Yes, I Can Write Filth.

I recently completed writing a very gritty game called 9mm which is set to debut this week at E3. 9mm is the story about a group of bad cops who do whatever it takes to keep the streets clean, even if that means breaking the law. Based loosely on Southern California (where I lived for 5 years), the game features gangs, a ton of violence, and all the characters have some serious potty mouths. This is definitely not a game for kids.

That said, it was an incredible collaboration with a designer named Damian who works out of a studio in another country... I can't say which. :-) Damian went to film school too, so we were really able to brainstorm and talk story well, a luxury I don't always get at my job. He happens to be a big fan of American action popcorn movies (and loves Sylvester Stallone), so we had some pretty hilarious conversations about eliminating "the cheese with which oozed" from the game. We were also very active with both the voice-over casting and recording processes which was SO great. (We're usually taken out of the loop at that point).

Don't blame me for all the cussing- this is what they wanted! :-) Check out the trailer below.




9mm is scheduled to be released any day now for Android, iPhone, iPad and iTouch devices.

Public Relations and Me... Weeee!

Long time, no blogging! I've been incredibly busy volunteering for the local dog rescue that I so adore. NY Abandoned Angels Rescue hosted an amazing fundraising event on May 17th in midtown Manhattan and I was lucky enough to be on the event committee. Grammy award winner Roberta Flack sang for the crowd and NY1 Society Reporter George Whipple even came to cover the event. WOOT!

I put my press release writing skills to the test by writing one for the event. It got picked up by several media outlets including on Hamptons.com! Here's a copy of the release:

NY Abandoned Angels Rescue To Hold Cocktail Party Fundraising Event

Local Dog Rescue Hopes to Raise Money to Help Dogs In Need

New York City - Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue, Inc. dba NY Abandoned Angels Rescue (NYAAR), a Queens-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of Cocker Spaniels and other breeds, will host their first annual cocktail party fundraising event on Tuesday, May 17th from 6-9pm at Sky Top Terrace in Manhattan.

The event will feature DJ Phoenix, a wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres, vodka and tequila bars, and goodie bags. Attendees will also have the chance to meet several dogs that are currently available for both adoption and fostering. Corporate sponsors of the event include Sotheby's International Realty, TF Cornerstone, Winick Realty, MetLife Home Loans, Hill's Science Diet, Royal Canin Dog Food, among others.

"Most of the dogs that we rescue are seniors or have medical problems and their chances of being adopted right out of the shelter are slim to say the least," said Dolores Rodrigues, founder, NY Abandoned Angels Rescue. "Our hope is that dog lovers from across the tri-state area will come to our fundraiser to support our rescue so that we can continue to save the countless other dogs that need our help."

A silent auction will also be held at the event with items donated by companies such as Chelsea Piers, Fresh Direct, Kiehl's, Madame Paulette, Mediabistro, Apple Seeds, The Salty Paw, The Institute of Culinary Education, Tribeca Grill, and more.

The event is scheduled to take place on the rooftop of 505 West 37th Street in Manhattan. Single tickets cost $100.00 and Junior tickets for individuals under the age of 25 are $75.00. Tickets may be purchased via PayPal on the rescue's website at www.nyabandonedangels.com, or by check mailed to NY Abandoned Angels Rescue, P.O. Box 545426, Flushing, NY 11354. Donations* in any amount will also be graciously accepted and appreciated. *All donations are tax-deductible.

About NY Abandoned Angels Rescue (NYAAR)
NY Abandoned Angels Rescue (NYAAR) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the rescue and re-homing of Cocker Spaniels and other dog breeds in need of loving forever homes. NYARR will not reject any dog due to age or health reasons and often accepts dogs with temperament and/or medical issues. The rescue relies solely on donations whether through adoptions or the generosity of the public to help pay for the veterinary care of sick, physically disabled, and behaviorally challenged dogs. To date, NYAAR has rescued over 1,500 dogs.

New Online Content by Yours Truly

Recently, one of my freelance clients (SafetyWeb) launched a new product/service all about protecting one's privacy. It's called MyID.com- check 'em out!


As a result, I wrote a lot of content for their new website including both blog posts and resource articles. It's borderline ridiculous how much knowledge I now have in my brain about identity theft and online privacy. The research was fun and interesting and wow, there are a LOT of things we need to do to protect ourselves in the digital world.

Here are some links to a few of my blogs for your reading pleasure:

Twitter Can Damage Your Online Reputation

Top 10 Safety Tips for Online Dating

Tips for Staying Safe on Craigslist

Your Blog Could Get You Fired! (highly recommended reading)

More to come soon! :-)

WOOF- I heart doggies!

If you've taken one look at my photograph featured on this blog, you'll know that I'm a dog lover. The cute pooch next to me is our beautiful cocker spaniel named Frenchy. My husband and I found Frenchy on Petfinder.com through an amazing dog rescue organization in my area called Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue Inc. They are dedicated to rescuing and re-homing cocker spaniels and other breeds, and let's face it- there are a ton of homeless dogs in kill shelters around the country who need groups like this one to save them.

