Actors Sought for My "Writing Wall" Please!

I'm very, truly grateful to all who've shown their support and kindness in recent months - you're the definition of "awesome-sauce"! - and just wanted to post a quick update/acknowledgement of the love, as well as to seek further inspiration.

I've relocated back to the (currently) frigid Midwest, just outside Chicago, to be near family as I try to sort out some longer-term health issues (losing my sister Carole last September having especially reaffirmed, to me, that we must appreciate those we love while we're able).  And to keep my own spirits up regarding my own health, I am also trying to focus on the one thing that has always made me feel the most alive: my writing.

The goal is to finish two big projects that had gotten sidetracked a bit when the health issues bloomed, and I am just seeking inspiration.  Since I started writing at about age eight, I've always used actors, writer, singers - celebrities who were personal favorites of mine - for inspiration when creating characters.  Even now, with the projects I am working to finish in order to keep my positivity and focus strong, actors from Kenton Duty to Debra Messing, Randall Park to Michael B. Jordan, Melissa McCarthy to Dane DeHaan and many more have helped me, visually, to create entire worlds on paper - and to that end, starting when I was about ten and my mom taught me how to write my first "fan letter," growing up I actually collected and framed and displayed autographed photos of my favorite actors, writers and recording artists - those who've personally inspired me to create - all over the wall above where I would sit down to write every day.  Such a "Writing Wall" has been my rock, creatively, for decades.

It's been many years since I created a new Writing Wall, and when recently putting together the little writing corner of my new bedroom, it occurred to me that if ever I needed all the inspiration I could muster, it'd be now.

Am a movie JUNKIE, complete with a film review blog I write (the link will give you an idea of recent favorites), and below is a list of TV series that even (along with the actors in them) have helped me create characters in the novel I am working to complete, as well as the current comedic series I am working on first episodes for, "Lizzie Borden's Home for Aspiring Actors".  From big names (like the ones earlier in this post) to future A-listers I pay attention to when no one else  - YET - seems to know their names (Austin Falk?  Henry Zaga?  Fady Elsayed?  Don't know who they are?  You should!).  For anyone reading this, if you know of WHERE or HOW I could get an autographed photo from any of these actors or projects - a business address I could perhaps send a self-addressed stamped envelope to, or maybe you have access to that person or set yourself and could maybe get a note to them - could you please let me know?  I don't have money to purchase autographs, but then again I wouldn't do so, anyway - surely not unless the money was going directly to the person whose autograph is it (which is as it should be!) - and besides, some of the magic is when it comes from the heart ... when that person or production office KNOWS I am a fan, and the photo maybe even comes back signed "To Don" or something.  For me, I WANT the person or office to know that what they do, their work, has not only touched me in some way, but also kept me shooting for my own dreams.

I can be reached at my email address if you have any "leads" or can help, or could also send you a mailing address if you can actually send something.  Have started emptying out a dozen or so 8x10 frames so far, God Bless if you can in any way help me to fill them again; to help in creating a new Writing Wall so that I can stay positive and focus on my craft.  

Either way, thanks for reading - and THANK YOU ALL TO HECK, especially, if you are someone listed on this page, whether individually or as part of an incredible cast, who's inspired the heck out of me! 

Don

Some of the best reasons to turn on a TV right now (in absolutely no order):  "Fresh Off the Boat", "Mike & Molly" (damn you, CBS!), "The Mysteries of Laura", "Elementary", "Empire", "Gotham", "Game of Thrones", "The Big Bang Theory", "Family Guy", "Mozart in the Jungle", "Shameless", "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", "2 Broke Girls", "Downton Abbey", "American Horror Story", "Bates Motel", "Penny Dreadful", "Death in Paradise", "Sherlock", "Fargo", "Nashville", "The Fosters", "Chicago Fire", "Chicago Med", "The Goldbergs", "The Middle", "NCIS", "NCIS: New Orleans", "How to Get Away with Murder", "Archer", "Once Upon a Time", "Bob's Burgers", "The Originals", "Second Chance", "Mr. Robot", "Master of None", "Grimm", "The Walking Dead", "Scream: The Series", "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries", "The Flash", "Arrow",  "iZombie", "Bordertown", "Longmire", "Daredevil", "Sleepy Hollow", "Rosewood", "Jessica Jones", "Teen Wolf", "Lucifer", "Mercy Street" - and my apologies for any I left out!

FAVORITE ACTORS (pretty much anyone in the cast of anything above, but these are probably those whose work I try most NOT to miss, and/or who've directly influenced my writing): Chloe Grace Moretz, Debra Messing, Courteney Cox, Kenton Duty, Tom Hardy, Adam Scott, Meryl Streep, Dev Patel, Maggie Smith, Randall Park, Reno Wilson, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Tom Hiddleston, Taron Egerton, Michael Fassbender, Steven Yeun, Idris Elba, Melissa McCarthy, Tony Jaa, Russell, Tovey, Will Poulter, Robbie Kay, Zach Gilford, Gong Yoo, Mark Ruffalo, Gavin MacIntosh, Lana Parrilla, Charles Michael Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Viola Davis, Iwan Rheon, Armie Hammer, Connie Britton, John Boyega, Dane DeHaan, Jessica Chastain, Michael B. Jordan, Robert Sheehan, Keean Johnson, Tony Revolori, Aziz Ansari, Chris Evans, Margot Robbie, Ryan Reynolds, Taye Diggs, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Claire Holt, Robert Pattinson, Rupert Grint, Fady Elsayed, Henry Cavill, Luke Bilyk, Booboo Stewart, Joseph Morgan, Adam Driver, Ezra Miller, Morris Chestnut, Tye Sheridan, Kunal Nayyar, Johnny Galecki, Kim Bum, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Adam Scott, Eddie Redmayne, Jesse Plemons, Kirsten Dunst, Jason Sudeikis, Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander, Anthony Mackie, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bradley Cooper, Taylor Kinney, Lady Gaga, James McAvoy, Ian McKellen, Michael Pena, Dylan Minnette, Jude Law, Helena Bonham Carter, Matthew Goode, Kathy Bates, Ben Whishaw, Judi Dench, Ryan Gosling, Vera Farmiga, Dominic Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Orlando Bloom, Helen Mirren, Chris & Liam & Luke Hemsworth, Miles Teller, Anthony Mackie, Gerard Butler, Channing Tatum, Colin Firth, Colin Farrell, Chris Evans, Emile Hirsch, Zac Efron, Dave & James Franco, Nicholas Hoult, Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniel Craig, Evan Peters, and more ... many of which I've left off, but it was fun listing them, just bringing back some great film and TV memories!

