Libby Fischer Hellmann's Blog, page 54
December 20, 2012
Going All Fangirl!
The holidays are upon us, so before everyone scatters (mentally more than physically), I wanted to share some recent fangirl moments that I’m still stoked about. Consider this a 2012 Fangirl round-up.
Homeland
I continue to be a Homeland junkie, and despite a few blips in Season Two, I still think it’s one of the best shows on TV. I actually predicted the finale, so if you haven’t watched it yet, just skip to the next topic. Here is my FB prediction. Note that I posted it four hours before the show was on:
December 16 5:10 PMMy Homeland prediction: Carrie helps Brody escape. Far, far away. Poof! He’s gone. At least till episode 2 of Season 3.
Claire Danes has more expressions than a hall of mirrors, and Damian Lewis has none. Indeed, the SNL skit with the “mouth that never moves” isn’t far off. But he’s a fabulous actor: Watch the Forsyte Saga and Keane, in which he delivers a fantastic performance. I’m still not convinced Brody’s in love with Carrie as much as she is with him. The lovey-dovey stuff started quite precipitously in the middle of the season. I think Brody is looking out for Brody more than anyone else. But we shall see.
For me the real star of the show is Mandy Patinkin… his smile at the end of the finale was worth the entire season. He’s a Chicagoan, btw.
Scrabble and Joan Cusack
My next adventure is best called “geeky fangirl gone wild,” so bear with me. My daughter works for the wonderful Joyce Piven, who Chicagoans know as one of the partners who started the Piven theater years ago. Her husband Byrne is no longer with us, but Joyce continues to run the theater and teach classes. Joyce just came out with a book, which I recommend to anyone who has an interest in live theater. (She’s Jeremy’s Mom, btw). It’s incredibly detailed and knowledgable. Her co-author is Susan Applebaum, another veteran of Piven.
Anyway, it turns out that Joyce is friendly with Nancy Cusack, mom of Joan and John, who were both active in the Young Piven Theater Group. Joan happens to be one of my favorite actresses (and would make a fabulous Ellie Foreman, just sayin’). Joan owns a store on the Gold Coast coast called Judy Maxwell’s, and she hosted a signing for Joyce.
I was honored to be invited (only because of Robin, my daughter) and while there, did my fan girl thing. The store is wonderful—they have all sorts of things for your home that you didn’t know you needed until you see them. Including giant scrabble tiles (I lust after the Q and the X—more points), as well as bowls of tiny tiles from which you can create your own words. As an active Scrabble player, I decided to create this word, which, if you play, you know is very high scoring (especially on a triple word space, althoughI have yet to use it). It’s a mucosy cyst, btw.
Alas, after pawing through all the bowls for 20 minutes, I couldn’t find a “Y.” So, I asked Joan if she’d mind making a “Y” from a “V” tile.
“No problem,” she said cheerfully and proceeded to give the “V” a leg.
Then she asked me if I’d like her to sign the back of the “Y.”. Remember, this is just one of those 7 tiny tiles you get when you’re playing the game. “Are you kidding?” gasped fan girl Libby. “I’d love it!” Here’s the result:
What a lady!
Closer to Home
My nephew, Jason Fischer, is a therapist in Austin Texas, and he’s just come out with HIS first book…
It’s a common sense self-help approach to relationships with a touch of Buddhist philosophy thrown in – Jason is an ordained Buddhist monk as well. He’s also written a book of poetry, and is working on his next THREE books. (Talk about productivity!)
Finally, my late uncle, Richard Barr, was a theater producer in New York. He produced all of Edward Albee’s plays as well as Boys in the Band, Sweeney Todd, and others. He’s been gone over twenty years now, but David Crespy, a professor of playwriting at the University of Missouri, is coming out with a biography of him next spring. We’re thrilled…. and we hope it will be included in lots of theater collections. Btw, Dick started out in Hollywood (he made the reverse trek back to NY) working for Orson Welles. He (Uncle Dick) has the first speaking line in Citizen Kane. He was the projectionist.
That’s it for this fangirl round-up. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!
December 14, 2012
Pretty Amazing Offer for DOUBLEBACK audio
Pretty amazing offer from Audible:
The audio of DOUBLEBACK (my thriller with both Ellie Foreman and Georgia Davis) is just $1.99. And it’s #whisper-sync-able.
Check out the sample here.
Happy Holidays!
December 12, 2012
Delicatessen? Schmelicatessen!