Here's a great pic of our baby taken during our engagement shoot a couple of years ago:


Photo taken by: Ryan Brenizer Photography

Isn't she adorable? So, why am I telling you all of this? Well, in addition to my writing work-- I also have experience in social media. I've been racking my brain for a while now to figure out how I can make a difference, particularly with this dog rescue group that has given my husband and I so much joy.

And then it hit me! Social media! Why I hadn't though of this before, I'll never know. In any case, I am now managing Abandoned Angels' Twitter page and following! I'm proud to say that within one week, we gained almost 300 followers and boy, are they loyal retweeters! :-) If you love dogs as much as I do, please follow us here: @NYCockerRescue.

And without further ado...

Today, March 15th is Adopt the Internet Day on Petfinder! Go ahead, click on the ad... it won't bite.


More than 320,000 pets are waiting for homes on Petfinder.com. Help Petfinder Adopt the Internet today and find forever homes for as many as possible! Go to Petfinder and rescue, rescue, rescue! Then, spread the word via Twitter, Facebook or on your blog all about Adopt the Internet Day. That's today, people!

If you live in the tri-state area and are looking to adopt or foster a beautiful cocker spaniel, please visit Abandoned Angel Cocker Spaniel Rescue on Facebook and give them a "like" to see all of their pooches searching for loving forever homes. Even better, check out their selection of available dogs on their Petfinder page! If you see one you like, email rescue@nyabandonedangels.com to request an application. (Yes, they do adopt out of state occasionally).

Now, get out there and get your wag on! WOOF!

A Writing Career?!

I recently came across Roni Loren’s blog post (by way of Gabriela Lessa’s blog) about all the various responses writers often get from people when they reveal that they are actual writers. This got me thinking about all the insane comments my whack-a-doodle mother has said to me over the years.

(no, that's not really my mom but it may as well be. she's just as loony)!

Here are just a few examples of her isms:

While I was attending graduate school for screenwriting: “What do you do besides watch movies all day?”

When I moved to Los Angeles: “Do you live next to a famous person?!”

When I became a copywriter: “I don’t get it. Do you write legal stuff?”

(In my mother’s defense, I actually get that question a lot).

When I started working in social media: "What is a Twit? I don’t understand how Tweeter works? If I go on Facebook, can I meet a man?"

When I began writing video games: “What kind of games do you write? Do you write Scrabble? I play a lot of Scrabble. Can you get me free Scrabble?”

…and our latest conversation (via phone last night) went a little like this:

MOM: Have you ever written a mystery?

ME: Yes.

MOM: You have??!

ME: Mom, you know I have.

MOM: Oh. You mean a game. I’m not talking about a game.

ME: No, I’ve written mystery stories other than games. You’ve read some of them.

MOM: I have? Well, I don’t remember. Anyway, I think I want to write mysteries as a hobby.

ME: Uh… okay.

MOM: But I want twists and turns and red herrings and stuff. How do you do that?

ME: Well, first you need a cast of characters.

MOM: Oh. But I want twists and turns.

ME: You still need characters.

MOM: But how do I figure out who committed the crime?

ME: What? What are you talking about?

MOM: How do I solve it? Do I start from the end? How will I know who did it?

ME: What? Just start with characters, okay?

MOM: Oh, okay. I need motives and weapons too!

ME: Decide where you want the story to be set.

MOM: Oh, I know that. In my office.

ME: Okayyyy…

MOM: We have a lot of interesting characters there! They say there’s nothing more interesting than real life!

ME: Actually, they say the opposite. Real life isn’t interesting enough. Things based on real life sometimes get dropped from the story, so be prepared for that.

MOM: Oh, but writing is such a good hobby. Don’t you think it is?

ME: Uh, yeh. That's what you've been telling me my whole life.

MOM: It's not a career. It's just something fun to do!

ME: Mom. I gotta go.

[scene]

Vampire Romance Wins Silver Award from PocketGamer!

yay! the review i've been waiting for finally arrived and i must say that i was pleasantly surprised. Vampire Romance received a score of 8 out of 10 and was honored with a Silver Award by PocketGamer!

kudos to the team!

why was i worried? well, the team's overall direction was to really play to the "twihards" (a.k.a. fans of the film and book series twilight). as a writer, this was a challenge because i wanted to create fun, original material that would warm any vampire fan's heart but develop a story that might actually stray from all the supernatural material that's already out there.

that said, the reality of the project (and let's face it, life in general) is that we had a lot of different people to please and we had to work together as a team towards one, uniform goal.

luckily for us, pocketgamer's reviewer seemed to understand our mission. (and oh yeah- he called my story "strong writing")!

yippee for me! :-)

vampire romance is available on regular mobile phones, including the blackberry! (note: not the iphone, sorry). find it in your cell phone's content area and play it today!

My Article's On Computeruser.com!

yay! one of my articles about online safety from Safetyweb got picked up by Computeruser.com!

i'm especially excited because my bio is listed there at the bottom. :-)

here's the link:
http://tinyurl.com/5ssutcs