First Word

California Girl Chronicles: Brea's Big Break

2012-02-23T16:08:00.001-08:00

Following is the Prologue to the second book in the California Girl Chronicles series. If you would like a copy of the first book California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic, it's 30 percent off on the 3L Publishing website at www.3LPublishing.com.

My name is Brea Harper, and I am the quintessential California girl. I am blond, fabulously tall, pretty and smart. I’m a screenwriter, but often get mistaken for an actress since I live in Los Angeles among the other pretty people. My desire to write screenplays has nothing to do with fame or glamour. I love to write. Period. It’s how I express my creativity and fulfill my artistic impulses. I live in a small apartment near Hollywood with my best friend Denise, who as you might know already, is quite a live wire and loads of fun. Last I told you, she was having an affair with her boss at the software company where she works. They’re still screwing all over the building, but they see other people. Another dear and new friend is Maya, my feisty and fierce Latina friend, who works for my former lover Kale.

Ah, Kale – now you are probably wondering what happened after I betrayed my blond Adonis producer-boyfriend Kale with that loser Drew. Well, the night in question went like this. I never showed up. “What?” you cry in objection. Yes, I know you’re all so disappointed in me and wonder how I could have left it all messed up like that. I guess the truth is I didn’t want to face the consequences. I had absolutely nothing I could have said in my own defense. Justifying betrayal is just as sick as the act of committing betrayal. I had fallen for Kale, down to my DNA and did not want to justify bad behavior or attempt to blame anyone but myself; therefore, no explanation existed to invalidate Kale’s feelings.

Instead, I wrote him a simple letter of apology, stating that my karma was badly damaged, and I hoped he would forgive me. He didn’t respond to my heartfelt letter. Instead, I received a phone call asking me to come to a meeting to discuss revisions on my script California Girl Chronicles, which Kale’s production company had recently purchased.

This meeting is where our story begins.

Characters and Character Development in Fiction

2012-02-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

I’m going to take a full section for your character development. A key to a character-driven (not a plot-driven) book are the characters. First, I want to say something important. Even a great plot-driven book has well-developed characters. Plot-driven books that fail to develop characters and go on the simple merit of the action will fail to become classics.

Let’s look to film to show the difference. Why does a mega blockbuster film like Avatar earn critical praise while a popcorn film like Transformers does not? It’s all about a well-developed story that contains characters we love to love. Avatar has a real story with well-developed characters so much so I remember the star character’s name, Jake Sully. Transformers has some gorgeous stars for sure, how many of you remember the hero’s name? I don’t remember a single character’s name. Think of classic literature and the characters you probably know their names. You may not even remember the name of the book, but you remember the character’s names. Who can’t forget classic and unforgettable literary legends like Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice or Jo in Little Women?

Let’s look at the elements of developing characters and different roles in the story:

Hero or heroine – All books have heroes or heroines aka the character we root for and like and invest in. The hero is typically the “cowboy in the white hat” or good guy or is the person the story is about. The plot should center on the hero or heroine.

Antihero – In fiction the antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character, in some regards, is conspicuously contradictory to the archetypal hero. In some cases, the antihero is the antithesis to the hero. Some people believe the antihero could be classified as the antagonist or villain. An antihero, however, is not a strict villain and typically elicits sympathy or admiration. The antihero is sometimes the character you love to hate and love at the same time.

Protagonist – The leading character. The leading character doesn’t have to be purely heroic. In fact, flawed characters are far more interesting than a character who is simply good or bad. Flawed characters are intriguing and layered in a multiplicity of motivations, both good and bad. The truth is: no one is purely good or bad. Most truly interesting characters are often flawed.

Villain – The purely evil, sociopathic villain can border on a cartoon character. You do not want to paint a black character with no heart or soul or motivation for his or her evil nature. A great villain is the one that is fully fleshed out, relatable and understandable. A one-dimensional villain is actually quite boring.

Flawed Characters – This kind of character merits exploration. A great villain that leans more toward the antihero, if well written, will be layered in complexity and flaws. If you create relatable character flaws, you will draw in the audience and gain empathy. A great, flawed person who does bad things elicits sympathy. Drawing a villain with shades of good makes it hard for the audience to want him or her to get his or her comeuppance. In fact, the audience will secretly want the flawed, empathic villain to prevail. In my book, California Girl Chronicles, Brea Harper is essentially a good character with flaws. She’s relatable in her self-awareness of her flaws. She admits she knows she’s done the wrong thing. In her admittance of what is essentially her common humanity where we are not perfect, she becomes relatable. Astute reviewers and readers caught onto the book not as a work of contemporary romance but as a great character study, which is the true heart of the story. If all you see is a person who is having multiple relationships, you’ve missed the point.

Character Foils – In your supporting cast, you should build character foils. A character foil is another character who serves as a contrast to another perhaps more primary character, so as to point out specific traits of the primary character. You can do all sorts of interesting things with character foils. I’ll give you another example from California Girl Chronicles. In book two, we have two male characters, Kale and Ryan, and both are from Hollywood money. Kale uses the money to build his production money. Ryan becomes a playboy ner’er-do-well. Ryan is Kale’s foil. He contrasts Kale’s character. Kale is conservative and loving and stable. Ryan is flighty, fun-loving and unstable. A third and more fun foil, both are the heroine’s foils. In her attraction to each character, each one reflects something about her. She has a stable side and loving side and she has a fun-loving, flighty nature too.

True Blood is a "True" Work of Literary Art

2012-02-22T08:33:00.001-08:00

If you are a fan of the HBO series True Blood (Season 5 is slated to begin June 24) then you should check out this site titled Love True Blood. From what I've been told by the site leaders and from what I've read, it's absolutely the best fan site written by fantastic writers who display their literary backgrounds with great ease and reveal all sorts of layers to this show one would never imagine. You think True Blood is all about "vampire porn" (as one friend called) then you are not really watching it from a storytelling point of view with all its metaphors, foreshadowing and juxtapositions. Read this fan site and you will have all the confidence that Alan Ball is NOT going to put Sookie and Bill back together. Not if you peel back the layers of the onion the way these literate fans have done. I've emphatically said that Eric and Sookie are soul lovers, and if you read this site and all the great information under the season redux you will notice how they are currently reflecting back on the show through the lens of Season 4. I really loved the recent reference back to Sookie's house where the writer mentions that Eric lovingly restores Sookie's house back to its original condition, adds a modern amenity or two, and builds a cubby in her basement. The Jungian reference that the basement is her subconscious and a metaphor for where her feelings for him reside. As a writer when I look at the layers of the show as exposed by all the literary analysis, it's almost intimidating. You come to understand just how excellent this show is and why it's excellent. It takes you so far beyond the campy lines and the fun to dig deeper into what I'll just plainly call the heart of the show. I should only strive to write such an amazing piece of work this well-thought-out and executed. And while many people may not like the writing (sometimes I don't like some of it) when you view the show through this well-constructed lens of information, you can't help but admire Alan Ball and his team of storytellers.

Tips to Hire a Publicist or Marketing Person in Publishing?

2012-02-21T07:44:00.001-08:00

Our new VP of Marketing, Victoria Andrew is our rock star and goddess of publicity for 3L Publishing's authors. She joined our team this winter, and I hired her because I have never seen a publicist kick major behind the way this woman does. Not only does she bring an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm to my team, but also she is incredibly passionate about literature and publishing. When you can find someone who is just as passionate as you are about your company then you've found the ideal person. So, here is why she makes other publicists' skills dull in comparison to hers (and if you're an author what to look for in an ideal publicist):

15 Years in Publishing -- Victoria knows more about the publishing and book business than even I do. When we first started talking, she brought up refreshing ideas about how to approach the publicity side of the business from an entirely new vantage point. While I've spent the majority of my career working on magazines and custom publications, she's spent the majority of her career focused exclusively on books. If you're looking to hire a publicist to support your book, look for someone who really knows this industry. Ask them their specific credentials when it comes to book promotion. How many years experience do they have in this industry? What is their education? Simple experience in, say, marketing or public relations won't cut it. Your publicist needs to fully understand the ins and outs of book publishing.

True Knowledge of Book Promotion -- most PR people will tell you the standard promotion tactics. These include developing a media kit and press release and pitching to the regional and national media. He or she might suggest you do a wire drop and show great enthusiasm over a good pick up on a wire drop. Let me tell you something: in all of my experience with wire drops, they only provide exposure. I've never seen a wire drop trigger real sales. Regional and national media pitching is standard to all publicity campaigns. What you want to hear from your book publicist are ideas that you've never heard before. I'm not going to give out our trade secrets here on the blog, but Victoria is going to tell our clients WAY more than regional and national pitching and wire drops. A publicist who truly knows book publicity and understands this industry is going to share a whole lot more than ideas about pitches to broadcast, print and radio. And if that is all you're hearing out of your prospective publicist's bag of tricks then you're not going to get what you need.

True Results -- Victoria gets results not once a week or every other day. Victoria gets results every day! Yes, you read that correctly. She is so good at what she does, she gets results every single day. Just over a weekend (a weekend), she set up three new radio interviews just for me and California Girl Chronicles. She has focused strategies and goes through her bag of tricks in an incremental, strategic way. While the kinds of results vary, she still gets them. She doesn't give our clients a bunch of excuses as to why she can't get them a book review or an interview. She doesn't have to make excuses. So much of what she does is driven by ardent, passionate enthusiasm and commitment. She doesn't go through the motions, because she's getting paid. She communicates with our clients on a consistent basis. She answers questions. She picks up her phone. She doesn't shrug her shoulders when she hasn't gotten good pick-up and blame the author or blame the subject matter. She figures out how to succeed and get those results. In a business that can seem like all air and feathers, Victoria makes it more like concrete and sales.

If you would like more information about our PR services, send an email to info@3LPublishing.com. If you would like more information on 3L Publishing, visit our website at www.3LPublishing.com.

No Man to the "Bromance" Between Eric Northman and Bill Compton

2012-02-20T08:33:00.000-08:00

If page views and reading interest are votes then it's safe to say that my First Word readers do not liking this whole "bromance" notion on the forthcoming Season 5 of True Blood. While Eric Northman's portrayer Alexander Skarsgard has been promoting his new movie Battleship, he's been perpetuating the "bromance" notion. I think he's probably messing with us a little and the storyline will likely center around the two southern vampires on the run from the Authority and forced to endure each other's company. I will say that if Alan Ball and company are paying any attention to the fans then they can't be completely oblivious to the fact that nobody wants to see an entire season without Eric and Sookie interaction. I also know the enthusiasm sorely lacks over the idea of putting Sookie together with Alcide, who some of the "bookies" think will blend the Quinn/Alcide characters.

Now here is my spin as your writer in residence. Most writers have their own favorites and their projects reflect that favoritism. I don't think Alan Ball and his crew of writers completely ignore what fans want to see. You don't have a top-rated show you earnestly torpedo just to torment fans into giving up and quitting the show. They are trying to create drama, tension and excitement to keep viewers hooked on their version of "show-crack". Fans that don't get some sort of "fix" give up and tune out. Ball is a smart guy. He's not going to seek audience "tune-out" just to tickle his own fancies. I've read so many fan sites where viewers are agonizing over potentially horrible future story lines. While I can't say the writing will always be at the level of my own preference, I can suggest with all intelligence, we're all going to get our payoff at some point. How exactly the payoff will come is what is in question. I haven't a doubt in the world that Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse will eventually find their way back to each other. Just like I have an overall map in my mind of my own book series (and soon-to-become TV series) California Girl Chronicles, I have no doubt that our savant storyteller has a similar idea in his own mind. So hang tight fans, you might get slightly annoyed along the way, it's going to be a good one.

Moneyball is a Fantastic Movie Full of Inspiration

2012-02-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

I has been a very long time since I've watched a seamless, perfect movie, but last night I watched Moneyball on Blu-Ray and all I have to say is bravo! What a fine film. Starring Brad Pitt, whose acting chops have never impressed me in the past, Moneyball is centrally about a man, a vision and a desire to make it come true. Pitt's Billy Bean is a haunted man with a vision to change the business of baseball, and he sets off undaunted to meet the challenge. The story is absolutely about the journey, but isn't it always truly about the journey? This movie mirrors so much of what I'm working toward right now in my own life and reminded me to stay the course just the same way Billy stays the course even when it becomes plainly obvious the plan isn't working. When he asks his assistant general manager played by Jonah Hill in a quiet, resolute performance if he believes it will work, Hill's character quietly says yes. Right there! Right there is the message: BELIEVE! Billy believes, stays the course, overcomes the obstacles by taking action, and sticks with it until the payoff. This movie is one big metaphor about the power of passion and purpose to stick to your dream no matter what happens. It finely illustrates right when you "think" you should quit is NOT the time to quit. Keep going! Believe in your vision. Make it happen and it will happen. In the end, Billy's vision wasn't absolutely perfect -- they didn't win the World Series -- but they did break the record and win 20 consecutive games in a row. And just to perfect the story, we are reminded to not forget to enjoy the journey, too. Wow! This movie is powerful! I hope it wins at the Oscars, and I hope when you watch you understand the deeper message.

You Sunk My Battleship!

2012-02-18T19:32:00.000-08:00

I love Eric and Sookie Lovers website (big shout out to Erika, the site administrator). A new article reposted on the site basically suggests that the forthcoming Battleship is an "art house" piece (see article). I hate to say this, but the trailers of the movie don't resemble something "arty" for sure. In fact, every time I've seen the trailers it looks more like Transformers Lost at Sea. I used to play Battleship with my brother when I was kid. So, I guess the preview didn't exactly fit what I expected to see. Maybe a more traditional war movie perhaps between, say, battleships? Not marines vs. aliens, which is a quirky switch up from last summer's Cowboys and Aliens, which I got dragged into seeing and wasn't particularly impressed. A bunch of old cowboys fussing over the aliens and a pretty girl. Here is what I secretly hope: that Alexander Skarsgard's quote that it's an art house movie means it harkens more toward the amazing, richly told Avatar. Now that would be quite something. I loved Avatar, which contained real relationships, real story telling, and plenty of action and adventure to keep you riveted well over the two hours. Unfortunately, if the trailer says anything, I'm questioning that fact. Of course, I realize the trailer is the "sizzle" to the steak or sometimes just the sizzle to the chicken ... day-old chicken. But like the rest of America, I won't find out until May while Europe gets to see it in April. Well, the good news is I'm sure the critics will weigh in on the film's true appeal. Rest assured, I will go out and support my favorite actor no matter what ... or maybe I'll watch it on DVD you know if it's not so good.

Villains and Characters We Just Don't Like

2012-02-18T09:56:00.000-08:00

Some characters we love. We even love to hate certain villains. Some characters are murky, and we don't know if we're supposed to love them, hate them, or feel ambiguous toward them. I believe when you create emotionally ambiguous characters that the audience is left to ponder their feelings about him or her, you have actually created a masterpiece. Most people are not black and white -- they're not all good or bad but shades of gray. As a writer when you've created a character that has so many shades and depth, it's not surprising if his or relationship to the audience becomes unclear. Do realize, though, if you create a completely unlikeable character who is supposed to be the protagonist in your story, you run the risk of losing your audience's rooting value altogether. As a writer you walk a fine line here. So, I'm going to go over the characters I've either loved, hated or just didn't know how to feel about.

Bill Compton in True Blood -- complete Bill fans will disagree with me and cry foul here. I don't like Bill. He doesn't possess traits I am the least bit attracted to as a fan. He is manipulative, controlling, conniving and dishonest. The final push for me came when he nearly kills our beloved heroine Sookie in the back of the truck in Season 3. While Bill rapes Sookie in the books, he fang rapes her in the series and she comes close to death. His relationship with Sookie has so much to do with her fairy blood, and Alan Ball never pulls away from the fact that their sexual relationship involves lots of blood letting. The fang rape scene didn't become an actual rape on the show, because in the commentary the writers felt they would not be able to pull him back from that act. I feel the opposite. When you very nearly kill your "lover," I'm not at all your fan anymore. Bill is also a consummate liar and even when confronted with the truth at the end of Season 3, he finally relents and confesses; but did he really confess all? We don't know for certain. Remember, he's a liar, and a good one. For all the accusations about Eric Northman being dishonest, Eric is actually far more honest than Bill ever is. The only time I felt a little bad for Bill is in Season 4's episode "I Wish I Were the Moon" when he sets Eric free to be with Sookie and realizes he's lost her forever. The reflective and sad moment on the patio of his home garnered some sympathy. Bill has lots of shades, but mostly dark shades, and for that reason, I don't like his character.

Justine in Melancholia -- this year Justine stood out for me. Maybe because I don't see that many new releases anymore. Melancholia is still getting quite a bit of coverage so it's still making some headlines. I liked Justine less and less as the film wore on. She starts off appearing normal on her wedding day, but as the day moves on she sinks into a depression and just can't seem to muster up any joy or happiness. When she urinates on the golf course that was just gross in my opinion. She rejects her sweet, kind husband Michael in favor of an unemotional, disconnected tryst with an underling. She mopes in the bathtub during her reception. She wanders out of the reception over and over again. She tells off her asshole of a boss, who does rightly deserve it. She foretells doom and gloom. She doesn't do anything to stop Michael's departure when he makes one last attempt to push her by leaving her at the mansion. Talk about the saddest wedding day ever. Yet my turning point of no return with her comes with that tryst on the golf course. It doesn't look sexy, interesting, romantic, enticing or any of the above. And even though she's obviously got a problem, that one act sends it over the top. The simple truth is you find it hard to connect and understand her. Depression is one thing. Disgusting behavior overall is quite another.

Lenore on Hung -- Oh, Lenore you skank! She's slightly crazy, driven and ruthless. You have to love Lenore. I can't even say I love to hate Lenore. She's too crazy and funny. Every season of Hung, Lenore delivers the great lines and taunts poor Tanya over and over again. She manages to best Tanya and then Tanya gets her back. My favorite taunt, "T-brain." She's deliciously sexy and gorgeous and such a fabulous foil to Tanya, who is unorganized and on the fringe of anxiety attacks nearly all of the time. Sometimes she's so pretty with those big eyes you get distracted from what she's doing. Lenore is a lot of fun and it's too bad that Hung got canceled.

Drew in California Girl Chronicles -- Oh, Drew you naughty, confused boy. My readers have said they don't completely dislike Drew. Reviewers have reflected the same thoughts. Drew is a messed up kind of guy that the girls fall for and regret it later. He cannot emotionally commit, and he shares such tremendous chemistry with our beloved Brea, who just can't manage to stay away from him even when she knows better. He's misleading, misguided in his own right, and hard to understand. He is fabulous contrast to the decent and loving Kale, and his relationship or lack thereof with Brea is another great contrast. In book two, I introduce yet another foil for Brea and Kale's relationship, and he is completely the opposite of Drew. His name is Ryan. While Drew's darker shades are hard to spot, watch out for Ryan. His darker shades hide in the shadows, and readers won't find out my true intention for him until book three. Sorry! Just know, Ryan is going to play a good game of manipulation.

