Bonny Lass~ A Scottish mystery writer and best-selling novelist who has attended the wine festival while vacationing & found herself in the home overnight when the body was discovered
Bud Wizer~ An FBI agent assigned to investigate Barry’s disappearance. Bud is a beer drinking man with no appetite for wine. He’s determined to put a cap on this unsolved mystery.
Originally Barry’s bodyguard, after his disappearance Brix stayed on to protect the estate and has become Ralph’s de facto bodyguard. His gruff mannerisms can be off-putting, and nobody is sure if he even likes the new owner
Champ Magnum~ A private investigator hired (by whom?) to figure out what happened to Barry. Gregarious and charming, he’s been hanging around for years, but he seems to be more interested in getting to the bottom of a wine bottle than the bottom of the mystery.
Charlotte Donay~ An “influencer” with a taste for the expensive, both in wine and in men. Char is a flirt but she might also be a genius. She claims to have invented a new type of corkscrew that is “sharper and twistier”, however it is supposedly tied up in litigation.
Hedy Shablee~ The owner of the neighboring vineyard and a fierce competitor of the Underwoods. Barry’s disappearance has uncorked a new vintage of troubles for unhappy Hedy.
Marilyn Merlot~ Marilyn was crowned Wine Princess at the festival 5 years ago, then went on to become a Hollywood movie star. She’s returned to Napa Valley for the Wine Festival and to gloat over her success.
Otto Von Schnapps~ A German wine merchant. Boisterous & fun-loving Otto attends festivals around the globe, buying the best vintages for distribution in Europe. It is said Ott’s preference for red or white can be influenced by green.
Papa Vito~ Brought over from Italy 60 years ago by Barry’s grandfather to develop Underwood Wine Estates, Papa Vito has devoted his life to the vineyards. Now he just wants to retire and drink a little vino in the afternoon.
Ralph Rottingrape~ Barry’s first cousin and heir-apparent to the Underwood Estates. Long considered the black sheep of the family, Ralph took over as manager after Barry’s disappearance and has been running things his way ever since.
Rose’ Bordeaux~ A wine columnist with a taste for gossip, Rose’s column often features more scandal than sommeliers. She’s chatty, always digging for the next scoop of dirt.
Tiny Bubbles~ Barry’s fiancée at the time of his death. Perky & pretty, Tiny has an effervescent personality & razor-sharp mind. She is now married to the new winery owner, Ralph.
Sir Yale Kristof Oratorio – Winner of 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award~~Hollywood Producer and Director Sir Yale Kristof Oratorio is one of the most feared and revered persons in the Industry. He is known for his obsessive commitment to excellence and tyrannical control of the minutest details not just in his movies but on the entire film set. Rumor says he once ordered a caterer to be executed for failing to provide enough sesame seeds on his bagel. Nobody actually killed the guy, but he never catered in Hollywood again. His latest movie, Try & Die 5: Keep on Trying, hit number one the first weekend it was released and stayed there for three weeks, pushing his lifetime earnings well over a billion dollars and already garnering Oscar buzz. Sir Yale has hinted that the movie he currently has in production will be the pinnacle of his success and his farewell gift to the industry before he retires.
Alison Andretti – Top female director and producer in the U.S., Alison is known for being fast talking, hard working, tough as nails, but with a soft heart. Her most recent film, To Bridge The Space Between Us, was the movie that knocked Try & Die 5 out of the top spot. Alison is quickly making her way to the top of a very male dominated industry and not everyone likes that. But she has a quick smile and has always said that her motto is “Kill them with kindness”.
Craig Daniels – The star of the Try & Die movie franchise, Craig Daniels is everything a movie super spy should be. He’s suave, cultured, and can kill with more than just his looks. Although he had some success in years past, it was his breakout performance in the first Try & Die that garnered him a People’s Choice Award, which was followed up by an Oscar for Try & Die 2, Try A Little Harder, and nominations for each film since.
Dexter Mascherada – This self-made studio mogul learned Hollywood from the ground up and knows every facet of the industry, plus he is good to the people who work for him. This has made him one of the most popular directors in Hollywood over the last decade. Known for the lavish spreads he insists upon for his cast and crew, and extravagant gifts for his movie stars, Dexter is the epitome of the hard working, down to earth guy who happens to be a millionaire.
Ephraim Joaquin – Although he was raised in Southern California, Ephraim prefers to play up his international heritage to demonstrate how worldly, sophisticated, and intelligent he is. His striking good looks carry most of his movies, as the large majority of them are done in Hebrew or Yiddish with English subtitles, something he has the luxury of doing thanks to his earnings and Oscar for his first English speaking role in The Silence Speaks a Thousand Words.
Fiona Plie – From Broadway to Hollywood, Fiona has danced her way into the hearts of movie viewers everywhere. Her lithe and nimble steps and classic beauty belie the steely will that has forged her career. With a body as strong and flexible as her mind, Fiona is known for doing all of her own stunts, even going as far as learning martial arts to star in Sir Yale’s 2010 action flick Backlash Baby.
