Red Hot Chili Peppers and Soul Food

I’m a massive fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Not just because they create great music but because they possess a spirit unlike any other rock group I’ve ever encountered. Let’s face it, if a band’s charm is so magnificent that they can make a grown man in tighty whities look cool while playing bass guitar, then they’ve got something.

The Chili Peppers made me want to be a rock star. Hell, I think they made everyone in my generation want to be rock gods or goddess. When it comes to having an incredible presence they just give it away, give it away, give it away…

My adoration of the band made me pick up the lead singer’s biography, Scar Tissue. In Scar Tissue, Anthony Kiedis shares a belief I found to be incredibly inspiring. He feels that a soul picks its parents. This made me rethink my childhood and the role my parents had in raising me. What if we picked our parents? What if we needed these two people to come together and make us who we wanted to be? What if, in an early attempt to shape our destinies, our souls picked the people maybe even the circumstances that defined us?

Revolutionary, is it not? We couldn’t see ourselves as victims anymore unless that’s what we wanted to become in the first place. My soul must have seen something in the people that raised me and knew it needed what they had to offer. I thought about it for a while. I still think about it. I haven’t been able to find all the answers. Just a few. In this hypothetical situation I came up with the following observations.

I was raised by a grandmother that taught me unconditional love, sacrifice, and a belief that one could live by simple means and still be happy. My father taught me how to be tough, calculating, and that you can’t trust people blindly. He had a love of books and of knowledge that needed to rub off on me. He was also a gambler and at one point, my soul must have known that I needed to learn one important life lesson. If you’re not taking chances, you’re not living at all.

My mother raised me with enough personal freedom to be my own person. She cherished independence and she loved America even though she was born and raised in a different country. She also taught me to stand up for what I believe.

I’d like to pose Kiedis’ belief to hopefully change your outlook on your past and childhood. In my collection of short stories, High Stakes, family is one of the three main themes within the tales. For me, nothing shapes who we are better than love, fear and family. If we look though the eyes of a rock star we should be able to see that our first audience, first fans, and first promoters are our family. A soul knows this and wants to pick the right venue to make us the stars of our own show.

The Wait’s Over

      Waiting is one of the first stories in my short story collection, High Stakes. It’s now here for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy.

                                            Waiting

      Do I hold on too tightly? Ashley thinks so. All I know is that from the moment I saw her, I wanted her.

      I still remember the first time I laid eyes on her. I was walking by Florida Atlantic University’s library and, as I passed the study hall, I caught a glimpse of a beautiful blonde with the most serious look on her face. She was leaning over a textbook, lost in thought. I paused long enough for her to notice me. When she looked up, I froze. Then, she smiled. That smile has haunted me to this day.
      I walked past her, afraid to say anything. I felt like such a wimp.
      Later that night, I couldn’t help replaying our encounter in my head over and over again. I should have said something. I should have told her anything that came to mind. It couldn’t have been worse than running off the way I did.
      I couldn’t sleep that night. I swore I’d find her and at least introduce myself.
      I spent my lunch hours in that exact spot every day for a week. Between classes, I’d pass by the study hall. If anyone needed something from another class, I’d volunteer to get it with the hope of finding the blonde with the unforgettable smile.
      When it was time to hit the books, I camped out in the study hall. I even declined when my roommate asked me to hit one of the local bars with him on Friday night. Knowing my plans, he told me, “She’d better be worth the wait.”
      One week later, my patience paid off. She returned to the same spot, and I finally introduced myself. I haven’t left her side since.
      We dated for six months before I proposed. The wedding was scheduled for the summer following graduation, but the accident postponed everything.
                                                            ~ * ~
      Ashley has these great quirks. These little imperfections that make her perfect. She misplaces things—keys, money, her purse. I usually find them and return them to our dresser for her. It upsets her from time to time. I don’t know why. It’s just my way of showing that I still love her.
      She’ll fall asleep on the couch most nights. Sometimes reading a book or a magazine. It’s one of the little habits that make her endearing. I’ll take her glasses off and remove the book from her lap and set them down on the coffee table for her.
      Once, I picked her up and tucked her into bed but that really scared her. I guess she didn’t remember moving from the couch and it spooked her. I don’t like to see her upset so I promised I wouldn’t do that again.
                                                              ~ * ~
      Ashley doesn’t smile like before. It’s rare now. Ever since the accident.
      After the crash, she would cry and cry. I hated watching her like that. It was a month before it stopped.
      She still blames herself but I urge her not to. A tire blew out at the wrong time and at the wrong place, that’s all. I keep telling her that but she doesn’t hear me.
      It’s been a while now. I don’t see her smile like before. I guess it’s difficult.
      I try not to upset her. I know she still feels responsible. Ever since the funeral, I keep trying to tell her that it wasn’t her fault. That I still love her. That it’s going to be all right. I know she can’t hear me but I do it anyway. I’m waiting for the day that she’ll hear me and see me again.
      What can I say? She’s worth the wait.

