Ellen Byerrum

It happened again. A complete stranger asked me if I was someone else, someone she knew, someone named Rosemary. “No? Are you sure? You look exactly like Rosemary!” The woman based her identification on the resemblance of the back of my head in the movie theater to that of the mysterious Rosemary. “Do you ride horses? Rosemary rides horses. You look just like Rosemary!” I don’t ride very much, but my lookalike Rosemary sounds like she would be a fine friend. I could use more friends with horses.

I’ve been asked, “Are you Theresa?” “Are you Riley?” “Are you...?” If they have to ask, I always think, surely they must know I’m not really Rosemary, or Theresa, or Riley. There’s a hesitation, a searching look, and then the assertion I look exactly like this other person. They want me to be her. The name Riley is intriguing, though. It smacks of humor and spunk and independence, and I plan on using it in a book some day. Maybe for someone's evil twin.

The idea of the double or the mysterious twin has appeared over and over in literature; for example, in the plays of Shakespeare and in Alexander Dumas’s The Man in the Iron Mask. The double is also alive and well in films, such as Hitchcock’s Vertigo. But how would it play out in real life?

We believe we are individual and unique. We don’t really want some stranger walking around with our face. I’ve only met one person who said she actually saw her double: She was in high school, walking down the hall one day, when she saw her doppelganger. Her father even told her he saw her walking downtown that day, when she had not been downtown. Her reaction? It was disturbing and creepy, and she started to dread what might be around every corner in the school. Would she come face to face with her double? What would happen if she did? I don’t think she ever saw her double again. That I know of...

In my family, I’ve been told that an American named Byerrum was traveling in Denmark some years ago and ran into his double on the street. But rather than running in terror from their lookalikes, the men got to talking, spent some time together and discovered they had a common ancestor. Our family name, Byerrum,was originally Danish and was spelled Bjerrum. Perhaps somewhere in Copenhagen I have a beautiful Danish double.

But I think many of us would be disappointed if we ever saw these so-called doubles people claim we have. I was once on a windjammer cruise where as I boarded several fellow passengers insisted I looked exactly like another woman on the ship. They introduced us and I didn’t look like her at all! The comparison was humbling. I thought she looked like Howdy Doody. With red braids. Ouch!

Curious, isn’t it?

Congratulations to Helen Kiker, the winner of my book giveaway, which I held this past weekend in conjunction with the Stiletto Gang’s Hallopalooza Scavenger Hunt. Helen won signed copies of Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover, the first and third books in my Crime of Fashion mystery series, which were filmed for and aired on the Lifetime Movie Network earlier this year. My thanks go out to everyone who stopped by and commented during the scavenger hunt.

Ellen Byerrum   - Post #9   http://ellenbyerrum.livejournal.com/

 

The mayor and his wife were dressed as a Hispanic version of George and Martha Washington. 

Juan Reyes still had the chiseled good looks of the television star he'd been fifteen years earlier. He smelled of musk, fine brandy, and Cuban cigars. Reyes had starred in a popular cop show that ran for four years that still played in reruns in the early morning hours. He prided himself on his realistic portrayal and still talked about the hours he’d spent riding along with LAPD cops, how he’d even been part of some high-profile busts. But when he hadn't made the leap to the big screen, Reyes and Sonya, his high school girlfriend, now wife, returned to their home town. Good looks and residuals helped build a hugely successful car dealership, and then Reyes was elected Mayor.

Local gossip was that he had set his sights higher, much higher. It wouldn't be the first time an actor had made the move to Washington, DC. His biggest drawback was his wife, Sonya. It was common knowledge that Mrs. Reyes had never been happy to leave sunny California, and had no interest in making the move even further east. Unlike her husband, Sonya looked tired and Milla was pretty sure that her bloodshot eyes and runny nose had nothing to do with allergies and everything to do with the white powder residue Milla had found in the large powder room off the ballroom. The same powder room that Liza – the makeup artiste – had set up shop in.

Milla made a note. Find out if Liza Barrymore had a cocaine sideline. If Liza was selling at the party, and Little Miss Sunflower found out … Wonder how much she thought that information was worth? Maybe more than someone was willing to pay?

Next Clue Location - http://mysterygal.bravejournal.com/

This Halloween I'm joining the great authors at The Stiletto Gang for Hallopalooza, an online mystery scavenger involving 23 blogs. The gang has written a short murder mystery for the event. All you have to do is follow the clues, one of which I'll be posting on this blog by 8 a.m. Eastern, Friday, Oct. 30. The game ends at 5 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. Winners will be announced by the Stiletto Gang on Monday, Nov. 2

It works like this: You start the scavenger hunt at The Stiletto Gang at http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/  by hunting for the killer's identity and motive. Each blog will give you a link to the next blog in the Scavenger Hunt line up. The Stiletto Gang is offering a grand prize of a $50 U.S. gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice – on-line or bricks & mortar. In addition to that prize, you can win prizes on the individual blogs as well.

