The Life of a Newsroom Monkey Slave

Today I have special guest, Rachel Haimowitz in the house for a stop on her Where He Belongs blog tour, with a little insight to Daniel's world. And Rachel brought prizes! Don't forget to check out the details at the bottom of this post, and enter your name to win. Enjoy!


One of the questions I get asked most often about the Belonging books is where I got my inspiration for the world of masters and slaves against a backdrop of cable news. And my answer to this is, well, “Cable news,” where I misspent a brief period in my youth. While I can’t say I met many masters while I was there, I sure did see my fill of people working like slaves. The hours are long, the tasks are tedious, the pay is terrible, the job is thankless, and perhaps worst of all, the work is never done. Working at a 24/7 news channel is a little like juggling five balls at a time. On a unicycle. While blindfolded. Until you’re old enough to retire.

So, I thought today it’d be fun to give you a glimpse of a typical day for someone like Daniel, the news anchor protagonist of Anchored and my brand new release, Where He Belongs. It’s not so different from the typical day that inspired me to write these stories in the first place . . . except he probably gets a longer lunch than I ever managed to take.

7 AM: Good morning! Let’s ruin it by getting up at this ridiculous hour and jogging five miles. What’s that? You want music on your iPod. Oh no no no, you get a podcast of the overnight news, instead.

8 AM: Shower. But don’t forget to multi-task; flip on that in-shower radio and listen to the morning’s headlines.

8:30 AM: Breakfast. You only need one hand to eat, so be sure to use the other one to page through the morning’s New York Times and Washington Post. Slow news day? Pick up the Economist instead.

9:30 AM: Off to the newsroom. Worker bees take the subway. Executives and talent get car service.

10 AM: Morning conference call. This is gonna be a while, so put the phone on mute and speaker and just listen for the next hour while the head of programming and the executive producers on the morning shift confer about coverage for the day. Get some ideas. Take some notes. Speak when asked. But only listen with half your brain. You need the other half to sort through the tape logs from that interview you shot yesterday and put a three-minute package script together.

12 PM: First production meeting. Discuss the stories you have planned. Leave room for breaking news but be prepared to fill an hour if there isn’t any. Decide what to lead with and what to follow with. Big celebrity drug arrest last night? Talk with bookers about arranging addiction experts and Hollywood watchers to come do an interview after you run your package. Weep into your third cup of coffee and lament the six years you spent studying Arabic language and culture while you surf TMZ for the least flattering mugshot you can find.

1 PM: Wipe away those tears and nab an empty studio to shoot a promo for the evening’s broadcast. Remind the makeup lady she only needs to cut glare, not turn you into an Oompa Loompa.

1:30 PM: Spend an hour scanning video archives for just the right footage of Arrested Celebrity’s prior six arrests. Build a montage in Desk Edit while you eat your fresh veggie wrap from Whole Foods.

2 PM: Harangue the intern for failing to log two hours of b-roll in fifteen minutes because you need to pick footage now, damn it. Record a voice-over for your Celebrity Arrest package, instead.

2:30 PM: Production meeting #2. Your booker nabbed Dr. Phil and, for some baffling reason, Laura Ingraham. Resist the urge to throw yourself out the tenth-story window. They don’t actually open anyway.

3 PM: Breaking news! Some Republican politician is caught picking up gay hookers. Meet with executive producer to rearrange the lineup. Scramble for new guests. Brace for thirty minutes of empty partisan bickering.

4 PM: Confer with writers for intros and extros. Finish edits on the Celebrity Arrest package while sussing out all the angles for the Gay Hooker story. Try not to think too hard about the four years and $100,000 you spent on J-school.

5 PM: Change into a suit and tie to shoot that pre-tape with the Gay Hooker expert who can’t be there during the live taping.

5:14 PM: Finish writing the interview questions for Gay Hooker Expert

5:15 PM: Gay Hooker Expert arrives in the studio.

5:45 PM: Check in with writers and review the afternoon’s headlines over the wire.

6 PM: Production meeting #You’ve Lost Count. Earthquake in San Diego! We’re live in two hours but fuck it, scrap everything. You’ve spent four hours on the Celebrity Arrest package and three on the Gay Hooker froofra and you’ve already got those guests lined up, but a hundred people are dead and more are missing and it’s time for some wall-to-wall disaster chat. This is what cable news was made for, after all. Don’t even bother to archive those packages; they’ll be old news by the time you can get to them again.

6:15 PM: Confer with writers for new script. Don’t stress too hard about it—live disaster coverage is always wing-it time. Get on the phone with sources. Trust bookers and producers to do the same.

