In the Spotlight

Book Spotlight: Web of the Spider Queen

2012-03-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

Now Featuring:

Song of the Ancestors Book I: Web of the Spider Queen by John Grover

A long vanquished evil has returned to the beautiful and peaceful realm of Orum. An evil that will stop at nothing to plunder and enslave all of the realm's people and lay waste to its lands. An evil that refuses to die, that has ravaged every realm it has touched. Its name is Sinnia, the Spider Queen and she has set her eyes back on the one world that eludes her grasp.

Combining elements of horror and sword and sorcery, John Grover weaves an epic fantasy tale full of action, mystery and suspense.

You can find Web of the Spider Queen on Amazon

Author Bio:

John Grover is a dark fiction author residing in Massachusetts. He completed a creative writing course at Boston's Fisher College and is a member of the New England Horror Writers, a chapter of the Horror Writers Association.

Some of his more recent credits include Best New Zombie Tales Vol 1 by Books of the Dead Press, The Book of Cannibals by Living Dead Press, The Vermin Anthology, The Northern Haunts Anthology by Shroud Publishing, The Zombology Series by Library of the Living Dead Press, Morpheus Tales, Wrong World, The Willows, Alien Skin Magazine, Aurora Wolf and more.

He is the author of several collections, including the recently released Terror in Small Doses for Amazon Kindle as well as various chapbooks, anthologies, and more.

John's Website: www.shadowtales.com

Book Spotlight: Of Good and Evil

2012-01-13T18:35:00.000-04:00

Now Featuring:

Of Good and Evil by Gerald Griffin

Ron Sheffield, a gifted but tormented Green Beret, plagued by suicidal guilt because of his "special" abilities, is discharged from the army for going "crazy." Immediately, he is brutally beaten and shot by the Mafia, and is hospitalized near death. His life is dramatically saved by Amber Ash, who also possesses "special" abilities; and from there the two are propelled against mobsters, terrorists and an unsavory government cell out to kill them over Iraqi documents Ron possesses from his army service.
To save his sanity, Ron is forced into becoming a Mafia hit man, targeting only fallen mobsters. This brings Ron and Amber into contact with the powerful and secret society, Eros; this contact eventually actualizing Ron's mental gifts to a point beyond his imagination. Ron is confronted with the imminent nuclear obliteration of a major American city by a suicidal terrorist cell that only he can possibly stop, but finds it impossible to do so. Cliff-hanging ending in a spiritual fight against tyranny.

You can find Of Good and Evil at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/ (Paperback and Kindle)
Barnes & Noble: http://www.bn..com/
Books-a-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/
Publisher: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/OfGoodAndEvil.html

Author Bio:

Gerald was born in Flint, Michigan, receiving his AS and BBA in his home town. Receiving his MA and Ph.D. in psychology from Michigan State University, upon graduation he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, there joining the private practice of another psychologist. A year later, Gerald established his own private practice in Atlanta as a Consulting Psychologist, his professional activities including marriage counseling, psychotherapy, psychological evaluations and executive consultation. While in private practice, Gerald wrote the published nonfiction book THE SILENT MISERY---WHY MARRIAGES FAIL. Following this, during his 18 years as a Consulting Psychologist, he also wrote the three published novels THE CORRUPTORS, THE DEATH DISCIPLE and THE LAST COMING. While in private practice Gerald was listed in Who's Who in Georgia; Marquis Who's Who in the South and Southwest; Personalities of the South; Personalities of America; Outstanding Atlantans; Notable Americans and Dictionary of International Biography. Easing out of private practice, Gerald entered writing full-time, at first concentrating on screenplays and ghost-writing, producing two published ghost written books. Then moving to Gainesville, Georgia, he returned to novels, writing the published suspense thriller OF GOOD AND EVIL and is currently putting the final polishing touches to its sequel A TIME OF RECKONING. Gerald is a member of International Thriller Writers, is divorced, has two grown sons and is presently engaged.

Blog: http://geraldggriffin.blogspot.com
Web Site: http://www.authorgeraldgriffin.com

Short Excerpt- Chapter 1- Beginning:

They were all dead; except for one.

Ron grimaced. "Not again!"

Staying low and zigzagging in a quick pattern,Ron hastened over to Lieutenant Uebelacker. He was the last man on his team still alive; barely.

Mortally wounded, Uebelacker was lying motionless on the ground. His blackened face and military garb were soaked in patches of blood.

"Wh...where did they all come from?" Uebelacker attempted to focus in spite of his pain. His eyes were half closed in agony, and his breathing was labored.

"Hush, Lieutenant," Ron said, kneeling over him. "I'm getting you out of here."

"No. I can't move. Save yourself, Captain."

Again, bullets begin flying all about them. Death abounded. Ron, still kneeling, returned fire from his machine gun and remained untouched, but Uebelacker took another bullet. He jerked in agony, as though something had exploded in his head.

Ron's return fire halted the incoming fusillade, but now he was out of ammo. Suddenly an Arab was upon them, unleashing a dagger; its sharp blade glittering in the moonlight. With uncommon speed, Ron jumped to his feet, sidestepping the Arab's charge, in the same instant hitting him squarely in the throat with the barrel of the submachine gun, smashing his windpipe.The deadly blow hurtled the Arab backwards to the ground. He saw no more.

Hastily, Ron returned his attention back to Uebelacker. The lieutenant's eyes were closed. On his knees again, Ron gently shook him. "Lieutenant."

There was no answer.

Ron quickly took his pulse. It was indistinct. Then, with enormous effort, Uebelacker partially opened his eyes in a bewildered stare; rapid gasps coming from the back of his throat. "You're not wounded," he grimaced painfully. "No...no blood." His mouth fell open with his final breath.

Ron looked at him stunned. Then he cradled Uebelacker's head in his arms. "No," he pleaded. "Not you too. Don't die on me, Lieutenant. Don't!" Ron's breathing suddenly became shallow. He felt like a being without substance. "No," he protested. "This isn't right."

Save Community

2011-12-10T12:59:00.000-04:00

The TV show Community is irreverent, sarcastic, satirical and subversive. Should such a show be saved from cancellation? Yes! The answer is a resounding yes!

In today’s uber-PC world we need a show that mocks (in a good way) foibles and silliness, satirizes trends, and rifts on the geek, the chic, and the iconic. This is the show that made paintball a spaghetti western, threw claymation and anime into the mix just because it could, and turned a goof on Dr. Who into a recurring reference. (Their version, Inspector Spacetime, was turned into a viral fan favourite; check out the videos and websites listed at the bottom of this post if you want to see what fans did).