Ellen Byerrum on Live Journal - I will give away to one winner signed copies of Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover, which were filmed for Lifetime Movie Network this summer. People who leave a comment at my blog during Hallopalooza will be eligible for the drawing for the book.

Other Hallopalooza Prizes

Jungle Red - Signed copies of Jungle Red Authors' books, for the best comments on Jungle Red Blog.

Marilyn's Musings - An autographed book by Marilyn Meredith.

Meanderings & Muses - Kaye Barley will give away a copy of IN THEIR BLOOD by Sharon Potts. People who leave a comment at her blog during Hallopalooza will be eligible for the drawing for the book.

America Comes Alive - Kate Kelly will give away a $20 gift certificate as a prize (from a drawing of those who sign up for her newsletter). The runner up will get a copy of Election Day by Kate Kelly.

Type M for Murder - Prizes are: An ARC of Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delany, a copy of A Case of You, by Rick Blechta, an ARC of Pleasing the Dead, by Debby Atkinson, a Jack Austin novel from John Corrigan and an Alifair Tucker novel from Donis Casey. Five prizes for five winners! Note: if readers are uncomfortable leaving their e-mail addresses for us on the comment page, they can send an email privately to Vicki Delany at Vicki@vickidelany.com letting us know that they put something on the comment page.

Boomer Chick - The Boomer Chick is giving away a free signed copy of Romancing the Soul just for leaving a comment

Yeah, But Houdini Didn't Have These Hips - "Welcome to Yeah, But Houdini Didn't Have These Hips! I'm a member of the St. Louis chapter of Sisters in Crime. Leave a comment on this post to be entered into a drawing to win a recent book from one of our members! In your comment, be sure to mention whether you prefer noir, craft cozies, or paranormal romance. Thanks for stopping by, and good luck on The Stiletto Gang's Hallopalooza Scavenger Hunt!"

Nancy Cohen - Nancy J. Cohen will give away a free signed copy of the latest title in her Bad Hair Day series. To enter the contest, visit her website and sign up for her newsletter. This contest is open to new subscribers only.

Write It Anyway http://writeitanyway.blogspot.com/
Rachel Brady will enter those who comment at her blog or sign up to follow it into a drawing to win an autographed copy of Final Approach.

The Blog Cabin - Timothy Hallinan will give away a signed set of the three books (thus far) in his Bangkok series

The Lipstick Chronicles - Elaine Viets will give away one copy of Killer Cuts. Harley Jane Kozak will give away a copy of her new book, A Date You Can't Refuse. Everyone who comments at TLC will be eligible to win.

Chasing Heroes - Chasing Heroes authors will give away a copy of a Lola Cruz Mystery and a Chasing Heroes gift bag with assorted goodies.

Lesa's Book Critiques - Lesa will give away a copy of Linda Wisdom's Hex in High Heels, and Sharon Fiffer's Scary Stuff. In order to enter, people have to make a comment on Lesa's Book Critiques blog, on the Hallopalooza page during Hallopalooza.

Erica Ridley - Erica Ridley will give away a winners' choice mass market paperback (shipped directly to you via Amazon). 2 winners! Eligibility: Guess whodunnit at http://www.2wicked2kiss.com/ for a chance to win. For a vision of the future, generate a do-it-yourself horoscope also at http://www.2wicked2kiss.com/ and post it to Erica's blog for another chance to win. Unlimited entries.

Fang Place - Anyone who leaves their email address as a comment on the Fang Place blog will be entered in a drawing to win one of Norm Cowie's new vampire YA humor books, Fang Face, signed by both the cover artist and Norm Cowie, himself!

Morgan Mandel - Morgan Mandel will give away "the winner's choice" of either a Killer Career cap or XL tee shirt

Mysterious Musings - At Mysterious Musings, in honor of the spooky Halloween Scavenger Hunt, readers can win a book with a very spooky cover--The Dark Backward, by Julia Buckley. The cover art was created by acclaimed artist Kevin R. Brown, and of the content, Crimespree Magazine's Jon Jordan wrote "I loved every minute of reading this book!" Readers can get into a drawing for the book simply by leaving a comment on that day's blog.

Mystery Fanfare - Janet Rudolph will have a drawing for a year's subscription to the Mystery Readers Journal. See her blog for more details.

