 | 8 Oct 08 |
I just spent a week in LA–for several reasons. The first book in a series is out–Deadly Night–to be followed one a month in the next two months by Deadly Harvest and Deadly Gift. I like holidays, so it was lots of fun, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and you got it–”Gift” is Christmas! I went to the West Hollywood Book Fair which was super, cool, and lots of fun. I spoke with Alex Sokoloff on a panel in which Adrienne Barbeau was also speaking, led by Les Klinger, who is also a friend. How can you go wrong? Well, I was impressed, having come of age during the reign of Maude, a show that I loved, ahead of its time just a bit. All right, I have already discovered that Hollywood’s leading ladies can be amazing–Harley Jane Kozak is simply one of the finest human beings I have ever met, bar none. Gracious, gorgeous, sweet. Adrienne was charming, as nice as could be. One other thing I noted about them both–was it the perfect bodies? No, though they have them.
Teeth! What perfect, gorgeous, glorious teeth!
Onward to my very favorite promotional tool of all time–the satellite media tour. That means you sit in one room, and they pipe you out to whatever stations want you across the country. The negative aspect of being in California for such a tour is that your call time is four A.M. You have to hit the early news stations in the east. But I was more than willing for this opportunity. One room, a whole country. Cool.
Onward to some personal time, as the baby daughter (who is six feet even) is now going to school in California, an arts school where the kids are amazing, musicians, animators, actors, actresses, artists and all. The energy around the kids is like a strange high, so it’s very cool to be with them, and see them run around the school like determined bees. I’d loved to have gone there–it is an amazing place. They’re still young, of course, so several members of the family came in and we took several of the students and a family friend to horror nights at Hollywood Universal. What a blast. Saw the new Wolfman preview. It certainly holds promise. The tram ride is fun, the haunted house on the ground level a definite A plus.
Now, I am your worst coward. I know that these are high school and college kids in costume, but they can usually make me jump anyway. There in comes our family friend who accompanied us–Josh Perry. Josh has Downs Syndrome, and, yet, he is amazingly more mature than most of us many a time. He has a show on the Internet, Youtube–top rated–called The Retarded Policeman. It’s very funny, and most people love it. Some are offended, thinking someone is using poor Josh. The truth of the matter is that Josh is an actor, and he loves what he does. At Universal, he was recognized by many fans. My suggestion, to those who want to check it out, is the episode about The Mexicans–it also stars his real life mom and dad. There are sex jokes, drug jokes, you name it jokes, but the most important part of it is that Josh loves his job. As he says in an interview segment with his sister, “I may have Downs Syndrome, but if you have a problem with me, YOU’RE retarded!”
Which brings me, oddly, to the debates. We’re all supposed to be free to pursue our own dreams which includes the freedom to aspire to any goal in life, no matter what handicaps we might face. Here’s my wish. All candidates stop telling me what’s bad about each other, and tell me instead what they’re going to do to help America stand tall and proud again. I don’t want to be told that I will or won’t vote for someone because they are black, white, or yellow, male, female, young or old. I want to hear their dreams and visions, and how they’re going to make those visions come to pass. Ah, hell. I did come of age at the very end of the hippy days, only to see many hippys become yuppies. I do dream of a Utopian world in which we fill out forms that don’t ask us about our color or ethnic origin. I mean, isn’t the point that we are all Americans?
Back to Josh and Universal. There is no one who is more fun to be with in a haunted house! Once he had a light saber–a bargain at five dollars!–he was super brave and ready to face any masked Freddy or Jason! A few pairs of bunny ears on the girls (and Brendan, who just liked them and wore them well!) and we were good to go. Except I made it home at eleven o’clock–as in home to Miami, on Monday–and took off this morning at eleven for Baltimore. But I am incredibly excited to be here. It’s my first time at Bouchercon, so I am anxious to learn and to participate. More on that later.
