Something About Bad Boys... and Girls

I'm sure a lot of us could learn a thing or two from reading this new Young Adult novel, A Bad Boy Can Be Good For A Girl, by Tanya Lee Stone, which I discovered the other day while reading Martha O'Connor's blog. You can read all about the novel at Martha's site or Tanya's site, but the gist is this: one bad boy, three very different girls, high school hormones, BIG-TIME drama!

Sounds like fun.

And like just the sort of book people (like me, oops did I say that?!?!) could probably relate to. White-picket-fence boy/girl meets project boy/girl. Degreed girl/boy meets street-smarts girl/boy. Sparks fly. Families get upset. Modern day Romeo and Juliet dramas.

What is it about the bad boy/girl that some folks who weren't raised a bad boy/girl find so darn irresistable? Including myself. Yeah, I admit it. That's enough confession for now.

I think that's where the motivation for my next novel (Summer 2007) came from -- Right Side of the Wrong Bed.

I mean, people aren't entirely good or bad. And people aren't entirely smart or stupid about the choices they make. Those are subjective terms, open to interpretation. We're all shades of gray and have our complexities. Some folks who look the bad-boy part may not even be bad. They're just performing gender. Advertising. Portraying an image. All the while holding a 9-to-5 downtown exec job and USC/Morehouse/Pepperdine degrees. And those are things that interest me as an observer and writer.

Still... many of us are drawn to the short-term excitement, real or imagined, of the perceived bad boy/girl. Some of us grow out of it. Some of us dive right toward it the older we get. And I'm wondering what you think is the appeal?

For a look at some boys who may be good, bad, or all shades in between, check out one of my fave blogs: Hoodsworld.

Happy Tuesday!
fs

Clicques. Community. Closeness.

I don't have a problem rolling to a club, a movie, lunch, book signing, or any other event by myself. Always been kind of an independent person, and always feel secure that I will run into someone I know while out and about. And if I don't, then I don't. Is that weird?

Apparently, that's a big deal for some folks-- to venture out alone into the unknown. And last night as I visited a neighborhood haunt, Club Chico, I met two new people who knew me from writing a novel... and they were surprised when I answered their question "Who did you come with?" with "Myself." These guys -- two recent transplants from Oregon (black guys from Oregon at that!) -- were a little taken aback. I guess they thought I'd roll with a posse or entourage or something.

But as I listened more closely to what was really going on, I knew what was up. It's a similar story I hear and observe a lot. People don't generally feel welcomed or do a lot of welcoming to new faces or people who are not with a "clicque," or the observers sitting at the bar or standing against the wall. And sometimes there can be some shinier gems among that "solo" group, than the gold-plated types garnering all the attention at an event. But anyway...

The black Oregon transplants to L.A. had this idea that everyone knew everyone already (which we know isn't the case) and that it's hard to meet and make friends in L.A. gay/black scene. I hear it from guys all over. And there's probably more to the story in each case. But anyway...

So is it an individual/perception thing? Is it a gay/black community thing? Is it an era-of-electronics thing (i.e. people feel more comfy behind a screen and keyboard, than face-to-face conversation)?

Aaah. So much to think about among other serious issues. But creating community is something that I think is a responsibility we all bear.
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New Book.

Right Side Of The Wrong Bed / Paperback, 260 pages, $15.00 / Kensington / ISBN: 0-7582-1926-1 / Published November 27, 2007

Breaking all the rules…
At thirty-three, Kenny Kane seems to have it all: good looks, a great career as a university administrator, a silver BMW, a sprawling home in the tony hills of Monterey Park, and a hot firefighter for a boyfriend – that is until he cheats on Kenny with a woman! After devoting the past seven years of his life to his ex, the last thing Kenny needs is to get involved with someone new. So when he meets Jeremy Lopez at a West Hollywood bar, Kenny is content to just buy him a drink and leave it at that.

Is the only way to go…
But Jeremy won’t take “no” for an answer. Six feet tall, dressed in baggy, low-rise jeans and sporting plenty of bling, Jeremy is “straight-up East L.A.” He’s also a mere twenty-one-years-old – and of Dominican-Mexican heritage. Except for one white boy back in college, Kenny’s always dated other African-American men.

When it comes to getting what you want…
But he can’t deny the chemistry between them. And before he knows it, Kenny’s having the time of his life – hanging with Jeremy and his boys… clubbing and hitting frat parties… feeling like a kid again. But how long can a thirty-something like Kenny keep it up? And is he really gonna find what he’s been looking for with a kid like Jeremy – or will Kenny wake up feeling like he’s on the right side of the wrong bed?

