Catch Me If You Can

I recently received a 1-star review for one of my books. All the rest are 4s or 5s. I know exactly who did this. Yes, I have high-tech skills, and yes, I'm a computer hacker, but I'm confused about why this person did this. For me, doing this is stealing. It is the low of lows. Their revenge isn't a victory; it’s a revelation.

I once worked for a man who was suspicious of everyone, and he suspected employees were stealing from him. I was provided a free new car to drive as part of my job, but I had to pay for the gas. One day, I was underneath a huge printer, changing the ribbon, and Mr. Boss came into the parts department and asked the manager, "Is Sandi paying for her gas?" I came out from under the printer and took Mr. Boss aside. "Look," I told him quietly, "if I want to steal from you, I will steal the whole gas truck, not just a few gallons a week. With my computer skills, you'd never find it."

Yes, I am a hacker. I started using computers in the 70s, before most hackers' PARENTS were born! Computer science was my minor in college, and accounting was my major. As a CPA, we know where the money is buried. The IRS provides a 10% reward for turning in cheaters, but if I had ever done that, I'd be writing this from my yacht instead of my Florida home. But CPAs are not like lawyers; if the IRS asks us for information, there is no client/CPA confidence. We have to spill the beans. In fact, we have the responsibility to report fraud. Tax professionals, including Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and tax attorneys, are obligated to report potential instances of tax evasion or fraud by their clients. He once argued with me that 3 years had passed on a questionable deduction - but in cases of fraud, the statute of limitations for assessment of tax never expires. The IRS can go back as many years as it wants to investigate and assess taxes, penalties, and interest. I let my boss know that, and now he had two things to worry about, but theft was his main focus.

Mr. Boss began weekly sessions in which I would tell him various ways I could steal from him. The gas truck theft would be easy, I explained to him. I'm the one who orders and approves the fuel tanks to be filled. I'd issue the purchase order, but then have the gas delivered to one of the parents on a soccer team I coached, who owns a gas station. I'd split it with the guy. A pretty easy way to steal $28,000-$40,000 every few weeks. But I explained to my extremely wealthy boss that there are three types of people. The first type is totally dishonest. They will steal at any opportunity. It is their true nature. But fortunately, most of these people are working the streets, running cons, or sitting in prison. The second group is totally honest. Born honest and raised honest. When they find a twenty-dollar bill, they pick it up and ask around, "Did anyone drop this?" I like to think I am in this group. It is the way my parents raised me. Plus, why would I ever risk everything I have: my CPA license, my home, my family, my freedom –  just to steal? Money has never been a motivator for me. It is only a measure of how much I'm appreciated.

The third group? That's where it gets interesting. They are honest until they're not. Something happens that makes them feel entitled. They feel underpaid or unappreciated. They rationalize. "That person owes me." That's when the trouble starts. I gave a workshop at the annual AICPA conference on employee theft, titled "Catch Me If You Can." I think it is the only CPA workshop where you can't buy a DVD of my presentation. The board was worried employees would use it to steal from their employers! I had so many ideas!

I came up with the title after reading the 1980 book Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale Jr. and journalist Stan Redding. That book inspired the 2002 Spielberg film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. The book describes how Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks – and all before he was twenty-one. It's written in the first person and reads almost like a thriller. Fast-paced and entertaining, Abagnale recounts his various cons and escapes across multiple countries.

Here's where it gets interesting: the book is acknowledged to have been partly fictionalized, and the factual basis for the events has been challenged. Abagnale himself acknowledged issues with accuracy. He stated, "I was interviewed by the co-writer only about four times. I believe he did a great job telling the story, but he also overdramatized and exaggerated parts of it. That was his style and what the editor wanted." More damning, in 2020, journalist Alan C. Logan conducted an in-depth investigation and found documents that contradicted many of Abagnale's claims. Logan's investigation revealed that Abagnale was in Great Meadow Prison in New York between the ages of 17 and 20 (1965-1968). That was the exact time frame during which Abagnale claimed to have committed his most significant scams. So ironically, the greatest con Frank Abagnale may have pulled was convincing the world his cons were real in the first place. Today, he'd probably be a computer hacker.

I'd like to finish with a thought. Is hacking stealing?

I honed my hacking skills when I owned a technology company and received a ransomware demand. I circumvented the hacker and didn't pay the ransom. I have only used my powers for good. Remember, I was raised to be good. But finding out about this 1-star review? I'm not sure I'm at peace with this person. It feels intentional. A type of revenge against me. My best friend wants me to write a "best revenge book" because I have told her so many ways to get a pound of flesh, but maybe I should let it go.

