Read In Bed!

What’s your name, and what do you do?

First of all - thanks for the introduction, Megan! I’m a big fan and it’s a pleasure to be your minion. It’s been a long time since I’ve been called upon to serve a woman, but I’ll try my best to satisfy.

I’m Scott Sherman, and feel like a I do a lot. I have a full-time job that’s not writing, two great kids and a wonderful partner who travels a lot, I host one of the world’s most popular podcasts about digital photography (www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com), I’m president of our local PTA, an orientation volunteer at our Unitarian Universalist church, and, most recently, a published author. My first novel is the funny, sexy mystery First You Fall, which you were nice enough to call a “a great, fun read” on Amazon.com.

How long have you been doing it?

It took me two years to write First You Fall, most of which were productively spent on procrastination and self-doubt.

Before that, I had done some writing in various magazines. Prior to the publication of my novel, my favorite piece was the “My Turn” column I had published in Newsweek magazine about the effect of a neighbor’s homophobia on my family. (http://www.gayparentingpage.com/newsweek_article.htm)

How’d you get started?

I was a big fan of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books for many years. I loved their combination of mystery, romance, and humor. Someone, I thought, should write a book like this with a gay male protagonist. So, I did.

Why mysteries?

I like reading mysteries, so it made sense for me to write one.

One good thing about writing a mystery was that it gave me a structure for my story - once I came up with the puzzle, I just had to lead the reader to the solution.

Complicating the issue, though, is that my protagonist is no detective. When his friend Allen Harrington’s death is ruled a suicide, boy-next-door-cute Kevin Connor - a hustler by trade, sleuth by default - sets out to prove a case of murder. It doesn’t help that the victim’s grown children, who disapproved of their father’s homosexuality, are only concerned about their inheritance. But they’re not Kevin’s only problem.

Also on the scene are his high-strung mother, who, despite the lack of anything even resembling an invitation, has moved in with him, and Tony Rinaldi, the super-hot ex-lover who broke his heart back in high school, now reappearing years later as the lead investigator in Allen’s death.

Luckily, Kevin has his handsome best friend Freddy to help him uncover what really happened to Allen Harrington. But Kevin’s on his own trying to figure out how to get his mother out of his hair and the now-married Tony back into his bed. Plus, there’s a small chance Kevin might actually be in love with Freddy. Meanwhile, he has to manage the demands of his clients like the stirrups-wielding gynecologist and The World’s Nicest
Sadist.

And, oh yeah, did Kevin remember to take his attention deficit medication today?

Kevin’s a sweetheart, but his ineptness as an investigator and his increasingly complicated personal life make First You Fall an entertainingly bumpy ride.

Since you write mysteries, maybe you can tell me: What IS the Mystery of Life?

I often reflect on this quote by Alfred North Whitehead, who was, of all things, a mathematician:

“The secret of happiness lies in knowing that we live by the law of expenditure. We find the greatest joy not in getting, but in expressing what we are. There are tides in the ocean of life, and what comes in depends on what goes out. The currents flow inward only where there is an outlet. Nature does not give to those who will not spend; her gifts are merely loaned to those who will not use them…. Empty your lungs and breathe. Run, climb, work and laugh…. [T]he more you give out the more you shall receive.”

Does that work for you, too?

Do you have a special writing routine?

I don’t think I have any special routines — I’m kind of making up things as I go along.

Tell me about your book (what it’s about, when it will be out, and from where)

It’s out now! I don’t know that it’s in your local bookstore as they’re unlikely to carry a first novel by an unknown author. But why not indulge your dominant side and make them order it?

Otherwise, you can always get it on Amazon.com.

One thing I’ve learned is how many straight women love books about gay men. One of my fellow writers quoted a female reader of his as saying: “One hot guy is great, but two of them? Together? Woo-hoo!”

Anything else you’d like us to know?

Bunches, but I’ll spare you. Feel free, however, to check out my personal blog (www.scottshermanonline.com).

Front or back?

Depends on how sneaky I’m feeling.

Top or bottom?

Yes.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Depends on what I’m eating.

Right or left?

