INDIE/SELF-PUBLISHING PODCASTS: WHY YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO THESE 9 SHOWS

WRITERS EMPOWERED: Indie publishing podcasts deliver the blueprints for success.

It's official. It's a great time to be a writer. The Kindle and e-reader boom has ushered in a golden age of publishing where - for the first time in recent history - writers realllly hold the cards. No longer are they slaves to the legacy publishing machine because millions of scribes are in complete control of their royalties, marketing and overall quality control of their books.

Prolific indie scribes like Amanda Hocking, Hugh Howey and JA Konrath have given legions of wannabe writers the confidence needed to pursue their dream of being published. Those trailblazers proved that circumventing the Big Five could be done. Throw in Amazon's direct printing subsidiary CreateSpace and the proof is further in the pudding: Never has there been a time where the average Joe can sustain a healthy living as a full-time writer.

In fact, in a recent rant post, Konrath unleashed some venom towards the traditional model of publishing:

"If the Big Five think that e-book sales aren't continuing to eat away at paper sales, or that more and more authors are choosing to self-publish, or that Barnes & Noble will be around forever, or that they can relax because the tech revolution is over, they are whistling past the graveyard, and I don't give a shit.

What I do give a shit about is newbies buying into the continued nonsense that finding a publisher is the only way to succeed. The religion parallel applies here as well. There are a bunch of fat cats happy with the status quo, and they keep recruiting the naive, the hopeful, the uneducated, much like missionaries bringing bibles to the third world, getting the savages to kneel at the altar. Savages who wind up no better off (or even worse off) once they convert.

Legacy publishers NEED authors to feel that they're the only way to succeed. Because without authors, the Ponzi scheme of publishing (the few successful writers supporting the entire infrastructure, including authors who aren't successful) collapses. ...

... Let me make this crystal clear: AUTHORS DO NOT NEED PUBLISHERS.

It is 2014. All the forms of distribution open to legacy publishers are open to indies. We can reach as many ebook retail outlets as the biggest legacy publisher, and we can reach them faster and better. We can control our prices. We can control our titles, cover art, and content. We can also get into bookstores... "

That said, there is hard work involved. The modern writer needs to know much more than plot structure, pacing and dialogue. Creating your digital platform, navigating social media, maintaining a mailing list (complete with auto-responders) and becoming your own PR guru that would make Sydney Falco jealous is what's expected these days. It's a lot of heavy lifting.

So where I am going with all this? Last year, I wrote my first novel - a pulp for the FIGHT CARD series and now I'm working on a follow-up of collected flash fiction pieces. Naturally, in doing all this, I wanted to make sure that I had as much knowledge and exposure possible. The more I searched online, the more information I found. There were oodles of scribes doing exactly what I wanted to be doing and it was empowering. And the kicker? They were all (pretty much) following the same basic principles.

I soon turned to searching for podcasts for more information. And man, there were plentyof independent and self-publishing shows that are doing a spectacular job of creating blueprints for millions of writers. I couldn't get enough.

As someone who's listened to all of them, I figured I'd create a handy directory and my overall thoughts. In no particular order, here's a simple rundown of the self-publishing podcasts and why you should be listening.

(Many have asked me how I listen. It's easy. I bookmark ALL of these shows into the STITCHER radio app. Every time a new podcast posts that I subscribe to, it's waiting for me to be streamed in my queue. I'd be lost without it. Of course, these can aso be listened to via desktop as well as certain YouTube channels.)

The list...

1) ROCKING SELF PUBLISHING PODCAST

Host: Simon Whistler

Overall vibe: Hands down, the most professional-sounding and best produced of the bunch, Whistler's approach is wonderfully conversational (he's also a professional audio book narrator) and the longer length of an hour-plus is definitely an advantage - especially if you want something more than the average 30 minute show. Whistler, who interviews a varied selection of different kinds of authors (he skews toward fiction), is coming up on a year of doing these podcasts and boy, they've become a favorite of mine. (Disclosure: I was a guest on Simon's show soon after I discovered it. To this day, it remains a favorite)

Extras: Simon also has a great writer resource page, detailed show notes and an incredible/extensive how-to video on building an author website (this one is a must for newbies). What's more, Whistler approaches each interview by specialty or subject matter and not rehashing advice from indie publishing and marketing gurus. This is what makes his podcast extremely refreshing.