 For more stories, check out the collection, High Stakes, now only $0.99. Click here for the link to the ebook.

 

Dead Insight: Girls Gone Dead Creative Team Interview

The creative team behind the soon-to-be released film Girls Gone Dead, answer my questions on filmmaking, writing, marketing and all the other little things that go into making a feature film. Ryan Dee, Michael A. Hoffman and Meghan Jones Hoffman join us and share their insight on producing Girls Gone Dead. The following question and answer segment came from an email interview with the team. 

Joel: What gave you the idea for Girls Gone Dead?  What were your roles in writing and creating the work?

Michael: I had the concept for more than ten years. I’m a big horror movie junkie (especially stuff from the 80’s like Sorority House Massacre). When the reality gimmick came into play with stuff like Blair Witch, etc. I threw the idea down on paper. Over the years it’s gone through re-development, and at one time was optioned —but it landed back to me. I’m glad we had the opportunity to do it as a true feature and not a “camcorder gimmick film,” because I was always against that angle (aside from a few insert shots and jabs at the genre).

 Ryan:  Mike and I worked on another horror film, entitled Beware, and talked about wanting to produce something in the future.  An opportunity finally arose to work on a potential project. Mike and I were responsible for writing the treatment that we pitched to the eventual executive producers of the film. Originally, the story was supposed to be a sequel to one of Mike Hoffman's movies entitled, Spring Break Massacre. Through numerous meetings between Mike, myself, and the executive producers, it morphed into the inclusion of the Crazy Girls Unlimited (parody of Girls Gone Wild) segments forming, Girls Gone Dead.  I was mostly responsible for the spine and logistics (making sure there were minimal logic holes) within the story. Mike, and especially his wife Meghan, developed the characters and wrote the majority of the dialogue. We wanted the lead girls to speak believably like a group of best friends would. We agreed that their dialogue should be written from a female's perspective. Luckily screenwriter, Meghan Jones Hoffman, was willing to make time in her busy schedule to write the dialogue and transform our extended treatment into a working screenplay.  Mike produced, co-directed, and edited the film as well.  During principal photography, I was also the 1^st assistant camera, in charge of the camera department and pulling focus, as well as a camera operator.




The director of Girls Gone Dead, Michael A. Hoffman, on the set. Photo by Aaron Wells.

Joel: What makes GGD different than the other films horror fans have seen in the past?

Michael and Meghan: Well, this one is pretty crazy. We think many people will be expecting a cliché hack and slash fest. Hopefully, many will be pleasantly surprised. The clichés are definitely there, but more in a spoofing manner. We found it very difficult to write a self-aware parody without slipping into full-fledged camp or Airplane! mode if you will. So what we have here is essentially a movie that is a joke on itself (literally every line is from a cliché). But it’s up to the audience to pick up on the jokes as the movie is presented in a more serious package. Plus, there’s a lot of fun T&A (a lot).

