6 Things You’d Never Guess About Me
1. I’ve been a serious fly fisherman for 30 years. I fished with my son and one of my daughters in Montana and in Eastern Washington 30 – 50 days every year during that time. We fished on the Yakima River in WA and on many rivers in Montana. I have learned how to find my way on the wild and beautiful rivers of Montana and in the Yellowstone Park Backcountry. We started with guides when my son was seven and eventually we began fishing on our own. Later, we bought a drift boat and learned to use it. We now fish almost exclusively on the Madison River, walk and wading on the stretch from Hebgen Lake to the West Fork.
2. From 1977 – 1986, I was a Feature film producer, the president of a film company that developed screenplays with both independent and major studio financing. I worked with the following screenwriters: Frederic Raphael ("Two for the Road", "Eyes Wide Shut"), Alvin Sargent ("Ordinary People", "Julia"), Joe Esterhas ("Basic Instinct"), Andy Lewis ("Klute"), Stewart Stern ("Rebel Without a Cause"), playwrights Thom Babe and Murray Mednick, Jeanne Rosenberg ("Black Stallion"), Ron Bass ("Rain Man"), Larry D. Cohen ("Carrie"), Polly Platt ("Pretty Baby"), William Wittliff ("Lonesome Dove"). (Film credits are for identification purposes. I did not work on these films, expecting Raggedy Man and Ghost Story
3. I produced feature films including:
"Raggedy Man" - Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard
"Ghost Story" - Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Patricia Neal
4. I am still a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
5. Early in my producing career, I had the privilege of working with author Ross Macdonald, a legend in crime fiction, on his only screenplay, based on his book THE INSTANT ENEMY.
6. I have spent much of my life in three places that require unique skill sets and strong instincts to navigate gracefully: Hollywood, Wall Street (I ran an investment business for 30 years), and what I call “wild country” – the places in nature that are off the beaten path.
2. From 1977 – 1986, I was a Feature film producer, the president of a film company that developed screenplays with both independent and major studio financing. I worked with the following screenwriters: Frederic Raphael ("Two for the Road", "Eyes Wide Shut"), Alvin Sargent ("Ordinary People", "Julia"), Joe Esterhas ("Basic Instinct"), Andy Lewis ("Klute"), Stewart Stern ("Rebel Without a Cause"), playwrights Thom Babe and Murray Mednick, Jeanne Rosenberg ("Black Stallion"), Ron Bass ("Rain Man"), Larry D. Cohen ("Carrie"), Polly Platt ("Pretty Baby"), William Wittliff ("Lonesome Dove"). (Film credits are for identification purposes. I did not work on these films, expecting Raggedy Man and Ghost Story
3. I produced feature films including:
"Raggedy Man" - Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard
"Ghost Story" - Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Patricia Neal
4. I am still a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
5. Early in my producing career, I had the privilege of working with author Ross Macdonald, a legend in crime fiction, on his only screenplay, based on his book THE INSTANT ENEMY.
6. I have spent much of my life in three places that require unique skill sets and strong instincts to navigate gracefully: Hollywood, Wall Street (I ran an investment business for 30 years), and what I call “wild country” – the places in nature that are off the beaten path.
It took fourteen years to construct a safe world for her and her son--and only one night for her ex to unravel it.
Celebrated Seattle restaurateur Callie James is more than a little thrown when her ex-husband, French investigative reporter Daniel Odile-Grand, shows up after fourteen years asking for her help. Even more disturbing: as she throws him out, Daniel is deliberately hit by a car, hurled through the front window of her restaurant--broken, bloody and unconscious. He flees from the hospital and breaks into Callie's apartment, where he passes out. Reluctantly, Callie hides him. When she gets back to her restaurant, two assassins walk in, insisting that she find Daniel for them by tonight or pay the consequences.
Overwhelmed and hopelessly out of her depth, Callie hires the only man she knows who can help her: Cash Logan, her former bartender, a man she had arrested for smuggling ivory through her restaurant two years earlier, and who still hasn't forgiven her.
The assassins blow up her restaurant. It's Callie's nightmare. And the worst is yet to come as she and her unlikely, incompatible ally discover that the most perilous dangers are far closer to home than they'd imagined.
Read an excerpt:
It was 1:15 a.m. when Kelly and Gray returned. They must have been watching, because they came in as the last patron left. Will showed them to the bar, where Callie was waiting at her table. They sat facing her, different suits this time. Gray wore a thin gold square-link chain around his neck and a matching gold earring—stylish and expensive. Kelly wore a similar gold necklace with a floating diamond solitaire pendant. As Will was asking where their suits had been made, Callie interrupted. “A drink?”
“Another time,” Gray said, all business now. “Have you found Daniel Odile-Grand?”
“No, as I said before, I have no idea where he is.”
