Posts Tagged ‘Books’

Mafia Romance

Posted: April 5, 2024 in Consulting, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
6

As most of you know, I work for a mob-boss because he knows my secret that I can read minds, and he finds it beneficial to his business dealings to know if anyone’s lying to him.

Recently, his wife, Jackie began writing mafia romance novels (I know, right?). To further her career, Uncle Joey purchased a small publishing company and renamed it “Manetto Books.” So far, her first book is doing great in the mafia-romance genre, and she is nearly finished writing the second one in the series.

With all that going on, most of her work in the office is answering phones and writing books. Somehow, Uncle Joey doesn’t seem to mind. Of course, since they’re married, she doesn’t have to worry about getting fired.

Usually when Uncle Joey asks for my help, it’s to help him with a client, or a business associate, but not today. After I arrived, Jackie invited me into Uncle Joey’s office where he was talking with a suave-looking guy in his thirties. As I entered, they both turned to greet me, and Uncle Joey introduced me to him.

“Shelby, this is Tommy DeVine, he’s an agent who’s interested in the movie rights to Jackie’s books.”

My eyes widened. “Oh wow! That’s great.”

“Hello Shelby.” Tommy held out his hand for me to shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

Uncle Joey nodded. “Shelby’s my niece, so I like to involve her in these types of decisions.”

“Of course,”

“So tell us about your offer.” Uncle Joey was thinking that I needed to listen closely to make sure this wasn’t a scam.

Tommy sent a smile Jackie’s way. “My agency liked Jackie’s book so well, we thought it would make a great TV series, so we wanted to represent her if the rights were available.”

Uncle Joey cocked his head. “I can’t argue with you there. She’s a great writer. Yes, the rights are available. What did you have in mind?”

“That’s great.” He glanced at Jackie again. “I understand you’re continuing the series?”

“Yes. I’m almost done with the second book.”

“Great. That’s what we were hoping for. We would have a contract written up that would include all future books, and I can have it to you in the next couple of days.”

“I see.” Uncle Joey’s brows drew together. “And how soon would you have a producer for the TV series?”

“We’d like to start pitching it as soon as all the legal matters are taken care of.” He was thinking that it could take a while, because pitching it to all his contacts might not get the results he wanted, but getting the rights would bring him one step closer.

My brows rose. “But we wouldn’t be giving you the TV rights. You’d just represent Jackie’s books, correct?”

“That’s right… I’d just be her agent and I’d start working on it right away.”

I nodded, but picked up that he was pretty booked for the next little while, but he’d get to it as soon as he could. He’d recently overheard a competitor talking about Jackie’s book, and knew if he wanted to get to her first, he had to act fast. He hadn’t even read the book yet, which he’d always done in the past, but he didn’t want the opportunity to slip by. He could always read the book after that. If it wasn’t any good, he wouldn’t waste his time pitching it. So – he didn’t have much to lose, and everything to gain.

I glanced at Uncle Joey. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to look at his offer.”

Uncle Joey nodded, thinking that I’d picked up something, so he’d go along with it for now. “Sure. We’d like to see it, then we’ll decide what to do.”

“Great. I’ll get to work on it and have it sent over right away.”

We all said our goodbyes, and he left. Jackie was so thrilled, she could hardly think straight. I didn’t see any reason to burst her bubble, since it could still work out. After she went back to her desk, Uncle Joey turned to me.

“So what did you find out?”

I told him all the particulars and he nodded, thinking it was about what he’d expected. “Thanks Shelby. I am surprised he hasn’t read it, but I guess it makes sense.”

“Yeah. So what are you going to do?”

“We’ll see what his offer is. I’ll most likely turn it down, which is what I had in mind anyway. I mean… I know people in the entertainment industry, so I’m not about to go with this guy anyway. I just wanted Jackie to have a thrill, you know?”

“Oh. Right. But aren’t you worried she’ll be disappointed?”

