IN THE DARK OF THE ... BLOG

Q & A With Hawke

2009-02-07T15:45:00.001-05:00

Greetings! And a belated Happy New Year!

Thought we'd start off the new year with something special, so this is a Q & A with me (Kim) and Hawke. We're posting this in crossover fashion on all three of our blogs and hope you will visit all of them to get us off to a big jump start.

Hawke's Hot Zone
Specops Op Center
In the Dark of the...Blog

Alrighty then!

KIM: So…2008 was a pretty busy year for you.

HAWKE: Yes, 2008 started off very interestingly as I was picked to be the lead for a team of operators to go around the country and help people. Kind of like the real A-Team. It was by the same folks who made Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I was cast as their Ty Pennington, and the show was for CBS. We did an amazing job and the show went very well—that production company is truly gifted! But we encountered some very risky situations and CBS decided they couldn’t overcome the legal obstacles. So, a few months down the road of waiting and passing up other work (as you must be exclusive on many of these shows) that went away and it was back to the war room.

KIM: We know all too well about the waiting and exclusivity in publishing, don’t we?

HAWKE: You got that right!

KIM: You also worked on a new book that’s due out this spring…talk about that.

HAWKE: I worked on two books. One is a compilation by Paladin Press—they published my language book, The Quick and Dirty Guide to Learning Languages Fast—called Dangerously Fun Stuff for Boys Who Never Grew Up, where I did a couple of chapters. The other is my Green Beret Survival Manual, published by Running Press.

KIM: There are a lot of survival reality shows and books out. What is one of the biggest misconceptions you see among these?

HAWKE: As I own many survival books and have read most, the things that catch my attention are twofold. Firstly, there are those things which seem to be perpetuated myths in all of the books, whether an illustration or a practice, mainly because it looks good. We say it “briefs well” or “looks good on paper,” but the actual implementation doesn't pass the common sense test in that it either really doesn't work at all or only barely does so. Secondly, the biggest part of most survival books is predicated on one or two presumptions: one, that you have something to work with, like a knife; two, that you have full health, strength, and are not ill or injured. I take the approach in all my subjects that one always starts off at a deficit in a survival situation…since having items usually means you prepared, and prepared folks often aren’t the ones who end up having to survive. So, I tackle every issue as if one is already ill and/or injured. This way, it is also more applicable to kids, women, elderly, and working folks who might not be super fit or natural outdoors people. In other words, I try to teach only things that really work, but often although they are very real, they are very raw. That is true survival as I see it—anything else is more like adventure camping.

KIM: You really enjoyed writing this book, didn’t you?

HAWKE: Absolutely. It was a labor of love, born out of experience and a passion to tell the truth when there is a lot of Hollywood out there on the subject. This book was a real risk, as I expose a lot of myself in it and conflict with many conventional norms. I expect it to be somewhat controversial, but I stand by it.

KIM: I know what you mean about exposing a lot of yourself as this was definitely the case with In the Dark of the Sun. There's always such a vulnerability in writing that takes more courage than most ever realize!

KIM: Okay, getting back to the shows...

HAWKE: I did some shows in the U.K. for Channel 5. They aren’t as averse to using us Yanks like some of the other British channels. Then I hosted a survival show for Discovery, but the same way they used Mike Rowe to host Ice Truckers, after eight weeks of filming, they decided a host didn’t fit their vision of the format and they cut out that part of the show. Ice Truckers went on to be a great hit, so they did well, and Mike went on to host Dirtiest Jobs and voice for other shows, so he did well, too. Such is the nature of this business. So it was a busy year and full of learning and experience and that is always a good thing, haha!

KIM: You also did Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.

HAWKE: Yeah, that was a blast! It was for the Travel Channel...airs this spring.

KIM: Speaking of bizarre foods...you’ve had your share. What was just about the most bizarre? What, for you, is surprisingly good?

HAWKE: For me, it’s the bugs. Some taste like you’d expect them to taste and some taste amazingly good, juicy, sweet and yummy! I’d have to say an all time fave is the rotting coconut that has a new sprout in it...that seed is a divinely sweet, juicy tasting food, much like a coconut-flavored soft apple.