2) THE SELF-PUBLISHING PODCAST

Hosts: Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant and David W. Wright

Overall vibe: Make no mistakes, these guys are the rock stars and pre-eminent gurus of the indie publishing world. In fact, they've even written (like must gurus on this list) a bestselling tome on publishing success called "Write. Publish. Repeat" (a must read, btw). Over four-hundred positive reviews on Amazon can't be wrong.

Sure, there might be some complaints that their show is a tad too laid back, unorganized and lax, but if you can get through the initial chit-chat, they certainly get into the self-publishing weeds and that's where they bring the heat. Their publishing consistency and savvy have made them the go-to source for thousands of wannabe scribes. It works.

Extras: To show just how ballsy they are after a successful Kickstarter campaign, Platt, Truant and Wright recently got enough funding to let the world watch them conceive, conceptualize, outline, write, edit, polish, perfect, dress, publish and market a book — all in 30 days. Like I said, rock stars.

Tools: The guys provide one of the best resource pages online. Bookmark it because it's a must. 

3) THE PUBLISHING PROFITS PODCAST

Host: Tom Corson-Knowles

Overall vibe: Corson-Knowles is all business. The guy has built a mini empire on teaching people how to make money online as authors and each week he gives us a guest who is successful in book biz. His owns titles include "Secrets of the Six-Figure Author," "The Kindle Publishing Bible," "Facebook For Business Owners," "How To Make Money With Twitter" and "The Kindle Writing Bible."

One tiny gripe: I imagine I would love the show even more if there wasn't a distracting echo that seems more prominent on the podcast on not the vidcast. A decent mic or headset would probably remedy this.

Extras: In addition to his useful podcast, Corson-Knowles is the founder of EbookPublishingSchool.com and has a great blog on timely publishing trends.

4) THE CREATIVE PENN

Host: Joanna Penn

Overall vibe: If there is a grand dame of indie publishing, then Joanna Penn is it. This self-made and taught 'authorpreneur' has an incredible amount to offer and her essential podcast should be regularly bookmarked. Need more proof? Penn, who sports a soothing and dignified British accent to boot, is also a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, voted one of The Guardian UK Top 100 Creative Professionals 2013, and voted one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers for three years running and named one of the Top 10 Blogs for Self-Publishers in 2012. Impressive.

Extras: Her web site is way more than a mere landing page for her platform. Penn, who also practices what she preaches, shares just about every aspect of her writing journey and offers up a slew of material and resources breaking it down to three comprehensive categories -- writing, publishing and marketing.

5) THE SELL MORE BOOKS SHOW

LISTEN HERE

Hosts: Jim Kukral and Bryan Cohen 

Overall vibe: One of the newest shows on the block is quickly becoming my one of my favorites. This dynamic duo has a great rapport and their zippy format is really a refreshing take on these podcasts. Each week, the pair focuses on different trends in the industry as well as the Top Five publishing stories and break them down one-by-one. For example, this was covered in just one episode:

• How Bryan hit the top 25 in the Amazon Kindle store
• How to use a rolling KDP Select Countdown Deal
• What some authors are using to build their email lists
• How to create a book bubble and how it could help you
• The top Kindle ebook reading city in the U.S.
• Why Jim agrees with J.A. Konrath on the Amazon-Hachette matter
• What makes indie authorship a good business model
• How many authors are earning a living through Kindle

Extras: Are there ever. Kukral is a 18-year Internet marketing professional who was named by Dun & Bradstreet as one of “The Most Influential Small Business People on Twitter. Also, he is the founder of AuthorMarketingClub.com, the popular community that provides book marketing tools and training for authors.

Cohen and his website Build Creative Writing Ideas continually helps authors to conquer writer’s block and come up with new projects. He's also the creator of Bookshibition, a company that sets up social media events for authors.

6) THE AUTHOR HANGOUT PODCAST

Host: Shawn Manaher

Overall vibe: From building your author platform to selling more books with e-mail marketing, the shows are well-rounded and highly informative.

