Hollywood Daze

A Global Hollywood by Nancy Stewart, author of Sea Turtle Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:01:00 +0000

Our guest Nancy Stewart author of the children’s picture book, Sea Turtle Summer, talks about her adventures seeing movies in exotic places. She is on virtual book tour from December 5 - 16, 2011 on her second virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

Nancy’s web and blog sites are: http://www.nancystewartbooks.com and http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com

About Sea Turtle Summer

Bella and Britt think living by the beach is the coolest thing ever. When they discover a Loggerhead Sea Turtle laying her eggs in broad daylight, the girls go into action to help.

No one, though, seems to care about the nest. The beach is a busy place and is getting busier by the minute on such a beautiful summer day. What can they do? Who will help, and what do they learn about themselves?

As a bonus, Sea Turtle Summer contains kid appealing facts about sea turtles.

A Global Hollywood

From Capetown to Morocco and Paris to Tel Aviv, I’ve been a film fan and have seen movies in those places and many others. Today my mission is to speak a bit about my travels and films I’ve seen along the way.

I’ve been fortunate to have been around the world and back again. I’ve also had the great good fortune of living in London for eight years. So, where do I begin? London.

The UK in general and London in particular, have played a huge role in my adult life. We loved to go to the Odeon Theatre in Leicester Square, heart of London’s entertainment world. Another great movie house we attended was the Odeon Marble Arch. Our favorite, though, was in Whitley’s mall in Bayswater. So many Sunday afternoons, we’d see a film with our dear friends, the Elliotts, there; great memories.

One of the most memorable films I’ve seen is Out of Africa. The film was good, but where we saw the movie made it spectacular, Nairobi, of course. There was something magical about viewing it there, within almost walking distance of the suburb of Karen, named for Karen von Blixen, heroine of the true story. The film came alive for me and I cannot see it without reliving the magnificent experience of Kenya.

Another memorable film was The Green Mile. We saw it in a movie theater in the Galilee area in Israel. It was a wee day, and we were the only people in the theater. In the middle of the showing, the film suddenly stopped. My husband and I thought there must be a problem with the projection. Within a few seconds, a woman walked down the aisle and stood facing us in the row of seats ahead and smiled. She politely told us it was Intermission, and they had a full range of refreshments. Of course, we went out, got a Coke Light and popcorn and returned to our seats. Within a few minutes, the same woman came down the aisle, stood where she had before, and said the film would be resuming. Ever since, I’ve had a soft spot for The Green Mile. I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the film, but the experience was fantastic!

The Lives of Others is a marvelous German film about the Stasi and the Cold War. We were fortunate to have seen it in Berlin. Again, what a backdrop for a film about the secret police in a time before the Berlin Wall fell. The movie was a masterpiece, perhaps all the more so, as later that evening, we walked down the Unter den Linden Boulevard and through the Brandenburg Gate, where so much German history has occurred.

These are but a few of the film experiences my family and I have had over the years, as we’ve traveled this beautiful planet. In my blog, http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com I address many places I’ve been and the impact they’ve had on me and others.

In writing children’s books, I try to incorporate travels and the education I’ve received from being a citizen of the world. I always call it “coinage in my head.” Once the experience is there, it grows and becomes part of the collage of other travel memories. And that becomes part of the whole person, ready to be visited to make a richer book. How marvelous is that!

About Nancy Stewart

After having been both an elementary school teacher, a university professor of education and a consultant for New Options, Inc. in New York City, Nancy Stewart writes children’s books full time. She, her husband and three sons, lived in London for eight years, where she was a consultant to several universities, including Cambridge.

Her travels take her extensively throughout the world, most particularly Africa. Nancy is US chair of a charity in Lamu, Kenya, that places girls in intermediate schools to allow them to further their education.

Nancy is the author of the Bella and Britt picture book series, One Pelican at a Time, Sea Turtle Summer, Bella Saves the Beach and Mystery at Manatee Key. All are published by Guardian Angel Publishing. Pelican was nominated for a Global eBook Award. Pelican also won the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

She was featured in the PBS Tampa (WEDU) series, Gulfwatch. It concerned the writing of One Pelican at a Time: A Story of the Gulf Oil Spill.

She and her family live in St. Louis and Tampa.

Nancy’s web and blog sites are: http://www.nancystewartbooks.com and http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com

Love Begins - DVD Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 08:01:00 +0000

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

Win a copy of LOVE BEGINS, out on DVD November 22

Based on the novel, Love Finds a Home, discover how Janette Oke’s touching “Love Comes Softly” series began in LOVE BEGINS, arriving on DVD November 22 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

After their father passes away, Ellen Barlow (Julie Mond) and her sister Cassie (Abigail Mavity) struggle to maintain their family’s farm. When Clark Davis (Wes Brown) finds trouble in their town on his way to California, Ellen agrees to hire him at the farm to work off his debts. Before long, Clark and Ellen unexpectedly develop feelings for each other. Ultimately, the pair begins a legacy of love and faith together in this heartwarming family drama.

For your chance to win a copy of LOVE BEGINS on DVD, simply answer the following question below and leave your email in a the comment:

What is the name of the character that has to work off his debts in LOVE BEGINS?

· Wes Brown

· Clark Davis

· Ellen Barlow

This contest will run from November 22 – November 27, 2011. A winner will be notified by email. Giveaway open to residents in the United States and Canada.

Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on: Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

Hollywood Stories – Book Giveaway and Book Excerpts

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 08:01:00 +0000

Our guest today, Stephen Schochet, author of Hollywood Stories; Short, Entertaining Anecdotes about the Stars and Legends of the Movies is starting his book tour with Pump Up Your Book and at the end of the tour on December 16 will be giving away a copy of his book.

JOIN THE GIVEAWAY

To become eligible to win, all you have to do is ask a question or leave a comment any day until December 15. One lucky reader who comments with their email address will have a chance to win the book.

To recap:

· ask a question or leave a comment through Dec 15, 2011.