Right handed, left-minded.

Dean or Sam?

I’ll take both and get back to you.

Fred or Barney?

Barney.

Kirk or Picard?

Janeway, baby.

You stand in front of three doors. What colors are they, and which do you open? What’s behind it?

They’re all black. I can’t make up my mind about which to open first, so I knock on each and wait to see what emerges.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

You said “wood.” Heh.

Describe your perfect day

I can’t put it into print because then what are the odds that it’d actually occur?

* * *

Congrats to Scott on his new release! One lucky commenter to this post will get their very own copy of First You Fall! (US residents only for this one, sorry!) Also check out: www.firstyoufall.com !

–M

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First off, please tell everyone your name and a little bit about yourself.

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Want to become my minion via live chat? C’mon, it’s super fun. You need iChat and a webcam. I’ll ask you questions, you answer them, I post it on my blog.

email me at: readinbed  AT  gmail.com

M

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Hi, Chris! Thank you so much for agreeing to become my minion. I mean…to answer my Music Monday interview questions. :)
-No Problem!!! Sorry this took so long, I’ve been swamped…

First, if you’d like to give a brief bit about your background, training, how you got into composing as a career (anything you’d like to share!)
- I studied composition at the University of Southern California with Elmer Bernstein. I was originally planning to be a professional guitarist, but fell in love with film scoring when I saw Henry Mancini conduct a score of his a Universal Studios.

I write short stories, novellas and novels. Aside from the length, I approach writing each type of fiction the same way. You compose for television, feature films and video games. Do you find the process for each different, do you approach each with a different mind-set, or is the creative process the same?
- The main difference is the schedule. TV must be done much faster and usually with fewer musicians. So it takes a lot of creativity and tons of coffee to make it happen! They are actually quite similar. They mostly differ in construction…how pieces fit together. But as far as the drama and action go, they are very similar. As long as the project is interesting, then I’m psyched!

How much time do you have to watch the piece before you have to compose the music?
Maybe a few days…

Do you find it easier or more difficult to create on shorter notice, or do you prefer to have longer deadlines?
Well, more time is better to a point, but the thrill of a quick turnaround sometime produces some very cool results!

Do you have a favorite type of work to compose for?
Actually, as long as it is an interesting subject matter, I love just about anything.

I came across your work because I LOOOOOVE Supernatural. Are you still scoring the show (now into Season Three and heading for Season Four)
Yes…just started episode 13!

I read you share the episodes with another composer.
_yes, Jay Gruska, who is amazing!

Do you have a favorite episode?
I loved What is and What shall never be…as well as All Hell Breaks Loose.

Do you have a favorite “genre” to work with?
I like all of them, but I really like anything where the music can play a major role in telling the story.

You’ve created scores for horror and comedy pieces - most recently Alvin and the Chipmunks. Does your current project affect your mood, ever?
-Absolutely, I certainly get in a happy state of mind for the kids stuff, while Supernatural usually makes me a bit more mischievious…

What’s your dream project?
An epic animated musical about the mafia and secret agents starring Pacino, DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, and Scarlett Johansen…co-directed by Speilberg and Scorsese where I write the score myself and co-compose all the songs with Bono.

I write when I have a contract or when I have inspiration, but I could write a book purely for my own pleasure and yet manage to sell it to someone. You write music to fit specific works — movies, games, tv shows. Do you ever just compose music for your own pleasure?
Very seldom…but mostly because I’m busy, although I’m currently writing my 12 week old daughter a lullaby.

Have you ever tried writing genre music — pop, rock, country?
Definitely, I started writing rock and pop tunes. I play guitar, so it was where I first developed my love of music.

Have you ever tried writing music with words?
Yes…most of my songwriting is with lyrics.

Your bio says you grew up in Easton, PA. So…the crayon factory. How many times have you been there?
Probably 5

What’s your favorite crayon color?
burgundy

Do you ever defect and use those cheap dollar store crayons that don’t smell half as good as the real thing?
Never!

…Ever eaten a crayon?
Mmmmmm…purple.