But alas, this gem of rebellious laughs languishes in the ratings basement and now teeters on extinction. Even now it lashes out, with this week’s episode skewering the beloved Glee with a black mix of distorted Christmas song and fiendish style. It is a bastion of the dysfunctional, the impudent, and embraces that dysfunction with flippant acceptance.

So I make a plea to all you geeks, freaks and TV lovers, to protect the television world from the banal, the bright and the happy. Save Community, save this precious defiant spot of television. Save the subversive.

Inspector Spacetime Websites:
http://io9.com/5844151/it-only-took-a-few-days-for-communitys-doctor-who-spoof-to-become-a-full+blown-internet-meme/gallery/1
http://madmanwithabooth.wikia.com/wiki/Inspector_SpaceTime_Wiki
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InspectorSpacetime
http://www.redbubble.com/people/rexraygun/works/7797863-inspector-spacetime?p=t-shirt

Inspector Spacetime Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I9yS8G8G9o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h792JXBkLuk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMSyIgydYfs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSkKHbaZwDM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8bFVCxj86Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQAgPaJvvHU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKUngdcSgbg

Book Spotlight: Raven

2011-12-06T12:47:00.000-04:00

Now Featuring:

Raven by Nuayma Jeggels:

A girl, a coma, a Plague, and an empty grave.

When Shardaie wakes up, she doesn’t know who she is, why she can’t understand emotions, why she has been unconscious for nearly nine of her thirteen years, or why the dead just won’t stay dead. The only clue to her past is a locket, but the Plague, which finally stretches its unnatural hand to her village, forces her to leave and to learn to protect herself. But everything has a cost: the protection against the undead reveals a secret that Shardaie and her classmates just don’t want to accept, and at the end, Shardaie realises that some secrets shouldn’t be revealed. Secrets have the power to destroy, and the power to change her view on humanity for ever.

Book Links:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/raven/id453282970?mt=11

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005CI7ES6

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/raven-nuayma-jeggels/1104562078

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/73208

Author bio:

Nuayma Jeggels lives in South Africa with her imaginary cat named Pookie. When she isn’t writing or reading, she is battling mathematics and gravity. Her favourite colour is violet. Her favourite meal is lasagne.

You can find Nuayma at her Blog, on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, or Goodreads

Supernatural: The Death of Bobby Singer

2011-12-03T15:08:00.000-04:00

My thought on last night's episode of Supernatural. Alert, there are Spoilers!

The Death of Bobby Singer

The Fall Finale episode of Supernatural, Death’s Door, may be the last we, the viewers, see of Bobby Singer. If it is, the send-off for Bobby was done with dignity, humour and a heart-breaking touch of tragedy.
Most of the episode happens inside Bobby’s head as he travels through his memories -a step ahead of a Reaper- looking for a way to communicate vital information to Sam and Dean. He is aided by Rufus (great to see that character again) and has to face his darkest memories. Some secrets are revealed and we see some tender moments in the relationship between Bobby, Sam and Dean. Overall the trip through memory lane gave some bittersweet insight and said a fine farewell to the character.
But the episode also left questions, mainly, what happens next? Will Bobby stay dead, or return as a ghost, possibly to be hunted down? Personally I hope they let him die in peace, as much as I would miss the character. I think that’s the way Bobby should go out.
The other key question of course is: How will Sam and Dean handle Bobby’s demise? Because whatever happens, whether Bobby stays or goes, there will be consequences for Sam and Dean and a major fallout storyline. My guess is this finally flips the crazy switch in Dean’s head and he goes off on a revenge kick along the lines of dear old Dad Winchester. This may leave Sam on his own, emotionally speaking, to deal with the loss of Bobby, and with a head full of Lucifer that could have serious ramifications. Regardless of how things play out this episode bodes to be a turning point in Supernatural.

Book Spotlight: The Sulphur Diaries

2011-12-01T16:49:00.000-04:00

Now Featuring:

The Sulphur Diaries by Georgina Kamsika:

Alice is in deep trouble.

The police have found her covered in blood and surrounded by corpses. The dazed teenager explains that she had befriended an angel to help her escape her tiny Yorkshire village that is situated over a gate to hell.

Why? Because the Harvest was coming and the love of her life was up for selection.

For more information, including first three chapters to read or download, see Georgina Kamsika's author website.

Released by Legend Press, The Sulphur Diaries is available as a paperback at Amazon.co.uk, Waterstones and WH Smith or in Kindle (UK site). Also available from the US Amazon on Kindle.

Author Bio:

Georgina Kamsika was born in South Yorkshire, the youngest child to her Anglo-Indian immigrant parents. After attending a local catholic school, she escaped to university in Nottingham and began writing. Many years later, she began taking her writing seriously and has had several speculative short stories published in magazines and the odd anthology. She is lucky enough to have three friends who write and they work together weekly, sharing ideas, discussing writing techniques and motivating each other.

She admits to being a geek and whenever she’s not writing, she loves reading and walking her two dogs in the local woods. Her partner, Andy, is very patient and supports her at all times, even when her only response is ‘shush, go away. Writing’.

The Sulphur Diaries Excerpt:

“There is blood everywhere, on the walls, on the tables; I’m not sure what I just stood in, but it’s slippery.

Johnny! I scream, to be heard over the racket from outside, but there’s no answer and I can’t see him in the dim light. There’s a wet thump against the outer wall, though I daren’t look out of the windows. If I do, I might never be able to look away.

The shrieking outside is like nothing I’ve ever heard, and I freeze. Clenching my hands to stop their trembling, I peer into the gloom. Soft red light from some torches show me nothing but a puppet-show of shadows fighting outside. I recognise some of the locals: Mr Higgins, the Croft twins, their shapes easy to pick out as they struggle against the imps.

There seem to be more of them now. Where are they coming from? I remember calling to Lyle – not even an hour ago, however much it feels like days – but why are these imps attacking, why–”

Book Spotlight: The Ranch Next Door and Other Stories

2011-11-05T16:16:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

The Ranch Next Door and Other Stories by Elisabeth Grace Foley:

Suspense, humor and a touch of romance await in seven short stories of the American West. In the title story, "The Ranch Next Door," a cattleman's young son dreads breaking the news to his family that he has fallen in love with the daughter of a neighboring sheep rancher despite an ancient feud between the two families. In "Cross My Heart," a boy is torn between betraying his conscience or a fugitive friend, and in "Delayed Deposit," five people are taken hostage during a bank robbery that turns into a tense standoff. The collection also includes the award-winning "Disturbing the Peace," honorable mention in the 2010 Rope and Wire short story competition.