Calling Dr. Dialogue: How to Write Snappy Dialogue

2012-02-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

Some writers are great at descriptions. Some writers are great at character development. Some writers are great at dialogue. In screenwriting in particular it's all about the dialogue (yes, action counts, too); but did you know that some screenwriters' concepts and story are so good, the producers will buy it and then hire a dialogue doctor to fix the dialogue? Yes, there is a whole profession devoted to the art of "conversation". When I read novels, the number one mistake I see or weakness is lack of differentiation with the dialogue and the voice. All the characters talk the same. They say the same things in the same way. Worse yet, they say things that no one would say aloud. Here are some great tips on writing fabulous dialogue that resonates as authentic and believable with the reader.

Demographics -- yes, background and demographics counts here. Where is your character(s) from? Do they have a dialect or accent? Always "infer" the accent. Do not misspell words to convey the accent phonetically. Write it how it sounds not how it's misspelled. Research dialects, too. Canadian have a distinct accent just as much as Texans and so forth.

Monotony -- all of your characters' voices sound like the same person. You do not know who is speaking, because they all sound like the same person. Simple and easy techniques will help you to differentiate how characters talk and who would say what. For example, a good girl who is self-conscious about what she says would not cuss and use profanity. Or maybe she would but only under extreme duress. I love it how in True Blood, Sookie will try and avoid profanity and even in one episodes says, "fudge". It's been forever since I heard the use of the word fudge. I think my grandmother used to say that one. What does that say about Sookie's avoidance of using the F word or even the old-fashioned use of the word fudge at all. No other character on True Blood would use that word. What about an educated and intelligent character, how would he or she talk? An educated character might have a big vocabulary and use it. You can dumb down characters by having them say absurd or stupid things. In my script Beauty School not only does Bo say stupid things, he does dumb things, too. We don't have to say directly to the audience he is low IQ, because he says and acts less intelligent than the rest.

On the Nose -- I see on-the-nose dialogue ALL of the time. The writer just hits the audience over the head with what he or she wants to tell the audience. People don't always talk right on the nose or right on topic like a term paper. Some characters have trouble expressing their feelings. Some characters don't know how to express it at all. On-the-nose dialogue is a lazy way to convey a scene. You want to create some question or mystery about what a character is really thinking or feeling. Unless a character is truly direct in everything he or she says and does, avoid on-the-nose writing or dialogue.

Exposition in the Dialogue -- the story is not being told through dialogue unless you're using a narrator. The worst mistake I see new writers make is to put the story exposition in the dialogue. First, it makes the dialogue read like a lecture. Second, it makes the writing and dialogue clunky and awkward. Third, it's just lazy or bad storytelling. Don't put the story in the dialogue.

Colloquial and Use of Idioms -- most of us talk and use slang on a daily basis. When we're having an informal conversation, we talk informally. Unless your character is a professor of English literature, please avoid making him or her sound formal. I am an educated woman but I still use pedestrian language in my conversations. I use slang constantly. Most people do. So keep it real. Make your characters talk in a down-to-earth way unless they are simply not down-to-earth people.

X-Rated What? Adults Only? Girls Just Want to Have Fun vs. Gone Wild?

2012-02-16T20:19:00.000-08:00

Just for the record, this is a rambling blog that probably goes in nowhere circles ...

So, I can't say what this request was in reference to ... but suffice it to say I was "queried" about writing for this X-rate project based on my steamy and sexy writing skills as evidenced in California Girl Chronicles. I'm sort of marveling over this request a bit. I mean, yes, California Girl is sexy. Yes, the sex is steamy. Not quite sure whether it would be defined as X-Rated. I'm also a comedic writer so I guess this is a plus, too, for this project. I never imagined myself writing anything exactly X-rated so how about NC-17 or a firm, for-real R rating? Or maybe I'm just corrupted and all blah about sex itself and I don't get squeamish about it. But hey! I do have my standards for sure. While my book is sexy it's still tasteful. So, when I think of an X-rated anything, I think the "X factor" is a little like a perfectly good Merlot gone bitter. We have another steamy book in the 3L Publishing catalog, and in my opinion, it's far more "X-rated" then California Girl Chronicles for sure. I joke with my publicist that as long as we don't get into anything that has anything remotely to do with KY or anything that falls into the "juices" family, we're not getting an X rating. I've decided I'll adopt the more European attitude about it and be all blah and cavalier. I love it during an interview with our Swedish rapscallion Alexander Skarsgård when he's asked about a joke about a camera in the "cock sock" and the interviewer can't bring herself to say "cock" and ole Mr. Skarsgård sits there unflinching and unmoved even by her admitted embarrassment. See! Now that's a European attitude! And I guess if I actually possessed said European attitude, I might not care in the least if someone thinks I'm just perfect for an X-rated writing project LOL.

Want to find out just how "X-rated" California Girl Chronicles is? Then purchase a copy on Amazon or for 30% off on 3L's website at www.3LPublishing.com. At least with the harmless bikini cover no one will know what exactly you're reading. OR better yet, purchase it on eBook in Kindle, Nook or iBook and no one will see what you're reading at all!!!

Spoiler Alert: California Girl Chronicles, Book 2: Introducing Johnny

2012-02-16T08:47:00.000-08:00

The following is a short excerpt from the second book in the California Girl Chronicles series, Brea's Big Break. WARNING: This scene uses profane language and is not for young readers. California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic is now available on Amazon in print and Kindle or can be purchased for Nook and iBook. The book releases to the bookstores in March. It is also on sale for 30% off on the 3L Publishing website at www.3LPublishing.com.

Just then I heard a rustle and turned my chair back in time to see Monica’s backside hustle out of the room and in her place, I rested my eyes on hot man-candy Johnny. He looked relaxed and had a big, open smile on his face.

“I remember you,” I said brightly. “Heard you got the part of Drew. Good for you!” I chirped, admiring this gorgeous, dark-haired man with perfectly muscular arms.

“Can you grab a bite with me?” he asked. “I want to pick your brain.”

I sat up and looked around my desk. I had nothing pressing, so I stood up and with enthusiasm replied, “Sure! Let’s go.”

Johnny stood in the doorway and waited for me. He allowed me to exit first like a gentleman. We made the requisite small talk as we walked to a Chinese café called Hop Singh up the street from the office. We sat on the back patio to eat noodles and chat. Johnny told me he started acting when he was 22, and he mentioned with a smirk how he got his first manager. The smirk piqued my curiosity.

“What’s that about?” I asked and pointed at his grin.

“What?”

“That!” I countered and motioned again toward his expression.

He leaned in and started to explain. “Well, she pretty much signed me for sex,” he admitted and chuckled with delight over it.

“What?” I frowned.

“Oh yeah, she was like a cougar, too,” he said, “and she got me some great spots. I just had to fuck her twice a week.”

I was taken aback and pulled away from him. “Really?” I asked with a frown.

He took a chopstick and shoved a noodle in his mouth as he said, “Really! But you know it’s fucking Hollywood man. That shit happens all the time. Swing a dick, and there you go.”

“No, I thought, you know, unions,” I whispered.

Johnny waved off the suggestion. “Fuck that man. Chicks are as bad as guys. Look at me now, though.”

I looked at him all right and frowned. “You don’t feel … dirty?”

Johnny waved off the suggestion, “Hell no! It’s the biz and, fuck yeah, I’ve had fun, too!”

I leaned over and shoved another noodle in my mouth, pondering his amoral take on the whole thing. He didn’t seem the least bit bothered by it. In fact, I got the impression he accepted and liked it.

“And you think you’re going to get somewhere with me like that?” I flatly asked.

Johnny quit eating and looked me right in the eyes. “Fuck no!” he retorted. “You’re hot and nice. I like you. And I like that you have real body parts.” He chuckled as he looked down to take another bite.

I looked down at my body parts and nodded. “Yep! Real! No woman would purposefully make her boobs this small,” I said with a laugh.

As Johnny talked about the business and his encounters on various movie sets, I started to like him. He was candid and enthusiastic about acting and his craft. He mentioned his last girlfriend was a major film star, but he wouldn’t divulge her name. He did say he met her when he played a small role in one of her films. He said she was down-to-earth but had this strange obsession with her hair. She wanted to become famous for her hair like Jennifer Aniston. He thought it was a crazy goal, and he said her hair was okay, but that it wasn’t likely going to create a national sensation.

“Why’d you break up?” I asked.

“I cut her hair off,” he said, totally kidding and laughing with a gregarious outburst. “No, she went to film in Italy and met an Italian Antonio-Banderas-like guy. Dumped my white ass,” he admitted with a smile that seemed out of place given his confession.

“And that makes you smile, why?”

“Come on, if she’s so shallow … fuck that shit! No big deal,” he said as he shoved yet another noodle in his mouth and waved off the comment.

We soon finished lunch, and he walked me back to the office, continuing the upbeat chatter about meaningless parts he had played. He did admit that he thought the part of Drew was cool, but then he frowned at me. “The guy’s a fucker, though.”

True Blood Season 5 "Bromance" Hype or Real?

2012-02-15T17:41:00.000-08:00

Now that Alexander Skarsgård is out promoting his forthcoming popcorn flick Battleship, which I will go see to support my favorite actor but only with my teenage son, who loves that sort of thing; he is promoting Season 5 of True Blood. I've decided he's being cheeky about the whole notion of the Eric-Bill "bromance" nonsense. First of all, he's a funny guy anyway and is constantly making jokes. Check out his low-key joke that aliens and vampires would be lovers ... yeah, right, naturally! Second, my guess is that Eric and Bill team up and have time on the run together evading the Authority. Skarsgård's remarks about having a new appreciation for Bill, I'm going to just go on the side that he's being facetious. Maybe they won't be quite as venomously at each other's throats then in the past, but I don't see the Viking sincerely bowing to the Southern schemer anytime soon. Also, I've noticed that in years past that while small spoilers are leaked and dropped, I'm willing to bet Alan Ball has a strict set of criteria about what can and cannot be shared or not. The show tends to keep a tight lid on what they leak to the media, and most of it is often misleading with only a grain of truth. So, I'm pretty willing to put a C note down that my favorite Viking vampire will be in more scenes with Bill than usual, but I seriously doubt it will be all fun and games and campfire songs. It will be more like some bloody good fun than a vampiric rendition of "Kumbaya."

Writing Well-Developed Characters in Fiction

2012-02-15T08:55:00.000-08:00

Writing well-developed characters is a true talent. When you write well-developed characters, your canvas of imaginary friends and foes comes to life. People "buy" into the idea of them and emotionally invest in them. They talk about them as if they were a friend or neighbor or associate. The first time someone talked about my heroine Brea Harper in California Girl Chronicles like she was a girlfriend, I was somewhat taken aback, but then I realized this reader had made the necessary emotional investment in this character.

So, how do you create well-rounded, interesting characters that readers will invest in? Here are some tips on how to do develop your characters.

Don't rush anything -- many new writers will not only hurry through their story-telling process, but also try and force their characters to life. What does this mean? They will try and develop the character by telling the reader all about the person in a paragraph through description. When you first introduce a character don't force it. You can briefly describe the person, yes, but don't falsely believe a paragraph or two and you've done the job.

Show it don't say it -- let the characters reveal themselves on the page by showing their behaviors. Put them in their places in the story and then have them behave. Through their behavior you get to know them. For example, in California Girl Chronicles you have the flighty, mercurial Letty from the bikini shop. She is shallow, gum chewing, self-absorbed and colorful. Through her appearance (different colored hair and piercings), we gather she's rebellious and then she acts rebellious and shallow at every turn.

Consistency -- then make sure you keep your characters consistent. If Letty is shallow in one scene, she is not going to miraculously change her behavior to deep and caring in the next scene. Now if you intend to make her somewhat crazy and erratic then use this tool, but keep it in context and allow the characters around her to notice she is nuts. If you've been inconsistent with a character out of mistake or not realizing it then it's an error and not planned.

Dialogue -- what characters say matters as much as what they do. Use the dialogue to develop their attitudes and backgrounds. Remember, most people don't talk in soliloquies and speeches. Use pedestrian language and keep it real. If a character is educated, use dialogue to show they have a vocabulary. If they're urban, use the dialogue to show that background. You can also easily define characters by words they don't use, too. If a character isn't profane then you should avoid profanity being used by that particular character. If they have a dialect or accent, make sure you "imply" it and never misspell words to sound out the accent.

Favorite Lovers on Page and Screen

2012-02-14T09:52:00.000-08:00

Today is really a day to celebrate love. So, I thought it would be fun to post my favorite lovers from both page and screen. Here are my favorite lovers and why I love to love them.

Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse -- yes, of course they are my favorite. They are the two lovers you long to see together in both the TV series and books. In both the books and series, the minute they lay eyes on each other, the sparks the fly. I think in the TV series they spend more time staring at each other with lust in their eyes (and there is a another phrase for that ... but I'll be polite, it's Valentine's Day). The natural chemistry between Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) and Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman) cannot be tamed. Even when Sookie is supposed to be with Bill Compton, we're still secretly wishing she would get on with Eric Northman already. The very first "real" kiss on the porch is electric in Season 4. When they finally kiss, my heart nearly jumped up into my chest (for real). When they make love for the first time on banks of some kind of meadow, oooh la la is the only appropriate expression for the sexiest scene ever. I couldn't keep my eyes off them. Yes, I replayed it LOL. And maybe replayed it ... again. That's okay girls, we can admit we enjoyed it. While we all wait for Season 5 to begin, most of us are secretly hoping our star-crossed lovers will find their way back to each other. I know this for a fact!

Brea and Kale -- yes, this one is gratuitous no doubt. I can say that while I've worked on numerous fiction projects over the year, the love story and the characters of Brea and Kale in California Girl Chronicles come to life for me, too. Even as the author, I just adore these two characters as do many of the book's fans. Brea on her own is my favorite fictional character, period. I even had her birth chart done by a friend of mine and you would be shocked at its accuracy for an "imaginary" girl. I just like her "vibe" when I write her. She's fun and feisty, and when you put her with Kale, she is fun and funny and sexy, too. Kale is the nice guy producer the girl's swoon over, because he is just decent, kind and nice, and who doesn't like that -- and his love for Brea. While I've thrown a serious wrench in their romance where it goes from here we don't know (I do), but no matter what it will be a wild ride, I promise. And in book two, you get to meet the Energizer Bunny character, Ryan. Ryan has his own story to tell, and it's going to be fun, too. P.S. I'm running a Valentine's special of 30% off the book on my website at www.3LPublishing.com.

Nucky Thompson and Margaret -- these two are sort of enigmatically screwed up. I still don't have my finger on the pulse of Margaret in Boardwalk Empire. Is she good? Does she really love Nucky? Is she conniving? Then we have Nucky, who does have a heart for Margaret right from the start. He has the same mysterious energy. You don't know for sure what he thinks or feels. The edginess in their relationship is what makes them so intriguing. After Margaret gives away the precious road land at the end of Season 2, we're left wondering: will he kill her? Will he forgive her? What is he going to do to her? I can't imagine it's going to be all hearts and flowers for these two in Season 3.

Ray and Tonya -- I know, they aren't exactly lovers on Hung. They do, however, have this warm, nice and gentle love between them. They are loyal and sympathetic to each other. Even when the chips are down, they always come to each other's aid and ultimately stand by each other's side. They also have a palpable energy between them where you want them to be together. They're not supposed to be the central couple on the show yet I was secretly rooting that they would realize that they had the best relationship on the show. You want Ray and Tonya together, because their chemistry is warm and soothing and that of true friends.

Always Go with Your Gut to Achieve Success!

2012-02-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

When I started the process to promote California Girl Chronicles, I was swimming in a new area (for me as an author). It is my first novel. I've written three non-fiction books and hundreds of magazine articles. I am learning some powerful and amazing lessons I want to share with other authors, writers and readers. When the reviews began posting on Amazon, I had two very malicious reviews post initially about the book not only saying some very nasty things about my talents, but also questioning the authenticity of the other positive reviews as genuine, because the supposition was this book is so bad how could anyone say anything great about it? Well, these hateful individuals didn't even put their names on their spew, which of course, led me to question their motivations. None the less, I took the opportunity to reflect on the book and since I was ready to do another print run, I seized on the idea to strengthen the book not because two haters said I should, but because I believe in striving for the best. The second edition came out just in time for the national promotion to begin. The professional reviewers are showering praise on the book, and I am enjoying the results.

I'm sharing this with you today to remind you to always believe in yourself. I have been working on my visualization, meditations and mantras and focused on making California Girl Chronicles a best seller. It's working marvelously, and the reviews are beginning to pop on a near-daily basis. This many ongoing reviews will create momentum and momentum sets off continual sales. It's never a bad thing to be open to constructive criticism. In fact, I welcome constructive comments, and you can clearly see I embraced such comments. What no one really ever welcomes are mean-spirited comments meant to do nothing more than hurt. So in reading this article today, always believe in your talents. Believe in your vision. And go for it. Do not listen to naysayers or critics, especially given the source of criticism. If someone cannot even put their name behind their words, it's suspect. And if someone can't put a name to their words then who are they? What are their credentials? And who are they for you to empower to kill your dreams? Why would you ever give a nameless stranger that much power? I sure as heck am not and neither should you!

California Girl Chronicles: Sunnier Version of Realistically Flawed Heroine

2012-02-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

Another fabulous review of California Girl Chronicles appeared on Cook Travel Write:

California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic, written by Michelle Gamble-Risley, is a must-read for those of you who need a fun (and very sexy) escape. This story draws the reader right in to the indulgent escapades of Brea Harper, a blonde bombshell who embodies the classic idea of the California girl – at least externally. Brea is certainly no Cher Horowitz from Clueless, who we all remember as the gum-smacking, hair-twirling valley girl that said “like” every other sentence. Brea is smarter than your average bear, and is determined to show her talent as a screenwriter when she moves to Los Angeles. This is where the fun really starts. While Brea may have a one-track mind when it comes to her career, she seems to lack this discipline when it comes to her men, causing her love life to become nothing short of tangled and complicated. All of the characters are well developed and the dynamics between them are much deeper than initially realized. There is a rainbow of personalities examined in this book – some that you love, and some that you’re not sure whether to love or hate. This undoubtedly brings you, as the reader, on a whirlwind ride of emotions. Some reviews have mentioned that Sex and the City fans will love this book, to which I certainly agree. I believe that these fans will enjoy Brea and her story even more than their beloved Sex and the City, as the book provides a much sunnier version of a realistically flawed heroin trying to find love and success in one of America’s most populated cities. This story is filled with sexy, erotic fun, so I do want to make you aware that this is not a book for children or tweens. I found the witty, adult escapism displayed in California Girl Chronicles to be the perfect stress reliever at the end of a long day.

California Girl Chronicles can be found on 3Lpublishing.com (where the book is currently listed at 30% off). It is also available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook, and ibook.

Character Fashions: From Skarsgard's Turquoise Sweater to Sookie's Sunny Sundress

2012-02-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

The incomparable Alexander Skarsgard in the
famous sweater.

See that "turquoise" sweater Eric Northman wears throughout at least three episodes on True Blood? A single reference to that sweater caused a firestorm of hits on this blog. A sweater shot my friends! A reference to the steamy list of butt shots also caused a slight flurry, but it was that sweater that tipped it. I had no idea that Mr. Sweater was so popular. An argument event erupted over whether or not it was blue or turquois. Truth is, on the commentary on Season 3, Alexander called it "blue" and then changes it to "turquoise". I will bow to the idea that the man who actually physically saw and wore it knows what color it really was. By the end of the sweater's guest starring role, it was ruined and covered in fake blood. I'm thinking whoever actually owns the sweater now could sell the thing on eBay or an auction house for a pretty good sum of money. Fans love that sweater, and of course, the man in it.

