News

I’ve decided to make Fridays news/gossip day. This is where I’ll keep you informed about what’s happening in the writing world. Agreed, not as much fun as Clive Owen Wednesdays, but I do want to keep my readers up-to-date on works in progress and so forth.

On Monday, I submitted a three-page premise for a new thriller to my editor and she loved it. Whew! The story is pretty dark and creepy so I was a little concerned, but turns out that’s what she loved about it. And here is my agent’s take: “Just read the synopsis and am fighting the urge to jump from my chair and shake the heebie jeebies from my body. This is SCARY!!” Just the reaction I wanted. Yea!

In my spare time (hahahahahaha), I’ve been working on what I thought was a first-person mystery series set in Austin, Texas, but the first book has morphed into an urban thriller about voyeurism inspired by three legendary films—Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954), Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1962), and Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up (1966). Here is my one-sentence summary: “An insomniac writer searching for inspiration exploits a young filmmaker’s new voyeuristic pastime.”

As I reported last time, The Devil’s Footprints is in production and will hit the bookshelves on March 1, 2008. I’ve been collaborating on a trailer with the powerhouse duo of Lucas Amann (filmmaker) and Leanne Amann (my advertising guru), and we’re really hoping to come up with something special. I’ll keep you posted during production, maybe even have some snippets I can put up.

Texas Ransom, my next Intrigue, will be out in January.

And just because all this business stuff is a little boring, check out Jonathan Ross's interview with Daniel Craig promoting Casino Royale. So cute.

Seen Any Good Thrillers Lately?

I’ve been renting a lot of DVDs lately, and boy howdy, it’s been a mixed bag. I always hate to knock a film because, having been raked over the coals a few times myself, I know how much it can hurt when a project you’ve put your heart and soul into isn’t favorably received.

However, opinions are subjective and, as my mother used to say, mine is worth exactly what it will cost you.

So in no particular order, here are the last five thrillers I've watched, along with their 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes:

Disturbia (67% fresh). Okay, I wasn’t expecting much from this one, but I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. Some might accuse it of being a blatant rip-off of Hitchcock’s Rear Window (which happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time), but I prefer to think of it as an homage, since I’m currently working on a plot that also takes inspiration from the original film. Disturbia is nowhere near as good as Rear Window, but it’s well-acted and entertaining.

Fracture (71% fresh). Another one I didn’t expect to like as much as I did, but it was actually pretty good. Kept my attention all the way through. I started off rooting for the bad guy, but by the end of the movie, I’d switched alliances, so that’s probably a testament to some pretty good acting and characterization.

Premonition (8% fresh. Ouch!). I really wanted this one to work because--I admit it--I dig Sandra Bullock (although my husband and son tell me that she’s an actress only girls like). Frankly, the premise is one I might come up with myself (I’m a big fan of far-fetched plots), and I’ve always been a sucker for heroines who seem as if they’re tottering on the edge. This one, though, was just a mess and the lack of chemistry between the leads was glaring.

The Number 23 ( 8% fresh). Jim Carrey looked as uncomfortable as I felt during the love scenes. Excruciating.

Enduring Love (59% fresh). This is one of those films that’s really hard to review or even recommend because it’s just so different. I watched it all the way through and there were several places where I grew really anxious about how it would end. However, I can’t say I was actually entertained by this movie. Disturbed, yes, and somewhat fascinated by the dynamics. But do I recommend it? I’m going to let you be your own judge on this one.

That's it from the balcony. Until next time...