GORDON McALPIN & THE MULTIPLEX - Interview

Today I welcome Gordon McAlpin back. It’s been a week of returning favorites. You’d think there was an anniversary coming up or something.

Gordon McAlpin

Gordon McAlpin lives in Minneapolis with his cat Punk. In his twenties, he watched over a dozen movies a week. Gordon has written movie reviews, co-hosted a movie podcast, and edited a movie news blog, but now he just writes and draws Multiplex. While he has never worked at a movie theater, he has had several equally terrible jobs.

From 2004–2006, Gordon created Stripped Books, a series of non-fiction strips covering book- and comics-related events in comics form. Multiplex began in July, 2005, and is Gordon’s first on-going comic strip.

Gordon draws Multiplex in Adobe Illustrator CS5 on a Mac and happily endorses the Astute Graphics’s Phantasm CS and VectorScribe plug-ins. He uses Coda to update and maintain the Multiplex website and hosts the site on Rackspace Cloud Hosting.

ANTHONY: Welcome back, Gordon! Thanks for agreeing to chat again.

GORDON: No problem. Thanks for asking!

ANTHONY: You used Kickstarter to successfully fund the publication of MULTIPLEX BOOK ONE: ENJOY YOUR SHOW. It’s time to get Book Two: THERE AND BACK AGAIN. How long is this campaign running for, and what are some of the rewards you’re offering to those who contribute?

GORDON: This campaign is running for 23 days total. This is a bit shorter than most, and much, much shorter than my first project, which went for the maximum of 90 days. When I ran the Kickstarter project for Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show, I was literally the first webcartoonist to do it — not the first cartoonist, jus the first webcartoonist. So I assumed more time = more money. What I didn’t realize was that it would be more stress and more work, because I had to promote the project for three months. That got old kind of fast. So I decided to do a much shorter one this time: three weeks, which I rounded up to 23 days so that I could end it on midnight before an update day. This way I get the initial flurry of interest and the last-minute drive much closer together. That might have been a mistake, but it’s been doing well so far. We’ll see how it plays out, won’t we?

As for the rewards, you can get artist’s editions of the book (or both books, even), a T-shirt with some as-yet-undecided movie parody image (like the Breakfast Club one I did for Book 1), a print, sketches, an original hand-drawn Multiplex comic on the subject of your choice — on up to some kind of jokey ones like a print of a Multiplex comic with yourself “George Lucased” into it or me flying/driving to your home to watch the movie trilogy of your choice on Blu-ray.

Gordon McAlpin, photo by Charlene Epple

ANTHONY: You’ll really watch any trilogy of the person’s choice if they donate at the highest level? This makes me hope I hit the lottery before your Kickstarter ends, just so I can make you sit through The Never-Ending Story movies. Seriously, what trilogy would you most and least like to sit through if someone did donate at that level?

GORDON: Absolutely! I mean, it was really mostly a joke, but yes, I would absolutely do it. It’d be great if the staff of a movie theater were to make that pledge collectively. I can’t imagine any single person wanted to give me THAT much money. I was shocked that someone went for the “Leet Pack,” which gets them a portable hard drive with every Multiplex file (strip, reference file, background, etc.) in its original Illustrator format, signed by me. And some other stuff, of course.

The trilogy I would most like to see… I think the Mad Max movies. They’re pretty awesome, and I’ve only seen each of them once or twice ever, so they’ll feel pretty fresh.

Least like… probably the Matrix. The first one is awesome, of course, but I can’t even look at it anymore because the sequels were so bad, especially the third one.

ANTHONY: Book One got some really good reviews, and I remember how excited I was to find a copy randomly on the shelf at my local Borders (alas, poor Borders, we knew it well, Horatio…). What lessons did you learn from the production of Book One that you’ll apply to producing Book Two?

GORDON: I was mostly very happy with how the book turned out, physically. There were some mistakes that slipped past me and the freelance proofreaders I brought in, so there’s stuff I’ll be able to keep my eye out for now.

Johanna Draper Carlson gave a review of the book that pointed out a few things I hadn’t thought of, like a table of contents or providing a better introduction to the strip in the front matter than I did. I’ll be taking some of those comments to heart with Book 2’s design.

But I’ve produced books and other printed stuff as part of my “day job” as a freelance print production artist for over a decade, so there wasn’t much I was going to learn from doing yet another book. The only big difference was that this was MY book, you know?

ANTHONY: There are those who say “why bother buying a print edition of one storyline when I can see the entire series archives online for free.”  So what can we expect in the print edition of book two that we didn’t see online?

GORDON: About 236 dpi? (Mathematically not accurate, I know.) Aside from much better reproduction, there will be something like 25 bonus comics. Those will also be in the Chapter eBooks that I’ll be releasing as I get the material done, just like with Book 1. Chapter 6 is already out.

There isn’t a new story in this book, like the “Prequel” story in Book 1, because I felt like there was already a pretty strong main thrust to the volume and that any new, longer story I added would just feel like filler. But the bonus comics here will serve the same purpose as in Multiplex: Enjoy Your Show — fleshing out the narrative and characters in a way that I couldn’t (or failed to do) the first time around.

ANTHONY: For those who don’t follow Multiplex on line, give us a summary of who the main characters are, and where we find them as THERE AND BACK AGAIN starts.

LtoR: Kurt, Melissa, Becky, Franklin & Jason. Your friendly neighborhood Multiplex 10 staff

GORDON: Jason is a movie snob, a bit of a jerkass, but always honest (some might say to a fault), so… that’s his one redeeming quality, I guess. Oh, girls think he’s cute, too, but his mouth gets in the way.

Kurt is a horror movie buff and just in general muuuuch easier to please. He’s goofy, but not stupid, and has a cruder sense of humor than Jason (although it’s slowly rubbing off on Jason).

Becky is a quiet, bookish science nerd with a romantic streak, who was kind of in love with Jason for a bit (see Book 1), but might just be getting over it…

Melissa, Kurt’s girlfriend, is a bit more worldly than Kurt. She’s pretty protective of Becky (her roommate and best friend), so she can be a bit of a scold when Jason is a jerk to her, but otherwise she’s sort of aimless and just likes to enjoy the moment. Which is how she can handle with Kurt’s abysmal taste in movies.

Franklin hasn’t done a whole lot at this point, but he’s a ladies’ man and computer nerd rolled into one.

Jason’s girlfriend at this point is Devi, who worked at the theater over the previous summer but is now attending the SVA in New York, so there’s going through some long-distance drama (still). Devi is a lot like Melissa: worldly but also a little boring. (I hate to say that about her, because I love her, but that was always the idea.)

Book 2 picks up where Book 1 left off, but there’s not a long going on with them yet. Multiplex didn’t really have a whole lot of continuity at this point, and it’s not really a plot-driven comic. It’s the 2006 Christmas season. Devi is back home from school for the winter break, and that pretty much sums it up, really. It’s a pretty good jumping-on point.

ANTHONY: Your art and story pacing clearly improved over the course of the strips collected in book one. What noticeable differences are there over the course of book two?

GORDON: I think my writing — in terms of character — is what improves the most throughout this book. The art evolves less noticeably in Book 2 than Book 1. You have to keep in mind that I was basically relearning how to draw in the material you see in Book 1, so it was bound to start off VERY roughly.

Mostly, I think, I just get a little better at the actual drawing/posing/whatever of the characters in Book 2.

ANTHONY: The estimated delivery date for the rewards is November 2012, which I guess rules out Book Two making its’ debut at NYC Comic-Con this year. I don’t suppose you’ll be getting a table anyway?

GORDON: If things pan out with financial aid, I’ll be a poor grad student when NYCC rolls around, so I don’t think so.

The November thing is definitely an estimate, though, for the ebooks. The print books will be out in March of 2013.  If I end up going with a Chinese printer, it could be later than that. We’ll see.

ANTHONY: You know I have to close with a question. Last time we talked your favorite movies and favorite books, so this time, tell me what each of the Multiplex main cast’s favorite movies are, and what they would say to convince someone who hasn’t seen that movie that they should go watch it immediately.

GORDON:

Jason: The Apartment. “It’s the perfect blend of comedy and drama, with just a bit of schmaltz-free romance.” And then he would blather away for another few minutes.

Becky: Sense & Sensibility. “It’s so wonderful. Emma Thompson makes me start bawling every single time.”

Melissa: The Princess Bride. “Cary Elwes. yummm Oh, it’s inconceivably funny, too.”

Franklin: Die Hard. “It’s the best American action movie ever, man!”

Kurt: Night of the Living Dead. I wrote a whole storyline leading up to Kurt introducing this flick, so I’m just going to give you the URL of the strip where he explains it… http://www.multiplexcomic.com/strip/606

ANTHONY: I loved Kurt’s intro for Night. Thanks again, Gordon!

GORDON: No problem!

You can follow Gordon on Twitter as @gmcalpin and be updated about the webcomic by following @multiplex10.  You can join in the current action at Multiplex, where Jason, Kurt and the gang are filming a zombie flick (yes, a zombie flick). And of course you can (and I hope you  will) donate to Gordon’s Lightning Round Kickstarter for MULTIPLEX BOOK TWO: THERE AND BACK AGAIN. Oh, and Multiplex has a Facebook page as well.

DELIA SHERMAN - Author Interview

Today I welcome fantasy author Delia Sherman, a long-time favorite of mine.