Sweet Sookie in
the "sunny" and "sexy" dress.

In fact, fan reaction to costumes or anything related to their favorite show can be absolutely insane and zealot-like. To the right we have a picture of the lovely Anna Paquin in the dress famous for its removal from Sookie's body. Just a note here: I like this dress. It's really cute with the ties in the back (I'll get to the outfit I thought should have found its way anywhere else but not on the show). The dress like many of the costumes on the show kind of becomes a character and gives an added touch of sexy in the particular scene I'm about to reference. (P.S. as a writer always be thinking what clothes say about the characters.) When Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse finally reveal their feelings for each other, that dress becomes one sexy prop. Its ties in the back give our Viking vampire something to untie -- and when I say untie, I mean magnificently take apart with a seamless, sexy verve. If you don't think that undoing a dress takes on a whole new meaning when there are ties involved then I suggest you just watch Season 4 and the moment the dress finds its way on the floor.

And finally, don't go on Tumblr and say anything remotely critical of the clothes on True Blood. Oh no! The day I misspoke and said I didn't care for Sookie's peter-pan collar coat in Season 4, I set off fireworks of vitriolic reactions one might hear in a political debate not a discussion about a show. Despite the overdramatic uproar, I stand by my thoughts that the khaki green coat with the rounded collar needed to go away. The minute I laid eyes on that green number, I felt the need to turn Sookie over to the Fashion Police. Sookie wears a number of low-key shorts and T-shirts and numerous sweet-and-cute sundresses throughout the show, but the coat thing. Nope! I just thought it seemed strange looking and out of place. And fans, I am sticking to my story ... but only on my nice, safe, quiet blog where I won't have to dodge numerous flames hurled across cyberspace.

Now back to my side comment about characters and clothes. As a writer, I pay attention to what I dress my characters in. What they wear can say quite a lot about them as people and suggest their lifestyle. When we first meet Kale, our 'dreamboat' producer, in California Girl Chronicles he is described as wearing a sexy T-shirt and leather flip-flops. It suggests a laid-back style but class. The flip-flops were leather not some cheap pair someone might buy at the local CVS in the beach aisle. No, his flip-flops probably came from somewhere like Eco. His T-shirt was also a designer shirt. This communicates that while he's dressed casually, he still has money to buy stylish rags. On the other hand, Brea wears chic but affordable threads. She doesn't have much money, but does make a point of saying that clothes matter to her. So what money she does have, she invests in her wardrobe. She is supposed to be chic and tasteful, but also young and stylish so she's dressed appropriately sexy throughout the book. Always be thinking about what your character should be wearing whether you're in a visual or written media. When you put a character in clothes that don't make sense for that character, it can be jarring so you had better have a reason, and it should be a plot device not an unfortunate mistake.

California Girl Chronicles is now on sale on Amazon. It is also currently 30% off on the 3L Publishing website at www.3LPublishing.com. It's available for the Kindle, Nook and iBook. It will release to bookstores in spring 2012.

Alexander Skarsgård, a Reporter and a Bathroom?

2012-02-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

A fun, little article appeared on my Google Alerts straight from The New York Observer about a guest appearance of my favorite actor Alexander Skarsgard at some event during Fashion Week. I'm first going to tell you what I liked about the article and then I'm going to give you the appropriate eye-roll comments. The writer definitely captures Alex's great sense of humor when he asked him how he got there and Alex gave the perfect smart-ass reply by the elevator. I nodded and appreciated his sense of humor in messing with the reporter. He must have been in a good mood. And the recent pictures taken of him lately he has seemed in very good spirits, which is nice to see. Their playful banter continued with more smart-ass replies, but I'll let you read the article for the details. And any true and sarcastic smart-ass is a guy to love, but only if it's harmless and fun. I'm not a fan of mean-spirited smarty remarks. All right so here comes the eye-roll commentary: did the reporter really need to dish on the trip to the urinal? Really? Is nothing left that is sacrosanct anymore? Since when did we need to know they trekked off together to the bathroom? I guess I'm just a good old-fashioned writer who thinks some thing need not be "reported" on, and I'm willing to suggest the reportage of bathroom discussions wasn't really necessary. Well, to end my little commentary here this morning, I will say that as is almost always the case when I read these things, the gracious Mr. Skarsgård gave the reporter an apparent pep talk on how to meet women. The fact that the reporter also called him the "nicest vampire" is just another confirmation of what I've recognized already and a friend I met of his at a recent party also said, "He is very nice!" Love it. Unlike some women, I adore nice, gracious, kind and thoughtful men. You go Alex! All that great karma is going to serve you well, as it is already.

Favorite Scene-Stealing Female Characters

2012-02-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

The supporting characters in books and film matter just as much as the stars. These characters, if they're really good, steal the show or "chew scenery". I thought it would be fun to review my favorite supporting players and start with the girls since I almost always start with the guys. So, here we go:

Pam and her "maker" Eric.

Pam, True Blood and the Sookie Stackhouse Series -- who doesn't just love snarky and sensitive Pam. Sensitive you ask? Yes, when she cries over the potential demise of her maker Eric Northman, you see all of the love come out. She's a good girlfriend, too. She helps baby vamp Jessica in True Blood by providing her with "girl" talk and advice on how one disposes of a body. Her endless snarky comments make her fun and funny. Of course, I've more than admired her great lines. Who could ever forget: "Sookie and her stupid name and precious fairy vagina. I'm so over Sookie!" Anything Pam says is sure to be mostly pithy, fun and dead-on point. Book Pam is great, too. When she and Eric start smacking each other around in Dead Reckoning, you're amazed and shocked and figure something terrible is brewing for Pam to be battling with her beloved maker. Let's face it, Eric Northman wouldn't be half as fun and interesting if he didn't have Pam by his side.

Lenore, Hung -- wow! She's a piece of work, but whenever she's in a scene you can't keep your eyes off of her. The redhead and vixen trumps Tonya at every turn, but since Tonya's nobody's fool, she always seems to turn it back around. I will never forget the stunning and priceless episode where Tonya steals Lenore's pooch in order to hold it over her head. By the end of the dognapping episode, Tonya shows up at her door with the dog only to have Lenore once more trump her by opening the door with a new version of the dog in her arms. That episode was hysterical! I cracked up. Lenore definitely made the entire show Hung stand out ... too bad it got canceled.

Amy's former secretary-turned-executive rival, Enlightened -- this young gal, who I also spotted at the Oscar Valentine party, this week is a terse, uptight little bitch with a strained smile and a fake support of our heroine Amy. Her name is alluding me at the moment, but I did spot the actress and I didn't have time to go up and give her much-deserved praise for her portrayal of a conniving underling who mocks her tormented former boss. She represents every back-biting junior you can imagine in corporate America. And this actress plays her with such a tense, biting energy. You just don't like her! And that's great acting.

Book Mark Reviews California Girl Chronicles

2012-02-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

‘California Girl Chronicles: Brea and The City of Plastic’ by Michelle Gamble-Risley is an erotic and beguiling prose that will catalyze an ineffaceable case of sleeplessness as she seizes you on a roller-coaster tryst with Brea, whose contemptible feral escapades quixotically and proficiently twang your sensitivity threads rooting you to yelp with enchantment, whimper with sympathy, and chortle until you cave in.

In this sequence, you will meet the incredibly sexy 22 year old archetypal California lass Brea Harper, flaxen and gorgeous, but chic than the rest, who is a lot into what she desires out of verve and whose droll amusing splendorous luster and appalling craving for sex sling her into a multitude of intricate affairs as she in chorus endeavor to accomplish her ideas by chasing her calling to grow to be a screenwriter.

She shifts to Los Angeles after losing her work as an editor at a local magazine, just to be incessantly abstracted by assorted yet in sum charming exciting searing chaps multi-dimensional as her, and in due course getting sucked into a string of quixotic disasters with three guys, who you will adore to odium and detest to worship and what tags on is a sequence of exploits awaiting her than just a kick to rupture into the trade.

There’s the run of the mill yet secure Lance, with whom she shacks up with until she can get her own consign as she endeavors to embark on her fledging career and gets intimate at just about every time. Then, there is the persecuted ostensibly ethereal band boy Drew, whom she shares intense chemistry after meeting one night in a club, but for some raison d'être, can by no means get any sort of rapport off the ground. Drew attests to catalyze a terrific sum of excitement for the complete cast of characters implicated in this frisky antic.

Lastly, we have the dreamboat film maker, Kale, who flounces her off feet in seventh heaven with nights of continual lust-making. She fixes on she needs to get him to be her boyfriend so that he will aid her in the show industry. He finally concurs to provide her the big break that she has been looking for but, Brea can't defy her pull to Drew and she at last gets intimate with him also. But it comes at a worth she did not take in she would have to shell out.

Brea’s feminine associates include a go-getting, good-looking, reliable lesbian Latina, Maya, who endow with support, shield and guidance to her. Conversely, Maya become flabbergasted and detest over a selection Brea makes at the culmination leaving her in an existential predicament. As you would expect, the blend of these characters is a cataclysm in the offing to ensue and whilst her sagas ram, existence truly gets knotty.

Akin to a lot of anecdotes, the plot is loaded with passionate meetings where Brea without stinting divulges to amorous passion with a few sizzling and clammy encounters. In her hunt for adore and accomplishment in the writing trade, Brea risibly and lusciously sheds ethical charade yet as we gather she is not fully devoid of ethics. Her work in a costume store presents a fine covenant of wit flouting up equally the sexy and more somber elements of the stratagem with simplicity and let the author’s sense of humor to stand out.

Not only does the characters network well with one another, which the author attests through masterful character development while impelling us into the capricious world of convolutions of zealous eminence, vocation, cavernous adore and at times fully dysfunctional associations with witty discourses and vistas of sex and relationship that brings the characters right in abut of the readers which you can't help but find it all entertaining and teasing.

One way the author hooks the readers with her dialogue is by being straight and using ambler lingo. The flamboyant metaphors bring the characters to life while not taking herself so fatally. She has fun with Brea, and does a super job of letting the reader to trip along with Brea as she jig into verve whilst getting slightly muddled along the way and budges the readers at a nippy cadence from one affair to a new, from one notion to one more and from one snappy chat to a different.

Women all over can relate to her on some level and see and experience things that most women think but rarely admit. She is true, capricious, altruistic, at times picky and well sentient of her blemishes, which makes her all the more amiable. There are instants where she is susceptible and other minutes where she is burly.

The commentary is lighthearted, amusing, addictive, teasing, sardonic, and very invigorating and one can effortlessly feel Brea’s clashes and impasses at the exact instants. The discourse is beguiling yet true, which the author uses to bring more intensity to her characters than at first meets the eye.

On the whole, the order captures Brea's tests and troubles in a manly subjugated planet, while making fine use of her good looks and elegance. Triumph arrives at a cost, but Brea's candour in discourse lets slip her inexorable craving to thrive and uncover bliss in Hollywood's illusive globe that needs to be restrained by a dogged lass like her. In today's age of reading it is all about the characters and plot, and this volume has what it takes to charm the reader into the world of Brea.

Everyone adores an engaging break away from for a while tale and that is closely what the narrative is. In a planet where trade and expert positions are fuzzy, this narrative is more than aptly posh, and there’s by no means a dreary minute. This tome is amusing and pleasant and is intriguing to comprehend the incidents of this character, and there is a great deal to adore.

Not only is this infinitely entertaining escapade worthy of rapt attention, it is also worthy of tremendous praise. Michelle’s opening work of fiction is delectably candid and has transfigured quixotic writing and taken it to fresh pinnacles with this gripping character cram.

Rumbling the impudent eroticism and the amusement part, the novel is an exertion of modern legend to be laudable of gripped interest and tenders a titillating indulgence which is histrionically ordained for conventional demand.

Read the original review by clicking here.

If you would like a copy of California Girl Chronicles, purchase on Amazon today. If you would like to order from the 3L Publishing website go to www.3LPublishing.com and click on the book cover or Books. It is also available on Kindle, Nook and iBook. It releases to the bookstores in March.

More Vamp Time = More Alexander Skarsgård Time on True Blood

2012-02-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

Just got a notice in on a great spoiler alert that Season 5 of my all-time favorite vamp series True Blood will focus more on the vamps! Well good thing! I was starting to think they should call it True Witch Craft or True Maenads or whatever. Too much time got spent on the oh-so-whiney and not-very-interesting Marnie, the disenfranchised witch and memory stealer. So glad she's gone! Who liked her anyway? She wasn't even a sexy witch like Samantha! Somebody said she was supposed to be a woman in her forties. Hey people! I'm in my forties, and I thought Marnie looked more like she was pushing 60. Just my opinion anyway. So, back to the vamps! Yes, Alan Ball is giving us some much-needed vamp time, and I am absolutely positive that newly turned baby vamp Steve Newlin is sure to stir up loads of trouble. I can imagine he'll be all icky sweet topped with a heaping of hateful and vicious. He was a big hater before now imagine what he'll do as a self-empowered vamp on a rampage. Yeah bring it on. And let's not forget something else that is WAY more important. More vamp time = more Alexander Skarsgård aka Eric Northman, my all-time favorite vamp, period. Now Alan Ball, if you're listening, don't you go skimping on our Eric time in favor of too many new and unfamiliar faces. Your fans like a little spice every now and again, but "old" spice works just fine, too. Every scene Eric Northman inhabits is a scene worth watching! Just saying. So let's bring on some good old-fashioned blood-sucking fun!!

Vampire Diaries vs. True Blood Nude Cover Wars! REALLY!!!

2012-02-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

All right here is the last word on sex and nudity (love my fierce passion, here or what). No one ever again gets to complain to me about the "written sex" scenes in my book California Girl Chronicles when we live in a media-saturated world where Vampire Diaries and True Blood compete for "best nude" covers!!! I mean come on folks! I've had a couple of mainstream reviewers flip over the sex in my book yet I routinely get stuff like this sent in my Google Alerts where the stars of major TV shows have stripped for mass consumption. Seriously! You can't possibly whine to me about written tasteful sex and then secretly go view what is nothing more than "sanctioned" mainstream porn. Look, I'm okay with the nude cover wars. You know gorgeous people naked never hurt anyone. All I'm saying is why get all uptight about written sex scenes done so tastefully and refuse to review the book, that's all. If we can compete to see which star looks better naked then I just don't want to hear about my book's sex anymore. I mean come on ... you're not even getting a visual ... yet (wink and a smile). And that's another just saying ... :).

Strange Tales from Tinsel Town

2012-02-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

I will dish on the Valentine Oscar party over the next few days. In the meantime, I had just a crazy time when I first arrived in town to promote California Girl Chronicles. My production partner Sonya Fisher and I spent the first day working and running errands to prepare for the party. It was that evening when the bad customer service stories from hell began. And if you are a business owner, please take these stories to heart. So, I'm going to give you a breakdown of the amusement.

Asleep on the Job (REALLY) -- we pulled up to the Good Urth Cafe in West Hollywood. Parking was a pain and we were famished. So I made the "executive decision" to valet park. I pulled up and we looked around ... where was the valet attendant? We were confused. We looked over and we saw a guy in chair with his head down and eyes closed. The attendant was asleep on the job. We couldn't help but bust up. It was absolutely priceless. He awoke and fumbled around and parked our car -- mission accomplished.

You Clean Up? We were then in the Good Urth Cafe. I ordered a tangy tuna fish sandwich, and we were happily chatting. The cutest little girl was sitting next to us, drinking a green tea concoction with blueberries. Although the mom had ordered a to-go cup, the waiter brought out a huge, slippery glass. You know where this is going, right? On the floor, of course. Crash! Green liquid flies. Sonya and I get up to help. Sonya goes over to get the busboy to bring over a mop. The busboy hands her a rag and says, "You do." What! First, not our kid. Second, not our job. Third, hilarious!

They stole my car! We went outside to get our car. The valet has now abandoned his post. I drove so I'm thinking, "Hell, they stole my car. I'm in LA without transportation." Sonya finally relents and goes into the cafe, and guess where the valet is? In the cafe, of course. He comes out and rather sheepishly hands me my keys. Well, at least my car wasn't stolen.

FedEx from Hell. Then we go to the FedEx to get copies of my media kit made for California Girl Chronicles. We stand there and ask for their email address to send the PDF. We send it. They claim it takes 20 minutes for it to load on their computer. Wow! That's one slow computer. We stand around, laughing over the absurd situation as people go in ahead of us. Finally, we ask, "Is it there?" "No." We resend and resend and resend and the answer remains, "No." We're frustrated and tell the gal it's showing up as spam. She suggests we go to their Internet station and download form my Gmail. Good grief! Now I have to pay to download it. We finally got it done! Finally!!!

Bad customer service = We need a big ole drink! And off we went to just marvel out our experiences!!

Oscar Party and California Girl Chronicles

2012-02-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

I had a table at the Valentine's Oscar Party, and I met so many celebrities I don't know where to begin. First and foremost, the buzz around my book California Girl Chronicles was absolutely amazing. Many people told me they already heard about the book, which is totally crazy. We gave out about 100 copies to some very excited celebrities who were escorted through the room. Highlights include meeting Eric Roberts and his completely amazing wife Eliza, who was so gracious and lovely she offered to help promote the book to her producer friend and help with an agent. She was just a doll, and she even sent out thank you notes to those who gave her gifts. For his part, I thought Eric was funny, witty and outgoing and posed for pictures with the book in hand. Other highlights included meeting the incomparable Dee Wallace, Chris O'Donnell, Sean Kanan, Judd Nelson, and Louis Gossett JR. Everyone I met was enthusiastic about the book and so helpful and lovely. What a day! To top it off, we met with Jeff Cohen, a former Lion's Gate executive, and a writer and producer who really was delightful. He offered so much advice and help, and he further helped by saying he would give it to his agent (a very big name). He was also so insightful and completely understood my heroine Brea Harper. He has volunteered to be a story editor on the series Bible and help us move forward. He really was a great guy. We talked "shopped" and it was fun. I also got amazing media coverage and did several interviews. It was probably the best networking day, period. We had many professional pictures taken that I will post soon.

California Girl Chronicles: Sex! Sex! Sex! Not Enough Sex or Too Much Sex

2012-02-06T09:40:00.000-08:00

The first book review of California Girl Chronicles, the SF Book Reviewer writer suggested the book didn't contain long enough passages on the sex. Another book reviewer for a major blog site rejected the book because of (you guessed it) the sex. Today's book reviewer from Book Blurb suggested there was too much sex and it got boring. I am so laughing and shrugging. I am now wondering is there a magical sex-writing formula or a class I missed on writing about sex? Where exactly is the middle ground? Too much, too little, too late ... you name it I can't beat it. Another friend of mine said she wished the sex were more graphic. Okay, too much, too little, too late and not enough throw-down. Got it.

