Casting a Photo-Shoot is a bit of a challenge!

As I've mentioned, I'm casting the characters from Moon Over Manhattan for a "fun" photo-shoot to be done in October in Central Park...and I have one thing to say for this...THIS IS A BIG UNDERTAKING!

For some reason in my head I was thinking, "Oh we'll get people who look like my characters and dress them up and do pics....this'll be much easier/less work than a show!"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!! Yeah....no.

Getting this cast has been a wee bit stressful. Gee, I can't see why? I only needed to find 8 people who look like folks I "made up"...why would that be hard? (I hope you can hear my sarcasm!)

But...I have found them! I've had to re-cast the role of "Lexie" THREE times mind you but, as I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason I trust that the newest addition to the physical cast is the "right gal" and though the other two were really great gals...Angela is the "right one". Ya know what I mean? I called her out of the blue...we chatted...she's absoluely lovely...she's free to meet on Wednesday with the cast AND free the days of the shoot...she's got the EXACT hair I describe in the book...we just need some colored contacts for her. Not bad people!

As far as my other cast members...I have two I do need wigs for. The girl playing Denika has straight hair...which is great for the "dressy" pics at the castle but I want her hair culy and haphazzard at the rocks so, we found an amazing wig for her. The second is the role of Zane. He's supposed to have long dyed black hair, preferably shaved bald or down to an inch on one side. Yeah...THAT isn't gonna happen...the shaved part that is. So, I got this amazing looking long black wig for Robbie to wear. To say this boy isn't going to look at all the same after we're done with him is an understatment! It'll be cool! I promise to do a "before/after" pic for you on him!

I also took two of my actors to Vampire Freaks last night for costume stuff. Super excited that we got both Zane and Denika DONE costume wise so...*whew*. I can cross that off the list along with their wigs!

I've put an ad out for a make-up artist and now I have to pick one. I got TONS of folks who submitted for the gig! Who knew? I thought I'd get a handful and I got tripple that. This weekend I'll email my fave and do a phone interview and go from there.

I also had to make a portfolio binder with all my actors so I can get all costumes and props per person in order and make-up artists can have pictures and the like. THAT thing took awhile...but it looks great!

All this in the past couple of days NOT to mention I still have to make packets for all of my actors for next Wednesday, run the meeting, figure out clothes, make-up, and we've not even talked about how many pics and what not!

I was thinking this was less work than a show? Really? LMAO!

Don't get me wrong...this is fun to me...organizing all this...being creative in this manner. It's like taking what I do well in my theatre life and blending it with my writer life. It's fun but wow...more time consuming and detailed than I'd thought it would be!

I said at one point, "This will be something other writers, who aren't famous that is, don't have on their website!" Uh, there's a reason for that...it's gonna run me a few hundred to do AND you need a theatre or producing background to pull this puppy off!

I look forward to getting to show you all the final product!!!!

Have a great weekend all! I'll be laying in bed watching TV or writing or working on actor packets for the next 24-36 hours and then...lucky me...I get to see my editor for coffee/tea. I miss the hell outta that gal!

Toodles!

Tamsin :)

Subway Meetings

The New York subway system has been a friend and a foe...as it has to most New Yorkers...but this weekend it was a friend.

I don't think of myself as being super confident. I get nervous just like everyone else when it comes to talking to people I don't know...but I think that doing theater has made that nervousness more of a step vs. a staircase. It's like when I used to perform. I would be backstage, getting ready to go on, and my heart would be going a bit faster with adrenaline and I'd be slightly nervous. But the minute I made the commitment to going onto that stage, with my first step, it was gone. It was as if the commitment to do it just took the nervous energy and transformed it. As a performer I think that's exactly what you need to do; turn nervous energy into performance energy.

That said, as I've been searching for models for this photo-shoot I've had to approach strangers rather a lot. It's awkward to tell them I'm a writer who isn't published yet but that I want to do this photo-shoot for my website...its a lot to explain to someone who doesn't know me from eve. But...it has proven interesting to say the least. I've met some amazing people AND finally found my Denika.

Story #1
I'm on the train when a really good looking goth man gets on the train with his girlfriend (she is dressed normally yet he has black hair that's shaved bald on one side and he's got the eyeliner and black finger nails and clothes). So I approach them. I think he's on his way to the festival I'm going to...but no. They are on their way to dinner at a friend's house.

Anyhoo...he introduces himself to me as Tony and then introduces me to his wife. I tell him about my project and he's interested and asks for my info to contact me. We have a lovely short conversation on why I use a pen name (if I've not told you before, though I think I have, its because my father is big in the Catholic Church as a teacher and I'd hate for my books---as they are about Wicca and other fantasy things---to have an adverse effect on him with my last name plastered on them) and he then tells me the reason for why half of his head is shaved.....wait for it...it's a good one...

