Next KNTR anthology author....STEVE CHIVERS!

We welcome the next author spotlighted in the anthology to benefit Kids Need to Read – Love and Other Distractions – Steve Chivers!

STEVE CHIVERS has worked as a writer, producer and director on sitcoms, hour dramas, webseries and a wide variety of character-driven documentary and reality shows. His credits include Intervention; Addicted; The Parent ‘Hood; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids; That’s Life; The Locator; The Peacemaker; Remake America; Crash Course; Speed Therapy and Inspector America.    

R:  Hello, Steve! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

S: I started writing stories at an early age. Had a wonderful 3^rd grade teacher name Miss Jeffries who read us all the children’s classics – Charlotte’s Web, Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, The Laura Ingalls Wilder books. She did all the character voices and it was really magical to listen to her read. When I started writing stories she told me “you should become an author.” Coming from her it was like being told I had the right stuff to be an astronaut. I never forgot it.

R: Tell us about your short in the KNTR anthology.  How did you become involved with the charity and how did the idea for your short come about?

S: My story is part of a novel I’ve been writing. I actually removed a character and condensed it for the anthology. I got the idea for Lauren, one of the main characters, because my partner at the time was working on a plastic surgery show and did a couple of stories about women who had had lap-band surgery. After the massive weight loss, they had to have two rounds of plastic surgery; first to remove pounds (yes pounds) of excess skin that remained after all the weight loss, and then another set of surgeries to remove the scars left by removing the excess skin. I was very intrigued by what it would be like to go through such a radical body change, especially for a woman.

After losing all the weight, Lauren is “hot” for the first time in her life but she hasn’t had the scar surgery yet, so she is still very self-conscious about her body. When she has an affair with Josh, a much younger man, she discovers he’s actually turned on by her scars, and finds herself objectified in a completely different and unexpected way.

The third character (who is in the novel but not the story in the anthology) is Ron, Josh’s landlord. He’s a 50-something gay man, an actor and former model who is mortified when he’s cast in a very important role -- as a grandfather. He’s always been an object of desire and now he has to rediscover and reinvent himself and deal with getting older in a segment of society that is obsessed with youth and looks.

So I’m obviously interested in the intersection between image and fetishization but it’s also a love story and (hopefully) funny.

          As far as KNTR, all of us who contributed to the anthology wanted the proceeds to go to a charity and KNTR is one that we agreed on immediately. As I said above, it was a great teacher reading us classic books that made me want to become a writer, so I’m thrilled to be helping this charity.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

R: I’d like to travel 30 years into the future and see if the incredible partisanship we are experiencing in America will have died out and people will actually be compromising and solving problems again. Though if the answer is “no” it would be kinda depressing to come back to the present so maybe I should just stay here and wait and see what happens.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

S: I hope I haven’t done it yet. I like having something to look forward to.

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

S: I’m working on the full novel of String Theory and hope to have it available early next year.

R: Are you a plotter or a pantser?

S: I’m a plantser. I make a lot of notes about plot and the characters and where things are going but then I discover entirely new and, to me, more interesting places to go during the writing process. So I think taking that time to try to plot things out is a way of planting seeds, but I never really know what’s going to sprout.

(Note from ROCCO:  plantser! We likey!)

R: What do you do in your spare time? Any hobbies or party tricks? :)

S: I do a fair amount of carpentry and I also work in metal doing sculpture and making some furniture. It’s a good way to avoid writing.

R: Where can we find out more about you and your work?

S: I’m on facebook as AuthorSteveChivers – www.facebook.com/authorstevechivers

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Night

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  I do have a Doberman Pincher but I’m happy to report she’s not a cat chaser like my last dog was. I love cats even though they make me sneeze.

Beach or Pool?   Beach.

Steak or salad?   Steak.

Favorite Drink?  A martini made with ½ gin and ½ vodka, slightly dirty, really well shaken. Bartenders never know what to call it so let’s just go ahead and call it a Chivers Martini. Have one on me.

Favorite Book?  Charlottes Web, thanks to Miss Jeffries.

Favorite TV Series?  Loving Breaking Bad at the moment

Favorite Movie?  Can’t decide on this or favorite actor or actress. It keeps changing. I have a hard time picking favorites.

