Blue Root, or Would You Like To Connect?
You see it in the middle of the banner at the top of my site, but what the heck is Blue Root, right? Why would I give away a whole novel for free?
There’s a lot of reasons, but mostly because I want it published and it’s a hard sell to traditional publishers, so I gotta go an other-than-traditional route. It’s a real genre-mixer, even a genre-bender. The science is pure fiction. The romance serves the science as much as the characters involved. The whole darn thing is a corny, slapstick comedy. What the hell happened?
More importantly, why not just shelve it and cut my losses?
Because writer friends of mine keep asking me what’s up with it, where it’s being published and are shocked to find out that no, it’s not going to be released in paperback or even ebook from a publisher who was willing to take a chance. They enjoyed it so much that they still ask after having read it over a year ago and hadn’t forgotten it.
Sure, it’s got some first-book-itis, but a lot of the things in it are being tackled today. Teledildonics comes to mind. Bluetooth-enabled portable computer devices. The iPhone.
I just don’t think I should let Blue Root rot on my hard drive any longer. I should share it with the world…or at least anyone who visits my website.
So here it is. For some light reading including a networkable, programmable sex toy, a wimpy villain who reeks like garlic, a semi-self-aware A.I., a cat named Trouble, a rekindled romance and a whole lot of sex-crazed, living zombies, read Blue Root.
I just set myself up on Twitter
I get very busy quite often. Sometimes, this blog seems forsaken. That’s not the case anymore because if nothing else gets updated, I plan to Twitter. That means that the little section of the sidebar under my picture will frequently change.
I might mention what I’m doing at that very moment, what I’m about to do or what I’ve already done. Sometimes, it’s boring and sometimes, well… it could get interesting.
I sometimes do a lot of unrelated things in a day…after all, that’s when I’m at my happiest, so I’ll do my best to share.
For instance, one of the things I could’ve twittered if I’d gotten set up about a month ago would be: After pairing my phone with a Lamborghini Gallardo while I was at a stoplight, I realized it was too early to call anyone.
Or from last week: I am hunting down pics of myself dressed as Cancan Leeloo so I can post them on my website.
(Yes, look for those soon!)
In fact, I’m gonna go do a new one right now: Drinking High Mountain Ginseng Oolong tea that doesn’t taste like shit.
5 hearts for Otherness: Rift from The Romance Studio!
“Otherness: Rift is a novel which captured my imagination from the first page and drew me into the story’s world, so that for the duration of the novel I found myself transported and forgetting I was simply reading, and not living along with the characters. As a lifelong reader, I realize how rare such an event is, and treasure each book in which this happens. Rina Slayter has quite a way with words and has composed an excellent beginning to a new fantasy series which will attract many readers who love mystery, suspense, fantasy, magic, and romance.”
Wow! That’s not just a 5 to me, that’s a 500! Thank you!!!!!!!
5 cups for Otherness: Rift from Coffee Time Romance!
“Rina Slayter has created a mesmerizing page-turner with this novel. The characters are funny, sophisticated and fascinating. OTHERNESS: RIFT is an original and deeply intriguing tale complete with secret mysteries and prophesies but set in modern day California. With both a vivid cast of characters and mystical lore, the reader is hooked from the very beginning. This is the kind of novel that takes you to a different place and allows your imagination to soar.”
~Bonnie Lass, Coffee Time Romance
This was my very first review and I will always cherish it… Not just because she gave Otherness: Rift a 5! Thank you!!!!!
4.5 stars for Otherness: Rift from Euro-Reviews!
“Rina Slayter is a very talented writer who knows what readers want and also knows how to deliver it. Otherness: Rift left me breathless by moments. I particularly liked the part where Liz awakens in the earthquake, I could almost feel it myself. This book contains magic, mystery and witchcraft. A powerful warlock is also present. The earthquake reveals alot that was better kept hidden. Rina Slayter has written a really enjoyable and fascinating story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
Another great review! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
4 lips for Otherness: Rift from Two-Lips Reviews!