· leave your email address

· optional to subscribe for email updates

· A winner will be picked on Dec 15, 2011, and be notified by email

· The winner of the contest will be announced on this blog

· You will receive a copy of Hollywood Stories, 1 – 2 weeks after the winner is announced

About Hollywood Stories

At high noon on a cold November day in 1974, sixty-seven-year-old John Wayne faced off with the staff of the Harvard Lampoon on the famous campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The students had issued their challenge by calling the beloved American icon a fraud. Wayne, who had his new movie McQ to promote, responded by saying he would be happy to show his film in the pseudo-intellectual swamps of Harvard Square. After the screening, without writers, the former USC footballer delivered a classic performance. When one smart young man asked where he got his phony toupee, Wayne insisted the hair was real. It wasn't his, but it was real. The appreciative underclassmen loved him and after the Q and A session, they all sat down to dinner. Later Wayne, who was suffering greatly from both gout and the after effects of lung cancer (sadly the Duke only had five years to live), said that day at Harvard was the best time he ever had.

Just when you thought you've heard everything about Hollywood comes a totally original new book -- a special blend of biography, history and lore.

HollywoodStories is packed with wild, wonderful short tales about famous stars, movies, directors and many others who have been a part of the world's most fascinating, unpredictable industry!

What makes the book unique is that the reader can go to any page and find a completely engaging and illuminating yarn. Sometimes people won't realize that they are reading about The Three Stooges or Popeye the Sailor until they come to the end of the story. The Midwest Book Review says Hollywood Stories is, "packed from cover to cover with fascinating tales." A professional tour guide in Hollywood, Stephen Schochet has researched and told thousands of entertaining anecdotes for over twenty years. He is also the author and narrator of two audiobooks Tales of Hollywood and Fascinating Walt Disney. Tim Sika, host of the radio show Celluloid Dreams on KSJS in San Jose has called Stephen," The best storyteller about Hollywood we have ever heard."Full of funny moments and twist endings, Hollywood Stories features an amazing, all-star cast of legendary characters and icons and will keep you totally entertained!

Watch the book video

Hollywood Stories Book Excerpt

The Universal Maniac

In 1999, an Australian gentleman told me about an interesting experience he and his family had at Universal Studios. They were on the backlot tour passing one of the theme park’s main attractions, the Bates Motel used in the 1960 horror classic Psycho, about a murderous young man named Norman Bates who loved his mother a little too much. As the guide gave out information about how director Alfred Hitchcock shot the picture, a tall man, dressed in drag and carrying a large knife, emerged from behind the old set and

charged toward the tram. The narrator seemed to know nothing about the Norman Bates look-alike and clammed up completely. The make-believe killer wore such a convincing maniacal expression that some of the paying customers were frightened and screamed when he raised his weapon. Then the “fiend” pulled off his wig and he turned out to be comic Jim Carrey; the thirty-seven-year-old star was clowning around during a work break. After his laughing “victims” calmed down, Jim was happy to pose for pictures and sign autographs.

The Lazy Super Dad

Marlon Brando wanted to work as little as possible when he played Jor-El, the Kryptonian father, in the 1978 movie Superman. The fifty-three-year-old actor told the film’s producers that he only needed to do a voiceover and some object could stand in his place. After all, he would be part of an alien race; nobody knew what they looked like. Perhaps the extraterrestrial could appear as a green bagel. His bosses were both bemused and alarmed. They pointed out that Marlon’s son would look human and be played by an earthling. A grinning Brando agreed to show up on the set. For his ten minutes of screen time, the star made an estimated nineteen million dollars while not bothering to learn his lines. In his most dramatic scene, Marlon held his baby above his head, speculated on the child’s future, and then placed him on the space ship to escape the doomed planet. Brando hadn’t bothered to learn his lines; his dialogue was penned on the bottom of the super infant’s diaper.

Extra: The first Superman movies were low-budget serials made in 1948 starring Kirk Alyn (1910-1999) in the title role. The cheaply made Saturday Matinee cliffhangers got surprisingly good reviews. Alyn was only given credit for playing Clark Kent; the studio claimed that no actor was qualified to play the Last Son of Krypton so he’d appear as himself. One scene required the Man of

Steel to rescue two would-be victims from a burning building. After the first take the director said, “That was great, Kirk. But could we do it again without you straining so much? I mean, you’re super strong, lifting a couple of humans should be easy.” Alyn, a body builder in real life, was indignant. “What do you expect? These

people are heavy!”

“People? Oh my goodness, baby, I’m sorry, we forgot to get you the

dummies!”

Extra: In 1973, Marlon Brando (1924-2004) starred in the controversial and sex-charged drama Last Tango in Paris. This time around, the actor wrote some of his not memorized lines on the bottom of his shoe, and in a few scenes hopped around awkwardly on one foot in order to read them.

Extra: Thirty-nine-year-old Jack Nicholson looked forward to working with the great Brando when they co-starred in the 1976 western, The Missouri Breaks. But Marlon, who eventually became Jack’s next-door neighbor in the Hollywood Hills, disappointed Nicholson by reading cue cards, thus not making eye contact in their shared scenes. Later Brando hired an assistant to read the dialogue out loud into a radio transmitter from Marlon’s trailer, which the actor

could then hear through an earpiece. Once, Brando was about to speak his lines when the device inadvertently picked up a police broadcast. The confused performer came out of character. “Oh my God! There’s been a robbery at Woolworths.”

Horror on the Cheap

In the 1930s, executives at Universal Studios found horror movies were a perfect antidote to the huge salaries demanded by film stars. Actors, hired to play mostly silent horrible creatures under several cakes of make-up, could be replaced without the public caring. British-born Boris Karloff was forever grateful when he landed the career-making role of Frankenstein’s Monster. The forty-four-year-old part-time truck driver’s legendary performance as the sometimes-sympathetic demon, paved the way for Boris to get more parts and a

better lifestyle. But in later years, Karloff revealed some unhappiness about the Frankenstein pictures. “I was only in three but I get blamed for all nine. Every time a new one comes out I get the fan mail and some other bloke gets the check.

”Each year on Halloween, Boris would sigh and then gently tell the many children who came to the door of his Beverly Hills mansion that he would not go trick-or-treating with them.

Extra: Boris Karloff turned down the chance to reprise his role as

Frankenstein’s Monster for the fourth time in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. He feared the creature would lose his dignity in a comedy. Actor Glenn Strange (1899-1973), who played the demon in House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945), donned the green make-up once again for Abbott and Costello. When Karloff died in 1969, newspapers around the world published obituaries of him accompanied by Strange’s picture.