Why I Love Movies (well, one reason)

Have been watching Academy Award wins/acceptance speeches from the 1970's and 1980's on YouTube (came across one recommended to me, and it becomes a downward spiral after that as most of you know), and am amazed by how much of my memories are tied into movies in one way or another.  I have entire blocks of my childhood I cannot remember, but remember rooting like hell for Faye Dunaway to win for Network because that film knocked me on my ass as a kid, or when Nicholson got his for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Louise Fletcher did part of her acceptance speech in sign language when she won for the same film (my sister Carole, who passed back in September, took me to see that movie, it was very R-rated and I was 13 at the time - a much more innocent age, in 1975 - and the film both enthralled and devastated me).  So, SO many of my favorite memories are tied into films, tied into my heart, I guess they and books were always a fat lonely kid's best friends and companions, growing up - the most poignant of all maybe being this acceptance speech by Whoopi Goldberg, for Ghost.  I sat in front of the TV living every moment of her talking about growing up wanting to be up on that stage, filled with the desire to act and win an Oscar one day, and while a wonderful memory it's also brought home the fact that you just - don't - always - reach your dreams.  O-blah-dee, O-blah-dah, life goes on ... but for anyone here who thinks I blather on too much about movies, please know that much of it is due to one simple fact: they are tied to my memories, and my heart, like family.  In many ways stronger than family, because movies never leave you, and never betray you.  Whenever you need to see one that fills your empty spirit again, it'll always be there.

Amazing, What $10 Can Do ...

From 2009-2013, for 3.5 years, I did fundraising for a variety of amazing organizations including Planned Parenthood​, Human Rights Campaign​, National Organization for Women (NOW)​, NAACP​, ASPCA, Amnesty International​, Galapagos Conservancy​ (love you, Lonesome George, RIP!), Democratic National Committee​e, Gay and Lesbian Task Force, GLSEN, PBS, Mother Jones​, President Barack Obama​'s re-election campaign, and many more.  It was incredibly grueling work, at times, but the rewards very much worth it - the vibe at our re-election party to celebrate all our hard work, while watching the election results rolls in, was a night I'll never forget; not to mention, in general, all the amazing people I talked to, for all these above causes and more, who were as passionate about supporting them as I was.

The number 10 became my lucky number in those days; the countless times I talked to a potential donor who was on the fence, or at first rejected giving because they were too embarrassed to say they couldn't give a lot - felt what they could afford wouldn't make a difference, anyway.  I would remind them that if they could even do the cost of a discounted pizza - only $10, and maybe eat in that one night instead of ordering that pizza, giving that ten-spot to a campaign they believed in, instead - that if everyone I talked to in just a week gave just $10 to that same cause, it would amount to anywhere from $8-$10 THOUSAND dollars!  In one week!  Like HELL $10 won't make a difference!  I couldn't begin to calculate how many people kind of "got it" after that, even if they did preface their donation with, "Well, okay, I really AM sorry it can't be more ... " shyness or embarrassment, but I was being 100% sincere.  Ten dollars, multiplied, adds up very, VERY quickly, and I will go to my grave being very proud of the work I did for all these causes.

I lay in bed well past midnight last night, awake and restless as I always am over worries of health, money and being evicted, when it occurred to me that it was after midnight;  technically December the 10th.  Ten, a number that had been so lucky for me in the past, and had worked so well in helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for causes I supported.

So today, December 10th, I ask that anyone who read this please take my campaign to heart and see - even in this holiday season - if you could spare the cost of a discounted pizza to help me cross the final item from my Bucket List.  It's funny, I'd make double my goal if everyone on my Facebook friends list alone donated just $10 each, but for anyone who can do so it'd be confirmation to me that both Christmas and myself are still to be believed in.  To those who've already helped out - THANK YOU,and have already got your names down for the Acknowledgements page in the book! - but if you could even share the link below with passion, adding a quick note as to why you're sharing, then maybe this goal can come true at $10 a pop.

Meanwhile, I hope you are all having an amazing time prepping for the holidays.  I know it's a tough time of year to have someone else coming at you, asking for a gift no less, but please believe me when I say $10 can make the most incredible difference, when multiplied; I spent 3.5 years making others realize that and the results were phenomenal, so please donate if you are able ... and think I am worth $10 after reading the campaign, of course!

My "Last on My Bucket List" GoFundMe Campaign!

 

(THE ARTIST'S LIFE) "End of a Dream"

I grew up the outcast.  The only boy of seven children, being a fat kid, chronic illness, knowing from an early age I was attracted only to members of my own sex - it was like from leaving the womb I would know what it was like to, ultimately, be alone.  It was one of the reasons I turned to writing at the age of eight, creating worlds I didn't myself live in, where the misfit both wins and even finds true love in the end.  Later, as an adult when I got into acting and stand-up, I learned that humor broke down a whole lot of barriers in people, and making others laugh became not my music but a grand symphony.  Those were fun times, even if brief because I knew writing was my first love.

But I've recently realized there comes a time when the dream must come to an end.  When you simply must wake up, and accept a life like that of Salieri in the film version of Amadeus - who, the first time he hears Mozart play, knows himself to be "forever mediocre."

