Wicked Affair
In shades of “Girl Interrupted”-meets–“Almost Famous”, this intense, mature story of illicit lust, lost love, betrayal, and rock ‘n roll, was inspired by real events. (No screen adaptation available at this time.)…
“Wow! …so great! …bring[s] the reader right into a world. …a high-intensity wild ride from the get-go. …awesome!”
– Claudia Boutote, CEO, Red Raven Studio; formerly: Sr. V.P. & Publisher, HarperCollins; President, HarperElixir; Sr. Editorial & Marketing exec.: McGraw-Hill, Scribner, Dell/Delacorte, St. Martin’s Press
“…sharp, darkly funny, unsentimental. …one of the most convincing female first-person voices written by a male author in recent memory. …irreverent, sardonic, simultaneously vulnerable and armored. …never slips into sentimentality or self-pity, even when describing the most harrowing incidents… wry, furious, dissociative, psychologically authentic. …music scene material is extraordinary, specific, funny …feels genuinely alive in a way that many music novels don’t. …opening chapter achieves something technically difficult: horror without voyeurism. …a masterwork of ambivalent characterization. …monstrous, pitiable, and real …comedy and quietly devastating simultaneously. …heart breaking in its psychological precision. …McCall does not sentimentalize, does not rescue, and does not resolve things too neatly. …[his] most ambitious and tonally complex work … the prose moves, doesn’t wallow, trusts the reader. …a brave, important, and well-executed novel.”
– Claude/Anthropic AI
EXCERPT Rock ‘N Roll Mama (Expletives altered on public page)One night, I was in that nice zone of drifting to sleep on the couch in the lounge after a long show, Ricky asleep in his bassinette, moon low in the sky, sun still a couple hours from cresting, when I was abruptly woken by a loud banging on the front door. “Open this f**kin door or I will kick it off its f**kin hinges!” “Ah, shit,” I groaned, shaking my head. I knew the voice. Angela Burdon. The woman made Chrissy Amphlett look like Little Bo Peep. Around this time, I was living with a Melbourne girlfriend who worked in the hospitality industry and was happy to mind Ricky for me while I was working gigs. At one point a couple years earlier, in the scamp days of her career, she had made the mistake of sleeping with fashion model Angie Burdon’s then boyfriend Andy Summers, ex-guitarist for The Animals and currently in The Police. Maybe Angie saw my flatmate at a show and it crashed her back to her tumultuous string of flip-flops with famous musos, starting a decade earlier when she had split with husband Eric Burdon, lead singer of The Animals, to take up with Chris Wood of Traffic before winding up with Eric’s buddy Jimi Hendrix, who died soon after, leaving Angie lost and drifting—basically into the arms of Pete Sears, bassist for Jefferson Starship. Sightings even floated around the biz about her relationships with The Who’s drummer Keith Moon and with Zepp’s guitarist Jimmy Page. Who knows. None of that matters. What mattered to me was that Angie Burdon was not merely serial arm candy of rock royalty, she also happened to be a black belt in karate and could kick most men’s asses and was therefore a supermodel not to be messed with. “I know she’s in there, Katie!” Angie screamed at me again through thudding bashes on my front door. I needed no drama with karate queen Angie Burdon, ex of Eric Burdon, ex of Andy Summers, ex of Jimi Hendrix, and currently with Pete Sears. Or whoever. Girl was blasted off her face, in the tank drunk. A walking distillery. Well, stumbling distillery. With karate chops. Suddenly the glass in the front door shattered and in she barged, through the shards and into the living room, and went berserk looking for the guilty flatmate. “Where is she!?” Angie bellowed at me. I jabbed a trembling finger in the direction of the second bedroom, said, “In there, I think.” I bundled Ricky into my bedroom and closed the door just as my flatmate’s door opened and she stepped into the raging shitstorm. Angie set about trashing the lounge room, throwing furniture, and screeching at my flatmate, who howled right back at her. It was a high volume, bare knuckle brawl. I had no idea exactly which husband, boyfriend or ex-lover they were bickering about, but little Ricky was now in panic mode and my home was being destroyed out there, so I plucked up my courage and trooped into the battle. “Angie!” I yelled, “Get your lunatic ass out of here right now or I will call the f**king cops!”—careful not to say The Police, lest that stir up whatever past wounds might still exist in her with Andy. “Whoever the guy is, he’s not worth it!” I advised her. “Go bash him up! I have a little baby here!” A light seemed to go on in Angie’s head and she paused her swinging and kicking at my housemate. “Look,” I prodded, “it makes no sense you blaming my girlfriend when all of us know your problem was probably the bloke’s doing in the first place.” Angie’s eyes squinted and she gave me a look like a roo in headlights, like someone had cracked a vial of amyl nitrate under her nose and zapped her awake. She looked down at her fist, which was clutching a chunk of my friend’s hair. I picked up the phone to dial the police and said gently, “Go on, Angie. On your bike now, Love.” “Right,” she grumbled. “F**k this.” She kicked out the rest of the glass in the front door, stepped through it, and left. How I was managing to navigate that spaghetti tangled world of interconnected trysts, pre-trysts and post-trysts in the rock and roll biz was some sort of a Guinness Book of World Records miracle. I wouldn’t doubt they all had kids scattered around the planet who they don’t even know exist. Hell, we all might have a little DNA in us from those 1960s through 1980s prodigious rock ‘n roll giants out there. They often toured the world and spread their unrestrained joy with abandon. …Welcome to my new world. It was a far cry from being the ABC weather girl, runway model, and arm candy to the rich and infamous. And I was still in my 20s. |
* * *
CLICK HERE TO CONTACT McCALL ABOUT YOUR BOOK OR SCREENPLAY PROJECT
“Creating legends.” …Why not work with the best?