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? See above but the average dirty martini has way too much olive juice. It should just be a hint of saltiness. And all those flavored Martinis are a crime against mixology.

Hawaii or Alaska? Alaska. I was out in the waters off Juneau in a 16 foot boat once and a pod of Orcas came up. They’re really, really big, especially when you’re in a little boat.

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be: my mind always goes blank on this question. There are just too many to narrow it down.

If I had just one wish, it would be: for education to become a real priority in America, with respect and good wages for teachers and a recognition of the importance of the arts in teaching people how to be creative problem solvers instead of test-takers.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be: Barack Obama but just for like a week. That’s all I could handle. In fact, one day might be enough.

You can keep up with steve at:

www.facebook.com/authorstevechivers

KNTR Anthology author...ANNE TOOLE

Next up in our salute to the authors of the KNTR anthology, LOVE AND OTHER DISTRACTIONS:  ANNE TOOLE!

R:  Hello, Anne! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

A: I always joke that it was a lack of ability to do anything else, but the truth is, I want to entertain more people than I could ever possibly meet.  And I don’t particularly have a talent for anything else that could reach millions ;)

R:  How did you hear about Kids Need to Read? Tell us a bit about your short in this anthology.

A: Our fearless editor, Christiana, brought the charity to our attention.  My short story is a fantasy/romance about a rough-and-tumble rebel trying to destroy a government weapon.  Which makes it sound very Sci Fi, but it’s not.  He is thwarted by a mild-mannered librarian whom he has been observing for awhile and fallen in love with, unbeknownst to himself.  Don’t you hate it when that happens? ;)  The story was initially much longer, so you’ll be quite happy to know I made some cuts. 

R:  You’ve been nominated for awards for  your writing on computer games. What’s the biggest challenge in doing that?

A: Explaining it to other people.  I’m only slightly joking.  I’m a gamer, so I “get” writing for games, but not everyone does.  It’s great fun collaborating with artists and designers to make a fun experience for the player!

R: I note in your bio you wrote at one time for my favorite soap (other than Dark Shadows) DAYS OF OUR LIVES!  What can you tell us about writing for the soap medium and do you have any stories you can share?

A: Dark Shadows – good choice!  Do you miss shots with the boom mike in frame?  Working on DAYS was a great experience.  The day they were taping my first episode, I got a lot of fun little novelty toys from the party store and put them in a big basket with a thank you for the cast and crew.  Members of the crew ended up running around shooting each other with the little water guns, and I have pictures of a lead actress wearing the Groucho Marx glasses.  It was a great time, and I’m glad they had fun, too!

R: What writers would you say have made the greatest influence on your writing?

A: My first two spec scripts were based on Joss Whedon and Aaron Sorkin shows, so they still influence me. 

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

A: What aids the creative process is having no more e-mails I have to send.  If I can relax in that department, I can relax enough to write.  Also: being able to recline on the couch while writing.  Offices without couches are like a meal without a drink.  How can you manage?

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

A: The craziest thing I’ve ever done I’ll have to keep to myself, to protect the guilty ;)  The craziest thing I’ve ever done that’s for public consumption is…

R: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

A: I’m currently on the Women’s Advisory Board for the City of West Hollywood, and serve on the board of a professional non-profit, so likely I would be trying to have an impact on the world through government or non-profits.  I still wouldn’t mind joining the foreign service.

R: What’s your next project?

A: I’m currently working on a next-gen console game as well as social and mobile games.  I also hope to be involved in the recently announced follow-up to the LIZZIE BENNET DIARIES webseries, EMMA APPROVED.  Somewhere in there I’m expecting a comic of mine to come out from Lion Forge Comics. 

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  Night

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  Kittehs! 

Beach or Pool?   Pool

Steak or salad?  Steak

Favorite Drink?  Water

Favorite Book?  Too many to choose from…

Favorite TV Series?  See above

Favorite Movie?  See above

Favorite Actor: See above

Favorite Actress: See above

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? n/a

Hawaii or Alaska?  Tie?

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be Pharaoh Hatshepsut, though I think we’d have a communication issue.

If I had just one wish, it would be to go back in time and see my dad.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be a newborn!

KIDS NEED TO READ ANTHOLOGY AUTHOR...KEITH DOMINGUE!