Extras: Manaher's site, Book Marketing Tools, is extremely professional but may lack some personalization other sites have. Nonetheless, it's set up as a bonafide author marketing portal with links to the podcasts as well as other useful tips to help the indie author.

WRITERS REBELLION PODCAST

Host: Chris Bell

Overall vibe: The podcast extension to the Indie Author Help Desk is another great show (albeit with the oddest opening) with a longer format. Why great? Because Bell interviews indie authors and not necessarily like-minded publishing gurus - which, for me, is always a better selling point.

Extras: In addition to free self-publishing tutorials, The Indie Author Help Desk offers author services from editing to marketing to platform creation.

8) SELF-PUBLISHING ANSWERS PODCAST

LISTEN HERE

Host: Nick Thacker

Overall vibe: Extremely professional with top-notch sound. Major props to Thacker, who, in a recent podcast, acknowledges the writer's lonely existence and has even broached the topic of writing through depression and the overall blues. We've all been there so it was extremely heartfelt.

Extras: High-quality resources which include a free 20-week online writing course, a page that includes links to what Thacker calls the Power 100 (useful web sites for writers) and tutorials on using Scrivener software. With over 200 articles on self-publishing, Thacker's online writing portal should be bookmarked.

9) SELF-PUBLISHING ROUNDTABLE

Hosts: Wade Finnegan, Carl Sinclair, Trish McCallan, John Ward, David W Wright and the 'weekly' guest

Overall vibe: What started out as an informal Twitter coffee klatch has morphed into a must-listen (or watch) every week. The show has gone through a few tweaks and changes but now remains a solid show that features the best in the biz on a weekly basis.

Extras: While the podcast's platform doesn't offer much in the form of extras, it DOES offer extremely informative blog articles on almost every aspect of indie-publishing. These are not to be missed.

Let me know ... Have I missed any shows? Which are your favorites and why? 

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'BOURBON & BLONDES' BOOK TEASER

I'm proud to present this snappy teaser for my forthcoming flash fiction collection, 'Bourbon & Blondes.' It's currently in the tweaking/editing stage and I hope to have it out by summer. I'll keep everyone posted.


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'TRUE DETECTIVE' SEASON 2 CAST: WHO WILL BE ON THE HBO DRAMA NEXT?

Rustin and Hart won't be back next season. Who would you like to see?

It's over. HBO's massive watercooler drama "True Detective" was a multi-layered wonder not seen since their other must-watch series "The Wire."

And on Monday morning, I had the distinct pleasure of playing armchair casting agent at my job (GREAT GIG, HUH?) and whip up a list as to who might be perfect next season on the critically-acclaimed drama.

Check out my dream casts and scenarios HERE and be sure to let me know what you think below in the comments.


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NEW PULP AWARDS 2014: 'FRONT PAGE PALOOKA' (VOTE NOW)

EXTRA! EXTRA! Tomorrow (at 3 p.m.) is the last day to vote for my debut novella 'Front Page Palooka' for the 2014 installment of the NEW PULP AWARDS.

The noir and hard-boiled tome is nominated in three categories including:

♠ BEST NOVELLA ♠

♣ BEST NEW WRITER ♣

♥ BEST NEW PULP CHARACTER (NICK MORETTI) ♥

Good luck to my fellow FIGHT CARD nominees Terrence McCauley, Carol Anne Olsen Malone, Andrew Salmon and Derrick Ferguson.

To vote on the official ballot, click HERE. Any and all votes will be more than appreciated. Good luck to my fellow nominees.



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I'M THIS WEEK'S GUEST ON THE ROCKING SELF-PUBLISHING PODCAST

LISTEN UP! I'm the guest on this week's Rocking Self-Publishing Podcast which is produced and run by the awesome Simon Whistler. Over the course of an hour or so, we chat about writing a book set in the 1950s, making awesome book trailers and about the FIGHT CARD series in general. You also hear an early audio version of my novella 'Front Page Palooka.'

Check it out HERE.

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'BEING GEORGE' DOCUMENTARY, QUIRKY & COMPELLING (VIDEO)

I have the luxury of working with some of the finest working videographers and documentarians in the news biz. Check out the Star-Ledger's latest short film 'Being George' that probes the quirky fight to be a REAL American Idol. Who knew there was such infighting among George Washington impersonators in the cutthroat competition to re-enact his crossing of the Delaware? Grab some java or a nice, cold drink because this is a compelling watch... ~Enjoy.