READ SOME PAGES FROM A FEW McCALL BOOKS…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Road To Nablus
The incredible true story of a boy who escaped from a refugee camp in the West Bank of Palestine …and went on to achieve the impossible (screen adaptation available, also written by McCall)…
“I love this story of triumph against all odds. Lots of highs and lows. …[a] reminder of the horror unleashed onto the Palestinians…Well done, McCall!”
– Neheda Barakat, Award-Winning Documentary Producer, TV Bureau Chief & Executive Producer, Journalist; BBC; ABC-TV/Australia; U.N.; U.S. Dept. of State
“…a remarkable and triumphant story—and an effective counter-narrative to so much prevailing anti-immigrant sentiment.”
– Jessica Papin, Literary Agent; Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, New York
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In Pursuit of Jubilee
For a century, the government said there was no oil. But he proved them wrong. Now he had to pay. By M. Rutledge McCall and George Yaw Owusu, this is the riveting true story of a $160 billion oil discovery, and the brutal, years-long battle that ensued to try to destroy and imprison the rightful owner of his share of the find (currently in development; screen adaptation written by McCall)…
“A great read and a thrilling ride! …a tale of dogged human aspiration, invention and the capacity to believe in the impossible. …This book is a testament to what people can achieve if their will never falters.”
– Rachel Boynton, Emmy and Tribeca Film Festival-nominated, Edward R. Murrow Award-winning Director; “Our Brand is Crisis”; “P.O.V.”; “Big Men” (Executive Produced by Brad Pitt)
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Shoot The Moon
The true story of the sole survivor of a devastating plane crash… and what he did during the terrifying plummet to ensure he would walk away from the tragedy (screen adaptation available, also written by McCall)…
“…terrifying… gripping tale….”
– Martha MacCallum, Anchor; “The Story”/Fox News
“Enthralling and inspiring. This is a page-turner with substance.”
– Charles D. Holland, J.D., Writer-Producer; “J.A.G.”; “Murder One”; “Soul Food”; “Profiler”
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Christ Box
4 out of 5 Stars on GoodReads…
Rumors fuel to a violent frenzy that an ancient wooden box owned by a woman in Jerusalem was made by Jesus. When wealthy, powerful men around the world try to take the box from her, her former NYPD cop son flies to the Middle East to get her and the old box to safety (no screen adaptation available at this time)…
“Intriguing, provocative, unpredictable. …‘Da Vinci Code’-meets-‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ … unique layering of richly-conceived characters … unforeseeable plot twists and turns, this riveting journey progresses from mystery and drama to thriller and adventure. …a tough, iconic protagonist … a world filled with dark and powerful, deadly and even fun antagonists. McCall has written one big, surprising splash of a debut novel…”
– Kenneth Ulmer, Ph.D., Author; past-President, King’s University, Los Angeles; Adjunct, Magdalene College, Oxford University, UK
“What a great work McCall has done here. …gripping and fast paced … rich and complex …could easily be a movie.”
– Phil Pringle, Ph.D., Author; Chancellor, C3 College; Sydney, Australia
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Clean Break
A timely political thriller that feels uncomfortably real in light of the violent, divisive politics gripping the U.S. today… and imagines what could be in store for America (no screen adaptation available at this time)…
“Great book! Well written.”
– James Elroy, FBI Special Agent (retired; investigator of some of the most infamous cases of the 20th and 21st centuries)
“Feels like ‘Homeland’-meets-‘Yellowstone’… a political scenario that seems frighteningly real. …draws you in and keeps you transfixed. …McCall (who wrote the book from Elmburg’s original story idea) paints rich, compelling word pictures. …a maddening cliffhanger.”