“Reads like real life… this smart and touching novel just won’t entertain you. It’ll make you think and perhaps remember.” – Black Artemis, author of Burn

“Funny, touching, and intoxicating. Smith has written yet another compulsive read.” – Maurice Jamal, writer and director of Dirty Laundry and The Ski Trip

“Open Right Side of the Wrong Bed to join Fred Smith on a fun, rollicking ride through L.A., where the men are fabulous and the wit is as sharp as the latest pair of trendy jeans. By turns sexy, funny, and heartbreaking, this book is sure to please.” – Fiona Zedde, author, Bliss and A Taste of Sin

"Anyone who's ever been in one of those ‘so GOOD yet so BAD’ relationships will relate to Right Side of the Wrong Bed. Frederick Smith is a gifted author who has written a page turner filled with wit, comedy, and very memorable characters. Don't miss it!" – Patrick Sanchez, author, Girlfriends and Tight

Order from Kensington Publishing.

Order from Amazon.

Order from your favorite online retailer or independent bookstore (links inside story).
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J. California Cooper

Got to see J. California Cooper the other day in L.A. She spoke at Esowon Books, a cozy store on LaBrea south of the 10 Freeway, that focuses on books by and about black people. (Image on left is from the National Book Club Conference, August 2005, in Atlanta).

Great talk.

If you haven't had a chance to hear her speak and read, you're missing some entertaining discussion. She tends to talk in storytelling style, going from subject to subject, about whatever pops into her mind. At her Esowon Books talk, she talked about everything from sex to drugs to the characters talking in her head to the trees and paper dolls that kept her company as a kid. Don't worry. She's not off or anything. Just a wiser, older woman who tells good stories.

And also writes good stories.

When asked about what motivates her to write, she answered that as a Christian she follows and lives by the Ten Commandments... and that as long as people break them, or have the tendency to break them, she will always have something or somebody to write stories about.

And if you've read any of her novels or short stories, you know that J. California Cooper definitely imparts some mother-wit, tell-it-like-it-is wisdom, and straightforward lessons in life.

My favorite short story of hers is "$100 and Nothing." But I love all her short story collections and novels. The new one, Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns, is sure to be a winner and a classic too.
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Blame It On The Rain

Blame it on the rain... that I didn't want to get out of bed this morning. Or go to bed last night. Not a good combination when your day job... well is your day job. Writing full time sounds mighty fun. But can be mighty draining on the day-to-day finances.

Blame it on the rain... that I don't always follow the advice of those closest to my writing career. "You can't go out there pissing people off with your observations on ethnicity, class, gender. It's too sensitive a subject." I think I think too much, which is not something that always pleased my teachers and academic advisors. I always flipped things around and looked at them in different ways. Still do. I'll leave my novel characters to do the observations on those issues. Can't piss off a fictional character.

Blame it on the rain... that when we use the word "illegal" it's now the code word to describe people from California down to the tip of South America... and the Caribbean too. But it doesn't trigger you to think about people like this.

Anyway, it's raining hard in Southern California this week. It's not the pretty picture of sunshine, palm trees, and beachfronts. Maybe will purchase some Milli Vanilli on iTunes today and rock out to Blame It On The Rain while trying to stay dry... and outta trouble
:-)
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L.A. Festival of Books

It's that time of year again... the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, April 29 and 30, 2006 at UCLA.

Before I got published, I used to volunteer with the festival. Very fun experience and a great way to meet your favorite writers up close and personal. It was also a great way to learn about ways I could enhance my chances for publication.

Very worthwhile event if you're into books and writers. And also a great way to publicize yourself and your book... where else can you find a captive audience of thousands of readers?

The L.A. Times event usually kicks off the summer, while the West Hollywood Book Fair winds down summer in Los Angeles. If you're around, I'm sure we'll run into each other at these events.
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J. California Cooper. Esowon Books.

Yay! Just found out two cool things.

One. One of my favorite L.A. bookstores, Esowon Books, has a new website. Esowon is an independent store that focuses on books by and about black people. Great space. Great staff!

Second. One of my favorite writers, J. California Cooper, will be at Esowon on Wednesday, April 5 at 7 pm, to talk about her new book, Wild Stars Seeking Midnight Suns.

She's always got some wise, wild, funny story to share during readings. I'm looking forward to seeing her speak on Wednesday and getting the book.
fs

Remember These Divas?

Of course you do, if you were fortunate enough to catch Dynasty during its original run in the 80s/90s, or the reruns on SoapNet in the 2000s.

Anyway, Krystle and Alexis, i.e. Linda Evans and Joan Collins, are reuniting for a very fun, bitchy, divalicious stage production about two aging stars who hate each other, but are forced to work together for the money and for a much-needed career comeback.

Sounds like fun.

And they say the stage production will be complete with an infamous Krystle/Alexis catfight, which were highlights of the Krystle and Alexis relationship... remember the guest house fight? the lily pond? the mud at the spa? How many others? lol.

I was always a soap fan, but my parents didn't want my mind "corrupted" by content they didn't agree with... so I had to sneak and watch as a kid. Little did they know the corruption their innocent boy... uh, oh, anyway, you get the picture my friends :-)

From the Entertainment Tonight website.

Happy Saturday.
fs