Extra: Karloff’s influence was felt in Berkshire, England, during the making of Hammer Film’s The Curse of Frankenstein (1957). Fearing that any resemblance to Universal Studios’ version of the monster would cause a lawsuit, make-up artist Philip Leakey (1908-1992) worked hard to make thirty-five-year-old actor Christopher Lee’s version of the reanimated brute gruesome and unique. Lee, a former officer in the Royal Air Force, became so angry at Leakey’s painful experiments on his visage that he threatened to run Philip through with his sword. The fearful face artist disappeared for several days, which delayed the production. Later, a calmer Lee complained about his job to co-star Peter Cushing (1913-1984), who played Baron Frankenstein. “Being the creature is horrid. I have no lines.”

“You’re lucky. I’ve read the script,” replied Cushing. The Curse of Frankenstein was critically panned and highly profitable.

Walt Disney’s Daughters

Walt Disney’s two daughters, Sharon and Diane, grew up sheltered from the limelight. The children had no images of Mickey Mouse around their home. Their father didn’t go to many parties, preferring to stay in after a long day of work. Sometimes he would playfully chase the youngsters upstairs, cackling like the evil peddler woman in Snow White. When they behaved badly, Walt would admonish them with a raised eyebrow; his stern demeanor inspired the character of the wise old owl, in the 1942 animated feature Bambi. As toddlers, the brainy Diane and beautiful Sharon stayed blissfully unaware that their parents worried about them being kidnapped and allowed no pictures of the sisters to be publicly circulated. Once in 1939, a curious classmate questioned six-year-old Diane about her family. She went home and said, “Daddy, you never told me you were that Walt Disney,” and asked him for an autograph.

Author Stephen Schochet

About Stephen Schochet

A professional tour guide in Hollywood, Stephen Schochet has researched and told thousands of entertaining anecdotes for over twenty years. He is also the author and narrator of two audiobooks Tales of Hollywood and Fascinating Walt Disney. His latest book, Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes About the Stars and Legends of the Movies!

Tim Sika, host of the radio show Celluloid Dreams on KSJS in San Jose has called Stephen," The best storyteller about Hollywood we have ever heard."

For more information visit http://www.hollywoodstories.com

Visit the author’s tour page at Pump Up Your Book

Purchase the book in hardcover or kindle format at Amazon

Zsa Zsa Gabor Has Nine Lives

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:36:00 +0000

Does anyone remember in 1989 when Zsa Zsa Gabor was accused of slapping a police officer when he stopped her for a traffic violation? Unfortunately, for this once glamorous actress, now age 94 is in the hospital again due to medical complications with a feeding tube. I have to give Zsa Zsa Gabor a lot of credit for still being alive. After last year's stay in the hospital and her leg amputation this actress must have nine lives.

The three Gabor sisters (Zsa Zsa, Eva, Magda) and their mother were the glamorous gals of Hollywood back in the 1950's. They were everywhere and envied by everyone. It seems that even television host Merv Griffin described them as "glamour personified" in his autobiography. "All these years later, it's hard to describe the phenomenon of the three glamorous Gabor girls and their ubiquitous mother. They burst onto the society pages and into the gossip columns so suddenly, and with such force, it was as if they'd been dropped out of the sky."

Does this sound eerily similar to the Kardashians? With one exception is the fact that the Gabor sisters have more glamour in one of their little finger than the Kardashians have in their entire family.

Read more
Check out more on the life of this great actress.

Duggar Family Expecting Twentieth Child

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:51:00 +0000

The Duggar Family

Last week our nation marked the birth of the 7 millionth child. It seems the Duggar family wants to ensure that the world makes it to 8 million births. The Duggar’s will welcome their 20^th child next spring. Obviously, they did not have enough of a life-threatening scare when their last child was born premature at 25 weeks in December 2009. This is the family star of their own television show that examines their growing family.

I am all for loving families and very glad they are responsible parents, but when does this become too many kids and a terrible abuse to the mother. Mrs. Duggar is now in a high risk pregnancy and will likely have a “C” section for this birth; that might just end her baby making days since those surgeries are not worth repeating.

Do you think this family should stop having children?

Read the article here

The Jury Reaches a Verdict

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:43:00 +0000

The verdict announced on Monday, November 7, 2011 found Dr. Conrad Murray guilty in the death of Michael Jackson. Murray was placed in handcuffs and taken to jail, but not before the judge reprimanded him for taking the life of another human being. Was this verdict a surprise to anyone? We are talking the death of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop music and a cultural icon and someone had to be responsible for his death. However, was the doctor responsible for his death giving him that fatal injection or was Michael such a drug addict that he overdosed on the medicine that killed him?

How do you think Michael died?

Thursday Thirteen – Thirteen Things about Dancing

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:32:00 +0000

Every season on Dancing with the Stars the judges are really tough on the contestants. However, I wonder if they have ever experience some of the natural body wonders that musician/author Nemo James can tell you about, during his long career in music.

Just a Few Seconds Book Synopsis

Nemo James dreamt of becoming a professional musician from the first time he picked up a guitar following a talent content disaster. Thought of by his friends as being the person most likely to make the big time he turned professional but was continually side tracked by the need to earn a living from music. Just a Few Seconds, A Story From the Hidden World of Music and Beyond is an autobiographical account of his life in the music industry.

His journey takes him all over the world from private gigs for the rich and famous to the roughest pubs. Starting in the late sixties when heavy rock was born, through to the 1980’s and 90’s when discos and electronics decimated live music dance halls.

Just a Few Seconds is an amusing and heartrending story of perseverance showing how the road to success can lead us down the strangest of paths.

You can find Nemo James at his website, www.nemojames.com

Visit his tour page at Pump Up Your Book!

Thursday Thirteen - Dancing with Nemo James

I was one of the most dedicated musicians that ever lived and practised to the point where I could play any piece of music put in front of me. The problem was most of the music put in front of me could have been played by first year guitar students. It is like mastering calculus and the only job you can get is copying out the times table. The one consolation (apart from the money of course) was that after putting my guitar playing fingers into autopilot I got to indulge in one of my favourite pastimes which is, to watch people dance .

You can tell a lot about people by the way they dance and I am surprised psychiatrists waste so much time talking to patients when all they need to do is watch videos of them dancing. Here are 13 types of dancers I discovered over the years.

The Alcoholic

He will interrupt his dancing and whisper something to his wife before walking towards the toilets. At the last minute he takes a detour to the bar and knocks back a couple of whiskies before returning to his wife via the toilets.

The Farter

His friends know he has a problem with flatulence so any nasty smells are likely to have emanated from him. His wife has given him strict instructions to control himself. Recognizable by his clenched buttocks and a reluctance to make any sudden movements.

