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OPERATION HOME BASE
Operation Home Base is a nationwide non profit organization with local chapters that gives support to military families, veterans, wounded warriors, and active duty military personnel by working with existing programs and organizations. Acting as an information hub, OHB works in partnership with the bases’ Dependent Centers to give aid and comfort to military personal and their families while acting as intermediary not only with other military agencies but with the civilian services. Staffed with active duty and retired military personnel along with civilians, OHB was created by the combined branches of the services to take care of their own. Their single goal is to fill the voids left by governmental agencies who are unable provide the necessary services and support for all branches of the military.
To read the full series treatment click here
To read the first draft of the first hour click here
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Operation Home Base: Inteview with the Creator
It's short notice, but I'll be on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Celestial-McGarrett/2009/05/29/Metaphysical-Meat tonight 10 pm eastern talking about Operation Home Base and my other work. It is a new interactive radio talk show. I will be chatting with Celestial McGarrett and taking questions.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Operation Home Base
Operation Home Base is a nationwide non profit organization with local chapters that gives support to military families, veterans, wounded warriors, and active duty military personnel by working with existing programs and organizations. Acting as an information hub, OHB works in partnership with the bases’ Dependent Centers to give aid and comfort to military personal and their families while acting as intermediary not only with other military agencies but with the civilian services. Staffed with active duty and retired military personnel along with civilians, OHB was created by the combined branches of the services to take care of their own. Their single goal is to fill the voids left by governmental agencies who are unable provide the necessary services and support for all branches of the military.
To read part of the first draft http://www.theresachaze.com/files/OHB_episode_One2.pdf
To read part of the first draft http://www.theresachaze.com/files/OHB_episode_One2.pdf
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sci-Fi Talk Live Show Name: Ben Browder
This Farscape and Stargate actor talks about his new project, Freeze Frame. Chase Connelly's complete Wheel Of Time interview is also featured plus sound bytes from cast and creative personnel from Terminator Salvation.
BuzzWorthy Radio: John Driscoll!
John Driscoll comes back to BuzzWorthy Radio to talk about his new gig on CBS Daytime's The Young and the Restless. Formerly Henry "Coop" Bradshaw from Guiding Light of the same network, hear Driscoll thoughts on the show's cancellation, as well as take calls and questions from fans
What's in a Name?
For those who have been visiting my blog, you will notice a change in the title. Originally, a Days of Our Lives Blog, it has now been expanded to include other venues. Whether or not Days of Our Lives survives the current writing staff, I have moved on to other projects, which will be posted here along with other television news.
Many say that soap operas have outlived their time. That the fans have lost interest in the genre. That is so far from true. The only changes have been in the board rooms and in technology. The fans are just as loyal as ever; however, their viewership has changed.
The major difference is that they are no longer limited to viewing according the networks schedule. With the Internet, delayed viewing and Soapnet, people have more options of when and how to watch, which has been reflected in the ratings. In the past, soaps were a consistent and stable source of income for the networks. In many cases, they financially carried prime time TV; however, the current members of the board rooms choose to over look the genre's financial history and the loyalty of the fan base.
Part of the problem comes from the soaps as well. Originally, the writing in soaps was unique and fresh. They pushed the limits and addressed social issues. Many of the firsts in television happened in the soap opera genre. Nearly all the soaps have lost this edge. Instead, the writers and executive producers are attempting to compete with the more explicit content of the cable networks. T and A sells short term, but it is well written storylines and characters that keep viewer coming back.
The original three networks had an monopoly. No other network or venue can compete with the decades of loyalty the soaps had. Soap viewing is generational; unlike any other genre or venues, it is handed down from grandparents and parents to the future generation. Many people have fond memories of watching with their mother or grandmother. However, these days most of those same people will not allow their children to watch due solely to the inappropriate content.
I fully believe that if the soaps were to return to the basic that their profitability would again make the board rooms see them as assets to be nurtured, instead of liabilities to be replaced. It is still possible. But it is going to take one person with the courage and financial resources to prove it.
Many say that soap operas have outlived their time. That the fans have lost interest in the genre. That is so far from true. The only changes have been in the board rooms and in technology. The fans are just as loyal as ever; however, their viewership has changed.
The major difference is that they are no longer limited to viewing according the networks schedule. With the Internet, delayed viewing and Soapnet, people have more options of when and how to watch, which has been reflected in the ratings. In the past, soaps were a consistent and stable source of income for the networks. In many cases, they financially carried prime time TV; however, the current members of the board rooms choose to over look the genre's financial history and the loyalty of the fan base.
Part of the problem comes from the soaps as well. Originally, the writing in soaps was unique and fresh. They pushed the limits and addressed social issues. Many of the firsts in television happened in the soap opera genre. Nearly all the soaps have lost this edge. Instead, the writers and executive producers are attempting to compete with the more explicit content of the cable networks. T and A sells short term, but it is well written storylines and characters that keep viewer coming back.
The original three networks had an monopoly. No other network or venue can compete with the decades of loyalty the soaps had. Soap viewing is generational; unlike any other genre or venues, it is handed down from grandparents and parents to the future generation. Many people have fond memories of watching with their mother or grandmother. However, these days most of those same people will not allow their children to watch due solely to the inappropriate content.
I fully believe that if the soaps were to return to the basic that their profitability would again make the board rooms see them as assets to be nurtured, instead of liabilities to be replaced. It is still possible. But it is going to take one person with the courage and financial resources to prove it.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Paranormal Romance: When Love Refuses to Die
Winning the 2006 International Gloria Film Festival and placing in the Greenlight Project, Never Can Say Good-bye is a paranormal romance that connects the present with the logging industry of the 1900. To help a friend, Elizabeth agrees to teach a writing course at a small college. She expects to find a sleepy town with a long history, but instead she finds herself dealing with violently jealous wife and past
mistakes she is only beginning to remember. When love leads to vengeance, it is best to say good-bye. To read an excerpt , click here.
The complete script is available by request.
mistakes she is only beginning to remember. When love leads to vengeance, it is best to say good-bye. To read an excerpt , click here.
The complete script is available by request.
Friday, May 15, 2009
My Site
My site was temporarily unavailable. It is now back up and the scripts for Days of our Lives or Operation Home Base are once again available.
Hidden Between the Lines: An NCIS Episode
Hidden Between the Lines: NCIS Episode
Back story:
Summer 1961, the CIA and MI6 joined forces to send in a covert team into Cuba. The five member team included CIA operative Simon Erickson, Navy Seals Joshua Hanson and Roger Davis, and Leonard Mason and Donald Mallard from MI6. They were to gather both tactical and political information on the alliance between Castro and Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev. The team made contact with the anti-Castro forces through Tessa McGraw. Half British-half Cuban, Tessa found herself caught between her parent’s worlds. However, after the death of her older brother and father at the hands of Castro’s secret police, she agreed to become an informant for the CIA. When the team arrived six months later, the mid-twenty year old was already a seasoned operative. Based in homes and in the mountains, McGraw and other rebels helped the team ferret out information. Working closely together, Mallard and McGraw fell in love. When the increasing close calls forced team leader, Simon Erickson decided to pull out, Mallard arranged for her to go with them. The rebels had arranged for one last meeting, claiming they had Castro‘s advanced travel schedule. Although the information came from outside the established channels, it was too good to pass up. McGraw and Hanson drove to the meet, while the rest of the team waited in the hills over looking the house. When the secret police swarmed the house, there was nothing that could be done except retreat back to Guantanamo Navel Base. Questioning the increasing instances of bad information, Erickson demanded an investigation into the loyalty of the team; however, it was quashed by an unknown source. The team was officially cleared, yet Erickson couldn’t let it go of his belief that the team had been set up. He resigned and disappeared.
Using his experiences, Erickson had become a successful novelist. For his final book, he chose to revise his last mission by reconnecting with his team mates and asking their help in learning the truth. . After Erickson is shot at in his home, he learns that both Davis and Mason are dead. Roger Davis was killed in a car accident when his breaks failed. Leonard Mason is murdered on the street.
***********
The car stops at the top hill. Roger Davis, Simon Erickson, Leonard Mason and Donald Mallard get out. Joshua Hanson sits behind the wheel. Tessa McGraw sits on the passenger side. Mallard leans into through the open window and kisses her. Erickson teases him that she’ll back in time for their wedding day. The car drives down to the house. The pair goes inside. Moments later the secret police converge. Shots are fired. Tessa screams once. Mallard tries to run down the hill. Erickson and Mason stop him; there is nothing they can do to save them. They force him to leave.
Ducky wakes up in his own bed. Crying, he pulls out an old picture of himself embracing Tessa.
Ducky sits at this desk reading the letter Erickson sent him. He is upset and tired. Gibbs asks for the autopsy results of Lance Corporal Stevens; he needs to know if it was suicide or murder. Hiding the letter, Ducky uncharacteristically snaps back that he will get the result when the report is ready and not before. He immediately apologizes, explaining that he hasn’t been sleeping well. Gibb asks him about the letter. Ducky ignores the question and goes to work.