“No… she’ll understand. She’ll want the best agent to represent her anyway, so it’s all good.” He was thinking that he wasn’t sure he wanted her books turned into a TV series. It was a little too personal, so he wanted to take it slow. Plus, if it ever did make it to the big screen, finding someone to play him would be hard… there just weren’t that many actors with the chops to do him justice.

He glanced my way and winked.

I chuckled. “You have a point.”

“But… of course, I won’t completely rule it out.” He rubbed his hands together, thinking he could make a lot of money on a TV deal, and, with the right wording in the contract, it wouldn’t come back to haunt him.

“Sounds good. Let me know what happens.”

“I will.”

I left soon after that, stopping at Jackie’s desk to share in her excitement before heading home. I knew that, depending on how much money he could make, Uncle Joey would definitely consider it.

Just thinking about it triggered my imagination. What actor could play Uncle Joey? And then there was Ramos. Who would play him? Was there even an actor alive that could do him justice? Not that I could think of. Still, I could hardly wait to get home and do a google search of hot Latino actors who could do the job.

Anyways… Now I kind of hope it happens, because how fun would it be to see Uncle Joey and Ramos on the big screen? Plus… since I knew Jackie had already written a character based on me in the second book, I could be part of it as well. Whoa! Who could play me?

I guess that’s all for today. I’ll keep you posted about the deal, but if you have any good ideas for actors, I’d be curious to know who they are!

Until next time!

~Shelby

Cold Snap

Posted: December 1, 2023 in Advice, Experiences, Thoughts
Tags: , , , , , ,
20

I don’t know about the weather where you live, but we just went through a cold snap. Luckily, we had most of the leaves picked up off the lawn, and the deck swing tucked away. I always hated taking the swing down, but with winter coming on, it couldn’t be helped.

At least I’d managed to get in one last amazing ride on the back of a motorcycle first. I’d talked Ramos into taking me to a cemetery to visit the grave of a young man whose cold case I’d just solved. I won’t bother you with the details, but it was definitely gratifying to give his family some closure, and made all that I’d gone through worth it.

After finishing up with my errand, I hurried back to Ramos and his motorcycle, ready to head back to work. That’s when Ramos suggested a slight detour before going back. He wouldn’t tell me where we were going, but, in all honesty, I would have happily gone on a ride anywhere. We both knew it was one of the last beautiful, fall days we had, and it would be a travesty not to enjoy it.

Still, I never expected where we ended up. Who knew places like that even existed? We headed toward the hills, but further south than normal. A short time later, Ramos turned into a residential neighborhood and meandered through the streets until we were just below a wooded area where a narrow road branched off and headed deeper into the hills.

The winding road took us to the top of a hill where the air was warm and the sun bright. The road leveled out before dropping down into a small ravine, bringing a drop in the temperature that cooled my chin and neck. Taking in the road ahead, it didn’t look like it went anywhere specific, and there wasn’t a car or home in sight. It reminded me of the poem about the road not taken. This one definitely qualified, and, in the space of a few short minutes, it was like we’d passed from one reality into a completely different one.

Coming out of the ravine, we climbed to the top of another hill before the road took us back down again. After the third time it happened, it hit me that this was the whole point of the ride. With all the ups and downs as well as taking several curves, it was like riding a roller-coaster. Climbing steadily, we reached the top of the next hill, and my stomach tightened. This was the steepest one yet, ending in another ravine way down below us.

Ramos slowed before plunging down the hill to the bottom, and my heart rose into my throat and butterflies filled my chest. I clung tightly to Ramos like my life depended on it. Holy hell! With my heart racing, we finally reached the bottom and I could breathe again. I wasn’t sure I could handle another hill like that, and I let out a sigh of relief when the road ahead climbed slowly upward until we were back out of the gulch.

We continued in that direction, heading into a narrow canyon, and Ramos slowed to pull off onto a small look-out point. As he turned off the bike, the sound of rushing water reached my ears. He helped me off the bike, and I pulled off my helmet, hoping my legs wouldn’t give out. “That was some ride.”