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'MOB CITY' REVIEW: IS IT REALLY NOIR?

LEADING MAN? John Bernthal in 'Mob City'

I've made mention of it here before... It seems that every TV network wants a piece of that retro pie. This time, TNT is throwing its hat into the ring with their ambitious three-week event 'Mob City' that's scheduled to air Dec. 4. Based on the John Buntin non-fiction book 'L.A. Noir,' the six-episode drama depicts the Los Angeles department's secret unit of cops and the brutal (and famous) gangsters of the post-war/pre-rock and roll era. I've managed to snag a screener of the first episode and I've come to a few conclusions and raise some appropriate questions.

THE LEADING MAN

Jon Hamm. Steve Buscemi. Jeffrey Dean Morgan. As the anti-heros (and respective leads) of their own vintage cable dramas, these thesps effortlessly carry their show. They're the soul and even though STARZ cancelled 'Magic City,' Morgan was certainly the glue that held that ill-fated show together(one can easily imagine him fitting in perfectly here).

Executive producer Frank Darabont (who met his leading man while he was the showrunner on 'The Walking Dead') has mentioned that veteran TV actor Jon Bernthal harkens back to the rugged leading men of film noir. When I read that, the record scratched off in my head. Physically, sure, Bernthal may ideal in a scrappy kind of way but I can't see him charismatically carrying this show as former WWII marine Joe Teague, now a grizzled LAPD detective. He's the second banana and a damned good one at that. He's not the guy I think of when I look for the poster child for my show. Even more odd (stay with me) is that when I found out he rubbed his head on 'The Walking Dead' what seemed like every episode nervously, I really made up my mind. Unfair? Maybe. Was it a character trait or weird acting tick? Click here to make up your mind. Either way, he's not the Russell Crowe Darabont may think he is.

IS HE BUGSY? Can Ed Burns pull it off?

THE BUGSY FACTOR

I don't want to get hung up on casting again but Edward Burns as famed gangster Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel? Really? I'll be honest... Bugsy is a hard role to cast because not only was he movie star handsome, he was a vicious killer. On the big screen, Warren Beatty as the Las Vegas visionary was also a head-scratcher and Richard Grieco in 'Mobsters' was downright laughable. You can't just cast a haircut... There needs to be menace.

In his defense, Burns didn't show up in the pilot so I can't say whether he's any good but I'm hoping he'll surprise me. Up to now, he's always been an actor-director stuck in his mid-90s groove of New York bars and witty banter. Fun fact: Thomas Jane (who starred in Darabont's 'The Mist') was originally supposed to portray Siegel. We even see him in character via photographs during episode 1. When the show got picked up, Jane had another acting commitment so the gig went to Burns.

As an aside, as far as Bugsy portrayals are concerned, late actor Ray Sharkey delivered a bravura performance as a character based on the gangster in the 1989 Showtime miniseries 'The Neon Empire,' written by novelist and legendary journalist Pete Hammill. If you can find it on VHS, snag yourself a copy.

FAMILIAR TURF

We've been down this road before and the results have proven woefully uneven. Last year's "Gangster Squad" was pretty much two hours of Sean Penn chewing up chunks of scenery; Josh Brolin squinting and Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone playing dress up for the school play 'Guys and Dolls.'


This particular era of Los Angeles and its underbelly is difficult to recreate - especially with CGI. The aesthetic needs to be real or else it all just begins to look like a video game. Wanna see it done right? Look no further than 1997's "L.A. Confidential." Does 'Mob City' nail it? I'd say they're on the right track.

WHERE'S THE FEMME FATALE?

A noir is only as good as it's lady and we barely catch a glimpse of actress Alexa Davalos in the pilot. Here's hoping we see much more of her because after all, without a lethal dame, who gives a rat's patooty about gangsters, right?

SO WHAT'S GOING FOR IT

The pedigree of Darabont is hard to overlook and it's obvious he assembled a top notch supporting cast that includes Neal McDonough, Hal Morrison, Milo Ventimiglia and Jeremy Luke.