Hey, does anyone want to release an updated "Catch Me If You Can"? The best ideas in Frank's book didn't even make it to the screen, and I have hundreds more. But today, I'm not writing screenplays - I'm creating my own animated series, so I'm going to move on, let it go –  and not let this dark person get inside my head. If you want to see one of my videos that helped me decide to "let it go," please watch my YouTube video - https://youtu.be/LPUMiMM4JE0.

Happy New Year, and more about my web series next month when you catch up with me when you can!

A Hallmark Christmas

This month, my best friend, Laura (right,) visited me for a week. There aren't that many people who knew me as my mother's daughter, so we talked a lot about our mothers. 

My mother loved Christmas – every inch of our home was decorated. She made a magical bonbon – and I'm often asked for the recipe. One problem – I don't have it. My mom never wrote it down before she died unexpectedly, and we lost more that day than her secret ingredients.

As kids, I admired Laura's mother; she was a professional woman and they lived in an immaculate house. When I asked why their sewing machine was in the master bedroom when they had both a family room and a rarely used living room, Laura laughed. Appearances were important in her family and nobody touched their formal living room. In our home, the sewing machine was on the dining room table because we ate in the kitchen. For my family, everything was about functionality. Eating was number one; my mother was an amazing cook - in fact, my maiden name was Cook. Mom's dining room and kitchen looked like a Hallmark movie set during a bonbon contest.

Last month, we welcomed a dashing young man, Luis, from Ecuador into our family when my scientist granddaughter, Vrinda Jerome, became Vrinda Silva. He loves to cook! While up in Jacksonville for the wedding, I watched a marathon batch of Christmas movies. A few months ago I had finished writing my Hallmark-like movie, Christmas Bonbons, which is being shopped by the same Hijacked producer Autumn Bailey (On a Wing and a Prayer with Dennis Quaid.) Hijacked was an adaptation from a true book about the heroes of flight 705. Christmas Bonbons was my first Hallmark structured movie. I loved writing it. The 9-acts and Hallmark "rules" are like catnip to a former programmer like me that loves structures.  For those of you considering a career writing Hallmark Christmas Movies, here's the most common format;

Act 1 -  Setup. The heroine has a happy life, but something is missing.

Act 2 -  Inciting incident. She has to travel somewhere; maybe home for the holidays or a  project for work. Often is is snowing when she gets there.

Act 3. Meet Cute. She arrives - and by chance, she encounters the romantic interest, who can be her long-lost first love or involved in her work project. But it can also be a family friend, or the friendly town vet, or even a guy that sells Christmas trees.

Act 4. Debate - as her situation gets more challenging and that frustrating romantic interest is always just there, resulting in many more encounters where the guy makes himself useful, and sometimes frustrates her and she wants to leave, but she has to finish something first.

Act 5. Almost kiss -  they begin to enjoy spending time together. This is also where they touch accidentally, or look into each other's eyes - and then,  one of them says awkwardly, "I should go..." something isn't right about them being together as they almost kiss.

Act 6. Fun and games. They finally get over that reason why things are awkward, find themselves in a snow ball fight, or trying to decorate a tree, or make cookies, and get interrupted right before their lips meet. Sometimes there is a town contest for the best decoration of some sort and they compete.

Act 7. BUT - something is wrong; he said/she said - misunderstandings, rumours, and she thinks she should go back home because she's afraid - or he doesn't seem to feel the same way about her..

Act 8. Finally – one of them, has the courage to tell the other how they really feel thanks the classic mentor who often is wearing a Santa Hat. Feelings are real, they are falling in love! She maybe decides to move back home, or he's going to move to where she lives. A new life is beginning. Their life together matters.

Act 9. They live happy ever after and the whole family (or town) joins them around the Christmas tree for a group picture or singing a Christmas carole.

There are also some of the Hallmark traits and rules;

1. No words like crazy, hate, NO profanity

2. Christmas in almost every scene

3. NO religion

4. Must decorate a Christmas tree

5. Theme uplifting

6. Make Christmas food like cookies

7. No sex scenes

8. Few displays of affection

9. One snowball fight

10. One kiss at the end

11. Must have a happy ending.

I'm not sure my Christmas Bonbons is a perfect script yet, I probably have some rewrites it its future, but I also and I haven't given up trying to recreate that bonbon recipe of my mom's. The difference between a writer and a professional writer is that a professional never gives up. I'd write more this month, but today I'm getting down my Christmas decorations from the attic. I love Christmas.

