The Insider Edition by Tracy Nicole

As The Insider on The Dish Now, I will explore the dynamics of relationships and love in addition to covering the literary world. If anyone had the answer on how to find love and have a perfect relationship they would be on the Forbes List above Oprah! I don’t claim to have the answers but I do know that all women have doubts, fall in love, make mistakes and hope to fall forward instead of backwards.

The mystery of falling in love and living a fairy tale starts younger than you think with those damn happily ever after stories that you start hearing from the time you are two years old. Not only are you being set up for disappointment by people who know better, but you really have no idea that happily ever after is just bullshit!!

Growing up I was always told that you should live by the Golden Rule. Well you might ask, “What exactly is the Golden Rule?” It means you should always treat others how you want to be treated. Now, my young naïve mind interpreted this caveat to mean that people will treat you how you treat them. I truly believed that shit! I really thought if I was nice to people they would be nice to me. If I did something for someone they would return the favor. If I was faithful in a relationship than the other person would be too! Boy, did I have that all wrong.

My entire world came to an end in high school when I found out my boyfriend was talking to another girl on the phone. He actually lied to me. I was devastated. What happened to the Golden Rule? I thought everyone lived by the Rule. That screwed me up and I had to learn to play the game of life. Lucky for me life was really just beginning…

After two engagements, one marriage, two kids, a divorce, and learning how to date (in that order!) all while nurturing my career as a budding new Author, I have dedicated myself to learning more about the complexities of relationships and how they work. I want to know what’s going on in relationships out there. When people share their stories they would be amazed by how many people are going through the same exact situations.

Times have certainly changed with online dating, texting, tweeting, facebooking, etc. As the Insider, I will address the questions that people shy away from discussing like:
• Why do some women think they are exempt from how a man treated another woman?
• How do you get your sexy back in the bedroom after the kids?
• When it comes to relating to your teenager(s), did you know that you speak a different language?
• How close are friends if one lets the other go out looking a ‘Hot Ass Mess’?

Love is an unsolvable mystery that will always find a way to remain a permanent fixture in our lives. What some people forget is that the love has to start within. Love is life; and if you miss love, you miss out on life…

I’m looking forward to discussing all the relationship topics thrown my way and diving into the literary world via a monthly book review on The Dish Now. This is The Insider signing off.

Director's Spotlight on Gary Hardwick

Director’s Spotlight
By Carol West

The ladies of “The Dish Now” recently dropped in on the National Book Club Conference here in Atlanta only to find the extraordinary talent, Gary Hardwick, hard at work. He has directed box offices smashes like “The Brothers” and “Deliver Us From Eva”, but this weekend we found him basking in another one of his many accomplishments as novelist. Gary’s followers loved his earlier mysteries such as “Color of Justice” and “The Executioner’s Game”. However, after listening to an excerpt from his soon to be released “Dark Town Redemption”, faithful fans and newcomers alike will be in for a treat.

His latest novel as he describes it is ‘a nifty little thriller’ that brings together a grand murder mystery set around the uproar of the Vietnam era in Detroit, Michigan. A white rookie, racist cop is set on a collision course with a black soldier (based in part on Hardwick’s own brother) who returns from the Vietnam War only to encounter the brutal murder of his brother. The volatile nature of what was occurring historically in America at that time placed alongside this juicy murder mystery is a recipe for something well worth the read. “Dark Town Redemption” is currently slated for release February 2011.

Additionally, I had an opportunity to sit down with Hardwick and find out just how he came to be this powerful screenwriter, director, and author. He also reveals what he is up to next and how he stays motivated to do all that he does.

Gary Hardwick has been writing since he was a tween growing up in Detroit, Michigan. He was interested in writing at an early age and thought he might consider it as a career some day, but the timeline sped up when at the tender age of eleven, he came across a frightening statistic that said African American males living in his city had a life expectancy of 25 years. To that he calmly retorted “I guess I had better get started then.”

Eight novels, countless screenplays, and television shows later, he is ready to begin shooting another feature film! That’s right people, Hardwick is currently scheduled to begin shooting a romantic comedy, “The Showdown” right here in Atlanta this fall.

For those of you wondering how to achieve even a fraction of the success Hardwick has attained in the world of screenwriting, he offers the following, “Screenwriting is more a discipline than an art. I’m pretty good at understanding what Hollywood wants.” He clearly delivers on that understanding and Hollywood has given a resounding nod of approval.

At the end of all this, I really wanted to know what made this guy get up every day and keep writing and cranking out these successful works of fiction. In an understated, yet intellectual fashion all his own, he smiles and divulges, “I get to create happy endings. It all turns out right because I say so.”

Say so Gary. Say so.