Delia Sherman, Photo by Laurence Tannaccio

Delia Sherman was born in Tokyo, Japan, and brought up in New York City, with occasional visits to her mother’s relatives in Texas and Louisiana and her father’s relatives in South Carolina. Much of her early life was spent at one end of a classroom or another, including Brown University, where she earned a Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies in 1981, and Boston and Northeastern Universities, where she taught Freshman Composition and Fantasy as Literature until she realized she’d rather edit and write. Pursuing her love of history and travel, she has set novels and short stories for children and adults in many times and places.

Her books include Through a Brazen Mirror (Ace, 1989),  The Porcelain Dove (Dutton, 1993; Plume, 1994), Changeling (Viking, 2006), The Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen(Viking, 2009) and her latest, The Freedom Maze (Big Mouth House, November 2011).

Delia lives with fellow author Ellen Kushner in a rambling apartment in New York City. She is a social rather than a solitary writer, and can work anywhere, which is a good thing because she loves to travel, and if she couldn’t write on airplanes, she’d never get anything done.

Set against the burgeoning Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and then just before the outbreak of the Civil War, The Freedom Maze explores both political and personal liberation, and how the two intertwine. In 1960, thirteen-year-old Sophie isn’t happy about spending summer at her grandmother’s old house in the Bayou. But the house has a maze Sophie can’t resist exploring once she finds it has a secretive and playful inhabitant. When Sophie, bored and lonely, makes an impulsive wish inspired by her reading, hoping for a fantasy adventure of her own, she slips one hundred years into the past, to the year 1860. On her arrival she makes her way, bedraggled and tanned, to what will one day be her grandmother’s house, where she is at once mistaken for a slave.

ANTHONY: Delia, thanks for taking a few  moments to chat with me about THE FREEDOM MAZE. I have to start by saying: I absolutely loved the book. Such a great story, told in a straightforward manner but still with a touch of whimsy in the right places. At the end of the book, you say you’ve been working on this story for eighteen years. I know Neil Gaiman had a similar experience with THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. He said that although his initial idea came years ago, he never quite felt his skill was up to the task of telling the story until recently. Why did it take you eighteen years to bring Sophie’s story to the page?

DELIA: One reason is What Neil Said.  My reach exceeded my grasp in a big way.  When I started it, I’d never written for young readers before, so I had to learn a different way of pacing, a different way of dealing with exposition, a slightly different focus of attention.  Another is that the first publisher I sold it to asked for revisions I did not feel comfortable making, which ended in my buying the manuscript back from them.  Yet another is that new research became available, which allowed me to make the book more historically and sociologically accurate than it could be when I began.  And a third is that the dialogue on race and representation and Writing the Other came out into the open, making it more possible for me to address the troubling question of what a white woman was doing writing about slavery.  I guess the bottom line is that THE FREEDOM MAZE took the time it took because that’s the time I needed to get it as right as I humanly could.

ANTHONY: Sophie clearly follows in the footsteps of the Pevensie siblings, Alice, and most specifically the kids in Edward Eager’s THE TIME GARDEN, which you reference repeatedly. But Sophie’s adventure is not quite like her literary predecessors. When did you decide that you would concentrate on the, shall we say, more mundane aspects of living in the past, rather than sticking to “the grand adventure?”

DELIA:  Oh, I knew that from the very beginning.  I’m not good at writing about “grand adventures.”  Never have been.  I like reading them, but writing them?  No.  My second novel, THE PORCELAIN DOVE, is all about what happens at home while the hero is off achieving the quest.  My favorite chapters in THE LORD OF THE RINGS is “The Scouring of the Shire.”  I love the magic that surrounds, grows out of, and leaks into ordinary daily life.  It’s pretty much what I always write about, in different contexts.

 ANTHONY: Have you been made aware of any impact your book has had on awareness or republication of THE TIME GARDEN or the rest of Edward Eager’s books?

DELIA: Like any other author, Edward Eager goes in and out of fashion, but he is plenty important enough to remain in print.  I hope kids who aren’t familiar with his work will be inspired by THE FREEDOM MAZE to read it, but I suspect there are always going to be more kids who read Eager than who read me.

Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman

ANTHONY: I know you go on a lot of writer’s retreats. How much of THE FREEDOM MAZE was written “communally,” so to speak, and how much at home / in private? This also leads to a larger question: how has attending retreats and conferences affected your own writing habits over the years?

DELIA: None of FREEDOM MAZE was written on retreat–or at least not the kind of retreat in which several writers get together to share writing time and brainstorming sessions.  I did take time away from home, once alone and once with Ellen (who was crunching her own project), to work on it away from the distractions of Real Life.  That kind of retreat is, and will always be, invaluable to my process.  The kind of community that helped me with THE FREEDOM MAZE was more my reading group and the kind friends who read and commented on the history, the structure, the pacing, the representation of slavery and slaves, the dialect, the botany, the costuming, the emotional plot, Sophie’s development, the rites and rituals of Voudon and symbols of the Orishas, and just about everything else (except the commas, which NOBODY messes with if they know what’s good for them).  That community is something I have accrued over the years, mostly after the early drafts of FREEDOM MAZE were already written.  Recently, I’ve learned to talk plots through, to brainstorm, to try out ideas and trajectories of emotion and action, figure out which ones are worth pursuing and which lead only to blind ends or places I’m not interested in going.  Macro-plotting is a skill, both for the one who is asking for help and the ones who are giving it.  It involves trust on the one hand, and flexibility and non-investment in your suggestions on the other.  The helpers have to learn to ask questions.  The helped has to be open to new ideas and ways of looking at things without falling into the trap of letting somebody else’s aesthetic take over their book.  I have found I love writing in community.  It makes my task easier and keeps me from following quite so many false narrative trails.  But finally, it’s my obsessions, my tarot deck of characters, my sense of style and story that goes down on the page.

ANTHONY: THE FREEDOM MAZE clearly is a tale complete in-and-of itself. Then again, to my mind so was THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. So I have to ask: will readers see Sophie Fairchild Martineau, “the creature,” Papa Legba and the rest again?

DELIA: I haven’t the slightest idea.  When I first turned in this book, back in 1990, I think, I had sketched out a sequel in which both Antigua and Sophie come to New York in their different times, and perhaps overlap briefly.  I could still write it.  But not in the foreseeable future.  There would be a LOT of research involved, and although it would be fun, I’ve got other projects I need to work on first.  But thank you so much for asking.

 
ANTHONY: You’re welcome! Now for my usual closing question: What is your favorite book, and what would you say to someone who hasn’t read it to convince them that they should?

DELIA: I love many books.  My favorite tends to be the one I just finished that I can’t stop talking about (right at the moment, Jeanette Winterson’s WHY BE HAPPY WHEN YOU CAN BE NORMAL?, which is a stellar memoir about adoption, the feral mother to end all feral mothers, love, and madness).  However, if what we’re talking about is the thing I go to when life gets to be too much, when I want to crawl into a text and pull it up around me like a magic robe, I read THE LORD OF THE RINGS.  It’s not a perfect book, but it’s one you can live in over and over again.  I think I’ve read it 20 times, and every time, I find new things to think about–or maybe new ways of thinking about the things I find.  It makes me laugh, it moves me, it makes me believe in community and friendship and hope.  It scares the living daylights out of me and saddens me and comforts me.  It’s one of the great books of the 20th century, and it has had a greater effect on how I look at the world than almost any other book I can think of, except maybe Francis Hodgson Burnett’s THE SECRET GARDEN, which turned a New York girl into a gardener who believes in magic.  And if all that didn’t convince someone to read it, well, then, I’d just have to feel sorry for them.

ANTHONY: Thanks again, Delia!

You can follow Delia on Twitter as @deliasherman, and you can learn more about THE FREEDOM MAZE and Delia’s other books by visiting her website.

KAARON WARREN - Author Interview

Today I welcome one of my favorite Australians, author Kaaron Warren. (Australians and Canadians seem to be a theme around here…)

Kaaron Warren

Kaaron Warren sold her first short story, “White Bed,” in 1993. In the time since, she’s published over 70 short stories, and multiple novels (including MISTIFICATION, SLIGHTS and WALKING THE TREE) and short story collections (including THE GRINDING HOUSE, THE GLASS WOMAN and the forthcoming THROUGH SPLINTERED WALLS). Currently in Canberra, she’s lived in Sydney and Melbourne. The unusual spelling of her first name was a personal choice, she says, “Even at 17 I wanted my writing to be remembered, and I thought that a memorable spelling would help me in that quest. Does it work?”

ANTHONY: Kaaron, first of all: congrats on your recent Stoker Award nomination for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction. Where were you when you got the news, and how does it feel?

KAARON: Because I live in the future (Australia) it felt as if I had to wait an extra day! It was midnight when the email came. I wasn’t quite sure I read right, so re-read it a few times. It was amazing. Just amazing. Making this sort list has been a long-time career goal.

HWA members who are considering their votes can read the story by contacting me.

ANTHONY: Is this your first Stoker nomination?

KAARON: Yes, it is. I made the preliminary ballot with my novel Slights.

ANTHONY: You’ve had short stories published all over the map (geographically and thematically). How does your writing/revising process differ from editor to editor?

KAARON: Writing stays the same, though obviously style may alter depending on the market. If the story is for a specific anthology then I’ll take on a different voice.

Every editor is different in the way they approach things, but I’ve seen the same actions from all the good editors I’ve worked with. Firstly, they want to make sure the story is right, so they’ll ask for more clarity in some places, check continuity, find the plot flaws, ask for more information. They they’ll want the words to fall well, and will look for repetitions or clumsy phrasing. All editors have slightly different processes and I try to work within them.

ANTHONY: I know some authors approach the writing of a novel differently than they do a short story or novella. Are there any differences in your own creative approach to different length works?

