Okay, I'm almost at the point where I
end my own moratorium on making fun of LA weather folk. Today makes
more than a dozen times that the forecast missed a rainstorm. There
are excuses, of course, that involve head scratching terminology.
These are unacceptable in the face of advertising that hysterically
touts the finely tuned technical accuracy of one forecaster's
instruments over another. Why is it important? It's only rain. I'm in
Los Angeles where a rainstorm has the same impact on drivers as black
ice does in parts of the country that have real weather issues. One
has to a lot more time for all but the shortest of trips. And those
trips involve walking. I've been here for nearly two decades, and the
motorist vs rain dynamic still befuddles me. Get your acts together,
Doppler-gangers, or feel the wrath of my derision!
Strangely, I did two blogs mid-week
because I didn't want to write a huge blog last week. I was tired.
But many of my readers did not click on the links to the other blogs.
I thought they were clearly marked, but that doesn't seem to be the
case from the notes I received. No matter. Since one of the blogs harkens back to the first one
I did here, six years ago, I'll include it in this blog. The other
covers my first casting session in years and my progress in learning
how to be a one man crew on the documentary, so that one is in here
as well.
Hold onto your hats!
There are times when I must admit that
I go beyond being crestfallen about the pace toward my career goals
and drift toward being a touch homicidal. Worry not, my gentle
readers are not guilty of anything that would cause such violent
feelings from me. However, these people who occasionally infuriate me
do inhabit my orbit and have known me for at least a decade. And it's
not like I keep my various pursuits a secret. Still, I have well
meaning souls coming to me with great excitement and telling me
things like 'I just saw something called a book trailer. You should
make those to promote your books.' I have four of them online at
this moment. This is the latest one I did for the Demonspawn books. Ultimately, I didn't start yelling over this advice, because I
haven't pushed the book trailers as far and wide as some of my other
marketing efforts.
The latest observation and advice is
all about 50 Shades of Gray and its author
EL James. I've had a number of people writing me about how this author went
from writing fanfiction to writing successful fiction that sprung
from the fan works and have a bdsm emphasis. Perhaps, they suggested,
I should be doing something like that, too? EXCUSE ME??? In my
earliest blogs (SIX years ago), I talk about my creds as a romance fan
and that of a fanfiction writer in the creation of my first book.
Geez! What does it take? Okay, I'll grant that I tend to write in
niche markets. And perhaps I don't toot my own horn a lot. But I was
in a feature film documentary (
Trekkies) talking about writing bdsm
fanfiction while wearing a corset
!!
Okay, that blog was a long time ago.
And it was very brief. Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Back in
2005, I was very much in the throes of an obsession with Legolas
Greenleaf of he Lord of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy. Legolas was
everything I adore in any given yaoi character – lithe but very
strong and incredibly beautiful while absolutely masculine. I had
seen the films almost often enough to recite them, but wanted to do
more. At that time I was reading LOTR fanfiction. Most of it was
awful. There was some very good stories, but they were still not
satisfying. For a long time, I toyed with writing my own fanfiction.
I would be entering another fan arena where I was not very well
known. Those who knew me would be expecting a certain bent to my
fiction – humor mixed with bdsm. I didn't really want to write that
sort of thing for my Legolas inspired fiction. Beyond that, I had
sold a feature film. I could no longer justify taking the time away
from professional creative endeavors in favor of writing fiction for
its own sake.
Thus, The Gift of Surrender was born. I
created a realm called the Hanyanoor (a Finnish word for The Known
Lands). On the Eastern end of that realm was a prosperous kingdom
where the King was weakening with each day. He could not really
function must past noon on any given day. The kingdom is at peace
with its neighbors, but anyone of them could exploit the king's state
to overrun it. Princess Sarianna, the sole heir to the throne is
persuaded to marry to strengthen the throne. Though she agreed,
Sarianna knows nothing of men and is terrified that marriage would be
the end of her personal freedom and the right to have any say in the
running of her own kingdom. The prospects do not look good.
Sarianna
rode long and hard every day following the departure of her first
suitor. She rode until her horse was exhausted. She drove the
sentries mad keeping up with her. There was no help for it. Riding
was the only way the Princess could blot the previous fortnight out
of her memory. The thunder of the hooves and the howl of the wind
kept his voice out of her head. The jarring, breathless rides made
her forget the feel of his hands on her skin. The problem was that
the rides ended throwing Sarianna into a spiral of anger and despair.
She was a thundercloud when she was not on her horse. For days on
end, the Princess said nothing that wasn’t absolutely necessary.