“That’s unacceptable,” he said matter-of-factly. He turned to his partner, who nodded, regretfully smiling her agreement.
Callie was prepared. Cash had told her to hit her “ice mode” button—a phrase he’d coined for her chilliness when irritated—at any sign of trouble. He’d recognize that and take it from there. “I beg your pardon?” she replied, classic subzero. She sipped her tepid San Pellegrino with lime.
“As I explained, urgent matters are at stake.” Gray waved his hand to include the dining room downstairs. “I’m told this fine restaurant is underinsured.”
“Yo, Callie.” Cash had materialized behind her, carrying chips and guacamole for the table. “I thought you said we were well insured.”
“We are, in fact, well insured,” she agreed.
Cash leaned in. His physical presence didn’t seem to faze these people. “So we don’t need insurance, then, we’re fine,” he pointed out.
Gray leaned in, too, measuring Cash, finding him wanting. “Listen carefully, cowboy, this is not your concern.” He said it slowly, advising a dim-witted child.
Kelly shook her head and spoke for the first time. “No, surely not.”
Cash’s eyes locked onto Gray’s. “Then this is your unlucky day, pardner. From now on, to get to the lady, you go through me.” He flashed a shit-eating grin. “Did you call me Cowboy?”
Gray grinned ever so slightly. Kelly smiled, picture perfect.
“Cowboy?” Cash repeated, frowning now as he emptied the bowl of guacamole on Gray’s cream-colored silk suit.
Gray was up, going for his gun. He fell to the floor, writhing, when Andre planted his metal prosthetic in the hit man’s groin. Cash already had Kelly’s arms pinned at her sides. Andre took her gun from its shoulder holster and trained it on Gray, who was on the floor, covered with guacamole.
“Let this go,” Cash told Gray. “You don’t want a war. Not with me.”
“Nice suit,” Andre added, and lifted Gray’s gold necklace with the black metal toe of his prosthetic leg. “Love the bling.”
***
Excerpt from Danger in Plain Sight by Burt Weissbourd. Copyright 2020 by Burt Weissbourd. Reproduced with permission from Burt Weissbourd. All rights reserved.
“Another time,” Gray said, all business now. “Have you found Daniel Odile-Grand?”
“No, as I said before, I have no idea where he is.”
“That’s unacceptable,” he said matter-of-factly. He turned to his partner, who nodded, regretfully smiling her agreement.
Callie was prepared. Cash had told her to hit her “ice mode” button—a phrase he’d coined for her chilliness when irritated—at any sign of trouble. He’d recognize that and take it from there. “I beg your pardon?” she replied, classic subzero. She sipped her tepid San Pellegrino with lime.
“As I explained, urgent matters are at stake.” Gray waved his hand to include the dining room downstairs. “I’m told this fine restaurant is underinsured.”
“Yo, Callie.” Cash had materialized behind her, carrying chips and guacamole for the table. “I thought you said we were well insured.”
“We are, in fact, well insured,” she agreed.
Cash leaned in. His physical presence didn’t seem to faze these people. “So we don’t need insurance, then, we’re fine,” he pointed out.
Gray leaned in, too, measuring Cash, finding him wanting. “Listen carefully, cowboy, this is not your concern.” He said it slowly, advising a dim-witted child.
Kelly shook her head and spoke for the first time. “No, surely not.”
Cash’s eyes locked onto Gray’s. “Then this is your unlucky day, pardner. From now on, to get to the lady, you go through me.” He flashed a shit-eating grin. “Did you call me Cowboy?”
Gray grinned ever so slightly. Kelly smiled, picture perfect.
“Cowboy?” Cash repeated, frowning now as he emptied the bowl of guacamole on Gray’s cream-colored silk suit.
Gray was up, going for his gun. He fell to the floor, writhing, when Andre planted his metal prosthetic in the hit man’s groin. Cash already had Kelly’s arms pinned at her sides. Andre took her gun from its shoulder holster and trained it on Gray, who was on the floor, covered with guacamole.
“Let this go,” Cash told Gray. “You don’t want a war. Not with me.”
“Nice suit,” Andre added, and lifted Gray’s gold necklace with the black metal toe of his prosthetic leg. “Love the bling.”
***
Excerpt from Danger in Plain Sight by Burt Weissbourd. Copyright 2020 by Burt Weissbourd. Reproduced with permission from Burt Weissbourd. All rights reserved.
About the Author:
Burt Weissbourd is a novelist and former screenwriter and producer of feature films. He was born in 1949 and graduated cum laude from Yale University, with honors in psychology. His book, Danger in Plain Sight, published on May 15th 2020, is the first book in his new Callie James thriller series. His earlier books include Inside Passage, Teaser, Minos, and In Velvet, all of which will be reissued in Fall 2020.
I enjoy getting to know the author behind the book!
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