Poe's Deadly Daughters - Sandra Parshall will donate a mug from the Crime and Punishment Museum (a place which she recently featured on the Poe's Deadly Daughter's blog) and Lonnie Cruse will throw in a hardback, signed copy of 57 Heaven. Sharon Wildwind will give away Missing, Presumed Wed, 4th in the Elizabeth Pepperhawk/Avivah Rosen series. Readers of the blog can win the prize by leaving a comment about their favorite Halloween tale.

WOOF - In addition to great giveaways during the Hallopalooza Scavenger Hunt, "WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty" is giving away 3 downloads of, "Ghost Light." See WOOFers Club Blog for details! (http://www.woofersclub.blogspot.com/)

The Book Resort - The Book Resort is celebrating the spooktacular Halloween Blog Scavenger Hunt, Hallopalooza, by giving away a signed copy of Fed Up by Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant. In order to enter, readers of the blog can win Fed Up by following & leaving a comment about their favorite Halloween candy on the giveaway post during Hallopalooza.

Believe it or not, the third Crime of Fashion book in my mystery series, Hostile Makeover, is now available as a hidden-object computer game. A what? Quite frankly I’m not quite sure what that means, but I’m sure it’s lots of fun. If you like, um, hidden objects. I have never played a computer game and don’t even like board games. The very mention of Monopoly will send me fleeing from the room without passing Go. I can’t play Trivial Pursuit because I don’t know anything about sports. Crossword puzzles make me feel inadequate. Scrabble makes me scream. And when someone cheerily suggests playing Charades I start breaking out in hives. Theoretically, as a mystery writer I suppose I should enjoy Clue, but I hyperventilate at the very thought of Colonel Mustard in the parlor with the pitchfork or whatever it is. I’d rather read a book.

As for computer games, my first exposure was from working one cubicle over from a staff assistant who snarled at the very suggestion of performing a few work-related tasks for the news organization we both worked for. When she wasn’t indulging in three-hour lunches, innumerable sick days, and multiple mythical funerals for family members who each managed, like Col. Mustard, to be bumped off over and over, she played on her computer all day long. I had a perfect view of her endless games of Solitaire and the especially pernicious Mine Sweeper (which should be called Mind Sweeper). Click, click, click, click, click. Distracting, when the rest of us were on deadline. Click, click, click, click, click. “Hey, would you mind going downstairs to pick up that stack of important OSHA documents that just arrived,” I would plead, “ 'cause I’m waiting for calls back from sources and I only have twenty minutes to finish this story?”  “No, I’m busy,” she would reply. Click, click, click, click, click.

Happily, I realize that not everyone starts to run the other way when computer games are mentioned, and I am positive that Hostile Makeover is a great game! I’d love to hear what other people think of turning books into computer games, and vice versa. So, for more information on Hostile Makeover, the computer game: There are many sites offering it for sale, with a free trial download. I don’t know which to choose, but here is one link: http://www.energames.com/games/hostile_makeover/

Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Autumn is the perfect time for long walks in the leaves, sipping cider, and settling down in front of a fire with a good book. And it’s the time to win books by the Book Belles, four authors penning everything from tales of murder and mayhem to young adult and women's fiction. Yes, the Belles are  hosting a fall contest to win a tote bag of signed books by The Book Belles, Nancy Cohen, Laura Durham, Susan McBride, and moi, Ellen Byerrum.

 

All you have to do is sign up and provide some basic information. For contest details, go to http://www.thebookbelles.com/hotnews.shtml

Check it out.

 

The final book signing at one of my favorite independent bookstores, Creatures ’n Crooks in Richmond, Va., scheduled this Saturday, Sept. 13, is a sad sign of the times. Creatures 'n Crooks will close at the end of September. 

I will be participating in the signing with a group of fine fellow authors, including John Lamb, Ellen Crosby, and Marcia Talley. I have such mixed feelings. While I’m always delighted to be at events with other writers, I’m devastated to see this fine bookstore close.  I’ll never forget the day I met Lelia Taylor at the book store’s original location. My husband and I stopped by her old location to introduce myself and my first book, Killer Hair. She invited me to sign my books each time a new one was published.

Please stop by the store on Saturday in Richmond’s quaint Carytown. Say hello, buy a book or two or three, and celebrate what Creatures 'n Crooks has meant to the region's mystery readers, and to us. And for those cat lovers out there, you'll definitely want to say farewell to Hamilton, the handsome resident feline.