Here is the bottom line: we are a culture obsessed with sex yet at the same time repressed about it, too. Most reviewers, who will actually review the book at all, inevitably bring up the issue of the sex in the book. Each has his/her perspective on the subject, and each has a different perspective. Other reviewers simply won't touch the book, because the sex is offensive to them or makes them uncomfortable. As the writer, I created a sexually empowered character. She is comfortable with her sexuality. I wanted a character who is female to be comfortable with her sexuality and not repressed or obsessed. She admits to enjoying it. Men admit this all of the time without much fanfare over the revelation. When a woman admits it certain segments of the audience assign morality to the issue. Men I've spoken to have called her "slutty" or a "bimbo". She's neither ... she just misguided at times over her relationships with men. But I don't want to tell you what to think about Brea. I will let you decide on your own. In the meantime, I will also keep shrugging over the conflicting critics about the sexual nature of the book. You know you can't beat 'em. So shrug!

Book Review: California Girl Chronicles Reviewed by Glenna Christianson

2012-02-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

OK, I admit that I wasn't too sure about this book from the start. The phrase "California Girl" brings to mind the girl that stars in all the dumb blond jokes. It looked like the stereotypical chick lit that I usually dislike, but I was ready for a change of pace and the book didn't look too long. I really wasn't expecting much ...

By page 50 I was hooked!

Brea , the California girl, is the main character. She sees nothing wrong with multiple sexual partners with no safe sex in sight. I was prepared to dislike her from the start. But, she really evolves into a likable character. She is sweet and has good intentions, although she doesn't seem to anticipate the consequences of some of her decisions. Before long I was are cheering her on and hoping that she would make the right choices. Which she usually didn't. Brea is definitely flawed, but not especially dumb. The author, Michelle Gamble-Risley, has captured that period of time that we all look back on and ask, "What the #$*! was I thinking?"

Warning: This book is definitely not a "G" rated book. It has graphic naughty bits, and as I mentioned above, multiple partners. I didn't find them offensive, but others might. These scenes were well written, but seemed to lack something. Brea is pretty willing to jump into bed on the first date. The sex became a bit boring after awhile. I think that delaying the sex scenes and letting the sexual tension build might have made it more interesting.

That is really my only criticism of this book. It is a fun, fast read that is very entertaining. The book ends in a huge cliff hanger. Thankfully, the first chapter of the next book is included. Once again, Brea has some decisions to make ... I will be watching for the next book in this series. I can't wait to see what kind of trouble Brea gets into next!

Thanks to 3L Publishing and the author for allowing me to read and review this book.

Read the full review on the Book Blurb blog.

From Sam Worthington as Jake to Alexander Skarsgård as Eric Northman, My Heroes

2012-02-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

We all have favorite movies and heroes and heroines. When I fall in love with a hero or heroine in a well-done movie or series, I am rabid in my attention to how they're written and their character arcs, flaws and everything in between. As a writer, I always tell other writers there is no better way to hone your craft then to pay attention to the work of other writers you admire. Today we're going to focus on my favorite heroes and why I love them.

Jake, Avatar -- Avatar has been replaying on HBO. I forgot how much I love this James Cameron movie. I am beyond impressed with the technological innovations and CGI that made this movie so clearly otherworldly. In fact, I can't believe the incredible level of detail Cameron provides on the planet Pandora. I truly believe he had a genius vision or astro-traveled to this world. For those who don't believe in such things, well, oh well. I do. Anyway, don't let me digress. The character of Jake is so well crafted and interesting that I totally fell in love with him. His multiple layers of sensitivity combined with fierce passion and bravery and even tenderness. I had seen Sam Worthington in the last installment of the Terminator film, but it was his portrayal of Jake that melted my heart. And when you consider he must emote through CGI, you should be even more impressed. I'm sure most of you have seen Avatar, and I am hoping we get a second installment soon. It's on my list of all-time favorites.

Maximus Aurelius, Gladiator -- This film was one of the first action movies that I obsessed in spades over. I can still watch it today and enjoy it. They say it was Russell Crowe's big star turn, and that you can literally watch through his performance his star rise. I would have to agree. I saw Crowe in other roles previous to this film, but he wasn't quite as memorable to watch. When he weeps over the loss of his family, he shows no vanity just pure emotion and grief. Crowe even lets the snot fly and doesn't care a lick. He is then somewhat broken and grief-stricken on so many levels. He's lost everything and told to fight for his life. He's almost lost all passion and zest when he realizes that if he keeps "slaying those dragons," he will be able to bring down his Nemesis, the new Cesar, who he knows took his own father's life (and Maximus' surrogate father) in order to seize power. CGI has come a long ways since this film was made, but you still don't see any flaws in the old technology. It's beautifully scripted, filmed and acted. It stands as a classic film work, and Crowe, in my opinion, never shined brighter.

Eric Northman, True Blood -- Sooner or later, I will turn my attention to another hero to marvel over, but my hero du jour continues to be Eric Northman. He is not the villain we thought in Season 1, and he got so much more interesting in Seasons 3 and 4. Eric Northman wields power and authority with a quiet and often ferocious demeanor, but as you go along you realize the vampire you thought was the villain contains far more shades of grey and white then black. In fact, while Bill Compton was positioned as our resident good guy in the first season, the more we go along the less good Bill looks and the less bad Eric seems. Eric for all of his nasty flaws, smug responses and knowing smirks is a terrible liar (unlike Bill), is fiercely loyal to Pam and Sookie (and Godric) and feels very protective and loving. You see those shades of black lightening up more and more. When he loses his memory in Season 4, what we see is the unvarnished good Eric that is not tainted by a 1,000 years of memories. He is open, loving and caring, and we grow to love him even more. It will be very interesting to see what turn Eric Northman takes this summer in Season 5.

My Favorite Things

2012-02-04T10:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm going to be all "Oprah-like" (without the free giveaways LOL) and share my favorite things so maybe they will become your favorite things. Here we go.

Pandora Radio -- I adore Pandora. I pay the extra $30 a year for unlimited listening. I have my channels, and I listen to it almost all day long on my computer while I work. You customize specific channels by artist, and then the "music genome" project sorts by style and creates a channel loaded with similar music. It also connects to artist information and background and tells you albums, lyrics and titles so you can link over to Amazon to buy your favorites. You don't have to pay anything if you don't want to. It's FREE, but if you listen for FREE you are limited in time you are allowed to listen each month.

My True Blood DVD Collection, Season 1, 2 and 3 -- I am sure you wouldn't be surprised I own all of the box sets of my favorite show. I listen to show commentaries and enjoy the bonus features. You cannot be a Truebie (and if you don't know what is a Trubie then you're not a real "fan") and not own the collection. My personal favorite is Season 3. I like parts of Season 2 and when Season 4 comes out, I will like parts of it, too. I also like that I can watch reruns whenever I can't find anything else to watch.

White House Black Market -- Yes, I would say it's safe to say 80 percent of my wardrobe comes from White House Black Market. They dress professional women with a nice added edginess that keeps my wardrobe fresh and exciting. I don't want to blend into the background with boring clothes. I love their clothes, shoes and accessories. And each season they introduce their "splash" color so my wardrobe isn't strictly white and black. I've been photographed in their clothes in my media interviews to no end. I love this store.

HARO or Help a Reporter Out -- Adore HARO! I have used HARO in so many ways to enhance my business. I have responded to major queries from the likes of Success Magazine and got featured from it. I responded to Elle, Redbook and dozens of others to be feature, too. It's another FREE service in which queries land right in your in-box once you sign up. I have also put out queries for books and radio show guest and been pleased with the tremendous response. Gotta love HARO.

True Blood: It's the Fangs You Stupid Idiot

2012-02-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

My court of last resort when nothing is on TV is to now play around on You Tube. Last night I found some spoilers and information on True Blood's upcoming Season Five. This so-called trailer cracked me up. "Why do we all talk like this?" "It's the fangs you stupid idiot!" I've heard numerous times, the actors in the commentaries say it takes practice to talk with those fangs in their mouths. Thus, this trailer had particular relevance. So click here and laugh. It's Friday! I have to make you laugh.

Three Myths About Being an Entrepreneur

2012-02-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

Myth #1 -- We are rich with endless buckets of cash -- Yes, being an entrepreneur you can definitely make more money than if you work for someone else. The truth is you have more ups and downs. Sometimes you have more work and sometimes less work. The trick, of course, is to budget and prepare for either the up or the down. While I might have a very good month the following month might be much tighter. So, I try to set aside cash to compensate. The best way to manage the fluctuation is to set up a budget and if you do have a great month, give yourself a reward to celebrate and then put the rest away for the next month (just in case). And the risk is all mine. When clients fail to pay their bills, it is not my staff who takes the brunt of non-payment. If a project takes a financial hit, I personally take the hit. The reverse, when a project is profitable I get to enjoy those profits.

Myth #2 -- Your staff does all of the work while you sit in your big, black executive chair and issue orders -- I don't know about the rest of you, but I probably work harder than anyone on my team. The clock strikes 5:00 p.m. and my day is nowhere near over. I work with people in different time zones. For example, last night I had a conference call until 6:30 p.m. I can't tell you how many countless evenings I've spent eating lunch AND dinner at my desk. I work at least three weekends out of the month just to stay ahead. I don't take endless vacations (another myth). In fact, when I worked in corporate I had more time off then I do now. I used to take two two-week vacations per year. Now I'm lucky if I get a week in. Don't get me wrong. I would never trade it. The freedom to decide if I do or do not want time off is worth all of the weekends given up. And when I used to put nasty hours in at corporate, I was on salary and never got rewarded.

Myth #3 -- It's hard to be an entrepreneur -- Yes, sometimes it's hard. The cheese stands alone, absolutely. I love the freedom. I love the sense of independence. I love deciding on my own and applying my own judgment to decision-making and leadership. The very thought of someone else telling me what to do now is just a turn-off. Yes, I've been sullied and ruined for the corporate world. No other CEO would want to tolerate my rebellious streak. In my opinion, there is no other way to make a living. I highly recommend it.

California Girl Chronicles: Dress Skimpy

2012-02-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

California Girl Chronicles is now available in eBook, including Kindle, Nook and iBook. If you enjoy this excerpt and would like a copy, go to Amazon and download the eBook or you can buy the printed copy. Below is an excerpt from Brea and the City of Plastic. Our heroine is demoralized and forced to work in a bikini shop ...

I had pounded the pavement for a professional job at a magazine or newspaper, but with the recession I knew I would have to take a temporary job. I had to make ends meet and get out of the apartment with Lance. This led to an interview with a bikini boutique in Santa Monica, called Teenie’s Bikinis. I used GPS and found myself walking into the door of a store no wider than a hallway with multi- and bright-colored bikinis loaded up and down all the walls clear up to the ceiling. The register was in the very back of the store. I spotted a girl with orange hair, red-framed glasses that clashed with her orange hair, and a mouthful of blue bubblegum. She smiled so brightly at me with this cheerfulness that seemed nearly phony but it wasn’t at all fake.

She stepped forward and extended her hand. “I’m Letty, Letty Spaghetti – my stage name,” she grinned guilelessly unaware of how ridiculous that name sounded. “You know, Leticia Johnson wasn’t half as interesting. You must be Brea Harper. Good to meet you,” she paused. “You in the business too?”

“Sort of,” I admitted with a shrug. “I’m a screenwriter, well, one day but no professional jobs yet.”

“Good God sweetie,” she groaned. “Everyone in this town either acts or has a script.”

She wasn’t rude about it – just matter of fact, which I figured was just the way it was around LA. A bunch of actors, directors, and writers all wanting into this exclusive “club” that I already knew had its challenges. Letty seemed unfazed by this stark reality. She handed me an application.

“You can fill that out over there,” she pointed to a little chair and table in a room right behind her. It was filled with stacks of boxes shoved right up against the table that also had a computer, an old-fashioned calculator and some paper on it.

“All right,” I replied and slipped into the back with my application in hand.

I filled it out. The usual stuff: name, address, and previous jobs. I finished and looked at my overqualified answers for a simple job as a cashier in a bikini shop. I sighed, got up, and handed it back to Letty. She didn’t really look at it. She grinned at me with this wide-eyed look and sweet sparkle. She popped her gum and said, “You’re real pretty,” and with that statement she reached back, grabbed something, and threw it at me.

I unexpectedly caught a tiny pink bikini and looked at it. Letty, who immediately popped her gum and grinned, said, “Try it on.” I was taken aback. Was this part of the interview? I had a “banging” body so whatever. I slid into the tiny closet of a dressing room and moments later slid out.

Letty cackled in delight. “You’re hired,” she cried with pure glee and blew a blue bubble that popped, and then she slid her gum seamlessly back into her mouth. “Be here noon, Monday through Friday and half days on Saturday, all right?”

I liked the schedule. I could work on my screenplay in the mornings or find another job. “Sure,” I replied.

Letty eagerly nodded and said, “And don’t forget your ‘soc’ card, cause we only hire legals.”

I quizzically looked at her. “Do I look illegal?”

“Nope, not unless you’re from Sweden,” she laughed. “Are you?” she asked suddenly quite serious.

“Um no!” I replied.

“Oh, good! Then see you tomorrow at noon. Oh, and dress skimpy!”

Spoof Site Announces Alexander Skarsgard and God Odin - Fake Out!

2012-02-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a spoof website announced that my favorite actor Alexander Skarsgard had won the part of the God Odin in the Twilight Saga. Now I should have known immediately it was a "fake-out" when they included an over-buff picture of some Viking guy with Skarsgard's name in the caption. I frowned at it. I also should have known it was preposterous because I once heard Skarsgard "sort of" mock the Twilight guys when he raised his voice to a sing-song level when an interviewer was asking him a comparison between Twilight and True Blood vampires. It wasn't so much that he was mocking Twilight as much as he was sort of imitating the interviewer. I don't know if it revealed his feelings about the series or not, but it was funny. Anyway, back to the spoof. I kept reading and toward the bottom, it also had a parody of the supposed director, who rudely said something to the interviewer about going back to his/her chasing of political candidates.

I have to tell you the spoof worked for like two minutes. Although I was scratching my head over the weird picture and the printing of the rude comment. Turns out, it was a mocking gesture. Not totally sure what was the point of the mocking. I did for a moment think, "Well, I'll see him in the movie with my teenage son who likes Twilight." I personally would only watch Twilight movies only to appease my son. I am no fan of the series. I don't care for the Stephenie Meyer's novels either. I am the wrong demographic ;), which is a nice way of saying I'm not a tween, teen or young adult. And sorry, but while I enjoy Charlaine Harris' work (about 50% of it), I just don't admire anything in Meyer's writing. And this is why it also didn't make sense to me that the mature Skarsgard, who has made a point of pursuing really good film work, would audition for Twilight in the first place. Could be wrong ... but just saying! You never know, though, because I really don't know what I'm talking about LOL. Maybe he will be a Viking God in Twilight or something else. I read he had a Viking film optioned by Warner Bros. so you never know!

Generation Kill vs. Full Metal Jacket: A Look at Modern Storytelling

2012-01-31T09:08:00.000-08:00

I own the box set of Generation Kill, and it's one of my favorite all-time war series/movies. I'm not girly in that I have always been interested in history and war films. I watched with great interest the HBO mini-series The Pacific and Band of Brothers. In fact, if I were to compile a list of my all-time favorite shows, Band of Brothers and Generation Kill would probably make the list. The other day, I happened to catch an old favorite I watched many years ago, Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket. I remember when I watched it for the first time how intense and enthralling it was. I remember the scene where they photographed the dead body sitting in the chair just how upsetting that was to watch. Then at the end when Matthew Modine's Joker performs an act of mercy and kills the sniper how absolutely unsettling it was to watch such violence. Now fast forward to the 21st century. I was re-watching Full Metal Jacket and it hit me. After watching all of the gore and violence and realism of Generation Kill, this older film didn't even resonate the same way. The up-close and personal reality depicted in Generation Kill made Full Metal Jacket look staged and fictional. Generation Kill is so gritty, they didn't even include a soundtrack, and it has a documentary style about it. So going back and reviewing and older classic like Full Metal Jacket just amplified the feeling of it being a scripted movie. Also, modern film is so much more violent, gory and realistic that it made this classic film seem almost hokey. What does this say about modern storytelling and violence? It's a good question. Think about it? When First Recon's lead team drives over a decapitated body in the road and Joker shoots a sniper in the head (we presume in the head), what seems more realistic? Nothing in Generation Kill is varnished down to the naked Iraqis surrendering in the road. We see full nudity, because that is real and truthful. We don't have music to manipulate our emotions in Generation Kill either whereas Full Metal Jacket's soundtrack (which is fantastic) is all about loading our emotions. It's kind of interesting to compare the two and think about it, especially as a modern storyteller.

Funny Excerpt: California Girl Chronicles: "I'm a man now!"

2012-01-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: the following passage has some profane language. Reader discretion is advised. This excerpt is from California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic. It is available for sale on Amazon or the 3L Publishing website.

He fell back on the bed. We both lay together and tried to recover from such a powerful physical act. He turned his head to face me. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and said, “Fucking wow! What the fuck was that?”

“I think that was the best sex I’ve ever had,” I replied and reached across to wipe the sweat off his brow.

This suggestion seemed to intrigue him. He looked at me with this strange grin and replied, “Really? You? Me?”

I sighed, leaned into him, kissed his lips, and replied, “Quite right.”

“All right, look at me. I’m a man now,” he declared facetiously. “Sweetheart, you made me a man. I think … no, I know, I have superpowers too. See what you did! Now I’ll have to save the world or something. Or just make a movie about it.”

“I’ll write it for you,” I replied, smiled, and kissed him.

Kale’s eyes light up. He liked that idea. “I think so. Yes, we’ll remake Superman for the 100^th time. No, wait! Spiderman … again. Or no, Batman! Yeah, Batman and Brea – that has a nice ring too it.” He put his head back on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. My producer and lover looked quit self-satisfied.

I threw a pillow at him. “Don’t look so smug!” I cried.

Kale sat up, grabbed me by the waist, and hoisted me up onto his waist. He smiled so brightly at me. He really looked so happy. His happiness was catching, and I realized for the first time in a long time I felt great. I leaned over, kissed him again, and quietly whispered, “Thank you.”

“For what? Fucking your incredible body? Sweetheart, I would do that anytime,” he said and then realized I wasn’t kidding. He became serious, touched my cheek, blinked in recognition of my genuine feelings, and pulled me in for a tender kiss. The rest of the night we fucked just that passionately another five times. I came every single time. And for the record, it was the best sex I ever had.

Funny Excerpt: We're All Dead: Beauty and the Lame-ass

2012-01-29T17:54:00.000-08:00

This excerpt comes from the forthcoming book, We're All Dead due out in spring 2012. This little scene happens after our heroine Cookie Gingerbreadhouse escapes the deadly clutches of General Wilhelm, the necromancer lord and ends up in the company of the vampire king's "lesser" twin brother Lt. Colburn. Have fun!

As I was walking along, I saw a poster in the window of another storefront. It was like one of those old Army posters that said stuff like “Uncle Sam Wants You”. This poster read: Resist! There was a phone number. It occurred to me this might be associated with the resistance. Now I needed a smart phone. I felt certain this was the group I needed to contact to find Jellybean. Then I felt a hard blow on the back of my head. Someone had thrown something at my head. I rubbed my head and turned around. It was a vampire. I could tell by his white pallor. The minute I turned around, his fangs popped out and he circled around me.

