Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Sid! It’s great to be here!
Hey, everyone, my name is Cody Kennedy and I’ll be Sid’s guest blogger on the 17th of each month. To kick off my first post, here’s my official bio.
Raised on the mean streets and back lots of Hollywood by a Yoda-look-alike grandfather, Cody doesn’t conform, doesn’t fit in, is epic awkward, and lives to perfect a deep-seated oppositional defiance disorder. In a constant state of fascination with the trivial, Cody contemplates such weighty questions as, “If time and space are curved, then where do all the straight people come from?” When not writing, Cody can be found taming waves on western shores, pondering the nutritional value of sunsets, appreciating the much maligned dandelion, unhooking guide ropes from stanchions, and marveling at all things ordinary.
It’s all true. Every.Last.Word. Someone asked me recently if I was really born in Hollywood. I answered that I was. They didn’t believe me. Why? I have no idea. I can assure that I was, and was raised by my grandfather who did look like Yoda. Frightening resemblance. Truly frightening. He was a great guy, a prolific author, and some of his novels were turned into films. When I was young, I had the luxury (sometimes not) of being on sets or locations during principal photography.
The reason I say ‘sometimes not’ is that the days are long (f
ourteen to eighteen hours) and you’re often sitting around waiting for the next shot to be set up and that can take HOURS. Once set up, yo
u sit through take after take while the cast practices, then many more times while the director shoots it from every single angle imaginable, and then re-shoots the same scene many times more because the focus puller screwed up, or the lighting was off, or the boom (giant microphone on a pole) veered into the frame. In other words, it’s grueling, boring as an observer, and as a kid I had a hard time sitting still and being quiet while this went on. What was fun? Between takes, I had a blast with the cast and crew.
Thanks to my grandfather, I began writing at the age of seven and haven’t stopped since. I write contemporary romantic fiction for gay young adults and most of my stories center on recovery from bullying or abuse. Two elements that you will always find in my stories are hope and a happily ever after.
I have also written a screenplay or two and given my background and exposure to the film industry, a secondary theme in my stories is ACTION! Hey, if Matt Damon can be Jason Bourne, and Matthew McConaughey can be Dirk Pitt, and the next hottest Hollywood golden boy can be Batman or James Bond, why can’t the characters in my stories be live-action heroes?
In my best-selling novel, Omorphi, Michael will go to any lengths to protect his boyfriend, Christy. This includes everything from a fistfight at school, to dodging bullets, to scaling fences topped with concertina wire in a single bound. Okay, maybe two. Michael protects Christy from the vicious bullies at school, saves him from a homophobic and homicidal teammate, saves him from the leaping flames of a Molotov cocktail, and rescues him from the evil clutches of a past abuser who kidnaps him with the intention of returning him to a life of slavery. Whew! Broke a sweat just writing that paragraph.
That’s me and my stories in a nutshell. Stay tuned for next month’s blog post and don’t be shy. Leave questions below and I’ll be happy to answer them in my next post. Boxers or briefs? Don’t get cheeky.
Hey, go tweet this: #FF @BlogofSidLove @CodyKAuthor and add anyone else you want to the list! Happy Follow Friday everyone! See you back here on Monday, February 17th!
Available from: Harmony Ink Press
Όμορφη. Ómorphi. Greek. Meaning pretty
Pretty. adj. /pritē/ Pleasing by delicacy or grace
~*~
High school senior Michael Sattler leads a charmed life. He’s a star athlete, has great friends, and parents who love him just the way he is. What’s missing from his life is a boyfriend. That’s a problem because he’s out only to his parents and best friend. When Michael accidentally bumps into Christy Castle at school, his life changes in ways he never imagined. Christy is Michael’s dream guy: smart, pretty, and sexy. But nothing could have prepared Michael for what being Christy’s boyfriend would entail.
Christy needs to heal after years of abuse and knows he needs help to do it. After the death of his notorious father, he leaves his native Greece and settles in upstate New York. Alone, afraid, and left without a voice, Christy hides the myriad scars of his abuse. He desperately wants to be loved and when he meets Michael, he dares to hope that day has arrived. When one of Michael’s team-mates becomes an enemy and an abuser from Christy’s past seeks to return him to a life of slavery, only Michael and Christy’s combined strength and unwavering determination can save them from the violence that threatens to destroy their future together. Read an excerpt of Omorphi
Available from: Harmony Ink Press
Caleb had one mission in life.
To keep his boyfriend safe.
They met at ten, kissed at twelve, and were madly in love by eighteen. Caleb Deering is the captain of the swim team and the hottest senior in school. He comes from a loving home with a kind father and a caring, but strict, mother who is battling breast cancer. Nico Caro is small and beautiful, and has a father who rules with an iron fist—literally. One morning Caleb forgets himself, and he pecks Nico on the lips at school. A teacher sees them and tattles to the Headmaster. The accidental outing at school might be the least of their problems, because the ball set in motion by the school’s calls to their parents could get Nico killed. In the face of that very real danger, Caleb knows he has only one mission in life: to keep Nico safe. Read an excerpt of Safe.