Momentarily torn, Gibbs opens the drawer and reads the letter; after which, he has McGee research the three remaining members of the team. Gibb orders him to keep the research off the books.
McGee has trouble finding information on their mission; not all of the CIA’s historical records have been added to the data base. However, he was able to learn from secondary files in found in the FBI archives that Simon Erickson was part of a five man recon team, which was sent into to Cuba in 1961. The details of the mission and the end result had been cleansed; however, after cross referencing the smaller details, he found Erickson’s requests for an investigation of the team and his suspicion of a traitor in the group. McGee was able to find more current information about Erickson. Although he disappeared for nearly a decade after he resigned from the CIA, he reappeared in the early 1970’s as part of the peace and environmental movements. For a short time, he was politically active, running for Governor of California as a Democrat against Ronald Reagan. He is a novelist known for writing murder and spy novels. McGee was still looking into the other members of the team.
Ducky finds himself reliving his time together with Tessa. Abby asks about the blood and tissue sample was supposed to send. Annoyed, Duck asks why suddenly everyone is questioning his work ethic and breaks the connection. Worried, Abby contacts Gibbs; he tells her that he is looking into it.
Gibbs contacts Fornell to ask for help. Annoyed, Fornell reminds Gibbs that he isn’t old enough to have been around at the time of the Bay of Pigs, but that he wasn’t to sure about Gibbs. After Gibbs tells him the reason he needs the information, Fornell agrees to look into it.
Ziva and Tony continue to investigate the death of the marine. Instead of murder, the evidence has begun to lean towards suicide. Both are curious about McGee’s research; they don’t understand why they have been kept out of the loop. Gibbs orders them to keep their minds on their own case.
Fornell delivers a file on the mission to Gibbs. Erickson’s questions did initiate an investigation into the mission, but General Joshua Hanson Sr. had the results sealed Gibbs questions why the General would want the circumstances of his son’s death kept quiet. Unlike Davis and Mason who recently met unfortunate ends, the General is still alive. Fornell suggests that Gibbs ask him and offers to drive. Gibb tries to decline; Fornell withholds the file, he going to be there when the grand-daddy of all son of a bitches kicks Gibbs’ asses or Gibbs can try to get the information elsewhere. Gibbs reluctantly agrees. The file lists both Roger Davis and Leonard Mason as deceased without any details of how they died or what they had been doing for the last 40 years. Of the five man team, only Duck and Erickson are still alive. Gibbs doesn’t like it and orders McGee to find out how Davis and Mason died as well as the current location of Erickson.
Erickson calls Ducky at the morgue. Ducky nearly hangs up on him until Erickson tells him that his life is in danger. Erickson convinces him that they have to meet. Reluctantly Ducky agrees. Erickson is parked outside Ducky’s house. Ducky takes personal time for the rest of the day and immediately leaves
Gibbs asks Ziva and Tony how Lance Corporal Stevens died. They are fairly certain it was suicide; however, they are waiting on the autopsy report. Tony calls down for the results and learns that Ducky mysterious left early. Gibbs sends Ziva to find Ducky and watch over him until further notice. However, she is not to let him know. She asks why and is told because he said so. Through his cell phone, McGee tracks Ducky to his home.
Gibbs and Fornell leave to visit General Hanson. Tony picks up the file and decides go back to the beginning and investigate Erickson’s charges that one team members was a traitor.
After Ducky finds Simon Erickson (Robert Vaughn) waiting for him in the shadows near his front door. Although at one time the two men were very good friends, Ducky has nothing to say to him. Erickson asks him if Tessa’s memory deserves the truth. Ducky reluctantly agrees. Ducky makes tea; he asks if Erickson still takes his with Brandy. Both men feel guilty and responsible, but for different reasons. Erickson still believes there was a mole in their group. Ducky no longer cares; he wants the past to stay buried. Erickson doesn’t believe him; Ducky loved Tessa too much to forget her. He questions if that is the reason Ducky never married. Ignoring the question, Ducky asks why dig up the past now? Erickson needs not only to understand what happened, but he also wants to find the truth so they all can find peace.
Ziva arrives at Ducky’s home. Through the window, she sees him having tea with a man she doesn’t recognize. All seems well. She doesn’t understand what she is doing there spying on a friend. From the sidewalk, a man in his late 60’s (Joshua Mathew Hanson) stops and watches her. They make eye contact; he smiles and tips his hat before continuing down the street. Just of her line of sight, he stops and angrily looks back. He walks toward the house next door.
Gibbs and Fornell arrive at General Joshua Hanson’s home. It is a modest, yet secluded home in the country. The housekeeper lets them in. The General just left for his daily constitution around the gardens. She offers them coffee while they wait. The living room is filled with four generations family photos and mementos of the General’s military career. Fornell comments on the resemblance between Hanson’s sons; he speculates if they were twins. Obviously family is very important to the General. The housekeeper brings in the tray of coffee. They asked her about the family photos. She started working for the General fifteen years ago after his wife died. She never knew Joshua; the son in the pictures is Mathew. Pictures span his entire life; the current pictures show that he is the man that Ziva saw. . Although she has never met Mathew’s wife, Theresa or the rest of the family, she recently met him for the first time. The General usually winters with them, but she wasn‘t quite sure where. He was always very secretive about their location. Before they are able to ask more questions, the General arrives.
In his 90’s, the General is mentally and physically fit even for a man twenty years his junior. He orders them out; he won’t have a couple of spooks in his house. Gibbs points out there is only one spook; he retired as a Gunnery Sergeant. A marine and a spook working together--obviously, Gibbs is a disgrace to his uniform. They ask why he quashed the investigation into his son’s death. Instead of answering, Hanson blames the jackasses in Washington for the loss of his son. Joshua was the logical choice to lead the mission; he had all the experience and contacts in Cuba. The General met wife while he had been stationed at Gitmo. At the time, they still had family who were willing to help, including Joshua’s fiancée. If Joshua had been leading the mission, he wouldn’t have had to lose his son. Gibbs asks to see a picture of Joshua. The General refuses and orders them both out of his house. Gibbs and Fornell leave; both know he is hiding something.
McGee discovers that both Davis and Mason died under mysterious circumstances, Davis died when his breaks failed and the car went over a cliff into the sea; his body had been found. Mason was shot on the street; the case was still unsolved. He was able to trace Erickson’s recent movements through credit card receipts and airline tickets. In both cases, he had been in the area when the men died. He had been seen with Mason shortly before he was killed. The police questioned him, but could prove nothing. He was also involved in another shooting two days before. He was still working on getting the details. According to his credit card, Erickson flew into town last night.
Tony has back checked the individual members of the team. He is surprised by some of the things he found in Ducky’s history. Joshua Hanson and Roger Davis were part of a Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team (UDT); they volunteered when the Chief of Navel Operations created the Seals. Both were well trained, but the General had pulled strings to fast track his son’s career; he was the original team leader until the CIA put Erickson in charge. According to Davis’s widow, both father and son were furious over the change. One of the reasons Hanson volunteered for the mission was to bring back his fiancée, Tessa McGraw. After his tour of duty, Davis returned to his family and led an unremarkable life. Leonard Mason returned to England and was assigned to other duties. SIS was unwilling to share any further information.
Erickson has always felt guilty and responsible for the deaths and failure of the mission. If he had listened to his gut and followed procedure, both Hanson and Tessa would still be alive. Instead he had allowed his ambition to blind him to the risks; Ducky reminds him that they all knew what could happen before they set foot on the beach. Erickson always through there was more going on than they knew. Someone had enough power to squash his requests for an investigation. Through the Freedom of Information Act, Erickson was able to gain access to more information about who was involved with the planning of the mission. Most of the most sensitive material had been blocked out. But there was enough for him to find back doors to go through. He wrote to the three of them to not only back check his own memories, but to see if any of them had remembered any details that they hadn’t shared. Ducky asks what the other remembered. Erickson tells them that they didn’t get a chance to tell him; they were murdered. The night before someone had shot at him in his home; it was the reason he showed up on Ducky’s doorstep.
Ziva calls in. She doesn’t understand why she is spying on a friend. . In the background, Joshua Mathew is seen watching her from a concealed position. She would find it easier to do her job if she knew what she was looking for. Tony reminds her Gibbs always has his reasons; he doesn’t always share them. “It’s not for us to reason why. Ours is just to or die.” Gibbs and Fornell return to base. Gibbs chimes “Kill, no. I’d just kick your ass.” Ziva tells them that the street is quiet; the only person she’s seen was an elderly gentleman taking a walk. Both McGee and Tony share what they learned. The question if the old man was still capable of killing. Fornell speculates that it is more likely the brother. Gibbs asks about the brother. McGee tells him that the General only had one son, Joshua Mathew. Gibbs calls Ziva; she doesn’t answer her phone.
