Welcome to WeeklyWilson.com, where author/film critic Connie (Corcoran) Wilson avoids totally losing her marbles in semi-retirement by writing about film (see the Chicago Film Festival reviews and SXSW), politics and books----her own books and those of other people. You'll also find her diverging frequently to share humorous (or not-so-humorous) anecdotes and concerns. Try it! You'll like it!

Month: November 2012

“The Next Big Thing” Connects Writers & Answers the Question: What Are You Writing Now?

I was invited by fellow author and HWA and ITW member Brian Pinkerton to participate in this blog Q&A about the new book (or books) we are working on.

I am supposed to link to 5 other authors.

Yesterday, I took part in a Southpark Mall (Moline, IL) signing with 15 authors present, and I distributed the directions to many of the authors present. None took me up on it, but I’m waiting for Cathy Scott to get back to me. Aside from Cathy, who does not live in this remote area on the border of Iowa and Illinois, and possibly Cathy Mitchell (who lives in Canada), I spent a fair amount of time explaining what a Virtual Tour was to three of the authors present, so it is perhaps not too surprising that nobody jumped at my offer to participate in The Next Big Thing.

So, far, I have ZERO authors to link to, but I would like to give credit to Brian Pinkerton, whose novel “Rough Cut” is truly good(yes, I have read it, and I liked it), and whose new one (which he writes about on the Goodreads blog below) is, no doubt, equally good.

Here is a link to Brian’s post:

http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/3330032-tag-i-m-it

And author Cathy Scott will be posting on this blog the first week in December: http://www.womenincrimeink.com/

Question 1: What is the working title of your book?

The working title of the second book in a 4-book series is “Red Is for Rage.” The first book, “The Color of Evil,” came out in paperback in March and is the winner of an E-book Award from Jenkins group, as well as a Silver Feather from IWPA (Illinois Women’s Press Association). The second book in the series is “Red Is for Rage.” There will be two more books, the way I have it currently planned.

Question 2: Where did the idea for your book come from?

The basic story premise of a small boy with the power to see “auras” around others that tell him whether someone is good or evil was contained within a short story in my first “Hellfire & Damnation” collection, which won an ALMA (American Literary Merit Award) award. Tad McGreevy can see colors around others and, at night, he has nightmares in which he vividly relives the crimes of the evil-doers. However, he has no way to harness this power and it is not necessarily “predictive,” as he doesn’t know if the crimes are happening now, about to happen, or have already occurred in the past. The original story title was “Puffer-Fish.” That was changed to “Living in Hell” when I used the story within the first of my “Hellfire & Damnation” (www.HellfireAndDamnationTheBook.com) series. I felt guilty at leaving Tad in a bad place, so I decided to jump him forward 8 years from his 8th birthday party ( he is completely recovered and is a junior in high school) and give him a fighting chance to survive in this battle of Good versus Evil.

Question 3: What genre does your book fall under?

My book is variously classified as dark suspense, thriller or horror. I prefer dark suspense. It is a YA (Young Adult) novel aimed at older teenagers who are at least juniors in high school or older and on into the early twenties. It is currently “recommended” on a preliminary ballot in the YA Novel category for the Bram Stoker (R) which means nothing, since there are many others similarly “recced.” Still, it is nice to know that someone liked the book, and I was interviewed by Cyrus A Webb for his radio show, indicating he had read (and enjoyed) the book. I am currently a member of both ITW (International Thriller Writers) and HWA (Horror Writers Assocation).

Question 4: What actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I would let the casting directors find fresh, young new talent. This is a novel about high school-aged protagonists and I’m sure there are plenty of new Megan Foxes and Tara Reids just dying to play a role like Tad McGreevy (the hero), or Jenny SanGiovanni (his blonde crush) or Stevie Scranton (a role not unlike Stifler in “American Pie”).

First proposed cover, some of which has been cut off…no idea why.

Question 5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

“Carrie” meets television’s “The Medium” meets “The Fury.”

Question 6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I am represented by AAA Agency (Nancy Rosenfeld) of Chicago, but the last book I self-published after a major house sat on it for ONE FULL YEAR, so I’m inclined to self-publish the sequel, as well. I’ve already contracted for the cover art, and I’d really like readers to let me know which of the two covers I picture here is “best.” Write me back and let me know which one you prefer. Both are by Paula Phanback, who is working with me on the covers for the remaining books in the series.

Question 7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took me about a year to write “The Color of Evil” and I’m 15,000 words from being “done” with “Red Is for Rage.” Since the best output I can hope for is 4,000 words a day, I have to finish “Ri4R” before we get on a plane and fly to Sydney to visit our daughter in Australia and New Zealand. That is January 12th, so the second book will be done in a year, also, and out in early 2013 (some time in Jan/Feb./March). The Beta readers are poised and my editor is standing by.

