My first realization, that I was really in Las Vegas, was when our plane touched down. The realization as to why I was there set in as I walked through the MGM Grand hallway into the convention center all dressed in my finery with the person who was the whole reason for my story in the first place - my sweetheart, my best friend, my husband, by my side. The walls were adorned with dozens of large pictures of all the great names that had graced this place. Some of the photographs that I recall were, Sting, Robin Williams, Aerosmith, Jimmy Buffet, Carrie Underwood and so many more. It all felt surreal as a piece of music entered my thoughts of how I was feeling at that very moment. I have put the link to the music below so you can feel what I was feeling. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-DpLqrNUIg&feature=related. The sounds of the people, the lights, the music and the rush of the unknown, danced vivaciously around me – yet I found my focus to remain professional and of all else – Calm.
As my husband and I arrived at the registration location at about 5:10pm. Immediately I was asked to review and sign a contact that gave the agency authorization to utilize any video footage that may be captured during the event, which I did agree too. I was given a name tag and a folder that housed all of my scheduled event details and then, who knows why, maybe to sweeten the deal, there were two boxes of candy, which my husband enjoyed tremendously. Last thing I needed was to suffer a sugar overload as I tried to deal with the rush of adrenaline that pretty much kept its grips on me until the closing of the event. It was like being a kid again, sitting up on Christmas Eve waiting with the wonderment if you would see Santa Claus. Hoping that he was real and if he was real what gift would he leave you. My concerns, in all of this craziness – Would someone really want to make my story a movie?
As I finished signing in, we were directed to the location of the meet and greet cocktail party. I was calm again, when I turn and my husband stood before me with one of his very special smiles. It was then I knew deep down, even though he doesn’t like to stand out or get dressed up with all kinds of bling, he was happy to be there and was proud that we had come this far as I had seen that smile many times through-out the years when we were faced and overcame many challenges in our lives and our marriage.
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| I didn’t want to be rude and take pictures, so here is a picture of the room the day after. We used it as a pitch practice room the next day. |
As we crested the top of the escalator to the party, you could hear the sounds of low toned conversations and laughter. “Here you go lady” I thought. “You can do this!” As my husband and I walked through the doors, a very elegant setting met our eyes. Candles dressed the long black table clothes that were draped over tall standing tables and tables with chairs. To either side of the room were to bars that were stocked with wine and top shelf liquor. I will say that my mind had gone blank when the bartender asked what we wanted. My husband went with his favorite, Bud Light. For me, I had initially asked for an amaretto sour, but then changed my mind last minute and decided on a screwdriver – delicious! We chose to stand around one of the intimate type bar tables. I was too nervous to sit. I had done my research, and watched the door, as if I was on an undercover mission. When the men of the hour would walk into the room, I’d know exactly who they were – and I did. In the middle of the room, a large stage and a large oak podium with the MGM Grand Lion insignia crested in gold on the front of it. For the back drop, it couldn’t have gotten any grander.
Now try to imagine the above photograph during an evening setting. Soft mood lighting shown down from the ceiling above, candlelit tables and then the floor to ceiling windows with the view of the MGM Grand Resort and its magnificent illumination shining through. Waiters in black uniforms as sophisticated as a tuxedo, carried silver platters of hour dorves while they walked around the room serving people. I was in an aura of amazement. Shortly after 6:00 PM, the men of the hour walked into the room. Actor - Marcus Chait, King of Pitch - Robert Kosberg and VP Marketing Director of Author Solutions - Keith Ogorek, who was the person I worked with on Saturday to enhance my pitch before meeting with the executives. The three of them and the associates that, I assume, helped to put this event together, mingled in a small cliquish circle of importance. They eventually branched out and made their way around the room, and the bar. Smile. Hey, that is the first place I went when I entered the room. Guess a drink in my hand kept my thoughts at bay? Nah. A few minutes before the introductions began my husband’s phone rang. You could see his look of utter shock and a face that said, "Who the Hell is calling me?"Adak, and suddenly to hear a voice that helped me through the worst of times with my command, immediately took my thoughts right back to the island. It was a Supervisor and fellow Seabee from the Adak, Public Works paint shop that I had worked with for about a year. He had heard about my current book-to-screen endeavor and was calling to wish me luck. Again, trying to be polite so that people would stop staring at me, I stayed professional and thanked him for the well wishes, but that it wasn’t a good time to talk and we’d chat again soon. The eyes of the room returned to other subjects when I ended my call and turned the phone off.
