Interview With Ali Vali
Ali Vali the published author of “Devil Inside” and “The Devil Unleashed: Book Two of the Casey Family Saga”, now has a film out, “Gillery’s Little Secret”, as well as a new book, “Carly’s Sound”, about to be released. Read the scoop below about just how busy Ali had been......
Gillery’s Little Secret...
What inspired Gillery’s Little Secret?
Tina from Liquid Film Works wrote to me and pitched the idea of a short film based on one of my stories – yet to be written mind you. She’d read all my stuff online and liked my style of writing, and wanted me to create something that could be turned into a screenplay. I believe the order went something like it had to be something based on lesbian characters and it had to be something never done before. Sure no problem was my response as I laughed.
I had attended my class reunion not too much before that and the idea just came to me after about a week of thinking about it. From my initial idea sprang the short story Calumet, which we later renamed “Gillery’s Little Secret.” As I sat in the place where our reunion was held and talked with some of the people I graduated with, it made me think how much people change over the years. You know those geeks that grew up to be successful and those that aren’t quite over the whole high school thing? GLS was a little of both those concepts. Only Bernadette was missing love lost more than anything else high school had meant to her.
Wasn’t it an online story at one time?
Nope. GLS was an original short story written just for Liquid Film Works. It’s flattering beyond words how often Calumet gets requested by the readers but I can’t share it just yet. I’d love to mind you since a lot of the secondary characters I just loved were cut because of time restraints.
Tell us readers how it came to be a short film. And how many re-writes did you have?
After I wrote it and finished it, I sent it on to Tina and the others working with her and she took out the section that went on to be filmed so we could concentrate on that. She put it in a screenplay format that I had no idea of how to go about, and then the rewrites started. Ooh, the rewrites. I believe we had about five overall total ones, and I stopped counting at the little sections we worked on.
As a writer I have to paint a picture as it were so the reader can visualize where I want to take you. In film not so much since you’re looking at the screen and noticing how blue the sky is, what Gillery is doing with her hands, and that she’s kissing her girl – well you know what I’m getting at. Description is seen not vocalized.
In a screenplay it’s all about the dialog. Less is more, and the less has to pack a punch so that took a little while to get right. I kept trying to explain that being from the south it takes me about five pages to just say hello, and Tina kept up the mantra of cut..cut…cut.
Tina through her hard work then did her thing in getting the locations, actors and everything else so they could bring these guys to life. It was one exciting phone call after the next once she got that lineup together.
How were you approached to make into a screenplay?
That first email from Tina that I mentioned asked for an original story and that I had to work for vodka. That is one of the reasons this project has been so special to me. All the actors involved worked for scale, and from what I understand that hardly ever happens. Scale is less than a hundred dollars a day, but folks like Annabeth Gish and the others just wanted the story told.
One of the sad notes from Hurricane Katrina was the nice bottle of vodka that the Liquid Film Works people sent me as a thank you got trashed when my frig went down. The thrashing it got made the top uncork. It was painful to toss it down the drain. lol
Did you get to participate in the process of making it into a short film?
My part ended at the finish of the final screenplay. I really wanted to go to the filming but I didn’t have the opportunity, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the feature production.
People were able to vote online for it, when will you know the results of this voting?
The film came in second overall and was one of the winners that will be featured in a special on LOGO. I’ll make sure to tell Wizzy when that will be so everyone can watch if they’re able.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote and to see the film online. It was because of you that we did so well.
What is next for Gillery’s Little Secret?
Tina and her crew are working hard to get support for the feature film. There was so much more to this story and I hope it makes it to the big screen.
It is though going to be in a few festivals around the country in the coming year. You can see it at the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in August, Frameline 30 which is San Francisco’s LGBT film festival and Newfest in New York. If you live in the area then please stop by and seen it.
Will it be released on a DVD?
It is available on DVD, the proceeds going to the making of the feature film. Information on it is available at www.liquidfilmworks.com .
Can the readers still see this film and vote on it, online?
It is still up as of this writing. From what LOGO is saying it will soon come down so please visit the site if you’d like to see it. And please still vote.
SO PLEASE STOP BY AND VOTE FOR THIS WONDERFUL FILM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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On another subject you have a new book about to be release from www.boldstrokesbooks.com..... Carly's Sound which is due out this June....
Carly's Sound (June 2006)
Poppy Valente has the world in the palm of her hand until fate steals from her the one thing that matters most – her wife Carly. When breast cancer ends their life together, Poppy finds herself not knowing how to begin to live again. Julia Johnson is running to Carly’s Sound with her newborn daughter Tallulah in search of the path to her future. On a chance meeting two years after Carly’s death, these two women form a bond of friendship that lays the foundation for something more. “Carly’s Sound” will bring you from New Orleans to a five star resort in the Caribbean as Julia and Poppy struggle to define their lives and Poppy’s past comes back to haunt her – literally.
