Alan T. Luu's Blog

Life and Friends Back in Los Angeles

2012-02-18T03:56:00.000-08:00

It's been such a wonderful journey these past two+ years in Germany. From marrying my lovely wife Veronika, to learning a new language and culture, to the amazing friends I've made here, I wouldn't trade it for the world. It's been a process to find my place in this new country, and of course it will continue to be a process. Sometimes, I take a peek back to Los Angeles to see what's going on with life and old friends. And other times, Los Angeles pushes itself back into my attention span. In the days of facebook and social media, that is pretty easy to do.

Lately, it's been a little more intense for some reason. Back in December, my friend Renee Mytar contacted me. We used to work together a lot, when I was leading the dance community at Mosaic, my church in Los Angeles. She let me know that one of our favorite stages to dance on, at the Mayan Theater in downtown LA, was coming to the end. Mosaic rented that space on Sunday evenings for years, and it was easily the favorite place for the dancers to perform on Sundays. I have not counted how many times I danced, or directed a piece, on that stage between 2004 and 2009. Renee wanted to know if I could edit some video together, featuring some of the many dance performances. I did it, and they showed it at the last Sunday gathering there. Needless to say it was a trip down memory lane. I grabbed what video I had on my computer here in Germany and also pulled some video down from Youtube.

It gave me a chance to savor what was. It reminded me of all the talented people I've been blessed to work with...too many to name really. Here's the video, which I was able to make some new edits to and upload to the web. Further below, I share about some amazing accomplishments that friends back in Los Angeles have achieved in recent months, accompanied by a parade of videos.

A Tribute Video to Mosaic Dance at the Mayan Theater:

But that wasn't just it. In the last few months, it seems friends and acquaintances from LA, and specifically Mosaic, have been hitting it big in the industries of film, music, dance, etc.

As the new year hit, good news crossed the Atlantic. My friend Joby Harris spread the news that the commercial ("Bird of Prey") he directed for Doritos' Crash the Superbowl contest was one of the five finalists. With enough votes, Bird of Prey would be eligible to be shown during the Superbowl, and therefore have a chance at a one million dollar prize. But he wasn't the only one. Another filmmaker buddy from my LA days, Kevin Willson, had also reached the finals with his commercial "Sling Baby." A third commercial with Mosaic ties, "Dog Park," also made the final five. Not to mention, Dog Park featured a Korean-American actor I recognized from my days at UCLA. Regardless of the final results, Joby, Kevin, and others were flown out to the Superbowl and received cash and other prizes. When the Superbowl arrived, Dog Park and Bird of Prey, both admirable and funny efforts, were unfortunately not aired during the big game. But, Sling Baby was not only one of the commercials aired during the Superbowl -- in the days following the game, it was rated the best commercial by consumers in the USA TODAY/Facebook Super Bowl Ad Meter. This meant that Kevin and his cast and crew had won the one million dollar prize! I repeat: one million dollars!

Here's Sling Baby:

Bird of Prey:

and Dog Park:

Unbelievably, more good news kept coming in January and February. I found out another person I had met at Mosaic, Christina Lee Storm, was a production supervisor on the film "The Artist." The same film that has snatched up multiple best film awards at the Golden Globes, BAFTA, and various critics' circles around the world, and is one of the favorites to garner the Best Film award at the Oscars on Feb. 26. In all the time I've been around Mosaic, it was obvious there was a lot of film talent in the community, and more talent came along all the time. So it is not surprising, though certainly astonishing, to see people associated with Mosaic start to find success in one form or another.

The trailer for The Artist:

But it wasn't just the film-makers who were finding success in Hollywood. I spied a movie poster, once again posted on facebook, for "Step Up 4ever," coming out in August. It turns out Kathryn McCormick, a dancer I've worked with at Mosaic, had been cast in the female lead role. Once again, not surprising, since Kathryn is an extremely talented dancer who had already achieved some fame as the last female dancer standing in Season 6 of the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance." The last time I had worked with her was in August 2009, when we were part of a team that went to perform in a show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The trailer for Step Up 4ever:

In the realm of music, I saw a link on facebook to a New York Times music review for Mariah McManus. [See it here.] "...her sweet voice, which is sometimes direct and clear, and sometimes works over syllables using an aggressive tongue (with faint flickers of Bjorkian strangeness amidst the Taylor Swiftish purity)," the article says. I had the pleasure of being around Mariah for a bit on a January 2009 Mosaic-related trip to Europe. And then just last night, someone showed me a clip from the show Grey's Anatomy which featured Mariah's song "Unarmed" ... here it is, but beware it's an intense scene from the Season 6 finale:

