First, a big public thank you to Kage Baker for dropping by to spend time with us. It was a great Q&A to cap off our discussion on In the Garden of Iden, a BOMTC selection that turned out to be a book a number of you had already read. Second, finish up The Etched…
July 5, 2008: It all catches up with me, mom’s secret easy-to-make Friendship Cake recipe, In the Garden of Iden, and looking ahead.
I woke up at a little before 2:30 a.m., nauseous, sweating, a Miley Cyrus song on endless replay in my head. Finally, on my last night in Montreal, my hard-eating ways had caught up with me. Rabbit parpadelle, roasted suckling pig risotto with foie gras shavings, deep dish chocolate chip with vanilla ice cream -…
July 4, 2008: With Extra Special Guest Star…Kage Baker!
Today, I turn the blog over to Kage Baker who has graciously taken the time to field your questions and comments on In the Garden of Iden, this month’s SF BOTMC selection. Truth be told, this is actually Kage’s second appearance here. The first was a quick cameo back in February when she offered some…
July 3, 2008: Uh, basically, y’know…
The great thing about visiting Montreal is that it finally allows me the opportunity to relax and take my mind off work for a change. In the past two days, I’ve spent time with friends and family, walked the streets of my hometown, and, oh yeah, took part in a 90 minute conference call with…
July 2, 2008: A Disastrous Dinner and a Deepening Discussion
I took my eyes off the menu to glance outside. On the other side of the big bay window, one of the restaurant musicians was emptying his spit valve. I redirected my gaze back across the table to my mother who was weighing her choices. By the look on her face, I knew exactly what…
July 1, 2008: In Memory of Don S. Davis
My earliest memory of Don S. Davis is of a charming, bigger-than-life individual who greeted me with a hardy handshake and a boisterous “Hellooo, Jooooe! Welcome to Stargate!” on one of my very first days on set. This was back in season four, sometime between our second script (Window of Opportunity) and our third (Point…
June 30, 2008: In the Garden of Iden
I was first introduced to the works of Kage Baker through Lou Anders’ Fast Forward 1: Future Fiction from the Cutting Edge, a former book of the month club pick. Baker’s contribution to the collection, “Plotters and Shooters”, was far and away my favorite of the short stories in FF1 and so, when it came…
June 29, 2008: My Home Away from Home Away from Home.
It’s a little like choosing between two people you happen to be dating. When you’re with one, all thoughts of the other are instantly forgotten and the decision seems pretty simple. But when you’re with the other, it’s just the opposite. Well, I made my decision nine years ago when I moved to Vancouver and,…
June 28, 2008: More BIG Book of the Month Club news! Montreal Visit Day 1!
I woke up at 5:20 a.m., a full forty minutes before my alarm was scheduled to go off. It’s always the way the night before I travel. For some reason, something in my subconscious mind won’t allow me a restful sleep. There’s always that niggling doubt, that faint uncertainty that I did, in fact, set…
June 27, 2008: Adventures in Haircutting! Pineapples! Retractions! And the Return of the Mailbag!
Fondy cut my hair last night and it was about time too as I had begun to resemble a cross between Gary Oldman’s Dracula and that guy from Flock of Seagulls. She’d been busy of late dealing with business matters and, as a result, my once trim do had gradually deteriorated to the capillary equivalent…
June 26, 2008: My green initiative, more special guests, and next month’s Book of the Month Club picks.
Hurray! Today, I received my $100 Climate Action Dividend from the government of British Columbia. According to the document that accompanied the check: “…this year’s Provincial budget is making it easier for British Columbians to choose a lower carbon lifestyle.” I suppose, for instance, the $100 could be put toward the purchase of a scooter…
June 25, 2008: Spoilers abound, the scene that almost got me killed, and actress Janina Gavankar offers to swing by and field your questions.
Mailbox quota exceeded? How the hell is that possible? I mean, COME ON! My writing partner Paul hasn’t deleted an email in over three years. His inbox looks like a guest list for an Italian wedding and yet he doesn’t seem to have any problem either sending or receiving. Of course, it may have been…
June 24, 2008: What the hell is a seamless version? Well, I’m glad you asked…
I swung by post today to approve the seamless version of Broken Ties. The seamless version is, of course, the uninterrupted version that will eventually find its way onto DVD. Many shows (The Shield come to mind) simply go to black at the end of each act but Stargate’s episodes run uninterrupted, segueing smoothly from…
June 23, 2008: France vs. Germany! Paul vs. Oswald! Wraith vs. Whoever That Is!
Our agent contacted us with the good news. A one hour action series had just been greenlit and the production was looking for writers. The timing couldn’t have been better as Paul and I had just finished work on another show and were looking for a steady gig. Of course there was that possibility…
June 22, 2008: Lulu and I hit Greek Day
I took in the Greek Day festivities with Lulu this evening. Now lest I be accused of playing favorites, there’s a very good reason why I chose Lulu to be my date: Jelly, as I’ve already made mention, suffers from a hip condition that makes extended walks problematic. She’s good for approximately a half…