I thought "Candyland" was a great idea, and could ultimately kick-ass as a real television series - but while the readership is loyal as hell, it's remained small; as much traffic as has been driven to a blog with over 7,600 pageviews in just a few months, it's the donations that were needed to keep things going that haven't been there.  That buzz has been slow to build, but sadly too slow; time has run out, and I simply don't have the resources to continue the series anymore.

So like many potentially-good series that have had to come to an abrupt end, I am sorry to say that I have to pull the plug on "Candyland".  The two grand needed simply didn't come in; not enough buzz, or support from those who may have even tried reading it.  So, with apologies and pleas for forgiveness to those who HAVE been reading, know that it was a blast to receive your support and comments, praise and such endearing love for the characters in the story ... but "Candyland" does, at least for now, end with episode 12.  I hope you have liked what you've read of it.

But more importantly, the lesson I've learned here is that - as I said - you must realize when the dream must end and the reality must begin.  It's simply ... not fun writing anymore, after this.  And while I hope one day it will come back - and did appreciate and love it while I had it - I just wanted now to bow out gracefully, and give my dearest thanks to all who've shown their support ... whether retweeting or favoriting, reposting or sharing, or even donating money to try and help keep the dream alive; it really made that little eight-year-old putting pen to paper in me smile.  And please know, while I may be forgotten ... you never will.

God Bless!

Don

dsareboot@gmail.com
P.S. If you'd still like to try and help save this series - keep the dream alive - please feel free to do so; am giving it a couple of days to see what can be done, but in the event you feel you CAN donate to this writer's dream, please go directly to the "Candyland" blog and use the "Donate" button on the left there.  THANK YOU.

(The Artist's Life) "An Actor's Writer?" - Part 2

No sacrilege meant, but it's true: "In the beginning was the Word ..."

Yet the more I work to break down doors, the more I "get" that I may never understand how - or if - Los Angeles works for a writer just trying to be seen.  Even if the simple truth is that every film, every television series, every project shot there begins with words.  And where would words be without the writer to compose them ... even as, somehow, it still feels like the writer is not appreciated enough?

To all who've read, praised, and supported "Candyland" - you're the BEST; after a few years toiling in Los Angeles, your feedback, attention and support for my series-in-book-form has been amazing!  But it's actually my second project using the City of Angels and the pursuit of fame as a backdrop (I guess maybe I am an "actor's writer," as I can't seem to stop writing about actors), and for those who've commented about the narrative format of "Candyland" and asked of my ability to do it scripted ... 

Below is the predecessor, and the project that forever remains #1 in my heart: "Hollywood Boys", the story of five guys who come from all over the country to make it in Los Angeles, season one (13 episodes) chronicling their first two years in L.A. and - in the season finale - coming full circle back to scene one of the pilot ... when all five guys have indeed "made it," but one of them (the viewer doesn't know who, until episode 13) has been shot to death at a big Hollywood premiere.

The Dream was always that the pilot, subsequent scripts and bible for "Hollywood Boys" would - at the least - lead to an entry position on the writing staff of a television series (as was suggested to me once, actually) ... but in truth, those actors who've read the pilot have made comments like "I can't believe this isn't on television already" or "This is how it really is; it NEEDS to be seen!" - so if nothing else I wanted to present it here, for anyone to read, in  the hopes its merits/potential are recognized.  Its audacity and dark humor were directly influenced by Showtime's "Shameless" and you can read the entire first episode, introducing the guys, here:

"HOLLYWOOD BOYS" Pilot

Questions or comments?  Don: 213-235-6995

I've battled a lot in life - who hasn't? - but still #1 on my Bucket List remains undone: being a working writer in Los Angeles.  I know in L.A. it's pretty much "All for one ... and every man for himself," but with all those I tried to help while there, actors especially, I am just hoping to put the karmic vibe out one last time, wondering if some of it may bounce back in the end via an actor or writer or producer who may see this, and realize that "paying it forward" for something you think worthy of your time brings back memories of where YOU came from as a struggling-to-be-seen artist, too.

(The Artist's Life) "Forgetting Where You Came From"

While having met and/or known a slew of actors in my life - from those who've yet to have a single professional credit on their resume, to the likes of actors famous globally (Betty White to George Clooney, Chris Hemsworth to Sandra Bullock, Dick Van Dyke to Bradley Cooper, John to Jason Ritter, Lana Turner to Carol Burnett, Eric Idle to Diane Keaton, Ryan Kwanten to Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Cyndi Lauper to Hugh Dancy, Ian Somerhalder to Matthew Broderick, John Stamos to Johnny Galecki, Larry Hagman to Leonard Nimoy, and many more - and yes, I know name-dropping is a veritable sin in Los Angeles, so please forgive me; that wasn't my goal) and everyone in between, what I think I've noticed most about the price of celebrity is how fast it can make you forget who you are.

More importantly, where you've come from.

And maybe MOST importantly, how fame can teach you to remember only where you are now.

This is one of the themes I really want to explore in "Candyland" - and in fact have already come across, big-time, just in the marketing of the series.  While I've let the writing speak for itself and the feedback has been phenomenal from those who have taken the time to even explore the first couple of episodes - as well as the Twitter and Facebook support from actors and artists such as Kenton Duty, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Brad Everett Young, Jeff Hephner, Greg Louganis, Gren Wells, Michael Cerveris, Danny John-Jules, Bronson Pelletier, Nick Jaine, Jackson Hurst, Robbie Kay, Rocky Tayeh, the writing staff of "The Mysteries of Laura", Carlos Pratts, Johnny Ortiz, George Mahood, Q. Allan Brocka, and more - what I find even more telling are those who seem to have forgotten what it was like to be that struggling actor or writer or musician, working yourself ragged to get the attention of someone either whose work you admire, or who may even be able to help you get just one - single - solitary rung further up that ladder of success themselves, if for no other reason than in honor of someone who helped them when they needed it most.