Ducky had thought it was odd that Joshua Hanson was the one who brought the tip in; up until that time, Hanson had been reluctant to deal directly with the locals; he had always refused to go into town. Erickson agreed that it was one of the details that had always bothered him, especially after he learned years later of the Hanson family’s close connection to Cuba. There is a knock at the door. Ducky isn’t expecting anyone. Erickson hides out of sight as Ducky answers the door. Through the peep hole, he sees Ziva and tells Erickson to relax. It’s a friend. Ducky opens the door. Hanson is holding a gun on Ziva. For moment, Ducky doesn’t recognize him. Erickson does. Seeing both men, Hanson calls it a two-for; he will finally get his revenge on the men who tried to steal what belong to him. He pushes Ziva into the house and closes the door.
Ducky doesn’t understand why he did it; what had they ever done to him. Ducky had tried to steal his soul mate. Erickson had tried to steal his command. But he had been too smart for both of them. He had made a deal with chief the secret police. In exchange for information, the secret police helped him. The original plan was that they would have been killed trying to rescue him and Tessa. When they that failed, secret police told Tessa that the four of them had been killed. They played it up that Hanson had betrayed his country in order to save her life. Ducky asks what happened to Tessa. Tessa was so grateful for him saving her life that she married him; they have lived happily every after with their four beautiful children. Hanson thanks Erickson for stirring up the past. He always felt a little cheated out of revenge. How much fun is it when your victim doesn’t know how much he’s lost? Killing them now will be even sweeter.
Erickson tells him that he won’t get away with it. Why wouldn’t he. The world thinks he’s been dead for forty years. Instead, the world will think Erickson had another break down only instead of just committing suicide; he went on a killing spree before turning the gun on himself. Hanson has Erickson’s gun.
If he is to die, Ducky asks him to tell him where Tessa is. Gibbs walks out from the back of the house, pointing the gun at Hanson. No one has to die. Tony comes in through the front door. Smiling, Hanson looks from Gibbs to Tony to Ducky. “I’ll tell you when I see you in hell.” He shoves Ziva toward Gibbs and shoots himself in the head. Gibbs asks if Tessa’s given name was Theresa. Ducky believe it was, but she hated the name. Gibbs tells Ducky about the family pictures at the General’s house.
Gibbs is driving Ducky, Fornell, and Erickson back to the General’s house. They are passed by two fire trucks. When they arrive, the General’s house is fully engulfed. The bodies of the General and the housekeeper had already taken out; nothing of the structure or contents could be saved. Gibbs promises Ducky that he will help him find out what happened to Tessa. Erickson agrees to help as well; what better ending to the book than the two lovers being reunited.
Back story:
Summer 1961, the CIA and MI6 joined forces to send in a covert team into Cuba. The five member team included CIA operative Simon Erickson, Navy Seals Joshua Hanson and Roger Davis, and Leonard Mason and Donald Mallard from MI6. They were to gather both tactical and political information on the alliance between Castro and Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev. The team made contact with the anti-Castro forces through Tessa McGraw. Half British-half Cuban, Tessa found herself caught between her parent’s worlds. However, after the death of her older brother and father at the hands of Castro’s secret police, she agreed to become an informant for the CIA. When the team arrived six months later, the mid-twenty year old was already a seasoned operative. Based in homes and in the mountains, McGraw and other rebels helped the team ferret out information. Working closely together, Mallard and McGraw fell in love. When the increasing close calls forced team leader, Simon Erickson decided to pull out, Mallard arranged for her to go with them. The rebels had arranged for one last meeting, claiming they had Castro‘s advanced travel schedule. Although the information came from outside the established channels, it was too good to pass up. McGraw and Hanson drove to the meet, while the rest of the team waited in the hills over looking the house. When the secret police swarmed the house, there was nothing that could be done except retreat back to Guantanamo Navel Base. Questioning the increasing instances of bad information, Erickson demanded an investigation into the loyalty of the team; however, it was quashed by an unknown source. The team was officially cleared, yet Erickson couldn’t let it go of his belief that the team had been set up. He resigned and disappeared.
Using his experiences, Erickson had become a successful novelist. For his final book, he chose to revise his last mission by reconnecting with his team mates and asking their help in learning the truth. . After Erickson is shot at in his home, he learns that both Davis and Mason are dead. Roger Davis was killed in a car accident when his breaks failed. Leonard Mason is murdered on the street.
***********
The car stops at the top hill. Roger Davis, Simon Erickson, Leonard Mason and Donald Mallard get out. Joshua Hanson sits behind the wheel. Tessa McGraw sits on the passenger side. Mallard leans into through the open window and kisses her. Erickson teases him that she’ll back in time for their wedding day. The car drives down to the house. The pair goes inside. Moments later the secret police converge. Shots are fired. Tessa screams once. Mallard tries to run down the hill. Erickson and Mason stop him; there is nothing they can do to save them. They force him to leave.
Ducky wakes up in his own bed. Crying, he pulls out an old picture of himself embracing Tessa.
Ducky sits at this desk reading the letter Erickson sent him. He is upset and tired. Gibbs asks for the autopsy results of Lance Corporal Stevens; he needs to know if it was suicide or murder. Hiding the letter, Ducky uncharacteristically snaps back that he will get the result when the report is ready and not before. He immediately apologizes, explaining that he hasn’t been sleeping well. Gibb asks him about the letter. Ducky ignores the question and goes to work.
Momentarily torn, Gibbs opens the drawer and reads the letter; after which, he has McGee research the three remaining members of the team. Gibb orders him to keep the research off the books.
McGee has trouble finding information on their mission; not all of the CIA’s historical records have been added to the data base. However, he was able to learn from secondary files in found in the FBI archives that Simon Erickson was part of a five man recon team, which was sent into to Cuba in 1961. The details of the mission and the end result had been cleansed; however, after cross referencing the smaller details, he found Erickson’s requests for an investigation of the team and his suspicion of a traitor in the group. McGee was able to find more current information about Erickson. Although he disappeared for nearly a decade after he resigned from the CIA, he reappeared in the early 1970’s as part of the peace and environmental movements. For a short time, he was politically active, running for Governor of California as a Democrat against Ronald Reagan. He is a novelist known for writing murder and spy novels. McGee was still looking into the other members of the team.
Ducky finds himself reliving his time together with Tessa. Abby asks about the blood and tissue sample was supposed to send. Annoyed, Duck asks why suddenly everyone is questioning his work ethic and breaks the connection. Worried, Abby contacts Gibbs; he tells her that he is looking into it.
Gibbs contacts Fornell to ask for help. Annoyed, Fornell reminds Gibbs that he isn’t old enough to have been around at the time of the Bay of Pigs, but that he wasn’t to sure about Gibbs. After Gibbs tells him the reason he needs the information, Fornell agrees to look into it.
Ziva and Tony continue to investigate the death of the marine. Instead of murder, the evidence has begun to lean towards suicide. Both are curious about McGee’s research; they don’t understand why they have been kept out of the loop. Gibbs orders them to keep their minds on their own case.
Fornell delivers a file on the mission to Gibbs. Erickson’s questions did initiate an investigation into the mission, but General Joshua Hanson Sr. had the results sealed Gibbs questions why the General would want the circumstances of his son’s death kept quiet. Unlike Davis and Mason who recently met unfortunate ends, the General is still alive. Fornell suggests that Gibbs ask him and offers to drive. Gibb tries to decline; Fornell withholds the file, he going to be there when the grand-daddy of all son of a bitches kicks Gibbs’ asses or Gibbs can try to get the information elsewhere. Gibbs reluctantly agrees. The file lists both Roger Davis and Leonard Mason as deceased without any details of how they died or what they had been doing for the last 40 years. Of the five man team, only Duck and Erickson are still alive. Gibbs doesn’t like it and orders McGee to find out how Davis and Mason died as well as the current location of Erickson.
Erickson calls Ducky at the morgue. Ducky nearly hangs up on him until Erickson tells him that his life is in danger. Erickson convinces him that they have to meet. Reluctantly Ducky agrees. Erickson is parked outside Ducky’s house. Ducky takes personal time for the rest of the day and immediately leaves
Gibbs asks Ziva and Tony how Lance Corporal Stevens died. They are fairly certain it was suicide; however, they are waiting on the autopsy report. Tony calls down for the results and learns that Ducky mysterious left early. Gibbs sends Ziva to find Ducky and watch over him until further notice. However, she is not to let him know. She asks why and is told because he said so. Through his cell phone, McGee tracks Ducky to his home.
Gibbs and Fornell leave to visit General Hanson. Tony picks up the file and decides go back to the beginning and investigate Erickson’s charges that one team members was a traitor.
After Ducky finds Simon Erickson (Robert Vaughn) waiting for him in the shadows near his front door. Although at one time the two men were very good friends, Ducky has nothing to say to him. Erickson asks him if Tessa’s memory deserves the truth. Ducky reluctantly agrees. Ducky makes tea; he asks if Erickson still takes his with Brandy. Both men feel guilty and responsible, but for different reasons. Erickson still believes there was a mole in their group. Ducky no longer cares; he wants the past to stay buried. Erickson doesn’t believe him; Ducky loved Tessa too much to forget her. He questions if that is the reason Ducky never married. Ignoring the question, Ducky asks why dig up the past now? Erickson needs not only to understand what happened, but he also wants to find the truth so they all can find peace.