Left or right? left
Up or down? up
Sam or Dean? Dean (I’m the older brother)
Back or front? front
Vanilla or chocolate? coffee

You stand in front of three doors. What color are they, and which do you choose? What’s behind the one you pick?
Red, Green, Blue…I pick Red…behind it is a concert hall.

Thanks so very much for your time. I’ll add links to your official website and any place else you’d like — Facebook, Myspace, whatever. I’ll mention that people can find your music on iTunes - the video game scores are there! And anything else you’d like to mention.

So my site is www.christopherlennertz.com

I am also on Myspace and Facebook under ChristopherLennertz

Thanks Tons!

CL

Upcoming Minion interviews: Christopher Howell and an exclusive video interview with Luke Walsh, both Mr. Romance Contestants from 2008!

And remember, if you’d like to become a minion, drop me a line at readinbed AT gmail DOT com!

M

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What’s your name?

Drew Olanoff


Who’s your daddy?

Barry


And hey is he rich like me?

Not even close, you have 3 jets and a unicycle.



Okay, seriously, who are you and what do you do?

I told you. Drew Olanoff. Now I’m a liar? I’m a web 2.0 junkie who has created the online shows Best Damn Tech Show, Period. and scriggity.


Thank you for agreeing to become one of my minions.

Well, the evil eye kind of helped the decision along.

Out of all your internet projects, which is your favorite and why?

scriggity is near and dear to my heart, because people send in their news…which they’ve always thought was boring and that nobody would care about. we make it funny and entertaining and they love it. so i love it when they love it. there’s a lot of love here megan. can i call you megan or is it sill master m?

Tell me about Scriggity. Does the name have a meaning? How did you come up with the idea? What’s with the duct tape?

It was actually a word that me and a bunch of friends used to describe something that was wack or screwed up. “That’s scriggity man”. It’s just a fun word and it has stuck. It’s fun to say. Try it. No seriously, try it. Scrigg It EEEEE!


The duct tape. Ahh. We were at a bar for Podcamp Boston, and there were video cameras everywhere. People asking questions about what we did, who we were. So I was like, I have one thing that says who I am. scriggity. So i wrote it on the tape with a marker. Nobody knew what it was. That was our tipping point.

How is Scriggity put together, and how long do you spend on each episode?


People send their news to news@scriggity.com, and it stays totally intact. I don’t edit their words at all. I break it up into chunks and write those goofy and snarky “scriggity” parts. I ship it off to Alex, the scriggity host, and she films it. We work together on the direction, camera angles, and such. She sends me the files and I edit. I’d say an episode takes up about 3 hours of our time total. Depends on how long it is. Alex is in FL and i’m in PA, that usually surprises people.

Tell me about ReadBurner…

I can’t. It’s a secret ;) Basically it’s a cool web service that takes your shared items from Google Reader and ranks them based on what was shared the most. I purchased it along with Adam Ostrow and Eric Kerr this month and we’re excited about it. The relaunch should be early April.

**update — check out READBURNER!

And now onto the fun stuff:
Huh? I’m having fun!

Sam or Dean?
Dean. Jimmy Dean.

Back or front?


I can’t answer that. I’m sorry.

Vanilla or chocolate?

Vanilla!

Up or down?



Up.

Left or Right?


Up up down down left right left right b a b a select select start.

You stand in front of three doors. What color are they, what do they say and which do you go through?

Red says Danger. Green says Safety, Go. Orange says Possible Danger, but could be safety. I go through the orange one. Orange is my favorite color.

What’s behind it?


Oompa loompas.

What’s your favorite quote?

Tie between “Failure is not an option” - Gene Kranz and “Some men see things as they are and say why, I dream things that never were and say why not” - GBShaw

If you could remake one movie what would it be and how would you change it (or not?)


Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I wanted the Dirty Dancing Girl to marry Charlie Sheen. Perfect ending. Still time for a sequel! (I could write it hint hint)

How many tattoos do you have and which is your favorite?

11. My favorite is the heart inside of my right wrist. It’s opposite the chinese symbol for “love” on the top of my right wrist.

Superman! You love him. I love him. Tell me what’s so superfab about Superman!