All of these developments came to light (at least for me), in these past few months, after I had started my trip down memory lane with the Mosaic Dance video. I was recounting these stories to some friends last night, and they asked me if I was nostalgic, or if I missed Los Angeles. This is a question I get asked a lot actually. And yes, definitely in some ways I miss Los Angeles. I miss the people, and the wonderful friends and family who are there. I miss all the great restaurants. But I also have a great peace about where I am. I think it's where I'm supposed to be right now. But that doesn't mean I can't look back over the ocean and be absolutely proud of what people are doing. And it's not just the people listed above. There are countless others who are pursuing their dreams and doing incredible things. This post could go on forever. Not all of it will generate headlines, but in these last few months, it's unbelievable how many headlines some of my friends are generating.

I'll just end here, and leave you with one more video. This one was produced by my friend Arlene Yuan, and features Kathryn and also another über talented dancer and friend, Phillip Attmore.

Next Stop:

SON OF THE FALLEN, now in paperback

2012-01-04T11:58:00.000-08:00

My book is now available in paperback format. Thank you to those of you who had supported the ebook launch. I was also inspired by those that asked me about the paperback version. I know not everyone has a tablet or e-reader, and the majority of people still prefer a real book with pages. Well, it's here! I've had a couple of copies in my hands, and I must say they look great!

Now in Paperback

SON OF THE FALLEN is available as a paperback. Order through Amazon: here.

And on to Book Two!

2011-12-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

Well, so now I've started writing book two of my Son of the Fallen series. It's quite a relief to be able to focus on writing again, after two months of the other things involved with publishing. It's a short chapter, but I wrote chapter one today. Book two will certainly be longer, and more action-oriented. That's just the feeling I have now. Yes, I do have a rough outline of book two (not to mention book three), but I'm also going to trust my instincts as I write, and let the story unfold in the most natural way possible.

My next post will probably be about the first book's availability in the iBookstore and in paperback form, so check back soon!

My Life in Bullet-Points

2011-12-01T11:44:00.001-08:00

My life in bullet-points.

- First of all, bullet-points is so 1990's, isn't it? I should have called this post "My life in status updates of 140 chars or less"

- Secondly, this post is starting off as less about my life, and more about random thoughts in my head right now

- Veronika and I saw "Die Abenteuer von Tim und Struppi" by Steven Spielberg. (Produced with Peter Jackson). It's soon to come out in the US as The Adventures of Tin-Tin. See it. He's still got it.

- Working on getting my book, Son of the Fallen, in paperback format. Design is about done. Little logistical hang-ups to work through....

- Today was: some video editing on two different projects, a touch of web work on Tribus, and made Prawn & Avocado Escabeche for dinner, among other things

- November and December are full of cooking meals and inviting others over, but also of meetings for Mosaik. Keeping busy on all fronts, I guess.

- Someone (Dina) pointed out to me today that I haven't uploaded any photo albums to Facebook in 2011. I guess I am world-renowned for my Facebook albums.

- WOW, it's already the end of 2011. What is going on? This isn't funny!

- I am still voraciously keeping up with the news (US, politics, sports) on a daily basis.

- US news: Florida A&M University hazing death, Occupy Wall Street protests, Sandusky

- Politics: The crazy Republican presidential candidates are currently providing an endless stream of entertainment

- Sports: UCLA basketball, only 2-4 at the moment, but I'm hopeful, as always. LA Angels just traded young pitcher for a so-so catcher.

- Tech: After the release of the iPhone 4S and Steve Jobs death, it is once again pretty slow going. But I keep track of Apple and Samsung duking it out in the copyright courts.

- It's 9:05pm, so it's almost time to watch an episode of Cheers with the wife before going to sleep.

- I've been a little tired this week. Time to shut it down.

Until next time...Ciao.

Help me with my book blurb

2011-11-26T03:44:00.001-08:00

Among the many things you have to do more or less alone as an indie author is coming up with a book description. This is another important step, as sometimes this is the only thing (besides the book cover) that a person will see before making a decision to move along or give the book a longer look.

Even though my book is already online at Amazon and Smashwords, I am still crafting the description blurb. This is something I need more or less finalized soon since I need to slap it onto the book's back cover for the paperback version. Maybe some of you can help me? Some feedback would be great! Versions 1 and 2 are very similar, but today I'm working on a new version that tries to get a little more specific about some of the story elements.