Sadly, that's not how it works.  And I'm not just talking about myself or my own work, by any means (though trust me, in the LGBT community it's even worse; your best shot at getting acknowledged, let alone supported, as a struggling artist there is by being young, good-looking, and showing some skin).  On Facebook and Twitter alone, I follow bands and singers and YouTubers and actors no one would yet (emphasis: YET) even know by name, but in each and every instance I do so because there is something about them that's special - that deserves attention; a spark that will maybe help get them where they need to go, if they persevere.  Were I in a better place to help I would, and in fact you will find a few of them featured on this blog, as my way of saying "THIS is something/someone you should check out."

But while Facebook and Twitter abound with charitable causes and Kickstarter campaigns and political endorsements or government corruption or the state of the environment around the world (which is the best part of both sites) ... I still find it sad when a celebrity posts the view outside their airplane window, or what they had for dinner, or the goofy resting bitchy face of their pitbull - over, instead, maybe taking a few minutes to watch a post from that new YouTuber ... listen to that indie band's new release ... check out the new play in that hole-in-the-wall theater near you ... hell, even actually READ an episode or two of "Candyland" ... and not only remember where you came from, but also realize maybe you can have a hand in helping a struggling artist you like, or believe in, get another step closer to where you are.

Just something to think about.  Something I really hope to address in "Candyland", as well.  And something I will never, ever forget - because no matter where my own work may or may not take me, I will never forget to acknowledge those who were supportive ... or those who are talented and therefore deserving of YOUR support, too, if only you'd take the time to know it.

(THE ARTIST'S LIFE) "An Actor's Writer?"

The other day someone mentioned in an email that I was "an actor's writer."  I thanked them for the compliment but asked for some elaboration, and this person - a "Candyland" reader all caught up through episode 8 - told me that not only was it obvious that actors inspire my work as a writer, but that I also write "cinematically"; that as they read each episode it comes to life in their mind's eye, like a film playing on a screen behind their eyes.

Profound?  Garbage?  Ahh, the hell with it; I still ran with what sound like a compliment.

I've expressed my love for actors here a few times.  It's so strong, were I not a writer I think I'd make a kick-ass agent or manager (this is mostly likely the reason behind the backdrop of "Candyland"); little gets me more excited than coming across an actor who's made an impression on me, whom no one else has even heard of so that I can rant and rave about how awesome they are to anyone who will listen.  Better still is when that same actor blows up on the screen at last, leaping from wannabe to A-lister (or thereabouts), and suddenly the whole world wants a piece of them.  Makes ya kind of want to shout a collective "Duh!" because you knew that actor was that good all along.

From the most recent TV season alone, could you name any of these "handful" of stand-outs?

"The Mysteries of Laura" (ep18) - that hot sailor, all in white, who gave Laura Diamond her first lead in the case?  HENRY ZAGA

"Elementary" (ep17) - the "Uniformed Cop" who spends all of a minute on-screen ... yet in that minutes carried enough screen presence and charisma to inspire the character of Dominic in "Candyland"?  DAVID CARRANZA

"The Middle" (ep22) - the hunk-with-a-heart who asks to be Sue's prom date, forever cementing himself in the hearts of anyone watching?  DAVID HULL

"Mike & Molly" (ep17) - the dead-pan hilarious waitress from Mudlick, nearly caught in the middle of a not-so-friendly sisterly reunion?  MAILE FLANAGAN

"The Originals" (ep2) - the young Marcellus, emotionally shuttled between the Mikaelson brothers while seeking a mentor?  MCCARRIE MCCAUSLAND

"The Mysteries of Laura" (ep19) - the macho hot-headed Russian basketball player Laura Diamond tricks into an interrogation?  ANTON NARINSKIY

(Yeah, I like "Laura" - and Debra Messing.)

"Sirens" (ep1) - Johnny and Theresa's adorkable landlord, making an impression on not only Hank but viewers over a few-episodes arc?  JESSE LUKEN

"2 Broke Girls" (ep3) - the most hilarious little gay kid in New York, with an obsession with the 1990's?  J.J. TOTAH

"The Goldbergs" - Dave Kim should be a series regular.  Period.  KENNY RIDWAN

"Fresh Off the Boat" (ep8) - the short-term restaurant manager at Cattleman's Ranch, whose good looks and customer service gave Mitch a brief run for his money?  PARKER YOUNG

"Bates Motel" (ep4) - the don't-bother-me guy in the internet cafe who Norma talks into trying to hack into her mysterious flash drive?  MANNY JACINTO

"American Horror Story: Freaskshow" - JYOTI AMGE, MAT FRASER, ROSE SIGGINS, ERIKA ERVIN, CHRISTOPHER NEIMAN, ASHLYNN ROSS and the late BEN WOOLF made a main cast of virtual non-actors some of the most endearing - and heartbreaking -characters in primetime.

To name a few.  I guess my only point is that "Candyland" - shit, a lot of my writing, over the years - would not exist were it not for the actors who inspired it ... and I hope that shows in every episode of those who read it.

So for every "star" you see on the big and small screen, front and center, do yourself a favor and also occasionally glance at the actors crisscrossing in the background, with no dialogue ... the day player with one line who gives it his or her all ... or even the occasional recurring character who takes up maybe two minutes of screen time total, but who makes the most of that time by making their presence felt while they have the chance.

Those are the real stars, to me.  The ones behind the "A-listers" - and the ones who are really responsible for making whole the fictional worlds those "big stars" inhabit.

You are the ones who inspire me to create these worlds - these people - on paper; am so proud, if it really does show.  And Bless ya for it.

"Candyland"

(THE ARTIST'S LIFE) What Price Would You Pay for Fame?

To gain a larger audience, hopefully pushing the series that much closer to the reality of getting on Showtime, HBO or even Netflix, "Candyland" is now absolutely FREE for anyone online!  No downloading, no sharing of email, no purchase needed.

Just go to the official blog and start reading NOW!