For a complete list of participating authors, check out this story by  Margaret Oleska at http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-14223-Richmond-Books-Examiner~y2009m8d26-Authors-Galore-multiauthor-booksinging-event-at-Creatures-n-Crooks-Bookshoppe

 

Autumn has always been my favorite season, with the leaves, the peppery scent in the air, the crystal clear days, mugs of hot apple cider sipped near the fire, and cozy sweaters. I love it, all of it. But this year, I’m mourning the fact that the outdoor pool in our complex, where I’ve been swimming almost every day this summer, closes in three weeks. This summer, freed from the yoke of the old day job, I had a chance to really enjoy the steamy season in our pool on the banks of the Potomac River.

With September right around the corner, I know I’ll be more productive once the pool closes. Really. Writing in the pool makes your pages wrinkle. But lying in the sun (covered in sunscreen, of course) and letting your mind roll on has its own purpose. You have to fill the writer's well in order to bring to the surface more stories. So in addition to lazing about in the sun, reading novels, and working on my next book, I’ve been indulging in watching movies about, guess what, writers. Writers suffering, writers in torment, blocked writers unable to write, writers struggling, and writers winning out in the end. Most of these films are wickedly entertaining and feature comic insights into the psyche of, you know, writers. Here they are.

Old Acquaintance—Two women who are old school friends become writers, and rivals. While you’re supposed to identify with Bette Davis, the "serious" literary writer who suffers writer’s block, and not Miriam Hopkins, a "shallow" runaway success of a romance writer, I identified with both of them.

Bullets Over Broadway—The best movie ever for playwrights who have suffered bad actors and worse productions and all those well-meaning critics who all have an opinion about your work. It’s deliciously funny and every scene starts at the height of the action, something you might see in a thriller, but not usually in a comedy. Jennifer Tilly is divine as the actor you love to hate. This movie also makes playwriting look glamorous, a feat in itself. I watch it several times a year.

Shakespeare in Love—A wonderful costume romp through a young and amorous Shakespeare’s writer’s block. A story of how a promising play called Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter turned into a modest hit called Romeo and Juliet. The flick has wonderful lines like this (I paraphrase), “All they really want is a love story and a bit with a dog,” and "where does the dog come in?"

Cross Creek—A leisurely but enjoyable film about Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of The Yearling. Watching this movie is like taking a vacation to a different place and time. I love getting to watch someone else struggle with her writing--and discover the stories she was meant to tell. This film sinks into your bones like the Everglades swamp water (in a good way).

Romancing the Stone—One of the best movie opening scenes ever! A timid romance writer finds herself in the midst of an adventure worthy of her own books. It’s got everything: comedy, adventure, romance, sex, love, crocodiles. Start popping the popcorn and settle back for a wild ride.

 

This weekend I will be attending an in-service class to maintain my private investigator's registration in Virginia. Encouraged by a friend, I first took a certified PI course several years ago, for writing research purposes. It turned out to be both enlightening and a lot of fun, even for a "remedial surveillance" kind of student. And I ended up a registered private investigator, though I don't do it for a living (writing about it is hard enough). Those of you who have read Armed and Glamorous, my most recent Lacey Smithsonian mystery, can get a glimpse of what a PI class might be like, albeit with a healthy dose of fiction (and a murder in the parking lot).

Each state is different, but in the Commonwealth of VA, to attain and keep a PI registration you have to attend a lot of classes, pass the test, offer up your fingerprints to the state, and attend a refresher in-service class every couple of years.  I'm looking forward to the day-long course, catching up with old friends and hanging out with serious professional private investigators who are not mystery writers. Where else would you learn about a PI actually falling right through a ceiling while putting in surveillance cameras? From the PI it actually happened to? I can't wait to see what I find out this year.

First of all, I want to thank all of you who have written to ask me if and when there will be another book in the Lacey Smithsonian Crime of Fashion series! I am so grateful that you love the characters and want more. So do I. While I’m not sure exactly when the next book in my series will be coming out, I'm delighted to announce that I will be writing more mysteries about my favorite fashion sleuth Lacey Smithsonian. I’m going forward with another contract with New American Library's Obsidian imprint for three new books in the series--numbers seven, eight, and nine. 

 

You may have noticed that I took a break from Crimes of Fashion this past year. I had several reasons, including wanting to explore some new writing which I'm still working on. Also, I didn’t want the quality of the Lacey books to suffer, which was a very serious concern to me because I was so overextended on my day job. Well, the day job is now a thing of the past and I can settle down with the books again.

