With a Little Luck: A Novel

My good friend Caprice Crane's new book, With a Little Luck, is out today. Yay, Caprice!

It's gotten great reviews:

"Crane is one of the funniest writers of popular fiction around. The dialog (inner and outer) is laugh-out-loud, snort-inducing hilarious . . . Readers will want to cross their fingers and spit while throwing salt over their shoulders if it helps Berry reach her dreams. Highly recommended."

Library Journal

"Fans of Stacy Ballis and Cara Lockwood will appreciate Crane's effortlessly funny style, which is often attempted in popular fiction but is rarely this well executed...Lighthearted and charmingly honest."

—Booklist

"[A] satisfying romantic comedy...[with] real character growth."

—Kirkus Reviews

And even better blurbs:

"Romantic, poignant and funny—this book is a lucky find for lit fans. Caprice Crane is a nimble and gifted storyteller."

—Diablo Cody, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Juno

"A hilarious romp that oozes charm and giddy fun. Caprice Crane is a true talent."

—Molly Jong-Fast, author of The Social Climber's Handbook

"Witty, fast-paced, and sheer fun. Caprice Crane is a master of dialogue. Half the time I was reading this book I was smiling, which made me look like a crazy person on the subway."

—Jancee Dunn, author of Don’t You Forget About Me and Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?

"Absolutely charming and hilarious."

—Missy Peregrym, star of the movie Stick It and ABC's Rookie Blue

"With a Little Luck scores in humor, head, and heart. In other words, it’s a perfect trifecta."

—Karyn Bosnak, author of 20 Times a Lady (soon to be the major motion picture What's Your Number?)

(Omg, who is that last fantastic blurber?) (I meant every word of it.)

And most importantly, she has the cutest dog ever (who likes to video chat with Bev):

Anyway, check it out, buy it—it's fantastic!

Source: http://www.prettyinthecity.com/blog/2011/7/26/with-a-little-luck-a-novel.html

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Justin Bieber Reveals Release Dates For New Singles

Bieber's Far East Movement collabo drops next week, followed by his first Believe single in March.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber
Photo: Jesse Grant/ WireImage

<P>Fans who want to hear some new music from Justin Bieber won't have to wait much longer. The singer has revealed that he's set to drop not one but two singles in the very near future. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="id:1672718" width="240" height="211"></div><p> First off, Bieber's collaboration with Far East Movement, which also features Party Rockers LMFAO, drops on Tuesday. The Twitter announcement for the release included the hashtag "#LiveMyLife," perhaps a hint as to the name of the song. The song's producer, RedOne, recently spoke to MTV News about the track. "I did a few songs with Far East Movement, and one of the songs ... to me, it's a smash," he said. "And Justin sang the chorus. It's a really good song, and I think people are gonna dance like crazy to it." In addition to the release, Bieber revealed that the first single off his forthcoming album <i>Believe</i> will drop in March. "And u guys keep asking. so yeah. my single is NEXT MONTH>#BELIEVE," he wrote. Little else is known about the song, but given the caliber of talent he's been recording with for the album of the same name, it's certain to be something his Beliebers will look forward to. For the album, he's hooked up with everyone from Pharrell and Rodney Jerkins to Drake, Lil Wayne, Timbaland and will.i.am. "The only conversation we've had about Justin's album that we're about to do is it's really important that it's the proper transition, because we've seen him [with] 'Baby,' now we're watching him grow up," vocal producer Kuk Harrell told us. "And we can't just throw him into the adult game right away. It has to be the proper transition. There's a record in between." It's an exciting time for Bieber. As he continues to up his professional game, he's also about to celebrate a personal milestone: The teen star will turn 18 on March 1.</p>

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Oscars 2012 Predictions: Best Actor

It's George Clooney and Jean Dujardin's for the taking, but Gary Oldman can't be underestimated in this up-in-the-air race.
By Josh Wigler


George Clooney in "The Descendants"
Photo: 20th Century Fox

The Academy Awards are shaping up to be a veritable death match between "The Artist" and "The Descendants." Michel Hazanavicius' nostalgia-driven silent film and Alexander Payne's set-in-Hawaii spiritual journey are the front-runners at the Oscars this year, with most onlookers divided on which of these two films will walk away with the top prizes.

Looking beyond Best Picture, the battle between "Artist" and "Descendants" is guaranteed to come down to the Best Actor category. Though five actors are nominated, all signs are pointing to two names for the highly coveted award: George Clooney, nominated for his heartbroken and heartbreaking turn as soon-to-be-widower Matt King in "The Descendants," and Jean Dujardin's performance in "The Artist" as George Valentin, a silent-film actor on the verge of extinction.

Both Clooney and Dujardin are deserving candidates to be sure, but are they guaranteed the win? Could there be a spoiler in the mix? Read on for our predictions and wishes for this year's Best Actor category.