A friend sent this to me. It’s long– but a fun history of the Jewish Deli. And if you’re a real fan of them, it’ll start smelling like one about half way through.
Thank God we still have Manny’s in Chicago.
Pass the pickles, please.
December 1, 2012
Epic Kindle Holiday GiveAway!!
Thought I’d let you know about a terrific Holiday opportunity that’s coming December 25, 26, and 27. Mark your calendars now!
November 20, 2012
The Next Big Thing
Thriller Writer Traci Hohenstein tagged me for this – Thanks, Traci. (I think). Some people are calling it “Queen or King for A Day”… Others are calling it what it is: A Blog Hop. Here’s how it works: I answer 10 questions on the Next Big Thing I’m working on, then I tag five other authors to do the same a week later, always on Wednesdays. Hmm, I wonder when we’ll run out of authors.
Be that as it may, however, here we go.
What is the working title of your next book?
GOODBYE CHE
Where did the idea come from?
I wanted to write about the Havana before Fidel (the Mafia basically owned Havana and Batista), the revolution, and what Cuba was like thirty years later.
What genre best defines your book?
Thriller. Maybe Historical Thriller (in part)
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Eva Longoria or Selma Hayek (they’d have to age), Ben Affleck, and Richard Armitage would be a great start!
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
GOODBYE CHE is a thriller set largely in Cuba that tracks the rise of a female Mafia head through 3 generations of the same family.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It will be published by Allium Press of Chicago in June, 2013.
How long did it take you to write the first draft?
About a year.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
HAVANA BAY; and THE GODFATHER films, especially Godfather, Part 2.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My sister and I were talking about what I should write next and where to set it, and she suggested Cuba.
What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
There’s quite a bit of romance in the book. I’ve also tried to be accurate with the history of the Cuban revolution, which I found fascinating.
Now for the tags:
Look for their posts next week and consider trying…their Next Big Thing!
Dave Zeltserman: A fellow member of Top Suspense, and one of the best horror authors around.
Naomi Hirahara: Also a member of Top Suspense, and a fabulous traditional mystery author
Paul Levine: One of the most humorous mystery authors writing today. And a hell of a great writer. And a member of Top Suspense.
Marissa Farrar: A terrific thriller author who’s mastered the indie market both across the pond and in the States.
Billie Sue Mosiman: A real pro who writes horror, suspense, crime, and everything in between!
November 19, 2012
“Going All Zen…” Guest Post by Donis Casey
Since the holidays are almost upon us, I invited my friend and fellow author, Donis Casey, to guest post. Donis is an award-winning Poisoned Pen Press author from… ready… Oklahoma! But this Chicago girl and Donis seem to click, whether we’re talking noir, the dust bowl, or Zen. Probably because, just like me, she has an evil mind. Enjoy! Oh, by the way, she has a new book out. I know it’s going to be a barn-burner.
Many years ago I had a friend who could not stand the success or joy of others. Not schadenfreude, exactly. She didn’t wish them ill, but she didn’t want them to be richer/happier/more talented than she. Even in my callow youth I never thought that happiness was a finite commodity in the universe. I like to think that good fortune begets more good fortune in the world.
Yet I am prey to envy, myself. What I envy is other people’s ability to work in spite of obstacles in their lives. I envy their time to promote and travel, their discipline and work ethic. Whether it’s true or not, my perception is that other people are better able to cope with the difficulties of their lives than I. They seem to be able to concentrate after a traumatic day, to carve out time to work in spite of all the picayune things they have to deal with during the course of their lives. As for me, I feel as though I barely manage to cope with one disaster after another, spending my life putting out fires. And thinking evil thoughts.
Oh, the evil thoughts you have that are never voiced aloud, thoughts that shock and horrify you even as you have them. Things you would never really wish for. As I sit here typing I bring to mind several friends and relatives who are living with pain or sickness, or caring for family members with chronic or acute illnesses. Several who have spouses or children with alcohol or drug problems. People who have endured much more than I have, and for much longer. What awful things must go through their heads, as well?
Please don’t let her die until June, when the insurance kicks in.
If one more person offers advice I’m going to shoot them.
If I never see that ungrateful kid again it’ll be too soon.
I wonder how long it would take me to die if I just didn’t get up out of this bed?
I’m going to knock that doctor’s teeth down his throat if he doesn’t stop treating us like children.
I can’t think about this for another minute or I’ll lose my mind, so shut up.