Ziva arrives at Ducky’s home. Through the window, she sees him having tea with a man she doesn’t recognize. All seems well. She doesn’t understand what she is doing there spying on a friend. From the sidewalk, a man in his late 60’s (Joshua Mathew Hanson) stops and watches her. They make eye contact; he smiles and tips his hat before continuing down the street. Just of her line of sight, he stops and angrily looks back. He walks toward the house next door.
Gibbs and Fornell arrive at General Joshua Hanson’s home. It is a modest, yet secluded home in the country. The housekeeper lets them in. The General just left for his daily constitution around the gardens. She offers them coffee while they wait. The living room is filled with four generations family photos and mementos of the General’s military career. Fornell comments on the resemblance between Hanson’s sons; he speculates if they were twins. Obviously family is very important to the General. The housekeeper brings in the tray of coffee. They asked her about the family photos. She started working for the General fifteen years ago after his wife died. She never knew Joshua; the son in the pictures is Mathew. Pictures span his entire life; the current pictures show that he is the man that Ziva saw. . Although she has never met Mathew’s wife, Theresa or the rest of the family, she recently met him for the first time. The General usually winters with them, but she wasn‘t quite sure where. He was always very secretive about their location. Before they are able to ask more questions, the General arrives.
In his 90’s, the General is mentally and physically fit even for a man twenty years his junior. He orders them out; he won’t have a couple of spooks in his house. Gibbs points out there is only one spook; he retired as a Gunnery Sergeant. A marine and a spook working together--obviously, Gibbs is a disgrace to his uniform. They ask why he quashed the investigation into his son’s death. Instead of answering, Hanson blames the jackasses in Washington for the loss of his son. Joshua was the logical choice to lead the mission; he had all the experience and contacts in Cuba. The General met wife while he had been stationed at Gitmo. At the time, they still had family who were willing to help, including Joshua’s fiancée. If Joshua had been leading the mission, he wouldn’t have had to lose his son. Gibbs asks to see a picture of Joshua. The General refuses and orders them both out of his house. Gibbs and Fornell leave; both know he is hiding something.
McGee discovers that both Davis and Mason died under mysterious circumstances, Davis died when his breaks failed and the car went over a cliff into the sea; his body had been found. Mason was shot on the street; the case was still unsolved. He was able to trace Erickson’s recent movements through credit card receipts and airline tickets. In both cases, he had been in the area when the men died. He had been seen with Mason shortly before he was killed. The police questioned him, but could prove nothing. He was also involved in another shooting two days before. He was still working on getting the details. According to his credit card, Erickson flew into town last night.
Tony has back checked the individual members of the team. He is surprised by some of the things he found in Ducky’s history. Joshua Hanson and Roger Davis were part of a Navy’s Underwater Demolition Team (UDT); they volunteered when the Chief of Navel Operations created the Seals. Both were well trained, but the General had pulled strings to fast track his son’s career; he was the original team leader until the CIA put Erickson in charge. According to Davis’s widow, both father and son were furious over the change. One of the reasons Hanson volunteered for the mission was to bring back his fiancée, Tessa McGraw. After his tour of duty, Davis returned to his family and led an unremarkable life. Leonard Mason returned to England and was assigned to other duties. SIS was unwilling to share any further information.
Erickson has always felt guilty and responsible for the deaths and failure of the mission. If he had listened to his gut and followed procedure, both Hanson and Tessa would still be alive. Instead he had allowed his ambition to blind him to the risks; Ducky reminds him that they all knew what could happen before they set foot on the beach. Erickson always through there was more going on than they knew. Someone had enough power to squash his requests for an investigation. Through the Freedom of Information Act, Erickson was able to gain access to more information about who was involved with the planning of the mission. Most of the most sensitive material had been blocked out. But there was enough for him to find back doors to go through. He wrote to the three of them to not only back check his own memories, but to see if any of them had remembered any details that they hadn’t shared. Ducky asks what the other remembered. Erickson tells them that they didn’t get a chance to tell him; they were murdered. The night before someone had shot at him in his home; it was the reason he showed up on Ducky’s doorstep.
Ziva calls in. She doesn’t understand why she is spying on a friend. . In the background, Joshua Mathew is seen watching her from a concealed position. She would find it easier to do her job if she knew what she was looking for. Tony reminds her Gibbs always has his reasons; he doesn’t always share them. “It’s not for us to reason why. Ours is just to or die.” Gibbs and Fornell return to base. Gibbs chimes “Kill, no. I’d just kick your ass.” Ziva tells them that the street is quiet; the only person she’s seen was an elderly gentleman taking a walk. Both McGee and Tony share what they learned. The question if the old man was still capable of killing. Fornell speculates that it is more likely the brother. Gibbs asks about the brother. McGee tells him that the General only had one son, Joshua Mathew. Gibbs calls Ziva; she doesn’t answer her phone.
Ducky had thought it was odd that Joshua Hanson was the one who brought the tip in; up until that time, Hanson had been reluctant to deal directly with the locals; he had always refused to go into town. Erickson agreed that it was one of the details that had always bothered him, especially after he learned years later of the Hanson family’s close connection to Cuba. There is a knock at the door. Ducky isn’t expecting anyone. Erickson hides out of sight as Ducky answers the door. Through the peep hole, he sees Ziva and tells Erickson to relax. It’s a friend. Ducky opens the door. Hanson is holding a gun on Ziva. For moment, Ducky doesn’t recognize him. Erickson does. Seeing both men, Hanson calls it a two-for; he will finally get his revenge on the men who tried to steal what belong to him. He pushes Ziva into the house and closes the door.
Ducky doesn’t understand why he did it; what had they ever done to him. Ducky had tried to steal his soul mate. Erickson had tried to steal his command. But he had been too smart for both of them. He had made a deal with chief the secret police. In exchange for information, the secret police helped him. The original plan was that they would have been killed trying to rescue him and Tessa. When they that failed, secret police told Tessa that the four of them had been killed. They played it up that Hanson had betrayed his country in order to save her life. Ducky asks what happened to Tessa. Tessa was so grateful for him saving her life that she married him; they have lived happily every after with their four beautiful children. Hanson thanks Erickson for stirring up the past. He always felt a little cheated out of revenge. How much fun is it when your victim doesn’t know how much he’s lost? Killing them now will be even sweeter.
Erickson tells him that he won’t get away with it. Why wouldn’t he. The world thinks he’s been dead for forty years. Instead, the world will think Erickson had another break down only instead of just committing suicide; he went on a killing spree before turning the gun on himself. Hanson has Erickson’s gun.
If he is to die, Ducky asks him to tell him where Tessa is. Gibbs walks out from the back of the house, pointing the gun at Hanson. No one has to die. Tony comes in through the front door. Smiling, Hanson looks from Gibbs to Tony to Ducky. “I’ll tell you when I see you in hell.” He shoves Ziva toward Gibbs and shoots himself in the head. Gibbs asks if Tessa’s given name was Theresa. Ducky believe it was, but she hated the name. Gibbs tells Ducky about the family pictures at the General’s house.
Gibbs is driving Ducky, Fornell, and Erickson back to the General’s house. They are passed by two fire trucks. When they arrive, the General’s house is fully engulfed. The bodies of the General and the housekeeper had already taken out; nothing of the structure or contents could be saved. Gibbs promises Ducky that he will help him find out what happened to Tessa. Erickson agrees to help as well; what better ending to the book than the two lovers being reunited.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Eye of Ra: An Occult Horror Film
Eye of Ra
Written by Theresa Chaze
Eye of Ra is an occult horror film that is based on Egyptian mythology. When Isis stole power from Ra, she initiated a guardian who not only had the strength to be the focal point for this great power, but who also had the ability to protect its secrets from those who would abuse them. Jealous of her grandmother and daughters’ spiritual gifts, Sandra takes her youngest daughter, Rikki and disappears. Seeking power, she searches the world for the Eye of Ra; when she finds it, it is Rikki not her that the Guardian chooses. Enraged, Sandra makes a pact with the Dark Ones; if they help her destroy her own daughter, she will use the Eye in their name. Sandra attacks in the middle of the initiation ceremony. The Priestess is killed before it can be completed. Barely escaping with her life, Rikki returns to the small town of her birth. Her physical wounds have heals, but the guilt and self-doubt keeps her from seeing the truth of her life. Sandra follows Rikki to finish what she started, bringing the evil of the Dark Ones with her, and a small northern Michigan town learns the black secret that had been buried among them for generations.
To read an excerpt http://www.theresachaze.com/files/Eye_of_Ra.pdf
The full script is available upon request.
