Conrad Johnson's Blog, page 29

My Mistress (a film review)

In case you missed the 2014 Australian psychosexual drama My Mistress, directed by Stephen Lance, it is still available on Netflix for now.

Although Emmanuelle Béart's portrayal of Maggie, the dangerously seductive Dominatrix next door, is strained, the reason why it's so, ironically, also adds a hidden depth to this film that is easy overlooked by those not astute. Her character comes across as strained because nothing is more painful and tense than a mother having her child taken away because of drug addiction even though she still loves her baby insanely.

Enter Harrison Gilberston who does justice to the role of Charlie Boyd, a grieving young teenager who just lost his father to sudden illness and death and who falls head over heels in lust with the mysterious older sexy, Maggie, who suddenly moves into his neighborhood. After unquenchable persistence, she finally relents and lets him into her private world of domination, bondage and submission and mind psyche games that rival those of the weird genius directer, Roman Polanski's. Steven Lance tries hard to pull us out of normality by focusing on close ups and actor melodrama, but the effort falls short. More cinematic technique that stages the players (like Michael Caine's memorable scene controlling performance in Sleuth) might have taken the pressure off the actors and handed it back to Lance.

All in all, the movie is worth a tuck into your Netflix cue for something completely different and intriguing to watch.  Béart is no Sharon Stone, but her sexual appeal is noteworthy if not way-too-laissez faire at times in the film. Butter up your popcorn and feed your head some with this Aussie coming-of-age adventure.

Robert Saviano and ZeroZeroZero

"The body of one’s enemy is spared no humiliation because it serves as a warning for the living. One time the face of a man was even removed and sewn onto a soccer ball."

Roberto Saviano
Read more HERE AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC



Photo from National Geographic.comAN UNGUARDED ROAD AT THE BORDER BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MEXICO.

Rebecca Forster and The Bailey Devlin Series

Amazingly prolific and popular USA Today Best Selling author, Rebecca Forster,  interviews about her latest release available for multiple electronic readers here. Enjoy these words from a born storyteller:

 Is The Bailey Devlin Series really a departure from legal thrillers for you? Why?
It all started when my mother asked me to write a book-without-bodies. Then I received two letters from fans of the Witness Series. One lady asked me to write something funny and another asked for a book with a bow ending. I started writing on a dare, so this dare was one I couldn't pass up. Besides, lawyers in love is kind of a thrilling concept don't you think?
 Is this series more 'personal' for you than The Witness Series? How so?
There is a lot of me in Bailey so it's not more personal, just a different kind of personal. I am a bit of a klutz, a bit of a dreamer, a bit superstitious, and a firm believer in love just like Bailey. I remember working two jobs and going to school at night and being so tired I could cry. I remember getting married, being laid off the day after the honeymoon, and returning wedding china so we could eat while my husband studied for the bar exam. The Witness Series is my dark and righteous curiosity about the world; Bailey Devlin is my bright and hopeful outlook on life. If someone reads my thrillers and Bailey Devlin, they will know me well.
 I know that you write primarily to entertain, but I'velearned exciting and reflective facts from your storiesabout the human condition. Do you ever feel like you're sharing your wisdom with others through your writing? Why or why not?
I would love to think I'm wise, but I believe I am only observant. When I write, I try to find some universal emotional question to ask; something we have all pondered in our soul. Then I try to find an answer. Of course, there never is a perfect answer. Bailey is dear to me because she is me at twenty-three: a woman teetering on the verge of self-confidence but positive she doesn't deserve it, taking life so seriously and not recognizing that love is right in front of her until it is almost too late. If there is any wisdom in my books it is only that I recognize the importance of at least trying to find answers to the big questions life throws at us.
 Who taught you to write?
No one. I just write.
 What does your writing process look like?
Concept, title, character, plot. I always know the beginning and end of my books before I begin to write. No outlines, no character sketches, no writing exercises. I am in the moment for months.
 Do you have any strange writing habits(like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
Wouldn't I drown if I did that? Question: Is the water on while I'm standing on my head? Anyway, I don't think my habits are strange but here you go: I cannot write except at my coffee shop (Coffee Cartel) but I can edit at home. I must work everyday. I prefer to be dressed up a little (favorite outfit, jeans, work shirt, high heeled boots) and have my make-up on. Sometimes, though, when I walk to work I have to wear sweats and tennis shoes because it's over a mile. Is that strange?
 What book do you wish you could have written?
Gone Girl or Canterbury Tales
Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write?
Stephen King. My son, Eric Czuleger. 
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Check out Eric's podcast interview about his Immortal L.A. collection here]
 If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?
Funny you should ask that. The Day Bailey Devlin's Horoscope Came True was a script first. We were lucky to have directorial and acting attachments but kept losing out to comic books when it came to funding. My dream casting for Seymour would be George Burns. For obvious reasons, that's not going to happen. Amy Adams would make a great Bailey although I think it would have to be someone younger (sorry, Amy). I think I'll have to leave casting to the professionals. My oldest is a talent manager. He would find the perfect actors. 
How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?
I recommend 100 Names for Baby and the phone book (I know they still exist). Sometimes a character's name is symbolic, sometimes it simply reflects character traits,at other times I just like the lyrical quality of a name. Sometimes I use real people if they ask to be in a book. In Forgotten Witness, Stephen Kyle and Ian Francis are U.K. friends. Their personalities lent themselves beautifully to the leads in that novel.
 What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
Raising my children. They are kind, hardworking and smart. They are gentlemen.
Rebecca Forster
 What phrase or log line would you like people to remember you with?
She made me curious.
 What's in the future for you?
I'm no spring chicken, so I'm not sure I can keep up the seven-day-a-week pace much longer. Still, I have so many books I'd like to write. I have a new series - Dalton/Anderson police thrillers - I have two more humorous book I'd like to do. I have a political saga I would love to spend two years writing. I really want to write a few more witness books. I can't tell you how thick my to-be-written file is. But I also am passionate about travel and I find myself flying the coop way too often these days. The world is big, the mind over-active, and time is fleeting.
 Is there anything else that you would like to add?
I would like people to know how much I appreciate getting a letter, email, or a review. I am pen pals with the first reader who wrote me a fan letter twenty-five years ago. I am amazed at the friends I've made because of stories I've told. I count myself very lucky, indeed.