Next up in our troupe of fourteen Hollywood writers who banded together to write an anthology of short stories they’re calling LOVE AND OTHER DISTRACTIONS, and whose proceeds KIDS NEED TO READ is Keith Domingue!

R:  Hello, Keith, and welcome!  Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

K: I think it began with being a voracious reader before becoming a writer.

When I was a kid, I had the big comic book collection-- mostly Marvel and DC stuff, along with several Sci-Fi and fantasy books.  Terry Brooks Sword of Shannara series, along with Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game comes to mind.  And a bit later on, Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series was a favorite.

The call to write didn’t come for me until I was in my twenties.  I had spent time as a product engineer for IBM, a financial consultant for Bear Stearns, and a martial arts instructor.  Like most in their twenties, I was searching.

I had a close friend who was a screenwriter, and I bought his laptop.  It had Final Draft on it, the screenwriter’s software, and I started tinkering with it.  Once I did, I just knew. I had no idea what I was in for, and how much work it would be, however.  But the discipline that martial arts had instilled in me was a transferable skill set. For two years, I basically apprenticed under my friend before I felt both my craftsmanship and story ideas were mature enough to introduce to the professional environment.

It came full circle when I had the opportunity to work with comic book icon Stan Lee, several years ago.

R:  How did you hear about Kids Need to Read? Tell us about your short in the anthology – what inspired that?

K: I heard about Kids Need to Read from author and dear friend Christiana Miller.   A successful author in her own right, Christiana really paved the way for many like myself, writers who were considering their first novel, and wanted to go the indie route. 

For those of you who haven’t read her work, I encourage you to check it out.  When she asked if was interested in participating, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

R: You recently published a novel, LUTHECKER.  How different was writing a novel from screenplays? What made you decide to take the plunge?

K: If I could only use one word to describe the difference, it would be freedom. 

Screenwriting follows a market driven format that you deviate from at your own peril.  And your audience is not the end user, it is the brokers in between—Agents, managers, producers, studio execs. 

This is neither good nor bad, it’s just the business.  But your work rarely if ever gets in front of anyone unfiltered, in front of someone who is simply looking to enjoy a good story.

When I decided to write LUTHECKER, and then publish it independently, it was because I wanted to engage an audience directly, with no one in between my story and their experience with it.  And I would let the readers tell me if my story was worthy.

To be honest I was a little nervous on how it would be received, but I was stunned by the strong response, particularly among women.  It was such a great feeling to read reviews from people who had no connection with you other than your book, about how much they enjoyed the story. 

And ironically enough, it’s come full circle—I’m working with television producers now to create a television series based on the characters in the novel.  

R: You are also a fitness coach and an avid martial artist – how did you become interested in these?

K: I began studying martial arts at the age of nine.  I credit my father for that.  Martial arts instilled a discipline and philosophy in me that has had a direct influence on my writing work ethic. 

My work as a fitness coach was a natural progression from that.  I’m a big believer in the mind, body, soul trilogy that defines life.  To me that means creativity, health, and a sense of spirituality.  In my mind, all must be fostered and cared for.  

And let’s face it writing is not the most stable of incomes.   Having another passion / profession that engages others and helps them, provides a balance for me.

R: What writers would you say have made the greatest influence on your writing?

K: I’ll limit it to the top four:

1 – Neil Gaiman.

2 – Dan Simmons.

3 – James Elroy.

4 – Stan Lee.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

K: Musts:  Coffee and quiet.  

Process:  Reading of course, but also watching movies, multiple times.  They are like game tapes for me.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

K: Becoming a writer.  Without question, a crazy idea…

R: What are you working on at the moment / next?

K: The television pilot and series treatment based on Luthecker.

Television is a team sport, and a new one for me.  It’s been both a fun and fascinating process.  I’m very excited about the possibilities.

And of course, I’m working on the sequel to Luthecker.

R: Where can we find out more about you and your work?

K: I’m embarrassed to say that I’m a bit delinquent in the self-promotion category. 

You can find me on facebook, “Luthecker by Keith Domingue,” and the novel is available in Amazon.com

R: Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

K: Keep writing.  Find another source of income that makes you happy, so you can be free of market demands. 