“What are you?” he said and smelled. “You’re not human.”

“Who the heck are you?” I cried still rubbing my head.

“Oh, sorry, I’m Lt. Colburn, brother to the vampire king. Now what are you?”

I squinted to get a better look. He was kind of regal and handsome with blond hair and soulful blue-green eyes. He was also very tall and towered over me like a solid oak tree. “I-I’m, ugh, a zombie,” I said reluctantly.

Lt. Colburn’s eyes grew large and he moved in very close to smell me. “Why do you not smell nasty and stinky? You smell like … formaldehyde or something else … something strangely sweet… grapey. And-and you’re so pretty! Zombies are ugly, decayed pieces of shit. You’re no zombie that’s for sure.”

I sighed and shook my head and said, “Unfortunately, I am. Somebody ‘zombie-fied’ me against my will.”

Lt. Colburn reached out and touched my blond hair and let it fall between his fingers. He was utterly enchanted and reached out to touch me, but I flinched away. “Hey!” I cried. “I’m not a toy,” I protested against the unwanted touching.

Lt. Colburn started laughing kind of like an idiot. He grabbed me and pushed me forward. “Oh, this is too good,” he snickered.

“What are you talking about?”

“You,” he replied still snickering and pushed me forward.

“Where are we going?” I protested.

“To my brother’s titty bar,” he replied.

“What? No, I …” I cried as he just kept pushing me forward to walk. “Hey, stop pushing all right. I can walk on my own. And why don’t you just pick me up and we can fly?” I asked.

“Um, well, fuck! I’m not a very good flyer,” he replied sheepishly.

“Oh, aren’t we just a pair,” I said rather sarcastically. “Beauty and the lame-ass.”

Frozen is a "Solid," Little Film

2012-01-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

A skier's worst nightmare.

Every once in a while I stumble on something interesting while channel surfing. Last night, I was flipping through the premium channels and came across this little movie titled Frozen. It was slotted in the "horror" category, but when it said horror, what it really meant was horrific nightmare. Frozen is not a horror film like Scream. It's what they call in screenwriting, one of the premises that would fall under "your worst nightmare." Here is what impressed me most about three young people who find themselves stuck on a ski lift all alone on the mountain, the low production value. This well-done, little film didn't involve much in terms of budget. I would imagine a great deal of it was either filmed on an actual chair lift or sound stage. They probably rented a small ski resort for a few days. The acting at times got a little cloying, but I'm going to give this one three stars for its simplicity and tension being built around being stuck on a simple chair lift. The three young people get stuck on the chair lift and end up spending the night and so the story goes. Throw in some hungry wolves and you really have a serious problem. Now note to the screenwriters, you were a little on the nose with the foreshadowing when the kids start talking about their most dreaded ways to die and Jaws. We could have scooted around that discussion, because you pretty much gave it away. Other than that flaw, I enjoyed a tense diversion into a skier's worst nightmare. It's playing on Encore right now. So, see if you can find it. Frozen stars Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell and Kevin Zegers.

Jensen Ackles vs. Alexander Skarsgard ... Really?

2012-01-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

Fan sites absolutely and without a doubt just give me nothing but utter smiles. Now we have a poll, yes another infamous poll, asking whether Jensen Ackles from Supernatural could beat Alexander Skarsgard from True Blood in a fight. Jensen is winning our vampire Viking by a serious margin. I have to tell you, I only find these little gems that make me laugh every time, because of my Google Alerts. I don't go out surfing to find them. I'm not amazed that someone made this up on a fan site. You see all sorts of different things on fan sites. Don't get me started on what people do on fan sites that would astound and boggle your mind. It's the rabid outcry and response in the comments by the other fans. Wow! And double wow! People take their characters soooooo seriously. Oh, the furious scorn and outrage if you even remotely say one, little unpopular comment. It's utterly crazy to me fans get this, well, "into" it. I even sat down the other day, and a girl started talking to me about my heroine Brea Harper from California Girl Chronicles as if she were her nearest and dearest. As the author, I found myself in Bizarro world. I didn't know what to say. A big part of me wanted to say, "You know she's not real, right?" Oh, a fine line seems to exist between the real and the imagined. In the meantime, while you're all taking a poll about whether or not Ackles could kick Skarsgard's cold, dead butt? Here's a real-life fact? Anyone ever notice that the person, the real guy, Skarsgard is like 6 feet 4 inches and built like a solid tree? Did you see him in Strawdogs where he picked and threw James Marsden like a twig against the wall? I'm going to put a hefty wager that one would NOT want to pick any kind of a fight with Mr. Skarsgard. I'm pretty sure that's a losing proposition. Just saying!!

A Feast of Alexander Skarsgard's, A-Hem, Eric Northman's Backside

2012-01-28T10:29:00.000-08:00

Eric Northman and Sookie in Season 3.

This blog gives a really great rundown of all of the scenes in which our Viking vampire exposes his derriere. I read the well-documented times Eric Northman gives a visual feast on his rear-end and started laughing. I don't think the writer meant it to be funny, but come on. You're documenting butt shots. Alexander Skarsgard seems to have absolutely zero qualms about giving us a feast of butt shots to choose from. I didn't post him from behind, because I have taken a vow not show naked shots on my blog LOL. But I have no problem giving you a nice look at that sublime body (Yum). Oh yeah, and my favorite female character Sookie is here, too. Go read the other blog, though, if you're a Skarsgard naked fan! It's very entertaining, I promise. I do have to say in some respects I admire a guy who can disrobe on cue and have absolutely nothing on it. Of course, this coming from the mouth of a woman who writes sexy scenes in her book California Girl Chronicles. I don't post the sexy excerpts (mature audience stuff and I don't know who exactly reads this blog), but if you want to read some steamy fun, my book is for you ;).

California Girl Chronicles, Book 1, Second Edition Additions

2012-01-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

Readers of the first print run of California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic missed out. When I did the second print run, I rewrote and added a lot of new material. Some of it was to provide more character development and some of it was to develop relationships a little deeper. The reviewers, and we've had over 20 requests to review the book in the last two weeks, are seeing the new edition. So, here on the blog I'm going to pull some relevant excerpts from the new edition to give you a peek at what you didn't get to read. The following is the revised scene when Brea first meets our kind and loving producer, Kale.

I smiled and slinked by him just enough that he could feel my energy but far enough that we didn’t touch. I sensed his smile, turned, and grinned back. As I walked into the lounge area, I heard Drew’s band already playing. I decided to find an open stool at the bar and just hang back until he finished. Fortunately, a guy already drunk got up, or more like fell off, and weaved unsteadily toward the bathroom. I swiftly grabbed the stool, slid up, and could see Drew already at the microphone. I saw his eyes move my way, and he stared right back just for a moment. Then he drifted off into the song. Before I could order, a lemon drop was plunged in front of me by a cute guy sitting to my left. He was smoking a cigar and wafts of smoke twirled up into the air. He exuberantly grinned at me. “I bought you a drink,” he said with a wide smile that exposed perfectly white, straight teeth. He had one of those vivacious, electric smiles that you wanted to see on his face all of the time. It was sweet, genuine and nice. I found his smile very attractive, and I immediately warmed toward him.

“Oh, how did you know I wanted a lemon drop?” I asked with true surprise. It was my favorite drink.

“Girlie drink,” he replied with that same electric smile. “My name is Kale. I produce movies.”

I turned a bit and looked at him. Only in Hollywood did people offer what they did at the same time that they introduced themselves. I marveled at the abrupt nature of his introduction that included his job title. “My name is Brea. I write movies,” a slight lie given that I hadn’t written anything, but when in Rome or Hollywood-land.

“Hello Brea who writes movies,” his voice sounded silky. He looked right at me and took in the measure of my form with one swift appraisal. “You look more like an actress, though. Have you thought about acting?” he asked.

“No, not interested,” I responded. “Tell me, Kale, how does one end up a producer?”

Kale took a sip of his whiskey, inhaled from his cigar, blew out smoke, which made me cough, and answered, “Family money and good taste in film … well, more like good instincts on what sells.”

He reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out a card. He flipped it over and handed it to me. “You’re much too pretty to hide behind the lens,” he complimented me and extended his card, which I took. “You really should act,” he said in his silky, sublime voice. The tone of his voice alone could have seduced me.

“No, not for me, but you’re sweet and thank you,” I replied.

Now I took in my own appraisal of him. He wore all black shirt and slacks. His dark blond hair was cut short and slicked back nicely with the perfect amount of hair product so it wasn’t greasy or pasty looking. I was extremely attracted to Kale and leaned in closer. He smelled natural and sweet. He had a genuinely pleasant nature. He seemed authentic and not phony like all the want-to-be actresses and actors in this bar who posed like models. He also gave me his full attention and looked me right in the eyes. He was very tall (my fetish for tall men again) somewhere around 6’ 4”. I could tell he was roughly this tall since his lean body did not fit well on the barstool designed for average-height people. While my feet didn’t touch the ground, and I had to tuck them under the stool, his long legs reached all the way down. Yet it was his eyes that just captivated me. His eyes were light blue-green and acted like reflections for his every emotion. When he smiled, his eyes sparkled and lit up. When he frowned, his eyes darkened and seemingly deepened. He could have been Svengali and used those translucent, clear eyes to hypnotize and lull me into his mind control. I was drawn into those endless eyes, and then I had to shake myself loose so I could pay attention to what he said. He was something if not rich as he had more than just said. I wasn’t into guys for money, though, so that was really only a checkmark on my list of good points – unemployment was on the low end of that scale.

Kale and I talked back and forth. He asked about my fake script. I adlibbed and told him it wasn’t ready to share, which seemed to satisfy him. I did tell him I was laid off. I explained how I ended up at the bikini place. He was amused by the idea that trying on a bikini landed me a job but said it didn’t surprise him with my looks. Before I realized it, Drew suddenly showed up. I hadn’t noticed his set ended. I had been too busy talking and staring at Kale. Drew just seemed to show up in the middle of our conversation. He stood there and looked right at me. It took me a moment to notice him, and then I did and laughed.

“Hey! Great set,” I smiled.

“Really? You blabbed at this guy the whole time,” he replied clearly annoyed.

“Jeez, Drew, whatever. Great job, and this guy’s name is Kale. Kale, Drew,” I replied.

“Hey man,” Kale said and extended his hand, which Drew shook and put his attention immediately back on me. A girl came up from behind Drew, and Drew wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She giggled and seemed pleased with the attention. “This is my girlfriend Amy,” he grinned in some strange triumphant way at me. “Amy, this is my friend Brea and Kale.”

“Hi,” she pleasantly replied, exposing her stained, crooked teeth.

She was much younger than Drew, maybe by two or three years, and her brown hair was long and cut around her ears almost like a mullet. She wore a too-small white tank and simple skinny, black jeans with red heels. Drew’s taste in trashy women again exposed. Well, I thought, if he had another girlfriend, why was he hovering over me and interrupting my conversation with Kale, a hot, interested and clearly available man? Once more, Drew managed to send off mixed signals.

“Well, you got a job, huh?” said Drew. “Where?”

“I told you. Teenie’s Bikinis? What do you care anyway?” I replied with my angst showing. I was weary of his odd attention. I was also aware of the young girl who hung on him and marked her territory. Drew’s odd interest in me made her insecure. She started kissing his neck and giggling into his ear. He smiled, turned, and kissed her, but he kept his eyes opened and looked right at me.

About that time, Kale caught on and grabbed my hand. “You want to dump this dive and head out for some real drinks somewhere else?” he asked with the same open smile.

I turned away from the spectacle in front of me. “Yes, that sounds great. Can you drive?” I asked.

“Sure,” and with that he stepped down from the barstool, and I followed suit.

Drew stepped back and let me pass. “Have fun,” he called after us.

When we got out front, the valet pulled up with Kale’s black convertible Mercedes. I smiled and realized he wasn’t putting me on about the money. I got in and was careful to keep my legs together to avoid pulling a Britney beaver shot.

As we pulled out, Kale adjusted the mirror and talked again. “What’s with band boy?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“What an ass,” he declared. “He interrupts us, stares at you, and then brings over the little girl with the bad teeth. What the hell was that about?”

“Who cares,” I shrugged and tried to play it off even though it bothered me too. I didn’t get it. Was I just some member of his harem or a good, reliable fan? I was too good to be his doting fan. I made a mental note not to show up at more of his concerts. And the girlfriend – what terrible taste in low-class women! If we were just friends, as he claimed, then why get territorial when I talked to another guy? Well, I figured tonight I wasn’t going to analyze it. Kale seemed really nice and very interesting. Attention was required to go toward him – this absolutely sexy, gorgeous man.

We had a wonderful nightcap at this bar with an outdoor patio. Kale mostly talked about the business and the movie his production company had under way. He didn’t share the particulars since it was confidential, but he said it was a $50-million film that would be finished in two years. He offered to have me come on set as an extra, which once more I declined. He was an intense guy, and he kept laser-beam energy on me all night. I didn’t tell him about Lance. I figured that information would be a major turnoff. I didn’t tell him that deep down I had feelings for Drew either. I just acted completely single and available.

“What do you like most about writing?” he asked.

“Escape,” I replied. “I like it when you’re not even in your own body anymore. You’re molding and shaping this story. I’m visual too. So it is almost like watching my movie on the screen in my head. It’s the great escape for me. I’m not worried or concerned about reality. I’m in an entirely other world. You know sometimes, it’s not that fun being me,” I admitted with a chuckle.

Kale cocked his head and looked at me with a frown, “How could it not be fun to be you? I can only imagine the kind of trouble you could get into. And now you live here?” he rolled his eyes and threw back the last sip of his merlot. “Just be careful. Most of the talented, creative people are fantastic. I love all of them. They are my second family. I’ve heard the stories, though. Don’t be fooled and check people out. This town is littered with pathological liars.”

I smiled at him. I had all sorts of hot feelings boiling over for him. He sounded protective and caring. I wanted a fresh start. And Kale could help me with my career. Kale was clearly attracted to me too. He never shifted his gaze off my eyes. He wasn’t just looking at my body. He was listening, hearing, absorbing, and responding like an admirer. He leaned in very close to me. His face was inches away. I could smell his peppermint breath mixed with a tinge of scotch. He stopped talking for a moment and just looked at me in silence. He held back his desire – it was written on his face. Yet he behaved like a gentlemen, which was honestly refreshing. At least he wasn’t going to piss in a drainage ditch right in front of me. By the way, despite some really nasty and rude behavior, I still just couldn’t help myself when it came to Drew. A guy normally takes a leak in front of me anyplace and that is a deal-breaker.

“Do you meet women who try to seduce you for jobs?” I asked and grinned. “You’re pretty hot. I can only imagine young actresses all over your shit.”

Kale frowned and replied, “That’s not how I roll, sweetheart. I respect women. My mother is a scientific genius who works as a professor at MIT. She raised me right. You don’t treat women like hamburger, and they won’t treat you like hotdog.”

“Hotdog?” I burst into laughter, which also made him laugh. I paused and asked, “Any brothers or sisters?”

“On my dad’s side. He divorced Mom after I was born. Dad loves kids. I have three half-brothers and a little half-sister.”

“Who’s got all the bank?” I asked mostly out of curiosity.

“Dad and Mom both,” he replied and motioned to the bartender for a refill. “Tell me, Brea,” he said my name with an emphasis on the “e” sound. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Yes, many,” I replied with a sly smile.

“A lover?” he asked and raised his left eyebrow.

This question begged for a seduction. I twisted to one side so that my crossed and extended leg could tap against his calf muscle. I slipped my shoe off and maneuvered my foot just under his pant leg until I found his hairy skin. I ran my toe up his leg a bit, leaned in very close, and said, “Do you want to be mine?” This gesture gave rise to an intense look of arousal. His mouth dropped open a little, he unconsciously licked his lips, and then gave me one of those wide, electric smiles.

He moved in just a little closer so our lips were nearly touching and coyly replied, “Maybe.”

This made my pulse quicken and my girl parts warm. I barely knew this man, and I had an urge to fuck him. I liked him, though, and tonight would not go that far. I pulled back, caught my breadth, and fanned myself right in front of him. “Umm, wow!” is all I could muster. Kale took another drink and looked very pleased with these results. He had just won my sexy game of mental chess. A woman full of nothing but words was now speechless and utterly turned on.

Later that night, Kale brought me back to my car. He pulled up and stared at me. Those clear eyes mesmerized me yet again. “You want to come to my office? Pitch your script?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah, great,” I responded immediately and realized I faced a serious problem without a real script or good idea to pitch. I didn’t want to tell him I was a colossal failure. A girl lured to Hollywood by stupid relationships with men who had just ended up working for a ridiculous bikini shop instead of a professional job. I could barely face those facts let alone admit it to anyone else including this hot producer with the great eyes and hair.

Then Kale decided to seduce me. He leveled his eyes on mine. He said nothing, and silence fell between us like a pregnant pause. He used this quiet and his desire to mentally pull me toward him. I did move to the middle of the car and prepared to feel those tulip-shaped lips on mine. Kale leaned over, took his time, and pulled me gently by the back of the neck toward him and into a slow, passionate kiss. His lips were warm and perfectly moist. He was a great kisser. It was one of those surprise kisses. You know the one where you think it will be nice yet there is something super sexy about it – the kind of kiss where you want to strip down right there and do it. He kissed me over and over then ever so slowly he used his tongue to sweetly, gently lick until I accepted it into my mouth. We kissed more passionately, and I was almost uncontrollably turned on. I could have kissed Kale for hours. And we lingered in that kiss. When he pulled away, he was breathless. His face was flushed red, and he sucked in air and released it like air out of a balloon. He pulled his emotions and desire back under control.

He turned and said, “You’re so sexy.” Then he ran his hand along the top of my arm, which made the hairs stand up. I smiled and realized I had better leave now before I wound up at his house in bed. I just nodded and replied, “Thank you for the drinks.”

The valet opened my door and off I went. Kale gazed at me, waited until I handed the valet my own keys, nodded, and drove off into the night. As I stood there, waiting for my little, inexpensive and less-sexy Corolla, I felt a twinge of lustful desire. I liked Kale. And now I really had a problem. Time to move.

My Two Favorite Fan Videos of Eric and Sookie

2012-01-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

In my insomniac hours, I like to surf around and use my Apple TV to find random and fun things to watch. I have discovered numerous fan videos of my two favorite characters Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse from True Blood. Here are those two video links. Out of literally dozens, there are just fun and sexy.

Eric and Sookie -- Let's Go Straight to No. #1
We all like no. #1 ;).

Eric and Sookie -- Devotion
Well, this one is romantic and very hot and sexy. I have to be honest, I really like the song! Of course, I like the scenes, too. I (squee) like the romance, too. What can I say. I am a romantic at heart.

What Eyebrows, Skarsbrows, Eric and Sookie Lovers and Ship Eric and Sookie have in Common?

2012-01-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

You have to love Cheryl Mullick and Tre Bella Spa!
Check them brows! If I had a picture of the original
state of the brows, you would really catch my thrill
over what she does with "the frame to your face."