Ramos removed his helmet and his lips twisted. “I thought you might like it.”

It was exhilarating, but it kind of scared me too. “Yeah… it was really something. I mean… my legs are still shaking.”

“Oh.” He seemed surprised. “In that case there’s one more thing you need to see. It will make it all worth it.”

I followed him down a dirt path toward several large boulders. As we took the path around them, a ravine opened up, with a river down at the bottom. Leafless trees lined either side of the river, and I followed Ramos to a rocky ridge overlooking a gorge. “Have a seat.” He motioned to one of the large rocks and pointed downstream. “Now look over there.”

He pointed to the other side of the ravine where a small waterfall spewed over the ridge in a graceful arc. The sun caught the water at a perfect angle, making a rainbow out of the mist. It took my breath away.

“Whoa.” I couldn’t take my eyes off the constant motion of falling water, combined with the sparkle of colored light from the rainbow. “It’s amazing.”

We sat in silence for several long minutes, drinking in the beauty until a cold breeze sent a shiver down my spine.

“Time to go.” Ramos rose to his feet. He was thinking that this little jaunt had taken a good part of the afternoon, but it was totally worth it.

“You’re right about that. Uh… do we have to go back the same way we came?”

His brows rose. “You didn’t like that?” He thought I enjoyed holding on to him so tightly.

“Well… yeah… but that last hill was a doozy.”

He snorted. “Don’t worry. It’s not the same going back. In fact, going up that steep hill is a lot different than coming down.” He glanced sideways at me. “Since I usually do this ride solo, it might be a little tricky making it up with you on the back.” At my widened eyes, he shrugged. “But don’t worry. I’m sure we can make it.”

I shook my head. “You are such a tease.”

His grin widened. He was thinking that he definitely enjoyed teasing me, but it was going to be a challenge getting up that hill. He’d probably have to gun it to get to the top. Still… it would so cool to catch some air before coming down on the other side. “Just hold on real tight, okay?”

My heart stuttered. “Are you serious?”

“No… I’m totally kidding. There’s nothing to worry about.”

I listened real hard, but he’d closed off his thoughts, so I had to take him at his word. I made sure my helmet was on real tight, and my jacket zipped and buttoned. Still, I couldn’t help the nervous tension that skittered through my stomach as we mounted the bike and headed back.

We moved along at a steady pace and I tried to stay calm. I kept my gaze on the road ahead and did my best to enjoy the solitude of the ride. Then I made the mistake of glancing up at the monstrous hill. I caught Ramos’s excitement and his determined focus to keep a steady increase of speed and getting in the right gear to make it to the top without slowing.

Starting up the steep hill, I held my breath and squeezed Ramos so tight that I could feel his stomach muscles clench. He leaned forward and I molded to his back. As we increased our speed and raced up the road, my butt slid to the back of the seat, and I tightened my leg muscles to push against the pegs with my feet, holding on for dear life.

Before I could blink my eyes open to see how much further we had to go, we soared up over the top. My stomach flip-flopped as we briefly left the pavement to land safely on the other side. Ramos let out a whoop, and I let out the breath I’d been holding.

As we continued down the road, Ramos relaxed into his seat, and I managed to scoot closer so I wasn’t hanging off the back of the motorcycle. The next few hills and valleys weren’t so steep, but still sent a thrill through my chest. I may have even let out a whoop or two of my own. As we reached the residential neighborhood, he patted my hands, and I finally loosened my steely grip. We took the rest of the ride back at a nice, leisurely pace.

By the time we pulled into Thrasher, I was calm and collected. Still, once I dismounted, I had to keep a hold of Ramos’s arm to make sure my legs didn’t give out. After he slid my helmet, jacket, and gloves into his trunk, I picked up his worry that maybe he’d pushed me a little too much. Had I been scared?

“Oh no. It was great. I loved it.”

He wasn’t convinced. “You sure?”

“Of course. It was really fun… most of the time… I mean.. I guess I was a little scared. That hill was crazy.”