He's in the Broadway show "American Idiot".

I've not seen the show and as I've mentioned before...I suck with knowing who famous people are. So of course I say, "That's fantastic! I work in some Off Off Broadway theater (which I'm sure he thought was a lie at the time since I didn't know who he was). To make my long story shorter I ended up leaving them to their night and went to sit back down. As they got off at Columbus Circle he again said it was nice to meet me, would email me, encouraged me to come see the show, etc.

"What a lovely young man", I thought.

I get topside and meet my pal Matt for dinner and tell him my luck in maybe finding someone to portray Zane. I then pull out my phone to Google the cast of "American Idiot" because suddenly I have this god awful feeling that I'm an ass and he's the lead or something.

Oh yeah. I AM the American Idiot here. It was Tony Vincent. He's been the front man for Queen, performed for the Queen of England, been in "Jesus Christ Superstar" & "Rent" and now is the LEAD in "American Idiot". Of course I Facebooked my ignorance because it's only funny if my friends can laugh with me/at me.

He contacted me the next day...but unfortunately with his performance schedule and my lack of funds, he can't help me out this time around...but said to keep him in mind if I get a bigger budget. Such a nice man! I look forward to seeing his show...my roommate and I are going to go when I get back from LA.

Story #2
This weekend I was on my way to the doctor's office for my bi-weekly chiropractic adjustment and suddenly I see this good looking young man sitting near me who seems out of breath and shaken up. He keeps looking at his elbows and I'm thinking, "What is he doing?" I then see both are bleeding...he's skinned them both somehow.

I immediately reach into my purse to grab two bandaids. I lean over and get his attention and give them to him. Turns out the poor guy triped on the last stair or two and fell--skidding along the cement. OUCH!

I said, "Well, at least you made the train!" We laughed and I said, "If you're an actor you can use this for something someday."

Turns out, he's a student studying....you guessed it...theatre! LOL! I think to myself that if I could find a good wig for him he'd make a great Liam. So we get to talking...I tell him how I can't find someone for Liam or Denika's characters and get this...

HIS ROOMMATE IS A SHORT GIRL WITH DARK BROWN HAIR AND BLUE EYES...AND AN ACTRESS!

LOL! This is how my life goes...I swear! So I give him my info...and they both email me the next day and she's perfect! I have found Denika! It's like this tiny miracle that tells me God is behind me on this and not to worry.

I also found my guy to play Cash by accosting some poor waiter at Natalie's wedding...but as that wasn't on the subway I have left the full story alone. Just know that I had to do the same thing...approach a good looking young man out of the blue and say just the right words to get him interested in my project in like, two minutes.

I think I've got my full cast now. I'm rather excited! I plan to get them together possibly this weekend...we shall see.

As much as we get irritated at the subway...ya gotta admit...if you use it to your advantage (read, memorize lines, meet people, etc), it has it benefits!

Hope you had a great weekend! I had 2 days of "me time" as well as "dog time in the park". It was loverly!

Until next time...

xo

Tamsin :)

Triton Festival

Labor Day weekend 2010 shall go down in the books as the weekend the goth/industrial scene from NYC & all over the world invaded Coney Island, Brooklyn! 25 bands from around the world converged to put on a 3 day extravaganza of live music performances and it was bloody brilliant! Personally, I don't think the Russian neighborhood knows what hit them! Hundreds of people in goth/industrial gear walking around the neighborhood...it was a sight!

It was a weekend of going to bed as the sun rose and getting up around 3pm and heading out to Brooklyn for more music. I got to hear bands I knew of and those I had never heard before...which was what was so great about this festival! I now have a few new favorite groups and my poor iPod just got loaded up with more than 150 new songs! My draught for new music is gone and now as I look at my iPod I still can't figure out who I want to listen to but in a good way...I have so much new great stuff to pick from!

My hat goes off to Jet Berelson who is the "man with the plan" who put this on with his company Vampire Freaks and Audiolust. They organized something HUGE that hadn't been done before in NYC and it was mostly seamless and everyone seemed to have a great time! It takes talent to produce something like this so...Jet...congrats on all your hard work!

