Saturday, October 7, 2017

@WendallThomas: YOUR HANDBAG IS KILLING ME!

HALLIEEPHRON: I write books about creepy dolls, but when Wendall Thomas, a talented screenwriter and script consultant, turned her hand to writing a crime novel, she one-upped me. LOST LUGGAGE crawls with reptiles--lizards, snakes...

Can you say Ca-reepy!

Wendall, I'm afraid to ask… but what inspired that choice?

WENDALL THOMAS: I’ve never spent a lot of time thinking about reptiles, at least the non-human kind. Personally, I’m traumatized by snakes–-I grew up in copperhead country, once found one waving around the medusa-like strands of the mop in my linen closet, and moved to the West Coast immediately. In general, I try to stay away from anything slimy, be it salamanders, politicians, or stewed okra.
 
So how did I wind up with a snake coiled through the titles and a Madagascan chameleon as the sidekick in my first novel, Lost Luggage?

It started with a script. As I stumbled through my early screenwriting career, working on children’s shows and comedies about genies and insurance agents, all I really wanted to write was Romancing the Stone. Diane Thomas’s script was one of my favorites and I wanted to write a scene as good as the one which started with a mudslide, sent Michael Douglas’s face right between Kathleen Turner’s legs, and ended with the line “Joan Wilder! Welcome to Columbia!”
 
Eventually, I found my heroine—Cyd Redondo, a Brooklyn travel agent who’d never been farther than New Jersey. I wanted her to wind up on an adventure somewhere exotic. Like Africa. So I started researching African crimes. Endangered animal trafficking came up instantly.

The more I read, the more horrified I became, not only with how many species we were losing every day, but with the innate cruelty of the smuggling trade. Traffickers killed baby rhinos to summon their mothers for their horns, sewed parrots’ eyes shut so they’d be quiet, compressed cobras into potato chip cans, and shoved week old tiger cubs into unventilated suitcases.

I was shocked that the most lucrative smuggling markets was in...reptiles. Sparked, ironically, by the first yellow python photographed in National Geographic, the American appetite for exotic snakes, lizards, and skinks had created a billion-dollar business.

Like my heroine, Cyd, I braved a Herpetology Expo, in Pasadena of all places, to find creatures I’d only seen in my nightmares sitting on patron’s shoulders or huddled in take-out containers that could have come from Jerry’s Deli. It gave me a completely new perspective on lots of things, including blacklight t-shirts, male ponytails, and pythons.

We all know we should “Save the Whales,” give to the WWF’s “Giant Panda” fund, or donate to the ASPCA, but everything that’s important in the world isn’t cute or easy, so I decided these maligned creatures deserved a story too.



The script didn’t sell and languished in a file for years, but I couldn’t get Cyd, or those suitcases, out of my head. When I started to consider her as a series protagonist, people said to lose the “animal issue,” that it was too heavy for a comic novel. But for me, Cyd’s growing understanding of the world beyond Brooklyn was the heart of the series. 

I ignored all naysayers and, miraculously, found a publisher. Time will tell whether taking on a “cause” can hurt or help a mystery, but I’m for the chameleons, regardless.

HALLIE: ...and I KNOW, from reading this, it's going to be funny. Despite the serious subject matter. And I'm intrigued to find out how then book's title figures in the plot. The mind boggles.

I grew up in Southern California, terrified of rattlesnakes which were (still are?) common in the foothills... not that there are any uninhabited foothills any longer. I grew very fond of the geckoes that lived in the ceiling of my daughter's apartment in Mexico. They clicked and pooped. And I remember learning that lizards could lose their tails and grow a new one. (What I didn't know then but something I learned from Tess Gerritsen: lizard tails keep wiggling after they've been severed.) Fortunately, that sums up my knowledge of reptiles.

What are your feelings about reptiles? 

48 comments:

  1. Thank goodness I never met a rattlesnake when we lived in California! Although geckos are cute, I have never been a reptile person, but Cyd sounds like someone I’d really like to get to known. Congratulations on your first book, Wendall . . . I’m definitely looking forward to reading “Lost Luggage” . . . .

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not a fan of wildlife living in the house with me, herps, in particular. On the rare occasion of a snake or salamander getting in the house I have pretty much freaked out until it was banished. To willingly bring a giant snake in? Oh, hell, no.

