Hello. I am Tucker and I am a Maltese. I am filling in for Gigi the parti poodle today because she had to have a bath and she does not like baths. They make her moody which scares me. I do not like baths either. I had to have one too and it scared me. Our internet went out today and our novelist was not sure she would be able to post. I do not like it when the internet goes out. That scares me too. Halloween is this weekend and little humans in scary clothes come to the door and make me bark. They scare me but it is fun to bark at them. My novelist gives them treats. I do not get Halloween treats. I wish I got Halloween treats. I guess a lot of things make me scared. Nothing scares me more than Gigi though. Poodles are scary. Happy Halloween. Here is my novelist.   

Today I am continuing my anatomy of a scene with the first chapter of my novel Musicology: Volume One, Baby! This second part of the scene which takes place at the bar of the Viceroy Hotel in Burbank, California introduces Ruby Diamonds. Ruby in my mind is a rock and roll diva much like Ann Wilson, Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, Debbie Harry, Lita Ford, you get the picture. She is the quintessential aging California beauty with her blonde hair and tan skin. Men want her and women want to be her. She has what we’ll call a checkered past and was known for doing outrageous things onstage and off which get mentioned here and there throughout the book series. And she is Max’s Achilles heel. Max believes that when Ruby left his label Master Lab Records for Merciless Pig Records, she ruined his life. But he is still madly in love with her. I like to think he is on board with becoming a mentor for Devon’s show the moment he sees Ruby enter the bar. He would never admit this of course but he is.

Ruby has given up her vices and come to embrace a healthy west coast lifestyle. She claims to no longer drink and instead imbibes on many styles of green tea. At the bar however she orders a non-alcoholic cranberry juice and soda. This was something coworkers I used to know ordered and I myself have been known to drink one on occasion. Ruby has a maternal quality to her and is the matriarch of the story. She is the only one who can get Max under control when he loses his temper or goes off on one of his tirades. Ruby is used to his redundant outbursts and manages them expertly.

The reason the novel is called Musicology: Volume One, Baby! is because Devon always calls everyone baby. The second novel Musicology: Volume Two, Kid! is in reference to Max who calls everyone kid including Ruby the first time he says hello to her. Instead of saying, “Hi, Ruby” he instead says “Hi, kid”. This is also a hint that despite his attraction to Ruby she is younger than he is, and he sees her as a child he took under his wing, a daughter of sorts.

Devon tells Max and Ruby they are going to embark on a road trip. This of course gives Max and Ruby a way to become reacquainted and provides the reader some insight into their relationship. Devon also introduces the shows new judges: rock star Robbie Sexton, Bonnie Lake another rock diva and Dick Dandy a comedian. Both Max and Ruby are befuddled as to why Devon hired a comedian to be a judge for a singing competition. But Devon essentially explains he’s an assclown and assclowns get ratings.

Ruby doesn’t need the Musicology gig. She is a multiplatinum selling-millionaire with world-wide fame. Max, on the other hand, has not fared as well. He has made a lot of money, but his record label has slowly tanked. And now it’s in chapter eleven bankruptcy. Ruby does not know this until this scene plays out. And when she does get the information, she shows compassion for Max and agrees to go on the tour. That said even before she walks into the bar Ruby knows she is going to take the gig because she has an agenda. Her reason for taking the gig, which are not shown in the scene, are based on her compassion for Max just like her concerns about his financial difficulties.

My Books

You can check out my books Chicane and the first two books in my Musicology book series Musicology: Volume One, Baby! andMusicology: Volume Two, Kid!on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback editions. You can also check out Musicology’s web site at www.musicologyrocks.com and vote for who you think will will Musicology!!!

STREAM OF THE WEEK: IT FOLLOWS (2014)-Peacock

I am not usually a fan of horror movies as a rule. But this little indi film is fantastic. A young college woman goes out on a date and engages in a sexual encounter. She wakes up to find her wrists tied to a chair and her date telling her he has passed on a very unusual STD. Something terrible will now start following her. And if she doesn’t have sex with someone else and pass it on, it will follow her till it catches her and it will kill her. The terrible thing can take any human form. It is slow moving but relentless, and it never ever stops following. A chilling and engaging Halloween treat.

SMART MOVIES FOR SMART KIDS: MONSTER HOUSE (2006)-Peacock

An unusual and interesting tale. A thirteen-year-old named DJ has been watching his neighbor’s house from across the street and discovers things are not quite right. The house is owned by a crotchety old man named Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi) who, if you dare to traverse his lawn, will take your toys away and you will never see them again. But that’s just the beginning. When DJ’s parents take a trip on Halloween eve and leave DJ with a babysitter named Zee (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and her boyfriend Bones (Jason Lee) he has to enlist the help of his friend Chowder and a plucky prep school student named Jenny to find out what Nebbercracker is really hiding.

SCREENWRITINGU FREE CLASS FRIDAY-How to be Creative in Difficult Times

You can sign up for the class here which is at 12:00 Noon PTS tomorrow.