It's Friday! And like Sunday, I don't feel like posting a serious blog. Besides, have you ever gotten so behind on your projects that you just have to shrug? What are you going to do? There are only so many hours in day, right? So today rather than rant and rave and go off on some tangent, I thought I would focus on nothing important at all. Like I said, it's Friday. Soon, I will also galavant off to Tre Bella Spa owned and operated by my dear friend Cheryl Mullick, who gave me the infamous "dirty girl" quote on the cover of California Girl Chronicles, enjoy Rain Drop therapy and get some eyebrow landscaping done. And you know what else, just because I love Cheryl's ability to take what originally looks like a caterpillar and turn it into an amazing shapely line, here is a great close-up of her work (see picture). My other dear friend said to me the other day (she sees Cheryl, too) that she marveled over my love of my brows. I chuckled and told her she didn't see the "before" picture!! Okay, all right I am moving on ... back to something even more frivolous (although, you know, eyebrows do count).

Here are two favorite and meaningless things I love to do online when I have a spare moment.

My current favorite blog -- Eric and Sookie Lovers -- Erika, the blog administrator, is a doll. I've been corresponding periodically with her, and I booked her on First Word Radio. She came to my attention when she re-blogged one of my pieces on my favorite character Eric Northman. I love her site. It is all things both book and TV show Eric and Sookie. While I enjoy True Blood, it's the characters of Eric and Sookie that I tune in each season to see what happens next. Her blog is loaded with fun games and trivia. She has an amazing following of relatively mild-mannered fans. Some of those fans sites ... whew! Watch out. Fan sites can get a little crazy with perhaps an over-abundance of snarky enthusiasm. I once said I didn't like Sookie's peter-pan collar in Season 4 before they go to confront the witches, and oh no! Don't say anything against the wardrobe anywhere near some of those fan sites lest you prepare yourself to take cover. No, Eric and Sookie Lovers seems to be filled with like-minded and "tame" fans. I have yet to see anything terribly disturbing on this site. You see I get a little troubled when people start using actor's private parts for their profile pictures. And I'm not going to go off about what I saw yesterday on Tumblr that if I were brave with a good weapon, I would commented about the huge inappropriateness of it. Alas, do take comfort in the good, clean fun on Eric and Sookie Lovers.

Ship Eric and Sookie -- Yes, do you see a theme here. I do love my True Blood. This gal is very, very funny in her You Tube video posts. Her video in which she protests copyright infringement legislation, SOPA not to be mistaken for Mexican soup, was hysterical. When she started called True Blood "Authentic Hemoglobin," I just LMAO. She then taped over the logo on her Merlotte's T-shirt and that did me in. She is a riot! Her videos are funny and insightful commentaries on the show, too. I've seen every single one and I can't wait from week to week to see her latest. She sometimes tries new things, but I love her core videos the best.

All right that's all folks. And yes, I realize this blog was a complete frivolous waste of time. But did you like it? I know I did. So on with the show. P.S., I must answer my headline question: and that would be "nothing."

Drawing the Lines of Good Taste and Respect

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

The other day I read about this famous author who Tweeted about a famous actor's sex appeal after seeing the celebrity naked in the gym locker room. Now I'm not going to perpetuate who the author was or the famous celebrity, because it was tasteless in the first place. After I had a few days to simmer on what an invasion of privacy that was, I decided to blog about it. Even if I have a small glimmer of influence to get people to think about just how much that Tweet invaded that celebrity's privacy. Let's for the sake of argument suggest that while the gym is a somewhat public place, the locker room is not. If our celebrity had streaked or walked around in the public gym naked then this person would be fair game. Otherwise, if someone is changing or showering in the gym, he/she is not, in my opinion, fair game. Just because you happen to spot someone changing in the gym locker room doesn't give you license to Tweet about or talk about it. I was further turned off knowing that the offending Tweeter was also a pretty famous person. Maybe in this person's world it's okay to invade another's privacy, but would this same person be down with it if the shoe were on the other foot or the pants off the other body? Since the author lacked boundaries in the first place, I am willing to suggest probably yes. The rest of us ... hmm ... not so much. Just because you have achieved fame doesn't mean it's complete open season on your private life or your "privacy". I have paparazzi suggest that celebrities know this comes with the territory, but I ask you, "Really?" Do you really think that when someone achieves fame they believe they are going to forfeit their privacy down to dressing or undressing in the gym? Do we really think fame gives the rest of us a get out of "decent behavior" free card? I know we are a culture with a big appetite for seeing our favorite celebrity du jour doing things out in real life, but I really think we debase ourselves when we think it's perfectly okay to cross certain lines out of the rationale that, "Hey, this person knows this comes with the territory." I would wager that no famous person truly believes he/she has to give up all of his/her privacy for fame. And that's my rant for the morning. How is your day?

Girl Power: Favorite Female Characters for 2011

2012-01-25T17:34:00.000-08:00

Now I have covered the male characters I loved in 2011, and I thought now I would cover the girls. Girl power is big in Hollywood right now. The Carrie Diaries is being developed by the CW Network and HBO has a new girl-driven series coming this spring titled Girls. Now I am honestly not intrigued with Carrie Bradshaw's teen and young adults years, so I will be passing up that show. Girls looks like it might be somewhat interesting, sardonic and sarcastic. And with all of this current and upcoming girl power, we have some great female characters to cover. So, here we go.

Sookie Stackhouse (the book version): I love Sookie. She's fun, sexy, courageous, and human even if she's "fae". The TV version, I have some qualms about her on True Blood. She has vacillated quite a bit and changed and "rearranged" so to speak. She can be bad-ass, but the writers, while I know are trying to reset the story for 2012, had her say and do some things that, while I'm sure it was not intended, made her fall into a victimhood role. When she forgives Bill (especially when she goes back to Bill after he very nearly kills her in Season 3) after he lies and offers that they have both done stuff to each other, I scratched my head. I know forgiveness matters, but someone tell me what exactly she did to him? It's been suggested she is apologizing for wanting to fit him in her dream-man box, but somehow it didn't resonate with me as a viewer. I'm sure that might be the case, but it really bothered me, especially given that he almost killed her and she went back to him anyway. Book Sookie has her issues too, but I like how Charlaine writes her a little better than TV Sookie. I even like how human Sookie reacts over her hair being burned in Dead Reckoning. What girl can't relate to having their hair burned and ruined. We all have that vanity in us.

Enlightened - Laura Dern -- Amy on this year's new HBO show Enlightened is hardly a girl since she's in her 40s! She's a mature woman, but she is feisty, hopefully misguided, kooky and crazy with a huge desire for balance and center in her life. She knows better and has a moral compass -- something that clearly lacks in her corporate mates. She still loves her former husband but cannot except his drug-addled lifestyle. She wants and needs love and acceptance, but cannot find it with her mother or some co-workers, and when she does it's in an unlikely and shy co-worker, who sits next to her in her new basement office run by the resident misogynist and IT manager. I love that Amy is frank and honest and totally nuts. She's also clever and driven to get what she wants and goes for it. The series isn't about a soft, meditative state we wish we all lived in. It's not about being Zen. It's about realizing you want to live a full, rich and extraordinary life among the ordinary. I heard it's renewed for a second season! I'm eager to see what comes next for Amy.

Dr. Chi Park, House -- All right bring in this short, cute and interesting Asian-American doctor to challenge House! Beneath her bowl-cut hairdo and glasses lives a ninja warrior princess who will shock you. Just when you think maybe she's mild and nice. Not at all! Last week's episode had the good doctor admit she had slept with 30 boys in the frat house next door. When the other doctor asked if it was true, she said no, which left the other doctor to ask more or less? I'm going to wager ... more! She even started her new tenure with House trying to avoid assault charges after having hit a doctor who sexually harassed her. Go Dr. Chi Park! I suspect we're going to have more fun with this little surprise all season long.

Tips to Use the New Social Media Tumblr

2012-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

I am learning so much about how to work with Tumblr and create a following for Brea's Blog. I am still learning, and I suspect I have a long way to go. In the meantime, I wanted to share a couple of tips and my favorite bloggers/blogs.

1. I noticed you need to find common ground and interests with your Tumblr "mates". I am a huge True Blood fan. I love other shows too, but the show has so many compelling characters that I find interesting to discuss with others. It is also based on Charlaine Harris' book series, which gives it even more fodder to discuss as opposed to just the TV show. So I started following some of the Tumblr blogs that focus more generally on the books and show than just an obsession with a single character on the show. Believe me when I say there are some serious (and I mean serious) fan sites on Tumblr.

2. Participate in your community of interest. Once you start participating in your community of interest versus just blogging your own content you will start to attract followers. I'm not saying don't put good content on your site. I'm just suggesting that if you do run out of fresh material or ideas, go Tumble with your mates. You will enjoy the discussions too. I've found that the more literary-interested channels are in a small way like a book club. You get to dissect your favorite subject and hear some refreshing perspectives on the material. I am really enjoying that part.

3. Keep your content interesting, fresh and relevant. I had one person suggest I re-blog other Internet information. I prefer to write my own content or at least comment on the content provided. Since I am promoting my creative projects, I want to post material from those projects and provide commentary about it too. If you are a fan of my new book California Girl Chronicles, Brea's Blog is where you'll unearth many nuggets about book two and updates on the book's progress with Hollywood.

Eric Northman Voted Top #10 Vampires ... and Gotta Respect the Track Suit

2012-01-24T09:13:00.000-08:00

I noticed on Skarsgardnews that my resident favorite vampire Eric Northman on True Blood got voted in the top 10 favorite vampires. As I have more than amply said, the Viking is my favorite character from 2011 and possibly one of my favorite all-time characters. I also smiled over the reference that he is the best vampire in a track suite, too. I guess unlike Dracula, his tastes in men's fashions don't involve a cape. Well, I do think I should point out that he likes to spend a lot of time in racer-back T-shirts and tanks too. If we're going to critic the wardrobe, my favorite outfits appeared in Season 3 when he dons various Talbot-influenced garbs including the oh-so-popular blue-green sweater and the famous brown-stripped shirt he ultimately disrobes from to reveal, a-hem, his very nice body when he seduces and kills Talbot. Hey, do you suppose Talbot's choices in designer clothes has anything to do with his name and the famous women's clothing store? Hmm ... I digress.

Now why is Eric Northman my favorite vampire of all time despite him only being listed in the top 10? Here are my reasons:

I am not even a vampire fan in the first place, and yet I love Eric Northman.
He does everything quietly and with great force and power.
He's actually a "good" vampire underneath all that fang and blood stuff.
His love and passion for Sookie and his true sweetness toward her are ... ahhh ... squee!
And yes! The man can wear the hell out of a great dark-blue or black track suit.

Now for my readers wondering what any of this happens to do with literature, publishing, books or fiction? Well, it's all fiction, isn't it? And if you're a writer aim high. If you can write a character as fantastic and interesting as Eric Northman then you have a hit! As does Alan Ball with True Blood and Charlaine Harris with the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Four Fabulous Marketing Tips to Promote Your Book or Business

2012-01-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

I like to live by example. So when I tell authors or business clients for that matter they should do X, Y or Z, I prove my point by walking my own talk. So for authors, in particular, this information will be invaluable. For business readers, the same theories apply for products and services.

Conventions and Trade Shows - reaching out and touching directly with your customers is no better way to understand their buying habits. Some booth space can cost $2,000 or better for the larger shows. I try to find shows put on by non-profit where they sell space for $800 or less. I see the value in prospective clients and not just book sales. Otherwise I wouldn't do it. I rarely sell enough books to cover my expenses. I love, though, the opportunity to talk to people and fans. I like to hear what they're thinking and want to buy. I love meeting and greeting new authors.

Giveaways - We are working on a T-shirt for California Girl Chronicles with the infamous phrase, "Love my Coconuts" on the front and the book brand on the back. We'll be sending this out as a thank you to reviewers. Fans will be able to buy the shirts as well. We're trying to gain exposure for the book. The more people who walk around with the book literally on their backs, the better. And we have an appropriate thank you for reviewers.

Blogging Every Day - I blog six days a week. As a result, my blog has grown exponentially. Now people are re-blogging my most popular blogs and even Tweeting them. What does this do? It's more exposure for my brand and books. The more readers I have, the more opportunities and word of mouth spreads. Make sure you load your blog with general, valuable and broad information to attract a wider following. And make sure your readers have a way to easily find and buy your products.

Public Relations and Publicity - I have consistently done my own PR and now I've hired Victoria to do more PR for California Girl Chronicles. I promote myself as a subject matter expert. The more publicity I receive for 3L Publishing and the book, the more exposure, and the more opportunity to close sales. If you want to make your company or products national brands, you need national exposure. A consistent, ongoing PR campaign pays off in national and international exposure.

California Girl Chronicles: True or False

2012-01-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday and I only do fun things on Sunday for the blog. I get asked all of the time, "Are you Brea?" And I tell people "no" all of the time. So what do Brea and I share in common? Here you go:

We both worked on a magazine. I worked on several over the course of my long career, and I was promoted to publisher of California Computer News. It wasn't until about two years ago that I pulled back writing magazine features to focus exclusively on 3L Publishing's books. Brea's magazine stint lasts only a few months before she's laid off with the infamous day-glow pink slip. I've never been laid off in my entire career.

Brea's best friend's name is Denise. My lifetime best friend's name is also Denise. Denise in Brea's world has zero in common with my beloved Denise. Denise in California Girl Chronicles is an exhibitionist and very direct and messy. My Denise is none of those things.

Brea is a screenwriter. Yes, I am also a screenwriter. I would not be able to write authentically about that experience without having firsthand knowledge of what it's like to do it. In book two, which is unreleased, and Brea steps onto a film set for the first time and realizes it all came from her head, well, that is how I felt, too. I didn't lose it the way she does, but I did introvert a little. Brea's screenwriting career comes to her much, much easier than mine has. I am still working to really breakthrough. My goal is to write one novel and one screenplay a year. When California Girl Chronicles gets picked up as a TV series, I will write episodes and write one book and run 3L Publishing. Brea has the good fortune of getting into a love affair with a powerful Hollywood producer, Kale who thinks she has incredible talent and mentors her.

Brea attracts sexual drama. Unfortunately, I have had some unpleasant sexual-harassment moments throughout my career. You don't see most of her workplace sexual drama until book two, but in book one she is a magnet for men and some unusual come-ons. Been there and done that too just not quite in the same situations.

Brea's men. Well, let's just say there are small traits in her men of some guys I've met over the years. I cannot point to any one man I have known and say one way or the other, this one is X or that one is Y. Each has elements and characteristics of some men I've met. They are kind of a stew of mixed ingredients.

Private matters. The one thing you will absolutely never see revealed in any of my books is my private life. I don't believe in bringing my private life into my art. You will also not be privy to my private likes and dislikes in any upcoming interviews either. I've been asked and I declined to discuss. I think it's more interesting not telling and protecting some part of my world that just isn't up for public consumption. And it's more fun for readers not knowing all the answers to the "why?"

California Girl Chronicles Available at 3L Publishing

2012-01-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

Hugely annoyed that California Girl Chronicles is out of stock on Amazon and not yet available in bookstores? Well, you can purchase a copy at the 3L Publishing website and forget waiting for Amazon to restock. Our distributor Bakers and Taylor will not start listing the title until March, so it will take time to weave into the stores. In the meantime, you can get it at 3L Publishing, and you're really supporting me, the author, and not Amazon, which I'm sure doesn't need all of your support anyway. We've had over 20 book reviewers request the book this week.

Here is what the book is about: Meet Brea Harper, she is the next Carrie Bradshaw only transplanted in Los Angeles. Funny, witty, beautiful, and very sexy, Brea takes readers on a wild ride into her outrageous romantic and professional life. Demoralized and forced to work in what she calls bikini hell just to make ends meet, Brea pursues her career to become a screenwriter only to be continuously distracted by hot men. Delightfully misguided, Brea makes poor choices many women of all ages will find highly relatable. She is one of those unforgettable characters readers love to love.

Please note: the book contains sexy content. If you don't like shows like Sex in the City, this book isn't for you. But if you love a book that is funny and entertaining AND sexy, then you'll adore Brea's adventures. If you email me directly at michelle@3LPublishing, I will give you a little discount and sell it for $10 plus I will autograph it for you. Considering our upcoming meetings with TV producers, this could end up a TV series and you've got your own autographed copy ;).

Thank You to Eric and Sookie Lovers Blog

2012-01-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

Eric and Sookie Lovers Posted this Picture!

I want to personally thank Erika over at the Eric and Sookie Lovers blog who has reposted two of my blogs. She also allowed me to use some of her very cool pictures, and this one to the left was her response to my big shout out, "Hell to the no" to the "bromance" idea between vampires Eric Northman and Bill Compton on the forthcoming Season 5 of True Blood. Nobody seems to be Team Erill! Or is that Errrrrrill! We all keep praying to the great shrine of Alan Ball that maybe, just maybe he's throwing us all off! No shipping Eric and Bill! Maybe he just planted that idea to send us all screaming into the Scandinavian forest in Narnia where Bill will be tossed down the Wardrobe and fed to the Lion and the Witch! How about that one?! Although my disappointed little shipper heart noticed that right before Season 4, Alexander Skarsgård hinted about what was coming, and it turns out the hints were accurate to what happens in Season 4. Darn it! Other spoilers dropped indicate a budding love interest with our resident werewolf Alcide and Sookie. Now please, refer to picture on left to figure out how I feel about that one!! Insert those first two words _____ and ______ and voile! You got it.

I Wish I Could "Skarsbrow"

2012-01-20T15:47:00.000-08:00

An authentic Skarsbrow!

I wanted to find a picture of Kristin Bauer Van Straten aka as Pam on True Blood doing the infamous Skarsbrow, because I have fantasies in which I will my one eyebrow to arch solo when someone does something ridiculous or questionable. Like the other night, I so wished I could Skarsbrow when my networking buddies were grabbing each other's "girls". Yes, the moment of ass- and boob-grabbing antics was a well-deserved Skarsbrow situation. Unfortunately, I don't have the required eyebrow dexterity to pull it off. Anyway, in my search for a photo of Pam doing it (she's a woman after all), I found this hilarious link in the Urban Dictionary. Unbeknown to me, Mr. Alexander Skarsgård is so famous for the ability to lift a single brow, he got an official term for it in the dictionary. Go Skarsgård. When you're impacting the slang, you know you've made it to the big time LOL.

Is the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse for Tweens? I Don't Think So!