The Ranch Next Door and Other Stories is available at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ranch-Next-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B005S73B7Y/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ranch-next-door-and-other-stories-elisabeth-grace-foley/1106244496

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93379

Author Bio:

Elisabeth Grace Foley is a 21-year-old author of historical fiction who is really too young to have done anything interesting enough to put into an author bio. She is busy trying to do something about that. She lives with her family and a large stack of writer’s notebooks in the northeastern U.S.

Book Spotlight: Affairs of the Heart

2011-11-03T13:12:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

Affairs of the Heart by Borislava Borissova:

Affairs of the Heart encompasses two novellas, The Last Secrets of The Ancient Island and A Love In Time of War, that deal with affairs of the heart. Two stories about love and loneliness, and the unique ways some people deal with them. We are born alone, we die alone but life is our chance to live in love. If possible... or if we so wish...

A Love In Time of War
First they faced the war… the love followed later. Peace was somewhere in between.
One day he could have killed her on the other side of the front, on the next day he fell in love and what would happen in the day after? All efforts to remain enemies seemed to be in vain with the borderline between their ability to hate or to love a thin one. His life becomes a Byron’s passionate poem that he enters into madly and bravely. The war became past, the past became history and through the years only love is still alive in a very beautiful tale to remember.

The Last Secrets of The Ancient Island
A series of mishaps in an old town casts suspicion on a number of residents, provoking changes in an adopted practice of the underground world of relics. A young graduate of a university proves the last mysteries of ancient National Park sites are yet unexplored by historians and archaeologists and discovers the personal secret of his older brother. An unknown driver has a tragic motivation to take his life and that of another.
We were born alone, we die alone, but life is our chance to live in love. If we don’t lose the chance, if know why love is the most desired legend in our life.

The book is available both in paperback and Kindle format:

An excerpt from A Love In Time of War, a story from the book Affairs of The Heart:

After a while, the older white-haired man repeated in amazement, “Let’s clear this up. You fought to the death in the Balkan War against her father, her brother and her country. And she served as a nurse to Bulgarian soldiers, among blood, wounded, dead, and the smell of formaldehyde on the opposite side of the borderline. Does it mean you are coming to ask for the hand of your enemy’s daughter? The Bulgarian general, who personally led his army from the front line against the Ottoman divisions?”

“Yes. First there was the war… the love followed later. Peace was somewhere in between.”

“Yesterday, you could have killed her on the other side of the front, today you are in love and what about tomorrow?”

“She feels the same way. All our efforts to remain enemies appeared to be in vain. The border line between our ability to hate or to love appears a thin one.”

His fellow traveler shook his head distrustfully. “Your story sounds crazy. Most probably, her father will not allow her to marry you. Hmm... Kidnap her instead. Escape together as others have done many times on the Balkans.”

Author Bio:

In the author's own words: "I consider myself a writer by soul because, although I have been working in the field of Human Resources for years, in my free time, history and writing are the important passions of my life. I am more than happy to share both of them with you! I love ancient parts in the towns, which are like museums under open sky. I like discovering these scenes of legends and secrets, history and culture.
Million thanks for being with me on my lifelong adventure through the ages, through countless earthly and celestial places, to meet my characters in their settings, to be part of their life... I am content that my imagination have created them. They keep a very friendly company of mine during the long hours of writing. Welcome on the seat next to me and feel the stories!"

Coffin Hop: A Supernatural Quiz

2011-10-24T00:00:00.024-03:00

Over at A. F. Stewart's Blog the official Coffin Hop Web Tour post has landed, but over here I'm doing a side hop for the event as well. As regular readers of this blog know, I'm a big fan of the TV show Supernatural, so in honour of Coffin Hop and for Halloween, I've put together a small quiz about the show, Supernatural.
Anyone who can answer every question correctly will win a three ebook prize pack (via free Smashwords download coupons) of Once Upon a Dark and Eerie..., Killers and Demons, and Ruined City. In the event no one answers all the questions correctly, I'll pick a winner at random. Also, a second prize of one ebook (winner's choice) will be awarded to a random commenter (so it pays to give the quiz a try, even if you get it wrong).

Supernatural Quiz:

1. What did the Winchester boys call the demon that killed Mary Winchester?

2. What is the year and make of the Winchesters' car?

3. Who created the show?

4. What was the name of the ghost hunting group that made a memorable appearance on the show (and had a subsequent web series)?

5. Name two ways that Sam and Dean have each died (and yes you can use the episode where Dean died repeatedly at the hands of the Trickster)?

6. What is the Trickster’s real identity?

7. What is the name of the demon that once possessed Sam?

8. What did the Winchesters do to themselves to prevent further demonic possession?

9. Name the two weapons that the Winchesters used to kill demons.

10. What was the name of Sam and Dean’s half-brother?

11. How did Sam and Dean’s half-brother originally die?

12. How do Jo and Ellen die?

13. How did Dean kill Eve?

To continue back to the main Coffin Hop, please scroll down to the end of this blog to find the Linky List and click on the link of your choice.

Book Spotlight: Amador Lockdown

2011-10-22T14:13:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

Amador Lockdown by Coral Russell

Something has moved into the Amador Hotel.
Hector, Marcos, Bev, and Tony of the Paranormal Posse are called in to either debunk the haunting or get rid of whatever is causing the problems. With the surprise arrival of Hector's son, he tries to keep his professional and personal lives separate, but whatever is haunting the Amador Hotel has other plans.

You can find it more about the book here https://sites.google.com/site/amadorlockdown/home and join the Amador Lockdown mailing list to find out about new releases and updates.

Author Bio:

Coral Russell won the 2003 McCaleb Peace Initiative which produced the non-fiction articles Peace on the Peninsula about South Korean's view on reunification. You can also find various articles written by her on Technorati and BlogCritics. After winning a fiction writing contest (a fluke), she caught the fiction bug. An encounter with something paranormal on a local ghost tour inspired her to start writing the ghost hunter series.

Her titles include Peace on the Peninsula, Twelve Worlds, Playing with Fire, The DIY Guide to Social Media Marketing and eBook Publishing, and Amador Lockdown.