Question 8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I can only report that reviewers have compared my writing to Philip K. Dick, Stephen King and Dean Koontz. I am trying to write the way I write, and to do the best job I can do, after teaching writing for 33 years, so I’m just trying to be the best “me” I can be. (Which sounds like an Army recruitment slogan!). I do not have any other book I can point to that reminds me of this, except, as mentioned, the “Carrie,” “The Fury” type plots of early King.

This is Proposed Cover #2. Let me know which you prefer. I am not sure why it is cutting off some of the cover (the part with my name, mainly) but if it is just losing my name, it is a small loss.)

\Question 9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I taught writing for 33 years at various colleges and at the junior high school level, and I started writing for my hometown newspaper (the Independence Bulletin Journal & Conservative) at the age of ten. I am very familiar with students this age and with the area in which the book is set (Cedar Falls, Iowa and towns nearby) plus I interviewed Sam Amirante (John Wayne Gacy’s attorney) for various quirks of serial killer John Wayne Gacy’s speech, since there is a Killer Clown in the story that Tad inadvertently meets on the occasion of his 8th birthday party.
I’ve also had 5 students on Illinois’ Death Row at the same time, so I have a pretty good feeling for the less desirable students and how they might act and think. Plus, I grew up in a small town in Iowa that housed the largest mental institute in the state (Independence Mental Health Institute).

Someone once said to me, upon learning this, “You were just born to write this stuff, weren’t you?” I laughed, and then I thought about it and answered, “I guess so.”

Question 10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

If what I’ve written above doesn’t pique your interest and you aren’t interested after visiting www.TheColorOfEvil.com, you probably aren’t my audience, but keep reading. There are other writers I may be linking to who write completely different things. And please be advised that THE COLOR OF EVIL will be FREE as a Kindle download on Amazon on December 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.

I should also add that my writing does not dwell on gore for the sake of gore. It is more psychological horror, a la Hitchcock, with “Sixth Sense” endings something I strive for in short stories. You might wish to try reading the 99 cent short story “The Bureau” online (e-book) or the collection of short stories just out, “Hellfire & Damnation II,” which has received good reviews, if you’re not willing to commit to the long haul with Tad McGreevy and friends in 4 novels. There’s also a lot in the book about tetrachromacy, whcih I will not attempt to explain here, but let’s just say it’s something that has just been discovered and was fascinating to me when I learned about it.

Reasons Why Obama Won & Mitt Lost: Two Liberals Discuss, Post-Election

1) The technical wizardry and knowledge of the young Obama workers far outstripped the more pedestrian team working for Romney, just as it overpowered the Clinton candidacy in 2008. (Look for Obama to “help” Hillary to run, should she gear up, in 2016, and that will be all it will take, even if we don’t “like” Hillary as well. She has proven herself competent and that Ryan runt will be all over the next nomination for the Republicans as will Christie and Rubio.)

Rubio has the charisma factor. Ryan, for me, does not.He failed to carry his home state and his own home town (Janesville, WI). Nor did Ryan “work” for the millions of baby-boomers who feared what he would do to what have been dubbed “entitlement programs.” Hillary’s choice of a VP will be crucial in 2016. It will have to be a man with singular experience in government and someone relatively young, in order to corral the youth vote. (If not Hillary, who?)

2) Sandy, the storm: Was there ever a luckier event in terms of politics, for showing across-the-aisle bi-partisan working together-ness? When the Republican Governor comes out and embraces the Democratic President, how sweet is that? Mitch McConnell, on the other hand, personifies the dug-in prejudices that have mired us in stasis for half of Obama’s first term. I look for him to find a way around this aggravation, as much as he can.

3) Obama is a once-in-a-generation figure. He has “it,” that indefinable charismatic cool. He is calm under pressure, smart, and he was voted as being more “in touch” by 53% of the nation (as opposed to 43% for Romney).

Dear Connie (from friend Pam), in response:

1) I do think that barring anything really unusual happening, Hilary has an excellent change to become president in 2016. I don’t think the Republicans will run anyone who can match her. They have good candidates, Chris Christie for one. However, I think he is too independent and moderate for the Republican hierarchy (Think of his recent praise for President Obama after super storm Sandy. What real conservative would have said one kind word about our president?)

I don’t think Paul Ryan has broad enough appeal to win a national election. His budget was a give-away to the rich and a complete take- away for the poor. There are more poor people in this country than there are rich people— WAY more. Will the Republicans really run a Hispanic candidate? An Indian? Maybe, but how would that play in the Deep South and the border states? (What would Rush say? Or do, he’d probably have a melt-down not unlike his poor treatment of the young woman who attempted to testify before Congress about a woman’s right to choose.