On
the fourth day, when Sarianna stormed from the stables, she found
Neuvoja waiting instead of Hanna. While she didn’t want another
silent, tense bath with her chambermaid, the Princess really did not
want to talk to her advisor.
“I
cannot hear any words about my demeanor right now, Neuvoja,” she
muttered. “Please go. We shall speak in the morning.”
“Princess,
I come with news,” the advisor replied. “A messenger from Ritvala
arrived with news that King Magnus is journeying here with his three
sons.”
Sarianna
found her legs had no strength. She sank onto the nearest chair.
“Three? When will they arrive?”
“Two
days hence at the most,” he replied.
The
Princess sighed heavily. “Tell me of these sons of Ritvala.”
“They
are accomplished warriors all and said to have their father’s fine
looks and bearing,” Neuvoja replied. “The youngest one was born
of the Suurimetsa.”
“The
Forest People?” Sarianna asked. “I thought no one from the
Hanyanoore ever had contact with them.”
“King
Magnus did and took one as a hostage bride,” the advisor replied.
“I
am to meet three warriors whose father has taken a bride and made her
bear him a son,” Sarianna muttered.
“Ritvala
would be a good alliance for Arinpera,” Neuvoja said.
“But
you still think Rowsdower would have been a better one,” the
Princess pointed out.
“I
am sorry, Princess,” he said quietly. “I was thinking that they
are close to our borders, and the Queen is an ally of your father’s.
Perhaps among the three princes there could be a suitable match.”
“Please,
say no more of it. I must find a way to do what is required,” she
said quietly.
“All
the kind words and advice cannot change the fact that I must face
these… suitors… alone.”
“Princess…”
“Have
their chambers been made ready?”
“Yes,
Highness. All is ready for their arrival.”
“Thank
you, my dear teacher. Please, send Hanna to me.”
“Princess,
it breaks our hearts to see you in such a state.”
“It
is the way of things. You had your trials to test your knowledge.
Warriors must tax their bodies to prepare for battle,” she said.
“There is little being asked of me by comparison. We can talk
further in the morning. I grow weary.”
There
was much more he wanted to say. Sarianna knew this. But she could not
talk about what had happened to anyone. If she talked about it, she
would dwell on it. If she dwelled on it, she would never be able to
face those brothers.
Neuvoja
relented. “Very well. Sleep well, Princess.”
“I
will try.”
Meanwhile, Prince Nikulainen or
Niku, is not any happier with this situation. He had thought he'd get
to choose a mate for love as he was third in line for the throne at
best. He and his mother were, as far as he knew, considered hostages
at worst. Despite the songs sung by many travelers about Princess
Sarianna's beauty, he was loathe to compete against his older
brothers for the hand of a woman he'd never met. But his mother told
him that things were never what they seemed between them and King
Magnus, and Niku always wanted to please his father. Still, he never
expected his life to be upended in one instant.
“Highness,
help me close the stable! We are under attack!” He shouted.
Sarianna
quickly closed the heavy wooden window shutters as Minos closed the
great main doors to the stables. Sentries arrived as they finished.
The Princess knew they were startled and upset to find her so far
from the main building. It could have been far worse. She could have
been out riding.
“Don’t
try to get me back,” Sarianna called out to them. “There is too
much open area. As far as strangers know, I am a stable girl. Go!”
The
men took positions nearby to defend the back entrance and the King’s
horses. Sarianna didn’t expect an attack there. It was nearly
inaccessible to those who were not very familiar with the roads. And
the terrain was such that no heavy weaponry could get through. Still,
Minos picked up a short sword and gave Sarianna a large hunting
knife. They anxiously looked though narrow slats in the door toward
the main gate straining to hear what was happening.
The
noise was not coming from that far gate. The walls near the back
entrance were being scaled. Whizzing arrows viciously struck down the
sentries on those walls. The battle was engaged before anyone from
that gate could sound an alarm.
“This
is madness,” Sarianna hissed. “Who would attack in such a
manner?”
“Assassins,”
Minos replied with quiet certainty. “I feel it in these old bones.
They know you are here or would be nearby.”
“What
are we to do? No one has sounded the alarm from this gate!”
“This
building will hold. If they try to burn it, help will arrive,” he
said.
The
Princess looked at him balefully. “Burn?”
“Worry
not, Princess. I do not think it will come to that,” he said.