    Cincinnati, at least the eastern part, is overrun with European wall lizards. The story of their appearance here is legendary. The Lazarus family, very wealthy, and famous in these parts for both their retail empire and their philanthropy, traveled to Europe in the 1930's or 40's. One of the sons brought home six lizards from the trip, which eventually escaped into the yard and procreated. For a long time they were only seen in one area of town, O'Bryonville, where the Lazarus family lived, but now they are everywhere. I saw one on the side of our house this summer, and we live about eight miles from the original release point.

    Near the Cincinnati Observatory they are so abundant you will see hundreds while walking less than a block. At the same time many hawks are now living in that area, and I suspect they live off the lizards. Thank goodness they're good for something.

    What a great premise for a book/series, Wendall. I'm sure you have lots of material to work with, going forward.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen, that's an idea for a whole other story--exotic, non-native wildlife introductions to America. What if? For a fiction writer, the mind boggles!

      Delete
    2. HUNDREDS?? In Mexico there's a ton of lizards from little to ginormous.
      Karen, this feels like a mystery novel.
      The Lazarus Lizard, by ...
      A murder mystery in which there's a LL where there shouldn't be one...

      Delete
    3. Hundreds. They scatter as you walk by.

      Flora, the sad story is that there are thousands of non-native species already thriving here, and elsewhere. Hawaii, Australia, and lots of other places, all changed forever because of man's foolish intervention in the natural history of various areas.

      The Lazarus Lizard, eh? Hmm.

      Delete
    4. You especially see the impact of that in Hawaii. Almost no native bird species left. Ditto the vegetation.

      Delete
    5. A lot of that predation in Hawaii is down to the most invasive non-native species of all: the domestic house cat. Cats are from Africa. Everywhere else they exist in the world--which is pretty much everywhere--is because we brought them along. Just can't resist the big eyes and the sweet purring of that little apex predator.

      Delete
    6. Thanks so much, Karen - it was both fun and creepy/upsetting, but I'm hopeful for the series. W.

      Delete
  3. Wendall, I love that you were inspired by the script for Romancing the Stone. Reading a script, you understand that great movies still start with the written word. And I think that comedy and causes go hand-in-hand. After the laughter dies down, you're left with something to think about. Can't wait to get my hands on Cyd's story--and no, I DO NOT want anything creepy crawly in or near my house. My family is from copperhead country, too--heard enough stories to curl my straight hair! And my work took me into rattlesnake territory--not fun. Oddly enough, though, I always enjoyed working with snake bones--the venomous ones have quite distinctive vertebrae!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What are we talkin' here... snakebite earrings?? And how do you, ahem, acquire them?

      Delete
    2. Nothing so interesting, Hallie--I'm an archaeologist--animal bones are one of my areas of expertise.

      Delete
    3. So you find them? Dig them up?? Do you tend to find more snake bones around where humans once inhabited??

      Delete
    4. Yep--find them in prehistoric village middens and garbage pits, often in rockshelter deposits--rockshelters tend to occur in snake habitat. Where people were storing corn especially--you tend to find mice--and the snakes would've been preying on the mice. Usually make up a very small percentage of the faunal assemblage.

      Delete
    5. Thanks, Flora. I never could have written the book without seeing some of those great Diane Thomas scenes in my head while I was doing it and NO ONE is more afraid of snakes than I, believe me. My husband had to hold my hand the whole time we were in the Herp Expo, to keep me from running out....

      Delete
  4. I had a pet snake when I was a kid, and have worked in a natural history museum where the docents greeted young visitors with a friendly speckled kingsnake named Sam, so I'm just fine with reptiles. Back when I lived in the country, I would see copperheads come to drink at my bird bath on summer evenings, and once went on a rattlesnake hunt, which was actually kind of fun. I had chosen to live in their natural habitat; I respected that, and wanted to learn as much about them as I could.

