq2