Erica's Got A New Gig, And Susan's Writing A Book!		Follow Erica around the world!
ALL MY CHILDREN’s Erica Kane has pretty much done it all, but now she’s added one more skill to her long list of accomplishments: blogging! Susan Lucci’s character is currently off the screen on a summer-long pre-wedding honeymoon with prospective hubby Jack and has decided to blog about their world-wide adventures while she’s away! Check out SOAPnet for frequent updates that will lead up to her — and Lucci’s — return to Pine Valley this September. And if the blog doesn’t give you a good enough dose of the Queen of Daytime, be sure to check out Erica’s new Twitter page for even more fun! Meanwhile, as Erica toils away on her new blog and Twitter page, Lucci will be hard at work penning her memoir! It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, has announced that the actress will release her book, which will cover her role as Erica and her years performing on stage, next year. In a statement, It Books reveals that in addition to providing readers with an exciting behind-the-scenes look at her career, Lucci will devote much of the book to her off-camera personal life, including her devastating car accidence, her miscarriage and the joy of winning an Emmy in 1999 after 18 previous nominations. Expect stories from her experiences on Broadway and DANCING WITH THE STARS as well! "I am so excited to share my life experiences with my fans," says Lucci. "It Books gave me the extraordinary opportunity to tell my story."

See Port Chuck In Concert!		Are GH's guys coming to a city near you?
Port Chuck — the band comprised of GENERAL HOSPITAL castmates Steve Burton (Jason), Scott Reeves (Stephen), Brandon Barash (Johnny) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) — is hitting the road this fall! The guys have added general admission to some of their shows, so click here to see their calendar, or visit www.portchuck.com.

Genzel Has Murder On Her Mind!		Who winds up dead when Genzel gets together with Friends?
Carrie Genzel (ex-Skye, ALL MY CHILDREN) will be getting friendly in her latest film, the Hallmark Channel Original Lies Between Friends. “It’s about a group of college girlfriends who’ve gone up to a bed and breakfast for the weekend to celebrate an upcoming wedding, when one of the women turns up dead,” Genzel previews. "I play a Beth. She’s labeled the ‘perfect one’ [because] she grew up with money, married her college sweetheart, and has a son.” As the tale unravels, one of the devastated gals becomes fixated on solving the crime. “It’s [reminiscent] of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians,” Genzel muses. The chick flick premieres Saturday, July 31, at 9 p.m. EST.

Murphy's Law		Meet Brenda's new hottie!
Brenda Barrett is an internationally famous supermodel, so of course she deserves a hunky beau, right? GENERAL HOSPITAL has tapped WASTELAND's Brad Rowe to play the recurring role of Murphy Sinclair, a mysterious, internationally-known movie star (just like that other famous movie star named Brad!), who dates Brenda and becomes involved in her charity, the Alliance To Save Exploited Children. Rowe first airs on Friday, August 13.

See Ya, Skye!		Jax's favorite ex is exiting.
Robin Christopher's return as Skye has come to an end: the actress will check out of GENERAL HOSPITAL on Thursday, July 29. Christopher brought Alan Quartermaine's daughter back to Port Charles in March following a two-year absence.

GH Alum Heads To OLTL		Warlock is so good at playing bad.
Soap-hopper Billy Warlock (Blackthorn, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-AJ, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Frankie, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) is adding a new soap to his resumé: ONE LIFE TO LIVE! According to a rep for the show, the actor will take over the role of Ross, last played by Michael Lowry. Lowry left the show last January but returned in April to torture Todd in a dream. Look for Warlock to debut as Ross at the end of August.

Sumpter Says Good-Bye!		What will Cristian do?
ONE LIFE TO LIVE's Tika Sumpter (Layla) has decided to go on recurring status with the show. Sumpter, who joined OLTL in 2005, posted a video message on Facebook. "As of July 30th, I will no longer be on contract. This was my choice," said an emotional Sumpter. "I decided this because it's just time to move on. It's time for me to try other things." Sumpter's announcement comes just weeks after her leading man, David Fumero (Cristian), inked a new long-term contract with the show. While this certainly could spell trouble for Cristian and Layla's romance, Sumpter hints that this isn't the last fans will see of her. "Whenever OLTL needs me to come and stop by and do whatever they need me to do, I will be there."

Is Hale Retiring?		Hale is sitting tight.
A recent interview with Ron Hale (Mike) had GENERAL HOSPITAL fans in a dither that the actor was leaving the soap, like, now. A source in his close circle says that Hale does plan on retiring to a ranch some day sooner rather than later, but there are no immediate plans to put his life in Port Charles to rest just yet. Whew!