KIM: I still laugh when I think about your episodes on The Simple Life, where you had Paris and Nicole eating bugs and worms!

HAWKE: (Laughs) We-ell, I do have to give the girls credit for at least trying it!

KIM: Of all the exotic places you have been, what is the one place that stands out? Why? The worst, where you’d never return, why? The place you’ve never been and always wanted to go?

HAWKE: This is always a fun question. For me Turkey was a magical place. I found the former Soviet region to be sad—with the worst aspects of Capitalism fused with Communism, yet I love the people and the language. For me, Africa was a tough place. Easy to love its beauty, but the war there was one of the most brutal I’ve ever experienced. It stays with me now. The places I want to see are the simple places where tourists go, but my occupation hasn’t brought me to, yet....Places like the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Mount in Israel, the Temples of India. I will get there when and if it is meant to be.

KIM: What’s new with your adventure company, Specops?

HAWKE: We started our new dating and family specific programs last year and those have been great! This year, we’re opening new locations for our programs. Places like Panama, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.

KIM: Thriller series are enjoying wild success...why do you think people love a cool good guy that’s got the “bad boy” thing, now in these times.

HAWKE: I don't know about cool, but Americans love a good guy. Despite any world opinion, past or present, in essence we are truly good guys as a nation. But, the last decade has shown us we have been a bit naive and that some things simply need a bit of tough love...and that’s where the bad boy-good guy role fills the need perfectly. In Special Forces, we live on the edge and work in the gray areas. That’s why we must have a good moral compass. It is the single most important factor that sets us apart from the rest of the conventional and even the other special operations folks. For me, the Green Berets are where the bad boys get to be the good guys, and that suits me right down to the core.

KIM: Let's let everyone know where we are with our thriller In the Dark of the Sun.

HAWKE: Last year was pretty hectic, lots of travel, too, so for everyone who's been asking about it, hang in there...it's coming. Stay tuned!

KIM: Since this is just the first in the series, tell us where Jake is going in future books.

HAWKE: I think the future for Jake is always going to be fighting the war after the next war. In other words, the military has always suffered the same syndrome of fighting their last war. Look at Nam, we were teaching those tactics to our young folk in survival school for more than a year after 9/11. Even though we had fought in the desert recently. Now, the army doesn’t even make or issue black boots, even though we have troops in the snow and fighting in the jungles of the P.I. and elsewhere right now. It’s all tan, suede desert boots. That is a powerful reflection of where their head is, and isn't! So, Jake will be out there, ahead of the brass and masses, fighting in conflicts to come, giving us time to catch up and helping to give us an edge when it finally catches up to the rest of the world. Jake is both a complicated and simple guy...but he does not live a simple life with simple conflicts.

KIM: What’s in the works for you media-wise?

HAWKE: Like a sailor at sea, I have become a bit superstitious about speaking too far ahead when it comes to the media world. I've simply seen way too many great ideas and shows go away all because someone leaves a company, or gets sacked, or has a change of heart, or gets a bout of self doubt, or thinks one idea is like another whether it is or isn't. So, for me, when it comes to commenting on future projects, I have a simple answer: Until the check is in the bank, the film is in the can, and the ratings are up, nuthin' means nuthin'! (Laughs) Bottom line, many good things are in the works, let's hope some of them get to be seen as there are some amazing and powerful stories that still need to be told.

Wiped Out of MySpace

2007-09-25T10:19:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday, September 23rd, our MySpace account and associated page were unceremoniously deleted.

Apparently this is something that has happened to quite a few others, although some could hardly have been surprised if their pages contained, to quote the MySpace Terms of Service: "nudity, violence, or offensive subject matter." There are, in fact, many things that can get a user banned or a profile and/or account deleted. Things like spamming, harrassment, copyright infringement, and code-manipulation to obscure MySpace banner ads. While there are numerous pages that fall into at least one of those categories, ours was not one of them.