“Yeah. We caught some air on that one.” He was thinking that was his favorite part of the ride. Well… that, and hearing me scream.

“What? I didn’t scream.”

He huffed and shook his head. “Yes you did. And you held on so tight, I might even have bruises on my ribs.”

I smacked him, but he just laughed. I couldn’t help it, and laughed right along with him. “Since it’s so late I’m going to take off, but thanks for the ride. It was amazing.”

He nodded, glad he’d been able to show me one of his favorite spots. “It’s supposed to turn cold tomorrow, so I’m glad we could go.”

“Yeah, me too. Hey… let’s go again in the spring. I’ll bet that waterfall is huge then.”

“You know… I’ve never seen it in the spring, but I’ll bet you’re right.”

We said our goodbyes and I hurried to my car.

Now you know why this cold snap doesn’t bother me as much as it normally would. All I have to do is remember that roller-coaster ride and all the thrills… and maybe a little screaming… and I’m good to go… especially since I know there will be more to come.

Reading vs. Real Life

Posted: July 9, 2020 in Advice, Consulting, Experiences
Tags: , ,
36

Last night, I stayed up late reading a book. At midnight, I was still going strong when my phone rang. My heart rate went into overdrive, because… let’s face it… a phone call in the middle of the night usually means something’s wrong. I answered quickly so the ringing wouldn’t wake my husband. “Hello?”

“Babe. Sorry to call so late, but Manetto needs you. Can you come to his house?”

“Uh… you mean right now?”

“Yeah.”

I waited for him to explain what was going on, but he didn’t say another word. “So… should I be worried?”

“No. There’s been an incident and Manetto needs your expertise.” He was talking about my ability to read minds, and, since I was at the beck and call of the local mob boss, it didn’t really matter what time it was.

“Okay. I’ll throw on some clothes and be right there.” I disconnected and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, with ankle boots on my feet.

Next, I splashed some water on my face, combed through my hair, and added a tint of lip gloss. Ready to go, I shrugged on my black, leather jacket, and hurried to my car.

As you might have guessed Uncle Joey lives in a mansion, and it didn’t take long to get there, especially so late at night. Ramos’s motorcycle was parked in front, so I pulled up next to it. I’d expected the lights in the house to be blazing, but it was mostly dark.

Not sure if I should ring the doorbell, I sent Ramos a text. He came to the door and let me in, happy that I’d made it so quickly.

“So what’s going on? Is Uncle Joey okay?”

“Manetto’s fine. There was a thief who broke in. Manetto caught him, but he’s not talking. That’s where we need you.” Ramos was thinking that he could have made him talk, but my method was faster and less of a mess, and he hoped I didn’t mind too much.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “It’s fine, I was awake anyway, and this is probably better than the book I was reading.”

Ramos chuckled, and I followed him inside, then down the hallway and into Uncle Joey’s study. Uncle Joey sat behind his desk in an elegant bathrobe. A man dressed all in black was trussed up and tied to a chair. His bottom lip was swollen and bloody, and he leaned forward as if his stomach hurt.

“Shelby… thanks for coming. Sorry it’s so late. Have a seat.” After I sat, Uncle Joey motioned to the captive. “This man tried to rob me tonight, but he won’t tell me what he was after, or who he’s working for.”

I studied the man, taking in his dark eyes and short beard. He was thinking that he’d made a big mistake tonight, and all of his carefully laid plans had gone up in smoke. He wasn’t sure how to get out of this mess, or what was worse… the humiliation of getting caught… or facing Manetto. He never should have taken the bet.

“So,” I began. “Tell us about this bet.”

Shock rippled through him. How did I know that? “How… uh…” He glanced at Uncle Joey and shook his head. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Of course you do,” I countered. “You made a bet with… James Patton that you could break into Uncle Joey’s house and steal his… Rolex Cosmo… something watch.” I glanced at Uncle Joey.

“It’s a Cosmograph Daytona worth about twenty-four grand.” He frowned at the man. “James Patton put you up to this?” Uncle Joey had a friendly rivalry with the billionaire philanthropist. But he’d never gone this far before.