2012-01-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

I had a recent comment on the blog that I removed (it was rude) that suggested that the Charlaine Harris books are for tweens. Let me first share that "tweens" are young pre-teens between the ages of 9-12. Teenagers are in the teenage years 13-19. Now I have not read the Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, but my teenager has. The Stephenie Meyer's series is somewhat tame without the overt sexuality contained in the Charlaine Harris books. Meyer's books are acceptable reads for tweens. For the reader who suggested Harris' books are for tweens, I must correct you. Harris books are not for tweens and should not be read by tweens or some teens under the age of 16 (18 in my book, but I'm a little stricter). Anyone who would say that Harris' books are for tweens or teens has not read the Harris books. They are for a mature audience and contain violence and sex. The graphic book covers might fool you, but they are not for the younger audiences, and any suggestion of they are for young kids is misleading. True Blood, my favorite vampire series (as you all know) is based on the Harris novels. And I can tell you without a doubt (as most of you already know), True Blood is definitely for a mature audience. It is loaded with violence and sex. So when I wrote my last post about my favorite show Season 5 spoilers, I wrote it tongue-in-cheek. Sookie might be a fairy on the show, but she's no fairy godmother from Cinderella. The only reason I am addressing this point is that I don't want other parents to confuse the Harris books with the Meyer books. I would never recommend young people under the age of 16 be permitted to read the Harris books. And for the matter, I do not suggest young people under the age of 18 (again, I'm stricter) be allowed to read my book series The California Girl Chronicles. It is loaded with sexuality, and the true messages outside of the wit and humor are very pointed about women's sexuality. A young person would only read the sex and not get the message.

Phooey! Who Wants to See a Bromance with Eric Northman and Bill When They Can See Romance?

2012-01-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

True Blood Season Five spoilers are starting to drop. And so it seems that my favorite Viking Eric Northman will share a hinted at "bromance" time with our "southern comfort" vampire Bill (see article). Ugh! Who wants to see that? Not me. Bring on the great "shipping" of Eric and Sookie and forget "bromancing the bill". All right Truebies, you all raise your hands if this is what you want to see in Season Five? As my friend Sonya cites as her favorite Michelle phrase, "Hell to the no!" So not interested in this "dynamic duo". I fear we'll be put on hold minimally another 12 episodes before we see our Viking God reunited with his fairy princess. Doesn't the True Blood writing team know that we all can't get enough of Sookie and Eric? Can't we at least get a single season of how they would be as a real couple with our vampire's memory actually functioning? I mean come on, we had to spend two agonizing season watching Sookie and Bill fail miserably as a couple. Give us at least one "regular" Eric and Sookie season before you send them shipping to Narnia World (that's an inside joke and throwback to their Scandinavian-forest bed romp). Are we to assume, we get to stay on the downward slope the writing started to take at the very end of Season Four? Come on writers: hear your fans roar! We don't need MORE Eric-Bill time! Give us Eric and Sookie, and I promise your ratings will soar!!!

Wouldn't You Like to "Love My Coconuts" Too?

2012-01-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

Whenever I go out networking, I inevitably return to home base with fun stories. If you've read my book California Girl Chronicles then you know my heroine Brea is demoralized when she's forced to wear a funny T-shirt with the phrase "Love My Coconuts" emblazoned across her chest. Here in 3L Publishing La La land, we thought it would be great fun to send book reviewers that phrase on a T-shirt as a thank you for their reviews. When I mentioned this to my girlfriends last night, two of them immediately demanded I have 40 extra printed for them to gift or sell to their friends and associates. I started laughing. I had no idea there was so much passion about wearing the infamous coconut phrase across your chest. One of the women said it was way better than the breast cancer phrases. I never thought of it that way and laughed. Yes, I think I would have more fun with that, too. Now dear readers if you think you too are going to want one of these darlings, you should send an email to info@3LPublishing.com and let us know. We will order more if demand requires it. Next up ... the infamous phrase and arrow "Dive Here" LOL ... just kidding! Not sure I would even wear that one!!

Alexander Skarsgård at HBO Golden Globe After Party

2012-01-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Alexander Skarsgård

Oh darn! I tried to grab the entire set of pictures of the True Blood cast at the Golden Globe HBO After Party ... but ah shucks! Look who was the only picture I managed to download LOL. Whoops! Or maybe not exactly whoops ... perhaps apropos since Alexander Skarsgard plays my favorite character on the show, Eric Northman. And hey! Guess what! He looks cheerful. Let's see why would he look cheerful here and not so much in the recent paparazzi snaps? Hmm ... let me mess with you for one moment. Maybe it's because, well, it's an event. It's expected to walk the red carpet for promotion of the show. Um, he's not being stalked and snapped while eating or drinking or (more famously) coming or going from the gym! Which reason do you think? All right I am so being a brat here and I know it. In defense of all celebrities who don't like photos snapped of them while they eat or drink in particular, I must point out that no one not even the photographers like to be photographed whilst stuffing their faces full of food! Come on! How many times have you been at a party and someone snapped you dipping the chips and shoving them in your mouth? Let me ask, "Just how attractive do you think you look in those photos anyway?" As an homage to my dear, old friend Lynette Day, who for 10 years straight managed to snap a candid shot of me eating something at her parties, I can safely say I didn't look great in any of those shots! If I had one I could dig out for you to nod in agreement, I would! Well, now imagine being a celebrity with photographers taking never-ending shots of you eating, drinking or even smoking (not that Skarsgard smokes), but still! NOT attractive!! Just saying! And how was your day :).

California Girl Chronicles Praised for its Dialogue and Why it's Important to Storytelling

2012-01-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

"The dialogue is enticing yet real, which Michelle uses to bring more depth to her characters than initially meets the eye." ~ Ziggy Soto, New Book Review

Today's topic du jour: the importance of writing great dialogue and its value to the storytelling process. What Ziggy caught and mentioned in that book review is a dead-on perception of what I did with the dialogue in California Girl Chronicles. It's nice when readers get it. Another reviewer on Amazon made mention of the use of the dialogue, too. She referred to it as pedestrian, which means commonplace. So let me make some points about the value and importance of great dialogue when telling a compelling, grounded and realistic story that feels authentic and real.

Keeping it real. First, great one-liners are always memorable, yes. As I more than posted here on the blog, one-liners become completely unforgettable in both film and books. Great dialogue becomes just as memorable, but also it grounds the story in reality and helps readers suspend disbelief. When the Amazon reviewer called it pedestrian, that is a huge compliment. Most people don't talk like they're giving speeches. Our everyday chats with people are quite pedestrian and often about nothing important. You want your pedestrian dialogue to drive the story, of course, so you don't want characters talking about pancakes when your story has absolutely nothing to do with pancakes. When Lance asks Brea if he can kiss her and her response is simply, "No, but you can take me out," it's meant to get them going and onward in the story. It establishes Lance's desire to simply make love to her and her unwillingness to do so at that point in the story. When about to go out for the evening, Lance isn't going to discuss mundane things like pancakes unless, of course, you're trying to make a point that this guy is a big bore. Also, since Brea has a sense of humor, she is the witty and sarcastic character. So, she has some of the funniest things to say.

Points of View. What Ziggy Soto points out is critical. California Girl Chronicles is a first-person narrative. How do we get to know the other characters when we're up in Brea's head? Their actions and "words" have to inform the reader about them and who they are. I used the dialogue with the other characters to tell the reader what he/she needs to know about those characters: how they think and who they are as people. This point also drives home the point of the importance of "voice". You need to make sure your character's voices are clearly their own. They do not sound the same. They are applicable voices for the character's age and background. As I've said in the past, find a person to base your characters upon. I always use someone to model my characters after. It helps me.

Fun, Sexy Novel, California Girl Chronicles: Brea & the City of Plastic

2012-01-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a new review of California Girl Chronicles reposted from Ziggy Soto's blog. Ms. Soto does book reviews for a number of mainstream book review sites as well as her own. I would like to personally thank her for taking her valuable time to read the book and write her critique. Thank you!

Book 1 of Michelle Gamble-Risley’s California Girl Chronicles is not what you’d expect—it sure wasn’t what I expected anyway. And I’ll admit I wasn’t disappointed at all. Everyone loves an entertaining, escape-for-awhile novel, and that is exactly what Brea & the City of Plastic is. Book 1 takes us through Brea Harper’s journey of moving to Los Angeles to make it as a screenwriter, while going through some fun, sexy, humiliating, and heartbreaking moments along the way. In a world where business and professional lines are blurred, this novel is more than appropriately titled, and there’s never a dull moment.

While Brea may be a born-and-raised Cali girl, women everywhere can relate to her on some level. She is genuine, unpredictable, good-hearted, at times fickle, and well-aware of her flaws, which makes her all the more likable. There are moments where she is vulnerable and other moments where she is strong. Who can’t relate to that? I found myself having shake-my-head moments when Brea knowingly makes mistakes as well as ha-take-that moments when she triumphs.

The characters Brea meets along the way are as equally intriguing and multi-dimensional as Brea, with some you will love to hate, others you will hate to love, and everything in between. While I was rooting for Brea every step of the way, I also couldn’t get enough of Brea’s love interests, especially Kale, the successful, sexy, almost too-good-to-be-true movie producer who is head over heels for her. And add into the mix Brea’s new and old friends, including Kale’s Latina housekeeper, Maya, and Brea’s straightforward roommate, Denise.

Michelle’s first novel is refreshingly honest. With Brea, we see and experience things that most women think but rarely admit. The narration is playful and humorous, though we can easily feel Brea’s conflict and dilemmas at the right moments. The dialogue is enticing yet real, which Michelle uses to bring more depth to her characters than initially meets the eye. Since Book 1 is such a fun read, I can’t wait to see what new adventure Brea will take in Book 2. Honestly, I think I may like this even more than Sex and the City.

Comedic Lines from California Girl Chronicles

2012-01-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

If I blog on Sunday, I always try to focus on inconsequential fun. Since my reader statistics showed that many of you like to read the funny and comedic excerpts from my books and screenplays, I thought I would start the day off with humor from the California Girl Chronicles series. Enjoy!

"You don't treat women like hamburger and they won't treat you like hotdog." ~ Kale, Brea and the City of Plastic

"My logical smart girl side of me was screaming, 'Run Brea, run!' Yet here I was on the back of a mare with a guy who appeared to have no brains, which was really unattractive in a man. Remember I was smart and smart likes smart. Today I wasn't smart enough to get off that horse and go home." ~ Brea, Brea and the City of Plastic

INT - Red-Velvet Loung - Night
Tom Jones wears a boring white shirt and black trousers. He walks on stage, strips off his horrible corporate attire to reveal black disco plants and a red silk shirt. He sings, "She's a Lady." ~ Brea and the city of Plastic

I playfully pushed his arm. "No, I don want to be famous. I don't want paparazzi to photograph me while I eat breakfast or grab a cup of coffee. Or snap a closeup of cellulite on my thigh. God I hate that shit!" I replied. ~ Brea, Brea's Big Break

It's a Free Facebook Country!

2012-01-14T09:53:00.000-08:00

Sookie and Eric from True Blood.

Yesterday I had a Facebook connection write me a private message in which she demanded I remove this beautiful picture of characters Eric and Sookie from my Wall. She didn't suggest (not that the suggesting would have been appropriate either), she straightforward demanded, as if she any power at all to tell me what I could or could not post on my "private" Wall on my "private" Facebook account. Within two seconds of receiving her demand, I de-friended her. Now she looked like she was from a foreign country. And maybe in some less open countries, you could get away with such a ridiculous demand, but not in a free Democracy. I could say I was shocked, but then again not really. People say and do some pretty absurd things. I once had a gal tell me essentially 3L Publishing was not a "real" publishing company (I think our some 30 books would suggest otherwise). But aren't you really happy we live in a free country where we can freely post or express our opinions? Now Facebook has standards, of course, and I could not post a naked picture of Sookie and Eric; but this picture is a beautiful, harmless, fully clothed picture of two lovers kissing. They are touching each other's hair and heads not their privates! And even if they were fully clothed touching their privates, Facebook wouldn't have made me remove it. I think, however, the real cherry on the proverbial sundae is that my Facebook Wall is PRIVATE! You are there by choice. If you don't like what I post, remove yourself. You have absolutely no right to tell me or anybody else to remove a post you deem offensive! Guess what else. My blog is private too. If you don't like what I write about, don't read it. No, the world doesn't revolve around you, and no, you don't get to tell me what to post on my private Facebook Wall or what to blog about. I think sometimes people lose sight of personal responsibility. You are in the driver's seat. Vote with your de-friend button or your ability to not read something. Do not run around and act like a dictator and tell others what they can or cannot write about. Freedoms in a Democracy should never be taken for granted. And that is a reminder of why I love the USA.

P.S. the offending picture is the highest rated page view in the history of this blog. I am willing to suggest the some 250 people who voted with their view don't exactly agree with our little dictator.

Valentine's Oscar Party and Carrie Preston (aka Arlene on True Blood)

2012-01-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

I am a reserved fan, which means I am too shy to go and openly gush on actors and actresses. I know my friends are shaking their heads and thinking, "Shy? Who is she kidding?" Well, let me share a little story. Even as the screenwriter on my produced film Virtual Seduction, I could barely bring myself to go talk to the star of the movie, Jeff Fahey. I wrote the movie, and yet I held back and my screen-writing partner had to practically drag me over to talk to him. He did sign my original script. Fast forward, I am the publisher of the book A Feast at the Beach, and Lisa Kudrow is in attendance at a party for the 3L published book, and it wasn't until I downed a martini did I drag my sorry ass over to talk to her. So, you can see I'm not big on jumping on the celebrity worship bandwagon, unless of course I've had some liquid courage. Well, I am one of the sponsors for a Valentine's Oscar party, and I noticed Carrie Preston, who plays Arlene is on an extensive list of celebrities in attendance. My dear readers know I am a huge True Blood fan. So I told my associate Sonja Fisher I want to make sure I get a picture with her on this blog. Sonja, a true extrovert, says no problem. I countered that once more I would need liquid courage. Here is the cool part. My book California Girl Chronicles is going into all of the celebrity swag bags. I love the idea she might read it. And if she's really paying attention, she'll notice the physical similarities between my producer character Kale and her co-star (our resident Viking Vampire). You know what I'm hoping, don't you? Of course, you do. You never know how things work. I would much rather she notice on her own then standing there like an idiot and asking her to pass on the book. First, since I've seen other screenwriters who don't adhere to protocol get a little inappropriate at movie screenings and pitch at the absolutely wrong moments, I don't want to be like one of those guys LOL. So, we'll just keep positive thoughts and avoid that whole deal.

How to Write Great Character Foils like Eric and Sookie

2012-01-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

As a writer and book coach, I pay attention close attention to character development in both books and film. A technique to develop and contrast characters is to write great foils. A character foil is a character who serves as a contrast to another perhaps more primary character, so as to point out specific traits of the primary character. Since I am an avid True Blood fan, I thought it would be useful to show you how Eric is Sookie's character foil. I will point out some of the most obvious and blatant ways that the writer contrast them. Once I point it out, you'll continually notice it.

What is most obvious is that Eric is Sookie's opposite in many ways but also the writers show their similarities too (I'll get to that). When Eric and Sookie are in a scene together one of the most blatant ways they contrast them is to dress Eric in all black and dress Sookie in white. We all know black means darkness and evil (Eric is not necessarily evil but that is one way black is used) and bad and white is virginal, innocence and good. It hearkens back to the westerns: good guy in the white cowboy hat and bad guy in the black hat. As we know Sookie is our sweet, fierce and loyal heroine. Eric's character is dark and mysterious, but they are similar in their loyalty to their families (Eric's loyalty to Godric and Pam and Sookie's loyalty to Jason and Tara). In Season 2 "Timebomb", Eric is dressed in black and Sookie is wearing a white trench coat. In Season 3 when Sookie goes to see Eric about the werewolves abducting Bill, she is wearing a white blouse and Eric is once more in black. These techniques show us how these two are each other's foils. Notice also in Season 4 when Eric loses his memory, he is no longer dressed to contrast against Sookie, because the message is they are more alike than different in this season. When Eric's memory returns, he's back in black.

Now let's shift gears. Why is it important to create a contrasting character to foil another one? Sometimes the foil is meant to shine a mirror on the protagonist to show us something about that character. In book two of California Girl Chronicles, I introduce a new love interest named Ryan. Those who have read book one were introduced to our sweet, kind, decent and hardworking producer, Kale. Ryan is Kale's foil. Both characters come from Hollywood money. Kale used his family's money to launch his successful production company. He is mature and grounded. Ryan uses his family's money to play and generally loaf around. Ryan is fun-loving, lazy (unapologetic about being lazy) and wild (the opposite of grounded). Now here is a third layer: Brea likes them both for being the opposite. And in her attraction to the two of them, we have a third foil that contrasts her. What does her affinity to each vastly different character say about her?

As a writer, I have shown you elements to the story you need to think about. When you add elements such as character foils, you are deepening the psychology of your story. Yes, California Girl Chronicles is a fun read, but as I just pointed out, there is much more there then you realize. Readers aren't meant to be distracted by your techniques. Your story should be told seamlessly, but the addition of the layers to the story give it more substance. These points give the reader unconscious messages about what the story is really saying.

If you would like an autographed copy of California Girl Chronicles, please purchase it off the 3L website. You can also get a copy from Amazon.

Movie Review: Contagion

2012-01-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

I saw the trailer for this movie in the theaters and was interested to see it. Since it's not easy to get out to the movies, I waited for it to come out on DVD. This movie is worth the rental price and more. It seems like most movies these days that are made for an adult audience just aren't that great. I only occasionally run into one I would give a perfect four-star rating -- and Contagion is one of them. As a writer, I was struck with the enormous amount of research that had to go into getting the science and math right. I was impressed with the knowledge that went into the writing. Movies like Contagion can easily get bogged down in the science or just the opposite get bogged down in the focus on the gore and sickness. Contagion walked a fine line between the story, science and conspiracy. It managed multiple story lines with seamless and adept ease, and it kept me interested to the very end. When I can stay engaged for an entire two-hour film then it's a great movie. It also reminded me of the fragility of our civilized society, and how rapidly that civility can be broken by panic and fear. I highly recommend you go out and rent or buy Contagion -- it will be time and money well spent.

Why Listening to Commentaries on Your Favorite Show is a Great Tool

2012-01-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

If you are a screenwriter or even a writer, have you ever listened to the DVD commentaries? If you have not done so, I highly recommend you start. You can rent the series or movie with commentaries or you can buy your favorites. I like to invest in my favorite movies and shows, because I am honestly very obsessive in how I study what they did behind-the-scenes. I especially gain value from listening to the writer's commentaries, which are more rare. Actor's or director's commentaries are useful too. Directors tend to explain scene setups and special effects, which can still give writers invaluable insights. Here are the commentaries I have found the most useful and taught me a lot.

True Blood -- All Three Released Seasons
True Blood includes the writers, directors and actors in their commentaries. Since I think the show's writing is stellar, I really enjoy the writer's perspective. Remember, any show about supernaturals that gets you to emotionally invest in its reality is well-done. True Blood accomplishes this feat. The writers do an amazing job balancing between the multiple story lines and keeping harmony between funny lines and serious dialogue. The actors, in turn, keep the balance with their skills. When Eric Northman goes from ripping a man's body in half to asking Laufayette if he has blood in his hair, the writers could have easily turned that into a campy mess. Instead, it was delivered very believably by resident talents Alexander Skarsgard and Nelsan Ellis. The commentaries address everything from the "why" to the "how". If you perhaps missed something subtle, the commentaries will point it out. These insights help me as a writer to truly consider everything as I develop characters and scenes. Nothing is better for me than to get inside of the thoughts and motivations from a writer's perspective.

