My Novel 'Life and Death in Venice' Is Now Available

 

My new novel Life and Death in Venice is now available for purchase. It is free if you have Kindle Unlimited. Please click this link to get your copy now. 

What the story is about: 

Life and Death in Venice is the story of New Yorker Robert "Bobby" Valenti who moves to Venice to start over after divorcing his wife and the death of his mother. In the magical city he navigates the streets and yearns to get to know the place on an intimate level while wanting to forget a past that he is trying to escape. He joins a writers' group where he makes friends and hopes to enhance his goal of writing a novel. Bobby starts seeing Mireille, a beautiful French girl who is a group member, but she has many personal dramas that cause their relationship to be on and off again. After he meets Elena in a bar, he takes her home and learns that she is a prostitute who has an abusive pimp, so he reluctantly pays her. He continues seeing Elena even after Mireille comes back from a long trip to Paris, creating an unusual love triangle. As he attempts to write his book and hopes to find some peace and happiness in Venice, many obstacles are standing in his way.

I want to thank everyone who has pre-ordered the book. It is the perfect book for the summer reading season. Enjoy your vacation time and let me know what you think in the comments section. 

Eulogy for an Old Friend – Saying Goodbye to Zoetrope Virtual Studio

 

Zoetrope Studios San Francisco

No one wants to write a eulogy – since that means someone you loved has died, but you do it because you feel like honoring that person in some substantial way.

Zoe – as many of us affectionately call it – is Zoetrope.com, a Virtual Studio where we were able to submit our short stories, poems, photos, screenplays, flash fiction, and novel excerpts. There were fellow writers in each section to read and review our work, and we could read and review their work. It was the perfect symbiotic relationship because we all benefited from the experience.

The Importance of Story

Francis Ford Coppola

Zoetrope Virtual Studio was founded by Francis Ford Coppola – the filmmaking genius who knew the importance of “the story” in life and in film – as a place for people to share their work. When I started here, I was young and rough around the edges. The first story I submitted was “Gemini” – a tale about a guy and gal who are about to become lovers and then the guy discovers they are brother and sister. The story matters less than the feedback I got on it. I was so hooked after that.

Social Media Before Social Media

The funny thing was that Zoe was social media before (I believe) anyone knew that term and what social media was. I don’t believe that term was in use in the year 2000 when I joined, but now I realize that this was always a place fellow writers could be rather social with one another while helping them with their work.  

Losing an Old Friend

This month marked my 25^th year on Zoe, and it is difficult to accept that this place will no longer be here. Just as with an old friend or loved one, you don’t want to let go of them. Even though you know death is a part of life, you cannot understand how you will go on without that person.

That is what I am feeling right now. When Monday morning comes and Zoe is gone, there will be a palpable void in my life. Just as when someone you love dies, and you pick up the phone because calling them was part of your day and then you realize they are not there to take your call, I will probably go online and click the Zoe icon on my laptop to check the short story section, and it will not be there anymore.

Why I am Going to Miss Zoe

So, why am I going to miss Zoe so much? Well, the first thing that comes to mind are the people. I’ve got to know many people on Zoe better than I know some people in my in-person life. I am talking about many years of friendship that goes beyond the stories we wrote. Z-mail – the wonderful if sometimes confounding Zoe email system – allowed us to converse beyond stories. Now that will be gone, and in these last days we have been shooting Z-mails to one another exchanging contact info in hopes of keeping what we had here going.

The sad truth is that it is over. You know how when a grandparent or parent dies – the one who kept the family coming together because of their very existence – and after that person is gone the family is never the same. People stop coming for birthdays and holidays because that person was the glue that kept it all together. Zoe is a lot like that loved one who is passing on, and so too our Zoe family will scatter into the ether and chances are very good we will never hear from one another again. I suppose that’s the natural way of things.

When I Came on Board

When I first came on board there was a fellow writer named Stefan Ash who quickly connected with me. As I stumbled out of the gate as it were, Stefan kept me from falling. When I doubted myself or my stories, he found a way to encourage me and that kept me writing. When I learned that he had died, I felt as much loss as I would have had for any person I knew in my real-world life.