There isn't a more seductive era than vintage Los Angeles and if Darabont can infuse its landscape into the show ala Michael Mann and 'Miami Vice,' he can't lose.

In the pilot, Simon Pegg is a standout as a low-rent club comic Hecky Nash who has a bone to pick with the mob. Who knew the guy had dramatic chops?

BUT IS IT NOIR?

What's my verdict? 'Mob City' tries reallly hard. Sure, it has moody narration, a flawed, hard-boiled hero and enough shadows to make you squint. But is it bonafide noir? As far as the pilot is concerned, let's just say that 'Mob City' is the Domino's pizza franchise that just opened smack dab in the middle of Florence, Italy. The ingredients are there, sure... But sometimes you just want a gritty, old-school pie.

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MY INTERVIEW WITH CRIME WRITER PAUL D. BRAZILL

My inner-noir tough guy when I spoke with crime writer Paul D. Brazill.

As part of the rollout of my FIGHT CARD novella 'Front Page Palooka,' I chatted with prolific blogger and crime writer Paul Brazill (author of the great 'Roman Dalton, Werewolf, P.I.' among others).

In our zippy interview, we chat about my Bogie-inspired newshound, Nick Moretti – charming, yet cynical, burned-out, whiskey-sodden – the kinda old-school guy who makes sure the right hand knows exactly what the left hand is doing.

We also talk about the creative process I used while writing the book and some uncommon forms of inspiration.

'Front Page Palooka' has it all... dames, dives, and hard-punching attitude so if you're in the mood for some serious hard-boiled pulp, this tale drips more whiskey than a busted Prohibition hooch barrel.

Read the interview HERE and check out the cool book trailer HERE.

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MY BOOK - 'FRONT PAGE PALOOKA' - HAS ARRIVED

It's finally here's folks... It's been a looooong time coming and the primary reason that I haven't kept this godforsaken blog updated. MY BOOK HAS ARRIVED. I hope it was worth the wait. If you dig pulp fiction, noir and anything hard-boiled, than this boxing tale is for you.

The e-book  cover for FRONT PAGE PALOOKA

"FRONT PAGE PALOOKA" is my entry into the writer's cooperative FIGHT CARD BOOKS started by Paul Bishop and Mel Odom. While the book trailer is above, here's the official skinny:

Newark, New Jersey, 1954

Years of fight halls and newsrooms have East Coast sportswriter, Nick Moretti, looking for a change. When a sloppy hustle goes bad, and Nick takes a bullet in the shoulder, it’s time to go west. Hired by Pinnacle Pictures to write a boxing movie about troubled heavyweight champ Jericho ‘Rattlesnake’ McNeal, Nick joins forces with sexy public relations gal, Dillian Dawson, for a cross-country tour to give an everyman boxer an unlikely shot at the world title – what could go wrong?

From the crackling neon of Hollywood and Sin City, through the steamy Delta, and on to Chi-Town, the glitzy dream becomes a noir nightmare, and newshound Nick Moretti is about to commit a reporter’s greatest sin – becoming a Front Page Palooka … Another great two-fisted Fight Card tale!

The e-book will have the unifying pen name of Jack Tunney. A print edition (arriving later will have my name). Who else has written a FIGHT CARD book? Authors such as Eric Beetner, David Foster, Kevin Michaels, and Heath Lowrance have all penned entries in the series alongside more established names in the field such as Wayne D. Dundee, Robert Randisi and series creators Paul Bishop, and Mel Odom. Also included in the Fight Card series are two spin-off brands, Fight Card MMA and Fight Card Romance.

The books in the Fight Card series are 25,000 word novelettes, designed to be read in one or two sittings, and are inspired by the fight pulps of the '30s and '40s - such as Fight Stories Magazine - and Robert E. Howard's two-fisted boxing tales featuring Sailor Steve Costigan

To check out the book on AMAZON, click HERE.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHARLES BUKOWSKI

Happy birthday to novelist and poet of skid row - Charles Bukowski - who was born on this day in 1920 ... To celebrate,once again, let's take another look at the incredible Bukowski documentary "Born into This," streaming in its entirety.

