Heatwave, Schmoozing, Cookbooks and Film Favs

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.

Doppler-ganger Plus 3000
They’re at it again, the local weather guys. We’re on Heatwatch. That’s a new term all the stations here are using. I’m convinced that they felt left out of the lead-story coverage of their weather brethren in the mid-west. There are no floods here, so their hyberbolic coverage has turned to the heatwave. Since Southern California is essentially a desert, heat is not really news. Somehow they have elevated the need for hydration to a hysterical urgency. There is some seriousness in the coverage this weekend. We’re under a red flag warning here, and in Northern California, the fires have started. It’s still strange for me to live in a place where there is always a possibility that whole neighborhoods or a major interstate can be engulfed in flame. We don’t live in a fire zone, but you do learn to watch the brush while traveling in fire prone areas. It’s like having an earthquake kit and a Tsunami evacuation plan. It’s always there, but you don’t think about it. It is really hot out. Today we’re locked in the apartment with the air conditioner going and hopes that there won’t be a brown out.

The Art of Schmoozing

It is not a cliché in this business. It is fact that how far you get depends, in large part, on who you know. How you get to know people is as varied as the actors, writers and directors trying to make it out here. Clint Eastwood made his first big studio contacts working at a gas station owned by Don Donner, the brother of Jack Donner who played Dr. Bassett in Demon Under Glass. Don tells me that Clint wasn’t that great a gas jockey. He was always chatting up the studio folk. Don finally fired him. The next thing he knew, Clint was on Rawhide. Jon and I got an awful lot of contacts orking retail on the 3rd Street Promenade. Most of those we made there either worked with us or helped us get things made. And since they shop there, opportunities abound to talk to A-list everybodies while they transact their business. We never did that during our retail gigs for much the same reason Jon and I don’t chat up celebs at conventions. We want to be seen as equals, not clerks or fans (no offense to fans as we are fans, but it’s difficult to be taken seriously as a producer or director in that setting). Screenings are great places to make connections. The Marche du Film is the mutha of all schmooze fests. I have had conversations with heavy-duty financial backers over beer at a plastic patio table at the American Pavilion there that I could never meet under any other circumstances. I know this because I asked them if I could have called for an appointment from my home which was only a 15 minute drive. They said no. But being at the Market and the Festival gives access.

Schmoozing for us is like dating. We don’t just look for people with skills or money. We’ve learned that for a connection to work, we have to fit well together. It’s hard to work with someone who can’t be trusted or doesn’t respect your work. When we schmooze, we’re seeking an advocate who can lead us to either funding or to a major actor. Or we’re looking for the major actor. In either case, we have to win their confidence in our material, because we’re usually asking (begging and pleading) for them to either work on something unusual for their careers or to take way less money than usual. They have to be confident that we know what we’re doing and are willing to accept guidance and suggestions. It’s a tough line to walk for us. We know we don’t know nearly everything there is to know about this business. But we don’t want to get steamrolled into turning a film into something we can’t stand because we want an A-list whoever to be involved.

The meeting this week was a meet and greet with some high-powered types who have access to A-list actors we need for various projects. It went very well. First off, they are from New Jersey. East coast folks have a different way of looking at the business from native Angelinos. We were speaking the same language. That made the meeting a lot easier. There were some spirited debates over film styles, but we saw eye to eye where it counted. It looks like a good match. We’ll have access to a far larger pool of actors for the film that just got the distribution commitment, and it puts us in a position to go for some really big names for our dream projects. But that’s for after the two films in the queue. It left us excited about the possibilities. It also increased my anxiety, to be honest. We don’t know which film will get a full green light first, thus I have no idea what part of the country we’ll be in for months at a stretch. I can’t make any kind of plans for months, and these films will likely throw a monkey wrench into the trip to Paris. For a control-freak traveler, that’s not a good state to be in. I’ve found it difficult not to drive everyone crazy. Still, I understand the importance of the connection we’ve made. All of this consternation will be worth the results.

Soldier’s Update
I’m still waiting for ‘A Soldier’s Fate to turn up on amazon.com and other sites. Meanwhile, I think I’ve found a Rik Heron for the live-action pitch. No, I don’t have enough on my plate, why do you ask? :) We have been strongly encouraged to develop everything in our files as far as we can while there is a keen interest in the production company. I’m following orders. Anyway, he is gorgeous, though I haven’t heard his voice yet. That is a huge factor in who Rik Heron is. There must be toe curling every time he speaks. Also, I’ll be working on the cookbook today. I’m hoping to have it up online when the print book turns up.

But Why DO You Like That?
Warning: Possible spoilers for Iron Man, Battlestar Galactica and Eureka. Possible derision of Bones, House, Star Gate, Fantastic Four, and X-Men.

Sometimes, my friends get exasperated at my taste in film. Why do I like one kind of film or TV show and deride something that’s in the same genre. For example, I really liked Spiderman 1, 2 and 3. I adored Iron Man , yet I almost walked out of the first X-Men movie and the second was merely acceptable. I wouldn’t even look at Fantastic Four (Jessica Alba as a scientist, really). I watch two out of three CSIs but want nothing to do with Bones. I loved Scrubs for most of its run, but won’t go near ER or House. And I adore Galactica and Eureka but have no interest in the Star Gate franchise (though I really liked the film). There are reasons for all of these decisions and they are highly subjective and not meant to malign anyone else’s tastes.

Spandex costumes over hot bodies are not enough to make a good super hero film for me. Nor do I think one has to be a fan of the character to enjoy a good super hero film. I never liked Spiderman in the comics. I thought he was a whiner. I really wasn’t interested in seeing the first film, but it won me over. The character work and performances were extraordinary. The drama was so compelling that the action scenes were a relief from the trauma they caused. However, the best scene to illustrate what is really good character work is from Iron Man. The first scene in the film is of Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) and three US soldiers in a HUMVEE. The scene is less than five minutes long, but it establishes the characters so thoroughly and so cleanly that I cared more about them and their fate in that brief period than I did about the X-Men through two films. The scene was funny and touching and tragic in a very tiny window of time. The film built on that wonderful scene and resulted in an amazing film. Tony Stark even uttered a line from The Thin Man (Give me a scotch, I’m starving). How great is that?

As for the TV shows I watch or don’t watch, it’s the degree of character development for me. I can’t say that I dislike Star Gate: SG1 or Atlantis. There just isn’t enough to interest me. As for Bones, I don’t like Dave Boreanaz’s acting. I never have. And the show’s premise annoys me. I’ve followed the real-life bone-man and author, Kathy Reichs for years. I just don’t think they take her work seriously enough. It’s been TV-ized too much and it didn’t have to be, in my opinion. I’ve had more fun watching her on real-life documentaries than that show. As for House, that is a different story. I don’t watch medical dramas (too much Marcus Welby and Medical Center as a kid). I’ve never seen ER and never want to. However, my reason for not watching House is specifically Hugh Laurie. I adore him, but, for God’s Sake, he’s Bertie Wooster! How can I take that seriously? See the images to the left and right. I’ve included a pic of Jeeves (my Percival prototype as well).

Stay tuned! A major Book announcement to come!

Good Neighbors, Cookbooks and TV Romance

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.


I’m writing this blog on Saturday. We’ve had to shift our schedules about because of film-related meetings. I am loathed to give up my Sundays (even while filming). I have to get dressed and put on make-up and act civilized. Very annoying. Yes, I’ve been writing the blog in my pajamas!!

Before I begin, I must insist that readers go to The Writer’s Almanac for June 7, 2008 and enjoy the marvelous voice of Garrison Keillor reading City of Tonawanda Softball Championship by Sarah Freligh. Just click on 'play' on the top of the page in the left corner.