The man stared at me. “How did you know? This was just between us, there wasn’t anyone else involved. There’s no way you could know this.”

“We have out sources,” Uncle Joey said. He didn’t want this guy to think about me too hard and figure out my secret. “I knew James admired my watch, but I didn’t know he wanted it so badly.”

The man was still confused, but since the jig was up, he wasn’t going to play the game any longer. “My name is Oliver Chutney.”

Uncle Joey’s eyes widened, and he realized Oliver was supposedly one of the best thieves in the business. “So this was a dare?”

“I was trying to prove a point.”

I snickered. “He was trying to prove how good he was, but that sure backfired. Is your reputation on the line now?”

Oliver’s lips turned down and his eyes narrowed. He didn’t like how easily I read him. What was it with me? How did I do it? None of this could be explained and it didn’t make sense. “What was your name again?”

Uncle Joey didn’t want me to get under James Patton’s radar. James would want me for himself, and that was not negotiable. “I think you should forget that you ever met my niece. If you can promise to do that, I’ll make you a deal.”

Oliver’s eyes widened. A deal? With a mob boss? This might be the worst thing that could happen… or the best, depending on what it was. “What’s the deal?”

“You do a job for me, free of charge. I’ll let you take the watch and tell James that you were successful. If he decides to hire you for something else, I want to know what it is. If it’s something I want, you’ll give the item to me instead of him.

“But I’ll lose the money he’d pay me.”

“That’s not my problem.” Oliver didn’t respond, so Uncle Joey continued. “Or I can call the police right now, and they’ll arrest you for trying to steal from me. What will it be?” Uncle Joey picked up his phone.

“Okay, okay. I’ll do it.” He was thinking that he didn’t have to tell Uncle Joey anything, as long as he got away with the watch. But deep down, he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. For his reputation alone, he’d have to keep to the deal.

Uncle Joey glanced my way, asking me if Oliver could be trusted to follow through with the deal. I shrugged and he nodded, deciding that was good enough.

He opened the safe behind his desk, and pulled out a box. He’d been saving this decoy for years and now it was finally going to be put to good use.

A decoy?

“Untie him.”

Ramos loosened the bands, and Uncle Joey handed Oliver the box. “It’s inside.”

Not about to trust Uncle Joey, Oliver opened the box and took a look at the watch. Satisfied, he stashed it in his pocket. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Ramos will walk you out.”

After they left, Uncle Joey turned to me with a grin on his face. “I wonder how long it will take for James to figure out the watch isn’t real?”

“How did you know he’d send Oliver after it?”

“James has been itching to get his hands on that watch for years. I had the fake watch made a long time ago, and I’d just about given up. The other day, I may have let it slip that I kept it in my safe here in my office, but I was thinking of donating it to a museum. I knew he’d hate that, so I’ve been waiting for someone to show up.”

I just shook my head. “How did you catch Oliver if he’s so good?”

He shrugged. “It’s easy if you know he’s coming.”

“I guess.”

Ramos came back in, and I picked up that he’d been in on the whole thing.

I let out a breath. “Well, that was fun, but I guess I’ll go home now.”

“Thanks for coming,” Uncle Joey said.

“You bet.”

Ramos walked me out to my car. “So was that better than your book?”

I chuckled.”Yeah… it was pretty darn close. Only in my book there’s a torrid sex scene, and that didn’t happen here.”

“It could,” he said, giving me his smoldering smile. He leaned in close enough for me to smell his aftershave, and I felt his warm breath on my cheek.

I inhaled deeply, then quickly ducked into the front seat of my car and closed the door. I sent him a jaunty wave before driving off.

Whew, that was close. I should know better than to tease Ramos… but did that ever stop me? Nope. At least everything worked out well for Uncle Joey.

I got home pretty late, and decided to get some sleep instead of reading. It made me realize that sometimes my life was way better than a book. After that, I fell asleep with a smile.