Now, I am not just facing the loss of one Zoe friend – it is the colossal loss of all of Zoe. Because of this site, I have workshopped many stories that I eventually turned into novels. When they were published, I always thanked the reviewers of my stories because they helped me tweak my stories to get them to a better level. I don’t know where I would have ever had that kind of support and encouragement.

I Grew Up Here

Where else can I go to find that now? Where else can I read the fine works of other writers and review them. This is a rhetorical question because I don’t think I can do this in any other place. I cannot do this anymore. I will never be as invested as I was on Zoe. I grew up here, dammit. I don’t want to love another place because – just like people – it is too damned hard when you lose them.

Thank You!

So, thank you, Mr. Coppola, for creating this place. It gave so many people an outlet for their creative work. You really anticipated what was to come, and despite Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and all the rest, there has been no place greater for creative people than Zoe.

Thanks to all my fellow writers, poets, and photographers who shared their work with us. It is a very brave thing to expose your work to others. There was an opportunity for support but also pain that is inevitable when you expose that baby that you believe is as cute as a button to the world but you find out others don’t see it that way, yet at Zoe there was support to help make that baby cuter.

So, goodbye good old Zoe, my building and loan pal. We have been through thick and thin and everything in between together. I will mourn your loss and there will be a gaping hole in my heart when you are gone, but I’m brave. I’ve been through this before – too many times! I know how to not cry and keep walking like I’m ready for battle even though I crumbling inside. It’s a defense mechanism that works for me.

Rest in peace, Zoe, and as you’re going on to the great digital beyond, please go knowing that you were loved.

 

Beach Boys Founder Brian Wilson Dead at 82

 

Brian Wilson, musical genius and founder of the Beach Boys, has died at 82. Only a little information is being released by the family at this time, They are devastated and shocked by his loss, and they are asking the press and public to respect their privacy.

This post is not about how or why Brian Wilson died, but rather about how he lived and the musical legacy he has left behind. He founded the band in 1961 along with his brothers Carl and Dennis. They went rather quickly from being a local California group to becoming increasingly known and famous across the country and around the world. 

The band's name and their songs with beach related themes – "California Girls," "Surfer Girl," "Surfin' Safari," and "Surfin' U.S.A." – inextricably linked them to good times in the sand and surf and what amounts to the idea of  (like the title of one album) an Endless Summer.

Many musical groups and performers drew inspiration from Brian's work, especially his groundbreaking recording of their huge hit "Good Vibrations." Please watch the video below that explains the arduous but completely necessary (in the end)  process that produced what is one of the greatest songs of all time. 

Brian Wilson's loss has affected me personally and many people all over the world. He will always be remembered for the impact his group had on the musical world and the fans who loved them. 

The Beach Boys have performed as a group (in one incarnation or another) longer than any other band in history. As they got older, and even after Dennis's death, the band still carried on. 

Now, with Brian's death, the end has come for the Beach Boys. Even with Brian's loss, the musical legacy lives on. The songs about surfer guys and girls, the hotrods, the surf, and sand remain. Their songs linger lovingly as every summer rolls around, and now Brian has gone off to the great beach resort in the sky where unending summers are not just a dream. 

Rest in peace, Brian Wilson. 

 

My New Novel 'Life and Death in Venice' Available for Pre-order

 

My new novel, Life and Death in Venice, is now available for pre-order. Here is a synopsis of the story:

Life and Death in Venice is the story of New Yorker Robert "Bobby" Valenti who moves to Venice to start over after divorcing his wife and the death of his mother. In the magical city he navigates the streets and yearns to get to know the place on an intimate level while wanting to forget a past that he is trying to escape. He joins a writers' group where he makes friends and hopes to enhance his goal of writing a novel. Bobby starts seeing Mireille, a beautiful French girl who is a group member, but she has many personal dramas that cause their relationship to be on and off again. After he meets Elena in a bar, he takes her home and learns that she is a prostitute who has an abusive pimp, so he reluctantly pays her. He continues seeing Elena even after Mireille comes back from a long trip to Paris, creating an unusual love triangle. As he attempts to write his book and hopes to find some peace and happiness in Venice, many obstacles are standing in his way.