Written by Theresa Chaze
Eye of Ra is an occult horror film that is based on Egyptian mythology. When Isis stole power from Ra, she initiated a guardian who not only had the strength to be the focal point for this great power, but who also had the ability to protect its secrets from those who would abuse them. Jealous of her grandmother and daughters’ spiritual gifts, Sandra takes her youngest daughter, Rikki and disappears. Seeking power, she searches the world for the Eye of Ra; when she finds it, it is Rikki not her that the Guardian chooses. Enraged, Sandra makes a pact with the Dark Ones; if they help her destroy her own daughter, she will use the Eye in their name. Sandra attacks in the middle of the initiation ceremony. The Priestess is killed before it can be completed. Barely escaping with her life, Rikki returns to the small town of her birth. Her physical wounds have heals, but the guilt and self-doubt keeps her from seeing the truth of her life. Sandra follows Rikki to finish what she started, bringing the evil of the Dark Ones with her, and a small northern Michigan town learns the black secret that had been buried among them for generations.
To read an excerpt http://www.theresachaze.com/files/Eye_of_Ra.pdf
The full script is available upon request.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Awakening the Dragon: When Dreams Become Nightmares
To watch the video click here
Awakening the Dragon--Book One of the Dragon Clan Trilogy (978-0-9798406-0-9) is a story of magic, suspense and karmic justice combine in a tale of horror. Rachael moves to Coyote Springs to find a home and open her bookstore. Instead, she becomes the catalyst in exposing a murder and the target of a violent cult. She is forced to awaken her dragon spirit prematurely to save herself and all she loves. Will she be able to control the power of the dragon as it rises giving her the power to save all she loves or will the flames from within destroy her?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Operation Home Base: The Next NCIS
OPERATION HOME BASE
Written by
Theresa Chaze
(Operation Home Base is copyrights; no part may be used, stored or reproduced without expressed written permission by the author)
To Read an excerpt of the first draft of the two hour made for TV movie click here
Operation Home Base is a nationwide non profit organization with local chapters that gives support to military families, veterans, wounded warriors, and active duty military personnel by working with existing programs and organizations. Acting as an information hub, OHB works in partnership with the bases’ Dependent Centers to give aid and comfort to military personal and their families while acting as an intermediary not only with other military agencies but with the civilian services. Staffed with active duty and retired military personnel along with the civilians, OHB was created by the combined branches of the services to take care of their own. Their single goal is to fill the voids left by governmental agencies who are unable provide the necessary services and support for all branches of the military.
The Red Cross Liaison assists family members in communicating with military personal through official channels. Using established avenues, the Liaison speeds up the verification process, thereby helping the messages arrive in a timely fashion. In addition, they help arrange transportation across country for the family members whose loved ones have been injured as well as for military personnel during times of family crisis.
Legal Aid --Staffed with both in-service and civilian volunteers, Legal Aid represents military personnel and families both with military and civilian legal issues. Although the representatives works directly with JAG/Provost Marshall/CID/NCIS/local law enforcement, they represent military personnel and their families in all legal issues.
Mental Health Services-Staffed with counseling professionals, they give emotional and spiritual support during times of crisis for active duty, vets, wounded warriors, and family members. Providing help with emotional and spiritual issues that arise from war, they find the necessary care for:
-domestic abuse
-PTSD
-head trauma
-rape crisis
-depression
-personality disorders
-family counseling
-suicide intervention
Unlike the existing services, these Mental Health professionals are both civilian and military, who have the authority to call in to question existing treatment protocol calls from the sandbox to the bases to homes. Civilians work on a situational basis and are granted rank, which is equivalent to their education and experience by the head of OHB.
Domestic Assistance acts an intermediary with local organizations for families in crisis. Every military base has a Dependent Center that helps military families find assistance from civilian organizations. OHB helps find additional resources to help improve the families’ standard of living, while helping vets and wound warriors successful reenter civilian life.
Casualty/mortuary Team-Made up of multi-denominational spiritual councilors as well as senior staff, this team helps the families of vets cope with the injury or death of their loved one. The mortuary team members notify the family members of the death of their loved one as well as helping them make the appropriate burial arrangements. In the case of injury, the casualty team keeps them informed of the status of their loved one and arranges the appropriate transportation.
Veterans Affairs Liaison-Combination political appointee and retired vet with at least ten years of active service, the Liaison helps military personal not only receive the benefits due, but to also fights for additional economic, medical and educational assistance. The position could be best described as the Military’s ambassador to the U.S government.
Financial Aid Officer-The Financial Aid Officer is accountant who finds sources of income from government grants, private donations and fund raising. In addition, this department helps arranges loans/grants through private the government or private institutions for emergency needs.
By combining their talents and resources, Operation Home Base does its best to catch those who would have fallen through the cracks. Sometimes humorous, frequently heart breaking, their stories are those of the U.S military and those who love them. Although intra-service rivalry continues, the branches of the military have come together to protect and provide for their members with the help of their government or in some cases in spite of it.
My first choice for the following roles:
Lorelei Stewart--Gloria Loring
Retired Lt. Colonel Elaine Reynolds--Deidre Hall
Deacon James William--Tom Selleck
Michael Woodsman--Drake Hogestyn
Martin Flying Crow--Graham Greene
Randi Cullen--Alyssa Milano
Master Sergeant Stella Garcia (Casualty/mortuary) Half Potawatomi half Mexican, Stella Garcia is woman in her late 30’s who planned to be a career soldier; however, the IED, which took her left leg, ended her active field duty. The sole survivor of the three vehicle convoy, she suffered from PTSD and depression. Emotionally she couldn’t find the reason for her surviving when rest of her buddies was killed. Using alcohol and sex to numb the pain, she walked through life unable to feel anything while awake. Zombie-like, she settled into her new desk job, yet her dreams were haunted by the spirits of her unit and the others. They asked her why she ran away from her duty--why she allowed their deaths to be in vain. Instead of seeking aid, she hides deeper within the bottle. Her relationships were shallow and temporary; no one was going to get close enough to hurt her again. However, after the death of her maternal grandmother, Stella knew where she needed to go. Going AWOL, she left for the Rez. A Tribal Elder, contacted her Unit Commander and arranged leave. Through ancient ceremonies she not only found the strength to heal and forgive herself, but also finds her new destiny. She became the Wind Talker who spoke for the dead and insured their wishes were fully carried out. Returning to base, she volunteered for Mortuary duty through which she became part of Operation Home Base.
Lorelei Stewart-(Mental Health Director) Lorelei Stewart is a woman in her early-fifties, who started her life as an army brat who married a career officer--Dr. Robert Stewart with whom she had three children-2 boys and a girl. She has Master Degrees in Behavioral Science, Psychology, and Sociology. A published author, she spent her early career working as profiler for the FBI. However, when she met and married career officer Col. Robert Stewart, she moved into private practice until his death during Operation Desert Storm. It was after his death she learned how little support military personal and their families actually received. Determined to use her experiences to help others, she became one of the founders of Operation Home Base. The love of her life Robert Steward left more than emotional and financial void in Lorelei and her children’s life. There were many questions the Army refused to answer. Growing up an Army brat, she was well aware that some questions were never meant to be answered. It was not so easy for her children, especially her daughter, Roberta. Although she has difficulty with helping her children accepting and healing their father‘s death, Lorelei has become part Mother Superior, part Mom and part USO entertainer to those she councils. Whether it be with a wise-crack, singing a song, or with a ruler across the knuckles, she has a unique ability to defuse tense situations that could have easily become violent. Growing up an Army brat, she not only understands the mentality of those who choose to serve, but also the subtext of the messages behind the words. Although it is not part of her normal duties, she arranges for special entertainment features for the troops in the San Diego area as well as else where. On occasion, she has participated as part of the program by singing and acting in comedy skits she helped write.
Lt. Colonel Elaine Reynolds (Financial Aid Officer)-A retired regular army officer in her late 50’s, she is chief financial aid officer for OHB. Half accountant, half weasel, she has able to not only make stingy people take a crowbar to their wallet, but also make sure every buffalo shits twice before the nickel is spent. Whether in the private or government arena, if there is money to be had, she knows how to find it and acquire it. Blonde and beautiful blonde, those who under-estimated her intelligence quickly regret their mistake. Classy by nature when the situation arises, she is not above low blows both physically and verbally. A career officer, mother of two and a wife, Reynolds found a way to balance her career and family needs. Her husband, Larry Reynolds is a police detective. Her daughter Rachael is a junior in college; who does volunteer work for the OHB in the Red Cross office. Her son Mitchell is an active duty marine; his wife Debra and his children live with Reynolds while he is in the sandbox.
Deacon James Williams (Head of OHB and San Diego CA supervisor). Ex special ops, James Williams was nick named Deek soon after he was deployed in Vietnam the summer of 1966. Assigned Recon Intelligence, he worked closely with the Montagnard and the Vietnamese Army. Five years later, he reemerged from his assignment and was immediately air lifted out without any official records of his activities. His military records were sealed except to those with the highest clearance, he occasionally disappears for days without notice or reason. As part of the financial aid agreement with the government, Williams was named as Head of OHB, answering only to the heads of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Pentagon. Charming one minute, deadly the next, Williams is able to accomplish the seemingly impossible. A permanent bachelor, he has many love interests, yet no attachments. He sees the big pictures when it comes to his career and the military, but refuses to get caught up in the messiness of intra-personal relationships. The “companions” who warm his bed at night are never there at dawn. Although there is a great deal of speculation about him, no one really has the courage to ask.