Who Will Win: Yes, in all likelihood, it's down to Dujardin and Clooney. Both turned in praiseworthy performances in their respective films. Dujardin's wordless ways have captivated voters throughout awards season. Likewise, it's impossible to resist Clooney's charms. Both men walked away from the Golden Globes with new awards in their hands. One of them will have an Oscar to add to his trophy shelf come Sunday night. It's essentially a coin toss, but we're putting our money on Camp Clooney. "The Artist" will take Best Picture, and this will be the consolation prize for the "Descendants" crew.

Who Should Win: Gary Oldman for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy." It's nearly impossible to believe that Oldman has never been nominated for an Oscar before. But that nomination has finally arrived, for a fairly understated performance as far as Oldman roles go, no less. Oldman's espionage veteran George Smiley isn't the flashiest character in the actor's catalog, but it is the first character to earn Oldman a nomination. And frankly, few expected the esteemed British actor to even earn a nomination at this year's Oscars in the first place. But sometimes, all it takes is a foot in the door to win. Consider this Oldman's foot in the door ... and don't be surprised if he manages to sneak the rest of himself all the way in.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune in to MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night's big winners.

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679715/2012-oscars-best-actor-predictions.jhtml

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'John Carter' Director Initially 'Bristled' At Title Change

'If you like a movie, heck, you can call it 'Dirt,' ' Andrew Stanton says of dropping 'of Mars' from the title.
By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz


Taylor Kitsch in "John Carter"
Photo: Disney

After decades in development limbo, the hero of Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel, "John Carter of Mars," will finally find his way onto the big screen with the guidance of director Andrew Stanton. But when he gets there, he'll have dropped the "of Mars."

After a rather controversial title change, the classic title "John Carter of Mars" became the shortened and genre-neutral "John Carter."

For fans of the original Burroughs novels, this came as a move away from the beloved source materials, and Stanton admitted to MTV News' Josh Horowitz that the change concerned him initially as well. "At first, I bristled, to be really honest. You can't control people's first impressions as much as you'd like," he said. "There are just a lot of people that assume that it's this weird astronaut/ space thing when you have 'Mars' in the title."

The change took time to accept, but with it, Stanton found a new angle of the story to explore. "Even then, I wasn't going to be swayed, but then I realized, 'Wow, the movie's really about a guy that becomes John Carter of Mars,'" Stanton said. "I don't want to reveal any spoilers, but then I sort of thought, 'All right, so now that actually makes sense. Maybe I can pull something that I haven't seen people do in a movie before.' "

But what's in a name? Stanton said that if he made a movie people can love, then not much. "My feeling is, if you like a movie, heck, you can call it 'Dirt,' and they'll call it whatever for the rest of the time it exists," Stanton said.

The title change was among Disney's several marketing choices that took heat from fans. But Stanton said he understands the challenge of marketing one of his unorthodox films, like his last movie, "WALL-E."

"Disney's been changing hands, so it's been a little bit of all hands on deck, but I feel we're finally in good hands and we're settling in," Stanton said. "It's not like anything else exactly. I'm used to giving Disney movies that they're not used to selling, so I knew it would be a bumpy road, to be fair to them."

What do you think of Disney's decision to drop "of Mars" from the title? Leave your comment below!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679692/john-carter-mars-title-change.jhtml

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Justin Timberlake Closer To Playing Elton John In Biopic?

John's husband said that Timberlake is on board as soon as a director is nailed down.
By Gil Kaufman


Justin Timberlake and Elton John
Photo: Getty Images

A month ago, word was that Justin Timberlake was #1 on Elton John's wish list to portray the "Benny and the Jets" singer in an upcoming biopic. Now, it sounds like JT is all but signed up for the role, but is awaiting word on a director before he fully commits.

According to E! Online, John's husband and producing partner, David Furnish, said the two music stars have been in serious discussions about the project.

"We're searching for a director," Furnish said. "It's important we all share the same vision ... Elton and Justin have had conversations about it. Justin also says he has to feel comfortable with the director and the director has to be comfortable with Justin. The chemistry is really important. There's no race to make this. We're just going to take the time to make it right."

Timberlake, who popped up on last weekend's "Saturday Night Live" portraying a different musician -- Grammy winner Bon Iver -- was reportedly eyed
 by John for the role in his biopic after the pair collaborated in the David LaChapelle-directed 2001 clip for John's "This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore."

Timberlake did a dead-on impression of John in that video and has since proven on SNL and the big screen to be an excellent mimic and thoughtful actor. Plus, you know, he can sing, so it's possible he could even credibly croon John's songs in a movie to give it that extra bit of believability.