~Thanks, Hank, for all the inspiration you've given us...


As a bonus, check out this heartfelt short film based on Bukowski's poem "Nirvana." The melancholy postcard film is directed by Patrick Biesemans.


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WRITING MY NOVELLA: OBSERVATIONS, NOTES AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED

I learned many things about the book writing process, namely it should have taken me less time.

I just submitted my completed manuscript for the FIGHT CARD novella 'Union of the Snakes' to Paul Bishop for editing. It will be out later this year (perhaps Fall) and I will keep everyone updated with details regarding its release. That said, I want to share eighteen observations that I made about my writing process, specifically for this project.

1. It should have taken me less time. Far less time.

2. The reason why it may have taken me so long is that I'm an awesome procrastinator. I've elevated the pastime to an Olympic-level sport.

3. YouTube, Facebook and whatever cheesy reality show that happened to be on television was my chief antagonist during the novella writing process. If I actually liked Twitter, THAT would be my enemy, too.

4. Working at a newspaper all day doesn't help the creative process. Many nights, I came home devoid of the will to put theoretical pen to paper.

5. You can conceive, write and complete a novella on weekends in a chain coffee shop. Yes, I'm THAT guy.

6. I've come to respect my fellow writers who knock out their e-books - one after another - and make it look effortless. I bow to you all.

7. If you can pardon the cliche, I just tried to write the book that I, myself, would want to read.

8. The more I write, the absolute less I read. In fact, I try not to read much of anything while I'm writing. Quite simply, I don't want another scribe's voice in my head.

9. UNION OF THE SNAKES was written entirely in the cloud. Sure, a local copy was saved on my main laptop, but whenever I switched computers, it was waiting for me, no matter where I was. My primary service was SKYDRIVE with a backup on Google Drive and Dropbox. On days when I didn't feel like lugging out the laptop, the writing was done using the same services on my iPad and a GREAT app called IA Writer.

The one, the only Fred MacMurray

10. Nothing gets me in the mood to write more than an old film noir. If Bogie's in it, all the better. If it's Fred MacMurray, I'm in Nirvana.

11. To prepare for this FIGHT CARD novella, I must've watched about 100 film-noirs, neo-noirs and just your all-around basic hard-boiled crime classics -- all on a loop. Truth be told, I got something from each and every one of them.

12. Sometimes I found research to be a fun and necessary distraction. My story is set in various locales in 1954 - namely Hollywood and Chicago - so I really wanted to ensure that I had a strong sense of historical context.

13. Thank God, I don't outline. The journey would have been way less fun if I really knew where it was all going.

14. Music, above all, really is a chief muse of mine. Especially music of the era I'm writing. Jazz, jump blues and onion ballads really fed this beast.A Spotify playlist for 'Union of the Snakes' was my main inspiration.

15. As someone who has embraced to hard-boiled/noir genre, I've come to love first person narrative. In fact, I have a newfound respect for it.

16. I'll be honest... Every now and then, tense tripped me up if I wasn't on my toes. I found my character saying things he couldn't possibly say.

17. As I was writing, I came to the realization that if you're not matriculating on more than one form of social media, you might as well be placing stamps on a hand-written query letter. The pimping of your book comes long before you write 'THE END.'

18. Hemingway was right: "The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day … you will never be stuck."

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAYMOND CHANDLER ... SOME NOIR PRESENTS

Noir grandfather Raymond Chandler would have been 125 years old.

Raymond Chandler, one of of noir's most influential and prolific writers would have turned 125 on July 23. To celebrate the man and his legacy, enjoy the following 'gifts' ...

A BEHIND-THE-SCENES DOCUMENTARY ON THE MAKING OF 'DOUBLE INDEMNITY'

Enjoy this 37-minute treasure trove of the quintessential film noir 'Double Indemnity,' co-written by Chandler and director Billy Wilder. The 1946 film was based on James M. Cain's novel of the same name. The script was nominated for an Academy Award.

THE 'MARLOWE' RADIO SHOWS

This is just pure gold for anyone who enjoys the old radio shows of yesteryear. Enjoy the following shows that ran from the late-forties to the early fifties, starring both Van Heflin and Gerald Mohr as the hard-boiled shamus.