Writing is a catharsis.  Self-exploration.  All stories are love stories—Love of God, country, family, or another.  Even love of self, if that journey is a struggle for the character.

So whatever story you are trying to tell, find the love in it. 

And keep writing.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day? 

9am.  First cup of coffee.  L.A. sunshine and a day full of possibility.

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)

A cat that acts like a dog. (Note from ROCCO: we LOVE this answer!)

 

Beach or Pool?  

Beach.

Steak or salad? 

Pizza.

Favorite Drink? 

Cabernet.

Favorite Book? 

That one is a rotating answer.  Right now, I think that “I, Lucifer” by Glen Duncan is genius. 

Favorite TV Series? 

I’m going to limit this to what is currently on air:  Breaking Bad.

Favorite Movie? 

Oof.  Another toughie, another rotation.  I’m going to say Syriana for today.

Favorite Actor:

Daniel Day Lewis.

Favorite Actress:

Marion Cotillard.  (If you haven’t seen it, watch “La Vie en Rose.”)

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada?

Shaken, not stirred…

Hawaii or Alaska?

Hawaii.

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be  The Buddha.

If I had just one wish, it would be more happiness, less fear in the world.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be Tom Brady.  That cat seems to have a pretty good life…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Keith Domingue is a screenwriter living in Los Angeles, and has written scripts for MGM Studios, Dimension Films, and Village Roadshow Pictures. His first original screenplay ONE THIRD, is being produced by Safady Entertainment and Lions Gate Films, and is scheduled to begin production in 2014.  LUTHECKER is his first novel.

Next up:  Love and Other Distractions author Anne O'Toole!

Shelly Goldstein of Love and Other Distractions....an Anthology to benefit Kids Need to Read!

MEOW!

Recently, fourteen Hollywood writers banded together to write an anthology of short stories they’re calling LOVE AND OTHER DISTRACTIONS!  The proceeds from said tome benefit my purr-sonal favorite charity, you guessed it – KIDS NEED TO READ!

We’ll be talking with these writers over the next few weeks – and first up…SHELLY GOLDSTEIN!

Shelly Goldstein is a writer/performer/rock-’n-roll historian, who has written for every genre of TV, film and stage. Her one-woman shows have played to sell-out crowds throughout the U.S. and U.K. She and Brendan Foley recently completed the pilot Dr. Feelgood for Denmark’s Monday Productions and TV 3. They also co-created the children’s animated series Shelldon that ran on NBC from 2009-2012 and still airs in 40 countries around the world. Their pop-music animated series Flying With Byrd currently airs in Asia.

She has written sitcoms, dramas, lyrics, documentaries, animation, award shows, jokes and special material for such performers as Steve Martin, Sharon Stone, Justin Timberlake, Jane Fonda, Jimmy Fallon, Garry Marshall, Sean Penn, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the cast of Glee and Yoko Ono.

Shelly is a proud, self-proclaimed Beatles nerd who has hosted radio shows about the Fab Four in the U.S. and England and has been invited to lecture about their influence on music and culture throughout the U.S.

And now…I interview Shelly!

R:  Meow, welcome Shelly! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

S:  Rocco, I began writing as soon as I learned how to write. I wrote my first play at 7. I started writing song lyrics around the same time. I’m a performer-singer as well as a writer. Writing and performing have always walked hand-in-hand with me. Part of the fun of writing a screenplay or a story is in your head you get to play all the parts.

R:  How did you hear about Kids Need to Read? Tell us a bit about your short in this anthology.

S: I was very fortunate in that I was raised by parents who encouraged reading, learning and curiosity. I also had teachers who encouraged reading and storytelling. It wasn’t something I ever really thought about growing up. Books, newspapers, stories, libraries, imagination were a part of life.

We don’t live in that sort of world anymore.

And while I can appreciate that ways of obtaining information evolve over decades, I think children are at a serious disadvantage when they grow up getting their vocabulary and frames of reference only from the internet, gaming and TV.

It’s been said a million times, but books literally give you the world. Too many people – young and old – live lives carefully orchestrated to keep them in a bubble.

Books teach children about people around the world – and across town – whose lives are very different from the lives they lead. Books also teach you how much in common you have with someone who lives a continent away.

Books fuel your imagination, teach you to think, to communicate and to dream.