What inspired you to write Carly’s Sound?
Carly’s Sound sprang from my experiences when my partner was diagnosed with cancer. Of all the things in my life that I’ve experienced receiving that diagnosis has to be by far the hardest and most painful. To let all those emotions out I wrote “Play It Again Sam.” That was many moons ago as they say, and I’ve tried hard to refine my writing and my story telling skills.
Carly’s Sound I think the readers will find will be a much better story because it’s a more complete story. Working with Jennifer and Shelley, my editors at Bold Strokes Books, the story is so much more of what made the storyline so special.
How did you lay out Carly’s Sound?
The original story only took me about two weeks to write, then I’ve taken it a section at a time. The goal in that was that I wanted the reader to have a smooth flowing story that holds your interest.
How long did it take you to complete it?
Carly’s Sound has been about three years in the making. There have been rewrites and then there have been deletions to some of the rewrites, but over all about three years.
What made you decide to publish this one with all the wonderful stories you have written?
Because of what this one means to me, it wasn’t hard to decide. This one more than all the rest is a gift to my partner and my mom. They both battled cancer and sent it packing. I hope everyone finds it entertaining, but I also hope it helps those who read it that have been through the experience. Since I posted this story I’ve received so many emails telling me it has. Cancer doesn’t have to win or defeat you; C and I are living proof of that.
Will you be willing to sign copies of Carly’s Sound for the readers?
I’d love to sign as many as people would like. For those that can’t leave home or travel, they’ve mailed me their copy of the book The Devil Inside with a self-addressed envelope so I could mail it back. It’s an honor for me to have someone buy one of my books so signing it is not a hardship believe me. I don’t see anything different with CS.
Will you be making any appearances this year for the reader’s to meet you and get their books signed?
I’ll be at the GCLS convention next week and they’re having a signing Thursday night a local bookstore. I’m working on some other ones as well and I’ll give Wizzy the heads up on any new time and location.
(I looked on Boldstrokes.com and if you click the link below you will find a listing of author’s who will be making appearances and when and where they will be! So stop by and get your books signed! W)
Boldstrokes Calendar of Events 2006...
http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/events.html
You can view Gillery’s Little Secret at the following link.......
You can view and older fun version of an interview we did with Ali Vali at the following link....
http://www.thesandbox101.com/wackyweed/wackyweed_alivali.htm
See Ali Vali’s BIO at Boldstrokesbooks.com page...
http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/Bios/AliVbio.html
You can find Ali’s Stories on the following links......
http://www.thesandbox101.com/alivali_links.htm
http://xenafiction.net/author_pages/avaldiviaalivali.html
Please stop by www.boldstrokesbooks.com and get your copies of Ali Vali’s books that are for sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Devil Inside : Book One of the Casey Family Saga
(January 2006)
Brains, guts, and ruthless ambition should be enough to come out on top in any fight. Except when the battle is over love, all bets are off!
Derby Cain Casey was groomed from birth to be the next leader of the Casey family business. Only in this case that meant becoming the head of a major crime family in New Orleans. She was as judicious with her heart as she was with her business until she met Emma Verde. The farm girl from Wisconsin breaks through to claim the mobster’s heart and gifts her with their son Hayden, the next in line to lead the Casey Clan. “Devil Inside” tells the story of Cain’s greatest joy and the pain that comes when that happiness is shattered by a betrayal that comes at the hands of the one person from whom she never expected it. While struggling with her hidden pain, Cain must do battle with two very different adversaries, both bent on bringing her down -- the FBI and the Cannala crime family.
The Devil Unleashed: Book Two of the Casey Family Saga
(December 2006)
“The Devil Inside” introduced the story of Cain and Emma Casey, their family, and the forces that sought to destroy them. Now, threatened from every side, Cain must unleash that devil to protect all she holds dear. A gunshot meant to end the legacy of the Casey Clan has left a weakened Cain fighting to regain control of her business while trying to protect her heart from the woman who left her. As the heat of violence rises, so does the passion. One by one, Cain faces her enemies and discovers the truth of who was behind one of the greatest losses of her life. Only this time she might not have to carry the burden of leading the family alone – if she is willing to take a chance on love again. But can she trust Emma not to run as she did once before when faced with the dark parts of the Casey family leader?
You can reach Ali Vali at terrali20@yahoo.com
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I would like to thank Ali for taking the time to answer some questions about her new film and her new book being release! I look forward to someday seeing the short film being released as a longer version; I agree there is so much more to tell about Gillery’s Little Secrete! Wizzy
PS. this is my last ramble for a little while so if anyone has something fun to ramble about please send it to me at this address.... webmistress@thesandbox101.com
June 02, 2006
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