Maddy Madison never imagined that her Columbia University journalism degree would lead her to five long years of "if it bleeds, it leads" TV news on a local San Diego station. Besides being assigned sensationalist and sometimes fabricated stories about lipstick that kills and deadly dishwashers, Maddy also must write segments for a narcissistic news anchor.

As if work wasn't bad enough, when her parents separate and face dual mid-life crises, Maddy is left to mentor her 16- year-old sister, Lulu, who seems increasingly into skipping school, wild parties and maybe even drugs. Following a tip, Maddy discovers drug smugglers operating through a tunnel from Mexico. With help from Jamie Hayes, the attractive (but engaged) new photographer at the station, Maddy sets off south of the border to investigate.

As Maddy's increasingly inappropriate relationship with Jamie escalates, so does the wild behavior of her younger sister. And even if Maddy gets the proof she needs for her drug exposé, her network isn't interested in running the story. Maddy went into television news to make a difference, but now that she's got the NEWS BLUES, something big is going to have to change.

This fascinating and fun look behind the scenes at television news is straight from the imagination of a two- time Emmy-award-winning news producer. Marianne Mancusi creates some great characters; I would be glad to work with any of them (if I was in television). The balance of family and career in the story is both realistic and entertaining. This light-hearted romance has a serious side though, in addressing issues of drug addiction and in revealing how our news and the advertising that supports the news may be more closely related than we think! Overall, NEWS BLUES gave me a glimpse of television news production along with an intriguing investigation and a satisfying romance.