My Cousin Vinny, Animal House, The Godfather (I & II), Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Midnight Run, Clueless, and almost anything with Bill Murray. Christmas flicks - It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishop's Wife, and hopefully one day...
MUSIC
Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louie Prima, Nat King Cole, The Beatles, The Dead, NRPS, Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, The Who, The Good Rats, Springsteen (early stuff), Speedlimit, Fountains of Wayne, Danny's & Cindy's Christmas Music.
BOOKS
1225 MISTLETOE LANE and NO ONE'S EVEN BLEEDING (both written by me) Reviews at:
Lenny's Page
Folks have asked if there's a way to read more sample chapters of my book, 1225 Mistletoe Lane. I haven't had time to post more here yet, but you’re welcome to visit my MySpace site & read the first 9 chapters that are posted on my blog page.
My name is Lenny Castellaneta and I'm the author of a Christmas book entitled 1225 Mistletoe Lane. Please allow me a few minutes to tell you about this holiday tale.
A unique blend of sentimentality, humor and romance, 1225 Mistletoe Lane is a genuine feel-good story that appeals to kids from one to ninety-two... males as well as females, elves and talking reindeer alike! In the words of one Amazon.com customer, "... a contemporary mixture of It's a Wonderful Life, Back to the Future, and Somewhere in Time."
My publisher and I are planning a thorough email campaign once we get some celebrity endorsements of 1225 Mistletoe Lane. Santa, himself, has not yet read it, but Mrs. Claus read the galleys and has said some very positive things about it. Frosty the Snowman also loved it, but not having any index fingers, well... kind of hard for him to type a review. In the meantime, here are some other critics who've enjoyed it:
"A wonderful, feel good read!" - Connie Anderson, Armchair Interviews:
Read Review
"A fun read..." Gene Berger - The Muse Book Reviews:
Read Review
"1225 Mistletoe Lane is an enchanting read." - Lighthouse Literary Reviews: Read Review
"A love your neighbor kind of story..." - Wanda Maynard, Sime~Gen Reviews: Read Review
Judy Salamacha, The Bay News, Dec. 21, 2005 - "1225 Mistletoe Lane... a holiday treat... Castellaneta takes the reader on a memory trip back in time... male or female, senior or teenager, married or hope-to-be someday will enjoy this 'candy cane' story-line... a fun read you probably won't put down until you've finished with a smile."
Annick Mertens, Euro-Reviews: Women's Fiction Reviews, August 2005 - "1225 Mistletoe Lane is a wonderful story, filled with humor and sentiment, about caring for other people."
Please consider purchasing a copy of 1225 Mistletoe Lane!
Can ya get me a new publicist for Christmas? My current one isn’t doing much to promote my book, 1225 Mistletoe Lane! And while you’re at it, do ya know Tim Allen? People tell me my book would make a good Christmas movie, and Mr. Allen seems to make an awful lot of Christmas movies…
Thanks Santa,
Lenny
11/18/06
Dear Lenny,
I received your (above) letter the other day and decided to do some research into the matter. So I called your publisher, and was told that you don’t have a publicist. From what they told me, YOU do all of the marketing and promotion for 1225 Mistletoe Lane. Because you weren’t honest with me, I can not honor your request.
Santa
p.s. BTW, contrary to your note of 12/24/05, you DIDN’T bake those cookies. The Keebler Elves are personal friends of mine, and I know their work when I taste it!
11/20/06
Dear Santa,
I wasn’t dishonest. I merely neglected to state that the publicist, with which I’m displeased, is me. And re: the cookies - let’s review my note…
Dear Santa,
From me to you.
Baked with love,
Lenny
“From me to you” - the cookies were, in fact, a gift from me to you. “Baked with love” - As I understand it, the Keebler Elves bake ALL of their products with love. So ya see, Santa? I wasn’t dishonest; ya merely misinterpreted my letter.
BTW, I heard you’re havin’ some labor disputes with the elves’ union. I can help ya with that. I’m Italian and grew up in N.Y., so I know a guy who knows a guy…
Lenny
p.s. If ya reconsider the publicist thing, how ‘bout hookin’ me up with YOUR guy? It’s not even Thanksgiving, yet for the last 2 months, I see your face everywhere I go. Or how ‘bout Borat’s guy? Borat seems to be everywhere these days, too!
