Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

RIP Mike Wallace

I’m a “60 Minutes” fan and watch every Sunday night, but the show hasn’t been the same since Wallace retired. And now his death has triggered a host of memories of the interviews he did over the years. Nobody put a “guest” in the hot seat like he did. From politicians and corporate types to mobsters and celebrities, he asked all the questions I wanted to ask but would never have had the nerve.

I think my favorite was the Streisand interview.

I was squirming in my living room during that one, but it was compelling television.

Wallace was a newsman, and he always tried to get at the truth. Not a bad legacy.

The Grammys: Random Thoughts

For starters, I need to vent about CBS’ decision to tape delay the show for those of us on the west coast. WHY? Well, I know why. God forbid they should shelve their money-maker, “60 Minutes,” for a week or air it after the Grammys. Somehow, the Oscars, Globes and Super Bowl always manage to broadcast their events in real time for us Left Coasters.

On to the good stuff.

* LL Cool J did a nice job as host. He transitioned smoothly from the prayer for Whitney Houston to a celebration of the year’s best in music.

* I hated the Foo Fighters and had to leave the room when they were performing. They “made my ears bleed,” as the saying goes.

* Excellent duet by Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt in tribute to Etta James. Well done, ladies.

* Not-so-excellent duet (or whatever it was) by Rihanna and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. What I did enjoy was Rihanna, period. She’s electric and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Chris Martin, on the other hand, sounded like a cat in heat.

* Bruno Mars’ number was great. I was on my feet dancing the whole time.

* Why does Tony Bennett still look the same? Isn’t he like 90 years old?

* I loved the Civil Wars! Their “Hunger Games” soundtrack intro of Taylor Swift made me want to see the movie.

* Speaking of Taylor Swift, she’s flat out adorable. My only quibble was with the staging. I can’t stand when the microphone blocks a singer’s face/mouth.

* The Beach Boys’ reunion was…odd. I wasn’t sure if Brian Wilson knew what was going on, except for his occasional “Bop Bop Bop”s.

* I’m thrilled for Sir Paul McCartney that he’s found love again, but his Valentine song was something I could have written….when I was 10. Luckily, he came back with a winning closing number to the show with lyrics that had special meaning because of Whitney Houston’s death.

* Jennifer Hudson’s own nod to Houston was very moving in its simplicity. She’s seen her own heartbreak and loss, so I found her rendition of “I Will Always Love You” poignant and memorable.

* Adele is so refreshing. She doesn’t look or act or sing like every other young female pop artist, and deserves all the awards she got. Talk about a sweep.

* I wish Glen Campbell well. He doesn’t have an easy road ahead of him.

My Debut As A Soap Opera Writer

As the credits were rolling after today’s airing of “The Bold and the Beautiful,” I snapped a screen shot of my name on the “Written By” card. See it at the bottom of the list? It’s blurry, but it’s there.

This was my first stab at writing for a daytime drama, and I was so excited when I heard my script was actually being used.

Well, some of it was. It turns out that my script ran extremely long and needed to be cut. What’s more, there were scenes that were revised and lines that were re-written. I didn’t expect otherwise. I was a complete novice and it was just a blast getting the opportunity to have actors speak my words.

Fun fun fun!

 

 

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About Jane Heller

Jane Heller is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her fourteen breezy, witty novels of romantic comedy and suspense are now entertaining millions of readers around the world, along with her two books of nonfiction.