The Kindness of Strangers

I know that I’ve complained often about the singular aself-absorption of Angelinos. And it’s still true that they are largely, hugely self-absorbed. We still face the possibility of death by car from people with no concept of what right of way or cross walks or traffic lights mean (these near misses often occur in front of the police station near our home). We’ve even been in dire peril on the sidewalk when a motorist decides to peel into a driveway because of an opening in oncoming traffic despite the people walking there. However, I must admit, that I’ve been surprised and moved by the kindness of our neighbors and of service people we encounter daily.

In our building, most residents work the day shift and have departed long before we’re even awake. However, there is a lady who is around all day because of a disability. She’s our complex’s alarm system. I notice her notcing everything that happens in our courtyard and at the entrances. It means a lot to me to have such sharp eyes about. I know if a nefarious deed ever happened here, there would be no getting away with it. We are provided with further surveyllance and security from our bus drivers to and from work (You may choose to think we are green if you’d like). Our morning driver is hooked on choclate eclairs from the Korean doughnut shop and has recently become obsessed with an antique store at the end of his route where we catch him. He knows his regulars and will stop for them even if they haven’t reached the stop or wait a little if he knows they’re due. He also notices if Jon or I are missing from the bus and inquires after our health. Our evening driver was a very cranky lady who reminded me of my cousin the cop. We call my cousin Officer Friendly – she really isn’t. Neither was this driver, but she tickled me anyway. I like the replacement even more. He’s a more mellow Chris Rock sort of guy who has lots of women chasing him. His bus is the last one running to our neighborhood. Thus, he’s careful to pick up befuddled tourists at the wrong stop and makes sure they know where they want to go (all of the Santa Monica Blue Bus - the one from Speed are amazing with tourists). The night driver really makes sure his regulars make the bus. When Jon was down with that cold after the Gunslinger Trailer, the driver made sure I got off and across the street to the cab stand before moving on. One night during that stretch, he kept a noisy drunk from getting off with me. LA doesn’t seem like such a big, anonymous place with these folks around. Speaking of cabs, we have regular drivers there as well. We don’t take them often (too pricey save for when we’re toting groceries), but they see us pass by the stand every night. On one trip, Jon thought he’d drop $20 in the cab. We thought that would be the last we’d see of that. However, the passenger after us gave the bill to the driver, who gave it to us the next time we passed by. We were flummoxed. The neighborliness is just like Mount Airy in Philly though not nearly as beautiful. Though the cab money thing wouldn't have happened there. That's more of a Mayberry thing. Incidentally, to figure out a lot about who I am socially and politcally, read up on Mt. Airy, offically recognized as the most successfully integrated neighborhood in America.

Soldier’s Fate Update

Thanks to those who bought the e-book version of the book. I’m really plased by the early reactions. I am missing Rik and Vincent already and can’t wait to start the third one. Though if I don’t do this script re-write there are people who may harm me bodily. Anway, about the cookbook. There will be a free e-book version in a couple of weeks. I have been making the recipes mentioned in the book. Jon isn’t an Altered, but he does require stealthy use of fruits and vegetables to keep him healthy. He’d live on baguettes and butter with an occasional pastry chaser if I let him. The recipes are all road tasted for tastiness and cooking ease.

What DO You Like - Adult Content (not what you think)
Warning: There be spoilers for Battlestar Galactica, possible grammatical liberties as well as multiple and odd pop culture references.

Another installment in answer to often asked questions about my TV rants. I don’t know why I give spoiler warnings. First off, there’s some program out there that will immediately link the site to some spoiler TV page. Last week, there were a lot of very confused and consequently hostile soap opera fans reading the blog then writing me despite the warnings. But I have to give the warning in this case, because almost any comment I make about BSG this season will give a lot away. Those who don’t watch the show can still follow the theme of adult or mature romance in genre television.

I read a comment by the writers of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine a long time ago that romance and mysteries don’t mix. There are similar notions about romance and science fiction. Now, admittedly, both genres have done romance badly. As sophisticated as the science fiction was in the various Trek shows, they seldom got intimate, ongoing adult relationships right. I know there are exceptions, but usually when two crewmen who are attractive and have a lot in common finally look at each other in other than a strictly professional manner, it’s an anomaly. Frankly, I think the problem has been a lack of female writers on the writing staff. Forgive me, but men are oblivious to the obvious. I recall the first time I saw The Matrix was with a bunch of guys. None of them could figure out why one of the team would betray the rebels to the agents and many wild theories ensued. I commented that the traitor had been in love with Trinity and all Trinity could see was Neo. They hadn’t noticed. They didn’t believe me until the two characters were making out at the end. Geez. I had another male friend who never noticed the romance growing between Mulder and Scully, for goodness sake. Jon thinks many male writers look at female cast though the Madonna/whore prism. Either they are untouchable or an easy piece. I’m very glad to see that it’s changing. Women are being written better and there are some amazing ongoing relationships in hour long dramas like The Closer (Brenda Leigh Johnson is light years away from Pepper Anderson – no hate mail, I liked the show), Eureka (but that’s for another blog) and the best of them all right now, Battlestar Galactica.

The crew men and women on BSG are very aware that there are some attractive folks on board. And there has been lust running rampant even at times when professionalism is demanded. And there are consequences for indescretions. The sexual tension of the show is well played. But there are more than hot, 20-somethings with amazing bodies. There are attractive characters of every age, even post- 60 (Edward James Olmos is still smokin’ hot, thank you). On a side note, I met him and most of the cast when Gabriel Koerner took me to the premier of the pilot/mini-series. I was very good with meeting the young hotties and was able to discuss their performances quite professionally. But all that left me when I approached Mr. Olmos. I think he knew by the look in my eyes what I wanted. So he hugged me. It was fabulous. He’s very cuddly for such a tough guy. Where was I? Ah yes, His Admiral Adama has been at odds with Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell ) in early episodes, but slowly a rapport built. Grudging respect became admiration and that grew into an amazing love. Mind you, there’s been no hanky panky. She’s extremely ill and they have a lot on their plates with trying to save what remains of the human race. But the relationship is flirty and funny and solid and complex. Adama adores Laura enough to throw away everything (his commission, the fleet, his safety) in order to find her when she disappears. Yet, he will still fight her when he thinks she’s made a bad decision as president – as she will fight him on occasion. It’s so thoroughly mature. They manage to make me cry every week. I need a break from the trauma, actually. Anyway, all of this romance and lust is integrated with ease amdist the killer robots and star fighter dogfights. Anyway, that is something I really like.

Well, I have to give myself a manicure and a facial. Stay tuned.

Soldier's Choice Site Update

The website has been updated to include links to A Soldier's Fate e-books along with a new, heretofore unseen sample chapter.

http://soldierschoice.com

Now we have finish with the print version!

Fate, Actor Bits and Actors in Crates

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.

State of Soldier's Fate

I must attend to business first. The new uploads for A Soldier’s Fate e-books (Acrobat and Microsoft Reader) are online. The website will be updated later today (when I finish with the blog and answering e-mails). The website will have an as yet unseen chapter sample. I’ll make an announcement here when it goes up.

The new upload took longer than expected in part because of our schedules (I just love those early morning or late night calls for business plans and character breakdowns for scripts that don’t exists). But the delay was also because of the writer in me having a chance to tweak my material. While I have often fussed at our authors for the same transgression (especially when the tweaks changed page count or affected page layout), there were some places at the end of the novel that I thought needed a sentence or two more. I added a scene as well.