Ms. Russell runs the blog alchemyofscrawl and you can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+

Book Spotlight: Twin-Bred

2011-10-17T15:10:00.002-03:00

Now Featuring:

Twin-Bred by Karen A. Wyle:

Can inter-species diplomacy begin in the womb?

After seventy years on Tofarn, the human colonists and the native Tofa still know very little about each other. Misunderstanding breeds conflict, and the conflicts are escalating. Scientist Mara Cadell’s radical proposal: that host mothers of either species carry fraternal twins, human and Tofa, in the hope that the bond between twins can bridge the gap between species. Mara lost her own twin, Levi, in utero, but she has secretly kept him alive in her mind as companion and collaborator.

Mara succeeds in obtaining governmental backing for her project – but both the human and Tofa establishments have their own agendas. Mara must shepherd the Twin-Bred through dangers she anticipated and others that even the canny Levi could not foresee. Will the Twin-Bred bring peace, war, or something else entirely?

You can find Twin-Bred at:

Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Twin-Bred-ebook/dp/B005VDVHQ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318680371&sr=1-1

Nook Store: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twin-bred-karen-wyle/1035146826?ean=2940013311077&itm=1&usri=twin-bred

Smashwords (multiple ebook formats): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94490

CreateSpace (paperback): https://www.createspace.com/3541557

An Introduction to the Excerpt- The human colony on Tofarn and the indigenous Tofa have great difficulty communicating with and basically comprehending each other. Scientist Mara Cadell is running a project where host mothers carry twins, one human and one Tofa, in the hope that the bond between twins can bridge the gap between species. Alan Kimball, a member of the governing human Council, is hostile to the Tofa and has inserted agents into the project.

Excerpt from Twin-Bred:

Tilda looked at her twins, cuddled close together in the crib. Mat-set had all four arms wrapped around Suzie. They seemed to cuddle any chance they got. Maybe they were glad to be free of separate amniotic sacs.

She looked down at Mat-set and remembered the rumors of Tofa with five arms instead of four. She had even seen pictures, but who knew whether they were authentic. Certainly none of the Tofa Twin-Bred babies had been born with extra limbs.

Tilda glanced over at the big dormitory clock and then back down at the babies. She gasped and staggered a step back. Mat-set was still holding Suzie with four arms. So how was he scratching his head with another one?

Tilda looked around wildly for a chair, found one blessedly nearby, and sank down on it. She pinched herself. Nothing changed. Well, who said you couldn’t pinch yourself in a dream and keep on dreaming?

She got up and walked, a bit unsteadily, to the intercom and buzzed for a nurse. Then she went back to the crib. Of course. Four arms, only four, and what was she going to do now?

She decided to be brave and sensible. If she had really seen it, the staff had to know. And if she hadn’t, and she didn’t wake up, then she was ill, and she should get the help she needed.

The chief nurse tucked Tilda in and watched her drift off to sleep, sedative patch in place. Then she went back to her station and called up the monitor footage on Tilda’s twins.

Well, well.

* CONFIDENTIAL *

CLEARANCE CLASS 3 AND ABOVE

LEVI Status Report, 12-15-71

Executive Summary

Anatomical Developments

Observation of the Tofa infants has shed some light on the longstanding question of whether the number of Tofa upper appendages is variable among the Tofa population. The thickest of the four armlike appendages is apparently capable of dividing when an additional upper appendage is desired. . . .

Councilman Kimball bookmarked the spot in his agent's report and opened his mail program. He owed an apology to the young man who had claimed his poor showing against a Tofa undesirable was due to the sudden appearance of an extra appendage. Apparently the man had been neither dishonest nor drunk.

After discharging that obligation, Kimball made a note to seek further details as to the divided arms' placement, reach, and muscular potential. His people needed adequate information to prepare them for future confrontations. After all, forewarned — he laughed out loud at the thought — was forearmed.

Author Bio:

Karen A. Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers herself a Hoosier. Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age 10, she was mortified to learn that some British upstart had beaten her to the goal at age 9.

Wyle is an appellate attorney, photographer, political junkie, and mother of two daughters. Her voice is the product of almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although she hopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice. Her personal history has led her to focus on often-intertwined themes of family, communication, the impossibility of controlling events, and the persistence of unfinished business.

Website: www.KarenAWyle.net

Book Spotlight: Basement Blues and Other Stories

2011-10-05T15:01:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

Basement Blues and Other Stories by J. H. Sked:

Basement Blues and Other Stories is a spooky short story collection. The title story introduces the Blue Moon Detective Agency series.

Basement Blues:

Billy's client has a couple of problems.
She's dead, for starters.
She smells bad.
And her laundry equipment is trying to kill her all over again.
Saving the (undead) girl shouldn't be this hard..

Dim:

An unsettling look at what lurks in the shadows and a man with a very justified fear of the dark.

Pushing Janey:

Phan is being haunted on the London underground. But is he hunted - or is he hunting?

Book Links:

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/basement-blues-and-other-stories-j-h-sked/1104808585

Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/basement-blues-other-stories/id449624658?mt=11

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Basement-Blues-ebook/dp/B0054E922Y

Amazon.uk:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Basement-Blues-ebook/dp/B0054E922Y

Amazon.de: http://www.amazon.de/Basement-Blues-ebook/dp/B0054E922Y

Smashwords:http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/66156

Excerpt from Basement Blues:

The woman sitting in my office chair was stunning. White blonde hair carefully slicked into a chignon, Dolce & Gabanna bag, smartly tailored blue pants suit. She was also dead, which I was having a bit of an issue with.

Not that I'm prejudiced - my own partners are what you might call life challenged, and I have a little condition of my own - but the smell was getting to me. She'd sprayed some very expensive perfume over herself, and the average human wouldn't have noticed it through the scent.

I am not average. I'm also not human, and the scent of decomp was growing stronger by the minute.

Eventually I lunged for the window, pushing the sill up and leaning out for great gulps of fresh night air. It was either that or throw up on our latest client, and I was fairly sure that suit was designer. I couldn't afford the bill.

"I'm sorry," Susan Armstrong said from behind me. Her vocal cords were starting to rot, giving her a husky, slightly grating voice.

"It isn't your fault," I said, still leaning as far out of the window as I could. I didn't have to turn around to know that she was crying. I could smell it.

Sunset had been nearly twenty minutes ago. Astrid was late and Ruth was in the field. I needed at least one of them here. I never know what to do with a crying woman. How to handle a crying zombie was so far out of my league I might as well be on Pluto.

