First Word

Violating my own rule of being an author, I have been caught many times now without any of my books to sell. Driving UBER as a quick way to bring in cash, many riders have asked me, "Why don't you have your book in the car?" OMG! Why don't I? My imagination went wild. I need a magazine-like rack on the back of my car seat. Yeah, you know ... like the doctor's office. If they browse the book and want to buy it, I can sell books via my car. Is this just crazy or what? Then I thought, "Man who am I to lecture authors about having their books on them all of the time when I'm not carrying mine?" You know what everybody, I had to stop and wonder about my card-carrying author rights about then. Good question. Well, I need some "braggadocio" going on here. Yes, I am not really an UBER driver. I'm a publisher/author pretending to be an UBER driver. It's like Halloween year-round. See my easy costume? Sweater and pants -- just need...

It was the best of times … it was the worst of times … no wait! It’s the worst of times (see have to make a joke somewhere). This week I am willing to say qualifies as a visit to hell. Yes, I said hell (or would you prefer H-E-Double-Toothpicks … I used to say that as a kid). My boyfriend Kirk Donnelly became very ill and is hospitalized (and I’m sure by the time this publishes he’ll still be there). I am only writing this newsletter to let you know what happened and why I’ve been off the radar. I am on break from staying by his side. If you really want to help me, here is a proposition and you get something in return for it. I had planned a vacation to Hawaii but then Kirk got laid off, too (seriously, he is running on some negative gas right now). Now that he’s sick and will need to recuperate, I thought it would be nice if he could join me; but alas laid off = no finances. So, here is my proposition. Help his recover and get a great book, too. My second book in the Califor...

The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming book California Girl Chronicles, Brea's Big Break due out this winter. For more information on the book, visit our website at www.3LPublishing.com.  1 I arrived at the pristine offices where, as usual, Erin the receptionist, greeted me with a warm smile. Every time I saw Erin, I intended to ask her out to drinks. She was so sweet and charming. I knew she would make a great girlfriend. She offered the requisite Perrier and brought it out and placed it on a coaster in front of me. I was nervous. I had not seen Kale in weeks. He had been in Arizona on the set of his new movie. I missed him even though I had no right to miss him. I had thought about calling him several times, but realized he needed time and distance away from me. As I sipped my Perrier, Erin smiled at me. “You look so pretty,” she offered. I looked down at my collared, white blouse and silver-colored skirt. I had dressed conservatively but sexy enough...

Every author has his/her process. I've spoken to some authors who outline their stories. They did a "cast" list and figure out each character's role. They try to identify their characters' arcs and development. Other writers do index cards, which in some ways is kind of old fashioned, don't you think? We're in the digital era, but for these writers that makes sense. I actually don't question the process, because it's different for everyone. If you're a new writer and want some great advice on getting started, here are some fabulous ideas: Non-fiction and the Table of Contents -- I always recommend that authors whether they are new to their crafts or old dogs should start non-fiction books with a well-thought-out table of contents. The table of contents becomes your roadmap and guide for how you will organizationally write the book. I encourage new writers to have an outside person review their table of contents. You will notice that all books...

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...

My favorite funny moments from book two of California Girl Chronicles, Brea’s Big Break:  REAL BODY PARTS “And you think you’re going to get somewhere with me like that?” I flatly asked. Johnny looked up, 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 one would purposefully make their boobs this small,” I said with a laugh.  I CUT HER HAIR 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 would not divulge whom. He did say he met her when he played a small role in her film. He said she was down-to-earth but had this strange obsession with her hair. She wanted to become famous for her hair like Jennif...