First Word

You can always tell how much sex a writer gets by how much they write about it in their novels. I can honestly say that George R.R. Martin is a complete and utter virgin. ~ Davidson Howarth I thought this would make a great blog topic and definitely in line with the psychology of the author influencing the page. I took a class on this once in college. The idea is that our psyche influences our work either consciously or unconsciously. I laughed when I read my fellow author Davidson's post, because, of course, what would this make me when I have a book ( California Girl Chronicles ) loaded with sexual content? I figured at least the literary equivalent to a slut LOL. I think the truth is that writers aren't going to write about something they are not interested in or that they don't think makes a great story. I suppose I wasn't going to write a contemporary romance in a culture where no one has sex or is not interested in sex. Mind you, 70 percent, according to a medi...

You know running a business can often be fraught with mayhem. I think, though, now things are a little more organized and running and smoothly -- especially since my new operations manager, Bo Bradley took over the 3L Publishing functions that I hate to do. Well, my last person who sat in the chair that Bo now occupies did not post the California Girl Chronicles title correctly in the distributor Bakers and Taylor catalog of titles, which equals disaster on sales. The bookstores didn't have the correct information. I was slightly distraught when no orders came in and I couldn't understand why until Bo informed me of the huge  and costly mistake (this among some other egregious and costly mistakes ... ah, the perils of business). Well, now that the problem has been rectified, we finally received our first official bookstore order. It was a higher than average number! Now it makes sense. California Girl Chronicles has always, in my opinion, been the type of book that if you pu...

So I need to revise the California Girl Chronicles script ... why haven't I done it yet? Well, let's see how many distractions can I come up with? Oh, yeah, I run 3L Publishing and have five books running in parallel. Okay, that is a serious distraction that has to be attended to. I'm plugging along yesterday and got an enormous amount of work done ... wait! A pile of laundry ... can't leave that be. And now my laundry room is across from my office so that is going to be a constant reminder to just pile it in. Now since I finally relented to the texting revolution every single of one of my friends texts me. Now I am answering emails AND texts. Did I tell you I pride 3L's reputation on quick response times? Yes, we guarantee a response within 24 hours and typically I keep my email open on my desk so I can respond within the hour. Customer service is critical, and my clients feel they have my full attention when I respond to their needs right away. Now what? All rig...

Tonight the new series Girls airs on HBO, and I will take time out of my busy work to take a look. This series follows young women (who think it's okay to be called "girls" is this post modern feminist world) as they struggle in New York City (a la Sex in the City with no budget for shoes) to establish their careers. These girls are not sexy, but more your average and perhaps not particularly attractive group. The main lead actress is slightly pudgy and definitely nothing to turn heads. From the trailer, she comes across as sardonic and sarcastic. I will watch the show with an open mind and see if I like it. This continues the season of the great flawed female characters, which my heroine in California Girl Chronicles falls into that category for sure. My young California Girl though is attractive and possibly not real, but she definitely faces real problems we can all relate to. I had a 19-year-old girl at the convention pick up the book and turn to page one and laug...

The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming book, California Girl Chronicles: Brea's Big Break. It will be on sale on the 3L website in limited supply in the next several days.  5 Kale soon returned to Arizona for more on-set work. Other staffers from the office went with him so the place was quiet. I didn’t mind. I was able to get a lot of work done, and believe me, the pile of notes for rewrites had only grown. I’d heard, though, that they were actively casting the movie and that Johnny, the hot man I’d met in the hallway, had won the Drew part. As I rewrote Drew’s scenes, I wondered if he would see the movie. It occurred to me as I wrote the female lead that her words might make him feel the least bit repentant, but somehow I doubted it since Drew never expressed remorse. I was staring out my office window thinking about this when I heard a voice come from behind me. “ Are you busy?” I turned around to find Monica standing in the doorway, which surprised me since she...

How much of the artist is poured into the work? I get asked if I'm my heroine Brea Harper in California Girl Chronicles . I am not Brea. It's not an autobiography. But how much of the book reflects something about my life and psyche? I once took a great class in college about the psychology of authors and how you can see what was going on in their lives through the lens of their work. We studied many of the great authors and read about their lives and then read one of their greatest works. One of our assignments was to read about D.H. Lawrence and then read Sons and Daughters, which reflected back on his family life . In comparing the life to the work, we did pull out relevant events and factors that were in the stories. Of course, the author brings his or her "world" to the story. We are better writers when we come from a place of authenticity. It's harder to write about the richness of an experience when we've not had the experience. When I have very young a...