I have a March 2010 deadline for delivering the next book, a huge challenge for me. Although there are many writers who must have some kind of alien DNA that makes them able to spit out a new book every two or three months (James Patterson?), I am not one of them. (No matter how much my husband claims I come from the planet Mongo, a hot planet ruled, as everyone knows, by Ming the Merciless. Ha! We call him "Uncle Ming," but I digress.) The words, the plot, the subplot, the characters, and the Fashion Bites have to roll around in my brain for a while, and I have to ponder, discuss, scribble, scratch, rethink, attack it again, and complain that writing is hard a hundred thousand times or more before I come up with a completed manuscript. It's very exhausting.

So please wish me luck, dedication, and a fresh gallon of butt glue!

 

Here's the trailer for the movie adaptation of my Crime of Fashion mystery Hostile Makeover, which premiered on Lifetime Movie Network this past Sunday, June 28. Preview courtesy of Lifetime. Lifetime will be rerunning the show, and you can also watch it on the LMN Web site.

What did you think of Hostile Makeover, the movie? How did it compare to Killer Hair for you? What did you think of Lacey's wardrobe? And her mom and her little sister? And did they really have to blow up that beautiful baby blue Datsun 240Z?!? (Don't worry, I think the exploding Z was just Hollywood special effects magic.)

In my books, of course, Lacey's car is a beautiful vintage burgundy Nissan (Datsun) 280ZX, just like the Z I used to own (before it was stolen), and it isn't her car that gets blown up, it's Felicity's minivan! (Lacey is horrified that anyone could have possibly mistaken her for Felicity--or thought she drove a minivan.) And the exploding minivan happens not in Hostile Makeover but in a different Crime of Fashion mystery, Designer Knockoff. But the mixing and (un-)matching from books to movies seems to be part of the Hollywood magic too. Let me know what you think...

The ladies of Killer Hair (the Lifetime movie adaptation of my Crime of Fashion mystery) dish Lacey's love interest, Vic Donovan. What do you think of Vic? Love him, hate him, can't stand him, can't get enough of him? (Or do you like Tony better?) Let me know, ladies (and gentlemen), and we can dish the dudes too. Another clip courtesy of Lifetime Movie Network.

The second LMN film adaptation from my series, Hostile Makeover, will air this Sunday at 8 Eastern time--preceded by a re-broadcast of Killer Hair, starting at 6. It's a Lacey Smithsonian double feature on LMN! Or as my husband Bob is calling it, the Lacey Movie Network...

The stars of the Lifetime adaptations of my Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover discuss their characters' styles--and their own. Courtesy of Lifetime Movie Network. And I know some of you saw the premiere of Killer Hair Sunday night--tell me what you thought about it, what you liked/loved/didn't love, and I'll be sharing some of my reactions too.

 

Another great preview clip from Lifetime Movie Network. Cast members of the film adaptations of my Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover reveal startling true-life Crimes of Fashion from out of their own pasts! (And closets.) Killer Hair will premiere on LMN this Sunday, June 21, at 8 pm Eastern time. I can't wait to see it with a group of supportive friends! And check out the feature story on Killer Hair by reporter Bill Keveney in today's edition of USA Today, section D, page 11. (They didn't use my photo, but I bought extra copies anyway.)

 

Who meets what? I did read a few Nancy Drew mysteries when I was little (my friends' copies), but I never actually saw a single episode of Sex and the City until after I'd written six Crime of Fashion mysteries! This is another entertaining behind-the-scenes clip from Lifetime Movie Network for their film adaptations of my Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover.

Lifetime Movie Network has made available more behind-the-scenes teasers for my Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover. This clip is about the costume design and character styling. Check out Lacey's snazzy Forties vintage suit! Killer Hair will premiere on LMN on June 21.

OMG! This is the trailer for the world premieres of the Lifetime movies of my Crime of Fashion mysteries, Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover. They will air on June 21 and June 28. Am I excited? Does Maggie Lawson look pretty great as Lacey? OMG!

Today I'm guest blogging over at the Stiletto Gang. The subject has to do with kissing and the recent movie shoot. Check it out at http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/

And for those who are celebrating Easter and Passover, please accept my good wishes for the holidays.

All the world's a stage,
all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,

---William Shakespeare 

  

 

In spite of bitter cold weather that looked deceptively lovely, intrepid film crew and cast members were in Washington, D.C., this week to film exteriors for the Lifetime Television movies based on two of my Crime of Fashion mysteries, Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover.  Luckily, I took time off from the day job so I could watch and chill with everyone else.

It was a great treat to meet the various players who are helping to make these films happen, on screen and off. Everyone—actors, camera and sound jockeys, hair and makeup artists, and other intrepid film-crew wranglers--worked diligently all day.