“I enjoyed Rift and the world the author laid forth. This fantasy tale and its themes of friendship and the history and ancient historical magic made this a unique tale. The characters were well drawn and engaged my attention and emotions… I can see Ms. Slayter’s complex world-building in evidence here. This appears to be her first solo work, and I’m interested to see what else she has up her sleeve.”
This series is really closest to my heart. It has been a long time coming, so I’m glad it’s finally here and being well received. Thank you!!!!!
Video Teaser for Otherness: Rift
Check this out!
All About Steve
It has been an eternity, it seems, since I’ve worked within 10 minutes of my house and twice in two days, I got lucky. Yesterday, I drove south. Today I drove north, but both times, I was there in about 10 minutes. I wish they were all this close!
Because the shoot was so close and gas prices have come down a little, I drove my Viper…just ’cause. I haven’t driven it much lately, so why not?
I parked. I got shuttled. I checked in. I went to wardrobe.
Okay, last night, I agonized over what to bring to this gig. Usually, casting directors specify “NO BRIGHT COLORS” and repeat that, like, ten times in the recorded message about what clothes we’re expected to bring. Well, this time, the message said, “We love bright colors.” And said it, like, ten times… But what went through my mind was, “They say they want bright colors, but do they really mean it? And do they know what they’re getting themselves into by asking me to bring bright stuff?”
So, I chose a pair of loudly tie-dyed teal/aqua pants, a teal tank top (’cause we’re having 100-degree weather), a loud teal floral over-shirt (just in case) and maroon Chuck Taylors (I oddly don’t have a teal pair yet for some reason). Then, I grabbed a loud pink/purple floral pantsuit from the late 60s, and another, less loud outfit in shades of royal blue, tossed in a few extra, random shirts just in case and figured, well, they said bright colors, so I’m gonna give ’em bright colors.
And sure enough, I presented myself in front of the wardrobe people and, though surprised, they said, “Ummm… Great.” So, I went on my merry, tie-dyed teal way through hair and make-up.
As I came out of hair, they were loading up us extras to go get our cars because they wanted to use them in the shoot. Okay, whatever. I’m always game for car calls. I did wish I’d known this was going to turn into a car call so I could’ve brought a different car. Oh well.
But what extra drives a Viper?
Yeah, I became a little mini-celebrity because of my car. Oh well. It’s always fun. I got the car parked and they told me to stay in it.
But I couldn’t. It was already about 90 degrees outside and my Viper heats up to inferno in nothing flat. The inside is small and black, the top is black and the engine radiates heat inside, too. I kept having to get out of the car and stand next to it. At first the PAs and such thought I was trouble, but after awhile, they realized that, no, I wasn’t trying to be difficult, I was over-heating and didn’t want to pass out!
During a short period of time when I didn’t need to actually be in my car, I was sitting nearby and doing what I always do: watching everything. I like to see what people are doing and how they’re doing it. I still find it fascinating even though I’ve seen it so many times. And, well, Jen had told me to look out for Bradley Cooper because she’s got a crush on him and he’s a hottie.
And, well, I make it a point to scope out hot men, so when I saw him, I figured I’d text-message Jen just to tell her that I was about 20 feet away from him. (Which was pretty much for the record or thereabouts for all the principle actors today.) She replied about being jealous and then a little while went by and I had to go back to my car for a little bit.
While I was at my car, I looked back down, just to see the action, etc. and I wanted to do a mental recording of what I was seeing just so I could send it to Jen… Bradley was changing his shirt as he walked closer down onto the set and…well…omg…I’m drooling now just replaying the mental video. Jen wasn’t kidding when she said he’s a hottie… I have now seen him without a shirt and wouldn’t mind seeing more…a lot more!
Anyway, I was always pretty far from the action, but essentially the scene had Sandra Bullock running alongside a van, with Thomas Hayden Church as passenger. The woman was awesome. In hundred-degree heat, she ran alongside that van for about 12 hours and never seemed grumpy about it. She rocks! I’d already thought she might be a pretty cool chick, but I hadn’t worked with her. Now, she’s just plain and simply awesome in my world. And I hope I look as good as she does when I get to be her age. She’s amazing.