KAARON: Creatively, writing a short story and a novel are very similar. I come up with my Spark (the central idea, a character or title), the thing that sets my mind buzzing. That’s the same for all lengths, including novellas. Then it’s the hard work of turning it into a story. Whether it’s long or short will depend on how many paths I take; how much I want to expose of a character’s life.

ANTHONY: They say “write what you know,” and some beginning writers I think that the adage too much to heart. How do you interpret that saying, and how does it apply to your own work?

KAARON: I used to say I wasn’t a fan of ‘write what you know’ but I do think it depends on how you interpret it. If it applies to the senses and the emotions then yes, you should use these to bring your story to life. If you’ve smelt a rose, or horse shit, or old sweat, or bread baking, you’ll know how to describe it.

But as far as writing your own life onto the page? Ugh. An office worker writing about what it’s like to catch the bus every day? No. unless you use it as part of a larger story. Many of my ideas came while catching public transport, and the people I observed. Like the man who would always run from the train to the bus stop, even though we had 20 minutes to wait before the bus came. It made me so curious. Why are you running? I haven’t written about him yet, but I will.

My story “The Wrong Seat” was written during the four hour bus trips we used to take between Canberra and Sydney when we first moved to Canberra. They were very smelly trips and I always wondered; how do people make so much stink? And why? I wrote a sad ghost story about a woman haunting the bus.

So my interpretation is this; take the things you see, hear and feel and imagine them in someone else’s life.

Through Splintered Walls by Kaaron Warren

ANTHONY: Your next release is Through Splintered Walls. Tell me a little about the book, and when it will be available.

KAARON: Though the Splintered Walls will be launched at the Australian National Convention in Melbourne in June. You should come along!

It’s part of the Twelfth Planet Press Twelve Planets series.  The book holds four stories inspired by the Australian landscape.

“Sky” is a horror-SF novella about a finger found in cat food and where it came from. I think it’s one of my most disturbing stories. I had to work hard to allow it to fall the way it fell. I’m writing about abhorrent people and practices and trying to make them sympathetic. That’s part of the trick of horror writing, I think. Making awful things seem believable.

“Road” was inspired by the many roadside memorials you see when you travel anywhere in Australia. They are heartbreaking, I think. So I wrote a nasty ghost story about them.

“Mountain” began when a truck full of cat food overturned on Clyde Mountain, the main route from Canberra, the inland city where I live, to the coast. The thing was, the truck was cleaned out. People stole that cat food; almost all of it. And this greed shocked me, and started me thinking about what there was on the mountain that made people behave that way.

“Creek” is a sad story about loss, love and women who quake.

Next year’s Australian National Science Fiction Convention will be held in Canberra, and I’m one of the special guests along with Nalo Hopkinson, Marc Gascoigne and Karen Miller.

ANTHONY: And my usual final question: What is your favorite book, and what would you say to someone who hasn’t read it to convince them that they should?

KAARON: This question will make a good friend of mine laugh, because of what he calls my FBOAT. Favourite Book of All Time. Because there are lots! And each time I see him I say, Oooh, this is my FBOAT.

These are some of them. I think it’s a tough list to get onto. I’m pretty picky. All of them are on this list because they make the world slow down when I’m reading them, and that’s why you should do so.

Georges Perec “Life: A User’s Manual”

Barbara Kingsolver “The Poisonwood Bible”

Suzy McKee Charnas “Walk to the End of the World” and the whole Motherlines series.

D M Thomas “The White Hotel”

ANTHONY: Thanks again, Kaaron! Good luck (or break a leg, or whatever charm you Aussies use) on the Stokers and the Ditmars!

You can find more of her work on Kaaron’s website. You can also follow her on Twitter as @KaaronWarren. The link to Twelve Planets Press’s website is above.

CAROL HANSEN & MATT LANDE, Author, Singer - Interview

Today I’m welcoming back two previous interviewees (seems to be a theme this week!), author Carol Hansen and musician Matt Lande. Carol and Matt are “merging word and song” for a Kickstarter project that, if funded, will bring out a book, an album, and an EP of songs based on the book, as well as helping to defray production costs on two music videos. Carol’s book is DarkStar, which she chatted with me about several months ago. Matt’s album is Welcome Home The Child; we discussed Matt’s music several months back as well. The EP is three new songs by Matt based on the novel, as you’ll see in the interview below:

Carol Hansen

ANTHONY: Hello again, Carol and Matt! I’ve interviewed you each individually, so this combined interview should be fun.

CAROL AND MATT: Hi Anthony! Thank you so much for chatting with us again.

ANTHONY: Tell us how this project came to be.

CAROL: Well, when I was writing, DarkStar, one of my goals was to have a song written for my book and possibly a music video made for that song. Getting a book noticed is incredibly tough and I thought that this would be a great marketing tool to help get exposure for DarkStar. The idea was always in the back of my mind, so when Matt and I began following each other on Twitter, and I saw that he was a musician, I checked out his links. The minute I heard his voice, I knew that he had the sound I was looking for. I contacted him to see if he would be interested in reading DarkStar and writing a song for it. He said that he wasn’t opposed to the idea but, with his time schedule, he didn’t know how long it would take him to read a whole book, as he was working on his solo acoustic album at the time. So, I sent him a twenty nine page synopsis to read that would give him the gist of the story, but he decided he wanted to read the whole novel. Matt takes his music very serious and he said he didn’t want to miss anything. I thought that was awesome.
So, he read my book and initially, I had asked him to write one DarkStar song but in the process, he was inspired to write three!

Matt Lande

Our correspondence with each other made us realize that we have a fun and unique opportunity to join forces and work together so we came up with our project; Music…when word and song collide. It’s awesome, as an author and a musician, to come together and make something amazingly different!

ANTHONY: Can you give us some examples of how Matt reinterpreted words from the book to create the songs?

CAROL: Sure! Here’s a couple:

DarkStar quotes that inspired the DarkStar song:

Alec hugged me tightly, and I pressed my face into his shoulder, allowing me to smell his masculine scent on the sweater he was wearing. Sobs escaped my throat as I felt the relief of finally being in his arms. All I cared about right now was being with him. Alec saved me. He didn’t let me die on the cold and snowy mountain.

After a moment of sobbing and sniffles, he put his finger under my chin and lifting my face up, captured my eyes. His were the same color as the day I met him.

                “You are safe now,” he whispered. “I will never let you be in harm’s way again.”

***

“I know this is crazy and complicated, but I will get through this…we will get through this. There is nothing to worry about now.” Alec drew me in close. I could feel the beating of our hearts, thumping in unison, two as one. Relief overcame me, but I wondered if it was premature as, at the same time, in the back of my mind the anxiety of the unknown future lingered.               

“I love you, Amrie,” he whispered in my ear. “You truly are my Darkstar.”

DarkStar song lyrics:

My darling star, I’ll hold you within my arms,

When worlds apart, I’m with you, you’re safe from harm.

Most would fall and fallen they have, the might ones, but they’re not us

My perfect star, my brilliant angel, suspended there, I pull you in

DarkStar quotes that inspired the duet, It’s in the Way We Are:

 “Why do you do that to me, Alec?” I asked quivering.

                “Do what?”

                “Look at me like that. You captivate me with your eyes to the point that I can’t even breathe or think. Do you do that on purpose?”

                “I don’t know what you are talking about. You think my eyes captivate you? Why, I think that is absolutely absurd,” he grinned.

                “Well they do and I can’t believe you don’t know it.”

                “Actually, I do,” he confessed. “Sometimes I feel that way when I look into my mother’s eyes. They seem to hold me as if in a trance. Often I feel like that is how she gets me to do some of the things she wants me to do —enthralls me with her eyes.”

                “Is that what you are doing to me?” I asked suspiciously.

                “I didn’t think I was,” Alec said shrugging his shoulders. “But could I?”

                “Could you what? Get me to do what you want me to just by looking into your eyes?”

                He stepped closer to me and the longer our eyes locked the more mesmerized I became. I almost felt as if I was in another world, watching the iridescent colors flicker as I gleamed into crystal glass swirling with delicate color.

***

 I noticed that Alec’s eyes were a deep, dark blue, darker than I had ever seen them. “Please, Alec,” I sobbed. “You can help him. I know you can. I know what you can do…please.”

 My pleading drew me into his space, his mystical eyes and their undeniable power. His pupils gripped me as emotion swelled in his chest, heavily breathing, nostril’s flaring.

“Please.” I whispered.

                Staring with rapt attention, the intensity of his eyes began changing, motion swirling intricate patterns, power emerging.

It’s in the Way We are Lyrics:

It’s in the way you rescue me

You are the current pulling me

It’s with the pause in time we make

Say it’s alright here

It’s alright

When the world slows down

And our hearts race

I can feel the sound

I can feel you breathing

When I drink you in

It’s in the way we are

The third song is a short acoustic song, Amrie.

 At this point, Matt has already recorded our three DarkStar songs, as well as ten songs for his acoustic album, “Welcome Home the Child,” (which, can I just tell you how amazing they are!) The first part of our project is getting all of these songs into the studio to have the DarkStar songs made into a 3 song EP– that will be marketed with my novel, and his ten songs made into an album. The rest of the project will involve going to Logan, Utah, the location of DarkStar, where we will be doing music videos for two of the three songs and printing DarkStar novels.

Our goal is to do combined DarkStar/Welcome Home the Child concerts and book signings. AND…the coolest thing ever…Matt has agreed to do a full DarkStar album!! Sweet!! We already have ideas for more songs, so if we can get the funding for this project, we will be in a good position to work on the full album.