So, after signing up and establishing our profile for In the Dark of the Sun--an effort to engage potential readers and build buzz--I read and accepted the MySpace Terms of Service without a second thought. On hindsight, I suppose I should have. Or, perhaps more to the point, I should have done something I do out of course for nearly everything else I create on the computer...back it up.

"MySpace.com may delete any Content that in the sole judgment of MySpace.com violates this Agreement."

Our "Content" consisted of a page I spent many days building with the same painstaking detail as our website. At the top was our unique banner--which I took great care to ensure did not obscure the MySpace banner ads--a flash blurb using music with the permission of its talented composer, a teaser from our book with links to our site, and comments I personally screened to prevent inappropriate graphics and links.

Over the weekend ending on the 23rd, we surpassed 5000 friends...and with that milestone, got wiped out of MySpace.

First I was stunned, then I was upset, and finally I was saddened. These 5000 people are now, for the most part, lost to us. Hopefully many will look for us, remember our site and the book, and reconnect. But for those who do not, I am profoundly sorry and saddened. Our MySpace friends list featured many from all branches of the military, even some deployed around the world. There were pilots and boat captains, police and firefighters, Coast Guard, K-9 and emergency responders. Actors, directors, producers, artists and musicians, and many, many writers. But most of all, men and women of all ages, from all over, who like film and entertainment, good books and reading, who liked what they saw on our page and wanted to be included as our "friends."

While "friends" for some MySpace members represent popularity or status, they are something artists of any kind take very seriously. In my case, I was proud of each and every one as I imagined them reading the words we've written and, hopefully, watching them play out on a movie screen. We were also proud to be in the company of other esteemed authors on MySpace, particularly Barry Eisler and Harlan Coben, whose works we greatly respect and admire.

MySpace defines itself as: "a social networking service that allows Members to create unique personal profiles online in order to find and communicate with old and new friends."

That is, apparently, until you get too many.

For those of you we lost and who, I hope will find this blog, we also hope you will continue to be our "friends" where it really counts. In life.

Post-Script: A request to restore our profile and page was submitted to MySpace, but we have yet to receive a response.

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"Say Hello to Myke Hawke" Air Time

2007-07-02T15:09:00.002-04:00

Hawke's story-arc on Paris and Nicole's The Simple Life is set to air on the E! Channel, this coming Sunday, July 8th, at 10:00 P.M. EST. The first episode, entitled "Say Hello To Myke Hawke" will be followed by "Babes In the Woods" (Wonder who came up with that title?) on Sunday, July 22nd.

Already, Hawke's appearance is getting solid buzz from multiple media news sources, such as AOL Television, The Futon Critic, Zap2It, TV Guide, and the Hollywood Reporter.

Be sure to catch Hawke on The Simple Life, starting Sunday, July 8th!

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Hawke on The Simple Life

2007-06-27T13:02:00.001-04:00

So Paris Hilton is out of jail...just in time to generate some buzz for Hawke's appearance on The Simple Life, haha!

We're still quite busy pitching In the Dark of the Sun, both book and movie, but in the meantime Hawke has been quite in demand. He just wrapped the latest season of the BBC's popular Survivor-esque show, Castaway, and flew to New York to film a pilot for another major cable show. And he continues to gain popularity from his co-starring role in last year's Dirty Sanchez.

The screenplay for In the Dark of the Sun is almost done and plans are being made for an L.A. trip.

Kim has also launched a new Internet gallery to sell her original rose prints. If you're into roses and photography, check it out: Roses by Kim.

Special Forces and military themes continue to populate television and movies. Army Wives, a new Lifetime show by Greys Anatomy executive producer, Mark Gordon, debuted to record-breaking ratings for a new show on that network. The National Geographic Channel recently aired Inside the Green Berets, a documentary chronicling the lives of war-hardened Special Forces operatives for an unprecedented ten days.

So buzz is good!

Catch Hawke on The Simple Life as he makes life miserable for Paris and Nicole! His episodes are expected to air in early July.

We will continue to post news and updates here in our Blog.

Thanks again and all the best!

Kim and Hawke

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News and New Views

2006-12-11T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hola and Seasons Greetings!

