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Eye on Hollywood: The Other Zelda

March 13, 2008 by in category Archives tagged as ,

by Bobbie Cimo

I know being writers, probably the first person you think of when you hear the name Zelda, is the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald. But actually there is another well known Zelda–or at least there is to us who work at CBS. Last year, while giving our 2007 Co-Presidents, Sue Phillips and Sandy Chvostal, a personal after-hours tour, I introduced them to her.

Meeting Zelda at first, you might think as though she’s led the same kind of life as the other famous Zelda– disheveled, and as thin as a rail. As a matter of fact, the bottom part of her body is a rail. Okay, it’s really a pole. You see, Zelda is a mannequin that gets rolled from stage to stage to check the color balance for our cameras–not so much now with the new technology. But back when color was new to TV, CBS use to hire models just to stand in front of the cameras to see how well different colors came across on the monitors. And whenever they couldn’t get a model for the job, they’d have to end up calling upon one of the secretaries and asking them to come to the stage to do the job for them.

When hiring a model or taking someone away from their job ended up being too costly, someone got the bright idea of getting mannequin, putting a black sweater on her and pinning swatches of material to her chest . . . and that’s how Zelda was invented. Below is a picture of the lovely lady, whose been a CBS icon, as far back as I can remember. Photographic credit goes to Sue Phillips and her wonderful camera.


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Bobbie Cimo is the OCC/RWA Programs Director who has brought us such notable speakers as Dean Koontz, Tami Hoag, Jackie Collins and Robert Crais.

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A Writer’s Pursuit…

March 12, 2008 by in category Archives tagged as

Of The Paranormal

by Michele Cwiertny

I love to hear stories of the supernatural, especially when I’m sitting with a group of friends and we’re trading tales. Can’t get enough of them. And the chill that scurries across my shoulders and down my back? I just draw in a shaky breath and scoot closer to the storyteller.

Did you think I’d look behind me? No way! 😉

And you know what? Almost everyone I’ve asked, even a skeptic or two, has a story in which they can’t explain the appearance of the misty figure in their bedroom…or a premonition they had…or even a dream where a loved one, who has already passed on, visits them in order to tell them something (or to comfort them).

This may be why I’m drawn to reading and writing about the supernatural. Because on some level, we do tend to relate to the stories, even if that connection is when you’ve walked into a room and spun around because you swore someone else was in there with you.

I do have so many personal stories, but I’d like to share one today. And then, if you care to share your experiences, I’d love to read some of your tales. 🙂

In July 2006, we traveled to York, England for the night, as we were to leave for Edinburgh, Scotland the next morning. (I bet most of my friends thought I was going to write York, Maine, huh? Ha! It’s the OTHER York. The older one. LOL)

Anyway, we’d arrived in York from London on Saturday around 6:30 p.m., which meant everything was pretty much closed, except for restaurants and pubs. So, we wandered the nearly empty streets and explored at our leisure, as darkness wouldn’t fall for a few more hours and the rain had lessened to a drizzle.

As I gathered information for a historical I was writing at the time, I stopped in the middle of the cobblestone road to admire a sign hanging outside one of the shops.

“Michele,” a voice whispered in my ear.

I glanced over my shoulder, expecting my husband to be there, waiting for me to move on. But I was alone. Huh. It wasn’t until looked in the opposite direction that I realized my DH was already 20 yards ahead of me and clearly occupied taking pictures.

Okay, I just thought I heard someone whisper my name.

So, I continued studying the buildings and did some window-shopping for a few more minutes. Then I turned in the direction of my husband, who waited for me down at the end of the street, and headed that way, ready to find a place to eat.

“Michele,” the voice whispered again.

I froze, but not from fear. Just curious as heck. What did the voice want? Should I answer?
Why would it get my attention, but not say anything else? Or even appear to me?

At that very moment, a ghost tour made its way down the street toward my DH. As the guide and his group passed me, he pointed to the buildings and spoke about the numerous reports of supernatural occurrences on this particular street.

Uh, ya think? All I could do was grin.

This is the street and the group gathered at the end of it is the ghost tour.

So, that’s one of my stories. I wish I knew what the voice wanted. (Or maybe there’s a connection between that York and my obsession with York, ME. Hmmm. LOL)

Anyone want to share your story? A premonition? A dream? A ghost story?

