Wrapped Up Like a Blog

...So all seemed lost, that second attempt that trying out for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, when fate intervened. The producer who grabbed my info sheet had something in common with me: we have the same birthday. She mentioned this to me, and I casually pointed out that we shared our birthday with Steve Guttenberg. She retorted that last year, her Facebook status on that day was a happy birthday message to the Gute.

And so it began.

We went back and forth for several minutes, trying to one-up each other with knowledge of celebrities who shared our day of birth. It was fun. There was laughter. I was in.

I got the on camera interview next, and went home, in the pouring rain, feeling good about my chances. It didn't stop me from going back and trying out for the Movie Week version of the show (I passed that test and got an on camera interview, too). And, lo and behold, I got a card in the mail (two, actually), telling me I was in the contestant pool.

YES.

Now, of course, I had been sitting next to a gentleman who'd been in the contestant pool for 2 years and never got the call (he had to try out again after all that time). But, like a New York Met fan, I chose to remain cautiously optimistic.

So I waited.

So, I would have to say that the month of May has not been my best, blogwise. In my defense, I was a little distracted by my recent appearance on national TV. That was almost two weeks ago now, and I haven’t produced a lot since then, to the great disappointment of all my followers. So, to compromise, and to capitalize as much as possible on my 13 minutes of fame, I am going to write a little bit about my experience with Millionaire, from start to finish. It’ll be a multi-part epic, and I hope you find it interesting!

So if you recall, the first time I tried out for the show, I did not make it into the contestant pool. That’s not to say I was rejected, per se, it’s just that I wasn’t accepted. It’s an important distinction in this case, because it allowed me to try again. And I did.

But this time I went to audition. I didn’t go as the guy I thought they wanted me to be. The first time, I was well-groomed, sharply dressed, and I answered the questionnaire in a fashion that I thought was interesting.
Obviously, that did not work.

So this time, it was all me. Two day growth of beard. Jeans and an ugly Hawaiian shirt. I answered the questions in a natural fashion.

Now the first time, I passed the test. The second time I did, too. But the second time, well, I don’t mistake coincidence for fate, but some might say I had a massive stroke of luck…

So a looooong time ago, I wrote a post about trying out for a game show. Well, I made it. And here's the proof!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OHAjzeW2Oc

Do YOU have questions for Misty, Dru or the rest of the crew? Ask them now, and I guarantee you'll get a (possibly cryptic) answer!

My first published works were short stories in a genre I might call 'contemporary fiction.' My first published novel (Misty Johnson, Supernatural Dick in Capitol Hell) is squarely in the urban fantasy genre. I am working on another contemporary fiction short story now as well as a science fiction novel. My question is:

What do you think of writers who jump genres? Do you want your favorite writers to stick to one genre? Will you follow a writer to other genres based on the strength of his or her work elsewhere in the stacks?

For those of you who've read Misty-- have you or will you read the short stories? For those who have read the short stories, will you give Misty a try?