Jon finally rendered his verdict on A Soldier’s Fate. His critiques can be a touchy matter, because Jon has no guile whatsoever. In fact, I’ve had to go to great lengths at film screenings he didn’t like to keep him away from the principles involved. We made a deal while at the Cannes Film Market to not talk about any film we saw until we were well out of the building where the screening took place. You never know who might be standing behind you in an elevator. At any rate, I knew he would be honest – really honest. He was fascinated by the way my novels are constructed. Jon writes fiction and screenplays with a specific theme in mind and a goal that has to be attained. He said I have a group of characters that I like to hang out with and construct a plot that gives me a lot of time with them under various circumstances. The plot seems to be about Bobby and his transformation, but he is part of the device I use to spend time with Rik and Vincent. He said that the Surrender books and even my Demon Under Glass fiction is like that. I tend not to analyze what I’m doing. It reminds me too much of grad school. He is correct. I love being with these characters, so I construct spaces and time and situations to maximize the experience of being with Rik and Vincent. My romances are a fun diversion. My other fiction is more difficult because I’m examining life and relationships. It’s not entirely comfortable reading – even when it’s amusing. Little wonder, it’s taking a very long time to finish the first story. There’s all the crying. I’m much rather wallow in erotica.


Actor Bits
Warning: The be spoilers ahead

Speaking of characters that are fun to hang out around, I’ve received some e-mails inquiring specifics on why I liked Speed Racer aside from being a fan of the original anime series. The reviews, it has been correctly pointed out, were largely unfavorable. First, I am seldom influenced by reviews. There have been many occasions where I don’t know what planet a critic was on when they saw a film that I loved and they didn’t. Critics aside, there was a lot for me to enjoy in Speed Racer. There was brilliant chemistry between both sets of brothers (Nicholas Elia and Scott Porter as the young Speed and Rex Racer and Emile Hirsch and Matthew Fox as the adult Speed and Racer X). These characters really enjoyed being together and I enjoyed watching them. They had a natural connection and great humor between them. This chemistry made the jeopardy they faced all the more tense and compelling to watch. The supporting cast were not slouches either. Susan Sarandon had two scenes where she was able to convey everything a viewer need to know about Moms Racer with no lines. But then, she’s an Oscar winner. Even Spritle and Chim Chim managed not to be annoying. And the Asian singing sensation, Rain, was compelling as racer Taejo Togokahn (he learned English for the role). And there is just no picture of him where he isn’t adorable. I must also note that Speed Racer had a nice amount of well-built men going about shirtless. It’s always lovely to see such men in just pajama bottoms while fighting ninjas. What compounded my enjoyment was the John Goodman was not in just pajama bottoms. The only thing I found missing from the film that was in the series often was speed tied up – sometimes spread-eagle. That would have been fun.

More Gunslinger Questions

The questions keep coming. Most I can’t answer, because I don’t know Travis well enough to get him to go into a shipping crate – no matter how many air holes there are. Thus, I can only answer questions relating to the trailer and the feature (though I can’t give away spoilers). To follow along, you can read the film’s set up on the Hidden Passions Website. So, here are the most frequently asked of late.

Does Matt Know KD is impersonating Shadow during the dinner scene?
He knows before he even reaches the ranch. First, he’s been hearing about Shadow Smith being hired to protect KD and the Lazy D and knows he’s never been there. In investigating the situation, he actually sees KD dressed as Shadow (this is in the set-up thus not a spoiler).

Does KD know that Matt is Shadow? Is that why she is asking about life on the trail?
No, she doesn’t know who Matt really is. She just knows that he has spent a lot of time in the wilderness alone and has first-hand information.

Why is Matt worried about KD’s uncles?
They have a reputation in town as being on the wild and dangerous side. They taught their niece to shoot with deadly accuracy. And he has been spending a lot of time alone with their niece. That’s a recipe for a lot of family tension and likely gunplay.

When will the full-length film come out?
If all goes according to plan, sometime early next year.

Keep those questions coming!

Flowers, Fun and Fates

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me. If you stay, click on highlighted links for further information.

This was a better week than last week, but still the mishaps and near disasters continue. I have a lot of divergent matters to cover including some mea culpas and the TV season finale rant. So strap in. You may want to wear protective headgear as well.

Announcements

It’s fabulous to have talented friends. I have a couple with big doings in their creative endeavors to report. Click on highlighted text for further information. First up, my co-editrix, Marie Lecrivain has a new chapbook, Misericordes (copyright
2008 Off World Publications) available by e-mailing Marie. Here are some reviews:

Marie can paint very ornate and beautiful poems, with a rich and complex
vocabulary, but she can also express a desperation and vertigo in the face
of the void, the void is clear in these poems behind the often very
beautiful tapestry of words. – David McLean, A Hunger for Mourning

Lecrivain's dark and deadpan humor is at its height, blending the brilliance
of The Day of the Locust and Lost in Translation into a dichotomous frenetic
ennui that is all too real..." - Nelson Gary, author of *Cinema, XXX, *and
* A Wonderful Life in Our Lives*.

Sarah Freligh’s Poem, City of Tonawanda Softball Championship from the book, Sort of Gone will be read aloud on The Writer's Almanac by Garrison Keillor on June 7. The poem is archived on TWA’s website. Click on the link to find the podcast. I’ll remind everyone next week.

Spring In Los Angeles

It’s that magical time of year that happens between the mudslide season and brushfire season. The weather has been especially flaky this year. Last week, the local newscasts Doppler-gangers lost their minds when we were hit by a truly freaky storm front that brought golf ball sized hail, snow in the mountains, unusually heavy rains and two tornados. I couldn’t blame forecasters for going crazy. The rain, hail and snow were totally weird for this time of year, and southern California almost never has tornados – let alone two. Typically, spring here is lovely. I was surprised how lovely it was when we moved here. There are a lot of trees in LA. That something TV viewers or film-goers don’t really see. Among the vast array of trees are the incomparable Jacarandas. They are vibrant and gorgeous like the flowers that bloom here in the spring. There are flowers everywhere – a riot of them, one could day. The flora in LA is not just a visual treat. They are and olfactory as well. Honeysuckle and later, night blooming jasmine make for wonderfully scented evening breezes. I was surprised at how pretty a city with a reputation for smog can smell. Spring as been a sensory delight thus far – save for the tornados.

Conversations with Craig – Spring Edition

Ultimately, he opted against the webcam for his yard. He feels that if he sees what he thinks he’ll see, he’d never leave his apartment. It’s a pity. One of the things we all could have seen is Craig’s father’s dog, Hamish (last seen cavorting with a pot bellied pig and growling at Cardinal Mahoney during the blessing of the animals), trying to bite Tom Hanks. The latest strangeness to befall Craig is hearing someone tunelessly whistling the title theme from the film Exodus. One of the occurrences was in his local super market. He followed the sound and discovered a former co-worker from the Borders we all worked at. ‘Mark’ went a little crazy while working at Borders. He began to believe that he was Stephen King. There was once a vague resemblance to the author. Craig reports that an extra hundred pounds has erased that resemblance. ‘Mark’ so believed he was King that there were tourists visiting the store swearing that King was doing karaoke in the bar on the next block. He was banned from attending a signing at the bookstore by actual Stephen King. Sometime after that, ‘Mark’ truly blew a gasket and had to be let go. It took a lot to get canned from that place. Where was I? Ah yes, Exodus. Craig found ‘Mark’ staring into space, wearing a bloody apron behind the meat counter tunelessly whistling the movie theme. That wigged Craig out. Though, overall, he still finds running into Catherine Zeta-Jones in the market more annoying.

Month of Fun – Wrap Up and a Beginning

It was a more subdued month of fun than last year, but it was quite satisfying. I finished things off last night by trying to make Anthony Bourdain’s Sope du Poisson (fish soup). It looks and tastes good, but somehow it’s not as thick as he’d described. I’ll try again when I finally get to the specialty fish place to get the oysters. Nope, I haven’t tried them yet. There is only one place around here that I trust buying them from and getting there has not been in the cards lately. It’s been a fun month. I’ve cooked a lot of new recipes that Jon and I have enjoyed. And I had champagne and seafood as much as I could. That’s always a good time. On the professional front a lot has happened. A Soldier’s Fate is sort of up (more on that below). We’ve been offered a full theatrical distribution contract for one film. I expect to make an announcement on what that one is and when it will begin within the next couple weeks. This is really thrilling, because we’ve never had a company of this size interested in a film of ours based solely on the script and one actor (and he hasn’t been a-list since the early 70s and that was only on TV). And we’re closer than ever with The Gunslinger. It’s a most exciting time, and it began during the Month of Fun.