The script for the John biopic is being written by "Billy Elliot" writer Lee Hall, but a director has not yet been announced. John, who has enjoyed one of the most colorful, outrageous and hit-filled careers in pop history has said that the movie of his life will not be the usual soft-focus look back.

"It's going to be a surreal look at my life, and not just a factual look at my life, more in the manner of a 'Moulin Rouge!' " John said in January. "I just don't want it to be a normal biopic because my life hasn't been like that. And it only goes up to when I go into rehab in 1990. It starts with me going into rehab and ends when I come out."

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Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679720/justin-timberlake-elton-john-movie.jhtml

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Beyonce's Baby, Britney's Betrothal And More: 2012 Predictions

We forecast the year that will be for your favorite stars, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery


Beyonce on the 2011 VMA black carpet
Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

<P>Welcome to 2012, the year that will either bring us the end of civilization as we know it or perhaps flying cars (finally!) Of course, between those two events, there's also going to be a presidential election, the London Olympics and that last "Twilight" movie (finally x 100!), not to mention a whole lot of activity within the lives of your favorite stars, too: Babies, weddings, honorary doctorates in nanotechnology; <i>this</i> is the year it'll all happen. </p><div class="player-placeholder right" id="vid:722495.id:1672369" width="240" height="211"></div><p> Which is why, with the new year upon us, I've decided to get my Kreskin on with these predictions for 2012. Don't ask me to gaze deep into my crystal ball and try to foresee who'll win the White House or the World Series, because, seriously, if I knew that, don't you think I'd be wagering right now? Instead, I'm tackling the <i>important</i> topics. Here's my 2012 forecast for the Beyonc&#233;s and Britneys of the world ... partly cloudy, with a zero-percent chance of accuracy. &#187; Beyoncé and Jay-Z will welcome a daughter, who, upon her, uh, <i>release,</i> will also release her debut single, "Run the World (Me)." &#187; Adele will win every single Grammy, including a stunning upset of <i>Eres Un Farsante</i> in the Best Regional Mexican Or Tejano Album category. &#187; Britney Spears and Jason Trawick will tie the knot in an elaborate, multi-denominational ceremony held &#8212; eh, I don't even care enough to finish this one. &#187; Katy Perry, having finally run out of singles to release off <i>Teenage Dream,</i> will spend the entirety of 2012 shooting videos for objects around her house. Her hits will include "Toaster," "KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer" and "This Towel Set Someone Gave Russell and I for Our Wedding That We Keep in the Guest Bathroom." &#187; Dr. Dre will indefinitely scrap <i>Detox</i> and instead drop a more age-appropriate album called <i>The Chronic Arthritis.</i> &#187; Lady Gaga will wear a crazy hat or something. &#187; Rihanna will release six albums in 2012, each more raunchy than the last. Titles include <i>Speculum,</i> <i>[Censored] [Censored] On My [Censored],</i> and <i>Songs About F---ing,</i> which, oddly, will be a note-for-note remake of Big Black's <i>Songs About F---ing.</i> &#187; Dave Grohl is sure to do something awesome. &#187; Drake's sweater game will become so advanced that he will surpass Bill Cosby as the world's foremost expert on multi-hued knitwear. On a related note, he will also release a comedy album called <i>To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With.</i> &#187; Nicki Minaj will stun the fashionistas when she appears at the annual Met Ball wearing a nice pantsuit she bought at Bealls. &#187; Justin Bieber will finally get that bike without the training wheels, since he's a big boy now. &#187; The Black Keys, buoyed by the success of their "Lonely Boy" video, will shoot another dance-only clip for "Gold on the Ceiling," this one set at Gallagher's 2000 and featuring nothing but topless women. Surprisingly, it will become the most-viewed music video in the history of everything. &#187; Lil Wayne will come full circle, get a tattoo <i>of</i> his face <i>on</i> his face. &#187; Guns N' Roses will reunite at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in April, only with that dude who plays a guitar shaped like a foot filling in for Slash and Tommy Stinson replacing Duff on bass. So, actually, it won't be Guns N' Roses at all. &#187; Coldplay's Chris Martin is just going to be fingerpainting everything. &#187; Rick Ross will be named the Memphis Restaurant Association's Restaurateur of the Year for his tremendous achievements in Wingstop-ery. &#187; Kanye West will <i>literally</i> explode. &#187; Fans of Skrillex will stop and realize that, in 1997, EDM was poised take over America too, and we ended up with Limp Bizkit as a result.</p>

