"A writer writing a book about how writers should write books."

"Must have been a huge seller."

As some of you readers may know, I have been working on the sequel toSteve the Penguin, entitled Hot Penguin Action. Writing a 200-page novel has taken over much of my mind grapes. Hence, the slow down of posts on this blog.

For you readers, I do have an excerpt, which will probably be amended prior to the final edit. Enjoy!

"I'm having my ex-husband's baby."

There I sat, bemused by Liesl's statement. I wondered how my usually coherent best friend could sound like a guest on Maury. That show always made my life look good.

"It's Scott's. Of course. If I am actually pregnant. I'm a month late, and the test I took came out green, instead of pink or blue. I haven't told anyone else yet."

I was shocked. Liesl called her family for advice on everything. I once witnessed Liesl moderating a conference call with her mother, father, sister and brother to confirm whether her pink dress should be washed with the white laundry or with the darks.

"Then there's nothing to tell."

"I'm always on time, Bianca."

"You're only a month late. I have been late, early, long, short. Although, I'm not the one who has been engaging in unprotected sex with her husband for over a year."

"Exactly. You're not having sex."

"Yes, I know." Like I needed another voice in my head telling me my vajayjay was never going to get any action. Honestly, I could have put it storage. No one else was using it.

"You don't have to worry about getting pregnant, since you're not with anybody."

"That's nice, Liesl. You still want me to be sympathetic, right?"

"Sorry." She paced back and forth across my room. "How did this happen? I was on the pill."

"It is 95% effective. Although, with the stress of the divorce, your hormones are probably . . . "

"Whacked out? Yeah. I haven't felt normal for a while. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm not sure I want to have it."

I patted Liesl's arm. "If you want to end your pregnancy, it's your decision."

"I don't want to have an abortion. If this is really happening, I'm having the baby, and I'm keeping it. The problem is raising a baby. I never planned to be a single mother. A baby needs two parents."

"When I was growing up, half of my friends had single parents. And for the most part, they turned out great. Conversely, the people who lived with both biological parents are the ones who turned out a bit off." Case in point, Liesl: a product of a two-parent household who ended up divorced before 30, with a child on the way.

Liesl frowned. "Why couldn't this have happened to you?"

Because I don't have sexual relations with the insane?

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Look, a quote!

"It's rare that we find anyone that we want to be a part of Frangela - but reading Steve the Penguin was like talking to our other girlfriend. Mahlena-Rae is that voice inside all of our heads - wishing for more, wanting more - sometimes scaredand sometimes crazy. Mahlena-Rae Johnson has done what few authors have been able to do; she has created an experience, a journey that feels familiar and real and yet, takes you places you don't ever expect. We loved it!"

- Frances Callier and Angela V Shelton aka Frangela

How exciting. Thank you, Frangela!

Look! It's my book!

Reading is fun ... damental, by Swishy at Waiting for My Real Life to Begin.

Bookmark this: Steve the Penguin…a first novel smash by Mahlena-Rae Johnson, by affrodite at Affrodite’s Adventures in Nappy Hair.

. . . All in all, Steve the Penguin is a great read, very current in its adaptation (love the use of online chatting in some of the chapters) and composed with wit at the helm but without sacrificing gravity of the longings of main character, Bianca. As an added treat, those of Caribbean descent will identify with missing great food from home and the contrast of life in the islands to life in the states.

Oprah honey, when you read this post make sure you check out Mahlena-Rae Johnson’s first novel Steve the Penguin, add it to your book of the month list, and invite her on the show. She promises not to jump on your sofa. Oh, and tell Gayle that she’ll like it, too! . . .

Thank you both!

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Somebody likes my book!

Actually, two somebodies do:

Hooray! Book review!, by angryyoungwoman at angryyoungwoman blog.

Steve the Penguin, by Tobes at Hear me Roar. That's her picture featured above. If any of you other readers have taken, or would like to take, similar photos of yourself reading the book, I would love to include them on the site. :)

Both ayw and Tobes expressed genuine excitement about being asked to write a review. I was simply thrilled that they said yes and actually posted them. So hooray for everyone involved!

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Look, a review!

Novel Review: Steve the Penguin by Mahlena Rae Johnson, by by debrajohnson at She Likes to Read!.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of a funny new novel entitled Steve the Penguin by Mahlena-Rae Johnson. I related to the book so well and found it so interesting that I did something that I haven’t done in quite a while; I finished the 189-page book in less than 24 hours! The heroine of Steve the Penguin is the likable, yet sarcastic 27-year-old single gal Bianca. Johnson manages to balance light-hearted comedy, romance, and social commentary in a refreshingly interesting way. Bianca’s thoughts on ethnicity, love, work, and sex mirror many of the things that people want to say, but, like Bianca, don’t always say aloud. Bianca is socially conscious yet socially insecure, full of ambition but at times full of self-doubt, and just like every other single twenty-something woman waiting for her Steve the Penguin to come along . . .

