Our special guest author today is Lindy S. Hudis, author of WEEKENDS (LBF Books)!Lindy Sternberger Hudis is an author, screenwriter, and filmmaker. Her independent film, The Lesson, was screened at the 2000 Seattle Underground Film Festival and Cine-nights LA. She is a graduate of New York University, and is also a former actress, appearing on the Aaron Spelling daytime drama, "Sunset Beach". She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband Steve, a Hollywood stuntman, her baby girl, Veronica Noelle, and newborn son, Cameron Michael.
You can visit her website at http://directorbabe.tripod.com/.
AUTHOR TALKS: Welcome to Author Talks, Lindy! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Lindy: Well, I am a California girl at heart. I have lived all over, though. I grew up in Tennessee, then moved to New York to go to NYU, where I was a theater major. I came to Los Angeles to seek my fortune as an actress, then I met a hot stuntman, married him, and now I am a mom. I am also a beach bum, but that is another story, heehee.
AUTHOR TALKS: How long would you say you have you been writing?
Lindy: All of my life. I love to read, and I have a huge book collection. I used to write short stories just for fun. Then, when I got pregnant with my daughter, I started writing and writing to pass the time. Then one day, I looked down and saw that I had 250 pages, so I thought "what the heck."
AUTHOR TALKS: Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing? Would you like to tell us how you became published for the first time?
Lindy Oh, it is always a bumpy ride. You send out query letters, get rejected, send out more, get more rejections...the cycle goes on and on. It is an issue of being persistent. Just keep sending out your query letter, and somebody will bite soon. I started out with a small publisher, and they tend to be more open to new writers.
AUTHOR TALKS: Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it's necessary to have one?
Lindy: I was working with an agent back east, but sadly he has retired from the business. Most of the hustling I have had to do myself, but that is fine with me. My husband and father-in-law both work in the movie business, so I approach producers myself. I am in the process of trying to get the movie rights to WEEKENDS sold, as it would make a great movie...in my humble opinion of course. Agents are about money, that is the bottom line. They are a strange breed, agents....for example, there is a major film company that has WEEKENDS right now (again, I got this through personal connections and friends). This agent, who will remain nameless, emailed me to tell me that he won't accept me as a client, but if this movie deal goes through, he would "be happy to discuss it". I laughed and shook my head. Agent advice? Wait and let one come to you. Trust me, when you get rich, all the ones that sent your "Dear Author" rejection letters will swarm to you like flies. Just be prepared to do the work yourself.
AUTHOR TALKS: Can you please tell us about your book?
Lindy: WEEKENDS is about an innocent-sounding family reunion at an exclusive California beach resort turns into a weekend of murder, deceit, exposed secrets and unexpected intimate encounters.
Lindy: Well, I am a California girl at heart. I have lived all over, though. I grew up in Tennessee, then moved to New York to go to NYU, where I was a theater major. I came to Los Angeles to seek my fortune as an actress, then I met a hot stuntman, married him, and now I am a mom. I am also a beach bum, but that is another story, heehee.
AUTHOR TALKS: How long would you say you have you been writing?
Lindy: All of my life. I love to read, and I have a huge book collection. I used to write short stories just for fun. Then, when I got pregnant with my daughter, I started writing and writing to pass the time. Then one day, I looked down and saw that I had 250 pages, so I thought "what the heck."
AUTHOR TALKS: Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing? Would you like to tell us how you became published for the first time?
Lindy Oh, it is always a bumpy ride. You send out query letters, get rejected, send out more, get more rejections...the cycle goes on and on. It is an issue of being persistent. Just keep sending out your query letter, and somebody will bite soon. I started out with a small publisher, and they tend to be more open to new writers.
AUTHOR TALKS: Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/is is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it's necessary to have one?
Lindy: I was working with an agent back east, but sadly he has retired from the business. Most of the hustling I have had to do myself, but that is fine with me. My husband and father-in-law both work in the movie business, so I approach producers myself. I am in the process of trying to get the movie rights to WEEKENDS sold, as it would make a great movie...in my humble opinion of course. Agents are about money, that is the bottom line. They are a strange breed, agents....for example, there is a major film company that has WEEKENDS right now (again, I got this through personal connections and friends). This agent, who will remain nameless, emailed me to tell me that he won't accept me as a client, but if this movie deal goes through, he would "be happy to discuss it". I laughed and shook my head. Agent advice? Wait and let one come to you. Trust me, when you get rich, all the ones that sent your "Dear Author" rejection letters will swarm to you like flies. Just be prepared to do the work yourself.
AUTHOR TALKS: Can you please tell us about your book?
Lindy: WEEKENDS is about an innocent-sounding family reunion at an exclusive California beach resort turns into a weekend of murder, deceit, exposed secrets and unexpected intimate encounters.
John Peterson, the main character, is a respected, successful Beverly Hills entertainment lawyer with a sprawling dysfunctional family. He invites them to California for some luxurious fun, togetherness and re-connecting before revealing his secret. Unbeknown st to the family, a brutal serial killer is lurking in the midst of all the wondrous festivities. Feel free to visit my website to read an excerpt.
AUTHOR TALKS: Do you plan on subsequent books?
Lindy: Oh yes, I have two. My mystery/crime novel CRASHERS (another one at a film company too) and CITY OF TOYS, based on my actress years. Both are pretty edgy. I just write what come to me in my warped, twisted imagination!
AUTHOR TALKS: Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
Lindy: I am a "whenever the kids are asleep" writer, heehee.
AUTHOR TALKS: Any final words of wisdom for those of us who would like to be published?
Lindy: "Dreams do come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them" --John Updike
AUTHOR TALKS: Do you plan on subsequent books?
Lindy: Oh yes, I have two. My mystery/crime novel CRASHERS (another one at a film company too) and CITY OF TOYS, based on my actress years. Both are pretty edgy. I just write what come to me in my warped, twisted imagination!
AUTHOR TALKS: Are you a morning writer or a night writer?
Lindy: I am a "whenever the kids are asleep" writer, heehee.
AUTHOR TALKS: Any final words of wisdom for those of us who would like to be published?
Lindy: "Dreams do come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them" --John Updike
AUTHOR TALKS: Thank you for coming, Lindy! Good luck to you and may you have lots of sales!
Lindy: Thank you for having me. It was fun!
Lindy: Thank you for having me. It was fun!