The Exhibitionist

The dancer will be continually looking around to see if she is being watched. When she catches someone’s attention she will make a funny face and wave her arms effectively saying “look at me, I’m a real party animal.”

The Show Off
Thinks he’s John Travolta but looks more like John the pole vaulter.

The Tight-arse

He will spend most of the time on the dance floor and return to his table just after someone has bought a round of drinks.

The Professional

Serious but boring couples often found shouting at each other because one of them made a move that wasn’t rehearsed.

The Martial Artist

Usually a lower grade karate student who is desperate to show he does karate and so has superhuman powers. It is possible to predict the exact grade of a student by how subtly they blend punching or kicking into the dance. The more obvious the punching, the lower the grade

The Self Conscious

They are convinced that all 500 people at the venue are making judgments about their dancing. It never occurs to them that nobody cares how they dance.

The Press Ganged

Always male. He moves with short movements from side to side and hands in front of him like he is using a really wide keyboard. He hates dancing and only does it to please his wife.

The Flirt

This is usually found amongst the female of the species as men have trouble multitasking. The dancer will skilfully dance with her partner whilst giving the eye to someone else. The trick is to wait until her partner looks away, wiggle to the side, give the smile to her target and then spin around to face her partner again without him noticing. Advanced users of this method can even be seen giving out phone numbers to lip readers.

The Dysfunctional

There is nothing more painful to watch than someone dancing who has absolutely no sense of rhythm. If someone is unable to handle the rhythm of music they are unable to handle the rhythm of life.

The Fashion Conscious

Usually found in heels so high that dancing is almost impossible. Easy to spot as they are continually grimacing with pain.

The Gifted

This is a rare species and I have memories of their dance movements decades after seeing them. They have a true love of dancing and move to the music as if they were one with it but with movements that is entirely unique to them. They have a look of pure joy and happiness on their face as if that music is the most important thing in the world.

So which one are you?

Can you think of any other kinds of dancers?

Facebook your friends and tell them what kind of dancers they are!

Finding a Lost Angel - Book Review by Dick Jordan

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:01:00 +0000

Empire of Light - author interview - Gregory Earls

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:41:00 +0000

Hollywood Daze is always looking for local author and celebrities and this week we have had two authors local to Southern California. Marilyn Meredith, author of her latest novel, Bears With Us and today, Gregory Earls, author of Empire of Light. Both authors have revealed in their interviews some hidden secrets of California.

About Gregory Earls

When Gregory Earls isn’t eating at Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, he pays the bills by taking up space at 20th Century Fox in the Feature Post Production Department. He’s a proud graduate of Norfolk State University and the American Film Institute, where he studied cinematography. He’s an award-winning director who has amassed a reel of short films, music videos, and (yes) a wedding video or two. Empire of Light is his first novel. Steadfastly butchering the Italian language since 2002, he hopes to someday master the language just enough to inform his in-laws how much he loves their daughter, Stefania, who was born and raised in Milan, Italy. Gregory currently resides in Venice, California where he goes giddy every time he spots that dude who roller skates and plays the electric guitar at the same time. During football season, he can be found at the Stovepiper Lounge, a Cleveland Browns bar in the Valley where he roots for the greatest football team in the history of Cleveland.
Visit his website at www.gregoryearls.com.

About Empire of Light

Jason Tisse is in over his head. As a young black cinematography student at LA’s notoriously tough American Film Institute, he’s got the vision, but not the balls to battle the ruthlessness that is Hollywood. After a failed year at AFI, which includes nearly electrocuting a fellow classmate, Jason embarks on a trip to Europe to hunt down the works of his favorite painter. Armed with an enchanted camera gifted to him by an eccentric film professor, Jason is prepared to master the art of light and shadow as depicted in the infamous baroque artwork of the original Emperor of Light known to the rest of the world as Caravaggio.

What Jason doesn’t expect, however, is that the innocent-looking Kodak Brownie camera he’s been given holds remarkable powers, capable of miraculously bringing his idol’s artwork alive with each snapshot. Caravaggio’s work, packed full of sex, religion, violence and some outrageous hilarity, explodes to life and sends Jason spiraling from one escapade to the next. Spanning the bright lights of Paris, the grand churches of Rome and the cutthroat alleys of Naples, Jason must overcome his inhibitions—even at the risk of life and limb—if he is to one day rule his own Empire of Light.

Interview

Q: Will you share with us a little about yourself?

What it comes down to is that I’m a frustrated artist. If I could do it all over again, I would’ve started studying drawing as soon as I could walk, spending my adult life in a studio painting or illustrating bitchin’ graphic novels. But neither of these options came close to happening, so I direct, shoot stills and write. I’m constantly trying to find some sort of creative outlet. Empire Of Light is very much a symptom of that frustration, albeit a fun symptom.

Q: I understand you are an award-winning director and how did you get your start as a director?

I went to AFI as a Cinematography Fellow, and I still love the craft, but I wanted more creative control so after graduation I quickly migrated into directing. However, I miss cinematography a great deal and not a week goes by that I don’t regret sticking with it. Maybe I’ll shoot again, if I could bribe somebody into letting me photograph his or her project.

Q: Will you share with us what made you decide to become an author?

Well, I just became a bit frustrated with the Hollywood game of trying to get a script to the screen; not to mention the strict three-act structure and having to keep in mind the logistics and cost of production. It was just incredibly liberating to write for the sake of writing. The experience was incredibly freeing and I look forward to the next one.

Q: Will you tell us about your book?

Empire Of Light is kind of a coming of age novel. It revolves around an insecure film school student named Jason and his first trip to Europe. His voyage flips into mad adventure when his vintage Brownie camera magically unleashes all the sex, violence, religion and humor captured on canvas by the infamous artist, Caravaggio. During the journey, he finds the tools he needs to become a confident man and an artist.

Q: Will you share with us how you came up with the idea for this book?

I actually took the same journey as my protagonist, Jason. My first trip to Europe entailed tracking down the paintings of my favorite artist, Caravaggio. I kept a travel blog talking about each painting - where I found it, the people I encountered, and posting a sketch I made of the painting.

One friend enjoyed the blog so much that she suggested I write a book! I was going to write a non-fiction travel log, but the desire to fictionalize and flip into fantasy was too much. I didn’t want to get involved with A Million Little Pieces type fiasco, so I just went straight up flights of fancy. I ‘m glad I did because Jason ended up having a much better time than I did! And so will the readers.