Thanks, debra!

Another review for me!

An Easter Penguin, by The Law Fairy at Your Mom goes to Law School.

. . . Mahlena captures the stress and self-doubt I think most of us feel at the prospect of facing people we haven't seen in years, and thereby facing a version of ourselves we haven't seen in years. Have we improved? Have we stagnated? Have we grown up? Have we gotten old? Have we abandoned our hopes? Have we fulfilled them? Bianca reflects on her years as an argumentative, unpopular teen and realizes that, for some reason, she now cares what these people think of her. She hopes to impress them -- and perhaps to erase some of the sting of the rejection she, like the vast majority of us, faced in high school.

The book's tone is informal and conversational, which makes it an easy read -- and much moreso if you're relatively "up" on pop culture. As is fitting for a book about a woman enmeshed in the entertainment industry, a healthy familiarity with that industry will add to the book's resonance, as the book is liberally sprinkled with pop culture references. In fact, the title itself is a pop culture reference -- or, rather, two pop culture references tied together...

Thank you, Law Fairy!

Answers to the probing questions

Some of them weren't questions so much as observations, but I will address them anyway.

From Manda:

What I felt the book was missing were slice-of-life descriptions of the locales in which it is set. I wanted to be more immersed in the sensual experiences of L.A. and the Virgin Islands, especially in the juxtaposition of a smog-filled metropolis and a tropical paradise.

Bianca doesn't make deeper descriptions of LA and St. Thomas because she has grown accustomed to them, similar to a fish not knowing what wet means. However, in Book 2, Hot Penguin Action, there will be more descriptions of LA. The entire book takes place in the city, and readers will some perspective on Southern California living through Mike, since he hasn't been there before. Also, Book 4 takes place almost entirely in St. Thomas during the December holidays, and it includes a couple of characters who are eager to learn all about the island.

Also, the author, like her heroine, has a lot to say about the state of affairs in the world, whether it be entertainment or politics. However, I would have liked these opinions to have been less transparent within the context of the book. On a couple of occasions in the story, the characters became mouthpieces, and it clunked up the flow of the novel a bit.

That's true!

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From Catherine:

She also has a warm, affectionate and sexy connection with a guy she knows only online, not in real life -- and somehow, she tolerates the fact that he says he'd never date her because she's black. I thought it was strange and interesting that Bianca was still able to be close with him despite this basic rejection of who she is.

It is strange and interesting indeed. As mentioned in the comments, their relationship is a complicated one. It becomes quite the sticky wicket by Book 5. But at the heart of it, Bianca is friends with him because he actively cares about her life and her well being, whereas other people in Bianca's life should care about her, but don't.

One day I will learn not to provide explanations for why I write what I write. But that day is not today.

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Turning my frown upside down.

I was previously frowning because as I have been telling my friends, book promotion is hard. But now I'm smiling because I have new reviews to report!

Check! Out! My! Friend! Wednesday!, by Catherine Avril Morris at Of Course I Write Romance Novels. She is very complimentary, and no, I don't pay her. She described Steve the Penguin as An enjoyable read on the Amazon page.

A critical eye, by Manda at Whoa, Camel!. Manda also wrote Real Girl, Real World on the book's Amazon page.

Has it Been Ten Years Already?, by Shavon Williams of APOOO BookClub, on the Amazon page.

Also, Maria Bamford and my pal N.S.B. have each emailed me their thoughts on Steve the Penguin, so I will put them up here:

If you like fun, funny romantic comedies, then trip attractively over to your local quirky independent bookstore in your funky scarf - and while not noticing the diamond-in-the-rough, nerdy cashier who really likes you - flirt with the unavailable, self-absorbed zine-writer shoplifting organic chocolates by the cash register- and BUY THIS BOOK!

- Maria Bamford

~

A review of Mahlena-Rae Johnson’s Steve the Penguin

By Nicole Bautista

Meet Bianca Reagan. You’ve never read anyone like her.

If I had to pitch this book, my logline would be: “’Steve the Penguin’ is the literary companion to ABC’s Ugly Betty.” That’s a compliment. Obviously.

What I think sets this book apart from most other contemporary literature of the same genre is point-of-view. You might find witty dialogue elsewhere. You might find tales of the willing peon struggling to make it in the cutthroat worlds of entertainment, publishing, fashion, or whatever the case may be. But where will you find a book for young women that combines all of these things with a unique and intelligent central character, a sense of social and cultural awareness that transcends the everyday, and an acknowledgement of the challenges that real people face when starting out in the world?