Take Care,

Michele

Michele Cwiertny writes dark paranormal romance set in a fictional town based on her favorite place in the country…York, Maine (not, York, England this time). For more info about her writing, please visit www.michelecwiertny.com and her blog, Michele’s Writing Corner.

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Is your Podcast Alive with the Sound of Music?

March 11, 2008 by in category Archives tagged as

by Jina Bacarr

Jingles. Theme music. iTunes. Music is to podcasting what a pair of high heels is to that little black dress. It sets the mood. Slip on a pair of stilettos, you get sexy. Pull on a pair of cowboy boots, you get country. And that’s exactly what I wanted for the background music for my “Jina does Dallas RWA” video blog series. I chose “Honey Rose” from B&H Gold Music to “sweeten” my video podcasts about the RWA Dallas conference, including the video podcast included in this month’s blog with bestselling author, Lisa Jackson.

Sounds easy, right? Download your fave country tune…and then what? How do you add music to your audio and video podcasts? Let’s take a look at the Dos and Don’ts of Podcast Music:

DO have an idea of your theme, tempo, and rhythm before you go looking for music. Most music sites allow you to search by genre, instrument, tempo, etc. Listen to previews on several sites [links included at the end of this blog] and bookmark the links of the music you like so you can find them again.

DO use only Royalty Free podcast safe music. Wikipedia does a good job of explaining what Royalty Free music is. Prices vary for use of the music. You can buy individual music tracks for a median price of $10-30 or CDs with several tracks for $79-$199 average.

DO buy editing software to help you edit the music, then learn how to use it in your movie-making program. Muvee is a great program for editing video podcasts, adding photos and music. It allows you to drop in a piece of music and it adjusts the length of the piece to fit your video and/or photos.

DON’T let the music overpower your video or voiceover. Adjust the volume accordingly if you edit the music yourself.

DON”T use any music you’ve downloaded or taken off a CD without checking with the artist/band/recording company for permission. Use only Podsafe music.

DON’T be afraid to experiment with unusual music for your podcast to create an eclectic piece.

Ready to meet New York Times bestselling author, Lisa Jackson? She was one of the afternoon speakers at our March 8th meeting. I had the opportunity to interview her at the RWA Conference in Dallas. Here is LISA JACKSON


Best,
Jina

Royalty Free music sites:

B&H Gold Music

Partners in Rhyme with sound effects

Incompetech.com

Stock music store

Stockmusic.net

Jina Bacarr is the author of The Blonde Geisha , Naughty Paris, Tokyo Rendezvous, a Spice Brief, and my new erotic spy thriller, Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs. Check out my MySpace page and meet Breezy Malone, the heroine in Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs.

“Get Caught in the Act!”

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It’s Worth It

March 9, 2008 by in category Archives tagged as

MANNA TIME

By Kitty Bucholtz

Whenever I hear or see the same thing three or more times in a short period of time, I have a tendency to stop and say, “God, are you talking to me?” I always joke with him that I can be stubborn and hard of hearing but if I see something repeated, I promise to stop and at least ask if he’s trying to get my attention. I had this experience last month.

I’d been reading about the Israelites and how God provided manna for them to eat in the desert. The same topic came up in a sermon and in bible study within two weeks. I started thinking about it, wondering if there was a reason I was hearing about it so many times in a short period. I’d been praying for help in keeping my writing schedule as my first priority without losing control of everything else. What did the Israelites have to do with that?

Writing in my journal, I figured out the answer. The Israelites had to get up early every morning before the dew dried up and gather the manna from the ground. No sleeping in or being lazy. If you didn’t feel like getting it on Tuesday, you didn’t eat on Tuesday. The manna was going to be provided every day, but it wasn’t going to just show up on their plates. The Israelites knew in a general sense that God had promised to take care of them, but now they had to form that into a daily, practical trust and obedience.

My general goal of putting my writing first so that I can create a writing career is a good and noble one. But the fact is I wasn’t making it happen. The day I figured that out in my journal was the beginning of a change in my writing. I began starting each day writing “morning pages” (from The Artist’s Way) and pushing myself to “verbalize” all my hopes and fears about life in general and that day in particular.

I wrote about the guilt I felt putting my writing in front of getting my taxes done, and in front of other commitments. I wrote down the hundred things I thought I had to do, and realized that many of them could be put off one more day, reminding myself that I only needed to get that day’s writing done. I found that – just like Julia Cameron promises – getting everything else out of my head, recognizing it and moving on, opened up my writing!