Chasing Chickens

How many of you can say that you have a picture of yourself holding a chicken?
 
My parents raised chickens, and I'd often be the "go-to person" to catch the chickens that escaped from the chicken house. It was an important job because if nightfall came -  the coyotes would get them. 

I was a fast kid with boundless energy - so my parents thought I was the perfect person for the job -- or they just wanted me out of the house!

I could either chase, chase after them until they tired - I've always been overactive, or I could surround them by making various mazes and traps. 

My parents owned an avocado ranch and there were hundreds of wooden boxes stored next to the chicken house. I was a smart kid, so after a few tries at outrunning the chickens, I started building traps to corner the intelligence-challenged birds. That worked. It was easier and more efficient.

I found in my first 20 years of screenwriting that chasing my dream of getting to see my name up on the big screen is a lot like chasing chickens. I've been writing and writing and not catching any producers, agents, or managers. I was getting tired. 

Two years ago - I had the resources I needed - a "fixed" income  after selling my software company, which meant I didn't have to chase after clients and investors, and I had the funds, although limited - to spend on my "boxes." 

Since I don't have unlimited funds, I create a budget each month of what I can spend. I've been using my children's book writing, screenplay contests, listing services, pitching fees, editors, marketing, experts etc., as my boxes and now with a manager - I think that chicken is almost surrounded! I'm very close to getting a writing gig for adapting an amazing book. 

Tune in next month to learn more.

Did I catch the chicken?  I like to think so, but upon reflection of my childhood, I think the fun was in the chase and planning, setting up my boxes - doing the work - and, of course, running. A big part of life is to always be chasing the chickens!

How to Choose?

My manager is taking a few of my scripts to the Cannes Film Festival next month. The problem is that I have thirteen feature scripts ready to go, and she can only showcase three of them in her book that goes out to 500+ producers, studios, etc. How to choose? Thank goodness that is not my problem; she's the professional and will figure it out. I've been working with Alexia since February, and the first thing she does it send the scripts with the most marketability out for coverage. The person who does the coverage reads the script - maybe a few times and ranks it on a score of 1-10.  A score of  1-4 means to Pass on the script. A better score of 5-7 earns a Consider, and the best score of 8-10 - means that the executive should Read the script. I have two so far that have earned a 9 and four that are 7s. Three more are on the way to getting coverage. At first, I thought a 7 was a low score since I was thinking 70% on a test, but it is actually pretty good to be a "Consider" and outstanding to be a 9. 

The next process is to get a professional pitch deck created. The first thing that I do is to structure out the script and write a pitch. That sometimes causes some rewriting because when I'm telling the story in the form of a pitch - something might stand out as being in the wrong place. This pitch is then put into Canva, and off it goes to a designer who makes it look amazing. My pitch deck guru is Annalisa Giolo Dunker of https://www.betterearthproductions.com/. You can see her work on my new website - SandraJerome.com.

You might wonder how I can have so many unsold scripts. Easy - I've been writing for a long time, but only been a full-time screenwriter for a year. If you've been following me, you might remember that I retired two years ago, so what have I been doing for the other year?  After I retired, I thought I wanted to be a novelist. I spent a year learning how to write kidlit - middle-grade and young adult books. I wrote three of them, joined SCBWI and attended seminars and workshops. I started querying agents and publishers and did get a few requests for my books. But one problem - the publishing business is extremely slow. A typical wait time is six months before you get a response to a query - if ever. That doesn't stop me - I'm working on my 4th novel, but I remembered fondly that when I first started writing screenplays, there were many, many contests to enter. I'd get immediate feedback on my work. Plus, I needed a hobby while I was waiting be be a famous novelist. What do I like to do in my spare time?  You guessed it - storytelling!  There is no easier way to tell a story than a screenplay. It is like writing computer programming (my trained profession.) Lots of instructions to the talent and dialogue. 

I trained professionally to be a screenwriter two decades ago. I graduated from UCLA's advanced screenwriting program but then tragedy struck, and I had to abandon my dream of writing movies. Those who know me well know what happened and what I accomplished - including helping to raise my four granddaughters. Now that "my watch" is over and I'm writing full-time - the timing is perfect for a great 2025. The existing IP concept is huge. Studios prefer to reduce their risk by greenlighting a project based on something already "out there."  I have books already published and now I'm writing a book based on my most highly-ranked screenplay, Blood Moon Wolf. My "job" and hobby have joined together.  In addition, producers also want projects based on material in the public domain, and I'm working on a historical screenplay based on a book by Lady Churchill, Jennie Jerome, Keith's fourth cousin, twice removed. I'm also writing my 2nd Christmas movie and I'm thinking that might be my passion - I love Christmas. The acorn didn't fall from the tree because my mother was Christmas-crazy. I miss her so much.

