Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna

Infobox Writer


imagesize =
name = Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna
caption = Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna in 2002, with her husband Chris Vrenna.
birthdate = Birth date and age|1970|6|20|mf=y
deathdate =
occupation = Novelist
genre =
movement =
notableworks = Cherry Bomb
influences =
influenced =
website = http://www.carriebv.com

Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna (b. June 20,1970) Teen People, Spin, Billboard and others. She is author of the book "Eyewitness Nirvana: The Day-by-Day Chronicle" (Carlton Books) and “CHERRY BOMB: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Better Flirt, a Tougher Chick, a Hotter Girlfriend and Living Life Like a Rock Star.”

Background

Borzillo-Vrenna has been an entertainment journalist since age 18 when she wrote about unknown rock bands for free music magazines in her home state of Connecticut. She got her first big break at age 19 when she was asked to profile the Black Crowes for the rocker’s then favorite magazine, Hit Parader. In the 20 years to follow, she has held positions at a variety of music and entertainment magazines, most recently at People magazine.

With a Bachelor Degree in Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University in hand, at age 21, the go-getter landed a job at Billboard magazine as a radio columnist before quickly moving up to Heatseekers Features Editor where she covered up-and-coming acts.

During the first dotcom craze of the mid ‘90s, she served as Managing Editor/News for the daily music news website, allstarnews.com, which was part of CDNOW.com. There, she also penned the music news gossip column Miss Truth. The New York Times called her column, “Liz Smith (journalist) for Generation Y,” and BAM named her one of the Most Influential Californians in the music industry.

The Wallingford, Connecticut native also authored the book, "Eyewitness Nirvana: The Day-by-Day Chronicle," for Carlton Books in 2000. Carlton re-issued the book in an expanded version in 2003 as "Nirvana: The Day to Day Illustrated Journals."

She has also penned music articles and news items for Rolling Stone, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, Alternative Press and as Dr. Love for Gene Simmons’ short-lived glossy monthly, Tongue. She dispersed love and sex advice for every issue of the magazine.

As a music expert, she has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, E!, VH1 and other television outlets. In 1998, she was named one of the most influential Californians in the music industry and won a Music Journalism Award for her daily breaking news at allstarnews.com.

Borzillo-Vrenna spent the next few years expanding beyond music journalism and into the competitive world of weekly celebrity journalism. She freelanced for Us Weekly and Teen People before being pursued for a full time job at People magazine where she handled the “American Idol” beat and wrote and/or reported celebrity features.

Cherry Bomb

In June 2007, Borzillo-Vrenna signed on with literary agent Holly Root of NY-based Waxman Literary Agency [http://www.waxmanagency.com] who sold her newest book, "CHERRY BOMB: The ultimate guide to becoming a better flirt, a tougher chick, a hotter girlfriend, and living life like a rock star,” to Simon & Schuster’s Simon Spotlight Entertainment. The book, edited by Emily Westlake, was released in bookstores August 5, 2008.

Cherry Bomb is an A to Z girl guide with a rock and roll twist on everything an edgy girl needs to know - from the obvious (style, beauty, dating, and sex tips) and the not-so-obvious (how to prepare absinthe, how to sneak backstage, how to hit on a celebrity). The book features contributions from some of the writer's favorite rocking chicks, including Dita Von Teese, Jessicka, Kat Von D., Tori Amos, Cherie Currie of the Runaways, Terri Nunn, Lisa Loeb, Katy Perry, Samantha Maloney, Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui, Louise Post, Christian Joy and others. [http://www.luminomagazine.com/mw/content/view/2507/1] [http://www.playnewhaven.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19879434&BRD=2639&PAG=461&dept_id=531120&rfi=6] [http://www.laweekly.com/music/music/cherry-bomb-carrie-borzillo-vrennas-ultimate-how-to-for-budding-rock-chicks/19335/]

Personal life

She lives in Los Angeles with her Grammy Award-winning husband Chris Vrenna, who has worked with everyone from Nine Inch Nails to U2 to Gnarls Barkley. He is currently on tour as keyboardist for Marilyn Manson.

Bibliography

"Eyewitness Nirvana: The Day-By-Day Chronicle", Author"Nirvana: The Day to Day Illustrated Journals", Author"Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times and Music of Green Day", Contributor (Author is Marc Spitz)

References:

*Ken Phillips Publicity [http://www.kenphillipsgroup.com/Phillips/nirvana2.htm]

*Carlton Books [http://www.carltonbooks.co.uk/results.asp?sf1=eh_cat_class&st1=CA05&sort=sort_date/d&ds=Music&m=31&dc=42]

*Amazon [http://www.amazon.com/Kurt-Cobain-Eyewitness-Carrie-Borzillo-Vrenna/dp/1844429628]

*Nirvana Club [http://www.nirvanaclub.com/index.php?section=info/nfcinterviews]

References

External Links

*Official MySpace Page [http://www.myspace.com/carrieborzillovrenna]

*Official tweaker website [http://www.tweaker.net]

*Simon & Schuster [http://www.simonsays.com]

*Waxman Literary Agency [http://www.waxmanagency.com]