Welcome Gentle Readers

This blog tends to wander from its main purpose -- updates on my fiction. I do have updates and excerpts of my work. But I also write about my obsessions -- food, friends and pop culture and my weird life in Los Angeles. Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Little Victories and Keeping Sane

The last few weeks have been odd, even by my standards. In California, Malibu burned one week then needed snow ploughs the next. I actually saw snow on the hoods and roofs of cars. That pretty much summed things up. Amidst the good news is that A Soldier’s Choice is getting a favorable response, and we haven’t really started the heavy ad campaign. I’m really pleased about that. My bout of the flu or whatever that was has stalled finishing the bonus chapter, but it is now nearly complete. The writing thing is good. I have ideas for two more novels. That makes me very happy. The last week has been full of little and timely victories.

The film thing continues in its weirdness. It turns out that the oft mentioned $100 breakfast was worth the price. Our script and vision impressed that actor. We have our President for The Privateers largely because he wanted it to happen. He is already a royal from an extremely successful trilogy. We hope this will be another. And that is good news amidst the spirit numbing morass that is this business. In this same week that we scored a genuine A List actor for our film, we discovered that in order to even talk to any more of them, we needed an A List casting director. How do you get to talk to one without 20 grand in hand and an A-list writer or director? You happen to be partners with a mid-level manager who has a former 80s b-movie queen who loves corsets in your stable, and said b-movie queen is key to a scene in a major horror film involving werewolves, nazis Rob Zombie and Robert Rodriguez (Grind House). Coming through on a Sunday makes for one grateful a-list casting director. This all sounds very glib and fun over drinks, but the reality is quite scary when you think about the odds of those circumstances happening. We were in the middle of it and didn’t believe it.

Every day has been up and down with making in roads and hitting incredibly dense, arbitrary and stupid walls. It’s often extremely difficult to keep that positive attitude going. We’re managing. It keeps me in limbo, which I really hate, but we have to keep pressing. Now, we are really close to the big project. And there are some nice little ones finally taking shape as well. We’re hanging in there with each little victory.

The other things keeping us sane on the path to our goals are our friends here. Of course, my publishing maven Marie is always ready with keen inisghts and endless patience with me. There is the imported friend, Randy, who is our major set elf when we are in production. Set elves get things done. They build apartments or pirate pubs from scrap wood and a single rusty nail. Doesn’t matter the hardship, they get ‘er done! Lately, he’s been driving me around so I can maintain a livelihood and he’s been helping us look for a place. Then there is my wonderfully literate, talented and insane friend Craig. He was part of the 3rd street promenade Borders posse, and he keeps me from being homicidal on set. He lends be the most wonderful books to read, and never fails to make me laugh. We had the most wonderful conversation about the benefit of preserving an 1890 book on hemorrhoids (with drawings). I didn’t even question why he was calling me from a cave in the Santa Monica Mountains. That just happens with Craig. I was more amazed that he could get a signal there and not in my apartment. And then there are the Koerners. They came over to have Jon teach Gabriel about Speed Racer. This isn’t strange because Jon would try to teach any guest we have about Speed Racer if I’d let him. But this was business. Gabriel is lead FX modler on the big budget film version with Keanu Reeves as Racer X. Any reason is great to see this lovely couple. I’ve known Gabriel since Trekkies (he’s that over the top kid with the mullet). And I adore his beautiful and brainy wife. We talked French food while the boys watched 60’s anime. Next week, she and I will make Boef Bourguignon and work with puff pastry!

The hunt for a new home has been harrowing. We are usually competing with eight couples who have wild looks in their eyes as we race toward the manager's office. I had been really worried, but I think it will all work out somehow. We may not even be in the country in a couple of months. And if all else fails, one of my darling actor boys offered me camping space in his yard. Hopefully, the canals won't flood.

I promised a contest question. Let me see... Does anyone out there know what a roller stroller is and who made it a fashion statement? And or name the Canadian band who first sung the hit Lenny Kravitz made famous in the 90's.


Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Blog Winners and Answers

I'm working on the new blog right now. Some events are still unfolding, so I may have to wait until Friday night for a real comment. We have things really heating up on the film front, and we having a moving date, it seems. But there some really crazy and some cool things going on that I have to wait to see how they turn out.

We had three winners. Unfortuantely, two are straight men who would have some problems with certain activities my heroes indulge in frequently.

Kim W won the e-book and one of the bonuses. The bonus chapter has a little more tweaking before it's presentable.

The answers are for question one: Maniac from the film Flashdance.

The guys got the answer to the second question. The series is Ghost in the Shell SAC: 2nd GiG. The song is called Rise. I usually don't go about quoting lyrics, but these are so much in keeping with the tme of the book, I thought I would here. You can also view the really kick ass opening of that series here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cEN96e-frY

The song is sung in english and another language, but the images made me actually watch the series.

Song Title: rise
Performed by:
Origa
Lyrics by:
Tim Jensen / Origa

I'm a soldier, and that means I'm both defendant and judge
I am standing on the two ends of fire
Bending over the steep turns, overtaking death and life
I'm running to fight the shadow of the lies

No matter how much threads deceit weaves
The truth will show the face of light

* Save your tearsfor the day when our pain is far behind
on your feet come with me
we are soldiers stand or die

¶ Save your fears take your place
save them for the judgement day
fast and free follow me
time to make the sacrifice
we rise or fall

I'm a soldier, born to stand in this waking hell I am
witnessing more than I can compute
pray myself we don't forget
lies, betrayed and the oppressed
please give me the strength to be the truth


people facing the fire together
if we don't, we'll lose all we have found


* repeat
¶ repeat

Don't you cry,
Hide your tears
Because there'll be a new day
Your fireWill be heating Thousands of hearts
Now, rise up
Hide your pain and fear far off
The one who is right will win
Remember, everything is in your hands

* repeat
¶ repeat

New Blog and contest in a couple of days.

Monday, January 08, 2007

A Soldier's Choice E-book Available Now!!!


A Soldier's Choice is now available as either an Acrobat Reader or Microsoft Reader e-book now at http://soldierschoice.com. The bonus cookbook and chapter are availabe with the e-book as well. The print book will be available via Amazon.com or bn.com by January 22nd.


Happy Reading!!

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Contest Hints

It seems I have been too obscure in my questions. I have been admonished, so let me give some hints.

For Question One -- The film made legwarmers and off the shoulder sweats popular. It also maintained that women construction workers moonlighted as exotic dancers. And the song was actually written about a serial killer. The title of the song makes that clear.

For Question Two -- The anime series features a female lead who carries a gun and runs around in a thong and a jacket. In the critaclly acclaimed film though, she was often naked. The song from the last season of the series (or 2nd GiG) is up for an american anime award this year.

Good Hunting!

You can e-mail answers to: deborahlwarner@gmailcom

Deadline for Slash and Burn

Just a reminder that the deadline for submissions to 'Slash and Burn' is January 15th. If you have submitted and not heard from us by now, we may have your story and no way to contact you. We changed e-mail servers six weeks ago and lost a lot of the contacts. If your name and e-mail wasn't on the story, we have no way of reaching you. Please, e-mail us at sypress@gmail.com with the name of the submission. Again, the deadline is January 15th. The url for info is: http://sybpress.com/slashburn.htm.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

New Year, New Contests

Okay, we want to get the promtion started on A Soldier's Choice even before the release date. I have e-book versions in Acrobat pdf or Michrosoft Reader complete with the beautiful cover art. All you have to do is answer one of the questions below. They are super hard, but if you click around where I surf, you'll find the answers.

What song from an iconic 1980s film was originally written about a serial killer, but changed to reflect this upbeat, move your feet movie?

Or

For the first time in my writing history, there was a song that reflected the theme of my story. It is called one of the best anime series opening themes ever. It was a series on Adult Swim (thethme is from the second season) and it was an acclaimed cyber punk anime film that influenced the creators of The Matrix. I used a paraphrase of one of the lines for the first line of the back blurb of my book. What is the name of the theme OR the name of the series.

In your replies, let me know which form of the e-book you'd prefer.

Email me at deborahlwarner@gmail.com or post a comment here.