Q: It is said that authors write themselves into their characters. Is there any part of you in your characters; and what they would be?

If you only knew how many conversations I’ve had with my friends and family about this very issue. As an African American male, it reminds me of black stereotyping. All of them are false, except the one about brothas being well endowed! I want to take ownership of all the cool parts of Jason, but his journey is off the charts different from any I’ve taken. I didn’t get kicked out of film school, nor have I had sex in the Louvre bathroom. But hey, I ain’t dead yet. I’ve got time to top him.

Q: What is your most favorite part about this book?

There’s a very unorthodox part of the book where I imagined an argument between Caravaggio and a Vatican bishop, who is busting Caravaggio’s balls because he used a well-known prostitute as a model for the Virgin Mary, among other transgressions. I wrote that dialogue with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in mind, specifically the scene the two actors performed in Casino, the argument in the desert. I let one friend read an early draft of the book and he got it immediately, the cadence and the insanity of it all. He texted me right after he read it, cracking up. I had fun writing it and I’m glad people dig the read.

Q: What has been the best part of being published?

My dad bought five copies as soon as it was available. My mom had a Barnes & Noble clerk bring up my book on their computer, so she could show it off to her reading group. Making mom and dad proud, it’s that little boy giving his parents the clay ashtray he made at school. You can’t beat the experience, and it seems to transcend age.

Q: Your bio states that you live in Venice, California and that you have seen the guy who roller skates and plays the electric guitar. I understand he’s been in a number of movies. Isn’t he great?

Harry Perry! I love that man’s celebrity. That guy is famous for just bringing a pleasant vibe into your life. You’re on the beach and he passes by you and you just feel frosty. I haven’t seen him on the boardwalk lately, but I don’t hang out there like I used to. By the way, Harry Perry has one of the best websites, ever. It’s exactly what you’d expect it to look like, with this cartoon icon of him zipping through space behind a UFO. How is that not gold?

Q: Have you seen the old man with the white beard, asking for money because Santa needs a new sleigh?

Ha! No! But that’s the kind of creativity that gets a dollar or two out of me. Let’s hope Santa isn’t using it spike his own eggnog.

What would Venice be without all these characters and all that medical marijuana being prescribed? There sure is a strange smell on that boardwalk, not to mention ideas for novels wherever you look. Thanks for visiting Hollywood Daze and I wish you all best.

Amen. Let’s hope that the gentrification of the boardwalk is a fly by night deal. Let crazy be crazy. Thanks for the hospitality. Ciao!

Giveaway – Win a Copy of the Mystery Novel Bears With Us

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:01:00 +0000

Our guest author is Marilyn Meredith, author of Bears With Us, a mystery novel . Hollywood Daze will be giving away a copy of her book at the end of the month. The winner will be picked on Oct 28.

To become eligible to win, all you have to do is leave a comment between now and the end of the month. One lucky reader who comments with their email address is put in a pot to win the book.

To recap:

· Leave a comment between today and Oct 28.

· Leave your email address

· Optional to subscribe for email updates

· A winner will be picked on October 28, and be notified by email

· The winner of the contest will be announced on this blog

· You will receive a copy of Bears With Us 1-2 weeks after the winner is announced

· Visit Bears With Us Tour Page at Pump Up Your Book

About Bears With Us

A burglar turns out to be a bear and Deputy Tempe Crabtree and her pastor husband, Hutch, chase the bear out of the house. This is their first encounter with a bear and the occupants of the home, an elderly couple and their daughter—and it isn’t the last.

A bear turns up at the school, at a restaurant, an apple orchard and two more homes. That is only part of what Tempe is called to handle. A teenager’s suicide, a mother who doesn’t like her daughter’s boyfriend, a wandering senior with a strange form of Alzheimer’s, and a long ago love affair keep Tempe hopping.

Read an excerpt!

The highway twisted more and more the higher into the mountains they drove. Tempe slowed to turn onto one of the few roads that left the highway. Also two lane and much narrower, it wound around even more. “Watch for the mailbox with their name on it. I think it’s a shaped like a house with a shingle roof.”

“I will…”

Tempe switched off the emergency lights. No need in alerting a burglar of her approach.

“There it is,” Hutch said.

She pulled into the lane, pine trees bracketing either side. The lane climbed a bit before widening into a flat spot. A silver Scion sat off to the side of a three car garage. A wide porch ran around the front and sides of the two-story cedar structure. All the windows were dark.

Tempe grabbed the shotgun from its holder under the dash. “Don’t shut the doors. Be as quiet as possible.”

Chimney smoke scented the pine and cedar laden fall air. Holding her flashlight in her other hand, she kept the beam low as they climbed the three steps leading to the front door. It stood open. Unfortunately, many people living in the mountains didn’t think it necessary to lock doors.

The minute Tempe stepped inside, she knew what was happening.

The tell-tale snorts and slurping sounds told the tale. It was no longer necessary to be quiet. “Bear.” Bears had gotten smart over the years, learning how to open trash cans and open doors. Sometimes just leaning their heavy bodies on the barrier popped the latch. If a window was left open, a screen never stopped a bear.

Hutch grimaced and peered toward the area where the noise came from. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. Run upstairs and let the residents know what’s going on. Ask to use their phone and call Fish and Game. I know my cell won’t work up here. We might need some help. Then come back down and help me chase it or them out.”

Available directly from the publisher as a trade paperback and all forms of e-books

http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Bears+With+Us/

Also available from Amazon and all the usual places.

Hollywood Daze Welcomes Marilyn Meredith author of Bears With Us

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:01:00 +0000

Our visiting author today, Marilyn Meredith talks about growing up in Southern California. Her latest book is Bears With Us and Deputy Tempe Crabtree has her hands full when bears turn up in and around Bear Creek, a young teen commits suicide and his parents’ actions are suspicious, a prominent woman files a complaint against Tempe and her preacher husband Hutch, a love affair from long ago comes to light, and a woman suffering from dementia disappears.

Available directly from the publisher as a trade paperback and all forms of e-books

http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Bears+With+Us/

Also available from Amazon and all the usual places.

Marilyn: I was born in Southern California, Glendale to be exact. I grew up in that bit of L.A. between Glendale and Pasadena. My father worked for Paramount Studios and we went to the movies every Friday. Going to the movies back in those days was an event. First, the previews of coming attractions, the newsreel came next, then the main feature. Intermission had some sort of talent show, or a game similar to Bingo. The second film usually was a B-movie of some sort, quite often about gangsters. It didn’t matter, our family stayed through the whole thing.