He’s a normal guy. Yeah he’s super. But he’s still a normal guy who does extraordinary things. Even when people turned on him he still helped them. That’s super in my book.

What’s your favorite song?


“In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel. Simply perfect.

Anything else you’d like to share with my readers?


Hello Megan Hart’s readers. I want you to send in some news to scriggity. You might thing its boring. I don’t care if your kid found a 3 legged frog in the swamp. It’s news, and we want to know about it.


Also, how awesome is Megan? Tell her how awesome she is. She does it all for you guys!!!!! That’s super too.



SO, there you have it! Send your news to:news@scriggity.com and check out the show, too at SCRIGGITY

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Who are you?
Ah, the age old question. Well, the easy answer is Kendra Julien. The harder answer? I am a woman who is married to the most wonderful man on earth. And that’s not the “honeymoon” period talking. We’ve been married for a year and almost 6 months, but together for 5 years this March. We’ve been through REALLY bad times, but came out on top and I think that’s what matters.

I am a mother-to-be and my excitement for this baby grows with my belly.

I am a survivor. I fight back when life side-swipes me. I refuse to give up on something just because someone “said so.”

I am a tactfully honest person and will never lie to you.

I am an amazing friend to have (not to toot my own horn or anything…).

I am someone who loves to just relax and have a good time.

I am one of those people who probably laughs too loud and too often, but just try it sometime… you’ll be surprised at how damn good it feels.

I am an optimist, despite being disappointed in people more times than not. As I said, I refuse to give up on something – especially something as fundamental as believing people are good.

I am loyal and loving.

I am an animal lover.

Simply put, I am me.

What do you do?
Oh, ha ha. We both know I do nothing. For those of you that don’t know, in December of 2006, I was hit by a drunk driver. I broke both my ankles, the left much worse than the right. I had to have two surgeries on it. I spent roughly 9 months in a wheelchair and started walking again (albeit, slowly, and with a lot of help) in August of 2007. I still can’t return to work because, while I can walk with a cane now, I can’t stand or walk for more than 20 minutes and sitting with my legs below my hips causes my ankles swell and be in pain. So, unless I’m at a desk like mine (that has a special table sort of thing underneath the desk for my legs to go), I can’t sit at a desk.

So… I sit around the house. I read. I watch TV. I write. I take care of errands and bills and other household things. I hire cleaning people to clean for my husband and me, since I can’t and my husband works long hours. I take care of my two cats and plan things for my future daughter. But, basically, like I said… nothing. LOL

We met online and it was wonderful – do you meet a lot of people online?
I’ve actually met a few people online. I met one of my best friends through MySpace almost 3 years ago. I also met another author I like and even met up with her in person – just her and me at a Starbucks talking for hours. I met you and spent a lot of time talking to you over the internet. I can’t remember off the top of my head anyone else that I’ve met, but considering the amazing people I’ve met so far, I’m definitely up to meeting more!

You’ve shared with me some of your personal writing. Do you aspire to writing fiction?
The writing I shared with you was from my accident. When I was younger, I wrote poetry and short, fictional stories. This was the first time I had written non-fiction, something that didn’t just appear in my head. I think it’s harder to write non-fiction than fiction. I have so many ideas for fictional stories, but writing something that’s true… it’s much harder. I can’t accurately describe it. Most people’s true stories are painful. When something that painful happens to you, you either process it or push it into the deep recesses of your mind. I think I did a combination of the two, which is probably why it both hurts and feels cleansing to write about the accident and how it changed my life and the lives of the people I love. If I ever finish this book, I don’t know what I’d want to write, fiction or non-fiction.

What kind of writing do you want to do?
Well, I kind of already answered this, but I guess I’d like to write something that changes at least one person. Something that makes them think about who they are and what they believe in. Fiction or not, it is possible. You’re books did that to me. Made me shut the book at the end and stare off into space thinking. Not just about the story you wove, but my life, my ideals, my goals. Augusten Burroughs’ books did that too. They were his life story (except for two of them, I think), and they made me stop and wonder, as well. That’s the kind of writing I want to do.