Wow...this year has really flown by at warp-speed. Hard to believe that it's been 8 months since we first launched our site.

So...as the holidays near, we wanted to take this opportunity to let everyone know how much we appreciate the enthusiasm and support for In the Dark of the Sun. The interest and buzz that continues to grow is certainly a testament to the power of friendly networking. So a huge and heartfelt THANK YOU!

We also wanted to fill you in on the latest developments with us and let you know that we have added a lot of new content to our website. If you’ve never seen our site or if it’s been a while since you’ve visited, we invite you to check it out: In the Dark of the Sun

ON THE SITE:

In addition to info about the book and movie project and us, there are book excerpts as well as a large Photo Gallery with more excerpts. You’ll find lots of features about the people of In the Dark of the Sun and some of their commentary. We have the ongoing privilege of working with the most amazing—not to mention incredibly talented—individuals, so please take some time to visit their respective websites. If you’re interested in travel and exotic locales, you’re sure to enjoy all the places pages. And, by all means, if you are considering a trip to the Bahamas, Costa Rica, or South America, those who worked with us can help provide you with the experience of a lifetime!

AND MORE:

As you might expect, there’s a lot of Special Forces content with more to come later. There’s a little bit of everything, including art, literature, television, film, music—of course writing and photography—even language and cuisine. We also have new video clips up.

You might want to stop by the Site Map to make sure you see everything!

WHAT’S UP WITH US:

While we work on the screenplay and continue to pitch the book and proposed movie/series, Hawke has several new television and film projects completed, in the works, or in development. He hosts a new History Channel series called Time Bomb, which will be airing soon, and we hope to be posting an announcement about a major Fox TV show in the next month or so.

ALL ABOUT THE BUZZ:

If you like what you see, we’d love it if you’d send others to the site—friends, family, or anyone else you know who might be interested. If you know Jerry Bruckheimer, feel free to send him the link, too. Haha! Please sign our Guestbook and, if you’re so inclined, stop by our MySpace and add us.

We will continue to post news and updates here in our Blog.

Thanks again and all the best!

Kim and Hawke

The Forgotten Wars

2006-11-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

When we first began working on In the Dark of the Sun, the South American Drug War was in full battle rage. It has, of course, since faded far into the backdrop of the more global and escalating War on Terror. So it probably stunned many when NBC aired U.S. Hostages Languish in Colombia, which profiles the story of four contractors who have been held hostage by the FARC since 2003. There are still close to a thousand kidnappings in Colombia each year.

Retired Army General Barry McCaffrey says: "It is the forgotten war. These abducted brave Americans, contractors working for the U.S., if they had been kidnapped in Iraq, we'd be hearing about them frequently."

Just as the movies Hotel Rwanda, The Constant Gardner, Catch a Fire, In My Country, and Blood Diamond raise awareness of the ongoing atrocities, wars, and politics of Africa, the NBC story reminds us that while Iraq and Al-Quaida dominates the headlines, many other bloody and catastrophic conflicts smoulder like forgotten fires.

It seems all the more appropriate that In the Dark of the Sun is our inaugural book in the Jake Tyler series.

Cut and Run TV

2006-11-25T13:07:00.000-05:00

Since the last blog, several new shows we featured have been axed by the networks, which is a shame. A recent article by Daniel Fienberg, Have Viewers Become Serial-Phobic, nails it: networks are not allowing new shows enough time to find their audience, and as a result viewers are shying away from commiting. Two personal favorites--Vanished and Kidnapped--are, at least, being made available for viewing online to give those invested the satisfaction of seeing the storyline play out to the end. Imagine having 24 or Prisonbreak yanked after only a few episodes!

To their credit, ABC seems to be giving its new series a chance to get legs. So far, it is hanging in there with The Nine and has just launched an intriguing new serial, Daybreak.

At a time when viewers are overloaded with programming choices via expanding cable lineups, satellite networks, and Internet media, the networks are becoming increasingly twitchy with numbers that don't approach or exceed 20 million. Which is an unfortunate trend when you consider that the first season ratings for 24 didn't even crack double-digits. Even Grey's Anatomy got off to a sluggish start before vaulting to the top of the ratings chart.