'THE LONG GOODBYE' THEME

Elliott Gould starred as the unlikely Philip Marlowe in 1973's neo-noir "The Long Goodbye," directed by the legendary Robert Altman (I loved it). Love it or hate it, the theme song was more than catchy.




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'MAGIC CITY' SEASON 2: HAS IT IMPROVED?

Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Olga Kurylenko as Ike and Vera Evans in 'Magic City.'

I was a tad disappointed last April when I gave my initial thoughts about the ambitious Starz series "Magic City." The show reminded me of the student who could easily snag straight A's if he just applied himself.

The fact of the matter was that the show had so much going for it that it was a shame to see it lack in such key areas.

The freshman show, set in glamorous Miami Beach circa 1959, was easily picked up for a second season and after watching the first few episodes, I can hopefully shed some light as to whether it has improved, what works and what still needs attention.

For a limited time, you can watch the second season premiere HERE for free.

THE SETUP

This season, Ike Evans (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is still trying desperately to rid his Miramar Playa Hotel from the grips of co-owner Ben “The Butcher” Diamond (Danny Huston) and hatches a plan that has him dealing with other unsavory types that come in all shapes and sizes, including dealings with Havana’s glamorous casino underworld and Chicago gangster Sy Berman (James Caan).

As Ike concentrates on his hotel empire, his two grown sons Stevie (Steven Straight)and Danny (Christian Cooke) gravitate in polar opposite directions. Stevie begins to feel the powerful bloodlust of the underworld as moral law student Danny is reeled in by the halls of justice and State Attorney Jack Klein.

With Castro’s Cuba sending shock-waves through the nation, the Evans family begins to feel the ripple effects. Will Ike’s long-shot gamble to take back his hotel succeed?

WHAT WORKS

* THE LEADING MAN. I said it last year and echo it here again. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is the glue that holds this show together. He's not just another TV actor-for-hire, his portrayal as Ike, the upstanding (yet semi-dark) hotelier pulled in a thousand directions is, for my money, one of the best male leads on network or cable television. It's truly a shame he'll probably be overshadowed once again by similar strong leads such as John Hamm's Don Draper of AMC's "Mad Men" and Steve Buscemi's Nucky Thompson of HBO's "Boardwalk Empire."

* THE LOOK. It seems these days most cache networks have to have their period piece ala "Mad Men" and "Boardwalk Empire." Many have chalked off "Magic City" as a poor man's 'Empire' and, to a certain extent, they're right. Both are set in a tourist town ('Empire is set in 1920s Atlantic City, NJ). Both delve into the era's shady, back-room politics. Both are on pay channels and can drop as many F-bombs as they want with strong sexual content. You get the idea. "Magic City" continues to be one of the most gorgeous shows on television with top-notch art direction that captures the mid-century, atomic era perfectly.

Chicago gangster  Sy Berman (James Caan) chats with Ben Diamond (Danny Huston)

* JIMMY CAAN. It's Sonny Corleone!! We all know how awesome James Caan is and the fact that he's on "Magic City" can only help the show. Period. We last saw Caan on television when he starred as Ed Deline, the tough-as-nails casino security big shot on the NBC drama "Las Vegas." Every week, Caan managed to elevate his lackluster material and I can only hope that he does the same as Sy Berman, the Chicago gangster who actually manages to make Ben Diamond slightly nervous (no small task).

*THE DAMES. Both Kelly Lynch as socialite Meg Bannock (who has ties to the Evans family)and Olga Kurylenko as Ike Evan's Cuban dancer wife Vera simply enchant the screen.

* THE VET. Alex Rocco (another alum of "The Godfather") is still a standout as Arthur Evans, Ike's dad.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK

* WEAK VILLAIN. Call me a hater but I still can't get behind Danny Huston as Ben Diamond. I'm not sure if it's his over-the-top delivery or his cornball dialogue. Either way, Houston's pit bull gangster comes straight out of Mafia 101.

* PAPER DOLLS. Look,I get it. I know we're in the land of Starz where everyone looks like they jumped out of a magazine but for the love of Pete, cast some actors that look like us regular Joes. Part of the reason that both "Boardwalk Empire" and Mad Men" work is their casts don't like like they've jumped off the pages of Vogue or Tiger Beat.