What do you like best about where you live?
Nothing! LOL. We’re moving on March 1st and I can’t wait to get out of here. Not only do we need more room for the baby, but the complex is falling apart and has a handy man who is about 70. When he comes to fix something, he winds up making it worse. The neighborhood is pretty shady, too, which is another reason we’re moving. But the new place? I like that it’s in a good neighborhood, has more room, has a dishwasher (the past two years we’ve had to hand wash… ugh), has air conditioning, and is just nicer.

Dean or Sam?
Oh….. Dean! Definitely Dean. No offense Sam, but I had a crush on you when you were (get this) Dean on Gilmore Girls. It’s someone else’s turn. And besides, my husband says “Dean” (AKA Jensen Ackles) is my “one.” You know… the “one” you get to have without it counting as cheating.

Vanilla or Chocolate?
Chocolate everything except for ice cream. I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t taste right as ice cream.

Top or Bottom?
Yeah! Sexy questions! Gotta love ‘em. Hmmm… Well, even when my ankle could bend the right way to be on top, I still didn’t like it as much as being on bottom. Of course, how can you like anything more than something you love?

You’re standing in front of three doors. What colors are they and what’s behind them? And which do you open?
For me, one would be red, one purple, and one white. The white door would lead to somewhere calming to me, like Hawaii, or my bath tub. I was diagnosed with being bi-polar when I was younger and calm is something I strive for, not just in life, but in my head.

The purple… I think a movie of my life would be playing behind that door. Purple has always been my favorite color, and like many other things in life, I believe a color can mean more to a person than simply being a color.

The red door… That would be a door leading to my husband. Red can encompass both passion and anger, and anyone married or in a long term relationship knows that both are present in a relationship. We, luckily, have about 90% passion and 10% anger in our relationship… now. And by passion I don’t just mean sex. I mean a passion for loving each other, for striving to make each other happy EVERY DAY, not just on certain occasions. I think the accident made our relationship mature a lot quicker than normal and showed us that we can make it through anything. When you know that, you don’t worry about the little things. You focus on what matters – each other. I never realized that if you strive to make someone you love laugh, everything else just falls into place. My favorite thing is to make Matt laugh, to see him smile. Seeing him happy and knowing I caused it makes my heart ache (in a good way).

I’ll always pick the red door… Calm can be stifling if sat in too long. It can also be found when you lay in bed with the love of your life, just talking about what’s currently playing on the TV. I don’t need to see a movie of my life. I try not to live in the past, but at the same time not forget it. And I live in the present fully because I know, from experience, it can all change in a second. The future? Eh. Who cares? I’m happy now… nothing is threatening that and that’s all I need to know. But my husband? I will always want and need him. Not the co-dependent way, though. I will always need that love from him, and, in the future, if he’s not around, I’ll still know I have it. So… the red door. Always the red door.

What’s your philosophy on life?
For once, I have a simple answer for that: I don’t have one. I have many. I think one philosophy cannot accurately describe or guide a person’s life, and because of that, I think at least 10 philosophies are required.

Anything else you’d like to share with the world?
When you find someone you’re supposed to love like I love my husband, it’s not love at first sight. I used to believe in it. But when I met Matt, I didn’t feel it. I didn’t automatically know he is my soul mate. But I knew something. Something that told me that he was different and he was special. It wasn’t even lust at first sight (although, there was plenty of that). I can’t describe it except to relate a story: My best friend of 10 years now, Dahlia, is hot. Always has been, always will be. In all the years that we hung out, I never minded that a guy we met was instantly attracted to her and not me. It never made me jealous or feel bad about myself. When I met Matt, Dahlia wasn’t with me and Matt didn’t even seem attracted to me except as a friend. One night, I picked Dahlia up and we were going to the pool hall, which is where I had been hanging out and had met Matt. I told her on the way there, “Listen, I’m going to introduce you to someone tonight, Matt, and he’s dating a girl who works at the pool hall. But something tells me they’re not going to last more than another week, so I want you to know… Stay away from him. He’s mine.”