Heather
Heather Graham has appeared on Entertainment Tonight, Romantically Speaking, a TV talk show that aired nationwide on the Romance Classics cable channel, and CBS Sunday News. She has been quoted in People and USA Today, been profiled in The Nation, and featured in Good Housekeeping. Her books have been selections for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. She has been published across the world in more than 15 languages and has published over 70 titles, including anthologies and short stories.
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Welcome home to MSW, Heather!
by Margaret A. Golla October 8th, 2008 at 5:01 amSo wonderful to have you here, Heather!
by deborah October 8th, 2008 at 6:39 amSo great to see you here, Heather! Loved your blog – how do you manage to have such a *glam* life AND write amazing back to back thrillers? I bet the Hollywood Book Fair was fantastic and I can only imagine your colorful clan at Universal Horror Nights!
Thanks for sharing and joining the fun!
by Roxanne St. Claire October 8th, 2008 at 7:13 amWelcome. You’re a wonderful addition to our fabulous ladies of MSW.
As the regulars here know I have 5 children. My oldest is 14 and she was born w/ Cerebral Palsy. My younger son is 9 and was diagnosed w/ Autism when he was 2. I’m very sensitive to the R word, especially since it has been directed at my own kids.
To be fair I watched a couple of the videos. As long as he is not being used and is fully aware of the content there is nothing wrong w/ him doing the videos. There will still be people who make cruel comments. I tell my kids that the world is full of these type of people and that they don’t deserve a second of our time.
Sorry, off my high horse.
Again, Welcome.
by HollyD October 8th, 2008 at 8:06 amWelcome to MSW Heather.
by Cele October 8th, 2008 at 8:37 amI’m out of town, missed the Grand Opening and seeing all the new faces, saying hi to old and new friends. However, I’m in Washington State and it’s a GLORIOUS change from Orlando.
We’re staying with good friends, although we do have one major difference — they’ve VERY into politics, and we’re not. Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t vote, because I do, and I try to make intelligent descisions. I agree with Heather totally. Let me hear just ONE candidate for ANYTHING not spend more time bad-mouthing the opposition, and tell me about yourself.
(Heather — my husband remembers you from the SleuthFest breakfast — he’s with me for the Emerald City conference and wanted to know if anyone he knew would be there — like” the blonde from Florida who dances.”
by Terry Odell October 8th, 2008 at 8:42 amHi Heather,
by Mary-Frances October 8th, 2008 at 9:44 amI for one am glad you like to travel, otherwise I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet you at Thrillerfest earlier this year. Thanks for the update and I look forward to reading more of your posts!
Heather, welcome to MSW, you are an awesome addition to the crew.
Your travels sound like such fun. It is still so hot here in Northern California I wish I could go to Seattle or Canada or something. LOL
I loved the videos, Josh seemed like it loved doing them too.
by Amanda October 8th, 2008 at 10:49 amI think I’m exhausted just from *reading* all that Heather’s doing.
Great blog, Heather!
by toni mcgee causey October 8th, 2008 at 12:26 pmI agree with Toni. I’m exhausted just READING Heather’s schedule. Take a look at her backlist as well. The woman is a DYNAMO.
So glad you joined MSW, Heather!
by Natalie October 8th, 2008 at 1:14 pmHi Heather,
by Jane October 8th, 2008 at 1:53 pmCongrats on the new release. I look forward to reading about the Flynn brothers.
Heather, welcome to MurderSheWrites!
by Jen Apodaca October 8th, 2008 at 2:44 pmGreat blog, and welcome to MSW!!!
–Your #1 fan
by Allison Brennan October 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pmWelcome to MSW!
by Karin Tabke October 8th, 2008 at 5:18 pmHi, Heather! My kids love Universal Hollywood. We go there once a year, at least.
Great to share MSW with you!!
by S.J. Day October 8th, 2008 at 6:41 pmI am overjoyed at meeting you and Alex! Didn’t know about the Wolf man film-thanks for the heads up…I’m a real Creatures Features man. I can watch Abbott and Costello Meets Frankenstein, Wolf Man, Dracula—anyplace, anywhere, anytime!
Ace
by Ace Antonio Hall October 24th, 2008 at 3:01 pm