Well, dear readers, there’s nothing like a modern major miracle as a stress reliever and I got one yesterday, so I could actually do the bit of work I had to do for today’s rehearsal and then I was able to relax a bit. And now I think perhaps it is time to unveil the new book, don’t you? I think it’s just time. The time is nigh. I’d planned to write two books this year, one fiction, one non-fiction. I knew what the non-fiction was going to be, but somewhere around September I knew what I wanted the fiction to be – I wanted to do something fun, and I decided on a third Harry Stearns mystery. The Muse loves those books and while I wasn’t quite sold completely on doing it, the minute I came up with the idea for it, I absolutely knew it was the right thing to do. That’s why I was able to write thirty pages in advance of starting on January 1. As you may recall, I had to keep stopping to research things and you’ll understand why when you know the setting. The book is entitled Vegas Can Be Murder and is set both in LA and Vegas. ‘Tis the Season to Be Murdered was set at Christmas 1975. This one picks up two months later, in mid-February 1976. I don’t want to say too much about it, other than it involves a Vegas lounge singer who’s receiving threatening notes, each more ominous than then next. Getting Harry and Bernice to Vegas was beyond fun. And I will reveal there’s a guest appearance by Mr. Showmanship, Liberace. Here’s the cover, created by Doug Haverty.
Isn’t that a fun cover? I’ll reveal the blurb very soon – I may try for one more in addition to Peter Filicia’s. We should have it up for pre-order next week so alert the media. Otherwise, I got nine hours of sleep, I think, I answered a load of e-mails, I got the unexpected modern major miracle and that just perked up the day pretty good. I never left the house. I had a small Marco’s Pizza for food and that was very good. Because we’ve already had some illnesses in the cast, I’ve been taking my preventatives regularly. I must have watched the beginnings of about ten movies, but I just wasn’t in the mood, I guess. I didn’t even watch many irritating YouTube videos. I have had some fun with one disgusting bag of snot first amendment auditor – you know, all the convicted felons who’ve been doing this stupidity and making money on YouTube – it’s all going down the proverbial toilet because it’s the same shtick over and over again and even the cop haters are getting tired of it all. The bag of snot I found is the second transgender person who is imitating the first. This one is canny in that she does stay on the sidewalk where it’s legal to film people, their cars, their license plates – I mean, it’s just so stupid and they pray for the folks who get upset about it and, as you might imagine, many do. This one is especially obnoxious to people.
She also is VERY careful to never say where she is, and she blurs out any signage that might clew people in. She does this because if we know where she is we can contact the business and tell anyone who’s in the video how to privacy strike it, because once it’s monetized YouTube requires that you have a signed release for anyone appearing in it. I’ve done a lot of contacting and a lot of videos have been taken down because of the privacy strikes. They can’t repost without blurring faces, and they lose any money they’ve made. But this bag of snot is in Los Angeles. Oops. So, for example, in the first thing I watched, she was annoying everyone at an LADWP office, which I recognized instantly, since I went there once or twice in the eighties. Just about seven minutes from here in Van Nuys. I left a comment saying, “Blur all you like, but we’ve got your number.” And every time one of their videos shows up, whether old or new, I have, every single time, identified the location because even though she blurs she’s also stupid. Sometimes I’ll see the address NUMBER and she likes easy targets like Chick-fil-A and Starbucks and In ‘N’ Out. And reprehensibly, she films churches and places of worship, knowing they’ll get upset. If I have the address number, I can usually find the location quickly. But she’ll also sometimes shoot towards a window, which gives the reflection of what’s across from where she is, and I can always ID stores from that. She does get around – LA, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Costa Mesa, Orange County, Tustin, even as far as San Clemente. I always leave a comment. Some of the commenters call her “Chris.” I will find out who she is and then we can have some real fun.
Today, I’ll be up by eleven, I’ll shave and shower, I’ll stop at the mail place to see what’s what, then we have a four-hour rehearsal. After that, I’ll get some food to bring home and I also will need to put gas in the motor car soon. Oh, the other thing I did yesterday was book my CAT scan appointment – next Friday at 3:45. After I eat, I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is a ME day, plain and simple. Monday, I’ll type up an accurate props list, and then Tuesday we’re back rehearsing a LOT of big scenes and we should have our full cast as of Wednesday.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eleven, shave and shower, have a four-hour rehearsal, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: How are you with medical procedures like CAT scans and MRIs and such? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy for the modern major miracle and happy to reveal the new book.