I collected movie magazines and cut out the photos of my favorite stars, and taped them to my closet door. My dad wasn’t fond of most actors, though he did have some favorites he brought home. One in particular was Rod Redwing. He was in almost every Western, when Westerns were really popular, playing an Indian and often doing the trick shooting for the hero.

This brings me to what I really wanted to say about movies and my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series. I’ve had numerous people say, “Your books ought to be made into movies.” That would be great, but that’s not for me to decide. Don’t get me wrong, if someone wanted to option one of my books for a movie, I’d certainly sign on the dotted line.

Think about it though, how many movies have you seen with a female Indian as the star? I’m talking about the Native American variety. There aren’t many movies with a male Indian even as a supporting actor. I can’t tell you who I’d like to see play Deputy Tempe Crabtree because I don’t know any female Indian stars. The same goes for her friend, Nick Two John. (Rod Redwing would’ve made the perfect Nick Two John.) Though I know who the usual male Indian stars are, none of them look like the Indians I know and envision as Tempe and Nick Two John.

If you have any ideas about who’d make a good Deputy Tempe Crabtree, leave a comment. Same if you have a suggestion for Nick Two John.

In my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Bears With Us, bears play an important part. Hollywood never has a problem finding animals to be in films—or even using special effects to get the right animal action, so I don’t think that would be a problem.

There are plenty of people who could play the other parts—Tempe’s husband for instance, just needs to be someone who looks kind and has auburn hair. Anyone envision a certain actor for Pastor Hutch?

What about Detective Morrison who looks like an old and battered full-back?

Anyone who is familiar with any of the other characters in the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series and has suggestions for actors to play them, by all means, make the suggestion here in the comment section.

I’d love to see Bears With Us come to life on the silver screen. Anyone want to do it?

Bio: Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Bears With Us from Mundania Press. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel is Angel Lost, the third from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Central Coast chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

CONTEST DETAILS: Would you like to be immortalized in print? Marilyn Meredith is running a contest during her BEARS WITH US virtual book tour. Whoever leaves a comment on the most blog sites during the tour, will have his or her name used for a character in Marilyn’s next book. Please visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/08/11/bears-with-us-virtual-book-tour-october-2011/ for her entire schedule. Good luck!

Hollyweird Tuesday Trivia Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:04:00 +0000

Legend has it that if a person were to guess the title of a movie that takes place during the fall, tens of thousands of dollars will drop into their laps... Okay, maybe just $10. The Hollyweird Tuesday Trivia Challenge is back with its Legend of The Fall challenge. Unscramble the movie jumble and win a free $10 Amazon gift card.

Click on the link above to enter the contest at E's blog.

Book Spotlight - Just a Few Seconds, A Story from the Hidden World of Music and Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:01:00 +0000

Before you read the book, take a moment to go to the website www.nemojames.com and listen to this musicians music clips, visit his youtube channel and see the artist at work. Nemo's passion for his music is evident as is his storytelling in his memoir Just a Few Seconds, A Story From the Hidden World of Music and Beyond.

Just A Few Seconds is a story of one man’s experience in the music business. It is an amusing and true story of a successful freelance musician whose gigs ranged from private parties to the very rich and famous to the roughest London pubs where playing the wrong song at the wrong time meant the difference between life and death. He takes more twists, turns and knocks than a mouse trapped in a pinball machine but the ending shows how the road to success can lead us down the strangest of paths. . . If you are looking for the usual rock star memoirs full of sex drugs and rock and roll then this book is not for you, but if you are interested in a unique insight into the music business that reads like a thriller then this book won’t disappoint.

Purchase your copy at Amazon in kindle or book format.

About Nemo James

Born and based in England, Nemo James worked as a professional musician and singer/songwriter for more than 30 years. He now lives in Croatia with his wife Federika and their cat Jutko who is becoming intolerable following his rise to fame on Youtube.

Visit Nemo James at his website www.nemojames.com

Visit his tour page at Pump Up Your Book

Read What Reviewers Have To Say

I am not an avid reader of autobiographies but every now and again there is one that comes along and takes you by surprise, one that you don’t expect to be as good a read as it is. One such book is Just A Few Seconds. Thoroughly recommended and a pleasure to read
Anthony Lund, Allbooks Review

A riveting read. A tantalizing cocktail of pathos, drama, suspense, philosophy and humour.
Barrie Tracey – Received Lifetime Achievement Award for services to journalism from NAPA 2009

He is an engaging story teller, and his writing skillfully blends humor and pathos. I Loved the book
Joseph Yurt, ReaderViews.com

I was entertained from the very first page up to the last sentence. I truly enjoyed this book
Valentina, Carabosse’s Library

I just finished reading your book and I must tell you how much I have enjoyed it to the point that I felt sorry I was done with it. I really love your sense of humor.
Guillermo Bettocchi PHD – United Nations High Commissioner

“His writing is intelligent, reflecting a deep desire to express his experiences. And his ability to bring to life the daily living of a struggling musician is utterly captivating.”
Norm Goldman – Bookpleasures.com

Captivating. Written with an ironic and witty sense of humor. highly recommend.
Douglas R. Cobb – www.bestsellersworld.com

Hollywood Summer Fun – Hollywood Sightseeing Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 04:21:00 +0000

Do you want to have a summer fun day in Hollywood? Do you want to know where they filmed certain movies? Do you want to know where the stars live in beautiful breathtaking mansions? Well then, you’re way overdue for a Hollywood Tour!

A Hollywood Tour is the perfect way to enjoy Hollywood, entertain the family or your relatives, and learn about Hollywood’s famous. Be sure to bring a camera and relax while your tour guide drives through Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Bel-Air, and Mulholland Highway. Mulholland Highway is not really a highway, but a two-lane road that ascends into the local hills, where the stars call home.

A short rest period at the top of Mulholland allows for picture taking and a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and the Los Angeles Basin. The Hollywood sign is in the distance and looking in the opposite direction you can see the city of Los Angeles with all of its tall buildings. On a clear day one can see out to the ocean.

Not such a clear day over the L.A. Basin

The tour guide points out homes of the famous in Mulholland, Bel-Air and Beverly Hills. Be prepared to see the enormous homes of Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, Ronald Reagan, Jacqueline Smith, who starred in television series in the 1970’s Charlie’s Angels and so many more.