 ANTHONY: Matt, what was it about Carol’s story that inspired you to create music based on it?

 MATT: I wasn’t sure what to expect when taking on the job to write music for DarkStar. I also couldn’t fathom reading an entire novel cover to cover. lol! Turns out that I became inspired more than ever and instead of only writing one song for the book as Carol asked, I ended up writing three. I think my inspiration was the mix of getting to know Carol as a person, what the book means to her and then the story of love and fantasy that DarkStar portrays. It kept me wanting to read more…that’s saying a lot because my attention span is such as a goldfish.

 ANTHONY:  Carol, what is it about Matt’s music that drew you to him as a source for creating music inspired by your characters?

 CAROL: The first time I heard Matt’s voice was when I followed his links and he was singing, “Walking with Ghosts,” on his You Tube video. I was instantly intrigued because he had this magical, mystical sound and it’s exactly what I wanted for my song. Matt has a very unique voice and when you combine it with his amazing talent for writing and playing guitar; you can’t help but be captivated.

DarkStar is about a guy, Alec, from England who finds out he is destined to be a wizard, and he doesn’t want to be. He is tormented because the powers of the wizardry are being forced upon him and when he meets a girl named, Amrie, both of their worlds change. She has mysterious dreams and as his magical world intertwines with hers, they get lost in a plot of mystery, romance, intrigue and a mystical connection. I knew, instantly, that Matt was the one I wanted to write my DarkStar song, but I soon realized that he could also play the part of, Alec. I tease him about it, telling him he will be my, Alec in our DarkStar movie. He definitely could be because he fits Alec’s description to a tee. Coincidence? Personally, I don’t think so:) Everything has just fallen into place for us…like it was meant to be. That’s why we’ve joined forces, because what we have is an amazingly unique opportunity and we are working really hard to make it happen.)

 ANTHONY: Matt, you’re also in the midst of creating your own album. How do you balance the two projects, make sure each gets equal attention, etc.?

 MATT:  How do I balance anything!? I have no idea. I have a dangerous balancing act.  So many things going on. I think I get a mad drive when it comes to music and entertainment. I love the feeling when you pick up the guitar, something comes over you and a song is born. From that point, I’m itching to record and produce it. Once I get rolling, it’s kinda hard to stop me and miraculously, eventually, it all comes together.

 ANTHONY: Carol, has Matt’s music influenced the way you’ve written the characters in the sequels versus the way you wrote them in the original story?

 CAROL:  It’s interesting that you ask that because it definitely has. Having Matt write the songs for DarkStar gave me a different perspective of my story. He took a whole novel and described three different aspects of it in just a few words…a musical synopsis, if you will. When writing, I have this vision in my head of who each character is and it’s quite easy to become repetitive with them. Matt’s words opened up a new picture for me and a different feel for what others are seeing–compared to what I’m writing. I have also learned a lot from Matt. He has a way of putting such deep emotion into his lyrics and it’s made me want to explore more deeply the way my characters, especially, Alec and Amrie, view each other.

 ANTHONY: Matt, I know you’ve done fundraising before, on Indiegogo and other places. What sets the Kickstarter project apart from your other efforts? Why should folks who have donated to you in the past donate again for this project?

 MATT: We thought it would be a good idea to do Kickstarter because we really need to accomplish our goal in a timely manner. Even though we won’t get the funding unless the full $5000 is raised, the site is more well-known than indiegogo, so we are taking the chance. All of the pledges from indiegogo campaigns were used to purchase recording equipment which I’ve used to lay down nearly all the acoustic guitars, lead vocals, and backing vocals for “Welcome Home the Child” as well as for the DarkStar EP. There’s still a ways to go, but if we reach this goal through Kickstarter, we’ll knock everything out of the park. I believe I have some of the best fans and that’s simply why we’ve gotten this far.

 ANTHONY: Okay, let’s talk about the Kickstarter incentives. I know folks can click through on the link and see what you’re offering in return for the donation, but tell me a bit about each incentive and why you chose them.

 CAROL: One thing we like about Kickstarter is that we are able to give something in return to those who support us. We are grateful for every single pledge because each one puts us closer to making our project a reality and without them, it just won’t happen.

 First and foremost, we give, Thank You’s, both privately and publically, because we are so appreciative to our backers and we want them to know it. Along with those, everyone gets a virtual hug. Who wouldn’t want one of those? LolJ

 Our incentives are a reflection of exactly what our project is and everything is personalized and very personal to us:

~Pre-released DarkStar and Welcome Home the Child CD’s and digital downloads

~DarkStar novel pre-released Wizard novel & bookmarks

~A guitar and hand written lyrics

~An original DarkStar manuscript and exclusive DarkStar Jewelry

~Exclusive connections with us through phone and in house concert and book signing

~Contact and knowing just exactly how our project is advancing

~Plus more added, “cool stuff” as Matt says

 ANTHONY: Last but not least, what is the final deadline for the Kickstarter?

 CAROL: The reason we are on Kickstarter is…the age old problem….MONEY! Matt and I have both had some personal struggles and setbacks the past few years that has made it really tough for us financially, so the fact that we have come this far, by financing our individual projects, is really quite remarkable. We are both working extremely hard to share our talents, but there hits a point where sometimes you have to, in all your humility, ask for help. That’s the point we are at. We are both extremely independent and it is hard for us to have to rely on others.

 We are approaching our deadline quickly. Our project will end on March 29th at 8:36 a.m. so we are beginning to stress a bit. We haven’t even reached half of our financial goal and we’re past the half way point in our time limit, so we feel an urgency to get the word out about our project and hope that everyone will be willing to offer, even just a little bit toward making this a reality for us. We like helping others, also, and welcome the opportunity to return the favor and help any of you when you are in need.

 We are so appreciative to Anthony for helping us out by doing this interview and want to thank him! He really does all of us an unselfish service by doing all the interviews he does to give exposure to so many creative and interesting people.

 THANK YOU, Anthony for all you do! Most sincerely!!

ANTHONY: You’re welcome!

So, folks, here’s the link to  Carol and Matt’s Kickstarter. I hope you’ll consider sending even just a few bucks their way. And remember, with Kickstarter, they don’t get your money if the project isn’t fully-funded, so please consider spreading the word!

ANTHONY GARGIULA & BOWLING AGAINST BULLYING - Interview

This week I welcome back singer, songwriter and anti-bullying fundraiser Anthony Gargiula.

Anthony Gargiula by Louis Gargiula

You know, this whole interviewing thing is actually Anthony’s fault. When I met him at the 30th anniversary performance of Mahopac High School’s ILLUSION rock ensemble last March, and discovered his beginning singing career, I suggested to his mother that we do an interview for my website. That got the ball rolling, and I’ve been at it ever since. Anthony hasn’t exactly been resting on his laurels, either, as you’ll see in the interview below, in which I chat with Anthony and his father Rich.

ME: Okay, let’s start out with Bowling Against Bullying. Remind us how you got started.

ANTHONY: Bowling Against Bullying started last year.  My social studies teacher gave my whole class a challenge to change the word in any way we could. So I wanted to do something with bullying. I thought of doing an event that could raise money and bring awareness to the subject.  So I came up with Bowling Against Bullying and I really enjoyed it so I decided to do it again this year.

ME: How much money did you raise last year and how many people were involved?

ANTHONY: Last year we raised just under $500 and I would say there were 20-30 people there, lots of close friends. This year there’s room for 300 people and possibly more.  We have 4 hours, 2 two hour sessions, but may extend that depending on how many bowlers there are.

ME: How can people contribute if they can’t attend? Can people send checks?

RICH:  They can mail a check to Bowling Against Bullying PO Box 433, Glenmont NY 12077 if they can’t attend. If we go to year three, we may add paypal and an actual website. It’s grown so much that keeping up with it has become a full time job. What we have done is go to people who Anthony has sung for and asked them to be involved, and that’s worked out very well.

ANTHONY: They can also check out the Facebook page and my website for more information.

ME:  I saw something on the Facebook page about corporate sponsorship. That’s a new aspect, right?

ANTHONY: Right now we’re working with a local counter top company called Solid Surface Craftsman, Inc. The owner, Alan Boulant, is one of our dancer’s fathers. He is a diamond sponsor with a $1,000 donation.  Also, SIS Insurance and Financial Services and Met Life are a Gold Sponsor with a $500 donation.  More are coming, I’ll keep you posted.

Albany Broadcasting has decided they want to be my exclusive media sponsor and they own 6 local radio stations which will be covering the event. I’ll be on all the stations’ morning shows to promote the event.

RICH: April 1st they’ll start advertising the event on their websites, and then I think April 14th the radio spots will start. On the Thurs/Fri before the event, Anthony will go to each station and do the morning shows. Hopefully he’ll sing on them as well.

Bowling Against Bullying

ME: Other than bowling, what else will be going on at the Lanes that day?

RICH: Anthony and his dance crew will be performing.  There will be a magician, a face-painter, a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle … a pretty nice event. And of course the bowling. You know, families are buying whole lanes to be able to bowl together.  We’ll have the local minor league baseball team & hockey teams mascots also.

ANTHONY: The Facebook page has really helped.

RICH: There’s a 70 year old man in Canada who read about the event on Facebook and wanted to donated $70 for his 70th birthday because he was bullied horribly as a child and still remembers it, and can’t believe Anthony is making such a stand at such a young age.

ME: I’ve said since I met Anthony at the Illusion reunion and we did that first interview that you really are one remarkably “together” kid, and how great it is that you’re committed to a cause like this. One of the great things about all the interviews I’m doing is meeting so many teens like you, who are committed to causes outside themselves – whether it’s bullying, cancer, MDA, homelessness. Almost every kid has had something outside of their career that they wanted to discuss with me.