Author Bio:

J. H. Sked lives in London, England, with several hundred books and a long-suffering flatmate.

When not writing, she reads, paints, works at a day job and is completing a university degree.

Every now and then she finds time to sleep.

Book Spotlight: Haunted

2011-10-01T14:50:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

Haunted by Chris Eboch:

John doesn’t believe in ghosts. Not even if his mother does, and married a man who researches ghost sightings for his own TV show. Not even when they travel with the show, and visit “haunted” places.

But his younger sister Tania claims she can see the ghosts. Deciding to believe her is just the first challenge. Softhearted Tania wants to help the ghosts. First the siblings have to find out what happened to keep each ghost trapped in this world. Then they have to help the ghosts move on—sometimes by letting them take over Tania’s body. All this while dealing with their overprotective mother, a stepfather who’d want to exploit Tania’s gift, and a production assistant who’s totally hot but impossible to impress.

Life gets interesting when your sister sees ghosts. And the TV show’s shooting season is just beginning....

Chris Eboch's Haunted series, for ages 8-12, includes three books. The Ghost on the Stairs is set at a Colorado hotel haunted by a ghost bride from the 1880s who is waiting for her missing husband to return. The Riverboat Phantom features a steamboat pilot still trying to prevent a long-ago disaster. In The Knight in the Shadows, a Renaissance French squire protects a sword on display in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City.

Read the first chapters: http://www.chriseboch.com

See the Haunted book trailer at http://youtu.be/jfcdY7tNH1k

Author Bio:

Chris Eboch’s novels for children include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure; and the Haunted series. Her book Advanced Plotting helps writers fine-tune their plots. Learn more at her Amazon page http://www.amazon.com/Chris-Eboch/e/B001JS25VE/ or check out her writing tips at http://chriseboch.blogspot.com/.

Chris also writes for adults under the name Kris Bock. Rattled launches her new action/suspense series featuring treasure hunting adventures in the New Mexico wilderness. Read the first three chapters at http://www.krisbock.com/.

Who’s the Best Doctor Who?

2011-09-16T14:08:00.002-03:00

The have a guest at In the Spotlight today, writer Dee Mason, who brings us one fan's overview of the show, Doctor Who:

Who’s the Best Who?

I love sci-fi. Well, some sci-fi. I sit here in my best writing chair, watching Dr Who and wondering what direction it could possibly go in next. Those of you who love sci-fi may also be into Dr Who. The show originally aired in England on November 23rd, 1963 and was played by William Hartnell. It received mixed reviews from critics but soon gained a massive fan base. It was famous for its creaky scenery and dodgy props, but people loved it. In 1966 William Hartnell was replaced by Patrick Troughton in the first ever replacement of a living actor on TV. The idea to keep the Doctor going resulted in decision which as yet unprecedented. He would regenerate. This became part of the Doctor’s life and history and when Patrick Troughton left Jon Pertwee took over the role from 1970 through 1974.

Enemies of the Doctor

By then, the graphics were in color but still as comical as ever. The story lines were so engrossing that fans had no problem ignoring the little faults of the show. The Doctor faced many enemies, but none scarier than the Daleks. In 1963 the Daleks made their appearance, during the second season. Children all over the land hit behind the sofas on a Saturday, covering their faces with their hand. However, they were still morbidly fascinated enough to watch between their slightly opened fingers. Another of the Doctor’s mortal enemies are the Cybermen. The particularly creepy thing about the cybermen is that they used to be human. They retain their human brains but their entire skeletal systems are replaced by cyborg parts. Their feelings are also removed, which makes them especially frightening enemies.
Of the many enemies the Doctor faced, the cybermen and the Daleks have remained his main two nemesis’, with the exception of The Master. First appearing in 1971 and played by Roger Delgado—until his death in 1973—The Master is also a Time Lord. However, unlike the Doctor, the Master is a renegade and totally insane. His quest to destroy the Doctor ended with actor Anthony Ainley, in 1989, when the series was cut from the BBC schedule. No Dr Who fan ever expected the show to be dropped, but owing to low audience viewing figures, the BBC decided it was time to put the Time Lord to bed. After Jon Pertwee (1974), came Tom baker, Peter Davison, Colin baker, Sylvester McCoy, and Paul McGann.

The Revival

In 2005 Russell T Davies, a long-time fan of the show attempted to woo the BBC with a revived, up-to-date version of the Doctor. He wrote cleverly calculated scripts and had some bright new ideas about graphics and scenery. The entire show was brought into the 21st century and beyond, with stunning locations and exceptionally brilliant plots. The first revival Doctor was played by Christopher Eccleston, who excelled at playing the part. His role rekindled the old generation of Dr Who fans, as well as creating a brand new generation of loyal followers. New enemies, like the Slitheen were brought in, as well as a host of massive TV personalities, queuing up to get a part on the show. Billie Piper played Rose Tyler, who meets the Doctor when the store she works at is attacked by plastic window dummies. Rose and the Doctor become travelling companions—much to the chagrin of Mickey, Rose’s long-suffering boyfriend. Eccleston only wanted to do one series of Dr Who, for fear of getting typecast. Another actor was needed to fill the charismatic role. Enter the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant. Rose watched as Christopher Eccleston started to fade away. His face altered slightly and went a little blurry. Suddenly there was a tremendous bang and the Doctor’s arms spread out wide at exactly the same time his body was engulfed in a sort of weird flame. He howled in pain for a moment and then the fire stopped. There stood a stranger. “Now, where was I. Oh! I know! Barcelona!” he said. He examined his new teeth, his new voice, his new hair and complained that he never ended up ginger. He and Rose had some fantastic adventures and Rose eventually fell in love with him. The sad ending for the Doctor and Rose came in a two-part epic battle set in Canary Warf, London, between the Daleks and the Cybermen. Rose was transported into the rift and the rift was sealed, ending her partnership with the amazing Time Lord.