Soldier’s Fate Accompli

Here is the mishap part of my trying week. We finally got the file up last Monday only to find that I’d uploaded one of the drafts. And being a draft, it was riddled with errors. Again, I apologize. Though I was exhausted, I should have been more careful. I’m putting up the correct file at some point tonight or tomorrow. The links will be on the updated Soldier’s website and I’m sending new files to those who purchased the draft. I really appreciate the patience and wonderful feedback I received from the first readers. I really loved writing this book, but it was much more difficult to finish than A Soldier’s Choice. The reason for my difficulty eluded me until Jon read it during formatting. He pointed out that I had a great deal of exposition on the Foundation, Altered technology and the political environment to cover on top of introducing a half dozen major new characters. Somehow, I had to cover all of that while keeping the pace moving and not neglecting Rik and Vincent’s relationship. The balance seems to work from the early reviews. I’m happy with the results, and look forward to the next one. And as my early readers discovered, there is a real need for a third book. (evil laughter) Next up, I’m doing a treatment for a pitch to the producers of Lair for the Soldiers books to be a series.

Cliff Hangover
Warning CSI: Miami Spoilers, run on sentences and hysteria.

And I had that phrase in my blog before TV Guide came up with it. Eighteen shows ended with cliffhangers this season. That’s just crazy. There was the ethnic cleansing of black actors on CSI, and possibly Criminal Minds while on Law and Order and CSI: Miami the black actors left for various lame-assed reasons. All of the Bruckheimer shows save for Cold Case have ended with the apparent death of a major cast member. That is really a bit much. Were the writers on strike for so long that they forgot how to generate genuine drama? I’m, particularly disappointed with Criminal Minds, a show that is surprisingly intelligent for a Bruckheimer vehicle. It gets a lot right about hunting serial killers, and the drama is often riveting and the plots surprising (something extremely hard to do with us). To end the season with a car being blown up and we know not who was inside, is annoying and unworthy of them. The CSI: Miami season ender did not really surprise me. We’d been looking at the sunglasses with a bullet hole in them all season. It was time for a payoff. As a character who is channeling Steve McGarrett, it was time that Horatio Cain got shot. Steve was shot all the time usually in the shoulder (he shouldn’t have had a shoulder left by the end of the series). But I digress. The ep didn’t annoy me because of Horatio being shot or the cliffhanger. Why not have one, everyone else is. It was because the ep should have been called ‘All My Nemises or Nemisi.’ All that was missing was Wo Fat, for Pete’s sake. No Lieutenant should have that many dangerous enemies. Of course, he isn’t dead. In fact, I’m certain he’s faking his death as his brother did, to hunt down his would-be killer unfettered by the law. Why he needs to be unfettered by the law when he’s killed at least a dozen people this season without being worried about the law. What in the heck will he do now? Use Rocket launchers? I’m glad the season’s over. I can now look at shows that don’t make me crazy (The Closer, Eureka, Deadliest Catch). Battlestar Galactica makes me quite crazy but for other reasons. I continue to wait for the 5th Cylon. Jon and I will go out on a limb and say we believe it’s Tom Zarek .

Book News and Boys with Back

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.

A Soldier’s Fate E-Book

The saga of why it’s more than a week late is below. Meanwhile, here’s how to find it:

For Microsoft Reader, use this link:

A Soldier's Fate Microsoft Reader

For Acrobat PDF, use this link:

A Soldier's Fate Acrobat Reader PDF

The paperback should be on amazon.com in about three weeks.

The Saga of the Missing Notebook

I got a call from my proofreader on Monday or Tuesday of last week. She said that it looked like something was missing from the manuscript. I looked at the pages she’d e-mailed back and realized a whole notebook was missing. I hadn’t noticed, because I changed my routine with doing this book. I input the notebook pages, send it to the proofreader and then refine it. Since I was typing on autopilot, I just didn’t notice. We couldn’t find the notebook, of course. I had to work from my outline and what I remembered. In the midst of all of that, there were crises amongst my friends that I simply couldn’t ignore. It was especially hard to ignore the problem that showed up on my doorstep. I was glad of the visit. But the ordeals left me exasperated, bereft and heartbroken. It’s hard to write erotica after that. Somehow, the pages were done by the wee small hours on Sunday. I sent the pages to the proofreader while Jon and I went to see Speed Racer (more on that below). Why go to a movie when exhausted? A friend worked on it and it had been weeks since the release. We had to see it before it left our theater. He’s expecting a comment soon. Jon formatted the pages into the .pdf when we got home. The website will go up tomorrow.

This was a traumatic end to what had been a largely pleasurable experience. I love Rik and Vincent more than ever, and I’m not sad that the book is finished. They won’t be away from me for long. Aside from developing A Soldier’s Choice into a script, there will be a third book sometime next year. The guys have a bigger battle to fight on behalf of their kind. And there are my readers to continue. The first book is still selling well, and I’m getting mail from all over the place. I mean, some really surprising countries. It’s all very flattering and exciting.

Month of Fun – Almost Done

I’m still managing small indulgences in the midst of all the hub bub. They are mostly food related, of course. I am having lunch with two attractive actors. I suppose that is an oral and visual indulgence. The big treat was actually Speed Racer. I know the reviews were not very kind, but I thin the reason for that is two fold. One, there’s great fun for critics to bash the Wachoskis. I never thought they were deserving of the delirious praise over the Matrix films though I really liked Bound. However, I think that lately the critics are engaging in their favorite thing of bashing what they had built up. If they knew anything at all about the subject of the film (Basically, Speed is young race car driver who gets involved with international intrigues that often involve the fate of the world and who lives with a little brother and a monkey that have their own intrigues) shouldn’t be expecting anything that resembles logic. I think the film did quite well in constructing a plot that didn’t make my head explode, and it had far more character development than it had any right to have. Beyond that, it had some really, really adorable boys to look at. And all those young man had back, if you know what I mean – even the delicious Taejo Togokahn, played by Korean pop sensation Rain, a nemesis of Stephen Colbert. It was an amusing little film, a proper tribute to the animated series and a treat for the eyes.

I have a marvelous rant on the end of the TV season, including CSI: Miami, but I’m too tired to finish now. It will be a treat for next week.

Blog Delay

I'm in the middle of a lot of craziness today. The blog and a major annoucement will be up this evening or late tonight. Stay tuned.

Hats, Rants and Blofeld Blues

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.

Too Many Hats

I hit a wall late this week. Actually, I literally feel like I hit a wall at high speed. There have been too many hats to wear and too many tasks to juggle. And there have been many diverse, personal responsibilities pulling at me. Almost two weeks ago, while under more than my usual levels of stress, I twisted my back. I’ve since been searching for that one position that doesn’t cause me screaming pain. That position seems to change on a whim. Worry not, I’ve been through this before. It just takes weeks to really heal. Thus, those who have contacted me this week via phone or e-mail and thought I was a trifle snarky. I was. Sorry about that. This affliction has not kept me from doing the work my hats demand. A Soldier’s Fate is in the hands of the proofreader for a final check. She’s very busy and popular, but she promises that she’ll get it back to us asap. Jon has the formatting done and the web page is ready to upload (there’s even a never seen excerpt on the page). It’s just a matter of days. I'll make a blog announcement the moment the links are live.