The tour guide provides tidbits of information about famous streets, hotels and buildings where actors got their start or met their un-timely death and where they filmed movies.

One of those buildings featured as the apartment in the movie, Pretty Woman 1990, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. At the end of the movie, he climbs the ladder after a light rain and meets her on the stairs and they fell into each other’s arms, a true romantic moment.

A Hollywood Sightseeing Tour is an afternoon of fun and excitement. There is something for everyone, of all ages, to enjoy on a Hollywood tour. After the tour, which drops you off right on Hollywood Boulevard, you can walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame and see the famous stars that have made Hollywood, the Entertainment Capital of the World.

Dancing With the Stars on Season 13

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 06:28:00 +0000

Season 13 of Dancing with the Stars has been revealed at The Hollywood Reporter. Lots of new, old and different faces on this season. The Kardashians now seem to have a brother in tow who will be one of the stars. Then there is Cher's son, Chaz Bono, well, formerly, her daughter. It's all so confusing in that family.

Will there be injuries or costume malfunctions? Will the judges judge too harshly? Will the contestants loose weight? As Marie Osmond who participated in Season 3 and lost 40 pounds was quoted as saying, "It was Dancing with the Starved."

But the big question of the season is Who will win the mirror ball this season?
You can watch all the fun and excitement on ABC on September 19, 2011.

Local Pride for Televisions Most Famous Star Ship Captain

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 06:57:00 +0000

The small town of Riverside, Iowa (pop. 1,008) is tremendously proud of its most famous son, James Tiberius Kirk: so the citizens erected a monument to mark the site of his birth.

James T. Kirk was the famous star ship Captain in the first Star Trek series. Created by Gene Rodenberry, it was an American science fiction television series, ran from 1966- 1969 and left the way for numerous movies, future television series, book and a cult following.

The intro monologue which has began many Star Trek episodes started like this;

"Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before."

Even today, you can find Star Trek episodes here;

Official

Star Trek: The Original Series at StarTrek.com
Star Trek: The Original Series at CBS.com (watch full episodes streaming – not available outside U.S.)
Star Trek: The Original Series 72 full episodes at YouTube.com

Other

Star Trek: The Original Series at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
Star Trek at the Internet Movie Database
Star Trek at TV.com
Star Trek on TVLand.com – cannot be viewed in some countries

Thirteen Things You Should Know About THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MRS. TOM THUMB, A NOVEL

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 07:01:00 +0000

It’s a novel, not an actual autobiography. Despite the fact that the title says ‘A Novel,’ some people still don’t quite get it.

While Mrs. Tom Thumb – Lavinia Warren Stratton, known as Vinnie – did write some essays intended to be published as an autobiography, it never was in her lifetime. In the 1970s a man named A. H. Saxon compiled and published them. While they were helpful to me in providing details, they were frustrating in all they didn’t reveal – namely, she never wrote of her actual emotions and frustrations, and she left out much of her personal life. It was these omissions that inspired me to fictionalize her amazing story.

I wrote this novel out of desperation; I had a novel under contract that I just couldn’t finish, and had to scramble to find a new subject.

Vinnie’s name leaped out at me from a list of famous women of the Victorian era.

I first read about her, though, in the pages of E. L. Doctorow’s RAGTIME, one of my favorite novels.

After typing the word “autobiography” approximately 5 million times now, I still rarely get it right on the first try.

This novel should not be confused with the “Tom Thumb” chain of grocery stores in Texas!

P. T. Barnum, Vinnie’s great friend and a major character in the book, never actually said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”

While Barnum is mainly remembered for his circus, he was first famous for his American Museum, the Disney World of its day.

Vinnie was thirty-two inches tall; her sister Minnie, twenty-eight.

I will be taking a tape measure with me on tour, to illustrate this!

The type of dwarfism that Vinnie had was proportionate dwarfism; she was perfectly proportioned, just very tiny. This kind of dwarfism is usually the result of a pituitary disorder, and today would be treated with human growth hormones. Thus, if she was born today, Vinnie would grow well past her thirty-two inches, and probably not be considered a dwarf at all.

Her type of dwarfism was highly prized and admired during the 19^th century because she was not considered “unpleasant to look at.” Achondroplasia dwarfism – the kind that most people are familiar with today – was, unfortunately, considered distasteful. While achondroplasia dwarfs performed in the circus during the same time Vinnie performed with it, they were most often used in clown acts, or to depict savages.

While Vinnie remarried after Charles Stratton’s death – to another little person – and became the Countess Magri, to the end of her life she signed her letters, “Mrs. General Tom Thumb.”

About Melanie Benjamin

Melanie Benjamin is a pseudonym for Melanie Hauser, the author of two contemporary novels. Her first work of historical fiction as Melanie Benjamin was Alice I Have Been. The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is her second release. She lives in Chicago, where she is at work on her next historical novel.

You can visit her online at www.melaniebenjamin.com.

About The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb

In her national bestseller Alice I Have Been, Melanie Benjamin imagined the life of the woman who inspired Alice in Wonderland. Now, in this jubilant new novel, Benjamin shines a dazzling spotlight on another fascinating female figure whose story has never fully been told: a woman who became a nineteenth century icon and inspiration—and whose most daunting limitation became her greatest strength.

“Never would I allow my size to define me. Instead, I would define it.”

She was only two-foot eight-inches tall, but her legend reaches out to us more than a century later. As a child, Mercy Lavinia “Vinnie” Bump was encouraged to live a life hidden away from the public. Instead, she reached out to the immortal impresario P. T. Barnum, married the tiny superstar General Tom Thumb in the wedding of the century, and transformed into the world’s most unexpected celebrity.

Here, in Vinnie’s singular and spirited voice, is her amazing adventure—from a showboat “freak” revue where she endured jeering mobs to her fateful meeting with the two men who would change her life: P. T. Barnum and Charles Stratton, AKA Tom Thumb. Their wedding would captivate the nation, preempt coverage of the Civil War, and usher them into the White House and the company of presidents and queens. But Vinnie’s fame would also endanger the person she prized most: her similarly-sized sister, Minnie, a gentle soul unable to escape the glare of Vinnie’s spotlight.

A barnstorming novel of the Gilded Age, and of a woman’s public triumphs and personal tragedies, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is the irresistible epic of a heroine who conquered the country with a heart as big as her dreams—and whose story will surely win over yours.