* THE SEX THING. I may catch heat for this but the sex in "Magic City" does seem gratuitous and much of it is totally unnecessary. And Ben Diamond's whole cuckold thing? That's just plain dumb. Do we really need to see he's a sexual deviant to believe he's a psychopath? "Magic City" is not alone in this. Last year, "Boardwalk Empire" delved into the very same territory with Gyp Rosetti's (Bobby Cannavalle) choking fetish. Again, very dopey.

WHAT NEEDS WORK

OY VEY, THE DIALOGUE. I called out the dialogue last year and I'm sorry to say, it's only improved marginally. Mind you, I've only seen the first few of season two and there is a slight improvement. Still, we get these zingers:

"You ever wonder why they call me 'The Butcher'?"
-Ben Diamond

"No matter how far you run, you aways find yourself back where you started."
- Meg Bannock

"God, I should be illegal. Shit, I am illegal."
- Judi Silver

"I see things as they are. I had to. I grew up in this world. Your world."
- Danny Evans

VERDICT?

What can I say? Despite its obvious shortcomings, I'm still giddy for "Magic City." I'd probably be even more giddy if I didn't put such high expectations on the show, which I hoped would bring much more to the table. Moving forward through this second season, I'll know better not to expect more than my weekly dose of great suits, period music and run-of-mill gangster fare. I'll leave the heavy lists for HBO and AMC.

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VINTAGE BOWLING ALLEYS : AN UNLIKELY COMFORT

I don't bowl, yet anyone that knows me will quickly admit that I love bowling shirts (a weakness). I'm not in a league and I don't plan to be anytime soon.

So why am I even bringing this up? I recently attended a birthday party for one of my little guy's school mates at a local bowling alley and I must admit that it was quite an experience.

Before I go any further, let me just say that a bowling alley is the dumbest place to have a kiddie party for rabid five year-olds. They have no coordination; the balls are way too heavy, even the lightest ones; the bumpers rarely work and quite frankly, toddlers get bored by the third frame after waiting up to 8- or 9- minutes between turns. Horrible place to celebrate birthdays if your favorite show is "SpongeBob Squarepants." Just saying.

In any case, I knew we'd be camped there a while so I settled in. Bear in mind that I haven't been in a bowling alley since the late Reagan administration and what struck me as most peculiar was that this particular bowling alley pretty much looked the same. I started to suspect that would be the case for most of them. The time warp willies were upon me - so much so that you could almost smell the camaraderie of working-class guys prying open their third can of Schlitz as they discussed Ike. And then it dawned on me: There aren't many places in our daily lives that haven't evolved. Libraries. Gas stations. Supermarkets. Gyms. All evolved.

With the constant buzz of walloping pins clobbering one another over and over, I decided to take a stroll and look for some sort of change  Besides installing those nifty electronic scorekeepers in each lane, this very well could've been in 1954. All the vintage hallmarks were front and center from the Pro Shop (closed, as they always seemed to be),  the snack bar hawking bags of chips and hot dogs and the formica bar and its three lonely choices of brew: Bud, Michelob and Coors Light.

Stopping a moment, I looked around to see people on this very early Sunday afternoon. they were all having  fun, laughing, and immediately I remembered the last time that I adorned bowling shoes. It was a more innocent time. It was long before iPhones, 9-11 and the first Gulf war. The Berlin Wall was still standing, compact discs were cutting edge and a phone call ran you a dime. You could find a 24-hour diner much easier in those days and and a gallon of gas was cheaper than a bottle of Snapple. That's what this odd afternoon reminded me of - A SIMPLER TIME. Simple? Perhaps.

I may be aging myself but, in a weird way, the sounds and smells of that crisp weekend afternoon were oddly comforting. There was no Sandy Hook, Hurricane Sandy or fiscal cliff concerns. I was in a timeless bowling alley and for a some moment, all was well in the land. All I needed now was some Elvis and it would be bliss.

But then the birthday cake came and the kiddies began to scream and my retro fantasy took a dive.

One thing is certain as these kiddies become adults and pass through time: Bowling alleys don't change and here's hoping they never will.

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