I’ve had the distinct pleasure of tromping around the city of Chicago for the past month with today’s Virtual Cocktail Party Guest and I can assure you that there is no better guide than Renée Rosen. We’ve been having quite a time. How many people do you know who have dined at the Shanghai Terrace and the Rock & Roll McDonald’s in the course of a single evening? Or who have discovered that drinking a wine called Relax is in fact not a bad thing? Or who have debated the merits of boy push-ups versus girl push-ups? Or who go eat enormous (we’re talking obscene) pieces of cake in Andersonville for dinner? Or who can prove once and for all that you do not need tickets to go to a Police concert?

Renée is fabulous. Plain and simple.

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend the very swanky launch party thrown in honor of her debut novel, Every Crooked Pot. Trust me when I say you wish you had been there. I have pictures, but have been way too busy hanging out in Andersonville eating cake to post them, so you’ll have to suffer. Silently, please. I’m quite certain that a stiff drink will help you soldier on…

Renee Rosen’s Crooked Martini, the Signature Drink of Summer ‘07

OK, people, I can give you the ingredients, but the proportions are a state secret, patent pending, so you’re going to have to figure it out yourself:

vodka
melon liqueur
passion fruit juice
pineapple juice
Fresca (yes, Fresca)
mango nectar

JOE: Is it true that your booklaunch party was a huge success, and drew many local celebrities, including some big-name authors like JA Konrath?

RENEE: JA Konrath? JA Konrath was there? I completely missed him–but that’s not surprising, he’s so shy and retiring and discreet you’d never even know he’s in the room. I wish I’d known he was there, I would have gotten his autograph.

KAREN: How long did it take you to write the novel?

RENEE: How long did it take Proust to write Remembrance of Things Past? Double that, write something else, put it in a drawer, come back, dust it off, write a couple more novels….you’re starting to get the idea.

KAREN: What was your own journey as a writer during the writing of Every Crooked Pot?

RENEE: It was a long and winding road.

KAREN: Will there be a followup to your characters in a second book?

RENEE: Possibly. I’d like to see where Nina goes as an adult. I’m kicking it around, but you never know what direction the Muse is going to push you.

KRISTY: As we all know, any wine that comes in a blue bottle is trendy dreck designed for the untrained masses. Knowing your fine, advanced palate could you give us some suggestions for our summer wine needs?

RENEE: I’ve never found a finer blue bottled Riesling than RELAX. All this fun and relaxation for under $10. Tasha can vouch for this.

ERIC: Do you think electricity is all it’s cracked up to be? Does it really live up to the hype?

RENEE: Only if it strikes twice–no, wait that’s lightning. Forget about it, I’m wi-fi, baby. Who needs electricity? So passé!

CARRIE: Diamonds or sapphires? (You don’t get to choose another gem, there ARE no other gems.)

RENEE: You mean I can’t have both? You can’t make me choose! You can’t!

KRISTY: Have you ever worn penny loafers? Were there pennies in them? If so, could you explain this phenomenon?

RENEE: I believe I have. I’m not proud of this fact. And, yes, they probably had pennies in them. Shiny ones. Heads up. This is a phenomenon that occurred in an era before Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

LAUREN: Where do you start when writing: idea or character?

RENEE: Character. Human flaws and frailty. Individual weakness. The idea comes from that.

A million thanks to the charming and delightful Renee. BUY HER BOOK!!!!! And then answer her questions in the comments…..

1. Cougar or kitten?

3. Religious or spiritual?

Tune in next week when I’ll be back with a full report on ThrillerFest and we’ll be hosting the talented and beautiful Michelle Moran, who has written a mesmerizing novel about the Egyptian queen, Nefertiti. Let me know if you’ve got questions for her!

xo
Tasha