Version 1, pre-Nov. 24, 2011
   For 17 years, James Henry Worth masqueraded as a fairly typical American boy, until the ferocious Minotaur named Borus hunted him down, and his life was changed forever. Now condemned for an eternity, invisible and chained in the middle of the Mojave Desert, the modern-day Prometheus is confronted with the mysteries behind his life, his mother, and the father he never met.
   When a strange man finds him and plucks him out of his desert prison, James has another chance to solve the riddles of his existence. First he'll have to survive the monstrosity that is Borus, the two hellish condors that terrorized him for forty years, and his own inner nightmares. To get through it all, can he trust his new friends, including the enigmatic woman with her own tortured past? And what is he going to find at the end of this weird, twisted road, anyway?
   SON OF THE FALLEN is a novel about James, and others like him, who find out that they're not quite ordinary, and their struggle to survive in an extraordinary world.

Version 2 - Nov. 24, 2011
   For 17 years, James Henry Worth masqueraded as a fairly typical American boy, until the ferocious Minotaur named Borus hunted him down, and his life was shattered. Invisible and chained in the middle of the Mojave Desert, the modern-day Prometheus is confronted with the mysteries behind his life, his mother, and the father he never met.
   When a strange man finds him and plucks him out of his desert prison, James has another chance to solve the riddles of his existence. First, he'll have to learn how to speak, walk, and live again. Then, he'll have to figure out just who is family, friend, or foe. To survive, he'll need the help of the stranger who rescued him, and the comfort of an enigmatic woman with her own tortured past.
   SON OF THE FALLEN is a novel about James, and others like him, who find out that they're not quite ordinary, and their struggle to survive in an extraordinary world.

Version 3 – Nov. 26, 2011
   James Henry Worth doesn’t remember much from his early life. After all, it’s been four decades. When he was seventeen, a Minotaur hopped off a cloud over his backyard and snatched him from his hammock, his mother, and whatever semblance of a normal life he had. Now, he’s condemned and chained in the middle of the Mojave Desert, having committed a crime for which he is clueless.
   When a stranger plucks him out of his desert prison, he’s given a chance to re-enter life and answer the riddles of his existence. As new friends help James recover his mind, body, and self, he realizes that he is surrounded by mysterious beings who masquerade as normal folk. Meanwhile, hidden in the deserts and cities of California and the American Southwest, remnants of an ancient power bide their time. As James searches for his mother, and discovers the sins of the father he never met, he becomes caught in a plot of mythic proportions that threatens the entire world.
   An urban fantasy written with detail and realism, SON OF THE FALLEN is a novel about James, and others like him, who find out that they're not quite ordinary, and their struggle to survive in an extraordinary world.

The Early Tally

2011-11-25T01:06:00.001-08:00

I'm having a blast doing this indie publishing thing. Even though I've thought from the beginning that the new world order of things has made it so easy to self-pub, it still is quite a process, and a lot of work. Much of it has nothing to do with writing, so I can also see how this would be a turn-off for many. But I've always liked new challenges so I've been pretty excited. I've learned a lot in just the past two weeks and would be excited to pass it along to any other intrepid writer friends. Obtaining ISBNs, researching online distribution channels, crunching numbers, formatting and graphic design--these are just a few things involved (AFTER you're done writing and revising).

My biggest challenge in the coming months is learning how to properly market this bad boy. Already I can see that there's a lot of competition out there as more and more writers jump into the developing scene. It's going to be a long, slow ride, but I'm willing to tough it out and see what happens.

I uploaded the book to Amazon one week ago, but didn't start spreading the word until about 3-4 days ago. With my marketing pretty much limited to Twitter and Facebook (and therefore just my friends), there's only been 10 sales so far from Amazon. This isn't so bad, and more than I expected so early on. Amazon is selling it in four countries (US, Germany, the UK, and France). Here's the early tally. I don't expect much from the UK, and nothing from France, but I'm waiting for the Americans to step up! :)

1 - Amazon.com (US) - Link
9 - Amazon.de (Germany)- Link
0 - Amazon.co.uk (UK) - Link
0 - Amazon.fr (France) - Link

If you have a moment, please "Like" the facebook fanpage for SON OF THE FALLEN.

SON OF THE FALLEN ... available!

2011-11-21T15:27:00.001-08:00

For 17 years, James Henry Worth masqueraded as a fairly typical American boy, until the ferocious Minotaur named Borus hunted him down, and his life was changed forever. Now condemned for an eternity, invisible and chained in the middle of the Mojave Desert, the modern-day Prometheus is confronted with the mysteries behind his life, his mother, and the father he never met.

When a strange man finds him and plucks him out of his desert prison, James has another chance to solve the riddles of his existence. First he'll have to survive the monstrosity that is Borus, the two hellish condors that terrorized him for forty years, and his own inner nightmares. To get through it all, can he trust his new friends, including the enigmatic woman with her own tortured past? And what is he going to find at the end of this weird, twisted road, anyway?