7 PM: Comb over the latest earthquake footage and select the most gruesome, heart-wrenching, and emotionally manipulative 60 seconds to replay over and over again for an hour solid on the big screen behind you while you reiterate the same sparse facts over and over again live on air in 45 minutes.

7:15: Scarf down the broiled chicken salad some intern dropped on your desk while you review what’s written of the evening’s script and the three packages your correspondents have managed to scrape together in the last 90 minutes.

7:30: Studio ho! Hair, makeup, IFB, microphone. Check face for suitable solemnity. Confirm satellite linkups with correspondents. Review every last scrap of information available about the disaster so far. Don’t get caught with your pants down.

8 PM: Spend the next 60 minutes hitting a moving target like the motherfucking professional you are.

9 PM: Shoot teases for tomorrow.

9:10 PM: Back to the newsroom. Change. Wash the makeup off your face. Confer with the late-shift producer to make sure you’ll have what you need on your desk come morning.

9:30 PM: Head home. Kiss partner. Change, brush teeth, listen to the news in the background because you can’t help yourself.

10:00 PM: Sex, also because you can’t help yourself.

10:04 PM: Shower.

10:15 PM: OMG the new True Blood!

11:15 PM: Read. Weekly newsmagazine, or latest political doorstop? Choices, choices . . .

12:00 PM: Bed. Leave Blackberry on your nightstand with much reluctance. Sleep lightly, just waiting for it to ring.

7 AM: Good morning! You were lucky this time—no breaking news at 4 AM. Celebrate with a five-mile jog. And chin up—you have a day off the Sunday after next!

* * *

Where He Belongs

The hottest name in network news is Daniel Halstrom. He is a sensation, a rising star. He is also a slave, owned wholly and completely by NewWorld Media.

But before he was a star, he was a frightened child from a bad place with a promising, if limited, future ahead of him. In The New Kid, young Daniel begins his schooling. Then, for a slave, the simple pleasure of a Bathroom Break is sometimes the only pleasure to be had. Later, Daniel doesn't know it, but A Chance Encounter might be the most important of his life. Next, in Camera Obscura, one of Daniel's colleagues reflects on the fact that as much as the camera may show, it can hide even more. Finally, when you're a slave, Independence Day is just another day.

* * *
PRIZES! PRIZES! :-)

There are prizes up for grabs at every stop on Rachel's Where He Belongs tour. On this stop, you can win an ebook of the first book in Rachel's Belonging series, Anchored. But don't worry if you already have Anchored! You can still win goodies if you live the US, like an awesome box of Belonging-verse swag. Just leave a comment and your name will be added to a random draw. Contest closes Monday, July 4 at 11:59 PM (PST), and the winner will be announce Tuesday morning.

Where He Belongs is available at Storm Moon Press.

Visit Rachel's website for more info at RachelHaimowitz.com and get the rest of the tour stops here: Where He Belongs Blog Tour

Book Trailer: Long Tall Drink

With a smidge over a month to go, I'm gearing up for the upcoming release of my new M/M romance novella, Long Tall Drink, on August 2nd.

I have a sooper seekrit project that I will start teasing out on my blog each Tuesday, beginning next week, until release day. Be sure and check back to see Long Tall Drink's companion -- and how it can be yours.

In the meantime, I've been playing around with iMovie again and put together a little book trailer. Hope you enjoy it! :-)

Hot July Days - M/M Style

The organizers of the M/M Romance group over at Goodreads.com, put together a challenge for the group authors and aspiring authors, in the form of Dear Author letters. Group members were asked to find a photo and write a letter asking what the story behind that photo was. Some people just said, "tell me the story". Others gave detailed prompts. There were over 100 letters posted, and all were claimed.

Starting July 1st, the stories will be posted on Goodreads.com -- if you're not a member, now's a good time join. ;-) Two or three each day through the month, and likely into August due to sheer volume. Eventually, the wonderful mods at the M/M Romance group will compile the short stories into an anthology for download.


This is the reader's letter:

Dear Author,

I can't tell you how long I've wanted a story to go along with this picture. I love the thought that they have been friends forever and just couldn't resist each other anymore.

I would be forever grateful if you could help me out!

Sincerely,
Nic B

* * *

What did I do with that? Well, here's a little teaser from my soon-to-be-published-on-Goodreads short story, Open Tackle...


I love you.

The words bounced around inside Rory’s skull like ping-pong balls in a wind tunnel.

I love you.

Did Owen really say that? Like he meant it in a non-brotherly, non-best-friend, I-want-to-get-naked-with-you way?

Rory kicked off the covers, threw his legs over the edge of the bed, and groaned when he glanced at the clock radio on his night table. Such an innocuous, inanimate object, yet it begged for his fist, the way it tauntingly displayed 4:47am in obnoxious digital green. He hardly slept more than an hour in fits and starts since Owen dropped the L-bomb on him and then ran for the hills.