Taking center stage were the stars, Maggie Lawson as Lacey Smithsonian and Victor Webster as Vic Donovan. Maggie and Victor look great together and they have that all-important chemistry.  Also looking very spiffy were the locations—the Jefferson Memorial, McPherson Square, Lafayette Park, and the White House. The cherry blossoms were a bit shy, although a few blossoms came out for show.

Maggie was outfitted in snappy vintage fashions and Victor towered over her, making them a striking couple. They're both gorgeous. (I've been asked not to post any pics of the shoot yet, so for the time being I can't show you how gorgeous they are.) During a scene shot in front of the White House, I overheard one dazzled Washington wonk on a cell phone telling someone, “There are some really good-looking people here!” Dude, Hollywood came to town!

Our Lacey and Vic endured a lot of kissing scenes, much to the delight of passersby and a group of middle school students from Nebraska, who applauded gleefully after one kiss. Of course I took the opportunity to tell them they should read the books first. Tough work. . . . Yeah, we know. I’m not sure that buttoned-up, gray-clad Washington, the seat of the nation’s power, can handle all that public affection. But why not, love is grand.

Guiding the action was the charming director Jerry Ciccoritti, who let me walk across his set. (I hope that scene doesn’t get cut.) And it was also great to catch up with producers Rona Edwards and Monika Skerbelis, whom I first met a couple of years ago when I pitched my books at a Sisters in Crime conference. It was another pleasure to meet Kathy Freundel. Not only is Kathy a talented Maryland photographer, she was Maggie Lawson’s photo double.

After being outside in 30-degree wind chill all day, it took a while to thaw out. But I’m still mulling over all the people and equipment and light and cooperation from the city that is required to achieve a vision on film. 

We all play our parts.

Hollywood on the Potomac? In my last post, I listed some of the key actors in the Lifetime Television cable movies based on my Killer Hair and Hostile Makeover. Now I can reveal two other lead actors: Mark Consuelos is playing Lacey's handsome rival reporter on The Eye Street Observer, Tony Trujillo, and playing the part of Rose Smithsonian, Lacey’s mother, is the terrific Mary McDonnell. My website at www.ellenbyerrum.com has an updated movie page with some very handsome cast photographs.

Lifetime has been filming in Vancouver, Canada, but a film crew will be in D.C. in March to shoot exteriors. Will I be there? With bells on? You can bet on it!

In other news, I’ll be signing books at Borders Express in Springfield Mall in Springfield, Virginia, on March 14, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. The mall is having a fun fashion event that weekend, so the Crime of Fashion mysteries will fit right in.  Do stop by if you’re in the area.

Later in March, I’ll be returning to the Virginia Festival of the Book to participate in Crime Wave, on Saturday, March 21. The event is held in beautiful Charlottesville and is free for many of the events. It’s a great time and one of our favorite booksellers, Lelia from Creatures ‘n Crooks Bookshoppe will be on hand to sell books that day. For a good time, I recommend this festival.

My thanks to the many friends and fans who have offered me suggestions for actors to play the parts of Lacey Smithsonian and the rest of her crew in the Crime of Fashion Mysteries that are being filmed by Lifetime Television. It’s been fascinating and fun to contemplate all the endless possibilities, but now I have great news: Those endless possibilities have been narrowed down! Most of the major roles for Killer Hair have now been cast. While I have nothing at all to do with selecting the actors, the cast members look very impressive.

Maggie Lawson of television’s  “Psych” will play my heroine Lacey Smithsonian.
Victor Webster who appeared on “Charmed” will play Lacey's love interest Vic Donovan.
James McDaniel who appeared for many years on “NYPD Blues” will play Lacey's editor Douglas MacArthur Jones.
Finola Hughes of “General Hospital” will play hair salon diva Josephine Radford.
Sarah Edmondson will play Lacey's friend Brooke Barton.

Other cast members as of this date: Sadie LeBlanc as Stella Lake, Jocelyn Loewen as Felicity Pickles, Mario Cantone as Leonardo, Lynda Boyd as Marcia Robinson, Jason Schombing as Detective Harding, Peter Kelamis as Agent Thorne, Christopher Shyer as Boyd Radford, Carmen Moore as Sherri Gold, Sarah Smyth as Tammi White. I'll update with additional cast members as more info becomes available.

For a peek at the lead actors go to my web site, where we’ve put together a movies page at http://www.ellenbyerrum.com/eb_website_january_21_2009_002.htm

Lifetime will begin shooting Killer Hair in Canada this month and Hostile Makeover in February. I have to say that as more details become known, it’s actually beginning to seem real to me.