True Art

If you haven’t yet, you must pick up a copy of Sarah Feligh’s Sort of Gone. And if you don’t believe me, hear the amazing radio interview and commentary here. Sarah knows baseball and she sure knows her poetry. But somehow, the discussion of both in that interview is so down to earth and accessible, that anyone listening would be moved by it. I wish I could write poetry.

Right now, I need a Haiku that uses the words, cellphone and flame-thrower.

Month of Fun – Halfway Through

The fun continues even if I’m on the floor with my legs propped up. Minds out of the gutter, you naughty readers. The chocolate cake was a success. And that chocolate butter cream icing is so sinfully good, I’m thinking of marketing it in squeeze bottles to use as party favors (now, your minds can go to the gutter). We had a rare day off from the Archive last Monday. And between our plans falling through and my back, we happened to be home to watch some wonderfully dreadful daytime TV. Whenever I’m home on a weekday, I like to catch an episode of Hawaii 5-0. The last time was the pimp themed episode we watched during Thanksgiving. This time it was an early episode that we had never seen before. I hadn’t thought that was possible. It was a hoot, but I’ll say more about that when I do my TV rant below. We still haven’t seen any of the new releases. I’m hoping that will change next weekend when we have another three-day holiday. I’m also hoping to feel good enough to stand in front of a stove for as long as it takes to make that fish soup a la Anthony Bourdain.

Gunslinger Trailer Q and A

We’re getting waves and waves of hits and some lovely comments. I’ve also received some really good questions via the production company’s e-mail. I’ll summarize the questions and answer them. The most asked question was Is the scene in the trailer one that will be in the film? No. The dialogue in the dinner scene is from two different scenes. I stitched them together to explain what is behind the many misconceptions about Shadow Smith and what is at the heart of KD’s range war with Tom Kenner. That scene covers most of the main plot of the film. There will be a table-top love scene in the film that plays out much the same way as it does in the trailer. That love scene is the tamest of the feature. Matt doesn’t like that Shadow Smith novel, does he? No, he really doesn’t. It isn’t until KD actually reads him some of the story that he realizes how off the mark it is from his life. The novels have made being on the run very difficult. He is also flummoxed by their popularity. This was a reality in the Wild West. Dime novel versions of real life heroes and villains were very popular and caused some strange situations for the subjects of the fiction. We’ve speculated that if there is more than one film about Matt and KD that these stories will continue to bring them problems. Will we get to see Shadow in action? I’m assuming that means action other than the love scenes. Yes, the viewer will see Shadow in action. There are early scenes that clearly demonstrate that his reputation isn’t entirely fictional. He can be a very dangerous man. Viewers need to see that first to understand how complex he is later in the film. Keep those hits, comments and questions coming.

CSI: Miami – Better with Tivo
Warning: Spoilers and run on sentences below.

It’s clear that I need to record the show first and watch it with the ability to skip the dopier parts. Though in last week’s episode, that would have been most of the show. I nearly broke the remote trying to fast forward through the thing. Before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, it is always good to see Garett on TV. I know he’s happiest when he’s working, and I was tickled when I heard he’d be guesting. But even he wasn’t happy with what he saw. Apparently, he was color corrected in post to a shade of tanning salon orange (I thought it was the make-up) and he was aged (I thought it was the make-up). Those weren’t my only problems with this real bomb of an episode. There was their Anthony Pellicano character played by Tom Sizemore, who I thought was still in jail. No Private Eye or attorney can get a crime scene investigator pulled of a case while it’s ongoing. They may have something that could challenge the validity of the evidence at trail, but no civilian has that kind of sway with a department. Law enforcement would respond by yanking the guy’s PI license and perhaps jail him for obstruction. Have none of these writers ever seen an episode of Harry O? I don’t see why they even need to collect evidsence. The department seems to have acquired the computer systems from Minority Report. Why waste time with gunshot residue or even DNA when they can just ask the Precogs who did it? The plot was so convoluted that it was hard to follow. The Hawaii 5-0 episode, King Kamehameha’s Blues that involved an elaborate caper complete with lowering a live cat from the roof onto a museum floor to see how sensitive the alarm was made more sense. No one explained why the college kids planned such an elaborate caper to steal King Kamehameha’s cloak, but it still made more sense than CSI: Miami’s plot of staging an accident which ended in a confrontation then faking a man’s voice in a 911 call that caused SWAT to bash in Garett’s character’s door and shoot him. The device the secretary of Garett’s evil partner used to fake a man’s voice looked just like the device Blofeld used to mimic Jimmy Dean’s (yep, the sausage guy) voice in Diamonds are Forever. I think that about covers it. One more episode to go. Then I can relax and focus on finding out who is the 5th Cylon.

Mid Week News - The Gunslinger Trailer is Live

The trailer is live on the myspace page http://www.myspace.com/hiddenpassions (where there are photos and other fun stuff) and on the website:
http://hiddenpassionfilms.com/gunslingertrailer.htm

Please look and comment (glowing comments, please). Travis, Jennifer, Jon and the crew worked very hard on this and are all very proud of the results. We hope you will enjoy them, too.

Food and Flies and Opera Torsos

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.


It’s been an odd week. Part of the oddness is my own distraction from film related things that have come up recently. Anything related to film has a ‘you must act now or the opportunity will be lost.’ Typically, I’d drop everything to follow-up on whatever request was being made. This time, I didn’t. The projects are unrelated to the Gunsligner, so they aren’t that urgent. Besides, the e-book for A Soldier’s Fate has to go online this week and there are some pipeline issues that have cropped up with the latest Demonspawn novel. Thus, I must wear the writer/publisher hats. Still the urgent and tense phone and e-mail messages keep coming. Oy!

Month of Fun

It continues at a fine clip. Surprisingly (or maybe not), most of the fun I seek involves food. I made a lovely mushroom soup from the Anthony Bourdain cookbook. Today, I’ll make an insanely decadent chocolate cake a la Ina Garten and a pasta dish that involves lobster. And the fun will be in the making – and in the eating. Aside from wanting to make these dishes, it would be folly to try to go to dinner on Mother’s Day. And I can still get proofing done while various dishes are doing their things. And Jon made sure I have my favorite champagne to help things along. I’m holding off on that until the blog is finished. During the week, I’ve enjoyed re-connecting with friends from past shoots and finding a cooking class in Paris that I can afford during my trip. I was so excited to find that the company we’re renting the apartment from is linked to a cooking school in the neighborhood and with a discount. This was exciting and helped a little the intense longing that dozens of Cannes Market screening invites I’ve been getting in my e-mail. It only helps a little. However, the Month of Fun is a lot of fun. And thanks for all the lovely birthday wishes.


Lording over Flies

I don’t have a lot to do for The Gunslinger until we formally start pre-production in a week or so. Jon is compressing the trailer or oppressing the trailer. I have no clue. He’s making it fit in the myspace.com format. However, I did find a solution to the biting flies this week which makes me very pleased with myself. I don’t like the notion of ‘that’s just the way it is.’ I can’t have my lovely actors eaten alive. Or lovely me, for that matter. Insect bites can’t be good for concentration on a role. I won’t know what can be done about the heat until we’ve visited the location. I’ve got some plans forming though. We saw a portable rig that worked well in the very hot and humid New Jersey warehouse where Oz was shot. It made the building very comfortable while outside was like a horrible swamp. Next up are sunscreens. All that lovely skin must be protected. Meanwhile, I have to find out exactly what Travis has been shaving. Don’t ask.