As I fried in the heat, I put myself in her shoes…well go-go boots today. Yeah, she’s got guys to give her a ride, air-conditioned cars and tents and trailers, etc. But darn it all, what she did was hard work today. She had to 1) Run in those go-go boots. 2) Act. 3) Do it for 12 hours. 4) Do it in hundred-degree weather…in the sun the whole time. 5) Keep it fresh in every take.
I dunno about anybody else, but I think I would’ve had a meltdown were I in the same predicament. So, for now, Sandra Bullock is my new hero!
Eventually, I did get to drive through frame. I always enjoy driving on set, but everything kept getting confusing because sometimes they’d have us drive forward and then back up and sometimes they wanted us to do a U-turn and then get back in line the way we’d started. I preferred to back up, but more so, I preferred that they’d all had us do the same thing no matter what they chose. Oh well.
I do think I was either the only one or one of very few people in a stick-shift car. As I said earlier, if I’d’ve known it was going to turn into a car call, I would’ve brought a different car. I’m actually also surprised they let me use it. It didn’t really ‘go’ with the rest of the cars, but whatever.
I rarely got out of first gear, but what was most annoying is that the whole set was on a hill, so there I was, trying not to let the car roll downhill before going forward or in reverse. I enjoyed the challenge, but still wished I’d brought an automatic. The one saving grace, was air-conditioning. Even though I couldn’t let the car idle for long, while the cameras were rolling, I had the a/c on and got to cool off a little bit. I just didn’t want to overheat the car, too.
For a long, hot day, it was nowhere near as bad as it could have been. I mean, I’ve been on longer, hotter days and this wasn’t near so bad. I don’t want to do a lot of these, but once in awhile, I’m totally game for it. Between the male eye candy and the acquisition of a new female hero, not a bad day overall…
Raising The Bar
This was the shortest drive I’ve had in a very long time. My call time was 6:30AM and I left at 6:10. It was a little later than I’d shot for, but I knew I’d still make it in time and that was the main thing.
I parked. I got shuttled. I couldn’t find holding. I found holding. I went to wardrobe.
Okay, the last show I was on, Henry Poole Is Here, I was supposed to wear business clothes. Over the weekend, I’d forgotten to do laundry. Last night, I realized that if I didn’t do laundry, I wouldn’t have anything clean to wear for this gig, so I threw in a load.
And that was the outfit wardrobe wanted me in. I did a few mental cartwheels because the rest of my stuff really didn’t work for the look of their show.
This was the first day of filming for this pilot and I gotta say that it really didn’t feel like the first day. Everyone wasn’t perfectly in tune with each other yet, but if I hadn’t been told, I never would’ve known that this was day one. It was waaaaaay smooth.
I played a ‘public defender’ in an office setting. And for a change, I had some reasonably difficult crosses that depended heavily on timing. This wasn’t background pinball and we pretty much all had to take our own cues once we walked into the office set. I futzed with paperwork and even watered plants. The challenge was great, too, in order to be in the correct spot, doing the right cross at the right time. My performance was flawed on a few takes, but not so bad that I got yelled at for it. Personally, I think I did pretty well with what I had to work with.
And either I was really, really hungry or catering was great. I don’t feel qualified to comment because my stomach was growling, but the chicken, potatoes au gratin and steak I had were super-duper yummy. I mean, like, I wish I had the recipe for the chicken and potatoes. The steak…well…my hubby knows his way around beef and grill. It was a really great lunch…which ended my day there.
Yeah, another somewhat short day. If this pilot actually airs, I’ll likely be in it. I counter-crossed Mark-Paul Gosselaar a few times.
Under Serious Construction!!!!!
Good golly gracious me is my new site under construction!!!!
I’m having fun putting this thing together, but I can’t seem to do it fast enough. Please bear with me for the time being.
If you’re looking for information on Otherness: Rift, click here. I’ll have my site together soon, with even more information…including reviews–a few 5s no less!
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