And a humble THANK YOU to Robbie Kay, Jeff Hephner, Dior Choi, Brad Everett Young, "Glenn Rhee", David Schatanoff Jr. and others who, in one way or another, have shown their social media support!

questions/comments: readtvcandyland@gmail.com

(THE ARTIST'S LIFE) For Every Actor I've Ever Met, and Those I've Yet to Know

Yesterday I finished writing Episode 7 of "Candyland" - and for the first time in a long time, as a writer, suffered pangs of postpartum depression when it was done.  The series and characters are getting more and more complex - more difficult to write - taking twists and turns already that I hadn't foreseen (and 29 episodes still to go), with more characters leaping onto the stage when I'm not looking, demanding to be heard.

One of my goals with this story of "making it big" in Los Angeles was, in particular, to touch on the experiences of young, good-looking guys trying to maneuver their way through the minefield that is show business.  The pitfalls for women in the industry have been widely chronicled - sexism, ageism, the casting couch - but in the nearly four years that I lived in Los Angeles, I had the incredible privilege of talking and making friends with many actors, and apart from what I observed myself was also in turn shocked, amused, disbelieving, or happily surprised by what many of the guys recounted to me ... some of which is making its way into this world I find myself more and more obsessed with every week (something I hope is happening to my readers, as well - and it seems to be, thankfully, based on comments and feedback I've already received).

(WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD; proceed at your own risk if you haven't yet read Episode 7!)

Nowhere are some of these stories touched on more than in Episode 7, "Secrets & Fries", in which a struggling actor finds himself quite literally the victim of a horrific crime, after being lured into a scam photo shoot that ended in spiked drinks leaving him nearly unconscious and the unwilling participant in a porn film.  And in another storyline, a young talent just starting to get attention - and real work - in the industry, who has always used his face and body to charm women, finds himself struggling with the realization that he's fallen in love for the first time ... with another man.

In the first instance, Dominic finally tracks down the other actor/male model victimized that same evening with him, causing him to reflect yet again on the night that changed his life - and, he feels, ruined his chances of an acting career:

When they’d first met up in a bar, he and Brandon could barely look at each other, each man seeing his own shame in the other’s eyes. Half a dozen Heinekens later, they were best friends – a feeling that continued over into sobriety, when the next morning Brandon picked him up and the two of them went to the Hollywood police station at Dominic’s urging. There, they filed an assault report and separately gave statements as to what they could remember of that day more than two weeks prior, and God Bless them the cops hadn’t smirked or rolled their eyes or shown signs of anything other than taking them seriously. Sadly, this didn’t seem to be their first time at the rodeo, making Dominic wonder just how many men they’d talked to who’d been victimized – who were, lets face it, raped – or, maybe more importantly, how many men they didn’t talk to; how many guys there were in this sad, sick town who had been victims, but had let pride or fear or embarrassment keep them from reporting the crime at all. If you were a guy, you grew up with horror stories in the news of such things happening to women around the world almost every day.  But no one ever prepared a man for the possibility that it could happen to him.

In the other storyline, 19-year-old Hunter's friend Hannah who has seen the truth, even when he can't.  Finally seeing it through her eyes he breaks down to her, in the middle of an early dinner out, finally admitting (even to himself) his true feelings for the guy he's called his best friend for weeks ... and Hannah decides a trip to the beach is in order:

After both the tears and Hunter’s initial shock had subsided, Hannah suggested they take transit out to Santa Monica. There the two friends took off their shoes and walked for hours barefoot along the beach, watching the gold and orange and pink of the setting sun, only the occasional word passing between them. With the ocean – nearly as blue as Hunter’s eyes – spread before them on the horizon, turning to ink as night settled in, they plopped down onto an empty stretch of sand and reveled in the wet, squishy grittiness between their toes as the tide rushed in and out before them. She reminded him of Neil Patrick Harris, Matthew Bomer, and even Jussie Smollet – star of “Empire”, the hottest show on television right now – and how being gay no longer meant you couldn’t have a successful career as an actor.

And that even if it did, what did any of it matter anyway - if you couldn’t share it with the person you loved?

It was different, out here. All the pettiness and rushing around and trying to impress; the fake handshakes and even more fake smiles, leading more often than not to promises never kept. The users and the takers, and whether you were the played or the player … none of that mattered out here. The game faded away to nothing.  Hunter stared at the ocean - watched the surf roll in to cleanse the sand off his feet, Hannah sitting next to him and leaning on his shoulder in a gesture that felt so affectionate, so pure and without motive, he found himself getting choked up with tears again.

I'm not saying, of course, that either of these are typical of what happens to young men trying to break into show business.  And these two men and their stories are but a small part of the entire tale that is "Candyland".  All I stress is that both Dominic's and Hunter's stories are more than just stories to some people out there; are stories that should be heard.  And one of the reasons I have the greatest respect in the world for actors, in the first place - male or female, whether it's someone whose name is above the title or the guy crossing by in a cop suit in the background, with no dialogue at all - is because of all they go through, every day, trying to be seen and heard and recognized in this business, while still hanging onto to their sanity, their self-esteem, their dignity ... and their privacy.

But in the end, the question I hope "Candyland" addresses most of all is the ultimate one for all the characters - and the real Hollywood wannabes, day players, ingenues and rising talent they represent - who've struggled through countless highs and bottomless lows to learn their craft and be recognized for it.  A question I think many actors eventually ask themselves in real life, sooner or later, no matter their level of success:

Was it worth it?

for more information on "Candyland", click HERE

(THE ARTIST'S LIFE) "A Single Pair of Eyes"

When you're a writer, you quickly come to understand that being able to create entire worlds on blank sheets of paper is underrated.  Yet at some point, when things are going well on a project, the characters kind of look over their shoulders at you and say, "It's cool; we can take it from here," and while you still have to keep an eye open - keep things on track - suddenly the story is writing itself and you, along with potential readers, are simply along for the ride.