Ryan:  I think we have some kill scenes that are original in regards to who it is that’s being killed or killing (I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll leave it at that).  I also believe that our killer’s weapon, a medieval war hammer, is unique.

Joel: What was the most difficult part of making Girls Gone Dead?

Michael:  The stop and start nature of the production and the fast preproduction times. We literally had very little prep time. Seeing how this project began as a micro-budget sequel to a film Meg and I had written years ago (Spring Break Massacre), when it made the transition to become Girls Gone Dead  it required a very fast re-write on key scenes and even less prep time (we found this out with less than two months until shooting). Meghan was great about working in the “Girls Gone Dead” elements into the script that already existed. Also, the weather caused a serious delay. We were filming in freezing conditions (in South Florida no less) for the first wave of the shoot. We had to cancel the climax and nighttime outdoor scenes until warmer weather. In the end, the weather was a saving grace as I had actual prep time to go into the next phase of shooting, and had the ability to create things like seating diagrams, some storyboards and full shot lists that fit our locations. Though due to the speedy nature of the shoots, I was rarely able to stick to those and had to improvise with our DP’s quite a bit. This break from shooting also granted us the ability to build and create the main centerpiece for the movie—the Wyld Willee’s bar location (which was an amazing feat in itself).

Ryan: The cold weather throughout our shooting schedule. It sucks not being able to predict the weather weeks in advance while developing the shooting schedule. We had an unforeseen cold front plague us in the first wave of shooting that forced us to schedule a later week in March, followed by pickups, to finish shooting the movie.  Asking girls to act in bikinis in 30 degree weather all evening was not going to fly.

 

Ryan Dee switches out the lens on a Panasonic AJ-HPX3700 on the set of Girls Gone Dead. Photo by Aaron Wells.

 Joel: What was the most exciting part of making the movie for each of you?

Ryan: Bringing in some great talents in cast and crew to make this movie.  Also, we set a goal to write, schedule, shoot, and edit an ambitious movie idea, and we succeeded.

Michael: Seeing it completed for the first time with the general public, and hearing the reactions (although I did squirm nervously in my seat throughout most of the premiere).

Meghan: Working with Jerry Lawler to enhance the script and when he agreed to come back for more screen time that we had initially thought. He was a very positive and creative influence and he really helped flesh out his character.



Jerry Lawler (left) with Ryan Dee (right) on the set of Girls Gone Dead. Photo by Aaron Wells.

Joel: I can imagine raising the capital for a feature film is a difficult task. It’s probably one of the biggest questions all indie filmmakers struggle to answer. First, how much did you raise? Second, how did you do it?

Ryan: Mike should take this one.

Michael: Honestly, I’m not sure how much we raised. It was pay as you go for the second half of production. I’ve been told the film (with post) is around half a million, which sounds accurate. I know post-production was costly as well—especially in the world of music licensing, color correction and audio mastering. We did license some huge artists and utilized the services of facilities like Technicolor and Postworks.

Girls Gone Dead was definitely not done the traditional way of creating a script, breaking it down, attaching key players and crew with letters of intent, followed by budgeting, etc. This literally was a “You have so much money for this—make it work” situation. Which was fine—because the fact I didn’t have to worry about contracts and moneys paid out after the first wave of shooting let me focus on my job as the director (which was almost impossible for the entire first shoot).

As for raising the money—it’s something I just fell into. I wasn’t looking for funds to be entirely honest. I work at Bongiovi Entertainment (a recording studio) and the executive producer was a friend of a friend. We started talking. I mentioned I directed three prior films, all of which had secured domestic and international distribution—and it was off and running.

Ryan Dee (top left) with Michael A. Hoffman (top right) on the set of Girls Gone Dead. Photo by Aaron Wells.

Joel: What advice do you give indie filmmakers trying to get started themselves?

