Oh, crikey.

OK. So my agent wants to pitch Haunted Ballads to Ewan McGregor - something I was after my former agent to do, but she never did it.

They want to know if I'm willing to do one of the books up as a screenplay.

I've done one before - about, oh, twelve years ago.

Are they kidding?

They also want the HB's "high concept". This implies a pop culture reference knowledge that I simply don't have.

Holy Shit, Deb!!! That's HUGE! Congrats! (Just the option alone, I mean. If things get HUGER, I'll address that then.)

This implies a pop culture reference knowledge that I simply don't have.

Lots of peeps around that would be glad to help you out.

eta: Just checked your lj and it looks like things are under control.

I'm being told Hart to hart was too campy. I have no idea what it was, so I have no clue whether it is or not. Maybe let Marlene figure it out.

Just wrote the proposal for the fifth Haunted Ballad book. Feedback?

The New-Slain Knight (a Haunted Ballad mystery)

It's midsummer in the UK, a hot lazy July. Ringan Laine is enjoying a rare experience, for him: having neither musical engagements nor property restoration consults to deal with for the next two weeks. Even better, his girlfriend, theatre owner and actress Penny Wintercraft-Hawkes, has timed her own midsummer break to coincide with his. At home at Lumbe's Cottage in Street, Somerset, Ringan's looking forward to two weeks of nothing more strenuous than sleeping in.

Before Penny even arrives, however, Ringan gets a call from his sister Roberta, in Edinburgh. Roberta's husband has a family emergency that will take them out of town for about ten days. Would Ringan be willing to have Roberta's daughter, 14-year-old violin prodigy Rebecca, down to stay with him? Since there's no graceful way to refuse, Ringan agrees.

Penny comes up with an idea for keeping Becca amused: a week-long drive around the Duchy of Cornwall. It has beaches, pubs, restaurants, ancient monuments. It also has a few old friends of Ringan's, local musicians. Ringan gets the idea to get hold of his friends and see about a few local pub shows; since Becca is a world-class fiddler, she may even get a chance to play with them.

The first few days of the holiday are idyllic; they wander Cornwall, visit stone circles, Penny and Becca swim in the sea, and Ringan teaches his niece - in whom he immediately recognises a kindred musical spirit - some of the local songs in his repertoire.

When they wind up at the legendary Arthurian castle of Tintagel, however, something disquieting happens - Becca begins to babble, then blacks out. Thinking it's heat stroke, they take her back to the inn so she can rest up. Ringan has arranged a show at the local folk club that night, with his old friend, Cornish guitarist and folklorist Gowan Camborne, and everyone's pleased that Becca feels well enough to play on two numbers.

But when they begin the second song, about a murdered knight and a despairing, frightened girl, Becca has a terrifying seizure. Penny and Ringan have dealt with hauntings enough to recognise that this may be what's happened. As they begin to look into the local history, Becca begins to deteriorate before their eyes - and they realise that, unless they can track down the truth behind a song that offers them too many avenues to explore and not enough time, Ringan may lose his niece.

Best Friends Forever

I survived Kindergarten with little teasing, but First Grade was different. Everyone was new to me. There was a group of girls who quickly established their dominance. They had everything right, according to them, and they wasted no time making it clear to me, and to everyone else, that everything about me was wrong. I don’t remember what they said anymore, but I remember what happened next. As the in crowd walked away, confident in their victory, a blonde with sharp, blue eyes and the biggest smile walked up to me and said, “I hate them too. Let’s be friends”.

Deb, that sounds good!

I can't wait to read that and your new series.

Nice, sj.

Loving the proposal, Deb. Want book now.

Also want soundtrack for all the Haunted Ballads.

Deb, I'd just ask her what she means by high concept. I've seen it used a few ways. I've even seen it used to compare fantasy to realism (although this is the way I've seen it used least).

Here's a link, [link] but honestly, from what he says, I get even more of an impression that it's a user-defined term.

Also? SQUEE!

Deb, how exciting! And I love the synopsis for the next one in the Haunted Ballard series, it gave me chills just reading it. And I know we're all going to adore Rebecca.

sj, that kicks ass. I just hope the blonde said it loud enough for the crowd of little wannabitchbe's to hear.

Sail, no one is going to get to love Becca unless SMP offers me money. I'm not writing word one on spec, not this time. No more Deb-abuse from the grinding mill wheels of the bigass publishing house. And they know it, too.

Finding the time to work up a screenplay is going to be interesting. I still need to find out whether it might not make more sense to have BBLA's screen rights agent person just include a casual "...oh, and she's working on the screenplay, it would be ready (insert), meanwhile here's a copy of the (insert number of) book..."

Oh how very exciting, Deb! I have every confidence that you can produce a smashing screenplay.

My understanding is that High Concept just means the conceptual twist (ghosts that are linked to songs) is important. You've got that.

I love the proposal for the new one. I would totally buy that book if I cam across it browsing.