You can contact Rebecca at rebeccaforster.com

John H. Byk and The Writers Alive Daily

Get breaking news in health, fashion, arts, entertainment and more from  The Writers Alive Daily

Jessica Knoll and Fat Mirror Syndrome

Jessica Knoll, former Cosmopolitan senior editor and author of the New York Times bestseller, Luckiest Girl Alive, offers up a smart and polished essay about vanity and 'the veneer of happiness' on Yahoo Health.

Mistral Dawn and Bound By The Summer Prince

XXX Who is Mistral Dawn? XXXEnjoy this interview with her and be sure to FOLLOW her on Twitter because she's a MOOD BOOST:

1.  How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
Well, for my first book, Taken By The Huntsman, I got the idea from a dream I had after having a debate with an online friend about the nature of consent.  At the time, I was researching European mythology and somehow the two subjects got jumbled in my head while I was asleep.  When I woke up I texted a friend with the outline of the idea and asked if she thought it was interesting.  She was kind enough to say that she did think it was interesting, and would like to read a book based on it.  I wrote the first couple of chapters and emailed them to her, and she said she wanted to read the rest; so I wrote it.  As I wrote that story, ideas for several more came to me and a series was born. 
2.  Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?
I'm dyslexic and didn't learn to read at all until I was eight years old.  Once I finally did learn to read, I skipped a lot of the "children's" books (though I've read many of the classics as an adult) and dove headlong into sci-fi and fantasy novels written for adults.  The first novel I ever read was Heir To The Empire by Timothy Zahn, a continuation of George Lucas's Star Wars series.  Reading that prompted me to haunt libraries and second hand book stores (this was before the prequel trilogy of movies made the series popular again...boy I'm getting old! ;-) ) until I had gotten my hands on everything that had ever been written in the Star Warsuniverse.  Once I was done with those, I was on to Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings.  I've seldom been spotted without my nose in a book since. 
3.  How long have you been writing?
It depends. If you mean how long have I been writing fiction then, other than a few doodles I've written over the years as school assignments and a dismal fan-fiction piece I wrote in junior high, I've  written two novels: Taken By The Huntsman and Bound By The SummerPrince which just came out. It's getting some great reviews.
4.  What kind(s) of writing do you do?
Well my novels are fantasy romance/paranormal romance/borderline erotica.  But I'm a graduate student, so I do a lot of non-fiction writing as well.
5.  What cultural value do you see in writing/reading/storytelling/etc.?
I think fiction both informs and is informed by society.  Sometimes what is written in fiction is a reflection of what we wish to see.  Sometimes it is an exaggeration/satrization of what we see.  Sometimes it is a warning against what we are afraid will result if steps are not taken to prevent it.  Also, the messages and/or lessons in it are often presented in a symbolic form, but fiction never emerges from a vacuum.  It is left up to the reader, one hopes, to take the abstract concept present in the story and apply it to real life.  Honestly, I sometimes think this may be the only way to get people thinking and talking about the most important issues that face our society, because fiction provides a safe arena to discuss the matters that hit closest to home.  Someone who might be comfortable talking about the absurdity of wizards excluding other wizards because they weren't born from parents who were wizards, might not be so comfortable considering the implications of racism or gender bias in our society.
6.  Are there vocabulary words or concepts in your book that may be new to readers?  Define some of those.
Yes, the most important ones are Anamchara, which is the Fae word for soul-mates who are bound together in a magical bond called the Siorghra.
7.  Are there underrepresented groups or ideas featured in your books? If so, discuss them.
Yes, as I said my first story began with the idea that the nature of consent was something worth being discussed.  There are BDSM themes throughout my stories, and I compare and contrast the "games" that adults may choose to play with each other with non-consensual assaults perpetrated by a disturbed individual against others.  I plan to expand on this in future stories.  The heroine in my second book, Bound By The Summer Prince, is a woman of mixed ancestry, and I plan to continue to bring ethnic diversity into my stories.  The Fae, as well, have some diversity issues they are struggling with.  Additionally, in the short story I'm writing now, it will be revealed that one of my characters is asexual.  In future stories I plan to include gay characters, bisexual and pansexual characters, intersex characters, characters who are transgender or who identify as both male and female genders simultaneously, etc.  I hope to make the characters in my stories as varied and interesting as the people I'm fortunate enough to know in real life.  If anyone has any suggestion for a character they feel belongs to an underrepresented group I'd be happy to hear it. 