Ryan: Don't agree to anything without knowing what it's ultimately going to cost when meeting with your executive producer(s). Write your scripts with attainable budgets and believable scheduled shooting days in mind. Try not to add bigger scenes/stunts/camera movement after an initial, broken-down, itemized line budget is composed and agreed upon between you and your investors. Mike and I learned a valuable lesson to budget much higher and spend more in the beginning of preproduction, as opposed to cutting corners wherever to save money. Otherwise it costs you more in reshoot needs once you're in principal photography and post. And do not create rushed deadlines for your team. Give yourself ample time in each stage of production (pre, principal, and post) to make the best possible product with the least amount of mistakes to correct later.

Michael: Don’t expect opportunities to come find you. Get something done. I shot my first film with $1200 out of pocket. Work on as many sets as a PA that you can find when getting started. I know I worked my first jobs for cult director Tim Ritter (Truth or Dare?) when I was about 14. Also, when you have some work to show, make sure you get a supportive team that understands your quirks. We all have our little personality traits (and disorders) and it’s important for those around you to work with and not against you.  That’s why starting with small projects in your area is important. It is on these shoots you can meet the people you’d like to work with in the future and those you don’t. Finally, make sure any project you tackle is something you’re interested in. To deliver a feature film to major distributors the proper way can take years of pre and post production. If you’re not totally into the project, this can become a monotonous thing. However, if you’re directing Sy Fi Network fare like Mega Fault vs Giant Earthquake, the above line doesn’t factor in. Those are quick pay checks that usually won’t have your heart into them. It’s important to decipher what’s a job and what’s worth being a labor of love.

 

Michael A. Hoffman (top right) on the set of Girls Gone Dead. Photo by Aaron Wells.

Joel: What advice can you share with aspiring screenwriters looking to get into the industry?

Meghan: Don’t give up.  Most scripts were turned down several times before finding their place. It can be frustrating to hear over and over again that your ideas won’t work or that they are not marketable. Take advice and opinions, use them to your advantage and edit as you go, but stay on track with your original idea as much as possible because if you try to please everyone you’ll only end up even more frustrated.  Be flexible, open to new ideas and observant to the things happening around you. As for actually getting a script sold or financed, that is tricky.  Marketing yourself and making connections is important while protecting your work at the same time. 

 

Michael A. Hoffman and Meghan Jones Hoffman at the Girls Gone Dead premier. Photo by Bluepoem Studios.

Joel: What are some of the resources you’ve come across that really helped you out?

Ryan:  Action/Cut Filmmaking, with Guy Magar, is a great three-part DVD resource.  Robert McKee’s Story, is very helpful for developing a screenplay.  The Reel Truth by Reed Martin, focuses on what you need to know about making an independent film.  Finally, coming from a camera department background, The Camera Assistant’s Manual, by David E. Elkins, SOC, is so helpful in explaining every aspect of what a camera assistant does, and how to do it as efficient as possible.

Michael: Honestly, working on multiple sets was the only way I got ahead. It was the connections I made that led to new connections. Departments I learned that lead to tackling new departments, that eventually landed me a card in the Los Angeles Editor’s guild. While I’ve read a lot of books on the subject, nothing can truly prepare you for making a feature or networking the right way.

Meghan: Instead of reading up on how to write, I try to incorporate every day conversations and observations into my work. I feel this helped tremendously with making characters feel real as opposed to manufactured. That said, when it comes to the technical aspects of writing, programs such as Final Draft help with the proper formatting. Also, it’s always good to download scripts from other writers to see how they handled putting tough action scenes down on paper

Ryan: I would like to “second” Mike’s answer here.  There is no greater experience than just being on set.  When you’re starting out, PA jobs sometimes can be great because on downtime, you have the ability to just listen and observe what is going on around you within the different departments, and see how they all collaborate to make the final product.  Pay close attention and you’ll learn something new and valuable every day of a production.

Joel: As independent filmmakers you share the trying task of promoting your work like other independent authors and artists. What do you feel is working for you?

