Scenes from our SoCal Swing, 8/19-8/22/10

Written By Will Viharo
Here are some shots from our recent "vacation" to Southern California - a stop overnight in LA to see family and friends, then off to the Crowne Plaza Hotel (formerly The Hanalei Hotel) in San Diego where we hosted the Movie Nite (for the third time) at Tiki Oasis 10, featuring a short film about the Martini Kings' latest album "The Buddy Greco Sessions" and an original Easter Island documentary shot in 1968 by our friend Ferenc's (Pollo del Mar) dad Sepy, making its world premiere.  It was our final (un)official "Thrillville" road show. Highlights of the trip as a whole included lunch at the newly renovated Bali Hai Restaurant, and visiting the Hotel del Coronado, famous as a location for Some Like It Hot. Truth be told, I was very worried about my ailing cat Bubba, so I'm pretty glad to be home. While we were away, my recent interview with hep cat Koop Kooper for his popular podcast The Cocktail Nation aired, which you can download and listen to here. We discussed my novel A Mermaid Drowns in the Midnight Lounge and he played a track off the original book score by Actual Rafiq, "Music for a Drowning Mermaid." Complete photo album on my Facebook here. Aloha.

at the famous Formosa Cafe, Hollywood
At the fantastic Bali Hai, San Diego (strongest Mai Tai anywhere!)
 
 With Tiki Oasis founder and our good pal Otto Von Stroheim
 With Russ of Organs & Bongos mag and Jason of Bachelor Pad Magazine
 With hipster historian Charles Phoenix
 With the Martini Kings, Movie Nite
 Wherever we go, Monica Tiki Goddess is the most beautiful woman there!
Hotel del Coronado, scene of "Some Like It Hot"
This one shot made the whole trip worthwhile...aloha
Will Viharo

WILL "THE THRILL" VIHARO is a freelance writer and the author of several "gonzo pulp" novels including "A Mermaid Drowns in the Midnight Lounge," "Freaks That Carry Your Luggage up to the Room," "Chumpy Walnut," "Lavender Blonde," "Down a Dark Alley," and the “Vic Valentine, Private Eye” series, the first of which, "Love Stories Are Too Violent For Me," has been optioned for a film by Christian Slater, reissued in 2013 by Gutter Books, which also published the new Vic Valentine novel "Hard-boiled Heart" in December, 2015.

Two science fiction novels, "It Came from Hangar 18" and "The Space Needler's Intergalactic Bar Guide," were written in collaboration with Scott Fulks, who added real science to Will's pulp.

Will's own imprint, Thrillville Press, has issued a three volume anthology series featuring all of his standalone novels called "The Thrillville Pulp Fiction Collection," along with another omnibus called "The Vic Valentine Classic Case Files," which include four novels from the 1990s, "Fate Is My Pimp," "Romance Takes a Rain Check," "I Lost My Heart in Hollywood," and "Diary of a Dick," plus a recent short story, "Brain Mistrust."

More recently published books include the Vic Valentine "Mental Case Files" trilogy comprised of "Vic Valentine: International Man of Misery," "Vic Valentine: Lounge Lizard For Hire," and "Vic Valentine: Space Cadet"; the original story collection "Vic Valentine, Private Eye: 14 Vignettes"; the erotic horror noir novella "Things I Do When I'm Awake"; and a collection of erotic horror noir stories, "VIHORROR! Cocktales of Sex and Death."

Additionally Will has had stories included in a variety of anthologies including "Fast Women and Neon Lights: Eighties-Inspired Neon Noir"; "Mixed Up!"; "Long Distance Drunks: A Tribute to Charles Bukowski"; "Deadlines: A Tribute to William Wallace"; "Dark Yonder: Tales and Tabs"; "Knucklehead Noir" and "Weird Winter Wonderland" (both Coffin Hop Press); and "Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror."

Viharo's unique brand of "gonzo pulp fiction" combines elements of eroticism, noir, fantasy, and horror. For many years he has also been a professional film programmer/impresario and live music booker. He now lives in Seattle, WA with his wife and cats

https://www.thrillville.net
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