Generation Kill
I had to special order this series, because I really wanted to hear the commentaries. The show was directed by kick-ass Susanna White. I love that a show that contains non-stop actions sequences was put in the very capable hands of a woman. What I got out of the commentaries was where exactly it was filmed to replicate Iraq with such precision. I loved listening to writers Ed Burns and Evan Wright. I romanticized the idea of being the writer in that Humvee even though I probably would have been scared to death. I like how Evan talks about the real-life experience the real men. How he respected their stories. Well, how the entire cast and crew dearly wanted to respect their stories, and how they accomplished it.

Step-by-Step Tips to Write Great Dialogue

2012-01-09T09:17:00.000-08:00

Writing pitch-perfect dialogue is an art form in and of itself. Did you know that some writers are called in to rewrite just dialogue on scripts? The producers might be happy with the exposition of the script and the concept, but the dialogue might be weak. It doesn't mean the writer isn't talented at writing, but perhaps he or she isn't quite as adept at natural-sounding dialogue. Here are my tips to writing great dialogue.

#1 Choose a Voice -- I've said this many times, but it's a very good idea to find the person you want to play a role or even to "inhabit" a part in your novel. Basing a character on a real person with a voice all his/her own enables you to keep it clear in your mind how he or she might say something. Now that is not to suggest you can't create upon their basic voice and be creative, but it's so helpful to enable you to hear it in your head. I don't know about other authors, but I can very clearly hear the voice in my mind. Even when I email people back and forth, I literally hear their voices as I read. This innate ability allows me to write characters with that voice "imprint" in my head to make it real.

#2 Read it aloud -- Read the dialogue out loud. How does it sound? Clunky or smooth? Does it sound like how someone would really talk? If you can't manage to read a passage of dialogue without stumbling and stammering, it's not good dialogue. For the record, most people don't talk in long-winded sentences. Unless your characters are having a true discussion then they are probably bantering back in forth in short clips of dialogue.

Dick, Jane, Dick, Jane -- Names we don't use. Overuse of the character's name drives me crazy when I read dialogue. How often do you really say a person's name in person? In my house, we rarely call each other by name unless we're trying to emphasize something. Don't overuse the person's name unless you're trying to emphasize or direct something dire or important at them. It's an annoying redundancy your audience doesn't need to hear over and over and over.

Narrative as dialogue -- a quick indicator that a writer doesn't understand dialogue is when you see him or her use it as a narrative tool. Your characters should not be narrating the action unless they are literally narrating the story. First, narrative as dialogue doesn't sound natural or real. It often is redundant, as it's repeating something we are about to see or we just saw.

Backstory in dialogue is an artform -- Be careful how you put backstory into dialogue. Again, it can't sound forced or unnatural to the scene. If you need to explain backstory, put it in the narrative (that would be my first choice). If you need the backstory to inform the characters in the present, put as a part of a natural "getting-to-know-you" scene. Don't force it in or it will undoubtedly sound like you did, in fact, force it.

Below is a scene from California Girl Chronicles: Brea's Big Break. Before I show you the scene, let me point out what the dialogue did in effect do, and you don't notice it. Letty essentially gives us important backstory in a natural way. She tells us the following: Drew left the bikini shop after Brea quit; she too had a brief fling with him; she thinks he did love Brea (which book one suggested); and that Brea was hurt by this affair. Why does this matter? Book two has to somehow suggest to new readers what was going on in book one and what happened afterwards. This conversation covers those two bases in a non-distracting way. See if you agree.

About 30 minutes later, we found ourselves sitting on barstools, eating stale tiny pretzels and drinking shots of Patron. I had two shots and that was quite enough to catch a zing of a buzz. Letty had three shots, and she was drunk and happy. She giggled her way through the conversation, which eventually led to questions about Drew’s fate. She said he quit the day after I left.

“Whore!” she crowed. “He left me! It’s all your fault.” She laughed. She threw a pretzel and hit my forehead.

I began laughing. “Sorry! But you didn’t lose much,” I replied and threw a pretzel back.

“Oh, fuck him,” she cried. “You know he told me he fucked you … twice!” she started cackling.

In the past, this announcement would have made me angry. Now, I was just disgusted and not surprised. “I see, he kissed and told,” I replied.

Letty leaned in with a grin. “I fucked him once in the back room,” she admitted and laughed. “It was okay,” she added.

“Supply closets,” I muttered in disgust. “Well, he fucked many,” I said as I lifted my glass. “Cheers!”

Letty obliged back, and our glasses made a “clink” as they purposefully collided. Letty settled down a moment and became thoughtful. “I think he really loved you, Brea.”

I glanced over at her and considered that suggestion. “Maybe,” I replied. “He hurt me though, and that’s enough of that.”

What Makes this Alexander Skarsgard and Anna Paquin Photo So Gorgeous AND Sexy?

2012-01-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the blogger Eric and Sookie Lovers for completely and literally reading between the lines when I described the scene to the left of Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse. I love that picture! This blogger guessed it was the one, and I told the blogger I was going to pull it over. This version is a little dark, but it's stunning just the same. Women tend to look at sexy photos differently (not totally different), but it's a deeply erotic picture yet we see no flesh. It's how they're kissing. It shows passion, and their body language conveys total intimacy and desire. Alexander Skarsgard as Eric and Anna Paquin as Sookie have their hands all over each other. I love how he has tangled his hands up in her beautiful hair. He's a very tall man at 6 feet 4 inches and she's only 5 feet 4 inches (although I once heard Paquin say and a quarter inches, which made me laugh a little as if that quarter inch matters), so they have a clear foot between them. He has to be practically lifting her off the ground to close the distance, which probably explains the position of their arms. None the less to achieve sexy and gorgeous, put two attractive people together and let them use their hands! And there you go. A fun blog for a Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!

How to Pitch a Publisher

2012-01-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

Writers who are searching for the ideal home for the "babies" should realize that publishers are not a one-size-fits-all business. As you embark on your journey to find the right publisher, here are some tips.

What types of books does that publisher produce? Approaching a fiction publisher with your non-fiction book means you will probably be turned away. It doesn't mean your book wasn't any good. You need to research your chosen publisher. Check out their website. Look at their catalog.

Marketability -- In my mind marketability trumps all. Will this book sell? Sometimes marketability is difficult to determine. Do some research into your book's market. Be prepared to defend your book's potential sales. Publishing is a business. Again, your book might be well written, but that doesn't mean it will sell to a finicky and unpredictable market. So, do your homework. Pitch your book based on market statistics and facts. Please don't survey your friends and family. They are biased and not a good representative of the market.

Writing -- Yes, writing does matter. Flawed writing with great potential will still win. Not all publishers will work with the writers to help them, but most will provide an editor who can provide assistance. When we look at books at 3L Publishing, we look for the potential and ability to do the work. If we see the potential, we are very willing to work with the author, which is one of our specialties. We work with new and emerging authors.

Don't Burn Bridges -- When a publisher turns you down, always be polite and courteous. It is absolutely not personal. Like I said, publishing is a business. And like all business, owners are in it to make money and be successful. Whatever the reason the publisher says no keep your good manners. Maybe ask them if they'll be more specific. If not (publishers are very busy) accept it graciously. You never know when another idea might be a fit. Getting angry and taking it personally will not help your cause. If you keep on friendly terms with a publisher, their staff might be able to help you in the future. Burn the bridge, though, and you'll never get anywhere with them again.

Funny Sneak Preview from We're All Dead and California Girl Chronicles

2012-01-07T10:37:00.000-08:00

Readers on this blog seem to be enjoying funny clips from my two upcoming books We're All Dead and California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic, the second book in the series. Since it's Saturday and all work and no play makes a very boring girl, here are some clips to entertain you.

We're All Dead
“Fantastic!” I cried in my gleeful state before I realized I had not quite formed a plan. “Damn it!” I thought but did not dare speak aloud. A great warrior king cannot allow his subjects to realize he was no smart enough to form an actual plan of attack. I looked at my brother who was shuffling back and forth and had snatched a mouse he was now sucking like a rodent-pop. Oh wretched vampire and messy eater! I lost my temper. He had dribbled blood on his white blouse that had ruffled fringes, which looked straight out of the Victorian era. “No messy eating!” I roared like a lion.

California Girl Chronicles: Brea's Big Break

“What’s that about?” I asked and pointed at his grin.

“What?”

“That!” I countered and motioned again toward his expression.

He leaned in and started to explain. “Well, she pretty much signed me for sex,” he admitted and chuckled with delight over it.

“What?” I frowned.

“Oh yeah, she was like a cougar broad, too,” he said, “and she got me some great spots. I just had to fuck her twice a week.”

I was taken aback and pulled away from him. “Really?” I asked with a frown.

He took a chopstick and shoved a noodle in his mouth as he said, “Really! But you know it’s fucking Hollywood man. That shit happens all the time. Swing a dick, and there you go.”

“No, I thought, you know, unions,” I whispered.

Johnny waved off the suggestion. “Fuck that man. Broads are as bad as guys. Look at me now, though.”

I looked at him all right and frowned. “You don’t feel … dirty?”

Johnny waved off the suggestion, “Hell no! It’s the biz and, fuck yeah, I’ve had fun, too!”

I leaned over and shoved another noodle in mouth, pondering his amoral take on the whole thing. He didn’t seem the least bit bothered by it. In fact, I got the impression he accepted and liked it.

“And you think you’re going to get somewhere with me like that?” I flatly asked.

I looked down at my body parts and nodded. “Yep! Real! No woman would purposefully make her boobs this small,” I said with a laugh.

Favorite and Most Memorable Quotes from Film and TV

2012-01-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Fantastic quotes stick in your head. My greatest goal as a writer is to write a quote that resonates so strongly with people they continue to say and repeat it for years to come. Can't say I've achieved that success yet but someday I might come up with that unforgettable line. I thought it would be fun to share a list of my favorite lines that I've never forgotten that touched me or just made me smile or laugh.

Get busy living, or get busy dying. ~ Shawshank Redemption

And I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life. ~ American Beauty

What we do in this life echoes in eternity. ~ Gladiator

I will see you again... but not yet... not yet... ~ Gladiator

Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM! ~ Braveheart

Wake up Trombley. You're missing the invasion. ~ Generation Kill

We will eat you, after we eat your children. Now time for the weather... Tiffany? ~ True Blood, Season 3

LMAO ... It's Not that Easy to Write Funny ... or Maybe It is

2012-01-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

The thing about writing funny scenes (for me) is that I can't force the humor. If you stand there and tell me, "Be funny now," I'll stare at you with one of those blank deer looks. In fact, I would be terrible if someone asked me to write in a group and make it funny. Again, blank, uncomfortable stare on my face and absolutely no idea. Yet throw me in a situation where human behavior takes place at random, and I become the narrator of the place. Better yet, do something annoying, and I don't get annoyed, I just make a string of quips. When I'm writing humorous material, I have to be left alone with my quirky mind to run amok on the page. What truly amazes me is when I start a scene and the material evolves on its own without a direct push from my logical thinking.

Here is one of my favorite jokes from the script Beauty School. Let me set the scene, our resident fool Bo is attempting to do a little girl's hair with some funny consequences from his own ineptness.

Bo has turned the little girl’s hair straight and bright yellow, the color of urine.

NICOLE

(Shrieks) it looks like piss!

ELC strides over and punches Bo’s arm to which he WHINES.

BO: Ow!

ELC Fool! You weren’t supposed to dye no hair today.

The attention attracts Petee and Jet. They both point and GIGGLE like little school girls. Bo turns toward them and YELLS.

Get out of here you Tinkerbells.

Petee puts both hands on his hips.

PETEE

Well, Tink rocked great yellow

hair. Not like ... like that ... pee-colored mess you made.

He then pleadingly looks at ELC.

What's great about that scene is I didn't think the joke out. I just let it happened. The minute Bo calls our resident gay friend a Tinkerbell, and we already had the yellow hair, the joke was just begging to be said. I can't exactly dissect how I worked that out. It just organically evolved from the situation and my twisted mind.

In my opinion, there is nothing funnier than a great one-liner. A potent, powerful and hilarious one-liner is completely unforgettable. Here is another amusing scene (all from a great one-liner) from the upcoming book We're All Dead.

“Shut up! It’s your job to know these things … brother!” I hissed at him. “We can’t let these putrid zombies kill our food supply. They’ve already infected half the human race. What do you suppose will happen when there are no humans left you walking, talking idiot?”

“But we’re immortal,” he said with a vacant stare.

“We’ll starve and live forever hungry and irritable like I am now! Always! It will be immortality and low blood sugar.”

Alan Ball is a Masterful Storyteller and Here is Why ...

2012-01-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

One thing I can say about Tumblr and the fan sites is that they are very keen observers of True Blood, the vampire series created by genius storyteller Alan Ball. I fell in love with Alan Ball's work the first time I was introduced to it via the film American Beauty, which I quoted Lester Burnham in my first book Second Bloom. Here is one of the most precious quotes (thank you Alan Ball): "Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life... You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday."

He then created another one of my all-time favorites TV series Six Feet Under, which I own all the DVDs and occasionally revisit well-tread episodes. Now I am enraptured with True Blood, and not because I was ever a huge fan of vampires. The other day, a fan pointed out something about True Blood that truly amazed me. In fact, I told my friend today that Ball is the "savant of storytelling" based on just this one observation. This fan pointed to the juxtaposition of Sookie's "predator" uncle against her first lover Bill. In side-by-side photos, this fan showed how this suggested Bill was a predator too just a grownup version. Now here is what amazed and impressed me -- that Ball has this archival memory to do the same suggestion he did in season one and fast forward to season four. Did he plan actually that many years in advance and foreshadow? Or did he just decide to make this visual juxtaposition four years later? Either way, it's an impressive example of how really meaningful and deep storytelling comes together in subtle ways. His complete and total attention to even minor details just proves his mastery of telling great stories via film.

As I embark on the conversion of my book into a TV series (we are close to making a deal) and write the pilot, it is these kinds of details I want to keep in the forefront of my own storytelling. Can I even rise to such meticulous skills? I have no idea, but I can certainly raise the bar and make it a goal. The trick is in foreshadowing and not creating plot holes to make your story work. I can point to so many other things Ball has done in True Blood that will blow your mind. Ever noticed the angel/butterfly shirt Sookie has worn twice in the show (it's pink and she wears it in bed with Eric in season 4)? Some have suggested that is Eric and Sookie by the way Eric was placed against the wings of the angel when Sookie was held captive in the basement of the Fellowship of the Sun. And then you have a number of butterfly images used for Sookie (notice the light in the season 3 finale is shaped like a butterfly). Again, I could go on. Pure genius. And this show is supposed to be about vampires! It's probably the most intelligent show on vampires and supernaturals ever made -- or just the most intelligent show, period.

Why I Heart 3L Publishing!

2012-01-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

I've read some business owners who have complaints about owning the business. I see absolutely no downside to it not when you compare the downside to corporate. When I listen to friends bemoan their corporate situations, I am constantly reminded why I have no interest in working for someone else. So why do I love owning the business?

My corporate attire consists of either a purple or blue bathrobe that I switch out of into comfortable clothes around, say, noon. I tossed out every suit in my closet years ago. I actually donated them to Goodwill to help other women dress for success. Yes, my good, ole bathrobe. No wedgies. No nylons (ack, does anyone wear nylons anymore?). No dry cleaning bills. Love it.

I don't commute, and therefore I don't pollute. My commute looks like this: roll out of bed and stumble into office chair. No fear of greenhouse emissions here. I have a very low carbon footprint. I sleep in right up until my day gets under way.

Yes, I am responsible for the bottom line success, but in being responsible I can own the wins and losses. When I worked corporate and wanted a raise even when I had attracted the business, it didn't matter. I had to constantly fight and justify my way clear to money I was attracting to the business. I had to watch people who were far less deserving benefit from my efforts. I had to put up with political backstabbing. Now if I want to make more money, I put in the effort and I reap the rewards. I don't have to beg, plead, borrow or steal to get what I deserve (not entitled to ... big difference).

Yes, I work a lot, but I trade that for freedom to do things my way and live my way. I don't have to ask permission anymore. I can't even imagine asking anymore. If I need time off, I take time off. If I need a vacation, I take a vacation. If I need a sabbatical, I take a sabbatical. Yet I don't need one anyway. I am doing exactly what I love to do. Why would I take time off from my passion?

Nobody can steer me off my passion. I remember once this woman in HR tried to get me to do a different job that didn't involve writing. I remember thinking she totally didn't get it. It wasn't just about having a job. Writing and publishing are my life. I live to do these things. I remember when she said the most ridiculous thing that I would adjust, I wanted to shake her. She clearly didn't know what she was suggesting, which was for me to give up my passion and purpose. Now I don't have to put up with these clueless "suggestions".

If you're considering going into business for on your own, do it! Don't let naysayers stop you. You will never find anything more rewarding then owning the business.

From Alexander Skarsgard as Eric Northman to Jane Adams as Tanya Skagle: Favorite Characters from 2011

2012-01-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

#1 Eric Northman, True Blood

Without a doubt, Eric Northman topped the list in 2011. As played by the incomparable Alexander Skarsguard, Season 4 of True Blood delivered a vulnerable, emotive and sweet performance of amnesiac Eric. I liked Eric Northman in the earlier seasons, but he did not begin to capture my attention until Season 2's episode "I will rise up" when Eric begs his maker Godric not to kill himself. The utter devastation and emotion portrayed by Skarsgard broke my heart. Season 3 delivered a consistent showing and sealed this character as a complex hero (not villain). While I enjoy True Blood, it is Eric Northman who keeps me coming back for more. Skarsgard has amazing chemistry with Anna Paquin's Sookie, and this year we got to see lots of it. One of the sexiest pictures I've ever seen (above) was captured when they moved into the house. Skarsgard uses his hands, and those hands are all up in her hair. The photo is stunning, beautiful, raw and erotic. Note to other actors, watch what this actor does with his hands. The hands are on the face, tangled in the hair, and all over the body! Truly, truly gorgeous (yes, gorgeous not just sexy).

Tanya Skagle, Hung

Tanya played by Jane Adams is such a mess with heart, you have to love her. I heard the show got canceled too. None the less, the character of Tanya was funny, often misguided, but always (in the end) smart enough to out maneuver her rival pimp. What I really appreciated about Tanya was that she came across as a real woman. Jane Adams is a quirky-looking actress who brought reality to her character. She wasn't quintessentially beautiful, which made Tanya more real, interesting and funny to watch. It's too bad the show isn't coming back. I completely enjoyed her scenes, and this year's favorite was when she got handcuffed to the light pole while Ray took care of "business" with the cop.

Entourage -- The Entire Cast
Entourage fun came to an end last summer. I watched all eight seasons without fail. I know many episodes backward and forward. I always enjoyed Ari and Vince the most, but the boys never failed to entertain. Johnny "Drama" just got funnier and funnier each season. Ari was such a driven madman who dropped the best and most memorable lines. I can't even remember everything that came out of his mouth that was always stunning to hear. While my most memorable show wasn't in this year's season, it's worth mentioning -- The Furries! "She's a furry, bro!" At the time, I had no clue what was a furry. Now I know.

All right, so I need to move on. I will continue my favorite characters of 2011 in a future blog. See if you agree with me. Notice, these shows come from HBO. I do not watch commercial TV except for House on Monday nights. I believe HBO has superior programming. Sorry to the rest, but that's just my opinion.