Ryan:  We are quite fortunate to have distribution already for foreign (Archstone Distribution) and domestic (Entertainment One), which means they will be responsible for the majority of promoting the film to potential buyers/markets.  Though, interviews like this and social media networks, like Facebook and Twitter, are very helpful as well to post news about the film.

Michael:  For past films I’ve directed, I toured the film festival and horror convention circuit, and did many internet radio/written interviews. However, in the case of Girls Gone Dead  it was sold before it was completed. There’s really been no time to properly promote. We’re just getting started now (hence this interview). So when I come across a marketing strategy that’s a home run, I’ll be the first to let you know! For the time being, we’re just beginning to utilize the social networking element.

Joel: How did you assemble your team?

Michael:  Ryan Dee handled the majority of that for production. I worked mainly outside of Florida for the last five years, so I didn’t have many production contacts. I made a few on the film Beware (in which I worked with Ryan), like our sound mixer and my co-director, Aaron T. Wells, had made a documentary on the South Florida music scene and I shot a few interviews for him. There were a few others I brought in—one I had met in passing at a film festival in Wisconsin. The others were by Craigslist/Mandy/IMDB ads (always a crapshoot).

However, when it came to post production, I utilized the recourses I’d collected as an editor/Red DIT over the years. For instance, the music department where I work (Bongiovi Entertainment) handled the majority of scoring and sound mixing. Our colorist is a director of photography who I’ve worked with on the St. Louis Cardinal’s commercials for the last five years. Also, the animator—the amazing Benjamin Budzak—was one of the friends I made when I was getting my union card working on the fantastic horror flick Forget Me Not.

Since I come from an editorial background, the majority of my “hires” or additions to the team came from past work and in the post production phase.

Ryan: Mike and I wanted to flex some of the talented professionals within the South and Central Florida area in the production industry, namely cast and crew.  We worked with Brad Davis of Marquee Entertainment for casting needs and hired fellow production colleagues and friends for crew.  The Palm Beach County Film Commission was also very helpful in permitting for some of our beautiful South Florida locations.  And luckily for us, Bongiovi Entertainment facilitated almost all of our Post Production needs.

Joel: Enough with the interview, tell us about the movie. Give us a quick synopsis. When will it be available? Where can we get a copy?

Michael: Hmm. There’s no quick way to quickly summarize the plot and make it semi-coherent.  How about this?

The story follows six hot cheerleaders in a comedic fish-out-of-water scenario, there’s tons of gore, tons of boobs, a killer with a medieval war hammer, at least two totally unexpected death scenes (that I’m sure many will be talking about for some time to come),  and tons of celebrity cameos, such as: Jerry “The King” Lawler, Beetlejuice and Sal “The Stockbroker” Governale from Howard Stern, Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden, scream queen Linnea Quigley, B movie icon Joel D. Wynkoop, Al Sapienza from Prison Break and the Sopranos, Ron Jeremy, Shawn C. Phillips, Janessa Brazil and so many more. Not to mention our leading ladies are all breaking out into mainstream stars! Brandy Whitford can currently be seen in Beware (which plays regularly via Showtime and The Movie Channel), Katie Peterson will be in the upcoming Step Up Revolution and The Collection, Caley Hayes last role was a large supporting turn in hit comedy Sex Drive, Ryan Keely (Penthouse Pet of the year runner up) just starred as herself on the MTV movie awards and in a short with M. Night Shyamalan, Shea Stewart turns in a breakout, star-making performance, and Krystyna Ahlers will soon be in Altered Reality with Rachele Brooke Smith.

There’s also a shitload of unexpected laughs. I promise. And if our supporting cast seems more of a gimmick than actual performers, wait until you see the film. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how we worked it all in.

Meghan: This is a hard movie to describe and an even harder movie to categorize since it’s really two movies in one.  You have the main story with high school friends reuniting for a couple of days over spring break and being knocked off in various and sometimes bizarre ways. Then you have the “Crazy Girls Unlimited” aspect where a mansion full of beautiful people are terrorized by a deranged lunatic. Both stories interconnect and are host to a slew of celebrity cameos in pretty funny situations.  I guess I can only describe Girls Gone Dead with one phrase—stupid fun.  There are plenty of attractive people (many of whom are topless), gory death scenes and enough tongue-in-cheek dialogue to keep people wondering where the hell it’s all leading to.