Tales of the glamorous life abound. Steve the Penguin is about what it’s like to be on the fringes – learning what it takes to get there, and coming to the realization that it’s just harder for some people than it is for others – mostly for reasons that are not in their power to change. That you should persevere in the face of it, and that if no one else, Bianca would understand – is the gift that the author will give to the empowerment of young women as individuals and as a collective in today’s progressive-but-still-not-quite-there-yet society.

Thank you to everyone who has been so kind to grace me with their words, including the critical words. I will have polite responses to the questions raised the reviews, because the observations and confusions are valid. Many of them will be addressed in the now seven sequels to Steve the Penguin, but those books will take a while to generate. So I will answer the current questions as soon as I have more time.

To other reviewers: please don't be afraid post your thoughts on Steve the Penguin because they might be critical. If you didn't like the book or you didn't understand something, I encourage you to state your feelings in your review. I look forward to learning and growing. Or, if you haven't read the book yet, fear not! There is still time to enjoy the 200 pages of prose, and then type your reactions.

I'm very excited!

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My Super Tuesday!

Former St. Thomas resident reaches out to young adults with first book, by Ayesha Morris, The Virgin Islands Daily News.

First-time author Mahlena-Rae Johnson weaves the story of a 20-something-year-old television junkie turned Hollywood executive assistant preparing for her trip back to her childhood home of St. Thomas for a high-school reunion.

Bianca, the main character of "Steve the Penguin," must face her anxiety about being judged by her former classmates, and her fear of being the only one to show up without a boyfriend in the 189-page novel self-published by Mr. J Media.

Johnson draws on a bit of her own life story in the book. She was born in Arkansas, and moved with her mother, Edith Ramsay-Johnson, back to St. Thomas where she lived from age 4 to 17.

The 26-year-old went to V.I. Montessori School and was nominated vice-president of her sixth-grade class. She then attended Antilles School, where she was named "Most Likely to Kidnap a Backstreet Boy."

After graduating with a degree in film and television from Loyola Marymount University, Johnson decided to stay in Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a television production executive in Hollywood.

Thoughts about her upcoming high school reunion next year and watching movies on the subject inspired her to write the novel.

"I've always enjoyed writing. I just didn't stick to it that much," she said.

The book was also an extension of her website, www.stevethepenguin.com, which contains Johnson's commentary on everything from pop culture to politics.

"It comes from a passion to see people better represented," she said.

"The message I want put out is that it's OK to be yourself. One of the reasons I ended up publishing the book is that there are not many novels about people in their 20s who are just normal," Johnson said. "I wanted to create a more realistic, diverse cast of characters." . . .

The article goes on from there. Look at me: I'm famous!

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Look, look, look!

Steve the Penguin is now "In Stock" at Amazon.com! So order away!

Even more exciting is the SEARCH INSIDE!™ feature that is now available on Amazon. You can search inside the book, read the Table of Contents and peruse a short excerpt. Fun!

Big Update:

For those of you readers who are frustrated that the Steve the Penguin book is "temporarily out of stock" at Amazon.com, fear not! More copies are on the way.

You can also purchase individual autographed copies at The Official Steve the Penguin bookstore. It's the same book at the same price with a personalized note from me inside! Just type the message you would like inscribed in the Special Instructions box when you check out.

If you have any questions, leave a comment here, or send a email to mrjmedia [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Review #2: Penguin Boogaloo

It's my second review! Apparently someone is "fun and feisty." Thanks, Stephanie!

Big Pimpin', by Stephanie at Stephanie's Soap Box.

In other news, while you all are enjoying the ubiquitous Presidential Primary coverage, I turn your attention to the Tin Man and the blond woman with a penchant for pantsuits:

It's my first review!

Steve The Penguin, by Veruca Salt at As humorous as your humerus.

How exciting!

Big Announcement!

As some of you readers may know, I, Mahlena, have written my first book. It's called Steve the Penguin, just like this website. It's about Bianca Reagan Erin-Dempsey, the young, snarky pop culture enthusiast whom we all have come to love. The novel follows Bianca's journey home to the island of St. Thomas for her ten-year high school reunion. I'm self-publishing the book through the tiny company I started in 2007 called Mr. J Media. It's very exciting!

If you take a gander at the upper right corner of your screen, you can see that Steve the Penguin is now available from Amazon.com.

The book is also available at The Official Steve the Penguin Bookstore, which offers discounts for book clubs, and for bulk purchases of five (5) or more copies.

If you have any questions, or any marketing suggestions to offer, you can leave a comment here, or send an email to mrjmedia [at] gmail [dot] com.

Happy Reading!