Upcoming Bookstore Events

In other news, I’ll be attending a couple of events in support of some great independent bookstores in Virginia.

January 24  With some great Virginia writers, I’ll be attending Mystery Lovers Saturday, in Middleburg. Sponsored by Books & Crannies, Middleburg's own bookstore, the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at various locations around Middleburg. I'll be part of a panel discussion with other mystery writers in the morning and signing books in the afternoon.

January 30  I'll be on live TV to help promote the “Books & Bling” event that takes place the next day at Creatures ‘n’ Crooks Bookshoppe, a bookstore that specializes in mystery and science fiction. I'm appearing on Virginia This Morning, on WTVR-CBS Channel 6 in Richmond VA, sometime between 9 and 10 a.m. What should I wear?

January 31  “Books & Bling,” from 1-4 p.m., is an event to support Creatures 'n' Crooks Bookshoppe, 3156 West Cary St., Richmond, VA. Stop by to meet and mingle with your favorite mystery authors, including Ellen Byerrum, Katherine Neville, Donna Andrews, Ellen Crosby, Maria Lima, Andy Straka, Joseph Guion, John Gilstrap, Austin S. Camacho, Maggie Stiefvater, Kristy Tallman, Dennis Danvers, Elizabeth Blue, Tee Morris, J. B. Stanley, and others. Join us to nibble sugary treats, win incredible door prizes, and buy books in support of Richmond's most charming bookstore.

From Creatures ’n’ Crooks Web site, here are a few more details about the January 31 event:
Over 100 authors from across the country have contributed to the incredible reader reward prizes to be given away throughout the month of January. That’s right! Whenever you shop at Creatures ‘n Crooks, you have a chance to win a fabulous prize! Prizes will be given out each week and you’ll never know which reader will receive a reward! (This includes phone customers). Reward prizes include signed books from authors in the field of mystery, fantasy, horror, nonfiction, and children’s fiction.

Contributions include a vampire basket from Charlaine Harris, a character donation from Margaret Maron, gold and sapphire earrings from Denise Swanson, a Carolyn Hart basket, a culinary basket with goodies from Joanne Fluke, a historical mystery book prize including a vintage Tiffany necklace, a fantastic fantasy book crate with signed books by George R.R. Martin and much, much more.

Today is the great playwright Moliere's birthday. He would be 386 years old. Known as the father of modern comedy in some circles, Moliere was born January 15, 1622, and died February 17, 1673. My favorite comic playwright, Moliere always gave the women characters in his plays great parts and great lines. At a time when doomsayers are predicting the end of the book as we know it, I find it comforting to reflect that they have been predicting the death of theatre for decades.  And yet the theatre is still here. We still crave storytelling whether it's in a book or at the theatre, or yes, via more modern applications, movies and television and the Web. In the midst of uncertain times, with doomsayers all around, I recommend celebrating theatre and the art of storytelling today.

At the moment, our televisions are awash in those dire public service commercials warning us in their oh-so-perky-yet-serious way that as of Feb. 17, our regular old analog antenna TVs will be dead. Kaput, moribund, gone. Oooh, I’m so scared! And if you don’t get the magical digital box to add to your TV, well, you are so out of luck and your old caveman-era rabbit-ears TV will be a thing of the past, no better than a doorstop, a hunk of hazardous glass and toxic waste. On that fateful day, your television will bring you only the fuzzy gray screen of death, they intone with great sorrow.  Really? Cross-your-heart-and-hope-to-die really? Dude, it's government-mandated, you say. Well maybe the government can make TV more digital, but can it make it better?

Why does this remind me of the year 2000 and the horrible, frightening Y2K bug? You remember, the world was supposed to come to a screeching stop? Computers, traffic lights, and the Internet would all explode! We’d be left in the dark, cursing our single candles!

If only! Just a beautiful dream. Just another case of the Technology Gone Crazy Boogey-Woogey Boogeyman Blues to sing around the campfire and titillate our nightmares. Nothing happened. John Galt did not pull the plug, Atlas did not Shrug. And those who spent millions to upgrade their technology to avoid the big non-event—Did they feel a little bit silly? How about the hucksters who put that one across? Smugola, if you ask me. But no, this time, they assure us, the worst is really going to happen. They're not kidding. It's gonna happen. It's not like Y2K, honest. You analog Luddites will be sorry!

So the question is: After we find out whether the flickering blue television lights really go out all over the world, or at least in the U.S., what will we discover is really in that digital box that we are all instructed to buy? A little spy tool for the government? While we watch our TVs, who is watching us?