Ryan:  It’s a think-piece, pinning present day pop culture ideals and influences with anti-sacred, immoral behavior to the brink of … No, sorry … it’s a fun teen comedy/horror film with lots of boobs and gore.  What more do you need?



To order Girls Gone Dead, click on the link below.




 

For the Girls Gone Dead Facebook fan page, click on this link.

To see the Girls Gone Dead IMDb page, click on this link.

 

   

Meeting Wolves

Hello, my name is Joel Betancourt and I’m a storyholic. I crave fiction, tales, stories and a strong narrative for my mainline fix. I can’t help it.

Regardless if it’s from a great novel, an unknown indie flick or even if I have to steal it in the streets from slices of conversation I overhear, I love a good tale. I guess that’s why I write. After all, if you use enough, you’re going to have to start dealing the stuff yourself. I know, like the movie Scarface teaches you, “You don’t get high on your own supply.” But a fix, is a fix. You got to do, what you got to do.

So, this is my gift to you. Here’s a taste. It’s one of the featured tales in my short story collection, High Stakes. Hope to see you again, jonsing.

Of Wolves and Moons

“Why does the wolf howl, daddy?” my boy asked as we walked past the forest and back to our farm.

I ran my fingers through the dark strands of his hair. The soft locks reminded me of his mother. He looked up at me with eyes filled with wonder. The silver necklace that hugged his neck bounced moonbeams as bright as his innocence. The medallion of St. Lazarus his mother had given him years ago swung near his heart.

“The wolf howls because he misses her, my son.”

“Who? Who does the wolf miss?”

I listened closely to the night. Crickets chirped from hidden corners of the forest. Small animals scurried through piles of dead leaves. I waited for the mournful wail. The wolf’s cry crept through the night air, crawled through my ears, and into my memories.

“He’s lonely. He misses his female wolf.”

“Why does he miss her?”

“She’s gone. Hunters … hunters took her away from him. With their bullets and guns and lies. They stole her away.”

“Is he sad, daddy?”

“Yes.”

The howl came again. I looked up into the sky. A half-moon frowned down upon me. I opened the door to our farmhouse. We entered and I locked the moon out behind me.

“Why does he howl at the moon?” my boy asked.

“For answers. He wants to know why she’s gone.”

“Does the moon ever answer?”

“No.”

“Why does he howl then?”

“He hopes that one day the moon will answer him.”

I tucked my boy into his bed and kissed his forehead. I hoped he’d dream of bicycles, of other children, and of summer days lost in the joys of youth. I hoped he did not dream of wolves and I prayed that he definitely would not dream of moons.

~ * ~

“Daddy, daddy,” my boy said as he shook me from my empty dreams. “The howls are louder tonight.”

I sat up in bed, glanced out the window and saw the moon. This time it stared back at me three quarters full.

The wolf’s cries came again. They stole the sounds of the forest, leaving only the wail to rise in pitch as if the sound could touch the moon.

“Yes, they are louder,” I whispered. The newly broken sleep strangled my voice.

I placed my hand on my son’s shoulder. The silver necklace touched my skin and I remembered his mother, her eyes as dark and deep as the twilight hours that filled my life with longing so many years ago. Her hair, dark and full with strands that rested gently on her breasts. I thought of her breasts and how they had quenched my desire through those twilight hours.

“You must sleep, my boy. You must sleep and dream, and not listen to the howls.”

“They keep me up.”

“You must try.”

I walked him to his room, sat on the side of his bed and pulled the covers up to his neck. “Sleep. Tomorrow I will take you into town and we will go to the ice cream shop. You can have as many scoops as you like. Then we will stay in the park as long as you like. You will play with other children. We will stay there until your legs tire of running and your heart tires of laughing and then we will come home. Would you like that?”