For God’s sake, just let this be over.
But then you simply get tired of feeling bad. Or something happens to give you hope. You have a good day. You feel better. You get up the next morning and carry on, because you love the rascal or you love the work and in the end you’re willing to take it however long you have to.
For many years now, I have been a student of Zen, which I love, because it’s very helpful when times are tough. It’s also pretty funny, and anything that’s pretty funny is okay with me. Years ago, I went to my first meditation retreat with some trepidation. I had heard that during sitting meditation, the sensei prowls around the room with a long stick and occasionally whacks the hell out of you when you least expect it. The point of this is to make you be totally in the present, and believe me, when you think you’re about to get smacked at any minute, you actually quiver with awareness. As it turned out, the sensei told us that he quit doing that because his students seemed to enjoy it too much. So I’ve never actually been assaulted while meditating.
I’m sure most of you Dear Readers have heard of koans, such as “what is the sound of one hand clapping.” These are apparently senseless little stories that you ponder on all day until you finally throw up your hands in frustration, go eat a scone with jam and forget all about it. Here is one of my favorites:
A Zen master was teaching his students when a cat wandered into the room. The master picked up a cleaver and said, “If any of you can tell me the true meaning of existence, I won’t kill this cat.” Not one student said anything, so the master whacked the cat, and his students ran out of the room, horrified. The next day, the master was relating the incident to another teacher. “I said, if any of you can tell me the true meaning of existence, I won’t kill this cat.” The second master sat there for a moment, then hung his shoes on his ears and danced out of the room. As he disappeared, the first master yelled after him, “If you’d been here yesterday, that cat would have lived!” (Please don’t get all het up, cat lovers. It didn’t really happen.)
Or how about this one :
Two masters were debating which of their teaching methods was best when a disheveled drunk burst into the room, kicked the crap out of the first master, and ran out. “Who was that!” he cried. “That was one of my students,” said the second master. “You win,” said the first master.
Ah, I’m feeling better already.
Donis Casey is the author of the Alafair Tucker Mysteries. Her award-winning series, featuring the sleuthing mother of ten children, is set in Oklahoma during the booming 1910s. Donis is a former teacher, academic librarian, and entrepreneur. She lives in Tempe, AZ, with her husband, poet Donald Koozer. The latest Alafair Tucker novel, The Wrong Hill to Die On (Poisoned Pen Press, November, 2012), is now available in paper, electronic, or audio formats wherever books are sold. Read the first chapters of all six books at http://doniscasey.com
I Love Donis!
November 16, 2012
Georgia Davis Thrillers Holiday Sale
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I’m starting the Holidays early with special discounts on the Georgia Davis Thriller ebooks through the end of the year…
EASY INNOCENCE (Georgia Davis #1) is just $.99
DOUBLEBACK (Georgia Davis #2) is $2.99
TOXICITY (Georgia Davia #3) is $ 3.99
Hope you’ll take advantage….and enjoy.
Libby
November 13, 2012
The Future of E-Publishing
November 8, 2012
I’m a Homeland Junkie. Are You?
I’ve been trying to figure out what it is about HOMELAND that has turned me into a junkie. I had to sign up for Showtime because I couldn’t wait a day or two until it came online. I am turning down dates and engagements on Sunday nights, even if I think I’ll be home in time. Just in case. And I always read the recaps Monday morning before I start writing.
So why has this show totally subverted me?
Is it the theme of good vs bad in the age of terror? I don’t think so. 24 and MI-5 did that pretty well, and I imagine there will be a slew of copycat series in the next few months. The premise is not unique.
Is it the setting of Washington, DC? No. I used to live there and couldn’t wait to leave. And yes, I know the series is filmed in Charlotte, NC, not DC.
Is it the special effects, the threat of violence, the possibility of danger? No. All that’s been done before.
So what is it that’s turned me into a junkie? Here’s what I think.
HOMELAND is the first time we’ve seen a woman, and a flawed woman at that, as the protagonist of a series. Sure, we’ve seen Kyra Sedgwick, xxx, and xxx, but they’ve all been tough as nails women. Carrie is bi-polar, she cries regularly (Btw, Claire, enough of the waterworks—they’re getting old), and she makes mistakes. For which she’s not ashamed. I really like her vulnerability. I need to watch her. She makes me feel well-adjusted.