2) I agree that the choice of VP for Hillary is critical. It has to be someone with a lot going for him (definitely a man). However, he can’t overshadow Hillary. If he does, that would make her look weak. She certainly is not weak, but remember how the press pounced on her tearing up during the primary campaign in 2008? That hurt her a lot, I thought. (*Note: I thought it humanized her, but this is a good friend and fellow political junkie’s opinion)

People, especially men, are always ready to think a woman is weak or too emotional. Actually, I think she should find someone who is moderate and acceptable to many moderate Republicans. It’s too bad Huntsman is a Republican; I thought he was very credible. I think Huntsman would have been a far better candidate for the Republicans than Romney. (*On the Sunday morning news talk shows, Joe Scarborough, et. al., described Romney as “a flawed candidate.”)

3) President Obama definitely has the “it” factor. The future is hard to predict but if he has any luck at all, I think he will go down as one of our most important, transformational and influential presidents. It’s not just because he is African-American; he’s smart and he sticks to his principles. True, he gave in on the Bush tax cuts once, but not until he was backed into a nearly impossible corner. Obama’s health care bill is not perfect; the Republicans are responsible for watering it down and making it less effective than it could have been. Still, as Biden said at the time, “This is a big f***** deal.”

4)I am hoping that Mitch McConnell is beaten in a primary fight; I’m hoping that instead his district is represented by an Aiken or a Murdock. It would be fitting. What an &***&& McConnell is!
________________

(Me again, the Associated Content Content Producer of the Year 2008 for Politics, if you wondered where this woman gets off, I’ve followed the primaries, in particular, closely since 2004 and also reported from inside the DNC, RNC, Ron Paul Rally for the Republic, Belmont Town Hall Meeting, and Rudy’s race in Florida (which was more of a stroll, really,) in 2008:

5) Where was I? Oh, yes, the relatability factor: Who could EVER think that a rich millionaire was more like “us?” There was a HILARIOUS clip from Letterman that showed Mitt commenting and it was devastatingly funny and devastatingly on target. There was also a very funny skit on Jimmy Fallon where Obama says to Mitt (Fallon) something like, “At least you created one job, Mitt…for me.”

6) Let us also not forget that Mitt never did release all of his tax returns, despite his own FATHER saying you had to release at least 10 to 12 years of same. This is a man who doesn’t even support his country to the extent that his vast wealth would allow him to do, through taxation. Yet he wanted us to elect him President of that country. He gave a good concession speech, but claimed he had not even written one, prior to election night.

I do hope this stunning defeat for Karl Rove puts him out of politics forever. He was 1 for 10. Sheldon Adelman lost $60 mill on the election. I LOVED the tape where Obama thanked the Chicago workers and teared up. [I only wish I had had the stamina and youth and know-how to HAVE BEEN one of them.]

7) Women: as we have discussed. Women in America like Obama and, while they might also have liked Romney as a person, the things he wanted to do were not in the best interests of modern women. I read that women went for Obama by a wide margin of something like 11% points. I think that people who are right-thinking people just really “liked” Obama, when compared to Mitt.

8) Did you read the piece about Ted Kennedy’s game plan when he ran against Romney in Massachusetts being resurrected again in this race? Take Mitt’s so-called “strength” (i.e., his business expertise) and find the people whose jobs he outsourced and let THEM tell it like it was! [I heard they found eighteen of them and some of them were so vehement that they couldn’t use the remarks on the air in the TV spots. (lol… And so it goes.]

6) They are predicting that AZ, that bastion of nut cases, may well become a blue state as it becomes more Hispanic. [Get ready, AZ.] And get rid of that woman Governor! Who did she think she was, shaking her finger in the face of the President of the United States like a scolding schoolmarm.

7) I feel we have “saved” the Supreme Court and it will now (potentially) re-address this ridiculous ruling about pouring $ into races. In case people didn’t notice, it didn’t work…although I did shell out a standard amount of his contributions for Obama, when asked. Most of Obama’s donors were in the $50 range. Doesn’t sound like much compared to $60 million of the $1 billion Rove and the gang raised and spent, but it’s still money out of my pocket. I also have, framed, the very first Obamacare announcement he made in Iowa City, the declaration of this now “law of the land.” I’m going to get it out and hang it up somewhere, since Obamacare is now here to stay. Did you see the “Newsweek,” that declared Obama to be “this generation’s Lincoln?” I hope that does not extend to Lincoln’s demise. I fear it. Some nutty female employee of a Cold Stone Creamery posted a rant with the “n” word and a veiled threat and lost her job, as well she should, for articulating such threats, idle or no. Then there are the petitions to secede from the South. (Maybe they could have Texas, with “W” there?) Sounds like Lincoln’s “a nation divided cannot stand” Civil War years 1861-1865.