Getting back to my huge inventory of completed projects, during the past two decades, I flew hundreds of thousands of miles and writing my screenplays and novels kept me company. I might be stuck in the middle of nowhere, far away from my family - but my characters were always with me - even when I was alone. I could drop my mind into their world and get away from the yucky hotel, cramped airplane, or stressful job. Then, I'd enter scripts into contests, get feedback, then rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. I read recently that quantity does equate to quality when it comes to screenplays. If you keep writing and rewriting – you get better. I know so many screenwriters who only have 1-2 scripts, and they are precious to them. They only want certain producers and platforms to take on their projects and expect millions. I don't think that - I want my work to be aired - streaming, network, turned in TV - even YouTube! I plan to write 100 screenplays by the time I'm a hundred. Based on the ten thousand outliner hours that I've spent so far, I'm on the way there, and I have one sold and in production, with another two being optioned and a manager taking a few to Cannes. Better get back to writing - lots more to say before next month. Here's my IMDB page - Sandi Jerome

Writing is Life

My first blog was almost four years ago when I decided to retire and become a full-time writer.  It was about my high school sport, field hockey.  My husband Keith taught me how to play soccer after we got married since he was All-CIF soccer in high school and his favorite sport of ice hockey was nothing like what I had played – but soccer was. It was so much easier to kick the big soccer ball instead of hitting a tiny hockey ball with a stick. Soccer has a similar field, rules, and goal as field hockey. But Keith insisted I learn to kick with my foot instead of my toe. Not only does this prevent you from breaking your toe, but it gives your kick more speed and control. 

Over the years, soccer has been a big part of our lives. We’ve been to Olympic soccer games, along with NWSL games. We’ve seen greats like Marta, Abby Wambach, and Megan Rapinoe, but the best was watching our four granddaughters play.  Each girl was an amazing player – inside and out. Soccer is also a fun game.

We loved managing and coaching soccer teams and even the most athletically-challenged child can play.  It isn’t like baseball where they go to bat – all alone - and strike out.  Instead, young soccer players get so many chances to get their foot on the ball, especially in youth soccer where the team can swarm together around the field like a beehive. Keith would smile when he’d spot a young girl more interested in a little tiny flower growing on the field instead of paying attention to the game. She was having fun!

When I played on adult teams - mostly over-30 women’s indoor soccer, I’d constantly remind my teammates that nobody was getting paid and we all had to get to work the next day, so let’s be careful out there. It needs to be fun.  At that time, there were no professional women’s teams but today that has all changed.  The world of women’s professional soccer, especially the NWSL is exciting and lucrative for some of the players and owners.  It is still called soccer in this country instead of football like the rest of the world, but it is fun.  One of my favorite scenes in Ted Lasso is when the new player, Dani Rojas screams “Football is Life!” But for me, writing is life.

My latest script, AimMe Coach, is almost done.  It was originally a one-hour dramedy like Ted Lasso called Aim Me, but I worked with an amazing mentor – Kris Crenwelge as part of the Native American Media Alliance fellowship that I won.  She is a staff writer on True Lies and is currently in the Native American showrunner fellowship. Kris suggested that I cut out half of the characters and make it a network half-hour comedy.  That meant removing half of what writers like to call “their darlings.”  Gosh, that was hard since I killed off my main character.  But surprisingly, that left the hero to be my Native American character, Suby Mankiller, and back full circle to my granddaughters.  My youngest and strongest is named Suby and is in the bottom left of this picture. She packs a lot of dynamite into her petite body.

This picture sort of brings everything full circle for me.  I quit writing twenty years ago after graduating from UCLA’s screenwriting program when tragedy struck and Keith and I had four little granddaughters to help raise.  I put my dreams on hold and had a new objective to earn enough money in the technology industry to support our daughter-in-law getting certified as a teacher and those amazing little girls.

I had also taken a bad hit in my right eye with a soccer ball and had a partially detached retina and poor vision to contend with.  But with big monitors and dozens of surgeries, I do pretty well – just don’t ask me to drive at night!  My lack of depth perception makes playing sports difficult, so I walk a lot instead, at least a 5K a day and lots of yoga. 