Michael Woodsman (Veterans Affairs Liaison) A political appointee who knows the ins and outs of how and when to kiss ass and when to kick it, Woodsman worked his way up through the political system. His hard edge and cynicism makes him a dangerous opponent, but also a very effective Liaison for the OHB. He is a team player with an us or them mentality. For the us he is a supportive and loyal advocate; the them quickly learn that crossing him was not a pleasant experience for his charm was on a thin façade. A car accident in his late teen, permanently damaged his spine, the physical limitation is a source of great anger as well as being a profound motivator. Although he never served himself, he has great respect for those who do step up to the plate. When Lorelei approached him to help with OHB, he finally found a cause he could believe in. Using his political capital both above board and blackmailing behind the scenes, Woodsman was a major force in opening doors for its creation. In his mind, it is his way of serving those who do serve.
Debra Anne Lee (Red Cross) In her early twenties, this southern bell grew up with seven older brothers most of whom join the military. A martial arts expert in her own right, she is proud of her family heritage that can be traced back to the civil war. Her mother used to say that Debra Anne walked where fools and angels fear to tread and was kicked out for being a smart ass. More moxie and intelligence than common sense, she is willing to take on situations and people that most people run away from. Using the immortality of youth as a shield as well as her passion and natural curiosity, she would con, charm, or connive her way to achieving her goals.
Martin Flying Crow(Domestic Assistance) A full blooded Oneida, Flying Crow enlisted in the Navy to escape the abject poverty of the Rez only to find the destiny his ancestors placed before him Trained by his shaman grandmother, Flying Crow walked the Red Road from childhood. At age 13, he set out on vision quest to learn his life’s path. The Eagle Spirit showed him that he was too destined to be a healer and guide to others. This life was to be one of service to others. He was to teach them the way of spiritual balance. However, in order to lead others, he needed to walk the path himself. Enlisting as a combat medic in the Navy was the first step of many. In Vietnam, he served two tours as a medic with his unit. Although he was not officially allowed to carry weapons, he did not hesitate to defend those in his unit by whatever means necessary. It was during this time that he crossed paths with Deek. Although they met with opposing agendas, they developed a mutual respect for one another both on and off the battlefield. After his tour, he returned to the Rez. Working as Paramedic, he quickly learned how little emotional, spiritual and medical support there was for the military personal, vets and wounded warriors along with their families. Working on a local level out of his garage, he gathered information, contacts and resources, which he used to improve the lives of those affected by war. He gained national attention when he was able to talk a wound warrior out of committing suicide. It was this exposure that brought him to the attention of Lorelei Stuart and Michael Woodsman. Using his template, the three of them created Operation Home Base.
Randi Cullen (Legal Aid) Randi Cullen grew up as Marine brat until her mother divorced her father early in childhood. Eventually her mother remarried and moved across country, taking Randi and her brothers away from the military way of life. After the divorce, her birth father severed contact. He quickly became the elephant in the room that neither she nor her mother was willing to discuss for fear of where it would lead. During her teen years, she tried to contact him; however, she had little success. But she was able to learn that two years before his twenty year retirement, he suddenly resigned his commission and disappeared. Although both of her older brothers enlisted straight out of high school, Cullen both loved and hated the military. She loved the discipline and the service, yet she blamed it for the loss of her father. Following her step father, she joined the San Diego County Prosecutor’s Office and quickly rose in the ranks. She was not only known for her fairness and tenacity, but her out spoken views.
These are the core characters to the series. Supporting characters for the OHB would be added or removed as the series develops. This show will not be anything close to Army Wives. Taken from the headlines as well as from the writer’s imagination, the stories will accurately portray the challenges of military personnel, vets, and wounded warriors along with those their families must face.
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Written by
Theresa Chaze
(Operation Home Base is copyrights; no part may be used, stored or reproduced without expressed written permission by the author)
To Read an excerpt of the first draft of the two hour made for TV movie click here
Operation Home Base is a nationwide non profit organization with local chapters that gives support to military families, veterans, wounded warriors, and active duty military personnel by working with existing programs and organizations. Acting as an information hub, OHB works in partnership with the bases’ Dependent Centers to give aid and comfort to military personal and their families while acting as an intermediary not only with other military agencies but with the civilian services. Staffed with active duty and retired military personnel along with the civilians, OHB was created by the combined branches of the services to take care of their own. Their single goal is to fill the voids left by governmental agencies who are unable provide the necessary services and support for all branches of the military.
The Red Cross Liaison assists family members in communicating with military personal through official channels. Using established avenues, the Liaison speeds up the verification process, thereby helping the messages arrive in a timely fashion. In addition, they help arrange transportation across country for the family members whose loved ones have been injured as well as for military personnel during times of family crisis.
Legal Aid --Staffed with both in-service and civilian volunteers, Legal Aid represents military personnel and families both with military and civilian legal issues. Although the representatives works directly with JAG/Provost Marshall/CID/NCIS/local law enforcement, they represent military personnel and their families in all legal issues.
Mental Health Services-Staffed with counseling professionals, they give emotional and spiritual support during times of crisis for active duty, vets, wounded warriors, and family members. Providing help with emotional and spiritual issues that arise from war, they find the necessary care for:
-domestic abuse
-PTSD
-head trauma
-rape crisis
-depression
-personality disorders
-family counseling
-suicide intervention
Unlike the existing services, these Mental Health professionals are both civilian and military, who have the authority to call in to question existing treatment protocol calls from the sandbox to the bases to homes. Civilians work on a situational basis and are granted rank, which is equivalent to their education and experience by the head of OHB.
Domestic Assistance acts an intermediary with local organizations for families in crisis. Every military base has a Dependent Center that helps military families find assistance from civilian organizations. OHB helps find additional resources to help improve the families’ standard of living, while helping vets and wound warriors successful reenter civilian life.
Casualty/mortuary Team-Made up of multi-denominational spiritual councilors as well as senior staff, this team helps the families of vets cope with the injury or death of their loved one. The mortuary team members notify the family members of the death of their loved one as well as helping them make the appropriate burial arrangements. In the case of injury, the casualty team keeps them informed of the status of their loved one and arranges the appropriate transportation.
Veterans Affairs Liaison-Combination political appointee and retired vet with at least ten years of active service, the Liaison helps military personal not only receive the benefits due, but to also fights for additional economic, medical and educational assistance. The position could be best described as the Military’s ambassador to the U.S government.
Financial Aid Officer-The Financial Aid Officer is accountant who finds sources of income from government grants, private donations and fund raising. In addition, this department helps arranges loans/grants through private the government or private institutions for emergency needs.
By combining their talents and resources, Operation Home Base does its best to catch those who would have fallen through the cracks. Sometimes humorous, frequently heart breaking, their stories are those of the U.S military and those who love them. Although intra-service rivalry continues, the branches of the military have come together to protect and provide for their members with the help of their government or in some cases in spite of it.
My first choice for the following roles:
Lorelei Stewart--Gloria Loring
Retired Lt. Colonel Elaine Reynolds--Deidre Hall
Deacon James William--Tom Selleck
Michael Woodsman--Drake Hogestyn
Martin Flying Crow--Graham Greene
Randi Cullen--Alyssa Milano
Master Sergeant Stella Garcia (Casualty/mortuary) Half Potawatomi half Mexican, Stella Garcia is woman in her late 30’s who planned to be a career soldier; however, the IED, which took her left leg, ended her active field duty. The sole survivor of the three vehicle convoy, she suffered from PTSD and depression. Emotionally she couldn’t find the reason for her surviving when rest of her buddies was killed. Using alcohol and sex to numb the pain, she walked through life unable to feel anything while awake. Zombie-like, she settled into her new desk job, yet her dreams were haunted by the spirits of her unit and the others. They asked her why she ran away from her duty--why she allowed their deaths to be in vain. Instead of seeking aid, she hides deeper within the bottle. Her relationships were shallow and temporary; no one was going to get close enough to hurt her again. However, after the death of her maternal grandmother, Stella knew where she needed to go. Going AWOL, she left for the Rez. A Tribal Elder, contacted her Unit Commander and arranged leave. Through ancient ceremonies she not only found the strength to heal and forgive herself, but also finds her new destiny. She became the Wind Talker who spoke for the dead and insured their wishes were fully carried out. Returning to base, she volunteered for Mortuary duty through which she became part of Operation Home Base.