Not only was I suddenly writing for four and five hour stretches, but the writing was far more productive, efficient, fun, and just good! I am amazed at how quickly the writing improved and the joy returned. And strangely, the other items on my to do list were surviving the wait. Some got done in the nooks and crannies of time my writing used to occupy. Some got picked up by friends and family. Some are still waiting.

I’m always amazed and sometimes embarrassed when God shows me he cares about the things that are important to me. But I’m extremely grateful! Now I start each day with the morning pages, and move right into the novel writing. My head is fresh and clear of “trash” and it shows in the writing. I laughingly tell God I’m now living in “Manna Time” – every day focusing just on what needs to be done that day, or if I’m particularly stressed, what needs to be done in that hour. Sometimes I hear MC Hammer’s theme song “Hammer Time” in my head. That’s when I know I got my quirky sense of humor from my Maker. In any case, I’ve found a successful new way to write – and it’s worth it!


Kitty Bucholtz writes romantic comedies because, well, she lives one! She wrote her first book in the NBC cafeteria, the second snowed in at a Reno hotel, and the third from a tiny apartment in Sydney. Even though she loves talking about, writing about, and teaching about writing, she’s pretty sure she knows at least three people who aren’t writers.

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Things That Make Me Go Mmmruh!

March 7, 2008 by in category Archives tagged as


Everyday Hero

by Geralyn Ruane


Far and away, my favorite Oscar moment this year (only because Viggo didn’t win) was this: after a commercial break, Jon Stewart invites Marketa Irglova back on stage to say the thank you she didn’t get to voice because the orchestra cut her off after she and Glen Hansard won for best song for Once, the little movie that could. My goodness, the woman helped make internationally beloved film music with little more than a magnifying glass and a kazoo. She deserved her moment at the mike. So good for you, Jon Stewart, for making sure she got it! Mmmruh!

I love it when that happens – when someone decides they do not like what is happening, so they do something about it. Mmmruh!

After Wilma Melville retired from teaching gym, she decided that 15 FEMA-certified Search and Rescue dogs in the U.S. were not enough. She has since trained 85 more FEMA-certified Search and Rescue dogs and teamed them with trained fire fighters. Canadian high school students David Shepherd, Chris Spencer, Travis Price, Nick Sullivan and John Kennealy got sick of bullies terrorizing kids at their school, so they started wearing pink shirts to encourage solidarity against bullies. Pink Power is now spreading across the land. Judie Mancuso and her husband decided to live on half their income so Judie could quit her job and fight 24/7 for animal rights and righteous animal legislation in California. Mmmruh, mmmruh, mmmruh!

I know, I know. We all don’t have an Oscar stage and an audience of millions at our disposal. And some of us have no affinity for dogs, no Gatsby-like posse, no passionate crusade. That’s okay, though. We get to be everyday heroes, and those are the very best kind. The kind that change lives for a moment, make a day better, make an hour sweeter. And what is life, if not a double helix of tangled moments, days and hours?

I met Zam freshman year in college: I had an abysmal wardrobe and a perpetual wallflower complex, while he had the aplomb of Cary Grant and the biting sass of Bea Arthur. But do you know what I remember most about Zam? One day we were standing in the Student Union at the top of a steep staircase when a woman started bumping her way down with a baby carriage. Zam dropped everything to help the pair get safely to the first floor. I stood at the top of the staircase looking down at Steve (Zam’s real name is Steve Zambriski), wishing I were in love with him – he was just so magnificently compassionate. Mmmruh! Good thing I wasn’t in love with him, though, since he turned out to be gayer than a box of birds. You’d think the nickname “Zam,” and the Cher karaoke would have tipped me off, but at least I didn’t fall for him and get my heart pulverized by the naked truth. But as naïve as I was, I could recognize the heroic – even through the buzz and bustle of the Student Union.

So hang up the cell phone and listen to your kid talk about how stupid his math teacher is. Give up your seat to the guy who looks really tired. Put your shopping cart back and make someone work a little less hard for minimum wage. Be an everyday hero.

Try it.

Every day.


Geralyn Ruane’s new favorite numbers are 18 and 1. She co-hosts the radio show Better Times After 50 on AdviceRadio.com when she’s not drinking chocolate milk straight from the spoon or writing humorous women’s fiction. Her short story “Jane Austen Meets the New York Giants” is published in the New York Times Bestselling anthology The Right Words at the Right Time Volume 2.



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