We have a winner! Here's the cover for my next teen book, THE BOOK OF LUKE. I guess I'd be smiling at nothing, too, if I was laying on a dock with a hot guy. But I'd also be tapping him on the shoulder saying, "Um, hello!!! Cute girl laying next to you, perhaps you could turn around and look at me??!!"

For a description of the book, check out the books section at www.jennyoconnell.com.

Spent the weekend in Las Vegas celebrating my parents' 40th anniversary. Ate very well, consisted on a diet that included numerous slices of cheesecake (the best at Stage Deli for lunch on Friday). Saw Le Reve and Phantom of the Opera. Must admit, was very concerned about the performers in Le Reve (not that they didn't have the muscles to take care of themselves). All that water stuff was a tad freaky and I kept feeling like I had to count the heads popping up in the water to make sure no one had drowned. Didn't do much gambling, I'm not a gambler. Would rather spend my money shopping, where I'm assured to walk away a winner.

Over breakfast one morning, my dad and I had a conversation about movies, as usual. Being a HUGE movie fan, and an actor, he has an entirely different way of looking at films. Which caused us to disagree about something I brought up.

Last year I decided it was time to venture back into a movie theater after a 12 year absence, so my friend and I went to see MATCH POINT. I was so looking forward to seeing this movie and was convinced I'd love it. But as I watched it I wasn't sure what I thought. And then something happened that ruined it for me and landed me in the camp of no love. What happened was that Scarlett Johansson's character leaves London to return to the US, and then she ends up going back to London later on.

My first thought when Scarlett returns to London? How the hell is that girl getting a visa to live in London to work in a freaking clothing store? It really bothered me. They just don't hand out visas to girls who seek employment in retail. I told my father that I hate when movies, or books for that matter, disregard reality for the sake of having the story go their way. My dad made the point that it was "fiction" and I told him that I disagreed. Yes, it's fiction. But it's also a drama, therefore it's intending to reflect real life.

Something designed to reflect life's "reality" can't disregard the reality of "real life." I HATE reading books that get things wrong. A minor detail can completely ruin it for me because it's disrespectful to readers. Now, I can understand someone making a mistake because they "thought" they had it right (for instance, a one way street in New York is written as going in the wrong direction). But it's easy enough to google anything these days, so take the two minutes and get the answer. I can't write without Internet access because I'm always googling things to make sure they're accurate - from the the availability of Pez dispensers to the types of surfaces used on tennis courts. Do 99% of readers care? Probably not. But I'd rather do my best to make sure that 1% is taken care of.

Now comedies (in film) I'm not so strict with, because you can bend or exaggerate the rules of real life for humor. But books? I'm still not a fan of playing fast and loose with the details.