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Glee Recap: On My Way

Shockers in tonight’s episode, people. Seriously. And guess what? It was the winter finale and we won’t get our Glee fix until April. Yes, you heard me right. April. Sigh. And wouldn’t you know it, they give us one helluva cliffhanger. I did not see that one coming. Okay, without further ado, here’s what happened on Glee. So Dave Karofsky is outed thanks to the kid who saw him at Breadstix with Kurt last week, and said kid sprayed his locker with an anti-gay slur, prompting Karofsky to head home with a myriad of emotions. He goes online and sees more anti-gay messages directed towards him. Overwhelmed by everything, he puts on a suit and tries to hang himself in his closet. I was in absolute shock. Even after everything he had done to Kurt, my heart broke for him. We learn that Dave’s father found him and he is in the hospital. On a side note, Max Adler was amazing tonight. Simply ahhh-mazing. The kids at McKinley can’t believe what has happened, especially Kurt, who feels responsible for not answering Karofsky’s texts or phone calls. Even bad boy Sebastian wants to put the Warblers’ and New Directions’ differences aside [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/AukOx8D7dOM/

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Ludacris Taps Usher For Upcoming Spring Album

'I'd say we're maybe about 40 percent done,' Luda tells Billboard about his Ludaversal.
By Rob Markman


Ludacris attends MAGNUM Live Large project at Highline Ballroom on April 4, 2011 in New York City.
Photo: Dave Kotinsky/ Getty Images

<P>Are you ready for another Ludacris album? It's been two years since 'Cris dropped his last album, <i>Battle of the Sexes,</i> and the Atlanta MC estimates that his next one will hit stores this spring. "I get the beats together and I put out my ideas, so I'd say we're maybe about 40 percent done," the rapper told Billboard of his upcoming eighth LP, <i>Ludaversal,</i> which he anticipates will be out around May with a first single dropping in March. Luda, who dropped his 1.21 Gigawatts mixtape in November, also revealed one big-time guest on the LP. "Usher is one person that I've already worked with," he said. "In terms of other artists, you can say that there's going to be a lot of surprises on here." <center></center> The pair already have a few collaborations under their belt. Who can forget Usher's inescapable smash "Yeah!" from his 2004 <i>Confessions</i> album? The two also hooked up on Lil Jon's "Lovers and Friends" in the same year and then again two years ago on Usher's "She Don't Know." As far as what the two have cooked up for <i>Ludaversal,</i> fans will just have to wait and see. Throughout his career, Luda has shown a ton of versatility. An undeniable hitmaker, at times the nimble-tongued lyricist has been comical (2001's "Area Codes" and 2004's "Number One Spot") and in other instances delivered healthy amounts of substance (2006's "Runaway Love" and 2008's "Do the Right Thing"). For <i>Ludaversal,</i> he will get a little personal. "It's been a minute since I've been away from music, and there is just so much to talk about," he said. "So [the album] is mostly about my personal life, my travels, my experiences, rumors, gossip &#8212; you know, everything coming together in one." <i>What are your expectations for Ludacris' new album? Tell us in the comments!</i></p>

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Adele: March 2012 cover girl of Vogue

Adele

Adele posed for an elegantly put together Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott shot spread while talking about everything from ridding of the booze to her highly publicized vocal cord surgery. Highlights from Adele's interview are as follows.
On her 'loud' personality: ?I am quite loud and bolshie,? she says (British slang for unruly and clamorous). ?I?m a big personality. I walk into a room, big and tall and loud.? Indeed. There is no doubt when Adele is in the building. The rule of thumb for protecting one?s vocal cords, she tells me, is: If people are more than an arm?s length away, you shouldn?t talk to them. ?But I am like, Wah! Wah! Wah!,? she says, laughing. ?It?s really bad.?
On giving up drinking last May: ?Don?t like drinking anymore. I think I got it out of my system. D?yaknowhaImean??
On her vocal troubles: ?I?ve been singing properly every day since I was about fifteen or sixteen and I have never had any problems with my voice, ever. I?ve had a sore throat here and there, had a cold and sung through it, but that day it just went while I was onstage in Paris during a radio show. It was literally like someone had pulled a curtain over it.? She flew to London the next morning to see her doctor and was diagnosed with acute laryngitis. After a couple weeks? rest, she continued her European tour, came to America, and then her voice went again in May. ?That was a hemorrhage... a burst blood vessel on my vocal cord. That healed, I did a tour, and then it happened again at my best friend?s wedding on October 1.?
On getting support through her surgery from other artists: ?John Mayer had it done at the same time as I did and he really helped me be chilled out about it. Roger Daltrey?s had loads of stuff done; Steven Tyler reached out; Elton John. Lots of artists have had problems with their voices, but you don?t know about it. And they are still singing incredibly well in their 50s and 60s.?
On her six Grammy nominations: ?I burst into tears when I found out. And I would love, absolutely love, to win. This record is coming to an end, and that would be the final brick on it.? [gallery=821]

Source: http://www.celebritygossiphollywood.com/celebrities/adele-celebrities/adele-march-2012-cover-girl-of-vogue/

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