I've hit that point with my incredible new project, the TV-series-in-book-form called "Candyland", as of episode five.  Candace, Oscar, Zoe, Hunter, Lynn, Teak, Hector, Dominic, Eden, Noah, and beyond - they're all really beginning to breathe on the page, telling their stories of the good, bad and ugly of young people pursuing acting in Los Angeles - and I can only hope it shows in the writing.  If you've seen the "Candyland" blog/site, the fanbase is definitely growing - and growing more passionate with the Friday release of each new episode - and it's been very gratifying to get such positive feedback, especially in the middle of the creative process itself (a perk few writers are able to enjoy). 

While the passionate fanbase/subscriber list (not counting the "gift" subscriptions, of the entire series, available to actors, writers or others in the industry) remains fairly intimate and I'd like it grow ... 

What I really seek, at this point, is just a single pair of eyes.  Just one person in the business - a screenwriter like Hector, an actor like Hunter or Zoe or Dominic, even a journalist like Eden - who will simply read the first five episodes in the series, ONLY allow the writing to speak for itself ... and then, if they like what they read, spread the word.  

Because the ultimate goal?  To actually get "Candyland" ON television one day soon, perhaps on Showtime or HBO - and, if possible, with the Dream Cast as listed on the series' blog ("Candyland" blog/site).

Not too out of the realm of possibility, perhaps, as cable shows helped to inspire the idea in the first place (have been told it's like "Shameless" meets "Entourage" meets "Desperate Housewives").  Certainly not out of the realm of possibility based on the feedback I've already received - from just the first five episodes - from people who tell me they love Hunter, want to date Dominic, or commend the mother-daughter relationship Lynn and Zoe have!  And nothing pleases a writer more than a reader falling in love with his characters enough to make such comments.

Now just to find that single pair of eyes, even if it is in an industry where it's one for all - and every man for himself.

(MUSIC) "She Bad" - Cameron Dallas

Actor Cameron Dallas tries his hand at hip-hop ... and it works.

(People) Harry Potter

Just a shout-out to one of the best series of novels ever put into print, all seven together nothing less than a groundbreaking masterpiece of "children's" literature.  And God Bless ya, J.K. Rowling - if for nothing else than, for getting millions upon millions of kids READING again, alone!!

(TV) "2 Broke Girls"

Miss "2 Broke Girls" last night? If so, you also missed AUSTIN FALK.

Try not to kill yourself.

I'm just sayin'.

(MUSIC) "Rhythm of the Rain" - Jay Chou

What a touching song and video; brought tears to my eyes.  "Rhythm of the Rain" by actor/singer Jay Chou; with English subtitles, though you won't need them - the video says it all, about a 7-Eleven clerk and a rich girl who fall in love, even while her rich daddy is trying to marry her off to someone more in their "class" - and it says it beautifully.

(EVENT) "Candyland" SPECIAL NOTICE update!

First, sending out a ginormous THANK YOU to all who've so far subscribed to "Candyland" - ReadTV's premiere, one-of-a-kind TV-series-for-readers that gives you a weekly dose of mystery, murder, and misogynistic mayhem (in other words, it's about Hollywood) in your inbox!  The pilot episode drops TOMORROW - in fact, it's already gone out to a handful of beta readers, please check our page (Read-TV) or Twitter or Facebook pages (search "ReadTVCandyland") for updates - and we're stoked that the party has started ... while at the same time sad if YOU are not one of the ones yet aboard!

We also wanted to give a head's up, because we've made some changes with the way people can read "Candyland" - wanting to be loyal to our readers who have already signed on, putting all the work into the writing while keeping it kind of exclusive yet still out there - so please take note: sometime this weekend, we'll be posting the entire pilot episode (warning: explicit language) on the "Candyland" website (listed above), for those who want a stronger idea of the story before subscribing, that will give you a bigger, better taste than the original "A Leap of Faith" teaser (which can be read on the site now: "A Leap of Faith").

HOWEVER, starting today subscriptions will only be available to those wanting to be on board for the full, novel-length serial (no more sample issues or by-the-week partial subscriptions) - and even a full subscription will only be available, for $14.99 (talk about a deal!), for only one week after the full pilot is posted!  After that, subscriptions will only be available on a case-by-case, mostly referral basis - though never fear, even then and no matter where you jump in, once ordering your subscription you will also receive any and all "back episodes" previously released, meaning you'll will never miss one single bit of sin or scandal in this enthralling story of life in the show-biz lane!

Also each week, once the new episode goes out, a synopsis of that week's episode will be posted on the site (as well as Twitter and FB pages); much like a TV Guide listing, it will be a succinct, spoiler-free recap for those who at least want an idea of what the series is about ... whether you're a part of it or not!

But we hope you do join this one-of-a-kind story, set in the land of make-believe and told in a one-of-a-kind way.  And whether you read it every week, or save up episodes to binge-read at your leisure, Candace and Company welcome you ... and hope to provide you with, for the next 36 weeks, one hell of a ride!

(PEOPLE) We're Someone You Know, Too

Aside from the commonsense issues touched on in the image on the right, why should ANY human being be denied the right to fall in love with whomever they choose, who chooses them in return?  Didn't we go through this with interracial marriages more than 50 years ago in this country?  And whether people want to believe it or not, IT'S THE SAME THING; someone black falling in love with someone white, someone Christian falling in love with someone Jewish, one man falling in love with another man - THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE, because none of these are CHOICES; being gay is no more a choice than choosing dark skin or green eyes or ten fingers on each hand.  It is how you are born - how GOD made you - and if we're all God's children then we all deserve the same rights and respect.  Yeah, I know, in a perfect world ... because racial and religious and gender discrimination is still alive and well.  But hell, at least the rest of you can marry legally; imagine fearing showing your love for the person who means the world to you, even by so much as walking down a street and holding hands, because it could mean getting beaten or killed?

And if we ARE "1-in-10", that means the likelihood that someone you know and purport to love is probably LGBT - whether they are willing to admit it to you (or anyone else) or not.  And do you really want someone you care deeply about to fear YOU; to pull away from you, or hide who they are from you out of fear of rejection, let alone something far worse?  Could you condemn your child or your sister or your parent or lifelong best friend to knowing the real you, the way you do whenever you shake your head or roll your eyes or spew your anger at another endorsement or news article about gay marriage or LGBT equality?