8)

Antonio Villaraigosa, the Mayor of Los Angeles since 2005 and Chairman of the Democratic Party.

One person who has not been mentioned much in the political talk for 2016 is the Mayor of LA, with whom I posed back in 2008 inside the Pepsi Center in Denver, Antonio Villaraigosa. He is a good-looking Latino male, charming and handsome and has just completed a term as Chairperson of the DNC. On the downside, not unlike Bill Clinton, he has had a wandering eye. [Got caught in a scandal with a TV newswoman while in office.]

I listened to a woman on a Sunday talk show describe being inside McCormick Place on election night and I felt so bad that I could not pull that off. (Started too late to request passes after the Film Festival). She said that when it went up on the board that Ohio had broken for Obama, the place just was electric. How I wish I had been there! It was history in the making.

Instead, I went out, camera in hand, and tried to capture a few images of people in the city and spoke to some of these people anonymously. (Shopgirls, cabbies, people in a bar). And then I went on my merry way, because I WAS merry and happy and watching the returns in Chicago.

I was relatively quiescent in politics for years, because I was completely disillusioned by the death of JFK ; Howard Dean brought me back into politics, so, ostensibly, that makes me a liberal and proud of it. BUT, I voted for 2 Republicans on the local ballot, so maybe I’m a raging Independent?

From My Friend, Pam:

Mitt was a very weak candidate for many reasons, not the least of which was that he was completely out of touch with ordinary Americans. He made many, many gaffes. (Olympics, anyone?) Having previously thought him smart, I began to wonder about his intelligence.

It’s incredible to me that the Republicans seemed to think that Mitt could completely change his thinking on big, basic issues and no one would care or remember. The Reps thought Mitt’s business smarts would trump everything but Mitt never gave any specifics about how he was going to put everybody back to work. He never gave any specifics about how his budget plan could give tax cuts and still reduce the deficit. I think a lot of people feared he would take away the mortgage deduction and he probably would have. [After all, that is probably not very important to an ultra rich person.]

I am also very glad that all the billions spent by the Republicans did not get them very much. I’m glad that Karl Rove failed. I hope “Turd Blossom” (“W’s” nickname for him) goes away and stays away. 1 for 10 is NOT a good average. So much for his much-vaunted expertise and the whining that Rush has done on the radio and the accusations that the pollsters were “oversampling” Democrats. The pollsters got it right. The Republican party got it wrong.

Women are over half of the population and they are in the ascendancy. I just read in the paper now that more women have driver’s licenses than men. Women demand safe, fuel efficient cars and that will be good for the environment.

The Republicans whom Obama reached out to on election night (Boehner and McConnell) would not even come to the phone. The message to the newly re-elected president was that “they were asleep,” despite the fact that the election was called for Obama fairly early in the evening (8:30-ish).

They were asleep, all right. Old and asleep.

As a party they did not even recognize that a freight train of change was bearing down on them until it ran over them. Women. Minorities. The regular guy. The changing face of America. Charisma of the candidate. Smart tactics. Superior strategical advantage(s). A nod to Hurricane Sandy.

There goes 2012. And I hope someone burns that piece-of-trash movie “Obama’s America” for the smear job it was.

Go see Stephen Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” instead. It’s closer to what Obama faces now.

Schilling vs. Bustos Race: Most $$$ in Super Pac Spending in Illinois

If you are a resident of the Quad Cities, you might find it interesting to learn that the Schilling/Bustos race in the 17th Congressional District in Illinois has attracted $9.2 million in Super Pac spending.

The closest to it is the 11th District (Biggert vs. Foster).

After that the money comes out in this order in the Congressional races in Illinois:

$6.6 million in 12th District involving Plummer vs. Enyart

$6.4 million in 10th District involving Dold vs. Schneider.

$6.3 million in 13th District involving David vs. Gill.

And, last, and, surprisingly least, $5.5 million in 8th district with amputee veteran Tammy Duckworth running against the bombastic Joe Walsh.

Of course, all of this pales next to the 333 ads a day now running in Ohio. Still, without all that SuperPac money, which has surpassed $2 million in Illinois’ top 6 competitive Congressional races and has allowed Tea Party incumbent Bobby Schilling to send out a newsletter that makes him look like a Democrat, angering many true Democrats who received it, and, also, to put out a false ad accusing candidate Cheri Bustos of having anything to do with a road to Short Hills Country Club (to which she does not even belong).

And so it goes.

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