RICH: Anthony, I don’t know about you, but I know when we were kids, all I wanted to do was play with my friends and hang out …, and these kids nowadays are so focused and are in fact changing the world.

ME: I was so shy at Anthony’s age, all I wanted to do was sit someplace and read comic books!  Anthony, what else would you like people to know about Bowling Against Bullying?

ANTHONY: I want everyone to know that I’ve always been really focused on trying to change bullying because it’s a huge issue for teens, for adults, for younger kids, it’s insane and out of control. It’s something I’m passionate about and I wanted to do this. My birthday is the day after the event, and instead of a 13th birthday party I decided to do this again.  My goal is to raise $10,000.

ME: That’s great. So what do you do with the money raised?

RICH:  Last year he took the money and donated it to Teens Against Bullying  (a charity that Demi Lovato promotes) and that was all fine and good, and as we were very excited about that, but it was a little bit of a bummer that you don’t get to see what good your money is doing.  So this year, we’re going to use the money to bring in anti-bullying speakers and programming to local schools, YMCAs, churches … whatever we can do (as far as the money we raise will go) . We’re meeting with principals to see what kinds of programs they would like.

We want to do programs in gyms. Performances and such. Bring in speakers. There’s a woman in Michigan who does national anti-bullying work, and she’s been in touch with us. We’d like to have at least one of the events have her educating adults in one room while the kids are entertained and educated in another way in another room. We’ll see how that goes. It’s a work in progress.

ME: You know I have to ask, Ant, since I’m a big fan … what’s going on with your music?

ANTHONY: I’ve been doing a lot of songwriting lately. I wrote six new originals. I’ve been to Nashville three times for meetings. I’m hopefully going to start recording soon.

ME: Awesome! Can’t wait to hear the new stuff, so get to that recording soon, please! What appearances do you have coming up?

RICH: He’ll be at Madison Square Garden singing the National Anthem for the Knicks again. Their entertainment coordinator told us, “I wouldn’t go a whole season without Anthony coming down to sing.” It just took us this long to work out this season’s appearance.

ANTHONY: We’re looking at some summer concerts too.

RICH: There’s interest from Boston, NYC and Nashville. We’re just kind of letting it happen organically.

ME: That seems to be a running theme among the parents of performing teens that I’ve spoken to lately, sort of bucking the stereotype of The Pushy Stage Mom. Making connections, staying on top of things but not pushing so hard you because that can actually turn the opportunities away.

ANTHONY: Nashville was cool. I was there in July, August, and September.

RICH: He played at the Bluebird Café. From its’ reputation you expect this huge stadium but it’s really this sort of small bar / restaraunt. People line up hours early to put their name in to perform, and the show runners just pull people’s names from the hat and say “you’re on tonight.” It worked out that Anthony got to perform, and it was great.

ME: Anthony, you’ve become friends with country singer Jimmy Wayne, right?

ANTHONY: I loved meeting Jimmy Wayne. We’ve become friends, and he’s a really nice guy. We’ve been talking about my next visit. We had Mexican Food together. He is really passionate about his charity and he has inspired me to make a difference too.  I’ve also become close with Melinda Doolittle. We had coffee at Starbucks last time we were in Nashville.  She actually donated signed CD’s and a sweatshirt for me to use in the silent auction at the Bowling Event.

ME: Very cool. If I was going to be there, instead  of halfway across the country, I’d bid on the stuff Melinda donated! Okay, I think we need to wrap this phone call up. I won’t ask you about your favorite book, since we covered that last time  … unless your favorite book has changed!

ANTHONY: I’d love to talk about my favorite book, it did change. It’s definitely The Hunger Games! I’m really into it, absolutely into it. I haven’t quite finished the 3rd one yet but I really love them and can’t stop reading. I can’t wait for the movie!

ME: haha, I think Suzanne Collins should start paying me for all the free advertising I’m giving those books. I think almost everyone I’ve interviewed in the past month has talked about them!  Okay, thanks again Anthony! Talk to you soon!

ANTHONY & RICH: Thanks!

Don’t forget, in addition to the Bowling Against Bullying Facebook page and Anthony’s own website, you can also follow Anthony on Twitter as @anthonygargiula and become a fan of Anthony on Facebook!

SEANAN McGUIRE - Author Interview

This week I welcome the lovely and talented, and occasionally just a little bit — okay, occasionally a lot — scary Seanan McGuire.

Seanan McGuire

Seanan is the author of the October Daye series of urban fantasies, the first seven of which have been purchased by DAW Books; the InCryptidseries of urban fantasies, the first two of which have been purchased by DAW Books; and the Newsflesh trilogy, published by Orbit under the pseudonym “Mira Grant.” She’s working on several other books, just to make sure she never runs out of things to edit. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies, and she was a 2010 Universe Author for The Edge of Propinquity. Seanan was the winner of the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and her novel Feed was named as one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2010. In her spare time, Seanan writes and records original music. She has three CDs currently available (see the Albums page for additional details). She is also a cartoonist, and draws an irregularly posted autobiographical web comic, “With Friends Like These…”.

ANTHONY: Seanan, thanks for taking the time out of your absolutely insane writing schedule to chat with me. How many different series do you have running at the moment?

SEANAN: It’s either three or four (or possibly five, depending on how you count), it’s hard to say–I have one series on the way out, the Newsflesh books as Mira, but I still have one book yet to be published.  At the same time, I’m working on the next Mira Grant project, which isn’t even properly announced yet.  So the number is sort of squiggly.

ANTHONY: Do you find any significant differences in your work ethic or habits from one series to another?

SEANAN:  Nope.  I am a very efficient little Halloween girl, and I approach everything with the same set of checklists, research habits, and absolutely rigorous schedules.  It’s how my brain naturally functions.  Now, I do tend to listen to different music depending on what I’m doing, but that’s all part of setting the proper mood.

 ANTHONY: Let’s talk about your newest series, INCRYPTID. Where are we at the beginning of the series and who are the main characters, both heroic and villainous?

SEANAN:  At the beginning of the series we’re following Verity Price, the latest in a long line of cryptozoologists, as she undertakes her journeyman studies in Manhattan and tries to get to know the local cryptid community.  Her family–now the Prices, formerly the Healys–split off from an organization called the Covenant of St. George about four generations ago.  The Covenant hunts monsters.  The Prices protect them.  Conflict is inevitable.

 Verity’s family currently consists of her parents, Kevin and Evelyn, her siblings, Alexander and Antimony, her Aunt Jane and Uncle Ted and their kids (Arthur and Elsinore), and assorted grandparents.  She also has her adopted cousin, Sarah Zellaby, a telepathic mathematician who looks human but actually evolved from a species of parasitic wasp.  It’s complicated.  I am super excited.

 ANTHONY:  Fantasy, horror and SF seem to move in ways — we’ve been riding the vampire/werewolf/zombie wave for a while, angels seem to have peaked recently … cryptids seem to be the upcoming thing. In a world that seems to grow smaller and more interconnected by the day, with less unexplored/”dark” places to capture our imagination, why do you think the concept of cryptids is more interesting than ever? I mean, we even have shows like “Bigfoot Hunters” on cable television, “reality” rather than scripted dramas.

SEANAN:  Because the smaller the world gets, the more things we’re discovering in the shadows.  Twenty years ago, the giant squid was barely a real thing, and now it’s not even the biggest thing in the ocean.  Ten years ago, we were just discovering that the tree lobster–a stick insect the size of your hand–wasn’t extinct.  Every time we say “that’s it, we know everything,” we find something else.  Cryptids represent a mystery that might actually be something we can solve.  And they’re a part of our cultural makeup.  No matter where you go, there are cryptids, ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties, and things that go bump in the night.

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

ANTHONY: Without risking any spoilers, what can we expect for Verity Price and the rest of the characters moving forward?

SEANAN:  You know.  Stuff.  More books, hopefully.  I’ve finished the second volume, Midnight Blue-Light Special, and I’m itching to get to work on the third.  There are talking mice.  The usual.

ANTHONY: One question I always hate to get is “which of your characters is your favorite?” (Followed quickly by “Who would win in a fight…”) So I won’t ask you either of those, but it’s natural to want to compare all of your strong female leads. So: what do you admire most about Toby, Verity, etc.?

SEANAN:  Toby has more than her fair share of stubborn.  She could be stubborn on an Olympic level, and once she says she’ll do something, she will.  Not.  Give.  Up.  Verity is fearless when she’s defending her friends or the people (and cryptids) she cares about, and while she knows she’s mortal, she really doesn’t give a shit.  Velveteen is more powerful than she thinks she is.  And Rose Marshall is all about doing the right thing, no matter how much she whines.

ANTHONY:  The Field Guide to Cryptids on your site really whetted my interest in the book, perhaps moreso than reading the descriptive blurb on various bookstore websites. Who did the illustrations, and will we be seeing those in the book itself?

SEANAN:  The Field Guide illustrations were done by the amazing Kory Bing, who is just incredible to work with, and does a fabulous web comic called “Skin Deep” that you should totally check out.  I’m so excited to be working with her, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.  The illustrations won’t be in the book; it’s not that kind of book.  But maybe we’ll do a picture book or something somewhere down the line…

ANTHONY:  How much fun was it cataloging and categorizing the various extant and extinct Cryptids of North America?

 SEANAN:  So much fun.  Sooooooo much fun.  And there’s so much more to come.

 ANTHONY:  And my usual closing question: What is your favorite book, and what would you say to someone who hasn’t read it to convince them that they should?