As writers and creators of a project targeted for the thriller serial market, we know we can only put it out there and hope for a fighting chance.

Fall Thriller Bonanza

2006-10-06T12:27:00.000-04:00

The start of the new fall television season has brought a bumper-crop of thrillers, most of which are doing well in early ratings. This, combined with the success of some returning shows—including 24, Prisonbreak, Lost, the CSI franchise, and the Unit—gives reason for us to be optimistic. As a fan of thrillers, it’s exciting to see edgier material come to television. Favorites so far are: Vanished, the Nine, Kidnapped, and Smith. It’s especially gratifying to see darker, more complex characters in the vein of 24’s Jack Bauer--the kind of characters that keep you riveted because you truly never know where they’re going. We now have Vanished’s troubled Agent Graham Kelton, played by Gale Harold; Jeremy Sisto’s rogue and mysterious Knapp in Kidnapped; and Ray Liotta’s intense Bobby Stevens in Smith.

With serials, after a season of full-throttle action and more hairpin turns than the Pacific Coast Highway, you are left to wonder where else the plots can possibly go…and yet, much to the credit of solid production and writing, they find their way to new precipices. The storylines are often familiar, but thanks in large part to talented ensemble casts, it all seems cutting-edge.

Since we have In the Dark of the Sun sequels already planned and a generous cache of material, our hope is for something beyond book and movie. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the way the Hollywood wind is blowing.

P.S. Have to admit to a guilty pleasure that doesn’t quite fit here…an addiction to Grey’s Anatomy. Congratulations to Mark Gordon and Company for all the Emmy nods…and, you were robbed! 25 million people know better!

Update: Unfortunately, Kidnapped and Smith have just been canceled, casualties of stiff opposing competition. Like last season's impressive E-Ring, they didn't pull a large enough viewership in their timeslots which is, of course, always the gamble.

In the Dark of the...Blog

2006-08-12T01:35:00.000-04:00

For all who have navigated to our blog via the website...THANKS! For those who have found us through the blogging channels of cyberspace...WELCOME! And, we hope to intrigue you enough to visit us here: In the Dark of the Sun. Truth is, we hope to do more than that--we hope to build the buzz for our book and movie project.

Just a quick background. We've been working on In the Dark of the Sun, the book, for several years. Along with the book, we also plan a feature film and/or televsion series in the vein of "24." The launch for the Jake Tyler action thriller series, it is based on Hawke and his Special Forces career, adventures, and endeavors. It's also a look into the unusual civilian life of a modern-day warrior as he tries to balance the realities of who he is and what he does with his yearning for love and some kind of grounding. That may be tougher than the missions he executes.

With the now mind-boggling number of ways to market a person, idea, product, or creation, the Internet has the means to reach hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands...so after going the traditional route for years, we decided to put it out there. Now the challenge is to spread the word, build the buzz.

That said, we do have some news! We've stirred some interest from Hollywood and hope to be pitching to production companies and studios soon. The book is currently with an agent out there, also, but no commitments yet. We've begun work on the screenplay.

Hawke has landed several new television and film projects, including host for an upcoming series. More details will be forthcoming. A movie he recently worked on, both on-screen and behind the camera, Dirty Sanchez, is scheduled to hit theaters in September.

In a non-related item of interest, my brother, Franklin Martin, is set to begin production with Universal Pictures and Mark Gordon, on Hurricane Season. It's based on his documentary, Walking on Dead Fish, the true story about the football team at East St. John High School near New Orleans. The team struggled with integrating displaced students from surrounding high school teams, trying to help rebuild their community after Katrina while fighting to become champions on the field. The screenplay is being written by Billy Ray.

This wraps out first blog. We'll be back with news and updates, thoughts and other topics for discussion. We hope you'll check back often...we hope you enjoy our site. There is much more to come. And, if you like what you see, read, and hear...please buzz your friends and associates our way!

'Til the next...