First Word

I attended eWomen Reno networking last night. I had a complete blast with my girlfriends not just at the event but afterward when we all retired to the Peppermill lounge to chat and laugh. It got pretty funny, and I'm not going to specifically cite the culprits of this conversation. But after a drink, the mouths ran over. Pretty soon we began to explore the erotic nature of chocolate. As I sat with my partially consumed shot of Patron (yuck! I'm not drinking that anymore) and listened and participated in the "scrumptious" and dare I say decadent discussion of the various naughty ways one could use chocolate, I laughed until my side had a stitch. So I'll give you the highlight reel, which included uproarious explorations of what one could do with a chocolate-covered banana (your minds are going crazy now) or various chocolate dipping products one might imagine for various, how shall we say, erogenous zones. As the evening progressed, we also discussed my book (tw...

What a year and it's not quite over! Last year at this time I was struggling to get my former business partner out of the company. The screenplay C-ASS had completely fallen on its "ass" (forgive the pun) after the revelation that our so-called "manager" (and that's a real stretch ... the word "con artist" more aptly applies) was nothing more than a pathological liar. The rest of the year was fraught with so many challenges, but I kept going. I kept working and moving forward. I kept my eyes forward and my attitude positive. Now look where I'm at. Former partner is completely gone and the last of the fallout from her presence has finally been cleaned up. I have a new script Beauty School that has caught the interest of two producers (it has only been given to two producers too), my new book California Girl Chronicles is picking up sales momentum and media interest and just received its first official positive review from the SF Book Review , ...

Brea Harper is a classic California girl: blond and beautiful, but smarter than the rest. When her job as an editor at a local magazine disappears, she moves to Los Angeles on a whim to pursue her lifetime dream of becoming a scriptwriter. But more adventures await her than just a struggle to break into the business. Brea also gets sucked into a series of romantic mishaps with three men. Lance, who suggested she move in the first place, is her “roommate with benefits,” whom she shacks up with until she can get her own place. Drew is the singer in a local band, with whom she has intense chemistry, but for some reason, can never get any kind of relationship off the ground. And Kale is a Hollywood producer who mentors Brea and truly loves her, but can't save her from herself. Naturally, the combination of these three men is a catastrophe waiting to happen, and when her romances collide, life really gets complicated. Michelle Gamble-Risley's debut novel,  California Girl Chronicl...

California Girl is now in production! Hello Friend-Os! I wanted to share the latest cover mock-up that is pretty much finished for my new novel California Girl Chronicles . I have amazingly began Book II, which "chronicles" Brea's adventures as a screenwriter, Hollywood politics, and of course, her many men. My focus group readers have sent me notes about the cliffhanger, complaining that now they have to read Book II, and come on! That's the point isn't it? I have received few notes about revisions, and so the final proof went to design this week. I am excited to get the Advance Review Copies (ARCs) out to reviewers in wait, which includes Newsweek, NY Times, Sacramento Bee, San Francisco Book Review and others. Plans are set in motion to do a major launch party here in Sacramento followed by a second one in Los Angeles where the book is set. I also plan to send my favorite actor du jour  Alexander Skarsgård  a copy of the book with the role of Kale, th...

A recent faux pas made me think of this blog. I wrote an article for After the Manuscript and because of the turmoil this week, I inadvertently sent my First Word version, which isn't the same as what I would formally submit for publication. In First Word, my readers have met me at one time or the other so I can unleash my playful, sarcastic side; but unless you know me, you might construe that one as borderline. I had, in fact, written an appropriate version for the San Francisco Book Review that was professional and straightforward -- maybe just not as funny. The lesson is, there is a right tone for the right audience. You should always consider your readership when you write anything. Who are you trying to appeal to? Whether I am writing a novel or a non-fiction book, I keep tone and style in mind for the audience I am speaking to. Always write to a specific audience even if you have to imagine them in the theatre seats listening to you. If you miss your target audience/market...