My favorite book in the whole history of all the books ever written, ever, is IT by Stephen King.  And you should read it because every twenty-seven years Pennywise the Dancing Clown kills a bunch of people, and now that it’s 2012, the twenty-seven year cycle is starting again, and you want to know how not to wind up on his dance card.

You  can follow Seanan on Twitter as @seananmcguire. You can become a Fan of hers on Goodreads. You  can friend her on Facebook,  follow her adventures on her livejournal and check out all of her books on her own website.

JUSTIN TINUCCI - Actor Interview

Today’s interview is with another young up-and-comer, actor Justin Tinucci.

Justin Tinucci

Justin Tinucci was born in Denver, Colorado. He relocated to the Los Angeles area (part time to start off) in June of 2009 to pursue his dream to become an actor. Since then, he has had the opportunity to work on some amazing films and television shows with some extremely talented cast and crew members. In addition to acting, Justin  is a professional indoor skydiver.  He and his sister Kayla have a wind tunnel team and are called “Team Future” they are widely recognized as the nation’s youngest indoor skydiving team and compete in wind tunnels against skydivers worldwide.

ANTHONY:  Hi, Justin! Thanks for taking the time to chat a bit with me.

JUSTIN: Hey Anthony! My Pleasure!

ANTHONY:  Let’s start out with your most recent project. You went to Georgia to film Goat Island. Tell me a bit about the movie and your role in it.

JUSTIN:  In Goat Island with Val Kilmer and D.J. Caruso, I play a really fun character. His name in the movie is Butch. He’s like a bully/twisted character who also has a soft side to him. I even had to die my hair blonde for it! The scenes that I’m in are really diverse. They have crying, kissing, dancing, bullying, everything! It was funny filming because everyone was surprised by how quickly I could go from regular guy to such a disturbed character.

ANTHONY:  You also worked on The Muppets. How was that experience?

JUSTIN:  Working on the Muppets was amazing. It was so much fun to work with Walter in my scene and it was fun how I got to dress up in a Halloween costume in the middle of August. It’s crazy how for night scenes, they have to light up the set so much and it still looks dark. The way I actually got the job was in the audition, I went in with a Kermit the Frog t-shirt of him playing guitar!

ANTHONY:  You’ve completed work on a new live-action pilot for Cartoon Network. What’s the show about?

JUSTIN:  I can’t tell you the name of the show just yet but I can tell you that it’s a sketch comedy show, but it’s a whole new take on sketch comedy because it’s single camera, so it has more of the tone of The Office or Modern Family. It also has a bunch of hidden camera pranks and other surprises and fun stuff too.

ANTHONY:  How tough was the audition process, and how long did it take?

JUSTIN:  The audition process started as a general call, and then about a month or two later, I got called back for a producer call for the pilot, and for the audition, I had to write and prepare a few sketch characters, so I made a sketch where I was at the ComicCon interviewing Russell Brand, Justin Beiber, Conan O’Brien, Steve Irwin, and one that was my secret weapon to booking the project, but I can’t tell you exactly what is was, haha.

ANTHONY:  Who else is in the cast?

JUSTIN:  The executive producer was Nick Cannon, and I can’t release the rest of the cast members’ names just yet.

ANTHONY:  When do you anticipate hearing about whether the series has been picked up or not?

JUSTIN:  I have my fingers crossed, and I hope to hear in the next two months.

ANTHONY:  You’ve done some stage work as well, right? Most recently at the 2011 Young Playwright’s Festival?

JUSTIN:  Yeah. The play that I was in was called living by numbers. The character that I was playing  was diagnosed with cancer and predicted the exact time that he was going to die, and he was helping another patient and explained his coping process. It was great helping a young playwright have her piece come to life.

ANTHONY:  And you’ve also done stand-up. Do you see yourself pursuing that seriously in the future?

JUSTIN:  Of course. Many famous celebrities have had their start in stand up so i’d love to follow in their footsteps.

ANTHONY:  A lot of young actors seem to concentrate on television and commercials and don’t bother with live theater. How has working on stage affected the way you approach your screen work?

JUSTIN:  It helps a lot with memorizing, energy, and awareness of your surroundings.

ANTHONY:  How do you prepare for roles? Is your process in preparing for stagework different from television or movies?

JUSTIN:  My theory was given to me by my awesome acting coach Amy Lyndon. I prepare my roles by reading in-between the lines. Once I can figure out the reason for what the character is really saying, the rest is just natural. I also never specifically try to memorize, because if I really know the point for what I’m saying, I should naturally have it memorized. I think the main premise for stage and film preparation is the same, but it’s just small different things like energy level.

ANTHONY:  When I talked to Sam Lant, we discussed the field of options for young actors on television. You’ve guested on a few shows, but you’ve also filled your resume with a lot of short film work. What’s the upside to doing so much work that so few people ever get the chance to see?

JUSTIN:  It gives you experience so that when it really counts when your working with big names, you’re ready.

ANTHONY:  You also play guitar for a band. Are you a classic “triple-threat” actor/singer/dancer like Justin Timberlake (only with red hair)? Or is the music more of a sideline to the acting?

JUSTIN:  I am actually a horrible dancer and singer haha, but no I love playing guitar just as much as I love acting. My band Until Further Notice with Zach Callison (lead vocals), Hunter Craig (bass), and Gabe Feldman (drums) is actually working on a few original songs and we could have an album out some time this year. We love doing all genres of rock.

ANTHONY:  So many young actors are committed to public service, setting a great example for their peers in terms of being involved with charities and the community. What causes are important to you, and what do you do to support them?

JUSTIN:  I love helping many different charities. Susan G. Koman is a big one, I volunteer every Saturday morning at a food pantry called   Help the Children, and me and some of my other friends are creating a new charity called YES (young example setters), so instead of saying no to bad things, we are being optimistic and encouraging people to say yes to good things.

ANTHONY:  Now for my usual final question: What is your favorite book, and what would you say to someone who hasn’t read it to convince them that they should?

JUSTIN:  My favorite book is The Hunger Games, and I think to convince someone to read it, I would say that its not too long, and that there’s a good mix of violence and romance so both genders would like it.

ANTHONY:  Thanks again, Justin!

You can find Justin on Twitter as @justintinucci, check out his website,  his Facebook fan page, his IMDb page, and his indoor sky-diving videos at www.team-future.net

2012 TBR BOOK CHALLENGE

So the lovely and talented Adam, aka Roof Beam Reader is once again running his TO BE READ BOOK CHALLENGE. This year, I’m actually going to sign up properly so I have a chance at winning the prize he’s offering.

TBR Book Challenge

Adam’s rules for the TO BE READ (TBR) CHALLENGE are simple. In his own words:

The Goal
To finally read 12 books from your “to be read” pile, within 12 months

Specifics:

1. Each of these 12 books must have been on your bookshelf or “To Be Read” list for AT LEAST one full year. This means the book cannot have a publication date of 1/1/2011 or later (any book published in the year 2010 or earlier qualifies, as long as it has been on your TBR pile – I WILL be checking publication dates). Caveat: Two (2) alternates are allowed, just in case one or two of the books end up in the “can’t get through” pile.

So here are my choices:

1. GRIFTER’S GAME by Lawrence Block
2. THE GATHERING STORM by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
3. THE DRAGON WAITING by John M. Ford
4. MAINSPRING by Jay Lake
5. BLIND FALL by Christopher Rice
6. A SECRET EDGE by Robin Reardon
7. THE FIFTH CHILD by Doris Lessing Finished February 12, 2012
8. ST. LUCY’S HOME FOR GIRLS RAISED BY WOLVES by Karen Russell
9. MAIN STREET by Sinclair Lewis
10. MYSTERY OF THE SEA by Bram Stoker
11. THE SUNNY SIDE by A.A. Milne
12. THE TIN DRUM by Gunter Grass – started in Feb 2012, finished in December 2012

and the alternates:

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
DANGEROUS LAUGHTER by Steven Millhauser

This is not necessarily the order I will read them in. But they are all books I’ve been meaning to read for more than a year. I think it’s also a nice mix of genres and formats, too.

LARRY CLOSS - Author interview

This week, I welcome author Larry Closs.

Larry Closs

Larry Closs is the author of Beatitude, a novel, and a New Yorker who often wanders far from home.

He has been a national writer, editor, photographer and videographer for nearly 20 years for publications and websites at News Corporation, TimeWarner, Hearst and Viacom, including TV Guide, TVGuide.com, Road Runner and Nickelodeon. At Gesso, a communication design studio he co-founded, clients included Sony, Estee Lauder, Smithsonian Institution, USAID, National Cancer Institute and the NBA. He has produced digital shorts for the Travel Channel, co-produced two mobile apps and freelanced for Out, The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine and The New York Aquarian.

As Director of Communications for Next Generation Nepal, a nonprofit dedicated to reconnecting trafficked children with their families, he oversees communications and marketing, and his photographs and video from Nepal have been used by CNN, The Huffington Post, USA Today, HarperCollins and The Nate Berkus Show.

ANTHONY:  Larry, thanks for taking some time to chat with me. Beatitude has been in print from Rebel Satori Press for a little while now, and you’re doing your first reading and signing in NYC on March 12 (7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 82nd and Broadway). Nervous?

LARRY:  I’m more excited than nervous. I’ve invited everyone I know—and everyone I don’t know is welcome! A good number have already told me they’ll be there. It will be interesting to see people from different areas of my life—many of whom have never met—all in the same place. I’m also looking forward to meeting a few people who have read the book and written to me. Until now, we’ve only known each other through the emails we’ve exchanged.