Mamma Mia

To all of those who qualify, Happy Mother’s Day. I admire Moms a great deal. I just couldn’t believe how they can handle kids, a husband, and often, a job. My Mother worked full time with only a two week vacation each year (France has six weeks vacation. And we call ourselves civilized hear). And the vacation had to be spent either in the heat of a Georgia summer with her in-laws or in Atlantic City in a rental apartment where she still had to cook. In either case, she was spending it with the two lunatic children who couldn’t stand to be in the backseat of a car together for more than ten minutes. Once I started working full time after college, I took my Mom on real vacations that involved a lot of room service. On a side note, after spending an hour with my darling little nephew in my car at age five, I took my Dad to dinner and thanked him for not leaving my brother and I along I-95 during those trips to Georgia. His very dry reply was that he was a cop and we knew his name. But back to Moms. They are all to be commended. I have trouble getting my act together with just Jon and me. I don’t think I can fit in our chores, the proofing and a movie today. Pathetic. I marvel at how My Mother held it together. And my Ma-in Law had five kids, God bless her. I salute her for never leaving the lot of them in the woods during the family camping vacations. And she still likes her kids. Amazing!

High Culture and Low

This week, CSI: Vegas was delightful. It was written by some of the staff writers from the comedy Two and a Half Men while CSI writers wrote that show’s episode this week. They weren’t inter-related, but they were highly amusing. CSI managed to skewer how sitcoms are made and the people who make them while Two and a Half Men lovingly but thoroughly spoofed everything about CSI. It was brilliant as well as keenly accurate. Meanwhile, CSI: Miami drifts further into melodramatic goofiness. One of their regulars has called it quits. I can’t say I blame her. Khandi Alexander is a critically who was given very little to do on the show. I just wish her departure had been less dopey. The upcoming episode with Garett Maggart looks even more annoying. It seems that even if you’re being held at gunpoint while managing to get the bad guys busted, Internal Affairs can still bust a cop who tampers with evidence. The justice system in CSI: Miami doesn’t seem to like it’s own police officers. It allows murder suspects to sue cops or CSIs for doing their jobs and win said suits. They almost never back their own cops if something gets remotely sticky. I don’t see why this system is worth upholding. But I’ll save the rest of the rant for next week. On the high culture side, there was Nathan Gunn’s appearance on The Colbert Report. He was there to promote opera performances that are being shown in certain movie theaters. I’m not sure what else he said, I was fixated on this photo. I’m not an opera fan, but I think I can support watching Mr. Gunn’s performances.

Gotta go bake and proofread and imbibe vast amounts of champagne.

May Days, Pin-up Boys and Tricorders

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.


May Days

The Month of Fun has begun. It’s been low key fun, but enjoyable nonetheless. I had a surprise from my French friends who sent me lovely e-cards for the month-long celebration. Then, there was a surprise from Bruce. He’s the best cook I know amongst my male friends. He sent me a lovely set of spices and a raspberry glaze. I used one of the spices, ground Ancho chili peppers in the black bean chili I happened to be making yesterday. Thanks Bruce! I had all sorts of fun deliveries last week. The T-shirts Jon and I had made for Gabriel Koerner for Speed Racer turned out even more twisted than I thought it would. A big thanks to Bruce again for the image scan. Saturday was the Kentucky Derby. My mother and I used to have big parties on that occasion as a way of celebrating Mother’s Day and my birthday. I think it was because we could sip bourbon with impunity. In her honor and the days, I had a couple of mint juleps. Then, I had to take a nap. For such a genteel sounding drink, they’re basically straight Bourbon and pack quite a wallop. No movies this week. We have to wait on Iron Man until after Speed Racer. I really wanted to see a film this week, but Jon and I are working on projects (he’s finishing the trailer and I’m finishing the corrections on A Soldier’s Fate). The mint juleps were as frivolous as I could get this weekend. Next weekend, will be another matter entirely. Much is afoot that is strange and wonderful.

Pin up Boys

It is a great burden and hardship, I assure you, that part of the promotion for Hidden Passion Films is a full-color calendar of most of the male actors. Now, when I say hardship, I don’t mean looking at the calendar. That would be silly. No, I mean the conversations involved in getting my sometimes surprisingly shy actors on board with the notion of being a romantic pin up to attract viewers to the films. Some conversations are easier than others. After declaring that he wouldn’t pose in chaps without pants, Garett suggested appearing in just a gunbelt with his pistols strategically crossed over his six shooter. Fortunately, I had already had a mint julep before he called to tell me when his CSI: Miami was airing. He has good reason for being leery of what sort of calendar I have in mind. He’s seen the French Rugby Pin-up Calendar I hang near my desk. I think he’s torturing me in advance of finding only a thong on the costume rack in his dressing room. You do that just once, and they never forget. The HPF Calendar won’t be as risqué unless the actors go wild in front of the camera. Then, who am I to stop them? Some actors have gone through great lengths to show me that they aren’t right for a calendar. I hear ‘see, look’ and this lovely young man has dropped trousers to convince me his legs aren’t just right. It took all of my professionalism to get through that discussion without being accused of harassment. I usually don’t have that kind of good fortune. More on that later. Travis has been working out since the trailer with spectacular results. I mused aloud that perhaps Shadow Smith didn’t need to wear a shirt in the film at all. Just a neckerchief and occasionally the duster was enough costume. He didn’t think that was how cowboys of the period actually went about their jobs. However, I think he’ll go for it with the calendar. Now, the problem will be getting the elderly male actors to keep their clothes on. I speak from experience. Demon Under Glass had nearly a dozen really hot guys on set from the leads to the commandos. The one I see in an advanced state of undress was our 70 plus year old mad scientist. That’s the kind of luck I usually have. But worry not, the HPF Calendar will be smokin’!

Rik, Vincent and the Tricorder

I was asked I had what seemed to be a Tricoder used by Doc Auerbach in A Soldier’s Choice. Since the book is set in the near future, I suppose it looked too futuristic to one reader. It was a reasonable comment. Balancing the futuristic elements in the books was a concern of mine. However, I’d had heard that scientists were close to a breakthrough in developing complex, hand-held medical scanner. Behold, I found this story about a Real Tricorder in an article on Yahoo. Click here and be amazed. I didn’t think they were that close to a working model. It looked really cool. Maybe I’ll put that jet pack rattling around in my head in A Soldier’s Fate.

I must make this a short one. Jon needs to get back to work, and so do I. No CSI: Miami rant this week. Next week tells of the loss of a cast member who’s a liar and a traitor. That should give me something to rant about.

Hot Times, Wild Musings and CSI Gets Personal

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.

It’s 91 degrees F (32.5 C) at the beach and it’s not the heat of the day. I didn’t catch Jon’s cold, but the Santa Ana winds or devil winds have all the pollen blown up. Thus, I’m on heavy antihistamines. I’m not responsible for what follows. Or maybe, I’m just less responsible than usual. And the blog will be shorter.

Warning – a somewhat lucid literary discussion below.

Literary Lingo

Jon asked a question about current literature that is considered a ‘great work.’ He postulated books present lit critics consider great works have characters and situations so removed from everyday life that they may as well be genre (fantasy, horror). But lit crits rarely consider genre works great. I informed him that he was preaching to the choir. My friends who teach college lit inform me that the lauded and the hyped meta fiction writers we studied in the 80s are no longer lauded or hyped. I was relieved for the sake of the students who would be spared reading impenetrable prose (Nope, I won’t name names lest I dis a writer that one you wonderful readers considers important. The ensuing fight would be protracted and ugly). But ultimately who is the flavor of the month in literary crit circles is and always has been irrelevant for me. That made me a galling and admittedly difficult grad student. As a writer, all I’ve ever been concerned with was finding a better way to have the voice in my work heard. And that’s what I told Jon to focus on. Writers can be aware of where the market is for their work and generally know how it will be received (Contrary to everything I was taught about them from high school on, Hemingway and Fitzgerald were really aware of their sales numbers). But as artists, it’s always about the work itself. What bad habits can I break? How can I push my craft to a new level? Of course, there are writers who only care about cashing in on the current hot thing. They don’t last past their own lifetime, for the most part (Believe me, they don’t survive. I’ve been processing hundreds of authors who were prolific and apparently sold well in their era. I have never heard of any of these people. And from the sampling of the text, there was good reason that they disappeared). Most of my work is in genre, and I have no issue with how it’s categorized. These are the stories I enjoy telling. I really enjoy them. I know that the memoir will have stories that will be more easily published in mainstream media. And it has all the notes that make for a popular book. But I’m writing it only because I feel it has to be written. Whatever comes from it is irrelevant to the writing of it.