– Shane Baéz, President, CAM Artistic Management, Los Angeles
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Slipping Into Darkness
4 out of 5 Stars on GoodReads…
The updated, 25th Anniversary Edition of M. Rutledge McCall’s critically acclaimed first book, about the 16 months he spent living in one of America’s most violent ghettos …and how the pattern of street violence he witnessed has dramatically increased in the years since (screen adaptation available, also written by McCall; updated 30th Anniversary E-book available now)…
“…‘dirty realism’ [takes] the readers to gritty places and slices of life… described unflinchingly… with a rich but clean writing style. …unanticipated personal descent into darkness. …any reader would be amazed at what [McCall was] able to accomplish without getting killed… took some guts and naïveté…”
– Dr. Wilbur J. Scott, Ph.D., Professor; US Air Force Academy, Dept. of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership
“Utterly incredible…a fascinating story…a great writer.”
– Susan Bymel, Founding Partner, Talent Entertainment Group; Founding Partner, Management 360; Producer, “Game of Thrones”
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
To find out what the book is about, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On Borrowed Time
The harrowing true story of a dying US Marine… and how he beat the same disease that took the life of American football superstar Walter Payton (no screen adaptation available at this time)…
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lake Of Fire
A deputy sheriff at a small town on the coast is investigating the mysterious disappearance of the crew of an oil rig. Rumor tells of a bizarre incident that took the lives of everyone on the rig. Problem is, there are no bodies and no trace of deadly foul play. Other than a few minor smears of blood here and there. And, of course, the woman. She’s not on the all-male crew manifest. And she knows a little too much about the young deputy. (By M. Rutledge McCall; coming in 2026)
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wicked Affair
In shades of “Girl Interrupted”-meets–“Almost Famous”, this is the intense tale of a former fashion model’s life as a rock ‘n roll impresario in a world of illicit lust, lost love, betrayal, and rock ‘n roll. Inspired by real events. (No screen adaptation available at this time.)…
“Wow! …so great! …bring[s] the reader right into a world. …a high-intensity wild ride from the get-go. …awesome!”
– Claudia Boutote, CEO Red Raven Studio; Former: Sr. V.P. & Publisher, HarperCollins; President, HarperElixir; Sr. Editorial & Marketing Exec.: McGraw-Hill, Scribner, Dell/Delacorte, St. Martin’s Press
“…unflinching exploration of trauma, survival, and the high-octane world of rock ‘n roll. …raw and visceral. …moves at a wild ride pace, mirroring the rock ‘n roll environment. ‘The Zen Mistriss of the slow death’ is particularly haunting and effective. …rapid-fire, and sometimes jagged prose [reflects] the digital age’s appetite for high-intensity, non-linear emotional beats. …introduction of the Rhonda persona is a brilliant psychological detail. …a fractured internal voice that feels both authentic and historically grounded. …dirty realism that feels lived-in and specific. …darkly comedic and raw.”
– GeminiPro AI
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A sincere “Thank you!” for supporting M. Rutledge McCall’s creative endeavors.
* * *
CLICK HERE TO CONTACT McCALL ABOUT YOUR BOOK OR SCREENPLAY PROJECT
“Creating legends.” …Why not work with the best?
READ SOME PAGES FROM A FEW McCALL BOOKS…
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Road To Nablus
The incredible true story of a boy who escaped from a refugee camp in the West Bank of Palestine …and went on to achieve the impossible (screen adaptation available, also written by McCall)…
“I love this story of triumph against all odds. Lots of highs and lows. …[a] reminder of the horror unleashed onto the Palestinians…Well done, McCall!”
– Neheda Barakat, Award-Winning Documentary Producer, TV Bureau Chief & Executive Producer, Journalist; BBC; ABC-TV/Australia; U.N.; U.S. Dept. of State
“…a remarkable and triumphant story—and an effective counter-narrative to so much prevailing anti-immigrant sentiment.”
– Jessica Papin, Literary Agent; Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, New York
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In Pursuit of Jubilee
For a century, the government said there was no oil. But he proved them wrong. Now he had to pay. By M. Rutledge McCall and George Yaw Owusu, this is the riveting true story of a $160 billion oil discovery, and the brutal, years-long battle that ensued to try to destroy and imprison the rightful owner of his share of the find (currently in development; screen adaptation written by McCall)…
“A great read and a thrilling ride! …a tale of dogged human aspiration, invention and the capacity to believe in the impossible. …This book is a testament to what people can achieve if their will never falters.”
– Rachel Boynton, Emmy and Tribeca Film Festival-nominated, Edward R. Murrow Award-winning Director; “Our Brand is Crisis”; “P.O.V.”; “Big Men” (Executive Produced by Brad Pitt)
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Shoot The Moon
The true story of the sole survivor of a devastating plane crash… and what he did during the terrifying plummet to ensure he would walk away from the tragedy (screen adaptation available, also written by McCall)…
“…terrifying… gripping tale….”
– Martha MacCallum, Anchor; “The Story”/Fox News
“Enthralling and inspiring. This is a page-turner with substance.”