Also, I recently realized that March 12 is Jack Kerouac’s birthday—he would have been 90. Kerouac and On the Road figure so prominently in Beatitude I couldn’t have planned a more perfect date if I tried. And it was a total coincidence. Unless, of course, there’s no such thing as coincidence, as Beatitude suggests, which makes it even more perfect.

While we’re on the subject of my reading, I’d like to mention Lou Pizzitola, who organizes and schedules events at this particular Barnes & Noble. Lou goes out of his way to feature appearances by authors who are published by small and independent presses, giving them a chance for the kind of exposure they rarely get. An author couldn’t ask for a better advocate.

ANTHONY:  This is the first signing—any immediate plans for more?

LARRY:  There are a few things in the works that will be announced when the details are finalized. But I’d like to add that I am open to any and all invitations. Book stores, book clubs, literary salons—any type of salon, actually.

ANTHONY:  I know you’ve discussed this elsewhere, but tell us a little about the genesis of Beatitude. What brought you to write about the Beat Generation through the eyes of two New Yorkers in the 1990s?

LARRY:  Beatitude began as a much simpler story about two young men, Harry and Jay, who become friends as a result of their shared fascination with the Beats. I set the story in the mid-90s because that’s when the Beats last experienced one of their periodic rediscoveries, which seems to happen every 15 or 20 years. We’re actually about due for another surge of interest, and the long-delayed movie version of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, which finally comes out this May, will probably fuel one.

There had to be more to the story, of course, and as the characters developed, I began to see the potential to explore the mysteries and subtleties of attraction. Jay’s girlfriend, Zahra, had always been present, but in the background. When she became more central, she took on an unlikely role and that really took Harry and Jay’s relationship to an unexpected place. Harry’s former infatuation, Matteo, also appeared, inspired by the need to provide insight into Harry’s past and why he was prone to making the same mistake over and over.

The Beats themselves evolved from a few references to full-fledged characters when I saw the parallels between Harry, Jay and Zahra and Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and Neal Cassady. The Beats were as famous for their complicated loves lives as they were for their literary efforts, and each of the Beats experienced unrequited love from both sides of the equation—either falling for someone who couldn’t reciprocate or being the reluctant object of affection. I realized that the situation in which Harry, Jay and Zahra find themselves was not unique but universal and the Beats provided the perfect counterpoint. That left me with Beatitude’s biggest questions: What do you do when you find yourself on either side of that equation? What must you each give up to keep the other in your life?

ANTHONY:  You ultimately were published by Rebel Satori Press. What are the pros and cons of being published by a small independent house like RSP?

LARRY:  The biggest pro is being published. That’s the hardest thing for any author to achieve these days—finding a publisher who believes in a book so much that he’s willing to invest in it.

The most unexpected pro was that I was able to get a literary agent after trying to do so for a long time. Why get an agent after a publisher had accepted the book? To help with the contract. My agent helped me retain the foreign and adaptation rights, which are, aside from royalties, the two avenues with the greatest potential to generate revenue. The agency has individuals dedicated to foreign sales as well as contacts in the film and television industries that neither I nor my publisher have, so there’s a much greater chance of selling those rights than if I attempted to do so on my own.

I also negotiated control of the cover design, which was important to me. I’m not a designer but I used to co-own a design studio and have a design sensibility. I knew what sort of aesthetic I wanted and I was able to engage an amazing illustrator—Anthony Freda—for the cover, and an amazing designer—John Barrow—for the equally important back cover and spine. Every author imagines what the cover of his or her book will look like. Mine turned out better than I’d ever dreamed.

As for the cons of being published by an independent press, there are none—again, you’re a published author!—but there arechallenges. Advances are small, rare or, in my case, nonexistent, so there was no immediate financial reward. I was responsible for clearing the rights and paying the licensing fees for song lyrics and excerpts from other literary works featured in my book, which was a long and tedious process. I had to print my own galleys for publications with long lead times. I had to trade my author hat for my publicist hat and spend nearly every spare minute promoting the book on my author website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram. Pinterest is on my radar. It goes on.

I will say that every review, article, post, mention, tweet, share, like or email from a reader makes it all worthwhile—especially an email from a reader. To know that what you’ve written has affected someone you’ve never met, that your book spoke to even one person—so much so that he or she was inspired to write to you—is the most heartening response you can ever receive.

Beatitude

ANTHONY:  In the scene at the Whitney Museum’s Beat Culture exhibit, Harry, Jay and Zahra meet Allen Ginsberg and see a different side of their Beat Generation heroes. Did you always plan to include that real-life event as a seminal part of the novel?

LARRY:  Beatitude is a novel set in the real New York City of 1995, populated by fictional characters who occasionally interact with versions of real people, like the characters in Titanic. The real-life Beat Culture exhibit aligned with Beatitude’s timeline and provided the perfect backdrop for Harry, Jay and Zahra’s encounter with Ginsberg, which didn’t turn out as expected.

There are several moments in Beatitude when the main characters must accept the difference between what they want something to be and what something actually is. When Harry and Jay view the legendary scroll manuscript of On the Road, they realize that Kerouac didn’t produce a perfectly polished and publishable novel in three weeks. When Harry, Jay and Zahra meet Ginsberg at the Beat Culture exhibit, he shatters their image of him as an eternally beneficent dharma bum. When Harry and Jay hit a speed bump in their friendship, Harry is forced to acknowledge his true feelings for Jay.

A reader summed it up very well: “Beatitude captures an experience that is universal to all people—that the greatest source of human suffering comes from our wanting things to be other than what they are.” I like when readers tell me what Beatitude is about!

ANTHONY:  You have two previously unpublished Ginsberg poems in the book. How did you get access to those?

LARRY:  I had a recording of a Ginsberg poetry reading at MoMA, and when I wrote the scene in which Harry, Jay and Zahra go to see him there, I selected excerpts from a few of the poems he read. After Rebel Satori Press accepted Beatitude for publication, I had to clear the rights to the poems and I contacted Peter Hale at the Allen Ginsberg Estate. In the course of his research, Peter discovered that two of the poems—“Like Other Guys” and “Carl Solomon Dream”—had, surprisingly, never been published (“Like Other Guys” appeared only as a 26-copy broadside).

I initially thought that I would have to rewrite the scene with other poems but Peter put me in touch with Ginsberg’s literary agent at The Wylie Agency and, long story short, I was able to include the two poems—using excerpts in the scene at MoMA and the full text in an Appendix. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed that two previously unpublished poems by Allen Ginsberg would be featured in my first novel. Beatitude, indeed.

ANTHONY:  The character of Harry Charity hit particularly close to home for me.  Did the characters of Harry and Jay instantly hit the page running, or did they grow and change in unpredictable ways over the course of writing the novel?

LARRY: They definitely grew and changed, and, as a consequence, so did their relationship and their story. I really didn’t realize what the book was about—or what the book could be about—until the fourth or fifth draft. From the beginning, Harry and Jay were friends, united by their shared interest in the Beats. But that’s the surface. What was beneath their interest in the Beats? What part of each other did the Beats stir? What really drew them together?

I set out to write a novel that uncovered truths in everyday experience by blending fact and fiction to create a more epic version of reality. The perfect analogy is Instagram, the popular iPhone photo editing and sharing app. You take photos of real-life people, places and objects, run them through a variety of filters—adjust the color saturation, play with the contrast, convert to black and white, change the crop, blur or focus—and you can achieve something much more evocative than the unvarnished original.

I read an interview with one of my favorite musicians, Tom Waits, and he said, “The truth is overrated. Avoid it at all costs.” He meant that reality can almost always be improved upon. What actually happens is irrelevant if you can make it more interesting while retaining the essence. With each draft of Beatitude, I added more filters, and the story—as well as Harry and Jay—gradually became more apocryphal.

ANTHONY: I especially liked the way you work Harry’s personal history into the narrative—what we assume at first are dream sequences about Jay turn out to be memories of Harry’s most recent relationship, but eventually you have Harry tell the story in more “gory” detail as he recognizes that old patterns are repeating themselves. Developing it this way added a great underlying secondary tension to the main tension between Harry and Jay. How did you decide which tidbits of Harry’s past to reveal when? I guess what I’m asking is a variation on that old standard: are you a detailed outliner or a “see where it goes” type of writer?

LARRY: The structure and pacing were the most challenging aspects of the book for me. How to build tension and reveal just enough information along the way to keep a reader interested in knowing the resolution? Initial drafts were “see where it goes.” Then I created a detailed outline. Then I tossed the outline. In retrospect, I employed something similar to the cut-up method that William S. Burroughs espoused. The difference is that Burroughs believed in randomly reordering chapters or sections of a book to subvert traditional linear storytelling, while the story I wanted to tell was, ultimately, very linear, with a beginning, middle and end. Still, our approaches were the same.

After I had a draft of the book, I experimented with splitting some scenes in two and rearranging others. In a way, it was very mechanical. But it made me realize that what you don’t say is just as important as what you do—and actually more intriguing. Tell the first half of a story at one point and readers will likely stick around for the second. The process also revealed the need for scenes I hadn’t included. There were brief references to why Harry was so damaged at the beginning of the book, but what really happened to him? I needed to know, so I wrote the flashback sequences with Matteo, initially, as one long piece.

Wayne Hoffman, a friend and fellow author (Sweet Like Sugar, Hard), once observed to me that there are scenes authors have to write for themselves that never make it into a finished book. I wasn’t sure the flashbacks were going to make it into Beatitude but I had to write them so I could fully understand Harry. Eventually, they became an essential part of the story, but I reworked and rewrote each of them as self-contained scenes and placed them at pivotal moments in the narrative to mirror Harry’s relationship with Jay.