If you've watched our so-called scandalous California Girl Chronicles trailer on You Tube, you may have noticed it was very sexy, and yet not one moment of actual "sex" was described. We had a few viewers comment about its intoxicating allure and more than one comment that it was "soft core". I feel the need to point something out about this trailer. I has no skin, profanity or description of actual sex. The scene describes nothing more than a first encounter and a kiss. You listened carefully right? Brea is describing the first time she kisses Kale and how she feels about it. In describing her feelings, it's evident she is turned-on and would like there to be sex, but there is none ... yet. When you write alluring scenes, it's about writing it with the "feelings" and thoughts in mind. You pull the reader into the desires. You do not need to describe an act to make it sexy and titillating. Sometimes writers make the mistake of just getting do...

The following is an excerpt from the second book in the California Girl Chronicles: Brea's Big Break . If you read the first book, Brea and the City of Plastic, you are probably eagerly awaiting to see what trouble Brea gets into next. A small promotional print run was done this month. If you send me an email at info@3LPublishing.com , I will let you know how you can purchase your own copy way in advance of the official release date this summer.  Prologue 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...

Hello all of my loyal followers. It's Saturday morning and I always like to be entertaining on the weekends. So, I'm going to keep it sort of light this morning ... well, sort of light. Anyway, my writer's group Writer's Who Mean Business hosted an erotic writer named Rosalia, who has written innumerable erotic stories for dozens of books and publications. Rosalia was incredibly frank and interesting. While some of the material she held up would have made the typical author blush and perhaps let out a giggle (and this coming from the author of California Girl Chronicles , which is highly charged and erotic), Rosalia let it go with an utter frank, unaffected pride. I marveled as she held up blush-worthy titles and admitted with steady frankness that and I quote, "I like to write hardcore. It's what I like." She didn't even blink! Even if that were the case and I wanted to write hardcore like that, I know for certain a smile would creep across my face a...

Hello my Friend-Os and followers. I know, I know! I missed a blog yesterday. Slap my pajamas, I actually had a break in blogging LOL. Sorry! I was out networking. Yes, the meat and potatoes and foundation for new business -- relationship building and networking. If you're a business owner who is not out working the lines then you're not going to enjoy the kind of rewards I do in terms of new business. I make it my no. #1 priority to network and build relationships at least 3-4 times a month or more. Now if you're asking, "What is relationship building vs. standard networking" then here, let me explain in a quick nutshell. Relationship networking is exactly what it sounds like . It's not about shaking a hand and pushing a business card. Relationship building is about consistently showing up at networking events. It's about letting people slowly get to know you and understand your brand, product or service. It's at the heart about "making friends...

I learn lots of fun things that drive business. I like to share fun and prosperity-generating information with all of you. Here are some great tips for success. Every member of your team is a salesperson . People get stuck in their "roles" and don't realize they project the company everywhere they go. You in some respects are the brand. When you're out networking, always seize the opportunities. These opportunities will present themselves to you at all turns. You need to be on, alert and ready to pounce. If you own the company, set up a reward system for everyone to participate. It doesn't matter if it's your secretary. If he or she sells something for the company, reward him or her. Every member of your team must participate in social media . You can't keep ignoring the power of social media. If you use social media the right way and not just to post your pictures of your cats and kittens or your drinking shots, you will attract business. Your staff sho...

Again, it's Saturday morning, and I hate being serious on a Saturday morning. So, I decided I would dig into my books the California Girl Chronicles and pull out my favorite funny dialog to make you laugh or at the very least crack a smile.  Johnny: “You’re hot and nice. I like you. And I like that you have real body parts.”  Brea: “Do you consider yourself a womanizer?”  Ryan: “No, I just love women.” Ryan: “You know, Americans are the only ones who get all excited and say they love shit. We’re like the most enthusiastic nation! Other people say, ‘Hey, I like it,’ but not us, man. We love everything!” Denise: “Why did you screw the friend?”  Brea: “I was drunk,” I replied. Denise: “Oh, got it.”  Brea: “Are you going to trash this script?”  Kale: “No, we had you do that." Ryan: “Nope, I do what I want – and that doesn’t bother either of them.”  Brea: “Are you sure about that? Freeloader.”  Ryan: “Freeloader never! It...

If you've read California Girl Chronicles , I know many of you are eager to find out the answer to the annoying cliffhanger. If you've been reading this blog on a regular basis, you might have figured out by the spoilers "sort of" what happens. If you're hoping I'm going to reveal all now ... you're out of luck! Sorry! Book two, which I just did a limited run of printed copies for promotional purposes, is completed -- and it has been completed for quite sometime. Book three is completed in my mind ... but stories tend to take on an organic unfolding of their own, so it may end up in an entirely new direction by the time it's finished. I am going to reveal a few promised secrets, though, as committed to in that headline. First, our beloved dreamboat producer Kale may not be as heavily involved on canvas in book three as many of you might like to see. Not going to say why. No worries! He is very involved in book two, and he won't be completely going ...