SON OF THE FALLEN is a novel about James, and others like him, who find out that they're not quite ordinary, and their struggle to survive in an extraordinary world.

* * *

I'm pleased to announce that my debut urban fantasy novel, SON OF THE FALLEN, is now available through the Amazon Kindle store for only 0.99 cents. You can check out a free sample (the first few chapters) through the Amazon pages. Choose your country:

United States (amazon.com) | Germany (amazon.de) | UK (amazon.co.uk) | France (amazon.fr)

If you don't have a Kindle ereader or tablet, have no fear. The Kindle Reader app is free for download to your PC, Mac, or other device. Get it free at this website.

Still not convinced? SON OF THE FALLEN will be coming as a paperback in December, as well as other ebook formats. Let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise, I'll have more info here in the coming weeks.

Thank you all!

Sitting here revising

2011-10-15T06:14:00.001-07:00

I am sitting here at a desk, working on the second draft of Son of the Fallen. It's true what they say: Revise, revise, revise! I am just glad that at the age of 36, I am now open to changing, not to mention deleting, the stuff that I have written. How did this happen? Well, this story has been in process for a while, and after some number of years go by, I would come back to it here and there and realize how crappy some of my writing from earlier years were. Crappy might be an overstatement, but it can feel that way when you're reading something written eight years prior. It's a humbling experience to look at your own writing and admit that it needed to be revised.

I've read different books and articles on how to write better, just like many of you out there have, and it's funny how all the stuff you hear over and over again, well, it was true. That you should revise and proofread, and have trustworthy folks help you do that, yes, it's true. That you should eliminate unnecessary words—words that you thought added personality and energy and depth—yes, difficult but true. This was one of my weaknesses, but I'm getting better everyday, and sorting it out. The Eliminate-Unnecessary-Words Rule is closely related to another fantastic truth: Leave things to the reader's imagination. The temptation for some writers is to leave out all details and not create a rich world for the reader to explore. Perhaps for others, we try to cram in too much detail. We explain action sequences to the smallest details, or perhaps wade too deeply into what characters are thinking or feeling. It's a fine balance, to be sure, and one of the greater challenges of writing better.

All to say again, revise, revise, revise. It's in the process of looking your work over again, with as objective an eye as possible, and listening to others' opinions (to some degree) that we can work towards having this balance. This is the process of discovery they always talk about. Yes, this will be my first novel coming out, but I'm exciting about this story, this series, and I'm looking forward to becoming a better writer through it all.

A Decade in the Making

2011-10-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Over a decade ago, I was riding in a car with some friends. We were on the 15 Interstate, which cut across the Mojave Desert in California. I was in my early twenties, and for college students and twenty-somethings in Los Angeles, crossing the desert on the 15 Interstate meant one thing: We were on our way to Las Vegas.

I have no recollection of what that Las Vegas trip was like. But, I do recall looking out the window during that car ride, and listlessly staring at the desert landscape. The car passed a runaway truck ramp, and I thought to myself, "Does anyone ever actually use one of those things?"

Out of this mindless thought (Timeout: Can there really be such a thing as "mindless" thought?), an idea was born. What if there was a guy chained out there in the middle of the desert, and all he had for entertainment was watching this runaway truck ramp that was rarely, if ever, used? Why would a guy be chained in the middle of the desert, you ask? Good question. Because he is some sort of Prometheus-reborn. You know, Prometheus, the mythological stud who taught man fire and got punished by being chained away somewhere, and an eagle came on a regular basis to eat away at his liver. I ended up writing a couple thousand words at some point. It was the prologue, the beginning of the story of this poor soul stuck in the desert off the 15 Interstate.

That was the genesis, over a decade ago. In 2003, I moved to San Diego, and during a slow four months of my life, I managed to write about 20,000 words.

Some years after that, around 2007 or 2008, a good friend, Mike Tyus, told me about beings called Nephilim. This year, 2011, my life finally came to the point where I could and would dive into the rest of the story. I've done research from everything from the Stone and Bronze Ages, Jewish lore, the Bible, to linguistics research regarding the Proto-Indo-Europeans. What does this have to do with the poor sap stuck in the Mojave, you ask. Everything.

It has unveiled an elaborate backstory. I feel like I haven't made this story up, I feel like I've discovered it over the last decade, and now the first book in the series is very close to being done. It is called Son of The Fallen, and it will be just the first book in a series of the same name. Son of the Fallen, Book 1, will be available before the end of the year, and Book 2 will follow in Spring or Summer 2012.

You can get more information here in the next few months, but I plan on making this available through Amazon and Kindle, the Apple iBook store, the Nook, Kobo -- all the usual e-book channels.