I'll be seeing you

Tomorrow I may be going under the knife - well, the laser - but this day almost couldn't have gone better. I didn't get to ride Snoopy, because yesterday he got his vaccinations and we don't like to stress them or raise their heart rates for twenty-four hours. But other than that:

1. I received my proof copy of THE HOT MESS, so I'll have something to read while I convalesce.

2. Last week I turned Snoopy's memoir over to the very capable and trustworthy hands of an editor. I decided I was too close to the story to be able to tell whether I had told a story worth reading. Today I got an email saying she enjoyed reading it and that it was really good. Like any giddy little goofball, I've re-read that email ten times. I wasn't dreaming - it is a good tale.

3. I submitted my column for next Thursday's Placentia News-Times, after being on hiatus due to the election. It feels great to be back.

4. I got the laundry done, the house cleaned, the dogs bathed, and a pot of chicken stew in the fridge, so I'm ready to come home from the surgery and not worry about a thing.

Do be on the lookout for the release of THE HOT MESS. I'm going to be running a contest for a free copy, and lots of my friends are going to be helping me out. Details will follow.

In the meantime, I'm thinking of a trailer for the new book. I'm obsessed with using this song, although I need to find out if it's useable, Public Domain and all that. While looking around for it, I stumbled across this cartoon, that I think is just wicked fun. I love the way the animators play with reality - there is none! I mean, what were these guys on?



See you after my procedure. And removing my cataract means I'll actually SEE you.

The next big thing

My buddy Sheri Fink asked if I'd like to particpate in something called The Next Big Thing blog. You know me, I'm just a girl who can't say no. She gave me a few questions and said, "It's easy."

Which it is, mostly, except for one question in particular. You'll see.

What is the working title of your book? The working title was "Burning Mad" but I hated it. One night, in a bar in San Diego, a better title came to me, in between glasses of wine: The Hot Mess. (It now dawns upon me that I could have been talking about me at the time, but we'll let that go.)

Where did the idea come from for the book? After I introduced Benny Needles in the first book, Freezer Burn, and found out how much Dean Martin memorabilia he had stuffed in his house, I knew I'd have to burn his house down.

What genre does your book fall under? Mystery, although don't ask me to narrow the subgenre. I think I fall into the traditional category, with a woman sleuth, even if she does have a P.I. license.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? DING-DING-DING! THIS WAS FREAKIN' HARD TO DO!

 

My main characters are:

 

1. Peri Minneopa, a 50-year old woman, tall, blonde, Scandinavian in looks, originally from northern California. I usually think of women who are too young to play 50, because Peri is a very active, very physically fit woman. If she'd agree to age a couple of years, maybe Mary McCormack could do it. 

 

 

 

2. Skip Carlton, 50-ish, tall, dark hair, gray at the temples. This might be a surprise for some of my readers. My vision of Skip vacillates between these two men:

 

Mark Harmon

Denzel Washington

 

 

Both of whom are tasty. P.S. I double-dog dare you to find any reference to Skip's race in any of my books.

 

3. Blanche Debussy, 50-year old, short, dark hair, distinctive gravelly voice. Blanche was always modeled after Suzanne Pleshette. Find me another little brunette with that voice.

 

 

 

4. Benny Needles, 35-years old, short, round, dark hair, light eyes. Sydney Lassick from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest would have been perfect for this role, if he wasn't too old (and now too dead) to play 35. I think possibly Johnny Galecki could pull it off.

 

Sydney Lassick (RIP)

Johnny Galecki

 

When will the book be available? The e-book is scheduled to hit the cyber-stores on November 26, 2012. The paperback will be a coupla weeks later, on December 10. Which means I better get to work!

 

 

Be sure to check out Sheri's answers! They're on her site today.