Cynthia (Page 3)

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I distinctly remember watching the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I watched it in my bedroom so I wouldn’t be distracted and demanded total silence from husband and son. I knew from the TV Guide description that it was going to wow me and it did. When that last downbeat of the theme rang out over that final slayer shot, I was hooked. I couldn’t wait for the commercials to end and then I wished the clock would slow so the show wouldn’t end too soon. If you’re a fangirl, you’ll understand. If you’re not, this is all going to sound crazy. When a TV fan finds a perfect match, it’s like a fantastic first date. Your heart beats a little faster, you’re giddy with glee but worried that it might not last. You can’t wait for the next date but at the same time you fuss and fret over every second because you desperately want it to go well. It happens over and over again until you settle in and it becomes routine and then you and your favorite show become like an old married couple taking each other for granted. Yes, the relationship cycle is theRead More →

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It may be Black Friday to the rest of the world, but around here it’s Red Friday! If you buy my Supernatural interview ebook, Come on In, the Water’s Bloody before midnight tonight, you’ll get it for only .99. On Saturday, the book goes up to $1.99 and it will keep rising until it’s back to the regular $4.99 price on Monday. That’s what you call a Kindle Countdown Deal.Read More →

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I follow TV news everyday but today several forces collided in a most unusual and intriguing way. It began with Chuck Lorre’s vanity card at the end of yesterday’s Big Bang Theory. It combines a mention of a classic TV series revival with a move to air it only through a digital streaming app. Right after I saw that news, I saw a post on Deadline Hollywood saying that Netflix had bought the rights to produce a revival of one of my favorite shows, Lost in Space. Yes, Netflix. NBC took a swing at in some years ago but passed. Just as well as I suspect it wouldn’t have lasted more than a few episodes. On Netflix, it has a chance. From there, I saw that Hulu just released a trailer for their highly anticipated production of Stephen King’s thriller about a time traveling teacher who tries to stop the Kennedy Assassination. To wrap this whole thing in a video tape bow, Fox just announced that they will no longer acknowledge Live and Same Day ratings. Since the majority of the world is time-shifting TV with DVR’s and watching on demand and through streaming services, Fox says it’s not fairRead More →

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In June of 1940, Hollywood agent Everett Crosby (brother of Bing Crosby) send a friendly telegram to his client, director Victor Schertzinger. According to a series of letters, Schertzinger was a bit annoyed by the lack of work after his last picture. So Crosby was actively trying to find him another gig.   The telegram reads: Didn’t write because knew you were busy on picture. However you have not been out of my mind. Been working on couple deals here for you at Universal and will have information Monday. Had conference Wednesday with Freeman and Paramount here regarding your situation. They are happy with Rhythm. Will have information on this also first of week regarding your layoff and another immediate picture so out of sight is not of mind. Any agent who will not split is lousy. However this will not make me a LOU$E. Tell him that Pops. You will hear from me Monday or Tuesday. Everything here fine. Florence sends love. Regards Everett 1020 am Given that you paid for telegrams by the word, this one must have cost him a few bucks. Love the line about not being a louse. Does anyone still use that word?Read More →

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In this excerpt from my book eBay with Empty Pockets dedicated to the subject of Dumpster Diving. Are you brave enough to go digging for hidden gold? If so, grab my ebook at Amazon now. Americans throw away millions of dollars worth of perfectly good items every week. Some people simply don’t see the value in that old coat or broken phone, but others simply don’t care. They’re done with an item, so they toss it to make room for the replacement and then some. And that’s nothing compared to what retail stores and businesses throw out every day. Customer returns, damaged goods, out of season items and bad buys – tons and tons of usable items headed for the landfill unless you get there first. That’s called dumpster diving.Read More →

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It’s November first and thousands of writers all over the world have taken on the insane task of writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. This year, I’m joining them. I tried once before and got no where. This year is going to be different. . very different. Instead of my usual dark suspense novel, I’m going for a lighter, cozy mystery set at a fan convention. I’m going first person and well. . . who knows what all. The cool thing (for me and hopefully you), is that I also have to create the TV show that the fangirls are fans of and if all goes well, I can write in a faux tie-in novel to accompany the fangirl mystery. That’s the plan and I’m sticking to it. Stay tuned for updates. Are you writing this month? I’d love to hear about it.Read More →

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I have a confession to make. As much as I love classic horror movies, Halloween and the showmanship of a good haunt – I’m way too chicken to ever step foot inside of a pro haunt. I worked as a volunteer in one once and I couldn’t even stand walking through the maze to get to my station! Still, I’m fascinated with what goes on behind the scenes of haunts like Knott’s Scary Farm, Universal Horror Nights and especially Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary. What makes Dark Harbor so different from the usual theme park attractions is that the haunt happens inside an already spooky, known to be haunted ship. Heck, even this interview was haunted. Listen in while I talk with Dark Harbor producer Charity Hill about what it takes to put on a haunt inside a historical landmark. She even has a few tips for you home haunters, too. Cynthia:  Dark Harbor is a standout among Halloween haunts because it’s staged inside of a vintage ship. You have a natural, spooky, maze‑y environment already built for you. Charity:  We do. One great thing about our creative team is they’re able to use the ship itself, which isRead More →