Dahlia couldn’t believe it. She looked at me and said, “You’ve never laid claim to a guy. You’ve never called dibs or anything like that. What’s the deal with him? Is he, like, movie star hot?”

I told her something like, “He’s hot, but not movie star hot. There’s just something about him. Something different.”

A week later, he asked me for my phone number. A few years later, he cheated on me. (This would be the other REALLY bad thing our relationship had to endure.) But, even after everyone telling me to move on, I kept saying to myself, “We’re meant to be together. I just know it. It may not be this lifetime, but at some point, in some life, we’re supposed to be together.” Six months after he started cheating on me, he came back. A year to the day later, we got married. It was hard to move past that and gradually trust him again, but I never gave up. I knew he was the man for me. I will never regret my decision and anyone who knew us then and now knows that our relationship is different. It’s stronger, better, more loving than it was when we first said we loved each other. I trust him with everything I have now, and more. And even though he cheated on me before, I would honestly be more shocked now than I was then if he did it again, which he never will. I can even understand why he did it. Loving someone as much as we love each other is scary when you’ve never loved anyone even a little. Not that it’s an excuse, but testing that love, making sure it’s real, or simply being scared and running from it is completely natural.

So, in closing… when you meet that person, don’t expect to be bowled over. It’s not going to happen. But you’ll know. Something will just feel… different. Better. Right.

Sincerely,

Kendra Julien

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Let’s break it down…

Friends. Parties. Fun!

This year was my second RT, but we arrived the day before the official start so we could settle in and get the party started. Though we’d intended to hit a club Tuesday night, we had little luck. We went out. We came back. Even so, it was a good time! Wednesday began with more fun, meeting friends, a Black Lace panel nobody came to give so LD and I jumped on it. Dinner with my editor and agent and friends. The EC party, yay!

But Thursday morning, I was feeling pretty lousy, and I continued feeling lousy almost the entire time. I rallied every now and then but mostly…felt like ICK. I blame the hotel — lots of people were sick. I think it was bad air.

I know RT makes some people’s lips curl. Cover models, they say, GROSS! Mr. Romance, EWWW! People in their underpants on the dance floor! HOW HORRID! Okay, I’m sort of with you there on the whole wearing your underpants on the outside thing, but you know what? Whatever.

RT isn’t RWA, okay? RT is a reader/fan convention, it’s not a professional organization’s professional conference for the purpose of learning. RT is parties and meeting readers and friends and hanging out and yes — some get a little wild. There are cute boys (and really, honestly…the whole “they’re gross, or he does nothing for me” comments…these are people, you know? They have feelings. Not everybody in the world has to melt everyone’s butter, you know?) and there is mayhem, but I have to say, I didn’t see anything that I thought was out of line. Maybe I have a higher tolerance. Maybe I’m one of the people misbehaving — but I was having fun. I didn’t go upstairs with a Chippendale, okay? I only talked to one in the bar.

Do I agree with all the behavior that allegedly went on? No way. Do I think it’s okay for ANYONE to be rude to a reader or an author who’s not wearing a name badge, or an aspiring author who’s not yet published? Erm…what’s the point? What, really, is the point of being a moron to someone who could decide to read, OR NOT, your books? To another author, editor, agent, bookseller or librarian? In fact, the bottom line is, you shouldn’t be nice to strangers because they might be someone you can use later, but because you should BE NICE.

Anyway, I’m sorry for those who didn’t have fun. I felt like death not even warmed-over, and I still had fun. Because I was there to meet friends and readers and other authors and yes, Mr. Romance contestants, because life is too darned short NOT to fill it with fabulous people, and how do you know who’s fabulous until you’ve met them?

We had a fantastically attended reader appreciation party, THE LOVE SHACK, with food, goodies and karaoke, and it was great! And I got lots of swag, and met tons of new people and saw people I’d met last year and didn’t expect to see ever again, so that was a thrill.

On another note, the decorations were amazing. I didn’t eat much food (but I LIKE CORN!) and missed most of the official lunches and dinners due to illness, but I heard it was good. RT really puts on a fantastic event.

And you can see all of it, if you wish, below…

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