It's A Brenda-palooza!		Relive Jax and Brenda's almost-wedding!
In celebration of Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo's Wednesday, August 11, return as GENERAL HOSPITAL's Brenda, a special Brenda Barrett programming event will take over ABC and SOAPnet that week! The fun starts on Saturday, July 17, when SOAPnet's 25-day countdown to Brenda's return begins, with a different key Brenda moment being revealed every day leading up to her return. (The full list of video moments will be available on ABC.com and SOAPnet.com starting August 10. Additionally, story histories, trivia games and photo galleries are currently available to catch fans up on all things Brenda!) The Friday, August 6, episode of GH finds Sonny, facing estrangement from all his major relationships, reminiscing about Brenda and a past, simpler life that allowed him to love as completely as he did with her. At the end of the episode, Sonny flashes back to the time he helped her lug a heavy suitcase. Then on Monday, August 9, Sonny mistakes Claire for his ex love, and in an futile attempt to get Brenda out of his mind, remembers the first time he told her that he loved her. On Tuesday, August 10, the day before Marcil Giovinazzo appears, GH will takeover the entire drama block on ABC in the afternoon, and SOAPnet that evening, with a three-hour Brenda Barrett's Men marathon, featuring episodes involving Brenda with Sonny, Jax and Jason… and hosted by Marcil Giovinazzo herself! Finally, SOAPnet will run The Best Of Brenda and Sonny marathon on Sunday, August 15, starting at 3 p.m. EST and featuring four classic episodes with special appearances by Marcil Giovinazzo and Maurice Benard (Sonny). Whew!

Zendall Returns To Pine Valley!		Kendall and Zach visited in April.
Oh, happy day! After a lengthy maternity leave, Alicia Minshew (Kendall) is finally returning to ALL MY CHILDREN next month! The actress, who gave birth to daughter Willow in November, will first appear on Monday, August 9, according to www.SOAPnet.com. But Kendall won't be alone: Thorsten Kaye (Zach) is also returning to the show, for a limited run beginning Monday, August 16. Does that mean that after his Pine Valley visit, Zach will continue his voyage around the world solo? Stay tuned!

To The Stage!		You can see Parsons live and in living color.
GENERAL HOSPITAL's Nathan Parsons (Ethan) is returning to his theatre roots. The multi-talented actor will be performing in the Boom Kat Dance Theatre's NeverWonderLand 2010 playing Captain James. The production will run from Saturday, July 24, through Sunday, August 22, at the Mills Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica, CA. For ticket information go to: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/116760. To learn more about NeverWonderLand and Boom Kat, go to: www.boomkatdance.org.

What If?		GH's Sonny finds himself a hot date: AMC's Erica!
ABC Daytime kicks off its "What If" webisodes on Monday, July 12. The 10-part, 8-week series, which pairs together different characters from ALL MY CHILDREN, GENERAL HOSPITAL and ONE LIFE TO LIVE in quirky settings, will air on abc.com and www.SOAPnet.com, with shortened versions on ABC Daytime and SOAPnet. Three installments will air during the first week: first, when GH's Sonny's plan to use AMC's Erica as an alibi goes awry, his claustrophobia gets the best of both of them. Next, AMC's Ryan gets a refresher course on how to channel his inner bad boy from GH's Carly. And finally, GH's Spinelli has a fear of flying… which frustrates OLTL's Todd to no end, and unexpectedly changes their flight plan! Preview clips are available now, so check it out!

Brenda Returns… With A Buddy!		What news will Brenda bring?
GENERAL HOSPITAL has tapped another big-name star to play a character soon headed to Port Charles. TVGuide.com broke the news that MAUDE star Adrienne Barbeau will be joining the cast on Thursday, August 12, as Suzanne Stanwyck, a tough-as-nails businesswoman who runs a children's charity in Rome. It's no coincidence that Barbeau's debut is the day after Vanessa Marcil Giovinazza's Wednesday, August 11, return to the soap as Brenda: the two characters work together! At this point, Barbeau — whose TV credits include HBO's CARNIVALE, THE DREW CAREY SHOW and GOTHAM GIRLS — is slated to recur for several weeks. As previously reported, Brenda arrives in town at a time when the three men most important in her life are all in crisis. Even Brenda herself is in a bit of a bind, thanks to the explosive secret she's been keeping… only the former model has no idea the havoc this little indiscretion will wreak if it becomes public knowledge! While an ABC rep teases that Marcil Giovinazzo will be sticking around "for the foreseeable future," sources tell Soaps In Depth that her contract is for at least a year.

A New Beau For Colby?		There's a new hottie headed to town!
ALL MY CHILDREN has hired daytime newcomer Trent Garrett to play the contract role of Asher Pike. Look for Asher to be involved in storyline with Colby and Damon when Garrett makes his debut on Friday, August 13. Garrett previously appeared on a 2009 episode of 90210, and has a role in the upcoming romantic comedy Slightly Single In L.A., starring soap grads Lacy Chabert (ex-Bianca), Jonathan Bennett (ex-JR) and Carly Schroeder (ex-Serena, GENERAL HOSPITAL).

The Divas Hit The Road!		These Divas are a little bit country!
Kassie DePaiva (Blair, ONE LIFE TO LIVE), Kathy Brier (ex-Marcie, OLTL), and Bobbie Eakes (Krystal, ALL MY CHILDREN) — the singing sensations also known as The Divas Of Daytime TV — are going country this summer! The gals are heading to Phillips, WI, for the Log Jam Country Music Festival the weekend of July 30-August 1 at the Price County Fairgrounds. There, they’ll join Gretchen Wilson, Montgomery Gentry, and more of country’s hottest stars. Plus, Ricky Paull Goldin (Jake, AMC) is scheduled to host the Divas' performance! For tickets visit: www.logjamfest.com. For more information on The Divas, visit www.divasofdaytimetv.com.