“Yes daddy, I would.”

I kissed him on the forehead and squeezed his hand. “Good night then.”

~ * ~

The next day I walked my boy through town. We spoke of bugs, and school, and birthday presents. We had ice cream and soda and I smiled as he played on the swings in the park. I laughed as he fell into the sandbox to joke with the other children. I sat still under the bright sky and forgot about wolves and moons and wives and little boys who will never know their mothers.

~ * ~

“Daddy, daddy, are you okay?”

I awoke. Fever filled my body and I could feel my bones breaking. The night air suffocated me.

I looked at my son. “Yes ... yes...”

“I heard the howling. I wanted to see if you were okay,” he said.

“Yes—”

Pain surged through my soul. I reeled as agony tore at my limbs.

“It’s okay daddy. It’s okay,” my boy said as he held my hand. I glanced at him. His necklace was gone.

“What happened to the—”

“It broke. It broke in the park,” he replied.

“Did you lose it?”

“No, it’s in my room. I still have it but I can’t wear it.”

“Your mother ... your mother gave that to you when you were a baby. You need—”

The pain broke my body.

“It’s okay, daddy. It’s okay.”

My limbs stretched. My teeth grew under my shattered jaw. My body twisted and grew.

“You’ll be okay, daddy,” my son repeated. He patted my head.

I rolled over. My spine stretched my torso so that I spanned the length of the bed. My new body grew its hair. My hands twisted into paws. My mouth lengthened.

“It’s okay,” he said.

I looked at my son with sad eyes. He took hold of me behind my head and led me off the bed by my neck. I crawled through our house. My claws scratched the wooden floor as my little boy guided me outside.

The night held a full moon larger than I had seen in years. A hunter’s moon. It was there when I crawled through the field and into the forest. It was there when I cried, there when I howled and it was there when I asked the moon the questions I have always asked.

This time I hoped, no, I prayed, that the moon would answer me.  

For more stories check out the collection, High Stakes, now only $0.99. Click here for the link to the ebook.

MD

Time weathers us. Changes us. We forget or don’t realize how beautiful certain things were. How full of promise. We don’t realize the sacrifices some have made for our own sake.



My mom during the early 1960s.

A friend saw an old picture of my mom and said, “Wow, your mother looked like a movie star.” It got me to realize something. There wasn’t a spotlight shining or a star presented on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to praise her accomplishments but the woman who raised me was something more important than a star. She was a mother and that, unlike all the shine of tinsel town, has made her unforgettable.




My mom and I, present day.

 To all the women who have given us so much, happy Mother’s Day.

Thoughts on Craft

Writing is self imposed solitary confinement. As writers we lock out the world to work on our craft. It’s a lonely, lonely endeavor. And not just the writing, nearly everything a writer does makes him or her feel alone. Don’t believe me? Ask any writer with their fair share of rejection slips. Nothing makes you feel as alone as holding a stamped self addressed envelope you mailed out months or even years ago with a cut up sheet of paper inside that basically tells you, thanks but no thanks.

If maybe the editor or publisher took the time to actually write an actual note. Maybe paste a form letter on letterhead and make an attempt to produce a pretty looking rejection. That would be easier to swallow. No, this was obviously one sentence that was repeated ten times on the same sheet of paper and then later cut out into ten little strips. If you got a clean cut on the top or bottom of your note you’d know if you were the first or tenth writer to get the ‘f you’ slip that day.

Almost like an evil prophesy from a demonic fortune cookie, this long ribbon of pain waves at you. It taunts and teases. It tells you that you suck. That you’re going to drown in a sea of rejection.

They didn’t care. Hell, they might as well have sent you some cyanide pills or a few razorblades along with the note. Just to make things easier.

An ex-girlfriend called me when she heard that my first book was getting published. At the time she entered a twelve step program for alcohol. She discovered that many great writers battled their fair share of substance abuse problems. She asked me why I thought so many writers drank. I don’t think I really had an answer for her then. I do now. It’s the loneliness.