Suddenly,
black-clad men with bows and swords dropped down from the wall where
the Sentries had fallen. There were ten of them with more on the
wall. The guards near the stables were soon overwhelmed with fighting
them, leaving the Princess completely vulnerable.
Just
as suddenly, the assassins on the wall were falling with arrows in
their chests. Sarianna saw a flash of someone running along the wall
shooting arrows with incredible speed. Swift footsteps were heard
crossing the stable roof. Then, the figure was in the middle of the
battle in front of them with a sword drawn. He was very tall with
long, pale golden hair. That was all she could see, for he moved so
quickly dispatching the assassins two at a time. Her own guards had
fallen, but were not dead. This stranger kept killing blows from
them. He took up the horn of alarm and sounded it when his last
combatant had fallen.
“He
is here to help!” Sarianna exclaimed, moving to the door.
“Nay,
Princess,” Minos whispered urgently. “It may be a ruse.”
“He
has sounded the alarm. I shall meet him before others arrive,” she
stated. Minos opened the door, but kept his sword and stood close to
her.
Sarianna
stepped out of the stable as the young man turned toward the
movement. In the light of the sunset, he was the most beautiful man
she had ever seen. He had a tall, lithe body, but he was muscled
where Rowsdower had been soft. He had large, expressive dark eyes,
fine high cheekbones, a firm jaw and a well-formed mouth. He was
masculine indeed, despite the long, thick fall of pale gold hair.
Yet, he was very beautiful. The man gazed at her for a long moment,
and then he sank gracefully onto one knee.
“I
am your servant, Princess,” he said in a quiet, rich voice.
“She
is my stable girl. The Princess is not here!” Minos exclaimed.
“Do
not fear me, milady,” he said softly.
Sarianna
found she did not. “What is your name, sir?”
“I
am Nikulainen, son of King Magnus and Lady Reija of Ritvala,” he
replied.
She
found she liked listening to him. She found it would be hard not to
look at him. Her breathing became more difficult. Her cheeks colored,
but her gaze never wavered. “I am Princess Sarianna, and I owe you
a great debt.”
He
smiled then, and her breath quietly caught.
“Nay,
Princess. ‘Tis my honor to serve.”
Don't worry, these aren't big
spoilers in this epic romance. There are intrigues upon intrigues and
betrayals that are painfully close to the couple. And of course there
is humor. The book is far from a comedy, but it clearly has a sense
of humor. And, of course, there is a twist to the romance. Though
Sarianna falls in love with Niku in an instant, she fears his
physical power and that of his father. He eases those fears by
surrendering his physical power to her. Thus, I still get my D/s
twist in there. You'll just have to read the book to see how.
Meanwhile, there is a very tasty
excerpt
HERE.
Warning! Explicit Erotic Content!
The Gift of Surrender is available on all Ebook formats at Smashwords.com HERE .
For Paperback or Kindle, go to Amazon.com HERE.
Casting Sessions
I've been very pleased with the support
I've received for
Cook Like a Uke. One of the few criticisms –
aside from the criticisms based on foreign Japan-o-files thinking
that yaoi is something that the Japanese found offensive – is
that there aren't actual Ukes cooking the food. I gave that some
thought, and realized that this was a fair criticism. And there were
things I could do about it. I am a filmmaker, after all. And I live
in the land of hot actor boys. Thus, I've decided to use the
itsy-bitsy marketing budget I have for the yaoi titles to do some
shoots with actors cooking like a uke.And I had a logo done for some new aprons!
I had a casting call last week. It's
the first one I've had in a number of years, and I worried that the
low budget would limit the choices for the parts. I needed actors who
were hot, had a presence on camera AND had credible cooking skills
who were willing to work on such a modest budget. I was not very
hopeful. Thus, I was very pleasantly surprised when I found four such
actors to fill the roles of the various kinds of ukes. At lest, they
looked good in their photos and had some very nice reels. But there
is more to casting this sort of part than those basic requirements. I
had to meet with them to see if they actually looked as good in
person (I've been unpleasantly surprised during casting sessions when
actors turned out to be a lot older than the photos and reels they
post or they've had a few years of hard, hard living since their last
head shot and reel was shot). Then, I had to find out if they were
truly credible in the kitchen. There are many stories from
beleaguered directors about actors who claim they can roller blade or
ride a motorcycle only to end up in the hospital and markedly set
back en entire film or TV shoot. I didn't want to have an actor or me
in the ER from a knife wound, nor did I want my kitchen or me set on
fire.