    My concern is the people, like young Master Lazarus, who think exotic pets are cute, then lose interest or don't know how to take care of them. As Karen noted, one casual release of such pets can have a much broader impact on the environment. Your book sounds like a fun way to raise awareness about the issue, Wendall. Congratulations on the publication! How was your experience, working with an independent publisher like Poisoned Pen Press?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Gigi, Thanks. I have had a wonderful experience with PPP so far. I am lucky to have an editor and publisher who get my jokes, so that is the best thing I could wish for. I am happy with my cover, which was their design, etc. They've been really professional and supportive.

      Delete
  5. I got a news release yesterday saying that environmental police had seized a box of critters from the bathroom of a Petco. Including, let me specify, 4 six-eyed sand spiders.
    Ahhhhhh

    As I get older, I’m now seeing, creepy crawly things become more fascinating and less terrifying. I sat by a swimming pool in… Somewhere in Florida. And watched lizard’s for about an hour. They were so interesting! Like little dinosaurs, right?
    So this sounds wonderful!
    Don’t get me wrong… Not in my house. Seriously , you would be peeling me off the ceiling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hank, I was thinking about this as I read all the above. Why does the Environmental Police sound so much like the Library Police to me? I had to look it up to make sure it was for real!

      Delete
    2. In case you were thinking about collecting them, six-eyed spiders are why but they make up for it by being the most venomous of any spider.

      Delete
    3. Remember when there was that 12 foot python skin on the shelf of someone's apartment in NYC and they had no idea where it came from???? But I have developed a big crush on chameleons and skinks, doing the research. Spiders, Hallie, not so much!

      Delete
  6. My best friend, growing up, was the boy down the street. We were expert snake handlers, much to the despair of our mothers. Then I grew up and had one girl and three boys. Snakes, snakes and more snakes. While this isn't my first choice for cuddly pet, I can't say I mind them. I'd like to import a non-venomous variety to tend to the chipmunk crop that Sam the Serial Killer Cat used to help contain.

    And Wendall, snakes and salamanders aren't slimy. Besides, I love okra. I have to agree with you about politicians as a breed tho. Welcome to JRW.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ann, do pet snakes are personalities?

      Delete
    2. Not that I've noticed. Pretty much eat and sleep. Much as I do.

      Delete
    3. Thanks for the welcome, Ann. Yes, I think many things are only slimy in theory...but okra? That's slimy.

      Delete
  7. Congrats on the publication! Combining humor with a serious topic is a rare skill. I look forward to reading it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Jim! You can decide whether I pulled it off.

      Delete
  8. I'm not freaked out by reptiles, but I do have a "no reptile pets" policy.

    A former boyfriend had a python. It slithered up to sun itself on the back of the couch and wound up draped on my neck (I thought it was the boyfriend's arm at first). The relationship didn't last.

    I did like the geckoes that lived in my condo when I was working in St. Croix post-hurricane. The natives said that especially with the damage to the trees (resulting in insects moving into homes) I should leave it alone. I did. I never saw a bug. Coincidence?

    Congrats on the book, Wendall!

    Mary/Liz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Mary/Liz. It's not heartening at all to me that I might mistake a python for an arm, but now I intend to check.

      Delete
  9. I just listened to the audio version of Linda Fairstein's DEADFALL, also about greed, crime, and exotic animals. There are so many things that happen using the same corridors we travel! Horrifying things. What part of human nature relishes the collecting of exotic animals?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a pretty terrifying underbelly of the crime world, Denise and I can't say I understand the psychology altogether. It seems tied up with inspiring fear in others, partly. And in being special enough to have something rare and fragile. There are a few really fascinating and disturbing books on the subject, including THE LIZARD KING by Bryan Christy, if you actually want to encounter some of them.

      Delete
  10. Wendall, "Romancing the Stone" is one of my favorites, too! My sister and I can practically recite the entire movie!

    Congrats on the new book, which sounds fascinating. Have you ever watched the NatGeo series about customs at JFK? It's mindboggling what people try to hide in their suitcases! I'm curious: Is there another overlooked subject matter that you'd like to tackle next?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ingrid - glad you share my love for Joan Wilder. My husband actually went to the prop house who created the Joan Wilder book covers and got one framed for me - it's over my desk. Right now, I'm looking at the alarming number of people who either go missing or are killed/murdered on cruise ships and how many of them are covered up/never investigated. Thanks for asking!

      Delete
  11. Wendall,

    I like the idea of entertaining readers while educating them at the same time. I plan to look for your book.