We now return to lunacy.

Conversations with Craig - Animal Edition

Last weekend, there was a story all over the news and the internet about a man who found a lost dog and a sheep near a highway. A good Samaritan stopped and tried to lure the dog in the back of his vehicle to take it to a shelter. The sheep jumped in first. Craig wanted to know why everyone he knew or ever knew him thought he was that man. First, he’s the type that would rescue a stranded dog. And he has an incident with a misplaced sheep. The roommate that he had to buy back from the Mexican Police had left a sheep in the hallway of their dorm. Seems that a huge binge of drinking made stealing a sheep and putting it in the hall very amusing. Craig discovered that sheep really don’t like going down stairs. I think Craig was annoyed that people thought of him as a good Samaritan. He likes to think he has a black soul especially compared to his Ohio born girlfriend. I disagree though the mood ring he wears is always the color black. I didn’t know they were still being made. His is way cooler than the original rings. Anyway, Craig is as kind hearted and generous as my Ohio friends, Bruce and Randy. They’re all good to their mamas. They are wonderfully considerate and loyal friends. And they won’t stand by and let an innocent suffer – not even a stray. Craig hates cats and they generally hate him, yet he liberated a cat named Jello from satanic neighbors (they admitted that) who kept musing about sacrificing the kitty. He thought the neighbors were posers, but didn’t want to take the chance. Thus, he and Jello lived together for over a year hating each other until Craig moved out. The hippie girl moving in loved Jello, so they parted company. He even took the insane terrier, Hamish, to be blessed by the Cardinal. He didn’t want to do it, but his Mom asked. Yep, Craig’s a softie. He’s taken, but my Ohio boys are on the market, ladies.

When Worlds Collide

Spoiler Alert for CSI: Miami

Well, not worlds, my world and CSI: Miami. An actor friend of mine, Garett Maggart, landed a guest spot on the show. I was tickled beyond words. I told him I would be blogging about him. Somehow, he thought I meant writing slash about his character on the show. Geez, you slash a guy’s character a few dozen times and they never let you forget it. Though I did enjoy him reciting his renditions of my slash in a falsetto voice, presumably mine. I’d never want to think about Horatio Cain having sex with anyone. He’s almost the last man I’d want to see naked. Almost. I want to see Gov. Ed Rendell naked even less. I have seen him shirtless when he was Mayor of Philly. He insisted on opening the public pools by diving into one. Looked like he was wearing a black sweater. Where was I? Oh, Garett. Of course, he’d never seen the show. Most actors I know never watch the things they audition for, nor did he read the script beyond his own pages. Much of what he was hearing while being a corpse was new and rather improbable given what he told me of the rest of the show. I told him that was not unusual. He didn’t get any of the hot women of forensics leaning over him with plunging necklines, tight pants an stiletto heels. All he got was Horatio Cain and the balding cop talking over him. But he did get the sunglass scene. But Garett didn’t see it, because he was a corpse at the time. It will air during the Month of Fun for me. I can’t wait. This time, the rant will be personal.

Wool-gathering

I was processing a book at the archive that included a reproduction of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. My mind generally wanders while processing books at work. It’s a process that works best when on auto-pilot. Thus, I write scenes from novels or scripts in my head. That’s been very helpful lately, because it allowed me to finish A Soldier’s Fate even while pressed for time. That day, I was wondering if the Book of the Dead would bring up raging scarabs or Mummy minions. I didn’t even get Ardeth Bay riding through to save me from whatever. Those fanciful thoughts led me to wonder about what may be lurking on the floors below the main floor where we work. We work in a bunker of sorts that has seven stories below the first. They stretch on and on in a same-ness that reminds me of the Umbrella Corp labs in Resident Evil. And with all of those really old tomes, there’s no telling what may have been loosed down there. Jon votes for a Balrog. I think it’s monsters from the id (Forbidden Planet). It’s easy to see that our heads aren’t entirely at work. I get like this before traveling or a shoot. My head isn’t really where I am. I wish I knew where it was. I need it for other things.

Updates

More of the same. I’m pushing on getting the book out. Jon’s finishing the Gunslinger Trailer. Stay tuned.

Spring Flings, Mooks and Band Buses

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.


Spring has Sprung

It’s that wonderful time of year when vibrant flowers are in bloom, and the beautiful young men have shed their coats and shirts to jog in the gentle breeze. I still don’t have a net gun. It’s also a mere two weeks from the 2008 month long celebration of my – ack – 48th birthday. I have been asked how extravagant my plans will be. Not extravagant at all. Most of the treats in May involve the new films coming out (Iron Man, Speed Racer, and Indiana Jones 4 ). Speed Racer is of special interest because it began my interest in anime. You could say that the path to A Soldier’s Choice begins with that cartoon series. The month began early when Jon found a two pack of the last two Bourne films (Supremacy and Ultimatum) for less than the price of the pair of seeing Ultimatum in the theaters. I’ve been listening to it ad nauseum while inputing A Soldier’s Fate this week. I shall be frugal in my celebrations next month. I only plan to buy a couple of exotic ingredients to try some new French recipes from the Anthony Bourdain Cookbook like Soupe de Poisson (strained fish soup) and maybe lobster bisque. The former means buying a whole bottle of Pernod and I’m not sure if I’ll like it. Though I have liked everything I’ve tried in that book so far. Jon and I want to have another whack at making baguettes, but I need to find out if I can freeze the dough. That recipe makes a whole lot of dough for just two people. Why the frugality this year? I want to return to Paris in October for our 10th wedding anniversary. And I have to plan the trip as if there is no film happening on the budget our day jobs allow. I have found an amazing deal on a week long apartment rental in Montmartre. It’s off a lovely little courtyard and has a great kitchen where I plan to cook to my heart’s content with ingredients fresh from the farmer’s market. And it’s near the red light district of Pigalle. We have unfinished business there. Last trip, we were too pressed to visit the Museum of Eroticism (click on that link at your own risk – seriously). That’s an egregious lapse for a writer like me and a twisted guy like Jon. It must be corrected. I sent This photo from Pigalle to Ron Moore of Battlestar Galactica. His response was basically ‘of all the cultural things I could have sent him from Paris, this is what I chose’. How could I not? Thus, I will be frugal in May, but there will be a lot of fun to report.

What Makes the Blog?

I get that question often. Or actually, how in the world do think up that blog? When I’m not talking about writing, it’s just my life and friends who are responsible. For example, I was having a conversation with Craig about the weather in Tucson for the shoot, and ended up hearing a long story about his college roommates there that ended with a the sentence ‘And that’s why I had to buy him back from the Mexican Police.’ And then there was his rant about the Jersification of his Ohio girlfriend that he blames on The Sopranos. I’ve met his lovely girlfriend, and I can’t imagine her using the work ‘mook’ correctly. Now he wants to do a video dictionary on how to speak and understand Jersey speak. It has to be video because there are several nuances on how a guy leans on a car and what each way means. Oh, speaking of Craig, he believes that the one legged cricket is dead, though no body has turned up yet. Thus, my friends are an excellent source. Of course, there is TV and film because I’m a fan and a filmmaker. Work can give me inspiration. This isn’t a caption contest image, but I had to share it. The illustration comes from a compilation of Irish Lit from the 1800s. It’s hard to read, but the caption is ‘A Gentlemanly Caning.’ I usually know early in the week what most of the next week’s blog will have in it.

