MURDER FOR HIRE : The Synopsis
Connie Garrett has a lot on her plate. Her mystery-oriented theatrical troupe, Murder for Hire, has been hired as entertainment for Emerald Cove’s first annual Fall Festival, a series of events held to honor local authors and raise money for the newly opened Emerald Cove Library.
This year’s Festival post mortem honoree is Shay Randell, creator of the famous hard-boiled detective Mick O’Mallet. (More...)
The History of MURDER FOR HIRE:
Murder for Hire was started many years ago (more years than my vanity cares to calculate) by my best friend, Maureen Anderson and me. Maureen and I met at Clairemont High (the ‘stunt double’ high school for Ridgement in the book and movie FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH) and discovered we shared a love of Daphne Du Maurier’s gothics, Gene Kelly movies, Betsy/Tacy books, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and cocoa, and, of course, mysteries. (More...)
New! Listen to Dana reading the Prologue of Murder for Hire, by clicking here!
OTHER WRITING PROJECTS :
A Man's Gotta Eat What a Man's Gotta Eat
An except from a short story published in DANGER CITY.
Click here for the original program for the Raymond Chandler Festival in La Jolla, the event that eventually spawned MFH: The Peruvian Pigeon.
MURDER FOR HIRE: The Peruvian Pigeon is available through all fine bookstores in the US and Uk, on-line through amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and other internet sites. Also available direct from the publisher at www.rockpublishing.com
I’ve had quite a few essays (six) published in Morbid Curiosity, a nifty alternative magazine published by Automatism Press. I’ve gotten permission from the editor of MC (Loren Rhoads, an excellent editor and even better writer) to put my essays up on my site (which I will do eventually!) , but I would strongly urge you to check out the magazines (those still available) in their entirety. There are a lot of really cool and interesting essays. I also had an essay published in another Automatism Press publication, DEATH’S GARDEN (1995), a book of essays on cemeteries. I’m not sure if it’s still available, but it’s definitely another worthwhile purchase (and not just because of my essay about eating chocolate croissants in Forest Lawn Cemetery) if you can find it.
Click here for essays from Morbid Curiosity.
One of my favorite stories, YOU’LL NEVER BE LUNCH IN THIS TOWN AGAIN, was published in MONDO ZOMBIE. MZ (yes, I do love my acronyms) was the long awaited sequel to BOOK OF THE DEAD and BOOK OF THE DEAD TWO: STILL DEAD, both edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector (authors of some great horror novels such as THE BRIDGE, THE SCREAM, LIGHT AT THE END, DEAD LINES and THE CLEAN UP).
Both books are anthologies based (some stories more loosely than others) on the flesh-eating zombie infested universe created by George Romero with his ground-breaking movie NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, released in 1968 (more on this and other zombie movies on the Get a Slant page). MONDO ZOMBIE is set in the same universe, edited by John Skipp. I guess Spector skipped town. Heh.
My first published short fiction story was in CAT FANTASTIC IV, edited by world famous sci-fi and fantasy author Andre Norton. The story, PROFESSOR PURR’S ALLERGY CURE, was co-written with Brad Linaweaver, author of the award winning novel, MOON OF ICE (and much more!). Check out his website and if you’re a fan of the videogame DOOM, check out the novelizations by Brad and his co-writer, Dafydd ab Hugh.
One of the projects I’m the most proud of is my work as co-writer and associate producer on URBAN RESCUERS, a documentary about feral cats and the TNR (Trap, neuter, return) program. As an animal lover and someone whose found homes for over a baker’s dozen of kittens and cats, this project holds a special meaning for me. To quote the official synopsis by writer and producer Nikki Corda:
Astonishingly, nearly 4 million stray or feral cats inhabit the streets, parks, back alleys and backyards of Los Angeles County, and they are reproducing at an alarming rate. The current solution is round-up and kill. But is there a better way? Urban Rescuers profiles a group of fiercely dedicated animal welfare crusaders in Los Angeles who skirt the law in order to rescue feral cats from the certain death they face upon landing in animal shelters. The methodology involves a controversial solution for feral cats known as "TNR" (trap, neuter, return), which calls for sterilizing these animals and then allowing them to live out their lives in the wild.
As the TNR process is revealed, passionate and surprising arguments on both sides of the issue are heard from the heads of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the Feral Cat Alliance, the Los Angeles SPCA, and the Los Angeles Department of Animal Regulation, among others. The documentary shows that TNR is legal in other communities where it works efficiently, within the system. As we investigate, Los Angeles officials are asked to adopt the policy. Urban Rescuers is a thought-provoking journey of ethics, featuring big personalities and stunning footage of feral cats in Southern California.
For more information, check out the website at the link above!
Like at least 50 percent of the population, I’ve written a few screenplays, both by myself and with partners. I’ve been lucky in that I’ve had a few optioned and two produced. The experiences I’ve had in the wonderful world of the film industry (oh, excuse me, that should really just be The Industry) make watching movies like THE BIG PICTURE, PLAYER and SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, as well as shows like ACTION and THE BUSINESS both highly amusing and REALLY painful at times. Anyway, check ‘em out if you’re interested!
Click here to read about Dana’s jaded past as an actress.