My husband could tell that I had been knocked off my foundation for a moment and with a supportive voice told me not to fret and get back in the game. That it wasn’t a mystical sign or some phenomenon of what things good or bad could happen over the weekend. That people really do care and want to see this be just as successful as we do and that I needed to stop letting the past keep me from moving forward. Yes, there are still days when the battle to marry my husband, even though we were from two different commands on a remote island in the Bering Sea and fighting an illness in the military will haunt me and the more I try to block the bad, I understand that good things and good people were and always will be a part of our lives. Standing there I felt like I was in a glass box screaming and nobody could hear me. I guess that is a possible P.T.S.D. symptom, that doctors casually suggest that maybe I should seek attention for, shining through. I was overwhelmed, scared and filled with an extreme amount of self-doubt. Like clock work, when I started to sense a twinge of fear, I began to play my ever popular game of – What if, in my head. My thoughts “What if I mess up my pitch? What if I forget what to say? What if…and then it happened. I hear the sweetest voice whisper into my ear, “you’ve seen this in your dreams Stacey, and it’s your time to shine. What are you so afraid of? You can do this. ” My breath was gone, but I could breath. The room was empty, but it was full. I was alone, but people were around me. “Nana” I mouthed softly as I felt a ghostly hand placed upon my forearm and then it was gone. In that moment, I became grounded and knew why I was there and no matter how long the journey would be before me, I am following a dream to go from three important men in my life, to four - My husband of now 20 years, my two sons and a little golden man named Oscar. I love you Nana and I miss you so much.
Now what was supposed to be a meet and greet, for 90 minutes, turned into a multi-mass of authors all with the same topic – When would they start getting paid. Even one gentleman was brazen enough to express that he had paid a lot of money to attend this event, how much more would he have to pay before his book started paying him, to which Mr. Orgorek replied “You shouldn’t have to pay anything. If people want you, it shouldn’t cost you anything,” which was a comment that was an immediate red flag in my husband’s mind, but kept his comments to himself for a private discussion between the both of us later. For me, I didn't feel that this was the time and place for anyone to question sales, money, success, stardom or what have you. How shocked we were when what they had planned for this social was clearly going over. How rude. Didn’t people understand that was what the Saturday morning presentation, with Mr. Kosberg, was all about? Now please don’t take offense to what I write, with 100 or so at this particular part of the two day event, it must have been about a dozen or so that kept this train of many questions steaming onward. My husband and I, had gotten all of this information before we had even left for Vegas. I personally knew exactly what the scheduled and times were and where I was to be on what day. I am anal about details and fearing this event may or may not be on the up and up, I grilled the agents at the publishing company for all details including the guest speakers so that I do as much research as I could before we left. Even with knowing the layout of the event, I had planned for the evening to run a little past its time when I purchased dinner and show tickets in the New York, New York, casino weeks in advance. We decided that since we had purchased the dinner and show tickets for later that night, and they were nonrefundable, 7:30, whether things were wrapped up or not, we were out of there. Finally one of the guest speakers remarked that this could all be addressed in the morning and wished everyone a great evening. Mr. Chait and Mr. Kosberg were immediately inundated with a line full of endless questioning. I felt bad for them, even though I am sure they would say – It’s all part of the business. I decided that I would not cater to this, I walked ahead of people in the lines, I extended my hand to both men individually and took a professional approach by thanking them for taking time out of their busy schedules to help assist with our dreams of our stories becoming more. They smiled, guess it was nice to just have someone generally thankful they were there and be content with that. However, my feeling on inside - I was trilled to know that I was going on a romantic date with my hunky husband to Gallagher’s Steakhouse and then to see the Vegas show Zumanity.
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On Saturday morning at 8:00 AM the event started with a three hour presentation given by Mr. Kosberg, then we would go upstairs to pitch our book ideas to either Mr. Chait, Mr. Kosberg or Mr. Ogorek, then we would be let go for an hour lunch. I was in the group with Mr. Ogorek. Now I had already gotten my pitch written long before I ever arrived in Las Vegas, and trust me when I say how speechless I was to find that of the fifty people in my group, about a dozen were not fully prepared. But again, that was the reason behind this gathering before meeting with the executive. I found myself going against my original pitch, which I think could have hurt me. What I knew by memorization was now changed in areas that I needed to read from a page when I finally got my chance to Pitch my story. The Original pitch read as follows and I know this by heart:
Through the Barracks Window: A Time of Waves
By: Stacey L. Bolin
A shy naive girl from picturesque New England follow’s a premonition about a mysterious military man in a red van needing her help. She is enthralled into a military life that forces her to face a war like none other. Her war is the choice between fighting the government or her cancer. Her choice – both! With her new found G.I. Jane Strength, she triumphs over tragedy while unlocking the mystery to her premonition and finds her love of a lifetime.