At the TRITON kick-off pre-party, "The Return of Cybertron", on Thursday night my DJ pal AnnabelEvil introduced me to Clint, who is the lead singer for System Syn (who are fantastic btw!) and then at the concert I got to meet Celldweller (aka Klayton):



My pal Matt, who came in from Boston, and I had a blast! When professional pictures start to post I'll select a few and put them up for you to see...but until then, here are some of mine I took with my phone. They're not great, but they're good enough for now. :)

Clint from SYSTEM SYN:


CLAN OF XYMOX:


APOPTYGMA BERZERK:


Adam & Clint with IMPERATIVE REACTION:


ARYIA:


My favorite bands of the weekend were "Icon of Coil", "Celldweller", "Aesthetic Perfection", "Ayria", "System Syn", "Imperative Reaction", "Clan of Xymox" and "Apoptygma Berzerk".

Hope you all had a GREAT Labor Day weekend as well! I leave you with one last pic...below is a shot of the crowd during Apoptygma Berzerk at 2:30 in the morning on Sunday night! If you had a fun weekend...tell me what YOU did! If per chance you were at Triton...I'd LOVE to hear what you thought!

A Masterpiece of Fiction: "Clockwork Angel" by Cassandra Clare

"There's plenty of sense in non-sense sometimes, if you wish to look for it." -Will

It's only one of my favorite lines of his, but I wanted to share it. :)

So, three days after purchase (which I did the morning of 'release day' of course) I have finished the book with much sadness (because it's over) and yet, anticipation (for Clockwork Prince; the 2nd book in the trilogy)! I am sure that I will go back soon to re-read Clockwork Angel so as to catch the things I missed, as I do tend to read fast and furious when I'm in the heat of the moment. By which I mean not only the exciting moments of the book itself but more importantly, the excitement of reading a masterpiece of fiction.

What is a "Masterpiece of Fiction"?

I'm sure we all have a similar definition for this, but here is mine; It is when I'm engrossed so completely in a story that I'm happy simply to be reading the book and nothing else can deter me from it...well, at least not anything short of the house being on fire...or possibly Matthew Bomer stepping into my bedroom, but that's a whole different story all together, yes?

We all have them...that one author who we love more than the others. Cassandra Clare it that writer for me and Clockwork Angel is yet another testament as to why. She not only takes you on a journey but feeds your imagination in a way that is not only emotional but visual and for me, spiritual. The latter I speak of is because I too am a writer and when I read Cassie's work my imagination for my own books becomes more inventive...it stretches its legs...it becomes clearer and more detailed. Few authors do this for me like she does.

Anyhoo...on to my review of the book, yes? As I see no reason to bleed my brain (which is what it feels like to try and fit a whole story into three small paragraphs) to give you the basic idea of the story, I will regurgitate the online summary for you at the end of this blog entry, okay? Scroll down and read it if you want now...I'll wait for you here.

Done? Good...let's continue!

So, I follow Cassie on Twitter and marvel at how she fields the same questions over and over...and love that she sometimes answers me! :) But, there is one thing that was constantly on my mind throughout the book, that was brought up on Twitter... and it's a very heavy concept...try to follow along if you can...

Team Will or Team Jem?

Hey now, it's a hard question. How does Cassie expect us to choose? Why can't we just ask Magnus Bane to turn them into ONE man and be done with it? Simple solution if you ask me. Silver hair, blue eyes, healthy, in touch with his feelings, passionate...and well, not an ass to those he loves. What? We can't do that? Bugger.

Okay, so...am I Team Will or Team Jem....??????

Let me think on it as I write this (because obviously 476 pages wasn't nearly long enough for me to think on it)...

As always Cassie has handed us an amazing throng of characters to connect with in a setting that is vivid, enticing, and complicated. Not that NYC for Mortal Instruments isn't a perfect setting...but this just adds interesting changes that bode well for the texture of the story. Now, something else I found interesting was that unlike in The Mortal Instruments, I became rather fond of some of the adults in this book. Yes yes the adults in MI are great characters, I'm not saying they aren't, but you don't really get to know them that well. In CA you get that honor, and I like that. I think secretly I have a thing for Henry, but don't tell Charlotte...I'd hate for THAT woman to have a problem with me!

Speaking of the female characters...they all are terribly complicated and completely different which is a testament to great writing if you ask me. Each have qualities you love, ones you don't, and yet they all fit together perfectly...no matter how different they are. Of them all I do love our leading lady, Tessa, but I have a special spot in my heart for Charlotte...I suppose as head of a theatre company in NYC I connect to her the most as she tries to prove herself to the Enclave as the head of the Institute in London. (Aunt Callida and Benedict Lightwood can suck it!...eh-hem...sorry...I just had to say it).