Something to think about while we anticipate the government discount coupon to come in the mail, the coupon that the government says it has no more money to provide. I can hardly wait. But you know, I feel like playing chicken with this one.
We'll find out Feb. 17.

Facing a brave new year, with all its treacherous unknowns hiding around the corners, I never make resolutions. Resolutions always mock you when you fail, and that makes you feel bad. On the other hand, I have just finished writing my goals for 2009, because for me the simple act of writing down a goal with paper and pen is the start of making it happen. And when something happens, that makes you feel good.

Personal goals are not to be confused with those nefarious performance review "goals" that some companies force their employees to write and swear they will achieve, though they are plainly impossible. Those goals are just a way to get you to dig your own grave, professionally speaking. I explored this subject in a play of mine, entitled Interviewing Techniques for the Self-Conscious. So I'll return to my point.

For a number of years before my first book sold, on New Year’s Day I would write down my goals. Maybe six or eight goals, big goals and little goals. First I went over my goals from the previous year, scrawling notes all over the page to to illustrate any conceivable positive progress. No matter how small, it was still progress. Sometimes I got together with a friend and we would collaborate on writing our goals together, each thinking the other had written some weird and impossible goals that would never see the light of day. And yet, sometimes they did.

Obviously I never accomplished every one of my goals in any one year, and some thankfully dropped off the list forever. After all,  it’s my list. It’s interesting now to look back at those old scrawled-over sheets and see how the most peculiar goals led me slowly, year by year, to concrete writing accomplishments, to produced plays and published novels.

But somewhere along the way, I stopped writing down my goals. I was too busy actually accomplishing those goals. Now, however, I realize it’s a good thing to reach further than the present, and to remember that one goal leads to another, and another. So I’m writing them down again.

What are my goals?  Please! Let me maintain a little mystery for now! Except for this one: To blog more often. But I'm curious, do you have goals for 2009?

Happy New Year to all.

 

The waiting is the hardest part, so says songwriter Tom Petty. And nearly everyone who waits for their own big event. In my case, waiting for a Lifetime TV movie deal to happen—and to be greenlighted—seemed like a long time, but I am assured that it was pretty quick, as these things can sometimes take years. In these posts, I've been discussing how the deal happened.

I’ll pick up the thread of the last entry. After I attended the Sisters in Crime conference on Selling Your Book to Hollywood in November 2006, I was pretty happy. I had a feeling that something was going to happen. I mailed off the other books in the series to Rona and Monika, the producers I had pitched my books to.

I didn’t hear anything until the spring 2007, by which time I was beginning to think the voice of instinct had been ever so slightly off. As in Wrong! But when I finally heard something, it was good news. They were still very interested. Rona wanted an option. She seemed to have the energy and enthusiasm to see the project through the wacky wilderness of Hollywood. We worked out an option for the first four books for one year. I won’t reveal the terms of the option, but believe me, it was nothing like you read about in those how-I-shot-to-fame-and-fortune-in-the-blink-of-an-eye stories. We all know about the dazzling deal Janet Evanovich got for her Stephanie Plum books. My option deal had no resemblance to her option deal.

The wait for something to happen began. Then the Writers Guild went on strike, and rightly so, after their contract negotiations fell through. As you can imagine, that put activity on the option, and nearly everything else in Hollywood, on hold. By early 2008, recognizing the impact of the strike, Rona and I renewed the option for another year.

Then in May, when I was on a break from covering a meeting, I got a call from Rona. Lifetime Television was interested in developing two of the books, the first and third in the series, as television movies. Killer Hair, the first book in the series,  introduces fashion reporter sleuth Lacey Smithsonian, who gets entangled in the murder investigation of a hairstylist in D.C., and finds time for romance with old flame Vic Donovan. In Hostile Makeover, the third book in the series, Lacey is involved with the murder of a supermodel, an extreme makeover, and an untimely visit from her mother (and her former cheerleader sister). Her romance with heartthrob Vic heats up--and hits a few bumps.

Over the following months I heard bits and pieces of news from Hollywood, encouraging and otherwise. I appreciated that Rona kept me in the loop on developments. She helped keep the deal moving forward, until the project moved, through all the usual obstacles, from a "blinking greenlight" to being really greenlighted.

During this process, I learned that not only is the waiting hard, but so is the keeping quiet. With the blinking greenlight, I could only tell close friends--and then beg them not to tell anyone. With the steady greenlight, I could finally tell my publisher, and the rest of the world. Now, production of both movies is slated for January. I’m waiting for word on casting and air dates. I’ll reveal more fun film facts as I learn them.

As they say, stay tuned for further developments.