In the same way, the chief antagonist, Brody is a heralded Marine, former POW, and, now a Congressman. That he’s also a pathological liar, weak-willed, and probably a narcissist, makes him—and their relationship— fascinating. We know he’s going to self-destruct at some point and probably bring Carrie down with him. She knows it too, and maybe he does in some subconscious way, as well. Still, we can’t turn away. We want to witness every part of the train wreck we know will eventually come.
Another clever decision by the show creators is NOT having a different crisis every week. The show unspools from week to week with one overarching story line, not a collection of mini-stories. We become invested in the characters and their development, their behaviors. And yes – it is close to soap opera. Works every time.
Which brings me to the acting itself. It really is suberb. And subtle. Carrie Mathison is the role Claire Danes was made for. 
Brody is Damian Lewis’s best role, too. Both actors can say more with a twitch of their eyebrow than most actors do in a entire scene. And in an espionage story, where subtle behavior can mean the difference between truth and lies, life and death, we watch their eyebrows twitch with awe. What does it mean? Who can she trust? What will happen next?
And please, let’s not forget Who would ever have thought he would make a fabulous father figure? Really, all the actors, from Brody’s wife, to Estes, even Virgil, to Dana inhabit their personas without a caricature or stereotype in the bunch.
But what’s made me a true Homeland junkie is the show’s intensity. It never lets up. I have to gird myself before each episode because I know it’s going to put me through the wringer emotionally. Each episode raises the stakes, increases the complications and obstacles, heightens the consequences, and refuses to give us answers… and there’s NO relief… for 44 minutes.
That , btw, is what defines suspense. Suspense should escalate the stakes, the questions, the uncertainty. Suspense should make it impossible for us to turn away from the screen (or put down a book, for that matter). And HOMELAND is suspense at its best.
So far HOMELAND has been able to transfer that intensity to the screen without resorting to wooden dialogue (remember how lame 24 dialogue was?) or killing off the character you care most about (MI 5). The show is like a juggler with seven plates spinning in the air at the same time. I wonder how long it can last.
Although, for now, I don’t really care. Just keep those plates spinning. Please.
PS I love karma, don’t you? This afternoon Salon just posted this article about female espionage agents and how they probably surpass male agents in perception, multi-tasking, and endurance. Go Carrie!
October 31, 2012
INOCENCIA FÅCIL (EASY INNOCENCE IN SPANISH)
I’m delighted to announce that EASY INNOCENCE, probably my best-selling thriller, is now available in Spanish! If you have Spanish reading friends, I hope you’ll forward this to them.
I’ve set up a page in Spanish on my website with more info here. But following is an edited version.
Cuando encuentran a la bella e inteligente Sara Long apaleada a muerte, es facil inculpar al hombre con el bate. Pero Georgia Davis, expolicia y recientemente convertida en investigadora privada, es contratada para indagar el incidente por peticion de la hermana del acusado, y lo que ella encuentra hace alusion a una respuesta diferente y mucho mas sombria. Al parecer, las privilegiadas estudiantes del secundario en la Costa Norte de Chicago han aprendido cuanto vale su inocencia ante los hombres de negocios en busca de excitacion sexual. Sin embargo, mientras estas chicas pueden permitirse el lujo de pagar precios de Prada, no se dan cuenta que su nuevo emprendimiento puede terminar de costarles mas de lo que pueden pagar.
Biografía del autor: Libby Fischer Hellmann es la autora nominada para el Anthony, que ha escrito nueve novelas ficcionales de crimen, incluyendo la serie de suspenso de la detective amateur Ellie Foreman. Los libros de Ellie, los cuales Libby describe como una mezcla entre “Esposas Desesperadas” y “24″, incluyen AN EYE FOR MURDER, A PICTURE OF GUILT, AN IMAGE OF DEATH, and A SHOT TO DIE FOR. Libby también escribió la serie premiada de la insensible investigadora privada Georgia Davis, (INOCENCIA FÁCIL, DOUBLEBACK, y TOXICITY) y de la aclamada novelas de suspenso independiente SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE y A BITTER VEIL. Todos sus libros, incluso sus dos colecciones de volúmenes de historias cortas están disponibles en Kindle.
INOCENCIA FÅCIL is available from Amazon as an ebook AND a paperback.
In addition, it is available on Barnes and Noble as an ebook on Nook as well as a paperback.
For Kobo users, you can find it here.
And iBooks users can find it here, although it’s on 25 international iBooks stores as well.
Finally, it will soon be available through Overdrive, too.
Gracias!