– Charles D. Holland, J.D., Writer-Producer; “J.A.G.”; “Murder One”; “Soul Food”; “Profiler”
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Christ Box
4 out of 5 Stars on GoodReads…
Rumors fuel to a violent frenzy that an ancient wooden box owned by a woman in Jerusalem was made by Jesus. When wealthy, powerful men around the world try to take the box from her, her former NYPD cop son flies to the Middle East to get her and the old box to safety (no screen adaptation available at this time)…
“Intriguing, provocative, unpredictable. …‘Da Vinci Code’-meets-‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ … unique layering of richly-conceived characters … unforeseeable plot twists and turns, this riveting journey progresses from mystery and drama to thriller and adventure. …a tough, iconic protagonist … a world filled with dark and powerful, deadly and even fun antagonists. McCall has written one big, surprising splash of a debut novel…”
– Kenneth Ulmer, Ph.D., Author; past-President, King’s University, Los Angeles; Adjunct, Magdalene College, Oxford University, UK
“What a great work McCall has done here. …gripping and fast paced … rich and complex …could easily be a movie.”
– Phil Pringle, Ph.D., Author; Chancellor, C3 College; Sydney, Australia
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Clean Break
A timely political thriller that feels uncomfortably real in light of the violent, divisive politics gripping the U.S. today… and imagines what could be in store for America (no screen adaptation available at this time)…
“Great book! Well written.”
– James Elroy, FBI Special Agent (retired; investigator of some of the most infamous cases of the 20th and 21st centuries)
“Feels like ‘Homeland’-meets-‘Yellowstone’… a political scenario that seems frighteningly real. …draws you in and keeps you transfixed. …McCall (who wrote the book from Elmburg’s original story idea) paints rich, compelling word pictures. …a maddening cliffhanger.”
– Shane Baéz, President, CAM Artistic Management, Los Angeles
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Slipping Into Darkness
4 out of 5 Stars on GoodReads…
The updated, 25th Anniversary Edition of M. Rutledge McCall’s critically acclaimed first book, about the 16 months he spent living in one of America’s most violent ghettos …and how the pattern of street violence he witnessed has dramatically increased in the years since (screen adaptation available, also written by McCall; updated 30th Anniversary E-book available now)…
“…‘dirty realism’ [takes] the readers to gritty places and slices of life… described unflinchingly… with a rich but clean writing style. …unanticipated personal descent into darkness. …any reader would be amazed at what [McCall was] able to accomplish without getting killed… took some guts and naïveté…”
– Dr. Wilbur J. Scott, Ph.D., Professor; US Air Force Academy, Dept. of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership
“Utterly incredible…a fascinating story…a great writer.”
– Susan Bymel, Founding Partner, Talent Entertainment Group; Founding Partner, Management 360; Producer, “Game of Thrones”
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
To find out what the book is about, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On Borrowed Time
The harrowing true story of a dying US Marine… and how he beat the same disease that took the life of American football superstar Walter Payton (no screen adaptation available at this time)…
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lake Of Fire
A deputy sheriff at a small town on the coast is investigating the mysterious disappearance of the crew of an oil rig. Rumor tells of a bizarre incident that took the lives of everyone on the rig. Problem is, there are no bodies and no trace of deadly foul play. Other than a few minor smears of blood here and there. And, of course, the woman. She’s not on the all-male crew manifest. And she knows a little too much about the young deputy. (By M. Rutledge McCall; coming in 2026)
To read the Prologue of this book, click here.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wicked Affair
In shades of “Girl Interrupted”-meets–“Almost Famous”, this is the intense tale of a former fashion model’s life as a rock ‘n roll impresario in a world of illicit lust, lost love, betrayal, and rock ‘n roll. Inspired by real events. (No screen adaptation available at this time.)…
“Wow! …so great! …bring[s] the reader right into a world. …a high-intensity wild ride from the get-go. …awesome!”
– Claudia Boutote, CEO Red Raven Studio; Former: Sr. V.P. & Publisher, HarperCollins; President, HarperElixir; Sr. Editorial & Marketing Exec.: McGraw-Hill, Scribner, Dell/Delacorte, St. Martin’s Press
“…unflinching exploration of trauma, survival, and the high-octane world of rock ‘n roll. …raw and visceral. …moves at a wild ride pace, mirroring the rock ‘n roll environment. ‘The Zen Mistriss of the slow death’ description is particularly haunting and effective. …rapid-fire, and sometimes jagged prose [reflects] the digital age’s appetite for high-intensity, non-linear emotional beats. …introduction of the Rhonda persona is a brilliant psychological detail. …a fractured internal voice that feels both authentic and historically grounded. …dirty realism that feels lived-in and specific. …darkly comedic and raw.”
– GeminiPro AI