Lorelei Stewart-(Mental Health Director) Lorelei Stewart is a woman in her early-fifties, who started her life as an army brat who married a career officer--Dr. Robert Stewart with whom she had three children-2 boys and a girl. She has Master Degrees in Behavioral Science, Psychology, and Sociology. A published author, she spent her early career working as profiler for the FBI. However, when she met and married career officer Col. Robert Stewart, she moved into private practice until his death during Operation Desert Storm. It was after his death she learned how little support military personal and their families actually received. Determined to use her experiences to help others, she became one of the founders of Operation Home Base. The love of her life Robert Steward left more than emotional and financial void in Lorelei and her children’s life. There were many questions the Army refused to answer. Growing up an Army brat, she was well aware that some questions were never meant to be answered. It was not so easy for her children, especially her daughter, Roberta. Although she has difficulty with helping her children accepting and healing their father‘s death, Lorelei has become part Mother Superior, part Mom and part USO entertainer to those she councils. Whether it be with a wise-crack, singing a song, or with a ruler across the knuckles, she has a unique ability to defuse tense situations that could have easily become violent. Growing up an Army brat, she not only understands the mentality of those who choose to serve, but also the subtext of the messages behind the words. Although it is not part of her normal duties, she arranges for special entertainment features for the troops in the San Diego area as well as else where. On occasion, she has participated as part of the program by singing and acting in comedy skits she helped write.
Lt. Colonel Elaine Reynolds (Financial Aid Officer)-A retired regular army officer in her late 50’s, she is chief financial aid officer for OHB. Half accountant, half weasel, she has able to not only make stingy people take a crowbar to their wallet, but also make sure every buffalo shits twice before the nickel is spent. Whether in the private or government arena, if there is money to be had, she knows how to find it and acquire it. Blonde and beautiful blonde, those who under-estimated her intelligence quickly regret their mistake. Classy by nature when the situation arises, she is not above low blows both physically and verbally. A career officer, mother of two and a wife, Reynolds found a way to balance her career and family needs. Her husband, Larry Reynolds is a police detective. Her daughter Rachael is a junior in college; who does volunteer work for the OHB in the Red Cross office. Her son Mitchell is an active duty marine; his wife Debra and his children live with Reynolds while he is in the sandbox.
Deacon James Williams (Head of OHB and San Diego CA supervisor). Ex special ops, James Williams was nick named Deek soon after he was deployed in Vietnam the summer of 1966. Assigned Recon Intelligence, he worked closely with the Montagnard and the Vietnamese Army. Five years later, he reemerged from his assignment and was immediately air lifted out without any official records of his activities. His military records were sealed except to those with the highest clearance, he occasionally disappears for days without notice or reason. As part of the financial aid agreement with the government, Williams was named as Head of OHB, answering only to the heads of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Pentagon. Charming one minute, deadly the next, Williams is able to accomplish the seemingly impossible. A permanent bachelor, he has many love interests, yet no attachments. He sees the big pictures when it comes to his career and the military, but refuses to get caught up in the messiness of intra-personal relationships. The “companions” who warm his bed at night are never there at dawn. Although there is a great deal of speculation about him, no one really has the courage to ask.
Michael Woodsman (Veterans Affairs Liaison) A political appointee who knows the ins and outs of how and when to kiss ass and when to kick it, Woodsman worked his way up through the political system. His hard edge and cynicism makes him a dangerous opponent, but also a very effective Liaison for the OHB. He is a team player with an us or them mentality. For the us he is a supportive and loyal advocate; the them quickly learn that crossing him was not a pleasant experience for his charm was on a thin façade. A car accident in his late teen, permanently damaged his spine, the physical limitation is a source of great anger as well as being a profound motivator. Although he never served himself, he has great respect for those who do step up to the plate. When Lorelei approached him to help with OHB, he finally found a cause he could believe in. Using his political capital both above board and blackmailing behind the scenes, Woodsman was a major force in opening doors for its creation. In his mind, it is his way of serving those who do serve.
Debra Anne Lee (Red Cross) In her early twenties, this southern bell grew up with seven older brothers most of whom join the military. A martial arts expert in her own right, she is proud of her family heritage that can be traced back to the civil war. Her mother used to say that Debra Anne walked where fools and angels fear to tread and was kicked out for being a smart ass. More moxie and intelligence than common sense, she is willing to take on situations and people that most people run away from. Using the immortality of youth as a shield as well as her passion and natural curiosity, she would con, charm, or connive her way to achieving her goals.
Martin Flying Crow(Domestic Assistance) A full blooded Oneida, Flying Crow enlisted in the Navy to escape the abject poverty of the Rez only to find the destiny his ancestors placed before him Trained by his shaman grandmother, Flying Crow walked the Red Road from childhood. At age 13, he set out on vision quest to learn his life’s path. The Eagle Spirit showed him that he was too destined to be a healer and guide to others. This life was to be one of service to others. He was to teach them the way of spiritual balance. However, in order to lead others, he needed to walk the path himself. Enlisting as a combat medic in the Navy was the first step of many. In Vietnam, he served two tours as a medic with his unit. Although he was not officially allowed to carry weapons, he did not hesitate to defend those in his unit by whatever means necessary. It was during this time that he crossed paths with Deek. Although they met with opposing agendas, they developed a mutual respect for one another both on and off the battlefield. After his tour, he returned to the Rez. Working as Paramedic, he quickly learned how little emotional, spiritual and medical support there was for the military personal, vets and wounded warriors along with their families. Working on a local level out of his garage, he gathered information, contacts and resources, which he used to improve the lives of those affected by war. He gained national attention when he was able to talk a wound warrior out of committing suicide. It was this exposure that brought him to the attention of Lorelei Stuart and Michael Woodsman. Using his template, the three of them created Operation Home Base.
Randi Cullen (Legal Aid) Randi Cullen grew up as Marine brat until her mother divorced her father early in childhood. Eventually her mother remarried and moved across country, taking Randi and her brothers away from the military way of life. After the divorce, her birth father severed contact. He quickly became the elephant in the room that neither she nor her mother was willing to discuss for fear of where it would lead. During her teen years, she tried to contact him; however, she had little success. But she was able to learn that two years before his twenty year retirement, he suddenly resigned his commission and disappeared. Although both of her older brothers enlisted straight out of high school, Cullen both loved and hated the military. She loved the discipline and the service, yet she blamed it for the loss of her father. Following her step father, she joined the San Diego County Prosecutor’s Office and quickly rose in the ranks. She was not only known for her fairness and tenacity, but her out spoken views.
These are the core characters to the series. Supporting characters for the OHB would be added or removed as the series develops. This show will not be anything close to Army Wives. Taken from the headlines as well as from the writer’s imagination, the stories will accurately portray the challenges of military personnel, vets, and wounded warriors along with those their families must face.
Technorati Tags:
military program, CBS, Donald Bellisario, Gloria Loring, ncis, Sony Pictures, universal pictures, help for military, Gary Sinise, Alan Alda, MASH, Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckeiner, Deidre Hall, Tom Selleck, Alyssa Milano, Graham Greene, Drake Drake Hogestyn, Theresa Chaze, TV series, The Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Viacom, Sumner Redstone, Sir Howard Stringer, Leslie Moonves, Anne Sweeney, Operation Homefront, VA, Red Cross, Theresa Chaze, Mark Harmon, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc, , support the troops, Operation homefront, marines, army, navy, airforce, USA Network,
Monday, May 4, 2009
Days of Our Lives: Reposting Alternative Universe Script
I've really enjoyed writing the script and bringing back the good, old Days. It is just very sad that the current writers can't do the same. Sex is not romance. Just because a man beds her, it doesn't mean he loves her, which is what Days has become. If I had been given the opportunity, I would have taken Days back to the basics. There wouldn't be the big debate over which man Sami would chose. Eventually I would bring her and Lucas back together, but not until after they had work through their own issues. They both would have been given plots of their own. Sami would have gone back to school to get her high school diploma and on to college. She would have proven that just because you drop out of school to have a child, it doesn't mean that you can't go back. Lucas would have become involved first with helping the Wounded Warriors, before taking over the Horton Foundation. Moving in with Alice would have set them on the path to becoming the new Alice and Tom. A woman from Stefano's past would have not only given him a new love interest, but she would have been an equal partner in crime. EJ and Ava would have become involved with the corruption in the horse industry; they never would be truly good guys, but they also wouldn't be the evil couple in town. Steve and Max would continue to help find missing children, including the granddaughter when her abusive father kidnaps her. Roman and Alyssa would slowly fall in love. There would be the murders that happened John and Marlena's house would be investigated and solved. I would have brought back old friends and new characters who would have been slowly developed. Since there was no Trent in my universe, there would be no Melanie. Without either, Nick would still be on the show. I would have paired him with Eugene to work on the new energy source.
You don't have to break couples up to keep them interesting. In writing 101, you learn that there four traditional conflict themes to both short stories and novels, however I have added a fifth.
Man against himself
Man against man
Man against nature
Man against God or spirituality
Man against Fate or Karma
If a writer is creative, it is easy to ways to keep couples together and interesting at the same time.
Days could have and should have so much more to offer. It's too bad that it won't be given the opportunity that Betty and Ken Corday gave it. Soaps aren't loosing fan; they are suffering from stagnation and network executives' greed.