8.  Are there misconceptions that people have about your book?  If so, explain.
Yes, I've had some feedback saying that the descriptions in my stories are too long and that there are too many of them; though I've also had plenty of feedback indicating that these descriptions are appreciated by some people.  I believe that the complaints about these descriptions come mainly from people who read my stories expecting them to be what they may have come to expect from erotica: many sex scenes with a little supporting story.  That's not what my stories are, and that's why I call them "borderline" erotica.The sex scenes in my stories are very explicit and contain depictions of activities that some people might consider "kinky." In spite of this, I consider the stories to be more important than the sex scenes.  The explanations and descriptions are what drive the stories, not the sex.  What I hope to do in all of my stories is paint word-pictures for my readers.  I conceptualize each story as a series of pictures in my head, almost like a movie, where I can see and hear what my characters do.  I want my readers to share that experience with me, and that's how I write my narrative.
9.  What do you like to read in your free time?
I mainly read sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal romance novels.
10.  What projects are you working on at the present?
At the moment, I'm writing a short story that is set soon after the events that take place in Bound By The Summer Prince.  After that, I plan to work on my third novel which will tell the story of the Winter Court king of Fairie and how he meets his human soul-mate.  After that, I have several more novels and short stories planned for the series that takes place in Fairie, but I also have a cyberpunk series that I plan to write. 
Visit Mistral Dawn's Amazon Page CLICK HERE

Brian Bandell and Famous After Death

Florida journalist and novelist, Brian Bandell, returns to Writers Alive to discuss his latest crime thriller, Famous After Death. Here is the link to his prior podcast interview. Enjoy!What does your writing process look like?I often talk a walk and imagine the scene coming together. I don’t write on the Jewish Sabbath so when it ends after sundown I’m eager to start on my novel. I go into the office, shut out the lights, have a hot green tea and put on some music. I listen to songs that match the mood of the story, anger, danger, fear, vulnerability, and so on. I listen and think about the scene and the characters until the story pours out of me.
2. Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
When writing fight scenes I’ll on occasion jump around the room shadow boxing.
3. What book do you wish you could have written?
I would be the co-writer of Private Parts, the story of Howard Stern.
4. Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write?
I love the pacing and suspense of Dean Koontz. Scifi writer Ben Bova has terrific twists in his books and constantly puts key characters in danger. 
5. If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?
First the teenager delinquents. The tech savvy horror movie fanatic Jorge would be played by Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family). Spoiled skater brat Kelso would be Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood). Sadistic bully Chris would be Jackson Nicoll (Bad Grandpa - when he gets a little older). 
Religious cyber cop Clyde would be Seamus Dever (Castle). Loose cannon officer OC would be Sarah Silverman.
Hopefully they won’t break my budget.
6. How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?
The names should be memorable and not milk toast. They should be catchy. Some should lead to nicknames. When it’s an ethnic name, I often look through baby name lists to see what is common in that culture and I pick one that sounds good or has an appropriate meaning.
7. What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
Speaking to young authors and inspiring them to write.
8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I should really start thinking ahead. I take on writing story by story, whether it’s a news article or a novel. I want to write a novel that gets people talking and excited.
9. Were you already a great writer? Have you always like to write?
In sixth grade a filled a notebook with a fantasy story. I learned a valuable lesson. Pencil fades over time. I started writing serious novels in college at the University of Miami. My first book release with a publisher was about a decade later, and it was the third novel I completed. When those “practice novels” didn’t find a home, I wrote another. That’s the best way to improve.