Please click on the this link to pre-order the book, and it will automatically come to you on the day that the book launches on June 16, 2025. 

Thanks for your attention and continued support of my work and this blog!

Movie Review: 'Easy Rider' – Still Born to Be Wild

Watching the film Easy Rider after many years  (I'd say at least 20 years), I was reminded of an America that was and is now long gone. Coming out in 1969, the film represented the optimism of the 60s era of peace and love but also hinted at the jarring changes of the 70s to come.

Captain America in biker form Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and hippie freak Billy (Dennis Hopper) start the movie not even in America. They make a drug deal in Mexico the old fashioned way, and then they roar back across the border (see the trailer below) into California to take to the roads of America on a drug fueled journey that is a different take on the ultimate road trip.

As they move across country, they get the disapproving glares of supposedly regular American people, but there is more to their story than just being part of the generation of peace and love. Yes, they do go with the flow and prefer the woods to motel rooms which they can afford because of their drug dealings. 

A sale of the top notch cocaine they scored in Mexico to a wealthy customer (Phil Spector of all people) means they have a lot of cash to fuel their wild ride. They head to New Orleans for Mardi Gras with no motive except to have the party of their lives. 

Despite Wyatt's Captain America helmet and ride, he is not even a shadow the of the comic book character but rather an alternative personality. He embodies what America allows him to be but is no saint but hardly a sinner. While Billy has no pretensions at all other than to live for the moment and enjoy all the freedoms America affords him, he is the ultimate sidekick to the less than American hero with no agenda. 

Along the way from California to New Orleans they pick up George Hanson (a young Jack Nicholson) who had been part of the establishment as a lawyer, but now he wants to get on the road and see life from their perspective. The idea of being anti-establishment seems like dramatic irony since Wyatt and Billy have dealt with the wealthy in order to sell their drugs to the highest bidder. 

The film is also directed by Hopper, and he makes the viewer part of the freewheeling ride across the country. With seemingly no restrictions or rules to follow, Wyatt and Billy appear to be born to be wild as the opening credits suggest to the soundtrack of Steppenwolf's song. This fantasy of unrestricted freedom comes with many benefits, but there also has to be a price to be paid for living so high in the sky and forgetting to look down. 

I highly recommend the film as a slice of American culture from the late 1960s, but also it is currently significant because the excess depicted in the film can still be attractive today despite all of its dangers. 

You can watch it in various places, but the best rental price seems to be Amazon.  

Please watch the opening credits of the film below.

Happy Star Wars Day 2025 – May the Fourth Be With You!

 

Today is Star Wars Day. It is a day that brings great joy to the fans young and old who love the story of a young, gifted boy who is taken under the wing of a Jedi Master and taught how to use the Force.

You may be thinking I am talking about Luke Skywalker, but I am really referring to his father Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who was brought into the fold by Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson). The original three films and the three prequels are all really about the young boy who would grow up to become the evil Darth Vader.

Even the sequel trilogy – with all its faults – was about Vader because his grandson Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) aspires to be like his grandfather, so Star Wars films are really about the Vader story.  

Besides the films, we have Disney+ to thank for some great and some not so great Star Wars content. I am currently enjoying Andor and before that Skeleton Crew was like Star Wars going Goonies, and it was pretty entertaining, but The Book of Boba Fett was very disappointing. 

One great thing about Star Wars fans is that they embrace the message that the Force binds us together, and the light side almost always outshines the dark side – in a galaxy far, far away or right here in a place we call Earth.

So, enjoy this May 4th, 2025 and may the Force be with you always.  

TV Review: 'Dark Shadows' – Seeing the Series in a New Light

 

After watching 1,225 episodes of Dark Shadows (you can watch the show for free on Tubi), I sat back and took a deep breath. Whew! That was an amazing ride full of nostalgia, sadness (for those cast members who have passed away), and great joy.

When I saw a video on TikTok about Dark Shadows, I felt an urgent desire to see the show again that I loved as a child. But what scared me when I was younger became something different for me as an adult. I realized why I loved the show and the characters, but I also recognized all the miscues and mistakes that I never caught when I was young.