***
When I sat before Mr. Ogorek in the center of the room, it was a sheer Deja Vu moment all over again. I had seen this, I had sat here, I had seen him before, but only in my dreams. How strange I felt, and yet, I was comforted. Without hesitation, I began. I spoke not only to him, but to the on lookers in the room as well, making eye contact with anyone willing to hear me. To close my pitch I had added, "The best part of the whole story is that I am now 18 years remission and I still have and still deeply in love with my mystery man and he still has his red van." When I was done, I was at a loss for words. As my husband would say with joy - SHE IS SILENCED! IT'S A MIRACLE! Smile. Mr. Ogorek simply remarked, “No need to worry about being emotional, we've had a lot of that here today. That's what happens when you talking about a true story and you’re the person who went through the hardships in the story. From my professional stand point, there is nothing to change with your pitch. Leave it just the way it is.” He went on to ask about the man in the red van, to which I had remarked, that my mystery man is here with me today, but he’s in a red mustang driving the Las Vegas Blvd. I forgot we opted for the blue Mustang when the agent said the red gets a lot of attention from the Vegas police, especially with a California tag on it.
Mr. Ogorek and the others in the room chuckled. He went on to ask if my husband could come back and join him for lunch as he wanted to hear more about the 1964 Ford Falcon 4 on the tree, red van. As soon as our group was done, I quickly got on the phone to update my hubby with the great news and the request for his presence at lunch – which was not open to the public or guest of the individuals attending the “Pitch fest” event. For some reason, when I called him, I could not hear him very well, but he could hear me fine. I told him how things went and that he was asked to join us for lunch, but if he couldn’t make it, I would certainly understand and I meant that most sincerely and I was so happy that he was off having fun, not stuck in the hotel watching TV. I could not hear a reply and figured he was out on an exploratory adventure somewhere in Vegas. I was kind of right. He was to off to explore – the "Hooters" Casino across the street and that when I called he was in a blocked signal area just leaving the MGM Grand. He had called me earlier in the day driving the strip and went to Pawn Stars. I just assumed he was still on the road with the bad signal he had. Don’t worry fella’s, both he and I got to go to Hooters Saturday night, but don’t get so excited there is more to this tale later in the story.
Mr. Ogorek and the others in the room chuckled. He went on to ask if my husband could come back and join him for lunch as he wanted to hear more about the 1964 Ford Falcon 4 on the tree, red van. As soon as our group was done, I quickly got on the phone to update my hubby with the great news and the request for his presence at lunch – which was not open to the public or guest of the individuals attending the “Pitch fest” event. For some reason, when I called him, I could not hear him very well, but he could hear me fine. I told him how things went and that he was asked to join us for lunch, but if he couldn’t make it, I would certainly understand and I meant that most sincerely and I was so happy that he was off having fun, not stuck in the hotel watching TV. I could not hear a reply and figured he was out on an exploratory adventure somewhere in Vegas. I was kind of right. He was to off to explore – the "Hooters" Casino across the street and that when I called he was in a blocked signal area just leaving the MGM Grand. He had called me earlier in the day driving the strip and went to Pawn Stars. I just assumed he was still on the road with the bad signal he had. Don’t worry fella’s, both he and I got to go to Hooters Saturday night, but don’t get so excited there is more to this tale later in the story.
I felt my breath steal away when I came down the stairs and there my sexy cowboy man stood. I felt bad that he chose to give up his plans to go to Hooters, to come and eat a, not so great, lunch. My husband is a steak and potato's man, if you have to look up the name of something before you eat it, most likely, he's NOT going to try it let alone, going to eat it. If he does, he'll pretend to enjoy it all while wondering how much he can hold in his mouth before excusing himself to spit it out in the restroom. For myself, I do pretty good with all kinds of foot presentations, but even this one was a bit to be desired. My only thought, "It came from the MGM Grand Buffet." How relieved he was when I told him, "if you don't like it, please don't eat it. Trust me, I understand". Now because everyone wanted Mr. Ogoreks attention to improve their pitch, the request for a lunch get together never took place, but they met up later in the day when I went in to deliver my pitch.
Finally the time had come, the most important time of the whole trip - 3:05PM. There I sat with seven other hopefuls waiting for their one big break, before I knew it the door opened and a voice said, "We are ready to see you all now." I took a big breath and said to everyone in the line, "Good Luck Everyone. Here we go." To be Continued....
Like any writer, we all save the best part for last. I'm sure you didn't expect a part four and were surprised to see the words, To be Continued...Join me tomorrow for the Final Chapter of "Could a Dream Come True - Twice?" and find out for yourselves what happens. Did I get a movie offer? Will it be a Movie of the Week? Did anyone like my pitch? And the question on most men's minds..."What Happened at Hooters?" Thanks for reading and I'll blog you tomorrow. :)
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