Gracie Encanta – Considered by many to be a modern day Marilyn, Gracie has long been type-cast as the ditzy bombshell, a role which she doesn’t seem to mind. She’s beautiful, flirtatious, and not above using her charm to get the things she wants. Her string of ex-personal assistants tell a different story though, of a dark fury hidden behind her stunning looks. And Sir Yale once hinted that he fired her from his movie Crazy Daizey when she proved too crazy for his standards.
Heather Sunshine – Heather inherited her fortune when both hippy-minded parents died in a tragic tuba accident on the set of Band of Misfits, one of Sir Yale’s first directorial attempts. Although he never claimed responsibility, the director made sure that Heather would never need to worry about money after that. Since then Heather has found a permanent place in Hollywood’s society where she considers herself “an influencer with a conscious”.
Ison Yu – Celebrity blogger and professional gossip Ison Yu makes his living by turning up the secrets stars don’t want revealed. Some celebrities hate him for this, but enough of them try to ingratiate themselves to him that Ison is able to keep tabs on much of the Hollywood scene. He often shows up at celebrity events, movie sets, and even private gatherings without an invitation, knowing that most people won’t question him.
Jennifer Goodhouse – She’s everyone’s favorite girl next door. An actress from childhood, Jen has grown up filming Sir Yale’s action comedy movie franchise Dandy Candy. The latest (and rumored to be last) installment, Dandy Candy 8: Gumballs of Steel, did poorly in the theater but Jennifer didn’t let it get her down. She went on to star as Craig Daniels’ love interest in Try & Die 4: Try, Try Again which got her an Oscar nomination and a star on the Walk of Fame.
Steven Sebold – Reality TV host Steven Sebold has spent the last year trying to make the leap onto the Silver Screen but has so far only landed small parts, and all of them thanks to his family connection to Sir Yale. His youthful good looks and boyish charm make it difficult for fans to take him seriously in roles such as “Rich Cousin #1” in Try & Die 3: Try As I Might. However, rumor is that Steven is up for a part in Alison Andretti’s upcoming film Softly Rings the Workman’s Hammer.
Tony Zamboni – Hollywood producer Tony Zamboni is brusque, fast talking, and Italian to the core. His quirky superstitions, (for example, he insists on eating spaghetti with gravy and wearing checkered socks to bed before every opening night,) keep the general public thinking of him as fun-loving. But those who work closely with him will tell you that Tony is ruthless and calculating, with a heart as cold as ice.
Valentina Vergucci – Fashion designer to the stars, Valentina has dressed all the hottest celebrities. She is known for her use of flamboyant colors and unusual fabrics, such as the orange burlap dress that Heather Sunshine wore to the Golden Globes last year. Valentina got her start designing costumes and hit gold when she won a design Oscar for Sir Yale’s 1930s period piece Canary College. For good or bad, her crazy looks for the red carpet are here to stay.
a place of my own sunlight settling
dappled on my deck
pale drops puddling
across worn wooden slats
solace and solitude
and peace
ABCDenial absolutely everybody (except for those who knew)
believed the lie (even when forced to dodge the truth)
choosing to turn an eye (blind, of course)
downcast in humility (however false it is).
Shelter Do you remember that day
bruised sky and
us with no umbrella?
Splash dashing to the treeline
and huddled laughter
while you reached your jacket over
us like a soggy canvas cover
to shield me from the unlikely event
of a tree branch falling on my head,
and even though
we knew
it was so silly,
for those few moments I honestly believed
that your love
was all I needed.
Solitude solitude becomes me
it calms my heart
it slows my speedcar thoughts
yellow flag flapping in the wind
telling me to take it easy
Meanwhile
I have intended for some time
to get on with this thing called my life
but meanwhile living
keeps getting in the way.
Dessert hot sun breathing on my skin
you, the sprinkles on my cone
dripping delicious trails across my fingers
i lick you up
Sentiment
Dry those wasted tears
Shore up your unstable heart
Love’s horizon glows
Happy Laughter dances in his eyes
Smile plays upon his lips
Joy is heard in every sigh
Happy words and clever quips
He winks, he grins, his heart is light
Just the way he used to be
Loves shines forth and all is right.
Too bad it isn’t still for me.
Red feasting on tomorrow’s steak
with a gleaming bottle of History at the table
and though it ought to be bitter
it goes down smooth with a
surprising bite
right at the very end
so pop the cork and pour the wine
wrought from my own vineyard
of experience
each grape a drop of pleasure
from a past i should regret
but don’t
Road Trip in the center of my universe
standing ground
looking round
full tank of gasoline to get me
anywhere
everywhere
away from here and to somewhere
but where is there
and there is where
so many roads snake out from here
i don’t know
where to go
every road untraveled in my life
but for the one
i’ve just been on
how do i know which one to take
greener grass
doesn’t last
i guess the choice is up to me
spin around
moving ground
pop a licorice stick in my mouth
signal on
and i’m gone