It was a joy to go into this project, knowing that every single cent the book earns would go to a charity designed to encourage kids to read and help put books in their hands.

About my story:

My story in LOVE & OTHER DISTRACTIONS is called, ‘The Vagina Dialogues” and it was originally written as a performance piece for myself and one of the most talented people I know, Victoria Zielinski. In 2012 we did an evening of sketch comedy & songs in Chicago (well, Wilmette) along with her wildly talented husband, Paul Barrosse and the brilliantly funny Dana Olsen.

My story began as a conversation between two women who were remarkably similar to Victoria and I. But as I began writing, it evolved into an intimate look at a demographic our culture rarely hears from – long-time female friends, over 40.

They’re still beautiful, they’re still feisty& funny, they’re still horny and they’ve got tons of stories to tell about the men they’ve loved and lost.

It was a blast to write and I have had amazing response from people who loved these women – ironically, a lot of my biggest fans are guys in their early 30s, who I think have a thing for MILFs.

The story is deliberately dialogue-heavy. Not because I don’t like writing prose - but because I really wanted these women’s personalities and POV to fuel the action.

R: You are listed on “Movie Smackdown” as a ‘rock n roll historian’.  What does that entail?

S: It involves listening to an awful lot of Beatles music. (g) I think because I was just a little too young, I idealize the 60s.  It remains my favorite decade.

When I was a teenager, my friend’s Dad was a program director at an “oldies” radio station in Chicago that had a playlist that pretty much spanned 1957-75. My friends and I hung around there all the time, sort of unofficial interns who were paid in t-shirts and albums. Once I got paid with a 10-pound box of frozen hamburger patties.

But we spent all day listening to the great British Invasions groups – the Beatles, Stones, Who, Kinks, Animals, Zeppelin, etc. And the glory of Motown & Stax/Volt soul. The brilliant “girl singers” of the era – Dusty Spingfield, Carole King, Laura Nyro, Mama Cass, Carly Simon, Janis Joplin, Lulu, Cilla, Nancy Sinatra etc. And the American groups – Rascals, Beach Boys, Doors, Buckinghams, Lovin’ Spoonful, Mamas & Papas, CSNY, the Byrds, the Monkees, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Dead…the list goes on and on.

I couldn’t get enough of it.  Still can’t.

I’ve written about the era, I’ve been a disc jockey in LA and Chicago, I was the lead singer of the notorious SHELLY & THE SEA SHELLS and in the past few years I’ve toured the US and UK with my one-woman show, ONE FINE DAY: THE GROOVY GIRLS OF THE 60s.

No disrespect to the music that came before or after. There are dozens of artists I love from other eras. But there’s something about that generation from 63-73 that has energy and optimism that speaks to me like no other music.

I also wrote and produced about 6 episodes of BEHIND THE MUSIC which required a knowledge of Rock & Roll history from the 60s thru the 90s and I wrote and produced a documentary for Lifetime TV on the life of Yoko Ono which was pretty damned fascinating.

R: You are a self proclaimed “Beatles nerd”.  Which of their songs are your favorite?  Do you have a favorite Beatle?  Do you prefer the 60’s or the 70’s Beatles and why?

S: Picking a favorite Beatles song – or even a favorite Beatle -- is like trying to pick a favorite finger or toe. I go through phases where I only listen to really early stuff – up to about HELP. Then I immerse myself into the era of Rubber Soul and Revolver – and I’m always amazed when I hear PEPPER or THE WHITE ALBUM or ABBEY ROAD – how fresh they sound. 

Favorite Beatle? In his brilliant novel STILL LIFE WITH WOODPECKER, Tom Robbins said if you ask someone who their favorite Beatle is, the answer will tell you everything you need to know about that person. That’s still fairly accurate. It’s impossible not to worship John Lennon. He was simply one of the most fascinating men of the 20^th century, a natural revolutionary & amazingly gifted artist. I am so sad that I never got to meet George Harrison. I read George’s favorite move was THE PRODUCERS. I always dreamed of watching it with him! I’ve had the good fortune to meet Paul and Ringo and both were absolutely everything you’d want them to be.

Paul had read something I’d written about the early days of Wings and was very complimentary about it – he’d obviously read it very carefully. As we discussed it, I was literally dizzy with delight.

