THE MAKING OF NAKED DRAGON (Part 1)

Naked Dragon

For three days this week I sat in a studio in West Hollywood and listened to men, (only men? What a surprise!) read from the script of Naked Dragon.

Was it any wonder that all the handsome straight males wanted to read for the roles of the two straight FBI agents? No. We had so many of them, nearly 80 men, all wanting to be a straight G-man. But! Ask them if they will play Agent Robbie Taylor? A gay FBI psychic?
The petrified expressions appeared.

History has begun repeating itself.
Perhaps not so much with a gay role, but a gay role, kissing another man and OH! gasp! Let’s not forget the full frontal nudity.

Any of you that read my blogs on the making of Capital Games will see, this is the same issue over and over.
But, I did find all of you a handsome Mark Richfield, and yes, we did have full frontal and kisses.

Here comes the rub.
A man who will play a black LAPD cop who is gay. I thought finding Mark was going to be a challenge. HA!

I have several roles for African American men in my film, LAPD straight cops. A sergeant, a co-worker, other cops of all ethnicities… all of them were very happy to read for the macho role, but, we simply had to ask… would you? Could you? Be our Dave Harris?
No one was coming in for my role of LAPD black gay cop, Dave Harris.
So as tactfully as we could, we asked these fabulous men of color, if by chance…they could…pretty please- try to read for Dave.
One brave soul thought long and hard. He is gorgeous, fit, and can act- very well. We gave him the lines to prepare and he returned. I was shocked he did return. Not only did he read Dave’s part with several ‘Robbie’s to perfection, but he simply is my man for the role.

Now comes the scary wait. He reads the entire script, discusses it with his girlfriend, family, the whole works, and my guess is they say, What??? kiss a man? are you insane?
And remember, this is interracial.

Just how many gay interracial romance movies between cops and FBI agents who kiss and show their man stuff have you seen? If you count all the ones I’ve seen? That’s nil. Zero. Nope, not one.

Know why? There aren’t any! unless you can find me one…maybe there is- if you know one, I’d love to see it.

So, contract offers have been made, filling all the non-gay roles, easy as pie, but here we go. My pretty Robbie and my gorgeous Dave…will they sign or not?

Stay tuned. This is only the beginning of a very long hard process. And don’t forget, errr, I have to write books to earn money to actually make these films. Why am I doing this again? Because film is like heroin. Yup. I found out why all these crazy people work 16 hour days 7 days a week and stress out worse than I do (imagine Mark Richfield without three minders!) yeah, that kind of stress.

But, one baby step at a time. The beauty of the men who may agree to be in this crazy film will thrill you, the story ain’t half bad, and well, the crew? The best I can afford, and let me tell you, they are already blowing me away. But this is LA now, not New Mexico where we filmed Capital Games, and it’s a whole different animal. LA is like a high priced hooker. She wants you to pay and gives you very little, but she will do as you ask if you push her. (More like boot her in the ass with spiked heels)

Hello, LA, hello, straight boys…let’s see who’s got the balls to show their balls.
This ain’t no Capital Games love story, it’s a gritty, hard hitting police drama. So if it ever really comes to fruition, I will be amazed.
One step at a time….shhhh…let’s not scare our pretty boys away.

Be careful out there, it’s one crazy world. Take it from me. I thought being a cop was ruthless? Ha! Being an author nowadays with all the insanity of scams, illegal downloads and posses of trolls? It's nearly as dangerous. One of these days one of you will be where I am, and understand it. I hope all of you do one day. Movie magic? It’s make believe. It should be called Movie murder….

NAKED DRAGON BEGINS- (AND WHO THE HELL AM I?)

Do you know me?
Then tell me. What do you think I am?
An artist? A gemologist? An animal lover? A librarian? A police officer? An author? A race car enthusiast? An anarchist? A soldier? A pioneer?
A filmmaker? A director? A producer?
A human being?
A friend?
An enemy?
A lover?
Your fantasy or your nemesis?

I only dream of one thing. Pushing same sex love into the mainstream. Why I am so driven I do not know.
But it is my goal, my reason to wake each day.
On the cusp of beginning pre-production on Naked Dragon, beginning filming this March, I will bring a gay man of color and a gay white man into a love affair during their work on a serial killer case.
Has this been done before? I do not know. But I will do it.
I’ve been called many things. From friends and co-workers, ‘unstoppable’, a ‘mentor, ‘driven’, ‘a force to be reckoned with’, and an ‘ally’.
By my enemies, ‘hated’, ‘despised’, called every spiteful name one can think of, told I am talentless and worthless.
I’ve hit very low times, and struggled to maintain the sensation of the highs.
I have done this on my own. No one has handed me a thing. Not a family member or an employee in the film and publishing business. I have been battling demons since I was a child. And I will fight on until I can fight no longer.
I have no ambition to make millions on my work. I work to fulfill a dream. A dream that one day people will read my work, see my films, and come to a conclusion. Love is love. It is not just my goal. Hundreds, thousands are on the same journey.

Do you know me?
Do you love me?
Do you hate me?
Do you think what I do is easy? That I am content?
We live and die alone. No one knows me.
No one. You know why I know? Because I do not even know myself.
We are creatures of mystery. What drives us? Why do we have allies and haters?
But know this. I am destined not to live a long life. Why? I know enough to know that. So? I am a seer as well. Fate has already told me in dreams to grab it now, because time is slipping away.
All I ask is that you learn from my mistakes. Push beyond your comfort zone. Rise up from ashes to keep moving forward. Where do you see yourself in five years? In oblivion? Or living your dreams?

Here we go! Naked Dragon: Beginning pre-production with a team so powerful it makes Capital Games look like a college film. And perhaps that is all it was. A learning experience for me. Guess what? I learned. I learned the difference between a trusted ally and a thief. A professional and an egotist. I learned never to be used or taken advantage of again, and I learned to surround myself in gems, and throw away the drek.
So? Do you think you know me? Guess what people? You make or break me. Your support, you buying my work, creates these films, these visions of gay romance on the screen. YOU.
Do I know you?
I know that without you, I’d be nothing.
All I ask in return is remember me. Remember me in years to come when I am gone. Remember that I struggled to bring our genre to the mainstream, to make a pathway for all of us. Like I have done in writing.
102 books strong. Not an easy task. I have been crucified by my competitors, and held up in high esteem by those who I inspire.

HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW WHO THE HELL I REALLY AM?

None of you. Until I know who I am- no one shall ever know me on any deep level. And I will keep it that way. You see what I allow you to see. A myth? A mystery? A woman on a journey, who will get it right in one life. Maybe the next.

Be careful out there. Life is filled with promise and disappointment, and one person can make all the difference in the world.
Who are you?
Are you that one person?
I am. I am that one fucked up person who will stop at nothing. But I will never run over people for my goals. I will only fight to attain them with an army. And this new army? Unstoppable.
Follow the journey with me as I share the vision of this film like I have done with Capital Games.
It’s all I have to give to you. My words, my sweat, and my blood.

And it’s time to bleed for you. I am ready.