He rolled out of bed, pulled on a pair of cotton briefs that were lying on the floor, and wandered across the small bedroom to stand in front of the window. From his third-story apartment, he could see Folsom Stadium, painted with the first blush of a sunrise kiss. Beyond the main CU-Boulder campus the infamous Flatirons reached for the heavens in all their glory. It was five miles from his apartment to the university, but in the clear mile-high Colorado air it appeared as close as crossing the block.

He could even see the campus dorms. Where he used to live with Owen.

He exhaled a heavy sigh. The gust of hot, moist breath collided with the cool glass surface and created a thin fog that clouded his view. He drew an O in the center with his fingertip and watched it vanish. A secret message left behind for discovery.

Last night, seven sleepless hours ago, when they’d been celebrating another game victory at a local sports pub, Owen Harris, his very best friend, told Rory he loved him. To say Rory had been stunned was an understatement. He’d fought saying those very words himself for so long now, dreamed of hearing them tumble off Owen’s enticing tongue to lick the shell of his ear. When he finally did hear them his brain short-circuited, throat closed, heart stopped. That the dream had manifested into reality was beyond surreal.

Especially considering Owen wasn’t even gay.

Or so Rory had believed.

Rory’s mental engine had stuttered and coughed as the ignition fought to fire. Coherent thought and speech danced just beyond his reach and left him sitting there, staring at Owen like he was from another planet, speaking a foreign language. Frozen with the overwhelming hope that what he was hearing was true, and paralyzed with the fear that he’d had a few too many tequila shots and imagined his friend’s declaration.

But Owen, always quick to jump to conclusions, took his silence as rejection. I’m sorry, he said as his beautiful brown eyes began to glitter with moisture. I am so sorry! Then he turned and ran from the bar.

When Rory’s motor finally kicked in and spurred him into action, he raced through the front doors and spilled out onto a near-deserted Pearl Street.

Owen was gone.

* * *
The deets:
     Open Tackle: 6,200 words
     Characters: Rory Ballard and Owen Harris
     Genre: M/M
     SubGenre: Contemporary
     Tags: Friends to Lovers, College, First Time, Football/Sports, Athletes

Music Monday: Killing in the Name

Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine

Yes, my music collection is rather eclectic, and I wouldn't have it any other way. When you get right down to the core, I'm a die-hard rocker at heart - I love raw, aggressive, gritty, in-your-face rock. Just like Rage. :-)

Author Interview & Giveaway with Lou Harper

I’m thrilled to have author Lou Harper in the house today to talk a little about writing and her debut release, HANGING LOOSE. Here's a little snippet:

When shy Midwestern transplant Nate meets the cool Californian Jez, he's instantly drawn to the sexy surfer even though he didn't know he was gay. The two become first roommates, then friends. Does he have the courage to explore his other feelings?

Thanks so much for dropping by, Lou.

Tell us a little about your upcoming book, HANGING LOOSE.
       It can be best described as a light and breezy summer romance. There's not a whole lot of angst, although it's not without tension. The narrator is Nate, a young man from the Midwest who recently moved to Los Angeles. He's adrift and alone till a chance encounter with Jez, the quintessential blond California surfer gives his life a shape, and takes him to unexpected places.
       At the beginning of the story Nate believes himself to be straight, yet he's attracted to Jez like a moth to a flame. So, on the surface it might look like a GFY story, but I don't consider it as such: it's more about self-discovery, and letting go of self- and society-imposed constraints. And a lot of it is just about good old fashioned lust.the cover. I am very grateful to her for creating such a fitting and beautiful design.

That sounds great! What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
       I liked writing boozy Nate. He's a shy, introverted guy, but when his inhibitions are loosened all his quirkiness, his passion comes spilling out.
       I also loved Arthur -- he started out as a small supporting character but before I knew it he was stealing all the scenes he was in.

I hope that means Arthur will get his own story. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
       Just like Nate, I moved to LA from the Midwest, and found the place fascinating, fell in love with the endless blue skies, but was also a little bewildered and lost. That was the starting point and from there it spun out into make-believe. Los Angeles itself is a character in the story, and that's mostly based on personal experiences.