There were no Beatles in the 70s (they broke up in 1970) but all of them did amazing solo work in the 70s. For Lennon, the apex was probably IMAGINE in 1971. For Paul, either RAM or BAND ON THE RUN, for George, ALL THINGS MUST PASS and Ringo managed the only true Beatles reunion in 1973 when all 4 played on various tracks on his wonderful RINGO CD.

Their contribution to the world is unmatched. They didn’t just save Rock & Roll from the first wave of corporate pop (which took over around the time Elvis got drafted). They changed style, politics, culture, art, music, film. We’re still feeling their influence after half a century.

And at the end of the day – their songs were FANTASTIC. They rocked!

R: You’ve also written jokes and special material for a host of performers. Who was your favorite to write for? Least favorite? Do you have a funny story you can share?

S: I’ve had the great pleasure of writing for so many people I admire. It’s always fun to work for a specific performer because the discipline requires more than just coming up with a funny line or a good lyric – it has to work in their individual voice.

I love working with Sharon Stone, who is one of the brightest people on the planet. Whenever we’re together we end up laughing until we’re in pain.

I think the most fascinating writing job I ever had was helping Steve Martin punch up one of his films. In addition to being utterly brilliant, he’s an absolute gentleman. As we worked (in a group of about half a dozen writers), someone would throw out an idea and instantly he’d be on his feet spinning comedy gold and within seconds he’d have turned it from an amorphous concept to a real, human moment – that was always wildly funny. It was like watching a great magician.

And when I’d say something or show him some writing that made him laugh – actually laugh out loud – I thought I’d gone to comedy heaven.

R: What writers would you say have made the greatest influence on your writing?

S: Larry Gelbart, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Brendan Foley, Junior Burke, Dorothy Parker, Wendy Wasserstein, Rita Mae Brown

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

S: All I need is inspiration and a deadline. When push comes to shove, the latter often helps give birth to the former.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done? 

S: Legend tells in the 80s I had a mullet – but I refuse to believe it.

R: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?

S: Not writing for me is as probable as not breathing – but in the past few years I’ve added a lot more writer-performing to my resume and I like that a lot.

R: What’s your next project?

S: Currently writing the book and lyrics for a new musical. My husband and I recently created our third animated series for a production company in Asia, so I’m writing season 3 of one of the earlier shows. I hope to write a new one-woman cabaret, a follow-up to ONE FINE DAY, to bring to the stage in 2014.

Just for Fun:

Night or Day?  . DAY

Dog or Cat? (answer carefully)  - There’s a reason I’m called “Kitten with a Quip” (But I also love dogs.)

Beach or Pool?   - Beach

Steak or salad?   - Steak

Favorite Drink?  Water.

Favorite Book?  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Favorite TV Series?  THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, MAD MEN, THE SOPRANOS

Favorite Movie?   THE PRODUCERS (1968) A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (1964)

Favorite Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis

Favorite Actress: Kate Hepburn & Roz Russell

Dirty Martini or Pina Colada? – Really good Champagne

Hawaii or Alaska? - Hawaii

Finish this sentence:  If I could meet anyone in the world, past or present, it would be  JOHN LENNON, JOHN KENNEDY, JON STEWART, JOHN OLVIER – Do you detect a pattern?

If I had just one wish, it would be_ TO SPEND A LAUGH-FILLED DAY WITH MY HUSBAND AND MY (ONCE-MORE ALIVE & HEALTHY) PARENTS.

If I could trade places with anyone in the world, it would be  NOBODY. THEN YOU GET THEIR PROBLEMS

Thank you for a wonderful interview, Shelly!

Folks, pick up a copy of LOVE & OTHER DISTRACTIONS! Every cent goes to help our “pet” charity – KIDS NEED TO READ!

This anthology is all about that crazy little thing called love...and all the odd, impulsive, bizarre and sometimes illegal things people do in its name! With 20 stories, written by 14 Hollywood writers, spanning 7 different genres, it's a literary treasure trove that has something for everyone!

You Can get it here: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Other-Distractions-Anthology-Hollywood/dp/1491060263/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375789439&sr=8-1&keywords=love+%26+other+distractions

Or here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-and-other-distractions-christiana-miller/1116229742?ean=9781491060261