New Friends

Still mourning the loss of Rose, the Doctor ended up chasing an alien in a hospital. There he encounters Martha Jones, a trainee Dr, who is astonished to end up with the whole hospital building being transported to the moon, by the Judoon. He and Martha shared one entire series before Martha decided that her unrequited love would be the end of her. Once again, the Dr travelled alone. However, it wasn’t long before he bumped into his Partner in Crime, Donna Noble. He had briefly encountered her in a Christmas special called Runaway Bride—played by Catherine Tate—and when they met up again it was fight the flab in the episode with the Adipose.
Again, just one series but this enduring partnership was probably, for me, the best one. Donna was cheeky, took no prisoners and gave the Doctor some proper lip, but she had a heart of gold and they made a brilliant team. Her sad demise came in Journey’s End—having been predicted by Dalek Khan—where she took on the characteristics of a Time Lord. This being an impossible act, Donna was doomed to die unless the Doctor took swift action. His answer was to wipe her memory. Donna Noble, who had travelled the universe and left her mark on entire populations, reverted back to the shallow temp from Chiswick in one fell swoop, never knowing the Doctor and never knowing what she had achieved.
Not long after this, in a two-part special—The End of Time--David Tennant made his final exit as the Doctor. He came up against his old nemesis The Master. At the very end of the episode, the new Doctor’s face became that of Matt Smith, a previously unknown actor. Now, many people have their own ideas of who their Doctor is. Most fans have a claim on pretty much all of them because it is their personal favourite. Mine happens to be David Tennant and I personally think it would be impossible to replace him. So far, I am right.

Dee Mason is a freelance writer who has penned various articles, mainly for property and travel sites.

Book Spotlight: Ruined City

2011-09-05T16:34:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

Ruined City by A. F. Stewart:

In the Northern Pass stands the city of Elowen, the glittering guardian between the Empire of Aloquis and the Kingdoms of Immra. It stands proud and prosperous, never dreaming its dark past was coming to call...

On a bright winter’s day a stranger arrives in Elowen, bearing a secret. From this man a dark blight of ruin descends over the great city and this day becomes known as Winter’s Bane.
The day the world changed for the people of Elowen.
The day their existence turned into a recurring nightmare.

Read of the aftermath of revenge through the eyes of a shopkeeper, a child, ghosts, a blacksmith, a guardsman, an innkeeper, and even a King.

Twelve Stories, One Evil.

Available for free until Sept. 12th on Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/86262
Just use coupon code, XK99S at the checkout.

Author Bio:

A. F. Stewart was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, and still calls it home. She has always had an overly creative mind, and an active imagination. She is fond of good books (especially science fiction/fantasy), action movies, and oil painting as a hobby.
Ms. Stewart has been writing dark fantasy and horror for several years, with side trips into poetry and non-fiction. She also has a great interest in history and mythology, often working those themes into her books and stories. Her published books included Killers and Demons, Once Upon a Dark and Eerie..., Chronicles of the Undead, Shadows of Poetry, Passing Fancies and The Incomplete Guide to Action Movies.

You can find her thoughts about writing and various excerpts from her books at her blog, http://afstewartblog.blogspot.com/

Book Spotlight: 2012: Midnight at Spanish Gardens

2011-08-30T15:59:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

2012: Midnight at Spanish Gardens by Alma Alexander:

What if you could make a different choice at a critical moment in your life? What if had married someone else, turned right instead of left, had taken that job you agonized over and in the end rejected? What if you had been born a man instead of a woman?

On the eve of the end of the world, Dec. 20, 2012, five friends meet in Spanish Gardens, the restaurant where they had celebrated their college graduation 20 years before. Over Irish coffees, they reminisce – and reveal long-held and disturbing secrets.

Each friend in turn is given a curious set of instructions by an enigmatic bartender named Ariel: "Your life is filled with crossroads and you are free to choose one road or another at any time. Stepping through this door takes away all choices except two -- the choice to live a different life, or return to this one.”

All of them pass through the portal and into drastically changed lives. They change occupations and families; one changes gender; a woman falls in love -- with another woman. In the end, four choose to return to their original lives. One doesn’t.

For more information, see Sky Warrior Books website: http://www.skywarriorbooks.com/

Author Bio:

Alma Alexander, who has been dubbed: 'Duchess of Fantasy,' has written a string of historical and young adult fantasies that stand out as some of the best writing in the field.

Her high-fantasy duology, published in the United States as "The Hidden Queen" and "Changer of Days," is complemented by what is perhaps her best-known work, "The Secrets of Jin Shei." Jin-shei is currently out in 14 foreign editions worldwide including such fascinating languages as Turkish, Lithuanian, Catalan and Hebrew, as well as Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian and Dutch. Both Jin-shei and its sequel, "Embers of Heaven," are high-concept alternate history which have also been received as mainstream. "Worldweavers", a YA fantasy trilogy from HarperCollins, features Native American mythology, computer magic, a race of elves with the souls of Ferengi, and Nikola Tesla in a coming-of-age story that has received high critical and reader praise.

Alma was born in Yugoslavia, grew up in Africa, and went to school in Wales. She has lived in several countries on four continents, and is quite comfortable in the new continent of cyberspace. Several years ago she was living in New Zealand when she met a man on an Internet bulletin board for writers, married him and moved to America. She now lives with her husband and two cats in the Pacific Northwest, in the city of Bellingham (directions to her home include the phrase "Aim for Canada and just before you get there, turn right"). Her office looks out onto cedar woods, and she has frequently been known to babysit young deer left just outside her door while their mothers vanish off on some urgent deer errand.

You can learn more about Alma at her website, www.AlmaAlexander.com, and more about the Worldweavers books at their own dedicated site, www.WorldWeaversWeb.com.

Book Spotlight: Summoned: Book One of The Elemental

2011-08-23T12:25:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

Summoned: Book One of The Elemental by Susan Leigh Noble:

At the age of four, Lina discovered she could start fires with a mere thought – a trait which had died out long ago. Cautioned by her telepathic cat, Tosh, she kept this Elemental power a secret to avoid being an outcast. That was easy to do growing up in the remote grasslands of Zena.
Now eighteen, she had no plans to leave her beloved homeland. So when a strange urge compels her to travel north to an unknown destination, Lina resists this unnatural feeling. But her plans to stay in Zena are taken out of her control when she is kidnapped by gypsies and wakes in a foreign land. The desire to travel north is as strong as ever. She fears she will have no choice but to give into the compulsion. When a raging fire prevents her return home, she realizes she must find out once and for all what or who is summoning her.
On her journey, Lina befriends an odd assortment of allies. Together they battle mystical creatures and unnatural forces despite the fact that such magic had died out over 800 years ago. Lina reluctantly begins to use her innate Elemental power as she becomes more certain that someone is using magic against her. When she discovers the shocking truth, it will change her life in ways she could never imagine.

Summoned is the first book in The Elemental Trilogy.