    The idea of exotic creatures as pets does NOT thrill me! One of my sisters had a high school friend who had a pet tarantula. I don't remember what my sister said about how the friend acquired the spider. She lost me at "Lisa's pet tarantula"!

    DebRo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha I don't know if I could even write about spiders. I have a lot of messy, curly hair and have an irrational fear of spiders dropping from trees into my hair. I guess at least with a tarantula you'd feel it?

      Delete
  12. Wendall, as if the cover and title aren't intriguing enough, you captured me with your hilariously clever comment, " In general, I try to stay away from anything slimy, be it salamanders, politicians, or stewed okra." Then, your love of the Romancing the Stone script sealed the deal that you are a golden member of the club of quirky, witty beings, my favorite club. I have been seeing Lost Luggage on so many reading lists, and now it is on mine. In fact, I just went to Amazon and ordered it.

    I am lucky to have escaped any close encounters of the slithery kind. Well, there was that boy I went out with in college on a few dates who called himself the "Hossman." His little forked tongue stayed in his mouth. However, as a naive young bride of 23, I went on a fishing (actual fishing for real fish trip) with my husband to North Carolina. The streams where we fished for trout were beautiful, and I was still seeing the world with young love in my eyes, so I believed my husband when he said there weren't any snakes to worry about as we traipsed through the grass and sat on the rocks by the water. When we returned home, my father-in-law, who had grown up in the North Carolina area we had visited, asked if we came across any Copperheads. Last fishing trip we took and last trip my husband planned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kathy - thanks for the lovely words, I really hope you like the book. I'm in North Carolina right now for my high school reunion and (where I"m encountering a few old forked-tongue beaus myself), and I can attest that there are snakes EVERYWHERE. I recommend thigh high boots.

      Delete
  13. Reptiles aren't slimy. Politicians? YES! Okra? Yes.
    I was in Hawaii and got intrigued by the gecko sounds. We came up with a series of gecko jokes.
    Libby

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sadly, the only way to know they aren't slimy is actually to make contact, but you're absolutely right. Geckos cheer me up.

      Delete
  14. I am NOT a snake fan. I have been known to do my infamous snake dance if I find myself within ten feet of one. So of course I have found a snake in our house on two occasions in the past. The boys dealt with the first one. I was stuck on my own the second time. I love lizards. We have our native anoles here in Houston. And now we are overrun with these fast brown boogers too. Don't know what they are but I'm glad we have them. It means that people aren't going nuts with pesticides around the neighborhood. I used to volunteer in the museum's butterfly center. I showed some bugs to kids and that helped me to get over being grossed out by some bugs. Would you believe cockroaches no longer freak me out? I also used to take the iguana out into the sunshine for a little sun bathing time. I found the easiest way to transport him was to hold him up to my shoulder just like a baby. I think we both enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the snake in the house thing is horrifying. That happened thirty years ago and clearly I'm still working through it..Thanks, Pat.

      Delete
  15. Wendell, LOST LUGGAGE sounds irresistible! I'm fine with snakes, lizards and other cold-blooded species...as long as they stay outdoors where they belong. I'll never forget the first trip Ross and I took to Mexico, at a near-deserted villa in Manzanillo. We woke up to gently rustling palm leaves, bird song...and geckos climbing the walls. At least I think they were geckos. I didn't stop to ID them on my way to the bathroom, where I hid until Ross released them back to the wild.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a pretty great scene and one with which I can identify completely. Thanks for the kind words, Julia, hope you like the book.

      Delete
  16. Wendall, I love the premise of your series. I live in AZ so I find geckos on my pillows, scorpions poolside, etc. Reptiles don't freak me out so much anymore but scorpions still do. Oh, and Romancing the Stone has been in my top five movies since I first saw it as a young teen. I'm looking forward to Lost Luggage as I adore chameleons!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jenn, thanks so much for the kind words. Yes, these recent news stories about scorpions falling out of overhead compartments on airplanes has been freaking me out a little, I have to admit. Hope you like the book!

      Delete
  17. Thanks, everyone, for all the great comments and kind words about the book. I'm in the midst of my 40th high school reunion weekend --hence the late replies.

    ReplyDelete