The Weaver – author interview – Kai Strand

noreply@blogger.com (Rebecca Camarena) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 07:01:00 +0000

Today, we welcome a local San Fernando Valley girl who shares her novel and her life as a valley girl.

About Kai Strand

Kai Strand is a children’s author of middle grade and young adult novels. She was born and raised in the mid-west, where she inherited a wholesome outlook on life. She lived in California long enough to become a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four amazing kids. They now live in Central Oregon where the most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is, “Do your dishes!”

Obviously, Kai likes to write. The Weaver is Kai’s debut book. She reads a lot as well and calls it research. Kai loves to garden, and is trying out a greenhouse for the first time this year. She loves to sing. You might find her singing in Latin while browsing at Target. Most of the time she isn’t aware she’s singing aloud. She and her family love to hike and geocache. Kai walks 45 miles a month for exercise.

You can visit Kai online at www.kaistrand.com or at her blog, Strands of Thought, www.kaistrand.blogspot.com.

About The Weaver

In a town of word weavers, Mary suffers through her third year of Novice Word Weaving. Mary thinks her troubles are over when she meets a gnome-elf who grants her a wish. But instead of weaving a better story, she’s weaving strange yarn charms to accompany her still pathetic tales.

Read an Excerpt!

Chapter 1

A Mother’s Shadow

Given ample sun and water, a flower grows strong and blooms full But grown in shade it is spindly, weak, and off color

Tucked in a lush valley between two snow-capped mountains was the village of The Tales. Those who lived in the village were known as Weavers. Each person in The Tales could tell stories about anything at anytime, and they often did. Prose, poetry, limericks or yarns; they told stories of all types and styles.

On a balmy spring morning, Mary Wordsmith and her mother, Abigail, made their weekly visit to the produce market.

Thumping an acorn squash, Abigail said, “At last, here’s one that isn’t going soft.” She handed the squash to Mary who absently dropped it in the basket on her arm.

Interview

Hi Kai,

Welcome to the Hollywood Daze!

Thanks for having me, today! I love your url! I must share that my best friend and I were valley girls before it was cool. She and I totally spoke like that! Oh my God! But we didn't know it until the movie, Valley Girl, with Nicolas Cage came out. I remember our horror when we realized that we really did talk like that. After that, we worked so hard to change our speech patterns. Hard habit to break - that valley speak!

Q: I understand you are a former Californian. Will you tell us if you lived in Northern or Southern California and two things you enjoyed about living in the land of perpetual sunshine?

A: I lived in So California, Orange County to be exact. For awhile I owned a turbo convertible and on those painfully sunny days, I loved driving along Pacific Coast Highway with the top down on the car, wind blowing through my hair, scent of sea salt tickling my nose and hearing the seagulls cry. So carefree. I also loved those years it was 80 degrees on Christmas Day and we'd be splashing around in the swimming pool. A white Christmas is overrated.

Q: Will you tell us a little about your book?

A: About The Weaver: In a town of word weavers, Mary suffers through her third year of Novice Word Weaving. Mary thinks her troubles are over when she meets a gnome-elf who grants her a wish. But instead of weaving a better story, she's weaving strange yarn charms to accompany her still pathetic tales.

The Weaver has a little magic and alot of storytelling. It's a story about acceptance. It's a story about support. But mostly it is about determination. It's written for children 9 - 12 years old.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for your book?

A: I belong to an online critique group called Silver Web. I was sitting at my computer one day casting around for an idea for a new book and the logo of my crit group was staring back at me. I thought to myself, "We weave words like a spider weaves its web." That was the nugget of the idea.

Q: When did you start writing your novel and how long did it take?

A: I don't remember! I really don't remember when I started. I plowed through about 2/3 of the story and then let it sit for a long time before finishing. Edits were pretty spotty. I just don't have a clue how long this book took to write.

Q: Who is your favorite author?

A: I'm not very good with the "favorite" word, because that indicates I like one above all others. But I get enthusiastic about different things from different writers. Maggie Stiefvater has the most beautifully lyrical voice in her writing, plus she's super approachable and funny. How can you not like someone who calls her car Loki? I respect the heck out of Suzanne Collins. My sons were enraptured by her Gregor the Overlander books and then she comes up with the Hunger Games series that were addicting to a broader audience. Skill! Scott Westerfield is another author who just gets it. Knows his audience and what resonates with them. Also very approachable and really respect that in an author. I admit I have this odd reaction of jealousy everytime I see a book from Cassandra Clare, and I see them EVERYWHERE! She actually seems like a lovely person and my reaction is completely ridiculous. I've loved everyone of her books.

Q: Do you have a favorite book that you could read more than once?

A: Hands down the Harry Potter series. The charcterization alone is so deep and well vetted that you learn something new about them (main character and supporting characters alike) each time you read. The complex storyline, the tons of hints dropped throughout the series. Plus I've shared many, many hours over these books with my children, so they have such a happy association tied to them.

Q: Since everyone outside of California believes we are all star struck, who is your favorite actor/actress, if you can narrow it to just one, or at least your top three?

A: I'm totally star struck when I meet famous authors, but actors not so much. However ignorant I am of who the latest heart throb is, I do take notice when someone is actually a good actor and not just a pretty face. Nothing wrong with a pretty face, mind you. Anyway, I think I'd have to answer Johnny Depp. He's so versatile. He plays the quirky or dark roles like in Alice and Wonderland and Pirates, but he was great in the dramatic role in Finding Neverland. He can actually act and he's not afraid to. It is only my complete ignorance of actors that allows me to chose a favorite in this category. If I were more educated, I'm sure there were be more names on my list.

Q: Do you have a favorite movie that you could watch again and again?

A: Pride and Prejudice. Any version. Love the story. And I prefer the story to the book. Rare for me, but true in this instance. (Phantom of the Opera - love the music, PS I Love You - such a sap for a good love story, Apollo 13 - always exciting, Independence Day - funny! ...)

Q: What's next in your writing life?

A: I'm shopping a contemporary middle grade for a slightly older audience than The Weaver and a young adult fantasy series that is really awesome and fun and I can't wait until I can share it with the world. I just have to find the right place for these stories first.

Kai, thank you for sharing your book with us and I wish you the best of luck in your book promotion.

Rebecca, thanks for inviting me to join you! It's been fun sticking my toes in the sand again. It has been too long since I've visited California, thanks for the trip down memory lane.