The boys (Will and Jem) are night and day. Will reminds me of my love for Jace so how can I not bend toward him? He's gorgeous, quick witted, a talented fighter, damaged emotionally, passionate and hides himself behind a bravado we can't help but enjoy. Jem is beautiful, graceful, attentive, empathetic, a good fighter, there when you need him and kind. Tessa says it perfectly at the end of the book, "Then came Jem, and then Will, looking like two chess pieces from some odd game, both Jem's silver hair and Will's tangled black locks set off by the pallor of their clothes. White Knight and Black Knight, Tessa thought as they went up the steps and vanished into the Institute."

How is one to choose just one young man? *sigh* But I suppose I must. The problem is you get to know Will more in this book than Jem. You get more emotional attention to him by Tessa so you're pulled to him more, even with his "issues". Because of this, the passionate young woman in me is very much Team Will...he is so much like Chase in so many ways...and the passion in his kisses, ugh--to die for! So how can I not be Team Will? BUT...as I have just turned 40 the sensible side of me is Team Jem all the way! Passion is wonderful but communication, kindness, gentleness, intelligence...well, they go a lot further. I think if we'd had a bit more Jem with Tessa time I'd be leaning even harder that way...

That said...for now...I am team Jem who secretly wants to be Team Will. I know. It's a sickness. How about this, I reserve the right to change my mind after book two! I need more info to be solid on this...I just do. But for now, I suppose I'm on Jem's side...while I dip my toe in Will's side of the pool. ;)

This blog entry truly has been long enough. I leave you with one of my LOL moments from the book...

Jessamine recoiled from the paper as if it were a snake. "A lady does not read the newspaper. The society pages, perhaps, or the theater news. Not this filth."

"But you are not a lady, Jessamine--," Charlotte began.

"Dear me," said Will. "Such harsh truths so early in the morning cannot be good for the digestion."

"What I mean," Charlotte said, correcting herself, "is that you are a Shadowhunter first, and a lady second."

That's all for now...the full online summary is below...I do so suggest you go out and get this book. And when you're done go get The 3 books of The Mortal Instruments. You'll thank me.

Have a great weekend...and happy reading to those who have not yet read CA!

xo Tamsin :)

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Welcome to September!

It's September 1st people...and I feel the need to tell you what has been going on!

As you know, I'm on a hunt to find actors/models/people to portray the main roles in my newest book for a photo-shoot to be done in October. So far I've found someone for the following characters: Cash, Marlen, Lexie, Phin and Inari. I still have yet to find someone for Denika, Liam and a solid Zane...though I have a few options that aren't bad.

So, look at my list again from August 25th's post and let me know if you know anyone...or just let them them and they can let me know that they know. :)

Other good news is that my photographer and I scouted locations on Sunday and to say I got excited about the shoot would be an understatement. What that man can do with a camera is just bloody amazing! And the locations we found....beautiful!

Good news continues...spoke to my friend Mark Rosenthal, who is an accomplished swordsman, and he has swords we can use for the photos. Two smaller ones for Denika and a broadsword or two for Cash.

And the news just keeps on a comin'! Jet, the owner of the Vampire Freaks store, has agreed to loan us some clothing pieces for the shoot (we have to keep the garments clean though...so that might be rough but I'm going to go out of my way to make that work cause loaned clothing is better than buying clothing for a shoot, ya know?)!

Mark's sister Celine, a good friend of mine, has agreed to keep the make-up on our folks in check from take to take as well so as soon as I have my last few people chosen we are SET!

IN OTHER NEWS

I'm currently reading the 1st book in the Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, got it yesterday (the day it came out cause I am THAT nerd!) and when I'm done with it, I will do a review for you all! With how I read...and how I have tonight free to do so...the chances are high you will have your review soon. The only thing that could possibly delay it would be.......

TRITON FESTIVAL!!!!!

That's right...the biggest Goth/Industrial Festival in the US is happening THIS weekend in New York City! Well, technically in Brooklyn but what-the-fuck-ever. It's the biggest gathering of goth peeps so far this year...they're coming from England, Australia...and that's just those coming to WATCH...not all the bands that will be there!!! WOOT!

***** You can check it all out at http://vampirefreaks.com/ *****

What is also excellent about this is that there is a FREE kickoff party for everyone going to Triton this Thursday night called The Return of Cybertron where Jet will be DJing and you can get your Triton bracelet early! That means no waiting in line on Friday night! YAY!!

So, that's FOUR nights of great music! New People! And...my buddies Annabel, Jet, Mark, Sheri and others will be there! To top it off, my pal Matt is coming in from Boston!

Hence, if my review is a touch late you'll know why...if it's on time, you'll know it was so good, I FOUND the time to finish it out of severe need to read cause I couldn't put the book down!

Hope you too have a GREAT Labor Day Weekend. Know that my actual Labor Day will be spent sleeping and watching TV. :) Now THAT is some hard labor! ;)

xo

Tamsin :)