Twilight Zone or the Outer Limits?
       Twilight Zone

What, for you, is the hardest part of writing?
       Keeping the momentum. I have a full time job, so I do most of my writing on the weekends, and in little snatches during the week. When I start on a story my head is buzzing with the characters and plot elements, but with all the interruptions sometimes it's hard to keep them all fresh and alive.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
       I often write scenes or dialogues in my head while driving. I repeat them to myself several times so I don't forget. I do the same thing at night in bed too, before falling asleep. That's as quirky as I get.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
       Editing was the biggest challenge. I consider myself incredibly lucky for my manuscript getting accepted by Loose Id. My editor, Tere Robinson kicked serious ass. The novella got much better thanks to her. Before her, my beta reader, Jo Myles helped a lot. I don't think Hanging Loose would've gotten into a shape good enough to submit without her.
       I think, for an aspiring new writer the most important thing is to have somebody who's on the same wave length as you are, and will also give you absolutely honest feedback, point out all your mistakes and shortcomings, and give suggestions how to fix them.

What was the best thing before sliced bread?
       I actually don't like sliced bread. I'm a bread snob: I love a big loaf hard-crusted sourdough. Other than that: typewriters? I have horrible handwriting.

How excited were you when you got that first book contract? How did you celebrate?
       I was flabbergasted, as I was fully prepared for a rejection. I celebrated by writing. The acceptance letter had brief but candid notes of what the editors wanted to improve. It inspired me to add a whole new chapter.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
       A lot of books did. As a child and teenager I spent most of my time in the fantasy world of books. I had a serious book addiction for a while. Reading a lot of different books taught me that there are infinite ways of looking at the same things.
       I read Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude when I was about fifteen and sixteen. Naturally, I was taken by the sensuality of it, but also that wondrous mix of real and fantastical -- it was like an eye-opener, making me realize that not everything had to be cut and dry and logical. It gave permission not knowing all the answers, and being okay with it.

Is there a particular theme or idea you’d love to work with?
       I have this vague idea of a sexy science fiction mystery set in a future where humankind has spread out into the universe and met other intelligent life forms. It would be a Holmes-Watson kind of story, with a human and half-alien as the protagonists. I have no idea if I'll ever get around to writing it.

If your book were made into a movie, who do you picture playing each character’s part?
       A couple of very talented, fresh-faced unknowns who'd go on to bright and shining careers.

Love it! What can we expect to see next for you?
       My short story, BETWEEN FRIENDS has just been released by Dreamspinner Press -- it's part of the First Time for Everything Daily Dose anthology. It's a raunchy yet surprisingly sweet romance between childhood friends grown up. It's also very GFY on the surface. Hmm, maybe I have a theme here.
       Otherwise I don't have anything coming out in the very near future. I just finished the first draft of a short novel about two men with pasts that threaten to catch up with them and wreck havoc on their already complicated romance. I'll be spending the next several weeks pummeling it into presentable shape and then look for a publisher.

If you were a superhero, what would your superpowers to be?
       I could swap people's memories. Take a memory from one person's head and put it into another's. It could help some people with empathy.

Now that would be a cool superpower!

Thanks again for taking time out of your schedule to hang out, Lou. Good luck with your new release. HANGING LOOSE is on sale now at Loose Id.

But before we go, you could also win a free copy just by commenting here for Lou between now and midnight Friday, June 10th. We'll announce the lucky winner Saturday morning. Be sure to include your email address so we can get a hold of you.

Music Monday: Hoppipolla

Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros

Today is a double because this is a truly beautiful and uplifting piece of music. First up, the instrumental version. Just close your eyes and let it take you where it takes you.



And second, the vocal version and official video. This is absolutely one of the BEST videos I've ever seen. It is so sweet and charming and damn if my eyes are all teared up again...

Random Quote

"Live without pretending, love without depending, listen without defending, speak without offending."
    -- Unknown

Get Ready to Hang Loose

Next week M/M romance author Lou Harper is going to stop by and tell us a little about her new book, Hanging Loose. I think I've even convinced her to reveal her superhero superpowers. And that's not all. Lou is also going to be giving away a free copy of Hanging Loose to one lucky commenter! Make sure you stop by on June 7th, say "hi", and maybe take home a great new ebook.

Until then, here's the (unofficial) blurb:

After graduating from art school Nate left the Midwest for sunny Southern California, not quite sure what he hoped to find. It was almost certainly not falling in love with another man. His whole world and assumptions about himself begin to slowly turn upside down on one hot summer day. Seeking respite from the heat and his loneliness at Venice Beach he has a chance encounter with a handsome blond surfer.

Jez is friendly, easygoing and just a little bit mysterious. The shy Nate has an instant affinity to Jez, drawn to him from the very start. The openly gay Jez offers Nate a place to stay, and the two men become fast friends. Nate makes new friends, adjusts to his new life, but his unbidden attraction to Jez keeps growing. In their moments of closeness Nate realizes that he wants Jez more than just a friend, but it might be too late. To make Jez his Nate has to face not only his own fears and insecurities but Jez's secrets too.

Hanging Loose is available Tuesday, June 7th from Loose Id.