The last thing I had could only gauge in a a face to face
meeting is how comfortable the actors would be with the subject
matter. That meant, explaining what yaoi is and why it has a rabid,
mostly female audience. I basically gave them the history I wrote in
a blog last November,
Kitchen Supplies, Bromances and Other PicturePostcards. Just scroll down the middle of the blog for the Bromance part.
Later, I sent links to episodes to
Junjou Romantica and
Sekai-ichi
Hatsukoi that relate to cooking food.It was funny explaining all of
this if the passers by were any indication. Ah well, it wasn't the
weirdest casting meeting I've ever had.
The four actors chosen fit the
requirements for the roles, and they embraced the spirit of the
webseries. I have four different types of guys who will cover some of
the various types of ukes, or, in some cases, the very serious,
buttoned down Semes who are cooking for ukes. The plan is to make
dishes from yaoi anime and manga (this includes a dish from Nabako
Kamo's Again Tomorrow that I worked on with a team of localizers for
the Digital Manga Guild). The first shoot is scheduled for April 2nd.
I'll post behind the scenes photos of the shoot that day. The first
video from that shoot are slated to be posted on April 6th.
The actors who will appear during the run of the series are:
 |
| Ryohei Watanabe |
Ryohei Watanabe, a Japanese
actor/dancer/director who has been in the US for five years. He is an
avid cook who has his own recipes for many of the dishes on the
schedule. You can find out more about him at
ryoheiwatanabe.com.
 |
| Kyle Valle |
Kyle Valle, an actor who is also an
avid anime fan and foodie who is a talented, self taught cook.
 |
| Donal Thoms-Cappello |
|
Donal Thoms-Cappello, an actor/comedian
who is a trained cook.
 |
| Edward Swingler |
|
Edward Swingler, and actor/dancer/cinematographer who loves to cook.
As you can see, they are very easy on
the eyes. I can't wait to see what they will bring to this fun and
irreverent little series.
The shoot was delayed since I wrote until after Easter. I have all sorts of meetings that cropped up for that day.
Stay tuned!
As I said a blog or two ago, I did a casting breakdown and signed a
four actor pool. I knew that I could probably only handle
shooting one or two segments at a clip. I'm hoping to do a few shoots
and get as many segments in the can that I can before I'm forced to
move on to the upcoming projects. I also expect these very talented
young men to move onto bigger things fairly quickly. I must make hay
while the sun shines. For the first shoot, I picked a beef curry
dish to promote the manga, Again Tomorrow*. The actor I chose to play
Yuusei (upper left), the handsome leading man with amnesia was Donal
Thoms-Cappello (below right) who is great looking and resembled the manga
character. The other was the next dish I'd been planning to film
anyway, Tonjiru or Pork Miso soup. The actor playing Misaki who made
the dish for a tutor that would later become his lover in Junjour
Romantica was Ryohie Watanabe. This actor is actually Japanese and
has more than a passing familiarity making that dish. A third actor,
Kevin Chambers (He's left in the apron being geeky. He's also about to eat that whole bowl of stew.), agreed to come by for a photo shoot. While here, he
read the lines from the voice over announcer who is the antagonist in
the videos. That was helpful for the guys on camera, and really kind
to me. And I was most lucky to have make-up maven, Cat Elrod, in the
house. Aside from being highly skilled at her job, she is always a
delight to have on set. She even helped me do the dishes!
All in all, things went rather well.
Jon did what set decorating there was before he went to work. I had
weeks to clean and organize the apartment. Incidentally, this shoot
finally pushed me to change the apartment from being a place where a
sick person was recovering back to an apartment. I find I really like
not being surrounded by pill bottles. But I digress. There was food
prep for each dish, photographing ingredients and the actors, running
the sound and shooting the video and selecting wardrobe. The whole
five hours went by in a blur. I hope I seemed competent during the
whole ordeal. I did manage to get everything on my shot lists. The
sound for each segment was recorded properly. It's not all done
perfectly. There will be challenges in post, but they are minor
enough that I'm certain I can make the required adjustments on my
own. The performances were very good. I think the yaoi readers will
get what they were hoping for. The Yuusei character was flirty and
really funny. The Misaki character was shy and sweet. Above all, the
food was really good. Each dish was consumed immediately after I took
the last shot of it plated up. What was really wonderful to hear for
this amateur chef was that, for Ryohei, the food turned out like real
Japanese cooking he would get at home. In this case, I had the sense
to listen to him when he adjusted the recipes I was using while
cooking on camera. A great chef knows when to get out of the way! I
admit that I'm really jazzed that this went off well.