Summoned: Book One of The Elemental is also available on Smashwords

Author Bio:

Susan Leigh Noble has always loved to read. She has been writing since childhood – anything from poetry, short stories, news articles and finally full length fantasy novels. She has always loved dragons, magic and cats so it is no wonder she put them all together in her “The Elemental” trilogy.
When she isn’t writing, Susan is an active volunteer in her neighborhood and at her children’s’ schools. She lives with her husband and two children in Texas.

Review of the movie Cowboys & Aliens

2011-08-07T12:18:00.000-03:00

Cowboys and Aliens is a good movie, a really good movie. However, if you’re looking for a sci-fi movie set in the Old West you may be disappointed because at its heart Cowboys and Aliens is a western. It may have a side order of sci-fi, with alien bad guys instead of outlaws or cattle rustlers, but this movie is definitely a western, albeit an unconventional one.

You do get cool spaceships and lasers and nasty ET’s sprinkled in among the horses and the six-shooters, but the storyline is straight out of the western genre. An outsider (Daniel Craig) wanders into town, stirs up some trouble, and gets himself arrested. Then the bad guys shoot up the town with glowing lasers and flying ships, in order to kidnap hapless townsfolk. The survivors eventually band together to form a rescue posse and go off to bring back the abducted, meeting bandits and Indians along the way.

The director, Jon Favreau, does an excellent job of bringing together the disparate elements in a solid plot that manages to weave the sci-fi elements into the narrative convincingly; the idea of aliens being thought of as demons by the people in town was both realistic and amusing. The film also has a stellar cast playing the classic roles, including an outstanding Daniel Craig as the amnesiac outlaw turned reluctant hero, Harrison Ford as the grizzled, severe cattle baron, Sam Rockwell as the ineffectual greenhorn and they all mesh well to give the movie some emotional depth.

Cowboys and Aliens is an enjoyable film, filled with fun dialogue, shootouts, fights, and rollicking western action, sci-fi style.

Article first published as Movie Review: Cowboys & Aliens on Blogcritics.

Book Spotlight: Killers and Demons

2011-07-05T16:50:00.001-03:00

Now Featuring:

Killers and Demons by A. F. Stewart:

Warning! Not for the faint of heart!

Craving a little blood or perhaps some horrific death? Slake your gruesome thirst for vicarious thrills with five chilling stories that go inside the twisted world of serial killers and beyond to the dark, disturbing world of demons.

Creep into the pages to greet terror.

Killers and Demons is a collection of five horror stories where the macabre murderers don’t get caught and evil triumphs.

What happens if you awake, afraid, alone and in complete darkness? If you find someone wants your heart for Valentine’s, literally? Or if you come face to face with evil on the dark streets of historic London? You would end up dead, of course.

Come spend some time with the homicidal and savour their kills, dance with demons as they hunt and watch the blood drip slowly, sweetly from their fingers.

Killers and Demons will send chills down your spine.

For the month of July, Killers and Demons is being offered free on Smashwords as part of the Killers and Demons Blog Tour

Book Link:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59000

Author Bio:

A. F. Stewart was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, and still calls it home. She has always had an overly creative mind, and an active imagination. She is fond of good books (especially science fiction/fantasy), action movies, and oil painting as a hobby.

Ms. Stewart has been writing for several years, her main focus being in the fantasy genre. She also has a great interest in history and mythology, often working those themes into her books and stories. She has authored and published several books, including Killers and Demons, Chronicles of the Undead, Shadows of Poetry, Passing Fancies and Once Upon a Dark and Eerie...

Website: http://afallon.bravehost.com/

Blog: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.com/

Happy Canada Day

2011-07-01T10:00:00.002-03:00

It is time to fire up the barbeque and wave the flag for it is Canada Day.

I’m here to add a little extra Canadiana to the day with a few suggestions for your entertainment, whether you want to have movie night, go nostalgic with some TV on DVD or curl up with a good book:

Movies:

One Week: Joshua Jackson stars in this poignant movie, about a man who discovers he has cancer and embarks on a Canadian road trip. It’s a touching, quiet film about the country and life.
Men with Brooms: Male bonding, relationships, beavers and curling, what more could you want. Oh yeah, it stars Paul Gross.
Cube: A sci-fi horror film about a group of people trying to escape a cube-shaped prison filled with death traps.
Away From Her: A moving film about dealing with Alzheimer disease and the effect it has on a marriage. Staring Gordon Pinsent and Julie Christie and directed by Sarah Polley.

TV:

The Red Green Show: Watch Red, Harold and the boys as they get into trouble at Possum Lodge and sing the praises of duct tape.
Corner Gas: The quirky life of the citizens of Dog River.
The Collector: Morgan Pym collects souls for the Devil in Vancouver, until he re-works his arrangement to try and save his hapless targets.
Da Vinci’s Inquest: A strong crime drama set in the world of the Vancouver City Coroner’s office.
Trailer Park Boys: The raunchy, crazy, beer drinking antics of Bubbles, Ricky and Julian.

Books:

The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay: A three book fantasy masterpiece (note: while I prefer the Sailing to Sarantium/Lord of Emperors epic, The Fionavar Tapestry is set, at least in part, in Canada).
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod: A wonderful, emotional saga of one family.

Book Spotlight: The Alestrion Chronicles: Slaves Redeemed

2011-06-29T15:43:00.002-03:00

Now Featuring:

The Alestrion Chronicles: Slaves Redeemed by Leanna Shields:

Aria was captured by pirates when she was five years old and sold into slavery.
At thirteen she is rescued by Jarron Latron, and she and her friend Catanya are taken to Aria’s home world of Tanul. There she meets the High King and finds a chance to be free, with a new life beckoning.
But buried deep inside this girl is a secret a man in power wishes to keep hidden.
Will she regain her forgotten memory?
Will this man's plan prevail?

Also Available at Smashwords

Author Bio:

LeAnna Shields grew up and still lives in Colorado. She went to public schools until high school, and then chose a home school out of Chicago called Christian Liberty Academy Satellite School. This is where she excelled, learned to write and even indulged in fan fiction about Star Wars.
During college she started her series, The Alestrion Chronicles, a project dear to her heart.

