Thursday, June 28, 2012

Brave *Beware of Spoilers*

 
I saw this movie yesterday. It wasn't what I was expecting from a "Disney Princess" movie.

I think I've been conditioned to expect certain things from these movies, but there was no handsome prince, and no star-crossed romance. There was no evil queen to fight.

It was just about a girl who needs to do some growing up, and a mother who needs to let her daughter be young for a while longer. Even the "danger" isn't true evil, but a misunderstood soul needing some help to find his way home. (It was actually a lot like another Disney movie -- Brother Bear -- but we won't get into that here)

The one thing that was refreshing, is that the plot didn't have to rely on a love interest to draw movie-goers.Sure, the romance is what we want in most of our movies (that and brain eating zombies or lots of explosions), but I think it's important for kids to see something that's not about that. I want my son (and many nieces) to be themselves before they're someone's "significant other" and find their path before walking it with a mate.

Ok, but enough about the messages and lessons, the best part was the trailer for this movie!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

COVER REVEAL: All The Broken Pieces by Cindi Madsen

OMG This cover is beautiful and it feels like I've been waiting for Cindi's book forever already. Soon! Soon!




All the Broken Pieces, by Cindi Madsen is available for pre-order on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads!
What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is?

Excerpt:


Olivia reached up, feeling the tender spots on her head. Her fingers brushed across a row of—were those little ridges made of metal?
            “Careful. The staples are almost ready to come out, but it’s still going to be sore for a while.”
            Staples?!Her stomach rolled. I have staples in my head? She lowered her now-shaking hand. “Can I get a mirror?”
            Mom looked at Dad, then back at her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not until you’ve healed a little more.”
            Mom patted Olivia’s leg. “You just relax. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”
            The two of them left the room, but when Mom swung the door closed, it didn’t latch. Olivia could hear their voices in the hall.
            “I still think we should…” She couldn’t make out the rest of Dad’s muffled words. “…know if I can do this.”
            “…late for that,” Mom said. “We’d lose everything, including…” Her voice faded as they got farther away. “…have to move.”
Olivia could tell the conversation was tense, but the words were impossible to decipher now. Holding a hand in front of her face, she turned it back and forth. A plastic tube ran from her arm to a machine next to her bed. She peeked into her nightgown and stared in horror at the long red stripe running down her chest.
            Sick.
            You’re alive. You shouldn’t be thinking about looks.
            Lowering her hand, she scanned the room. I wonder how my face looks. From the way Dad stared at me, plus the fact Mom won’t let me see a mirror, it must be bad.
            Brains are more important than looks.
            That’s what ugly people say.
            Olivia put her hands on her head and squeezed. “Stop it,” she whispered to her arguing thoughts, hysteria bubbling up and squeezing the air from her lungs. What was happening to her? Why didn’t she recognize her parents or know where she was? Who she was? Tears ran warm trails down her cheeks. “Just make it all stop.”

About Cindi Madsen

Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Taking Zombie Mania to New Levels of Crazy

Saw this and wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry!



Zombie Max™ - Just in case!
Be PREPARED – supply yourself for the Zombie Apocalypse with Zombie Max™ ammunition from Hornady®! Loaded with PROVEN Z-Max™ bullets... yes PROVEN Z-Max™ bullets (have you seen a Zombie?). Make sure your "bug out bag" is ready with nothing but the best!

Disclaimer: Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition is NOT a toy (IT IS LIVE AMMUNITION), but is intended only to be used on…ZOMBIES, also known as the living dead, undead, etc. No human being, plant, animal, vegetable or mineral should ever be shot with Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition. Again, we repeat, Hornady® Zombie Max™ ammunition is for use on ZOMBIES ONLY, and that's not a nickname, phrase or cute way of referring to anybody, place or thing. When we say Zombies, we mean…ZOMBIES!


There's even a video/commercial!



Friday, June 15, 2012

What I'm Reading

I would say that I'll make this a weekly post, but I read really slowly right now, because I only read once I've made my writing goal for the day, and sometimes that isn't until after midnight (*whimper*). However, I've had a chance to do a little bit of reading recently since I'm keeping on top of my writing routine!

Currently sitting on my bedside table is River Marked by Patricia Briggs (great series!) and Night Circus by by Erin Morgenstern. What are you reading?

River Marked by Patricia Briggs


Being a different breed of shapeshifter-a walker-Mercy Thompson can see ghosts, but the spirit of her long-gone father has never visited her. Until now, on her honeymoon with the Alpha werewolf Adam. An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River-and innocent people are dying. As other walkers make their presence known to Mercy, she must reconnect with her heritage to exorcise the world of the legend known as the river devil...



The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des RĂªves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Monday, June 11, 2012

#WritingMonday

I begged and pleaded to be given Mondays off from the day job so I could have some more writing time, and I figure that I better make the most of these Mondays. What better way to do that than force myself to be accountable for my time, so I think I'll start a feature called #WritingMonday where I let you all know what I'm up to.

Today is my first #WritingMonday. So far, it has been very productive! I've sent off my contribution for a workshop, ordered bookmarks, signed contracts for a 4 book series (woot!) and figured out a plot hole in my wip!

I'm going to keep it going, but I may need encouragement, so share what you're all working on today too!

Saturday, June 09, 2012

Wolf Girls: Dark Tales of Teeth Claws and Lycogyny

So I'm pretty excited to be part of a new anthology. It's a collection of dark and twisted wolf tales, and my own story RUN WOLF is about what happens when someone tries to put the wolf in a cage.

The anthology is coming out JUNE 29 from eclectic publisher and creative writing organization Hic Dragones, and as time the release date approaches, you can find out more information here about the stories and where the book will be available. There's going to be a big lanch party in Manchester, UK on June 29 at MadLab (in the Northern Quarter) which will start at 7pm. If you're in the area and you can go take pictures and send them to me!!!

Friday, June 01, 2012

COVER REVEAL: The Collector by Victoria Scott

About The Collector


Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment: Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

www.DanteWalker.com

Meet Victoria Scott!

Victoria Scott is a YA writer with a die-hard affection for dark and humorous books. Her work is represented by the fabulous Laurie McLean of Larsen-Pomada literary agency. She has a master’s degree in marketing, and is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and Teen Shiver.

Her first YA book, THE COLLECTOR, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2013. And her short story, FOUR HOUSES, is available now through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

She currently lives in Dallas with her husband, Ryan.

 

Connect with Victoria:
Website     l     Twitter     l     Facebook
Add The Collector to your TBR pile on Goodreads!