Please help me make our book trailer for California Girl Chronicles, a viral success. Please pass the link around and enjoy. Here is the link to the You Tube Trailer . BTW, it's very hot and sexy ... so enjoy!!

SPOILER ALERT: The following is an excerpt from California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic. In this scene, she meets Kale, her central love interest in the series. The book is available for sale on 3L Publishing www.3LPublishing, Amazon, Kindle, iBook, Nook and is available to order through Bakers and Taylor for bookstores. 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 fron...

I am really excited! Victoria Andrew has done an excellent job in organizing my first stop on the California Girl Chronicles book tour. What should I call it? Hmm ... Brea's Big Book Tour. I like it! All right so among the many events she has arranged, we have a major book signing at Women and Children's First Bookstore, which according to Victoria who also hales from Chicago, is very prestigious. Since I've done nothing more than idle away time in Chicago O'Hare (and I have a very funny story about the time I failed to realize the size of that airport), I have no idea about this bookstore. So, I will go on Victoria's word that it's a big deal that we got accepted. She worked very hard to arrange this book signing. The main event is, of course, the Romance Times annual convention being held out in Rosemont, April 10-15. We will introduce my beloved Brea Harper to a crowd of new fans. We also signed up to run the book trailer at the convention hotel of choice ...

So, it seems the blog is now well over 2,000 page views per month. My audience has made their vote on my content with the most number of views. Apparently when I wax, wane or whine for that matter about anything that involves True Blood and everyone's actor and hot man du jour Alexander Skarsgard, the readers come running. I'm also tickled to see that California Girl Chronicles excerpts attract a nice draw, too. Well, it turns out that all men right now from Sweden seem to be piquing the female interest. A new poll ranked Sweden as the land of plenty o' hot men! I guess for the single ladies looking for the beautiful race, Sweden is it. I always thought Australia offered beautiful, chiseled-cheeked men a plenty. When I was "down under," I couldn't help but pick my jaw off the ground a few times. Even the bellhops looked like they belonged on the cover of GQ . It was hard not to stare! These guys were so rarely gorgeous, I found myself looking much like you w...

I used to work for the California Department of Water Resources many, many years ago. Every year no matter how much or little rain we received, the department seemed to consistently deliver a solemn outlook on our water supply. A friend of mine mentioned this over the weekend, and I laughed and agreed. So, I decided that I don't care that we don't have heavy rainfall this year (last year's late rain more than made up for it). I am going to revel in the magnificent early California spring weather. The sunshine combined with the perfect temperature made my trip to the North Coast absolutely perfect, as you can see from the beautiful pictures I am posting. We strolled the Fort Bragg Botanical Gardens, which I've passed numerous times in the fog and declined to visit. A foggy, cold day does not entice a stroll. And while most people think California and sunny beaches, let me tell you: come July and August, the California North Coast beaches are not always sunny. Quite the c...

As many of you know, I track certain topics and people I am keeping an eye on their careers for a reason. Well, I set my Google Alerts to Alexander Skarsgard a long time ago. It serves two purposes: one, I by proximity get to see what else is going on with my favorite show True Blood and Season 5; and second, I can see his projects under way. Now a third outcome of tracking that provides nothing but idle hands and time is the gossip that swirls around our Swedish actor. So, I read some of it if I'm bored. He recently via a conversation (which is really funny in and of itself) got linked to the younger Olsen sister, Lizzie. Here is what didn't necessarily surprise me but kind of made me shake my head and laugh. I actually read the Celebrity Cafe, because I've been considering advertising California Girl Chronicles in it. I am not planning to advertise until we exhaust our public relations campaign. None the less, I know the Celebrity Cafe content well enough. So, I saw a ...

The Dalai Lama's proclamation that "the world will be saved by the Western woman" only highlighted the reality that women are emerging as the leaders of the global change movement. This year's theme for me is all about the self-empowerment of women. I also started the California Girl Chronicles last year out of a desire to create a strong female character. I was inspired not by True Blood Sookie Stackhouse but by Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse. I want to be clear, I am not a huge fan of the Harris' series per se. I think she has created a wonderful character in Sookie, and I adore the Sookie and Eric Northman romance. The rest of the stories only resonate part of the time; however Sookie spoke to me. When I was little I started writing because Laura, the little girl from the Little House books who inspired me. I have apparently always been intrigued with strong girls. I don't like the way Alan Ball's team has diminished Sookie's self-empow...