There has to be a soap or drama out there who is looking for a creative writer. Thank you for your support and the courage to keep trying to achieve my dream.
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/Dayswedding.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/dayswedding2.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/dayswedding3.pdf
A special posting for those who love the vets. It would have eventually turned into a murder mystery involving all six characters.
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/daysgift.pdf
This is what I previously posted on the NBC Days boards not all of the posting are in the current proper format. However the posts at the bottom are in the format that I will be submitting to other soaps in hope of getting a writing gig.
http://geocities.com/tirgana/daysofourlives.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/Days10-16.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days10-26-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days10-31-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days11-2-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days11-15-08.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/Days12-2-08.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/Days12-8-08.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/day12-14-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days12-30-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/easternguardian/days1-20-09
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/days2-16-09.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/Days3-8-09.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/days3-20-09.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/days3-21-09.pdf
Here's the deal. I am cleaning up and formatting the script that I have already posted into the correct format. I will be using it as resume material to get a writing gig on one of the other soaps. Although much of it will be familiar who have been keeping up, there have been a reshuffling of the scenes as well as some tweaking. Originally, I put little effort into the scrip, especially in the beginning. This better reflects me as a professional writer. However, since the program I am using doesn't have a spell check, there may still be some typos. If you see any, please let me know in the comments section. Thanks.
Episode on:
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/DOOLepione.pdf
Episode two: http://www.theresachaze.com/files/dayseptwo.pdf
You don't have to break couples up to keep them interesting. In writing 101, you learn that there four traditional conflict themes to both short stories and novels, however I have added a fifth.
Man against himself
Man against man
Man against nature
Man against God or spirituality
Man against Fate or Karma
If a writer is creative, it is easy to ways to keep couples together and interesting at the same time.
Days could have and should have so much more to offer. It's too bad that it won't be given the opportunity that Betty and Ken Corday gave it. Soaps aren't loosing fan; they are suffering from stagnation and network executives' greed.
There has to be a soap or drama out there who is looking for a creative writer. Thank you for your support and the courage to keep trying to achieve my dream.
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/Dayswedding.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/dayswedding2.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/dayswedding3.pdf
A special posting for those who love the vets. It would have eventually turned into a murder mystery involving all six characters.
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/daysgift.pdf
This is what I previously posted on the NBC Days boards not all of the posting are in the current proper format. However the posts at the bottom are in the format that I will be submitting to other soaps in hope of getting a writing gig.
http://geocities.com/tirgana/daysofourlives.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/Days10-16.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days10-26-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days10-31-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days11-2-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days11-15-08.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/Days12-2-08.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/Days12-8-08.pdf
http://geocities.com/tirgana/day12-14-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/tirgana/days12-30-08.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/easternguardian/days1-20-09
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/days2-16-09.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/Days3-8-09.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/days3-20-09.pdf
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/days3-21-09.pdf
Here's the deal. I am cleaning up and formatting the script that I have already posted into the correct format. I will be using it as resume material to get a writing gig on one of the other soaps. Although much of it will be familiar who have been keeping up, there have been a reshuffling of the scenes as well as some tweaking. Originally, I put little effort into the scrip, especially in the beginning. This better reflects me as a professional writer. However, since the program I am using doesn't have a spell check, there may still be some typos. If you see any, please let me know in the comments section. Thanks.
Episode on:
http://www.theresachaze.com/files/DOOLepione.pdf
Episode two: http://www.theresachaze.com/files/dayseptwo.pdf
New Military Series: Operation Home Base
I have been working a made for TV movie that is designed to become a weekly series. Originally, it was written to be a spin off for NCIS. However, Don Bellisario only produces projects he creates and writes himself. It would still be a good project for a producer and network who values those who have the courage to serve and their families.
I have written a treatment based on the real life organization Operation Homefront called, Operation Home Base. OHB intertwines the challenges military personnel face with those of their families. This is not an Army Wives or reality show, but an accurate portrayal of military life. The show intertwines drama and suspense with comedy to tell the stories of active duty, vets, and wounded warriors along with those who love them.
OPERATION HOME BASE
Operation Home Base is a nationwide non profit organization with local chapters that gives support to military families, veterans, wounded warriors, and active duty military personnel by working with existing programs and organizations. Acting as an information hub, OHB works in partnership with the bases’ Dependent Centers to give aid and comfort to military personal and their families while acting as intermediary not only with other military agencies but with the civilian services. Staffed with active duty and retired military personnel along with civilians, OHB was created by the combined branches of the services to take care of their own. Their single goal is to fill the voids left by governmental agencies who are unable provide the necessary services and support for all branches of the military.
Currently, I am writing the two hour pilot; part of which will be posted here by the end of the week. Several characters were written with specific actors in mind.
Lorelei Stewart--Gloria Loring
Retired Lt. Colonel Elaine Reynolds--Deidre Hall
Deacon James William--Tom Selleck
Michael Woodsman--Drake Hogestyn
Martin Flying Crow--Graham Greene
Randi Cullen--Alyssa Milano
Technorati Tags:
military program, CBS, Donald Bellisario, Gloria Loring, ncis, Sony Pictures, universal pictures, help for military, Gary Sinise, Alan Alda, MASH, Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckeiner, Deidre Hall, Tom Selleck, Alyssa Milano, Graham Greene, Drake Drake Hogestyn, Theresa Chaze, TV series, The Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Viacom, Sumner Redstone, Sir Howard Stringer, Leslie Moonves, Anne Sweeney, Operation Homefront, VA, Red Cross, Theresa Chaze, Mark Harmon, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc, , support the troops, Operation homefront, marines, army, navy, airforce,
I have written a treatment based on the real life organization Operation Homefront called, Operation Home Base. OHB intertwines the challenges military personnel face with those of their families. This is not an Army Wives or reality show, but an accurate portrayal of military life. The show intertwines drama and suspense with comedy to tell the stories of active duty, vets, and wounded warriors along with those who love them.
OPERATION HOME BASE
Operation Home Base is a nationwide non profit organization with local chapters that gives support to military families, veterans, wounded warriors, and active duty military personnel by working with existing programs and organizations. Acting as an information hub, OHB works in partnership with the bases’ Dependent Centers to give aid and comfort to military personal and their families while acting as intermediary not only with other military agencies but with the civilian services. Staffed with active duty and retired military personnel along with civilians, OHB was created by the combined branches of the services to take care of their own. Their single goal is to fill the voids left by governmental agencies who are unable provide the necessary services and support for all branches of the military.
Currently, I am writing the two hour pilot; part of which will be posted here by the end of the week. Several characters were written with specific actors in mind.
Lorelei Stewart--Gloria Loring
Retired Lt. Colonel Elaine Reynolds--Deidre Hall
Deacon James William--Tom Selleck
Michael Woodsman--Drake Hogestyn
Martin Flying Crow--Graham Greene
Randi Cullen--Alyssa Milano
Technorati Tags:
military program, CBS, Donald Bellisario, Gloria Loring, ncis, Sony Pictures, universal pictures, help for military, Gary Sinise, Alan Alda, MASH, Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckeiner, Deidre Hall, Tom Selleck, Alyssa Milano, Graham Greene, Drake Drake Hogestyn, Theresa Chaze, TV series, The Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Viacom, Sumner Redstone, Sir Howard Stringer, Leslie Moonves, Anne Sweeney, Operation Homefront, VA, Red Cross, Theresa Chaze, Mark Harmon, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc, , support the troops, Operation homefront, marines, army, navy, airforce,
Sunday, May 3, 2009
BuzzWorthy Radio: Kelley Menighan Hensley, Emily Stewart,
BuzzWorthy Radio: Kelley Menighan Hensley!
Date / Time: 5/4/2009 4:30 PM eastern
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/buzzworthyradio
Kelley Menighan Hensley, Emily Stewart on CBS Daytime's As The World Turns, will be making an appearance on BuzzWorthy Radio! Never without her Chanel No. 5, Emmy-nominated Hensley has also been organizing a fundraiser for St. Judes. Martha Byrne, Michael Park, and both Kelley and Jon are scheduled to attend the Inaugural Angels for Hope Gala on Friday, May 29 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Estate at Florentine Gardens, which is located at 97 Rivervale Road in River Vale, NJ. Tickets are $200 and visit www.stjude.org/angelsforhope.com or call (212) 239-3239 for reservations.
Date / Time: 5/4/2009 4:30 PM eastern
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/buzzworthyradio
Kelley Menighan Hensley, Emily Stewart on CBS Daytime's As The World Turns, will be making an appearance on BuzzWorthy Radio! Never without her Chanel No. 5, Emmy-nominated Hensley has also been organizing a fundraiser for St. Judes. Martha Byrne, Michael Park, and both Kelley and Jon are scheduled to attend the Inaugural Angels for Hope Gala on Friday, May 29 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Estate at Florentine Gardens, which is located at 97 Rivervale Road in River Vale, NJ. Tickets are $200 and visit www.stjude.org/angelsforhope.com or call (212) 239-3239 for reservations.
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