Check out Cody’s Blog here. Like Cody on Facebook, find Cody on Goodreads, on Twitter @CodyKAuthor, and read Cody’s free serial story, Fairy.
Other posts by Cody or about Cody’s books on Sid Love’s Blog:
Cody Kennedy on Writing and Attention Deficit Disorder
Film Adaptations: The Bane of Every Readers Existence
Omorphi’s Blog Tour
Safe’s Blog Tour
Elizabetta’s Review of Omorphi
One of my favorite scenes ( so many to choose from ) was the plane at the end.Totally had me feeling like I was watching a movie, talk about climatic lol.
Still envy you the whole Hollywood scene. Still think I could do boring in return for the fun stuff in between LOL.
😀 Deeze, the ending scene in Omorphi with the plane is certainly a suspenseful one and I’m glad the scene gave you imagination candy! LOL! Hollywood is definitely a world of its own! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I really liked Safe and can’t wait for the sequel. I’m adding Omorphi to my wish list – this sounds like another great YA story.
Hey Lisa! Thanks for dropping by! It’s great to see you here and I hope you enjoy Omorphi as much as you did Safe!
Great post! You have lead an incredibly interesting life! So now I know where all the action came from in Omorphi. Wow. I’ll continue to come here and learn more about you and encourage sequels! Write..write..write! LOL
LOL, Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Archie’s Voice! I’m staying calm and WRITING FASTER! 😀
Great post, Cody. More details about life on the backlots of Hollywood would’ve made it even better. I love hearing about filmmaking.
Maybe next month, Michael, we’ll talk a little bit more about the wild and crazy film industry! Thanks for dropping by and commenting!
Cody- I am so glad to know of this part of your background- very interesting. I did notice all of the action in Omorphi and, truthfully, as an author, I thought, “Wow- that much action is out of my writing comfort zone.” I tend to have most of my action going on in my character’s minds because it comes more easily to me. But now knowing your background in movies, I can see how you feel comfortable with describing action in such vivid detail. Looking forward to hearing more from you here!
Hey, Mia! I’m so glad you enjoyed Omoprhi with all of its action! It was fun to write! Can’t wait to see you here again! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Hey, Cody! I really enjoyed your post. I’m so glad that you will be doing this every month. “Omorphi” is such an icredible book! It’s an amazing emotional rollercoaster ride. I really look forward to it’s sequel. Hope you’re having a great day! **HUGS** 🙂
Hey, Jase, I’m so glad you enjoyed Omorphi! The sequel, Tharros, is in the works as we speak! Thanks for dropping by and commenting! See you next month!
Every time I read your bio, it makes me giggle that your grandfather resembled Yoda, Cody. (I love Yoda, BTW.) That does sound really cool, growing up among the Hollywood sets and locations. But how in the world did you ever manage the boredom? My short attention span and difficulty focusing would have gotten me in so much trouble, lol.
Hey, Jade! Because I was exposed to it from a very early age, I had no concept of what “Hollywood” was until my early teens. I thought going to sets and locations, and sitting in studio meetings was merely a day job. 😀 True story. Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Jade!
I have enjoyed both Safe and Omorphi. I can’t wait for the sequel. Your post was wonderful.
Thanks, Damian! I’m so glad you enjoyed the books. The sequel to Omorphi is in the works! Thanks for dropping by and commenting!
Thank you for sharing about your wonderful experiences. It’s wonderful that you have those experiences that make your writing so much more enjoyable for we the readers….*S* I have both of your books on my gotta have list, and hope to be reading them soon. 😉
Hey Pomma! I do hope you have a chance to read my books and I look forward to hearing what you think of them! Thanks for stopping by to comment! Hope to see you here again next month!
Oh Pomma, you’re going to love them!!
Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Dianne!!! You’re the best!
Surfer, huh?! Okay, the movie in my head is playing. *Surfer rescues young man who is struggling swimming to shore after escaping evil man from his yacht*… Action! LOL You start me up and my imagination just takes over. But still… Surfer? Damn, Cody, that, I’d love to see! Hold on, there goes the imagination again taking over! Hahaha!
Love all your posts, hon. (Waiting for Book II of the series!)
Give A Rush
Hey, Rush! If I’m not in the water, I’m on it! Can’t live without it! There’s a story in there! Go write it! I’m so glad you enjoy my books and Tharros is in the works! Thanks for stopping by and commenting! It’s great to see you here!
[…] or about Cody’s books on Sid Love’s Blog: Film Adaptations: The Bane of Every Readers Existence Guest Blogger, Cody Kennedy on Growing Up in Hollywood Omorphi’s Blog Tour Safe’s Blog Tour Elizabetta’s Review of […]
[…] or about Cody’s books on Sid Love’s Blog: Film Adaptations: The Bane of Every Readers Existence Guest Blogger, Cody Kennedy on Growing Up in Hollywood Omorphi’s Blog Tour Safe’s Blog Tour Elizabetta’s Review of […]