11/22/06
Dear Lenny,
You know a guy who knows a guy who can do WHAT?! You can’t possibly be suggesting what I THINK you’re suggesting! Didn’t you learn ANYTHING in all those years of Catholic school and being an altar boy… besides how to steal wine from the vestibule closet when the priest wasn’t looking?!
Santa
11/24/06
Dear Santa,
All I’m sayin’ is that it’s very remote up there at the North Pole. Very easy for some of the trouble-makin’ elves to, let’s say… go ice fishin’ and fall into the hole. Accidentally, of course.
Lenny
p.s. Re: the altar wine - I didn’t steal it. The priest gave it to me as a thank you. The church was havin’ problems with the truckers’ union that delivers the wine. And I was able to help ‘cause I knew a guy who knew a guy…
11/26/06
Dear Lenny,
You knew a guy who knew a guy in 8th grade?! John Gotti didn‘t know a guy who knew a guy in 8th grade!! Where did you go to school, Our Lady Of The Sopranos?! And BTW, if you’re so well connected, why do you need ME to find you a publicist?
Got a news flash for you, pal. Santa doesn’t need anyone’s help dealing with unions. I think you're getting me mixed-up with Frosty the Snowman - that wimp who melts at the first sign of heat. Don't forget, I slide down chimneys for a living. You think I couldn't arrange to have a few whining elves disappear behind the bricks of some of those fireplaces if I wanted to? I may appear jolly, but just like Oprah, I'm ruthless when I have to be. How do you think we’ve both stayed on top for so long?
Stop bothering me ’cause if you don’t, well… I, too, know a guy who knows a guy!
Santa
Quick synopsis of 1225 Mistletoe Lane:
Jim Carrelli, a 32 year-old schoolteacher, is an essentially good person who doesn’t like doing or accepting favors from people. This stems from a devastating incident in college. Now, as an adult, he doesn’t let people get close to him, and as a result, his love-life is nonexistent.
Through the help of his mysterious new friend, Galen, Jim learns the concept of selflessness. He realizes that he needs to be less selfish and more trusting of others before he’ll ever be able to find that “special someone.”
In a bar one night, at Galen’s urging, Jim jokingly agrees to go back in time to prevent a car accident that left Jim’s landlady, Molly, a mentally challenged widow. After one too many drinks, Jim passes out on a bench outside the bar and awakens to find himself in the past. Is it just a dream? Or should he brace himself for the “experience of a lifetime?”
To read some sample chapters, please check out my Blog. AND IF YA WANT A FREE COPY OF 1225 MISTLETOE LANE, just follow the below link. Apply for a "No Annual Fee" Visa card from Buy.com and get a $30 instant credit. Purchase 1225 Mistletoe Lane along with another item, and if your total is $30, ya get both for free! And because the purchase price is over $25, ya also get free shipping! (But ya MUST choose "free shipping" as your delivery option/method.) -
Free Copy 1225 Mistletoe Lane
The owner of a local bookstore was so pleased with sales of 1225 Mistletoe Lane, she's gonna stock it all year long! Pretty cool for a Christmas book (though she stated she didn't think it was solely a Christmas story). So if ya want a signed copy, ya can get one by ordering it from Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay, CA. Contact Linna at (805) 772-2880, (805) 772-9205 (fax), or coalesce@charter.net. (But remember, ya MUST state that ya want a SIGNED copy.)
1225 Mistletoe Lane can be purchased at your local bookstore (or ordered if they don't stock it), most online bookstores (i.e. Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com etc.), or by calling my publisher at (301) 695-1707.
Vinny the Elf
Video Review - 1225 Mistletoe Lane
TURN ON'S
Lynbrook, Long Island... where I was born and raised!!!
It's still hot here but not as bad as the last two days. It is supposed to be cooler tomorrow.
We got back from the Sp.O. Bocceball tournament. My daughter's team came in third and got the Bronze medal. Most teams from our area got the Bronze. They won one game and lost two. Just up from a cat nap. I have attached some pics. of some roses in our yard for you to enjoy I took a few weeks ago. Most of the roses are gone. I think the heat did them in.