Because if you do have someone like that close to you - who hasn't told you, especially - then believe it, it's because you've already somehow expressed that hate.  And it may be okay with you to have that opinion in public, but know that's also the face you show to them, every single day.

Think about it.

(PEOPLE) James Mitchell - #RingYourGranny

So amazing, the hate people spew in the name of religion; the rights we want to take away from our fellow human beings that should be among the most basic of human rights for all.  Love comes from the heart, not from the crotch, and in a world of terrorism and murder and violence and oppression - a world of slaughter for animals for sport, and eradication of the very flora and fauna contributing to our existence - the very freaking LEAST we should be doing is harming or killing or even disgracing those who choose love - even if it isn't in a form you yourself may not know.  

There is a referendum coming up in Ireland, for marriage equality, and it's heavily opposed.  The #RingYourGranny campaign was started so that young LGBT men and women could phone their grandparent (the elderly usually being the most likely to vote against gay marriage) and ask for their support.

This is James Mitchell, a young Irish guy, out and open but who's never discussed his sexuality with his grandmother ... until this phone call.  As the suicide rate continues to climb among LGBT youth around the world, as the voices of hate from outrageous bigots like Governor Pence of Indiana rise in anger against the growing tide of acceptance, I hope you'll take a few minutes to watch this short video, and know that it does, indeed, boil down to just one guy and his granny; that helping someone who is struggling to stay strong - maybe even saving their life - might just depend on their having a granny, or grand-dad, or mother or father, or sibling or neighbor or friend, who reaches out to them - one on one - to let them know "I'm in your corner."

Love, love of any kind, CAN truly change the world - even when you spread it just one person at a time.  

#CelebrateLove

(FILM) JURASSIC WORLD

New TV spot for the upcoming sequel Jurassic World, in theaters this June.  Fingers crossed the film's good; was kind of disappointed in #3!

(FILM) SPECTRE teaser trailer

At long last, James Bond is forced to face his biggest enemy: SPECTRE.  Teaser trailer for the upcoming November release.

(BOOKS) 'SALEM'S LOT ... at 40!

So I went to change my Facebook profile and cover photo, to reflect a novel that's still on my best-ever-read list (it's been my new "thing," through the end of April am changing pics to reflect my favorite films, books/writers, and TV series) ... and did a massive double-take upon realizing it's been almost 40 YEARS since I first read Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot - a book that, to me, is still one of the most unsettling, enthralling, and creepy reads I've ever enjoyed (I still remember, when reading it, reading the words "the phone rang" in the novel, just as the phone right next to me rang, and I screamed like someone had set me on fire).  The original mini-series (Rob Lowe remake? NO comparison!) - same thing, still terrifies the hell out of me (in fact, I can barely look at the image below without gooseflesh crawling up my back like a demonic toddler).  So your thought-provoking question for the day: do you read Stephen King?  Or, maybe better yet, what's your favorite King novel ... or movie/mini-series adaptation??  I know he's gotten more literary now, more introspective and deep in his writing, and in fact is probably, technically, the best he's ever been.  And I think that's great.  That said, I have to admit, I do miss the Stephen King who was simply the master of scaring the ka-ka out of me.

(THE ARTIST'S LIFE) "All I Ever Wanted"

"It's incredibly difficult, when you're an artist of any kind (words, music, film and tv, canvas or sculpture, digital media, etc.), to always feel you're going it alone.  The climb is rough enough, just trying to get recognition and support - whether that support is financial, or via someone spreading the word simply because they believe in you - and while most artistic people by nature tend to lead a solitary life when creating, it always - no, ALWAYS - helps to feel there are some people in your camp.  Those who believe in you; most importantly, during those times you've stopped believing in yourself.

"I grew up absolutely convinced my father hated me.  I came out of the womb, I think, shy and quiet and creative, and as he had waited so long to have the kind of son he wanted (hunting, fishing, working on cars), none of my earliest memories were of us spending any real time together, much less his ever telling me I was good.  He never taught me how to shave, nor to change a tire, and we never had 'the talk' about where babies come from; on the contrary, he was gone a lot due to work, and from childhood it seemed he always resented - seemed jealous - of the closeness I had with my mother.  Perhaps one of the reasons he often treated her like shit, though with me it was more about avoidance and sarcastic insults and hearing him call me a 'faggot' to my baby sister when I was six years old.  As I grew older, and showed I could write and draw and even tried acting via a cheesy community theater group, he would always seem to glow whenever anyone praised my talents, nodding and agreeing with the people who told him how lucky he was to have such a creative son.  Me, I never heard any of it, and in private those nods of praise turned mostly to head-hanging shame.

"My mother, whose love from jump was unconditional, was the opposite.  She meant her best, but I could have drawn or written the biggest piece of crap on the planet and she would have acted as if I'd found Atlantis.  It was very comforting, like heaven compared to my father's judgment, but as I grew older the applause sounded more and more hollow; it wasn't about having any kind of talent or gift, it was about being her son.  Though to this day I appreciate it all, for I might have stifled any creativity I had down inside me otherwise, had not at least one person whose opinion I wanted or valued encouraged me.

"When I started publishing, even writing the stuff I didn't feel good about writing just for the money, I never turned my back on any other creative person who sought encouragement, or needed any help I could provide.  You do that when you're up-and-coming, but I also swore to myself that I would never forget to do it even after I'd 'made it,' because I would never forget that fledgling writer who pounded on doors and made call after call or spent hours on social media, just trying to be heard.  It was all I ever wanted: to be heard.  To be read.  I wasn't a salesman, wasn't going to beat someone over the head with my work and force it down their throats.  I wanted the work to speak for itself.  I wanted someone - whether it was a friend or family member whose opinion I respected ... a writer whose own voice I had loved so much, his or her feedback would be more valuable than anything I ever owned ... or even a total stranger I only knew to be an avid reader, who could (and would) pull apart my sentence structure or let me know when a particular phrase sang, as need be - to just take a moment and read my words.

