Showing solidarity with the unions in Studio City… hopefully the deal will be what the unions want and need. Unbridled corporate greed has been destroying the United States while our politicians fail us repeatedly.
Not much to write about TIFF except that it is un-cool for actors/writers to pimp their work when tens of thousands are on strike going broke… don’t care if they got permission or were directors - it shows a lack of a moral core.
I was part of the panel on Villains led by the incredible James Byrne and really great people and writers (listed below).
We had a number of attendees approach us separately to tell us how much they had enjoyed it - even Eriq La Salle threw a thumbs-up later that night.
I also caught up with Allen at his book signing and he was very king sharing his methods of outlining his work. Greatly appreciated.
Also swapped lies with a bunch of writers - great fun.
Below are the panelists - give them a read when you can.
James Byrne, moderator
THE GATEKEEPER, DEADLOCK
Alexa Donne
BRIGHTLY BURNING, THE STARS WE STEAL, THE IVIES
Allen Eskens
THE LIFE WE BURY, THE GUISE OF ANOTHER, THE HEAVENS MAY FALL
Mir Bahmanyar
SHADOW WARRIORS, THE SPEARHEADERS
RJ Jacobs
THIS IS HOW WE END THINGS, ALWAYS THE FIRST TO DIE
Lou Berney
THE LONG AND FARAWAY GONE, NOVEMBER ROAD, DARK RIDE
Great time researching stuff for my next novels/books. Also hung out with Hemingway - we bullshitted about writing, war, and other nonsense. Orson contributed a lot and was more interesting than Ernest. Also a Black Tie shindig with some not so savoury characters…
Bunch of hardcore writers showing their love and showing their wit. This took place during a research trip to Ireland. Great underpaid people. Speaking of great people - Veronica Guerin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Guerin. Bruckheimer made a film about her starring the fabulous Cate Blanchett with whom I worked on Soderbergh’s The Good German - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452624/
I attended the 81st anniversary of the founding of Darby’s Rangers in Northern Ireland. As usual the hosts were tremendous (I previously attended in 2017) and fun was had by all. You can read details here: https://www.northernirelandworld.com/news/people/us-rangers-carrickfergus-roots-remembered-81-years-on-4197011
The 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment sent 10 Rangers to the ceremony and they took my shit very well. They did us all proud. Hooah! RLTW!
SF Officer (ret.) Roy Murray Jr (son of same named Darby officer), Major Erickson and me… Erickson is smart, well-versed and has a dry sense of humor… perfect for me to abuse him… He took it very well as did the other Battboys. Terrific Rangers.
Note the new cover below the original one.
The first dedicated, illustrated study of the events of the Second Punic War in Iberia, which served as a launch pad for the Carthaginian invasion of Rome.
Iberia was one of three crucial theatres of the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome. Hannibal of Charthage's siege of Saguntum in 219 BC triggered a conflict that led to immense material and human losses on both sides, pitting his brother Hasdrubal against the Republican Roman armies seeking to regain control of the peninsula. Then, in 208 BC, the famous Roman general Scipio Africanus arrived in theatre to defeat Hasdrubal at Baecula, forcing Hasdrubal's army from Iberia and on to its eventual annihilation at the Metaurus.
In this work, military historian Mir Bahmanyar brings to life the key personalities and events of this important theatre of the war, and explains why the Roman victory at Baecula led directly to a strategic shift and Carthage's eventual defeat. It covers Scipio Africanus' brilliant victory at Ilipa in 206 BC, where he crushed the army of Mago Barca and Hasdrubal Gisco. Illustrated with maps, tactical diagrams, battlescene artworks, and photographs, this work provides a gripping narrative of the large-scale battles fought in Iberia.
The Inner Pigdog
I was a panel member at this past weekend’s Thrillerfest https://thrillerfest.com on Keeping Creative Juices Flowing.
The panel master was the incredible Jamie Mason https://www.jamie-mason.com , and fellow panelists were the amazing Dr. Alexia Gordon https://alexiagordon.net and super-lawyer Bonnie Kistler https://bonniekistler.com. The rest of the panel was composed of Kent Lester http://www.kentlester.com with his superb southern drawl, and the ever-entertaining D.J. Palmer http://www.djpalmerauthor.com.
They were all thoughtful, kind authors with great insight into the creative aspect of writing - and then there was the pitbull in the China shop doing zoomies – yup, me. I blame my northern German upbringing for everything… they all indulged me. Thank you and thank you for not calling animal control on me.
The only thing I genuinely contributed was introducing to my fellow Americans the concept of Der Innere Schweinehund (the inner pigdog https://www.thelocal.de/20181019/german-word-of-the-day-innere-schweinehund ). It’s a concept which, in many ways, is what the panel was also about – the challenges of Writer’s Block, Impostor Syndrome, and much more. I annoyed everyone by declaring I don’t have any of the more common issues a number of writers experience such as self-doubt, for example. My many failures in life have taught me that self-doubt is a waste of time, since I’m likely to fail anyway. And discovering something I love – fiction writing – has given me enough joy in the actual process that I don’t waste time worrying about the future of whatever I produce. The only time I doubt myself these days is when it comes to choosing my next writing effort. That is when the inner pigdog demands food. But once a decision is made I write without doubt or hesitation until the work is finished. I have written a dozen non-fiction books and over a dozen of TV/film scripts and the only way you get things done is to sit down and JUST WRITE and DO NOT FEED THE PIGDOG.
Non-fiction is grinding writing… no matter how much I love some of the topics I cover.
But writing fiction, to me, is liberating - no longer confined to excessive research with a billion footnotes - it is wonderful. Time flies and YOU pick the size of the canvas you wish to paint on - be that a small one to Cristo & Jeanne Claude’s epic sized ones https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christo_and_Jeanne-Claude - it is up to you. You also choose charcoal or oil or whatever and you create your own world, limited only by your desire to do so and to finish the new and brilliant piece of art you have created. Sometimes you even get paid and published – hahaha…
In any event, writing fiction is wonderful and the community is generous and welcoming, sometimes even of the inner pigdog, and sometimes even of this pitbull doing zoomies in a China shop.
I thank you all for indulging me and I also wish to thank all of you all who attended.
Next year’s panel will hear about Ein Harter Hund…
Don’t mistake the inner pigdog with this pig of a dog…
Very much looking forward to this and some of the great ones who’ll be attending like Walter Mosley and Michael Connelly. Also, always great to hear Karin Slaughter.
Very pleased to be on my first panel.
Always good to support your local book/mag activities. Nice day, great location, lots of businesses and people.
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