TV'S SEXIEST BALD MEN

When I first submitted this photo gallery to WowThatsCool.com, I called it The 13 Sexiest Bald Men on TV.  For reasons unknown to me, the editors changed it to The 13 Hottest Bald Men on TV.

What's in a name? They're all still pretty awesome.

I've got sexy (and hot) bald men from sitcoms, hot (and sexy) men from primetime soaps, sci-fi, network, cable and more.

Check out the complete list at: http://wowthatscool.com/the-13-sexiest-bald-men-on-tv

EW.COM: DAYTIME EMMYS 2014 RECAP

For the first time since 1984, the Daytime Emmys weren’t broadcast on any network (in the previous instance, NBC refused to air a two-hour long commercial for ABC’s then unbeatable juggernaut of a line up; my, how times change). For the first time ever, the ceremonies were live-streamed, instead, complete with host Kathy Griffin’s un-bleeped opening F-bombs.

Let the new, “hip” and “edgy” Daytime Emmys begin!

And the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor goes to… Eric Martsolf as Brady on Days of Our Lives! Streaming the Emmys may be an executive attempt to attract a younger audience (because everyone knows teens are the ones buying their family’s toothpaste, soap and dishwashing detergent, natch), but playing the classic DOOL theme as Eric goes up to collect his statue brings on the warm fuzzies of nostalgia. He thanks his wife for being right all the time (she told him to write a speech) and his parents for not making him be a lawyer, tells his kids to stop playing Minecraft on their iPad and watch Daddy’s “This is important!” award, then praises DOOL for taking a chance on a “boy from Passions.” Which doesn’t seem to be a compliment to Passions.

Amelia Heinle wins Outstanding Supporting Actress as Victoria on The Young & the Restless. She admits to being terrified of taking on a role previously played by Heather Tom (a past Emmy winner for Outstanding Younger Actress, Outstanding Supporting Actress and 2-in-a-row for Outstanding Lead Actress). Heather is also nominated again tonight for Lead Actress. Which might have been one of the reasons Amelia submitted herself in Supporting.

Read the complete recap, including Kathy Griffin spilling a twenty year old soap secret, a massive video screw up and actors winning Emmys after leaving their respective shows at: http://community.ew.com/2014/06/23/daytime-emmys-2014-recap/

EW.COM: TOP 10 MOST BIZARRE SOAP OPERA DEATHS

Last week, in soapland, Paul, played by Doug Davidson on The Young & the Restless, barely clung to life, despite being a thirty-something year veteran of the show, their longest-running cast-member and a 2013 Daytime Emmy winner. And despite the fact that nobody really dies on soaps.

Sure, over on Days of Our Lives, the talk of the town is still Gabi killing Nick. This time. Not the previous time.  When she, Sami and Kate only thought they'd killed him by smashing him on the head with a rock and dumping him in the river. But, like Sami said, "Who knew a dead man would be such a good swimmer?"

On General Hospital, the viewers (if not all the citizens of Port Charles) know that Ric is only faking his death to protect his family from the mob (the bad mob, run by Fake Luke, a.k.a. Fluke; and not the good mob, run by Sonny).  Meanwhile, on The Bold & the Beautiful, Ridge, who was presumed dead after falling out of a helicopter into the Persian Gulf, has been found, albeit a bit loopy and confused about which woman, exactly, he's in love with.  To be fair, that's been Ridge's state of mind since B&B premiered in 1987.

But if you think coming back from the dead is strange and unnatural, check out these Top 10 Most Bizarre Soap Opera Deaths (some of which even stuck... well, so far...):

Go to http://community.ew.com/2014/06/21/top-10-most-bizarre-soap-opera-deaths/ for the list, and rest assured, as a 30+ year soap fan, I didn't just include soaps still on the air, but also ones Gone But Not Forgotten.

See if your favorite is mentioned and, if not, add it in the Comments!

MY MOST BRILLIANT - OR STUPIDEST - WRITING PROJECT EVER. YOU DECIDE!

When the website BombChelle asked what I do to beat the summer work slump, I opened up about my plans for a new project that's so off-the-wall, unprecedented and potentially career-destroying, that it scares the hell out of me.

Which is naturally, why I'm doing it.

My answer below:

As a freelance writer, when assignments slow down in the summertime (many of the blogs I contribute to regularly cut down on the number of posts during summer) I take advantage of the (relative) lull to try something truly outrageous and eye-catching. In a few weeks, for instance, I plan to write a romance novel totally live on-line. I don’t mean I’m going to post a new installment a day and let people comment on it. I mean I am literally going to use software where you can watch me type each word; mistakes, revisions, deletions, missteps and all.

Yes, I really am going to try this. And yes, I am going to do the whole thing live - including, for those who asked, the sex scenes.

Hope you'll join me!

Stay tuned for details!

BEYOND BIG PURSES: TV'S CLEVER TACTICS FOR HIDING ACTRESS PREGNANCIES

When I first was contracted to write "Oakdale Confidential," the "As the World Turns" tie-in for Pocket Books, it was scheduled to be released nine months after I turned in the final manuscript. (Nine months - see the tie-in to pregnancy?)

