With a novella due out later this month, I'm already contemplating my next project. Although I'm still formulating the plot, I already know that I want to set it in the back streets of L.A. I picture dark streets and alleys with a noir ambiance to them. The primary locus will be a small jazz club with a bevy of odd characters coming and going. Noir can be dark, moody, sexy and no where is that seductively depicted than in the Alan Rudolph's 1984 movie Choose Me starring Keith Carradine, Lesley Ann Warren, Genevieve Bujold and Rae Dawn Chong. The movie also featured a jazz club amid the dark back streets of L.A., where prostitutes, lonely wanderers, the lovelorn, and in one case an escaped mental patient, converge in a series of quirky, love-crossed misadventures. The mood was set by a bluesy soundtrack sung by the late, great Teddy Pendergrass. Below is the original trailer that ran back in 1984 that had me eager to get to the nearest theater.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 1/25/2010 07:19:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Saturday, January 23, 2010
Gold Mountain Update
I found out yesterday that my historical novella, Gold Mountain, is due out February 23, exactly a month from today. It's still being proofed and a cover has yet to be chosen. I hope that they find some really attractive models for the cover, but in the interim I thought it'd be fun to pick out some generic photos that could serve as a cover or dramatize some scenes from the book.
Since the title is GOLD MOUNTAIN, this would work nicely.
This pic would serve as a good prototype for the shop run by Wao, a member of the triad and trader in opium. Behind the curtains would be the opium den for his "guests."
Buildings from Old Sacramento have been restored and renovated for tourists. This would have looked like the typical street my protagonists would have walked.
A dismal look at what Sacramento's Chinatown might have looked like in the old West.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 1/17/2010 02:21:00 PMPermanent Link |
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New pic
I visited Chicago's Botanic Gardens yesterday (yes, they're still open even in winter; they have greenhouses and other indoor flowers). I carried my old digital camera (practically a dinosaur compared to today's models) and took some shots. Here is one of some pretty flowers I came across; I filtered the photo through Photoshop to get a more "artistic" effect.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 1/17/2010 12:14:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Saturday, January 16, 2010
Renditions
The thing about a good song is that it is open to many interpretations, sometimes even better than the original. Here are a couple of songs I like in their original arrangements, and really like in their re-interpretations.
Steve Perry's "Foolish Heart" (original)
"Foolish Heart" re-interpreted by Sharon Bryant (formerly of Atlantic Starr - Note the young Denzel Washington at the end of the vid)
The Eagles "I Can't Tell You Why"
"I Can't Tell You Why" revisited by Brownstone, the phenomenal 90's trio
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 1/16/2010 02:30:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Charity Navigator
During this devastating time for the citizens of Haiti, many people want to donate money to help in the rescue and aid efforts. Unfortunately, there are always some who take advantage of the situation to scam money from the well-intended. Luckily, the Charity Navigator helps donors give intelligently. Below is a link to several organizations involved with helping the victims of Haiti's earthquake. No amount is too small, and every little bit adds up to much from many. Please take a moment to click the link and look over the list of fund-raising organizations.
Author Shiloh Walker is offering anyone who has donated at least $5 to any charitable organization an opportunity to be mentioned in one of her books. Find out the details of the contest at her Facebook page.