The Beginning

The first episode begins at a railway station. A young woman named Victoria Winters (Alexandra Isles) arrives in the town of Collinsport, Maine, to take on the role of governess at Collinwood estate. On that same train is a young man named Burke Devlin (Mitchell Ryan) who is returning to Collinsport after being away for some time. They get to know one another briefly, and Burke suggests that he has unfinished business in town.

The show starts off in stark black and white episodes, and we get introduced to a cast of characters headed by legendary actress Joan Bennet, who plays matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. She is mother of Carolyn (Nancy Barrett) and aunt to David Collins (David Henesy) who is the son of her brother Roger (Louis Edmonds). Victoria has been hired to be David's governess. 

A Typical Soap Opera

DS was a typical soap opera like the others that were on TV at that time. There was some intrigue regarding Carolyn's long missing father, which included Jason McGuire (played with insidious glee by Dennis Patrick) blackmailing Liz. There was wild child Carolyn dancing late at night at the Blue Whale, and the difficulties Victoria has with teaching David. There was nothing to suggest that the show would suddenly become a daytime television juggernaut, but that would all change in episode 210.

The Arrival of Barnabas Collins

Ne'er-do-well Willie Loomis (played by the excellent John Karlen) is always in need of money, and decides to search a tomb in the Collins' graveyard. in hopes of finding treasure. He stumbles upon a secret room, wherein he finds a chained coffin. Thinking someone was trying to protect their jewels and gold and not thinking that there was something inside not meant to get out, Willie breaks the chains and opens the coffin. A hand with a distinctive ring and frilly sleeve cuff grabs Willie by the neck, and the episode ends,

Barnabas Collins (the amazing Jonathan Frid) appears in the next episode as a vampire who has spent 172 years trapped in that coffin. He takes Willie's blood and makes him his servant. He will have Willie get him acclimated to the world of 1967, and eventually Barnabas will arrive at the Collins' mansion and introduce himself as a long lost cousin from England. 

Series on the Verge of Cancellation

The main cast of  'Dark Shadows'

Series creator Dan Curtis was told that his show was going to be cancelled due to weak ratings. Curtis decided to bring in a vampire because he always wanted to direct a vampire movie, so instead he put the vampire into his TV show and it became a sensation. Of course, the inclusion of a vampire opened the door for more supernatural elements, and that meant Barnabas would have company over the course of over 1000 more episodes. 

I had forgotten many of the details from watching the show as a kid. Besides the scary, dark content, there were the flubbed lines, the shadows of boom mikes, noises off screen, shadows of people on the set, and many other things that usually happen on live shows. Happily, these little bumps in the road are what makes DS so entertaining now in a world where everything is CGI and dubbed and remastered. 

Horror in the Afternoon

Witches, warlocks, other vampires, and werewolves came into the series. There was even the creation of Adam storyline, which borrowed heavily from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Time travel enabled trips back to 1795 – when Barnabas was a young man before he turned into a vampire) and 1897 – when the very popular Quentin Collins (David Selby) was introduced. These sequences were what I remember most  from childhood, but watching the series again has brought me great pleasure – as much as meeting an old friend I hadn't seen for decades. 

One Disappointment 

One thing I didn't remember and now find disappointing as an adult was that the series ended in the past. When Barnabas and Dr, Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) discover the destruction of the Collins family in the future, they go back to 1840 to stop ghost Gerard Styles (James Storm) from doing something in that time to cause the destruction. 

After successfully stopping Styles, Barnabas and Julia come back to the future and find that everything is okay, but we are only there briefly and then go back to the parallel time of 1840-41 where the series ends. 

I just found it unfortunate that the show didn't return to 1970 and let us see how our original characters were doing before the show ended. Perhaps that is why I stopped watching the show as a kid because I no longer cared about these people in the past. 

The Verdict

Watching the whole series was rather daunting but overly rewarding. It is apparent why the series became so popular, and Barnabas set the stage for vampires that would come after him. Gone was the frightening and totally evil vampire. Barnabas was a reluctant vampire who also was a hopeless romantic, in love with someone across the centuries. 

I highly recommend Dark Shadows if you want to see the a nostalgic gem, enjoy horror themes, and want to be entertained and delighted.