10. What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?
Understand your main characters before you start writing. What are their goals and why should the reader care? Readers need to root for or against the characters for the story to matter.
11. If you didn't like writing books, what would you do for a living?
I almost went into music engineering. I recorded music in high school. When I got to college, I opted for journalism.
12. Are you a plotter or a pantster?
I develop detailed character profiles and outlines for my novels. When it’s time to write a scene, I have a general idea what needs to happen and what it’s setting up down the road. When there’s a twist in the story, an outline allows me to plan it out.
13. Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?
I read my reviews and I’ll share them on social media. There’s no sense responding to them, but I will thank a reviewer for writing them without commenting on what they said. I’ve been lucky to have very positive feedback. 
14. What is your best marketing tip?
Make friends at independent book stores.
15. What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?
When I look for book review sections in publications, realizing how few of them actually have book reviewers on staff. Many papers pick up book reviews from the handful of papers or wire services that still employ them. 
16. Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?
I have great respect for people who write historical fiction, but I would have a hard time with it. Not only does it require tremendous research, you have to take the point of view of a historical figure and doing it the wrong way could seriously upset people.
17. Do you have a favorite conference to attend? What is it?
The Miami International Book Fair. I’ve attended, spoken and introduced people there. It’s a fantastic environment for authors.
18. Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? Racy?
Writing a funny scene on purpose can be difficult. Comedy comes out naturally in the story, like banter between the characters. Sort of by accident, but not part of the plot.
19. Is this your first book? How many books have you written prior (if any?)
"Famous After Death" is my second novel. My debut was “Mute", a murder mystery with a science fiction twist. Think X-Files set in Florida with a mute girl who is the only witness to strange killings.
20. What are you working on now? What is your next project?
The sequel to “Mute”. It’s called “Silenced” and I’m editing the first draft. I had lots of fun writing scifi action scenes, many of them meant to terrorize. The heart of the story is a forbidden love, one that could literally destroy the world. 

Kyle Shannon and Test Scores

Chicago crime mystery writer, Linda Mickey, pens about her new novel, Test Scores. Enjoy this interview:
You are a temporary worker.  That seems like an unusual occupation for an amateur sleuth.  How did you happen to select it?
I use my temp assignments as a way to put variety into my work life.  Sometimes I worry about my income level, but the freedom is worth it.  Fortunately, I have the kind of skills that companies need so the periods between assignments aren’t very long.
We’ve followed you on several assignments.  How many do you plan to work?
As many as I’m offered.  I love what I do, I meet fascinating people and I am introduced to all kinds of occupations.
Where will you go next?
There is always a clue about my next assignment at the end of each adventure.
Everywhere you go, someone dies.  Don’t you feel like a jinx?
Not at all.  My being on a temp assignment is never the reason someone dies.  The murder is the result of a crime that was in progress before I arrived at the company.  My Office Right supervisor is more to blame than I am.  She sends me to these places.  Maybe it’s time for a vacation.
We really like your friends.  Will we see them in every book?
That’s hard to say.  As friends do in real life, mine will drift in and out; however the Penzlers will always be around because I value their perspective and support.  Ian Page is part of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force so he’ll be involved in the investigations. 
What about Jake?I know some readers like him almost as much as they like me. Our relationship is developing and I’m not sure where it will go. Like most couples, we have our ups and downs.
Who are your readers?
People who want satisfying escape reading and who like traditional whodunit-style mysteries.  My adventures are more than a cozy but less than a thriller.
How can people learn more about you?
Books are available from all the on-line retailers in ebook and print formats. Additional information can be found on my author’s Web site: www.lindamickey.com.

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