"Instead, the friends (and especially family members) either show no faith, or give you their time out of pity instead of really seeing you as an artist with something to say, instead of their loopy friend or relative ... the writers you admire, who are no longer struggling, either sit behind a wall of assistants and gatekeepers, or are too busy with their own work (or the hawking of their work) to be able to sort through the novices - no matter how recently they themselves may have been one - to find the talent from the posers ... and the total strangers, no matter how much you advertise and market and stand there like a carnival barker, pimping out your work, simply don't have the time or inclination to care, what with texting and tweeting and posting funny memes or pictures of their pets/children/dinner/significant other to Facebook and seeing who 'likes' it.

"But for those of you who have someone close to you who is an artist; for artists who've gotten a few steps up the ladder and want only to never look back; for those who never want to try anyone or anything new that's not already been branded to you by a music company, network, movie studio, gallery, or publisher; and especially for those who still treat that artistic family member like the kid whose childhood drawings you cooed over, before proudly displaying them on the fridge with magnets until the newest pizza menu covered them up ...

"Remember that all we ever want is recognition.  To let the work speak for itself.

"I know that's all I ever wanted."

(EVENT) "Candyland"

Take Showtime's "Entourage" ... mix it with "Shameless" ... add a dash of "How to Get Away with Murder" and sprinkle lightly with "Empire" - or heck, even baste with "Bates Motel" - and you have "Candyland", a one-of-a-kind novel that you read, in weekly installments, like one of those night-time TV soaps that so easily suck you in.  And, thanks to a special promotion, through March 25th it's only $9.99 to subscribe and get all 36 episodes of season one, starting with the pilot episode April 10th!  (official site: read-tv.blogspot.com, includes "Dream Cast"!)

It all kicks off with the mysterious CANDACE GRAY, a raven-haired beauty who owns and operates The Gray Group, one of Beverly Hills' top talent agencies.  Candace's roster reads like a who's who of the hottest young actors and artists in Hollywood right now - and even if you're a rising star or starlet with another agency, don't be surprised if Candace finds her way to you, too.

Known for her shark-like tenacity, as well as her ability to step on whatever and whomever she has to in order to get what she wants, Candace is constantly followed around by her faithful watchdog of an assistant, OSCAR YAMADA (the only person privy to most - though not exactly all, as he will learn - of the lady's secrets), and though only in Hollywood for just under three years (having relocated from Miami after the suicide of her insanely-rich, much older husband), she's already a powerful player in the industry ... only no one seems to be able to find out that much about Candace prior to her life in Miami ...

Which is the current #1 obsession of NOAH SANDERSON, head of Sanderson Talent and Candace's biggest rival.  He's lost enough clients to Candace, and is determined that if he can't find out how she's stealing them, he's going to find out what she's hiding and take her down.  With the help of former girlfriend, tabloid journalist EDEN JAMES - herself with a Candace-ax to grind and a motive for revenge - along with sleaze-bag paprazzo LEON AGUILAR, the trio start snooping into the powerful woman's past, not realizing some of the secrets they uncover may be worth killing to keep.

Something top Gray Group agent TEAK DIXON could relate to, as well.  A former NFL player sidelined by an injury in his first year, Teak originally nursed his wounds by flying from Colorado to Los Angeles to hang with some cousins ... and there discovered that good looks, a chiseled physique, and smooth talk could open more doors, much faster and with nowhere near the work, than years of torn rotator cuffs or a blown-out knee from being banged around on the field.  Getting a few small gigs as an actor, Teak disliked the feeling of never having control that most actors go through when auditioning, so instead took that control; he now runs the On-Camera division at Gray Group, responsible for the careers of the agency's biggest and best talent.  It's a huge, important, even unheard-of position of power for a 28-year-old to have - even one with an agenda - so it's also probably fortunate for Teak that only he, Candace, and Oscar knows how he got the job.

So far.

Not known as a month for Oscar-bait films, June's Chasing Atlantis blew away critics and audiences alike thanks to its lead performance by HUNTER WEST, star of tween comedy TV series "Sick for 10 Days".  On the show Hunter may play "best friend" second-lead Cody Taylor, but Chasing Atlantis and Hunter's good looks, sending social media and the press into a frenzy and pushing the 22-year-old to #1 in the eyes of millions - including Candace Gray, especially when she learns the young star isn't too happy with his current agent: his mother.  And though she's a bit distracted right now, hoping to also add a bright new ingenue named ZOE COOPER - gaining publicity and critical praise as the new darling of indie cinema - to her roster, when Candace digs deep enough to learn some very interesting, very private information on Hunter, she's confident in sending Oscar to sign up the potential Oscar nominee by any means necessary.

All the threads of this crazy quilt - and more - come together at Candyland, a private, members-only nightclub Candace opened only a year ago that's already become the hottest spot in town, thanks to its guarantee of confidentiality via tight-lipped patrons (it's rumored that much of the behavior in Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street was "lifted directly from a single Sunday afternoon" at Candyland).  The paparazzi may be able to catch the arrivals and departures of the rich and famous (most choose not to use the back exit, as even being seen at Candyland can boost your STARmeter rating), but what actually goes down behind Candyland's closed doors is the stuff of legend.  Like a series of mischievous nesting dolls, however, within the walls of Candace's club yet another darker, even more exclusive membership exists; one available, granted only as the result of the rarest of invitations.  A membership laced with benefits so sweet, you can't resist it - though its price is so high, most who pay it and enter never come out quite the same again.

Love and betrayal, decadence and seduction, mystery and murder, secrets and lies - it all leads up to a season finale, late on Christmas Eve, that finds a woman with a gun sitting alone in her car, broken and with nothing left to lose.

Subscribe TODAY, before the special $9.99 promo ends on March 25th!