I remember talking to the editor, who was surprised that the show's writers had no idea at that time, almost a year in advance, what would be happening on the show when the book was officially released.

She wanted to know how they could write the story without knowing where it was going. I explained that they had a general idea of where they wanted to be a year from now, but, the problem with soaps, as opposed to books, movies, even prime-time series, is that they often couldn't anticipate curve-balls like actors quitting, being temporarily unavailable due to other projects or, the ever popular... actresses getting pregnant.

With a prime-time show, you can change your shooting schedule, like "Sex in the City" did when Sarah Jessica Parker was pregnant (it helped that she was also one of the producers). With a movie, you can push forward or push back the starting date. With science-fiction, you can really let your imagination go wild.

A soap, however, keeps on chugging, every day, every week, year after year (God willing). You're required to give your actresses a maternity leave, and you can write in anticipation of that. But, unless you write her pregnancy into the script, what are you supposed to do the rest of the time?

Click here for my list of 10 Ways Shows Deal with Actress Pregnancies, including one soap actress who ended up suing her employers as a result!

TV ACTORS TOO YOUNG TO PLAY PARENT/CHILD

Nontraditional casting means that people of any race, ethnicity, gender, etc... can be tapped to play any role (think Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves as brothers in Much Ado About Nothing, or Linda Hunt playing a man in Year of Living Dangerously).

But, what about age?

What happens when actors who are much, much too young to play parent and child get cast anyway? Is it possible to suspend disbelief, or does it pull you out of the story?

Soaps, daytime and prime-time, are some of the worst offenders on that scale, with often only a few years' age difference between (especially) mothers and sons. (What does that tell us about how women are expected to look? And how can real life women compete when the deck is so stacked against them?)

Go to: http://wowthatscool.com/actors-too-young-to-play-parent-child-on-tv-stage for my list of actors too young to play parent/child on TV/Stage, and share some of your favorite odd couples below!

BOOK COVER ADVICE DESPERATELY NEEDED - HELP!

A contemporary romance novel that I published with AVON in 1998, Annie's Wild Ride, is being re-issued as an e-book this summer.

It need a new cover. As you can see on the left, the old one wasn't much to crow about. It's the story of two Air Force pilots who can't live with each other - and can't live without each other. It takes place over the course of a decade and features a plane crash, plus many sex scenes, including one taking place on a Ferris Wheel (read it, here). So, naturally, the original artist illustrated it with a ducky. (Okay, okay, it's technically a carnival ride swan. But, around our house, it's known as the Pink Ducky Cover.)

This time around, I can pick the cover myself. But, alas, a director I worked with at ABC Sports once described me as a "visual wasteland."

She was not wrong.

I have no visual sense.

On the other hand, I am all about crowd-sourcing and reader feedback. It's why I am currently writing Counterpoint: An Interactive Family Saga, where readers tell me where they want the story to go - and I listen.

And why I am turning to you for help with the new cover for Annie's Wild Ride.

The Romantic Times review below gives a pretty good idea of the book's plot. So what do you think the cover should be? Please chime in at the Comments, preferably with links to covers you like that you think I should be inspired by.

You have no idea how much I'd appreciate it!

Thanks in advance!

****

Paul and Anne Gassbeck's marriage is technically over, but they still fight and compete. They have joint custody of the two Amelias (their 11-year-old daughter, and a Cessna 152). They have been locked in a highly competitive, intense relationship since they met at the Air Force Academy years earlier. For the most part, their legendary competition has brought out the best in each other, forcing them to achieve excellence. 

Conducting a marriage and two military careers tremendously strained their relationship. Paul's inability to convey emotion or his motives was a major factor in driving them to divorce. 

To live up to the custody agreement, Anne and Amelia fly home from their skiing trip a day early. An ice storm catches them mid-flight, causing Anne to crash land in the mountains. A badly injured Anne desperately tries to keep Amelia awake and conscious while waiting for rescue. Despite their remote location and the horrible weather, Anne knows that Paul will come for them. 

When Paul learns of Anne and Amelia's crash, he will sacrifice anything to find his family. For a man who has put duty, career and honor first, this is a life changing moment. He can only hope he will be in time. 

Using flashbacks, Ms. Adams does a marvelous job creating complex, emotional and driven individuals whose love/hate relationship dominates their lives. This is a terrific read and I look forward to seeing more from Ms. Adams in the future.

15 HOTTEST FEMALE SPIES EVER TO APPEAR ON TV

When I was a kid, I had two dueling career ambitions: I was going to be a soap opera writer... and a spy.

And while I did end up working for ABC Daytime and Procter & Gamble Productions, I never quite managed to fit in cloak and dagger work alongside the 9-5 job... and the three kids. (Or so I claim...)

So now I've done the next best thing. My list of the 15 Hottest Spies Ever To Appear on TV also happens to include a soap opera character. Can you guess which one? See if you're right at: http://wowthatscool.com/15-sexiest-women-spies-ever-to-appear-on-tv

And for my Soviet-immigrant take on "The Americans" (also a soap, if you ask me), click here.