ANTHONY:  In my review in Chelsea Station, I admit to not knowing very much about the Beat Generation other than the names, and yet I never felt like you, or your characters, were talking “over my head” about things only a “true fan” would know. Was there a conscious decision as you were writing to make sure the book stayed accessible to as many readers as possible rather than targeting only folks who were Beat fans?

LARRY:  It was essential that Beatitude be a self-contained experience, whatever a reader’s familiarity with the Beats. Having read nearly all books by the Beats as well as a multitude of books about the Beats, I realized I knew a lot more than most. I did assume, however, that some of the more iconic stories were general knowledge—the fact that Kerouac wrote the first draft of On the Road on a 120-foot roll of Teletype paper in three weeks, for instance, or that the publication of Ginsberg’s “Howl” prompted a landmark censorship trial—and so I short-handed them in the book.

As I collected feedback from friends and colleagues on the manuscript-in-progress, however, I discovered that most weren’t as familiar with those stories as I would have thought. So, I employed a technique travel writers often use, providing in-depth background information as asides, although I integrated the information into the narrative. Readers unfamiliar with the Beats will be intrigued, I think—many have told me that Beatitude inspired them to seek out On the Road, “Howl” and Naked Lunch—and will also understand Harry and Jay’s fascination with them.

ANTHONY:  So what’s next on the horizon for you, other than continuing to promote Beatitude? Is there another book in the works? And can you give us a tease or two about it?

LARRY:  I have a folder on my laptop called New Novel, but that’s all I’ll say. I didn’t tell anyone the title of Beatitude or what it was about until I had a first draft—not even my best friend, who tried every which way imaginable to get something out of me. I like a book to arrive complete and stand on its own, with no preconceptions. Also, my writing process is organic. Beatitude took many unexpected turns as I wrote it and I expect the next book will do the same. What I believe it will be about right now is not necessarily what it will be about when it’s finished.

ANTHONY:  And my usual final question: What is your favorite book, and what would you say to convince someone to read it?

LARRY:  I have a lot of favorite books and the list changes with every book I read. But, related to this discussion, one of my favorites is On the Road. It will make you young again.

ANTHONY: Thanks, Larry!

TAYLOR HAY - Actor Interview

Today, I welcome young actress and cancer awareness activist (and cancer survivor!) Taylor Hay.

Taylor Hay

Born in San Diego, CA, Taylor hay began acting at the age of four when she was cast in the first commercial she ever auditioned for. She was introduced to the industry by her mother, actress Debbie Britt-Hay, but was the driving force to making this profession her life’s work. She worked steadily, building her body of work, until she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of nine. With that news, everything came to a halt. Once she regained her health, Taylor plunged back into her career, excited to be working again.

In a short time, Taylor booked her first voiceover role, Yes, Virginia, in addition to several web and television projects. She adding singing to her dancing background and is working hard on incorporating those skills into her acting portfolio.

Aside from acting, Taylor is a nationally titled equestrian, winning titles in multiple disciplines in the Arabian breed. In 2011, she added six national Top Tens to her existing titles, all before the age of thirteen.

ANTHONY: Hi, Taylor! Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions!

TAYLOR:  Thanks for talking with me!

ANTHONY: When did you start acting, and what was your first professional gig?

TAYLOR:  I started acting when I was about 4 and I went on my first audition for a Peter Piper Pizza commercial and that was the first thing I booked. Ever since then I have been hooked  I booked a feature not to long after the commercial called The Blue Rose plus a period movie called Hurricane Hunters. Now I’m fortunate to be doing some TV. I love it too!

ANTHONY: You did voice work for the animated film YES VIRGINIA. What was that experience like? What sort of tricks did you use to voice your character?

TAYLOR:   I loved working on Yes, Virginia! They were all so nice to me and took me to a behind the scenes of the making of the Macy’s balloons, which was totally cool. I was in the box for about two hours. They started out just using me in a small part but when I got there and they worked with me a little, they gave me more lines which was amazing. I loved the VO work. I hope I will get the chance to do more in the future. They allowed me to play around with the lines a bit and when I did something that they really liked, they let me know so I could tweak it to exactly what they wanted. I even surprised them by finding a way of saying a line they hadn’t thought of but really liked, so that was fun. I didn’t really have any tricks. I just played with my voice a little and tried to follow their direction until we all found what worked.

ANTHONY:  What have you worked on recently, and where can people see your work?

TAYLOR: I was working a lot before I got sick, and then everything stopped dead because of that. I have spent the last year rebuilding my career and my body of work. So I just got back on my feet and I have a lot coming up. I have a web series called The Day In The Life that I start filming this month and a pilot called The Road Less Traveled that’s coming up. I also have a small role in a Morgan Freeman movie coming out this year. I’m also excited about an anti-bullying PSA that will be released soon through Seng2KX Productions.

ANTHONY:  I can imagine breaking “back into” the business after such a life-changing event can’t be easy. How have you worked at rebuilding your career? Do you take acting classes, work with a coach? 

TAYLOR:  It was pretty hard at first. I kept going on audition after audition with no callbacks or bookings because no one remembered me and I’d lost a lot of the contacts I’d built. I felt like we were doing it for nothing sometimes–like no one was interested anymore. But my mom and reps kept saying to be patient, that it would take time again. Then in November, I booked five things in seven weeks. Things have been pretty steady since then so I feel really fortunate. I work really hard at staying sharp. I train every week except when I’m working and I really try to network as much as I can. I’ve been told I’m pretty good at it. I also work with a singing coach and am learning to play the guitar for the role in the TV series I’m shooting in April. That’s been pretty cool.

ANTHONY:  Has your cancer experience changed the way you approach auditions and creating a character?

TAYLOR:  Yeah, I think so. I lean toward drama and I find it easy to kind of get in touch with my emotions and all. I guess I have a lot to draw from for a kid my age. I think my coach, Amy, has taught me to draw from inside me and the things I’ve gone through to find the heart of the character and to keep it real. I like comedy, but I really like drama. I’d love to be on Criminal Minds or Bones or Grey’s Anatomy some day. That would be amazing.

ANTHONY:  You’re also a nationally titled equestrian! Congratulations. Where have you competed recently?

TAYLOR: Thanks! I have been doing a lot of auditioning and events lately so I haven’t had the chance to ride as much as I’d like, so the last time I showed was at Youth Nationals last year. But I am hoping to go to a show in March. But that may not happen because I haven’t gotten on my horse because of the rain 

ANTHONY: What specific style of equestrian events do you do?

TAYLOR: I do a lot of different events. I show English Pleasure, Country Pleasure, Halter, Native Costume, Sidesaddle, Show Hack, Hunter Pleasure, Dressage, Sport Horse In Hand and Under Saddle, Saddleseat Equitation, and have even shown reining. My mom is my trainer and has been doing it for years so she makes sure I’m very well rounded. It’s a blast doing all the different events and keeps me motivated!

ANTHONY: I know that equestrian showing is as demanding, if not more demanding, than acting. How do you balance your two loves?

TAYLOR:  I’m in a modified homeschool program so what I do is I get home and go out to ride so if I do have something that night I got my riding done and then I can put all my energy getting ready for the event and not freaking out that I didn’t ride that day. It’s a lot of commitment but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

 ANTHONY: Like me, you’re a cancer survivor. What type of cancer did you have, how was it discovered, and how long have you been cancer-free / in remission?

 TAYLOR: I had a rare type of non-hodgkins lymphoma. It was discovered by Childrens Hospital and my friend at UCSD. I was the only kid at Rady at the time to have it. I have been in remission for almost two years now and am so grateful I’m here to give back as much as I can. 

ANTHONY: Congratulations on two years of remission! That’s fantastic. I know you do a lot to raise awareness of, and raise funds for, cancer research and cancer care. I’ve been teasing you on Twitter about your fund-raising battle with Sam Lant. Tell my readers about the Walk For Kids, and what they can do to help you and your team meet your fundraising goal.

TAYLOR: Well my friend Sam Lant put together a team for the Walk for Kids and I was invited to join it. The Walk For Kids is a fundraising walk for the Ronald McDonald House of Pasadena. The Ronald McDonald House provides care for the families of patients that have life threatening illnesses. You can make a difference by donation to our team Those Crazy Kids Next Door. We’re hoping to raise $10,000 to help the house.

ANTHONY: What other causes are important to you?

TAYLOR: I am also really involved with Make-A-Wish, Leukemia and Lymphoma Association, and Rady Childrens Hospital of San Diego. I’ve been an ambassador for both Make A Wish and LLS and was the Girl Of The Year for LLS in 2009. I got involved with these charities when I got sick and they did so much for me so now that I’m healthy again (which has been for the last 2 years) I want to give back in any way I can. It helped my family so much and I know how much it means to those kids. My total fundraising so far for the three organizations is about $250,000. I also do a lot of public speaking and singing at fundraisers and events that help to raise money for these charities. I also did a video for Hats Off For Cancer that can be seen on YouTube.

ANTHONY: All great causes! Now for my usual closing question: What is your favorite book, and what would you say to someone who hasn’t read it to convince them that they should?

TAYLOR:  Oh, well I don’t have a favorite book but I do have a favorite book series. The Hunger Games series is by far my favorite. If you haven’t read it you HAVE TO! It’s absolutely amazing. There are so many twists and turns. I am also really looking forward to the movie based on the book!!

ANTHONY: Thanks again, Taylor!

You  can follow Taylor on Twitter as @TayHay12, and you can see her resume on her IMDb page.