My experience with High Stakes was different. I had a small pack of fellow writers in a writing group that helped me along. While putting it together a great photographer came around and did what she could with the cover. A handful of professional writers, editors and reviewers blessed me with some blurbs.

And when it was time to promote the book, so many people came from all over to help. Friends from high school. Hell, even friends from elementary school downloaded copies of the book and helped spread the news.

Strangers from Facebook and Twitter came to the rescue. Some wrote amazing reviews on their own personal blogs. Others shared news about the book to all their followers. None of you had to do any of these things but you did. I just wanted to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You made a writer not feel so alone after all.   

Free for All

The free download of High Stakes should be available May 5^th after 12am, Pacific Time Zone. That means for most of us over here on the other side of the US in the Eastern Time Zone, that the ebook will be available after 3am on May 5^th. I hope you all enjoy the short story collection. Please download it as soon as you can. The book will only be available for a couple of days.

Also, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line in the comment’s section below telling me what you’d like to see in this blog. I’m new to all this and I’d like to get a feel for the type of content you’d like to read.

The link to Amazon is below. Thank you for subscribing to the blog.

Sincerely,

Joel Betancourt

Click Here for Link to Amazon Page for High Stakes.

Hello Stranger

My short story collection, High Stakes, is now on Amazon. While the trade paperback is currently $11.99 you’re going to be able to pick up the eBook for free. That’s right, FREE. How, you might ask?  Subscribe to this blog. That’s how.

I plan to promote the book by giving copies away on Amazon. The moment the promotion is available, I’ll contact the subscribers of this blog. You’ll be the first to find out about it.

Writers are nothing with out readers. So I want to meet you. I want us to start a good relationship. Subscribe and you’ll be the first to discover free giveaways, interesting stories and meet me. I want this relationship to work.

Book Description

Dark fiction writer Joel Betancourt’s short story collection delves into matters that create our core. You’ll find twenty-seven stories involving obsessed artists, vampire dolls, and desperate gamblers. These are just a few of the interesting characters you’ll meet playing for High Stakes.

Editorial Reviews

"Joel Betancourt's writing is dazzling ... brilliant ... Sharp dialog and surprising, even shocking plots (many of which deal with heart-breaking loss) make this collection a fantastic read. Betancourt's a powerful new voice in fiction of the weird and fantastic." --Rick Hautala, author of Occasional Demons and Indian Summer

"Betancourt is especially adept at subtly bending the reader's mind, using words that flow like smooth jazz to uncover parts of human nature hidden in the shadows..." --Pitch Black, editor and publisher of Horror Garage

"Betancourt's short works appear to emanate from a dark, fevered mind ... Already well known for his Horror, this collection of tales display the depth and diversity of his talent. Bolt the doors and lock the windows." --Graeme Johns, author of Immortal Desire and Situation Sabotage

"Betancourt has compiled an excellent collection of stories in High Stakes ... His stories make you stop and think ... I highly recommend this collection." --Colleen Wanglund, reviewer for The Horror Fiction Review

It all Started with a Simple Departure

Do you remember in school when the teacher was sick or it was close to vacation and you’d come into class to find a television in front of the room? Do you remember that pleasant, thank the stars, feeling you’d get. Well, guess what? Today's your lucky day.

                                                           Departure Part I

                                                           Departure Part II

                                                           Departure Part III

Departure was the first script I wrote. Actually, co wrote with a close friend of mine, Mike Demers. Ross Yabut was the editor, camera man and all around tech genius that pulled it together. There was also a long list of other people as well as the actors that helped make this small dream come true. We struggled through several nights of hell back in 2002 to get this thing made. Co writing and directing this film was the beginning for me. I’ve wanted to be a story teller ever since.



Learning the Ropes

Welcome to my blog. I am currently reviewing material and plan to have a few things up shortly.