Head of Many Hats

The great thing about wearing many hats in a Film Production company is that the labor is cheap or free, and there isn’t any time lost with coordinating communication between the many departments that work on a film. The big downside is that when one person isn’t functioning several areas of a project ground to a halt. Jon is sick again. It may be that he never completely recovered from the post shoot cold or flu. Thus, work on a trailer has stalled. The image part is finally finished, and it looks amazing. All that’s left is laying down the sound and music tracts. The trailer should be up by the weekend of May 3rd. I plan to pull stills from this version at some point today. The feature pre-production is on schedule. We’ve got more and more details in place. The only worrisome thing, aside from the blazing heat and biting flies, is the situation with airlines. We can’t afford getting caught in massive cancellations with such a tight shoot schedule. We’re planning a contingency of renting a luxury band – type bus to take the actors back and fourth if something goes completely haywire with the airline. Let see, a busload of actors with a bar. Poor Randy. He may need a whip and a gun and a chair and a top hat.

A Soldier’s Fate

The editor’s have 3/4s of the book. I’m almost finished inputing the final chapter. With Jon sick and behind on the trailer, it looks like the release of the paperback will be the second week in May, but the e-book will be out a little sooner than that. There will definitely be an expansion of Vincent Greven’s Cookbook. This time, a lot of the recipes are actually mine. I really appreciate your patience. I think you will find that the book is worth the wait.

Critics, Cynicism and Miles O'Keefe

Warning: If you find yourself here via a google search for such things as TV shows or films, recipes or cities, this blog has some facts. However, this blog is one author’s very twisted musing on many weird things. It is sometimes graphic in content. If you read on, don’t write to yell at me.


Yes, the warning is still necessary. I’ve had a lot of folks find the blog looking for recipes or Anthony Bourdain or info on CSI: Miami. Apparently, they were quite distressed at what they found. Though why they kept reading, is beyond me.

Discouraging Words

Well, not really discouraging. I don’t have a thin skin where critics are concerned. I’ve had my work taken apart in live, public forums in Journalism School and a Graduate Writing program. Some of those professors and classmates were bent on being sadistic in the guise of constructive criticism. And recently, bad reviews have actually spurred sales of more than one of my titles. The latest reader review to turn for A Soldier’s Choice was odd to me. It left me nonplussed. The review wasn’t wholly negative, yet the reader gave it a little less than three stars. That actually annoyed me, because it knocked down the number of stars the book has had for over a year. And in the end, the reviewer said readers would have to try the book to judge it for themselves. That’s not actually helpful for a book buyer, and it knocked down my rating. The complaint from that review and one other was that I don’t spend a lot of time delving into the background of the society that is the backdrop for the story. That was not a mistake or an accident. I developed a complete history for Rik and Vincent’s world. I know how the society works. I even have a time line that traces the Delphi Project from Demon Under Glass to the point it becomes the military’s Altered Program. All of that backstory would be relevant if I was writing science fiction. I wasn’t. A Soldier’s Choice and A Soldier’s Fate are erotic romances that happen to be set in a sci-fi story. I do reveal aspects of the society that are relevant to the characters. I chose to tell the story from Rik’s point of view. That limited, in my opinion, what could be told of the world outside of his personal experience or don’t impact his life. Rik’s concerns are simple in both books: keeping Vincent with him, keeping safe from those seeking to harm them and protecting their loved ones. I felt, and still feel, that any other details does not further the plot and would be a distraction from the main story. Jon and I write our scripts the same way. He likes to say that even bit players with one line have their own backstory, and he he’ll tell the actor what that is to help their performance. But otherwise, who cares? It may be interesting in a DVD extra, but it would slow the action in the main narrative. I feel the same way about my novels.

Speaking of the Soldier’s Books, Here’s the new postcard for the advertising blitz planned for next month. The books are still slated to come out by the end of this month.

Cynicism in Tinseltown

An actor friend of mine who has only known me for about a year told me that I was cynical about the business out here. That brought me up short. I grant that the last year has been a rough one personally and professionally, and I can detect a harder edge in me than was there before. Ultimately, I have to disagree. I may be cynical compared to others he knows out here, but the fact that I’m still willing to listen to people who claim they can help us get a film going is evident that I am far from cynical. As way of proof, allow me to share some highlights of meetings we’ve had since moving to LA.

“Let me get this straight, you want to change everything but the title of the script, but still want to say it’s based on a true story.” That was our first meeting in LA that happened the day after we arrived. During that same meeting, the producers wanted us to lie to the couple on whom the script was based. Oh, and the job they promised that prompted our relocation across the country didn’t exist.

“I want you to consider two words that will guarantee success for your film – Kato Kaelin.”

“Okay, I had your actor checked out, and he’s still a murder suspect.” This was a different actor than Mr. Kaelin. That call from my father included an offer of an airline ticket back to Philadelphia.

“Did you know that the Mystery Science Theater book has a whole chapter on Miles O’Keefe? And since when does he do Science Fiction?

“Yes, I noticed the pentagram necklace, it had to be a foot in diameter. I don’t think I can ignore the painting of Satan behind the receptionist. And was that Martin Sheen we almost ran over?” That was one strange evening. Oddly enough, it was one of the more forthright meetings we’ve ever had. They were crooks, but they were absolutely honest about it.

“Just so I understand, you want a four story set made of glass – even the floors so you can shoot through to the top. I suppose all the women are wearing pants. Space bikinis. Well, that makes it better.” Fortunately, Jon was not at that meeting. He has no guile and virtually no inside monologue. As it was, I nearly took that idiot’s head off.

“I’m sorry, but the last actor I think of to play a character inspired by Errol Flynn is Roddy Piper.”

“I really loved all the performances by the Hobbits, but I just don’t see him as the most dangerous pirate captain in the galaxy.”

“I know that your client is about to win an Emmy and an Oscar in the same year. Why in the world would he take a part playing a nearly mute sidekick?” I was right about him winning both awards, and I was also right that he would not take the part though he really loved the script.

Why even listen to casting murder suspects, former wrestlers, Hobbits and whatever Miles O’Keefe is? They usually came bundled up in a package that included funding or distribution that would lead to funding. Typically, we weren’t told about these packages until we were at the meeting. I think the folks trying to pull these stunts with us believed the temptation of funding would be enough for us to swallow any misgivings. Not so far. And why even take all these meetings? There is always the possibility that there will actually be funding offered in a deal that we could live with. Had I not been open minded and followed up what seemed to be an unrealistic e-mail, Demon Under Glass would have fallen apart before one scene was shot. I remain optimistic that things will work out, and we’ll shoot a film. And I continue, even after more than a decade of strange and sometimes infuriating experiences, to go to these meetings with a positive attitude. If nothing else, they make for amusing stories at parties or blogs. I admit I’ve changed since I moved here, but I don’t think anyone whose known me for some time would call me cynical.

Pop Culture Super-Stardom

I forgot to mention that on the very Sunday that I was ranting about CSI: Miami’s new episodes, they received the highest honor in pop culture. CSI: Miami was featured on The Simpsons. I think they did Horatio Cain justice. They couldn’t come up with a goofier story idea than would be on the actual show, and that was the funniest part for me.

More on Robotic Scorpions and Biting Flies

I found the robotic scorpions, so we don’t necessarily need to use a real one. And they also make non-robotic ones that can be smashed with a gun butt. We’ve finally firmed up the location. It has everything we need along with excessive heat and biting flies. (No place is perfect). Now comes the scheduling alchemy of getting several busy people in the same place at the same time for a number of days. If any of the Skirts know a symbol for that, I’m all ears.