I never knew filming could be so much fun! But the people you’re working with make a major impact! Thanks to Dan, my partner and son, who came up with the idea, organized the actors and crew, filmed it, and edited the film later. Good place to comment that filming seems a lot more fun than editing. This man really worked hard and I love the results! I also want to thank his wife, Emille, who played Alexa Silven and his friend, Danny, who played the role of the cop. He added an air of authority and that made the action so authentic, I was glad I wasn’t the person he was looking for! And of course, Pastor Kim Payne of Grace Presbyterian Church (gracearp.org) made the filming possible by graciously providing the beautiful church. Mike Kuzenka, from Valencia State College film program, was instrumental with the wealth of knowledge »
Revisions—Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Write Without Them
New Edition – First Book! It’s funny – I just wasn’t satisfied with my first novel. I mean, the plot and characters were good, but something bothered me. After writing 5 other books and rereading the first novel, Consuming Fire: An Alexa Silven Novel, I finally realized how I could revise it – there were a few “loose ends” – connections that I took for granted the reader understood – which I always told my students NOT to do. I used to remind them that the reader is not inside your head… Right! So taking my own advice, I set out to rewrite it and with the help of my partner/son, Dan, we did just that!! WOW! It was worth all the effort, too. Soon, it will be posted online as the 4th Edition, in place of the original text, and we couldn’t be happier. It’s a great feeling to be completely »
Soundproof Panel
Dan suggested and designed a wooden soundproof panel that is now hanging over my studio recording desk. Check out the video here. It took four people to corroborate over three days to saw 2×2 boards into various heights, sand them, arrange them on the panel, and glue them into place. Then Dan painted it and he and John hung it over the desk. This was a major project with major rewards. We are all hoping the book recordings for Audible.com will attain a new level of professional sound. Can’t wait to get started!
Social Media Marketing
Gottta be truthful here! I really am not accomplished in this department… I’d rather be writing and I feel very comfortable sitting on my sofa, churning out the characters and stories and painting pictures in the reader’s mind. Social media is actually pretty hard for me… I’d rather be looking at the person I’m talking to, face-to-face. I prefer getting to read facial expressions and body language. You know, sometimes what you write on the phone, emails, or in social media is misunderstood because the reader can’t hear your voice and inflections. Words on paper seem so antiseptic and disconnected from warmth and familiarity. Guess I’m never gonna change my opinion, but I have to learn to get connected on social media because we need to promote our books – a new genre in literature, Christian suspense/thriller murder mysteries. Think about that one for a while! AND CHECK THEM OUT »
So grateful…
My whole family, husband John, and sons, Dan and Mark, have been supportive and helpful in producing our first film clip. Truly a family effort: Dan suggested the film, directed it, filmed it, edited it, and posted it on UTube. WOW!! Mark, struggling with a badly strained set of tendons in his right foot, managed to take care of the lighting, nonetheless. John filmed Dan filming the clip. Hmmm…. bloopers and out-takes are both fun and essential! Dan’s wife, Emille, played the main character and showed true acting ability. Our good friend, Danny Perri, gave us his acting debut as a city cop…. actually, he’s a state trooper so he was a natural! I’m grateful to each of you and I want to go on record as saying so!!! Love to you all!
Two-Sided Coins
I was trying to watch Salt for the first time, but she voiced a GD before the first ad break. Wow… there goes another movie I’ll live without! Christ said, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ This actually unnerves me because it is easy to neglect doing what you should for others. Very easy to go our way and mind our own business when someone else really needs help. We’ve probably all done this. Bottomline comment: Refraining from blaspheming God’s name is something we should all do for the least of these, as well as for the honor and glory of God….. Each of us, including myself, needs to »
Finding the Right Filming Location
We tried for three weeks to procure a church building, with stained glass windows, that would match the description in the first chapter of Consuming Fire: An Alexa Silven Novel. We planned to film the action scene from the first chapter. This was no small endeavor as most churches wanted to have a board meeting to decide. And then, there was the problem that none of windows were quite what we wanted. Meanwhile, our timing was crucial as both of our actors were only available for a couple of weeks. Dan motivated all of us to keep searching. On the last day before our planned shoot, we prayed and finally approached a church I’d previously disregarded, Grace Presbyterian Church in Winter Springs. For the first time, we pulled into their dirt parking lot, past the crew that was removing trees damaged by Hurricane Irma, and to the back of the church where »
Things are Moving Fast!
We did it! We made our own 2 1/2 min. movie of the action scene in the first chapter of the first book of the Alexa Silven trilogy. We are getting great reviews!! You can watch it here. You won’t regret it! My son and partner, Dan, is developing some great skills as a director & editor! I couldn’t be happier about the quality of this film!