For me, writing is life – I feel like Dani Rojas, each morning – excited to get up and write, write, write.  If you want to see my YouTube about Aim Me (the hour-long version)  here’s the link and I hope to have the ½ version done soon. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx_8Ja4anZU7427aV5A98VQUPYtmdfWJc 

https://nama.media/sandi-jerome/

Finding Your Own Happiness and the Japanese Diet

 

My granddaughter, Chandra was born in Hawaii. When it came time for her first birthday,  her parents didn't have a lot of money, so they gave her the gift of happiness for her birthday.  They made sure for the full day that she got whatever she wanted and didn't cry.  She got her favorite foods, picked up whenever she wanted, hugged, and lots of kisses.  After lunch, they took her for a ride in her little wagon along the road from their house in Aikahi Park to the beach where she loved to see the ducks along Aikahi Loop.

When I lived to Hawaii, I found it one of the happiest places on earth.  Our first house was on Hauoli Street in Kailua town - Hauʻoli means happy in Hawaiian. Keith recently remarked that his happiest times in Hawaii were walking with me along Lanikai Beach that was a block away.  The song, White Sandy Beach of Hawaiʻi by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole still pulls us back to those times.  Why is Hawaii a happy place? Maybe it is because so many people are there on vacation or maybe it is the spirit of Aloha.  One of the things that delighted me in Hawaii was the Asian cuisine.  I worked for Mike McKenna who was one of the first investors of Roy's Restaurants and friends with the founder, Roy Yamaguchi.  We'd eat often at the original Roy's in Hawaii Kai  where there is a tribute to Mike on the wall as you walk in.  Whenever we would dine there, Roy would come to the table wearing a McKenna Windward Ford baseball cap and prepare some special new dish for us to try.  Roy's blend of Asian and Hawaiian cuisine help me discover the  Japanese diet.  

The Japanese word for happiness is Kōfuku which means; euphoria, bliss, blessedness, satisfaction, beatitude.  The Japanese diet is a focus on satisfaction.  The Japanese Diet is the reason that Japan has some of the longest life expectancies in the world.  But what is less well known is that Japanese women have the lowest rates of obesity (only 2.9%) in modern cultures.  Naomi Moriyama writes in her book, Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat that the basic elements of the Japanese approach to eating is “not a diet plan but a whole new way of falling in love with food”.  The emphasis is on small portions of fresh seasonal food.  We need to value quality over quantity and to eat slowly so as to appreciate the flavors of the food and reach a feeling of satisfaction with less food.  I like to call my plan the ELF plan - or  eat less food.  I eat whatever I want, but less of it.

The Japanese put a great deal of emphasis on visual presentation and making the food look beautiful and appealing to the eye.   I recently made a new dish called frushi that I discovered at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.  It is sort of a cantaloupe/pineapple sushi.

https://recipesofdisney.com/frushi/

 Here are the basic plan of what I eat;

Fish - salmon.  I prepare a nice salmon filet for our Sunday brunch and then use fresh wild canned salmon to make "tuna salad" with vegan mayo, mustard, celery, and pickles.

Vegetables - lots of kale and sweet potato that I grow organically in my yard.

Rice (preferably brown) but I also like sticky rice and risotto.  

Soy (tofu, miso soup, soy sauce) and frozen vegan Gardein products made from soy, but I try to stick to more unprocessed food.

Fruit such as apples, grapes, and watermelon.

Green tea.  It is hot in Florida, so each morning I brew 2 cups of green tea, add stevia, then pour into 6 Rubbermaid-BPA free 16 oz water bottles filled 90% with water, then put in the refrigerator to give me an all day source of water and green tea.

The diet also recommends noodles, but I haven't figure that out yet, but plan to add it later since  I know it has lots of carbs and I'm still trying to burn fat with 10 more pounds to go.  I avoid the 8 bad fats and use only olive, coconut, and avocado oil.

Dairy and bread are not part of my diet and when I do eat pork, beef and chicken they are regarded more as a special treat rather than the main focus of the meal. Fresh fruit is my preferred dessert however if a richer dessert is eaten it is in very small quantities.  I often get the latest cupcake at Disney World to sample it, but I cut it open, then eat a few bites. 

I am truly happy; probably the happiest I have been in my life.  I run/walk each day, do yoga, and strength building exercises.  I have lost 40 pounds and have 10 more to go.  I think my diet and health are a big part of this, but more importantly, I have found my own bliss.  I no longer look to others to make me happy for the day, I keep myself happy.

Visit my website for info on my books - https://www.sandijerome.com/