Book Spotlight: Die Laughing

2011-06-24T13:53:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

Die Laughing by Louis K. Lowy:

Beamed aboard an alien spaceship, Las Vegas funny man Sam E. Lakeside is forced to participate in a plan to rob the earth of its oil.
When the shape-shifting aliens – who take on the form of Trixie Norton, Nat King Cole and others they’ve seen on TV – and their leader, a power-hungry mobster, murder Sam’s best friend and manager, Sam vows revenge.
He recruits a blacklisted comic book writer and the mobster’s girlfriend, and drags them cross-country to thwart the aliens. Their journey takes them to New York City and the Steve Allen Show, where the key to the alien’s conquest lies.
Sam, embroiled in an escalating tangle of violence, love, and lies, is forced to choose between what he wants most in the world – to be a star – or the planet’s survival.

Released by IFWG Publishing.
Available in e-book July, 2011, and in trade paperback August, 2011.

Author Bio:

A former firefighter, Louis K. Lowy is the recipient of a State of Florida Individual Artist Fellowship. His work has appeared in, among others, Coral Living Magazine, New Plains Review, Ethereal Tales Magazine, Pushing Out the Boat, The MacGuffin Magazine, and The Chaffey Review. His humor poem “Poetry Workshop” was the 2009 second place winner of Winning Writers Wergle Flomp Contest.

He resides in Miami Lakes, FL with his wife, daughter, and their two cocker-terriers, Huey and Dewey. He has a son studying Asian Literature in Tokyo.

Website: http://www.louisklowy.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Louis-K-Lowy/100001621851402
Blog: The Writer From Haunted Cave

Book Spotlight: End of Mae

2011-06-05T14:31:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

End of Mae by Angela Yuriko Smith:

Mae was a born writer. Her life’s passion was to find the ultimate story.
In her quest to find the truth behind the Jersey Devil disappearances, Mae uncovers something much more sinister wandering the Whitesbog area at night.
Little did she know the ultimate story would be her own… and she’d be dying to tell it.

Website: http://dandilyonfluff.com/end-of-mae/

Excerpt from End of Mae:

Suddenly all the hair on Mae’s neck went up and the night grew instantly frigid. Something was wrong. Mae listened to the silence in vain. There was no sound at all except her faint breathing. Then Mae grew aware of an unpleasant and hot sensation on her leg.
She started in spite of herself and looked down. Liquid was streaming from the edge of the box and had started to seep into Mae’s equipment bag and pants. An acrid, humid odor hit her nose, and Mae shuffled backwards to get out of the offensive flow.
"Bea! Wake up! You’re peeing on yourself!” she hissed. Mae was disgusted. No mystery was worth getting peed on. She pulled her bag to safety and stiffly crawled around the edge of the box. Mae was going home. Bea could sleep on her couch if she wanted, after she took a shower.
Mae grabbed the edge of a corrugated flap with every intention of telling Bea so, but the words turned stone on her tongue. The first thing she saw was Bea, lying half out of the box. Curled in a fetal position, her face was partly visible from underneath the matted hair.
Bea’s normally sleepy expression had opened up with hyper awareness. Her eyes bulged from their sockets like red veined grapes about to explode. Her lips were peeled back from her teeth in a mock snarl, and her jaw was convulsively shaking.

End of Mae is also available on Smashwords

Author Bio:

Angela Yuriko Smith is a professional writer with extensive experience in newspapers and online publications. Her work has been featured internationally, including a live interview on NPR.
Under her former byline she worked for two years as a contract writer for MilitaryLifeStyle.com which included interviews with Joan Jett, John Nance, Amy Dacyczyn, and Randy’L He-Dow Teton, the only living model for an American coin. There she published over 60 articles and maintained two columns entitled SAHMM I Am, Military by Moonlight and covered the 9/11 crisis from the viewpoint of a military spouse. She was also interviewed at that time for the Satellite Sister’s Show on National Public Radio.
Previously published under the byline of Angela Yuriko Cato and occasionally under her pen name of Dandilyon Jinx, she currently lives in Australia. She also has a large collection of regular newspaper clips from her time at The Community News in Browns Mills, New Jersey and a few pieces for The Daily News in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Otherwise she prefers to work online.
Currently she maintains her blog, is finishing book projects and exploring virtual marketing via House of SilverJinx, a successful design business. Her first book, End of Mae was released on May 31st, 2011.

Book Spotlight: Chocolate Mama

2011-06-02T13:29:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

Chocolate Mama by Helen Bradley Hall:

Young, beautiful, and intelligent, Liza Dozier had a promising future ahead of her. Popular in and out of school, she seemed happy. Liza carried a dark secret that would rip her family a part. Things were looking good for now, but as she grew older her past came back to haunt her. Liza the eldest of seven, had a decision to make, and she wasn’t sure if her decision would cost her everything, even her soul.
Berlin Hamgorium the richest kid in town had a darker secret that would tear his family and the world apart. He knew his secret would be safe forever, or would it?

Author Bio:

Helen Bradley Hall, born August 24, 1973, had a near death experience that began her career as an author. A divorced single mother of 3, in 1996, Helen spent countless days and nights in the library researching the publishing world.
In 2003, Helen wrote and published her book and began Bradley’s publishing company. Helen has written and published three books through her independent publishing house located in Garden City, MI. Helen has written and published books titled, The World of Poetry for Every Parents Bedroom, The Battle Within, and her third book Chocolate Mama, with many other titles to come.
Helen has since remarried, and is now a mother of 4 with an Associates degree in criminal justice, and currently working on her Bachelor’s degree in forensic science. Helen at this present time, is working on her fourth book, titled Baby Robber’s based on a true story.

Book Spotlight: We've Seen Santa

2011-05-30T13:39:00.000-03:00

Now Featuring:

We've Seen Santa by Tiffany A. Higgins:

It's every childs dream to catch Santa leaving presents under the tree. Falling asleep on Christmas Eve is a struggle! You hear a sound. What was it? Could it be Santa?
We've Seen Santa is the story of a brother and sister who sneak out of bed and go downstairs to take a peek. Will Santa be eating the cookies they left out for him? Will he be the jolly man they imagine? Will he be happy to see them? An unforgettable Christmas is in store for the siblings!

Website: http://www.weveseensanta.com/

Author Bio:

Tiffany A. Higgins is the author of We've Seen Santa. She was born in St. Charles, Illinois, grew up in Plano, Texas, and currently resides near Richmond, Michigan. She credits her family, and especially her children, for inspiring her to write. “As I read my stories to my family, I watch their faces. Even my ‘too good for parents’ teenaged son will sit and listen. He smiles and seems to really enjoy himself.”

We’ve Seen Santa is a bedtime story that was created for Higgins’ daughter when she was two. Her husband, Clark L. Higgins, illustrated the story for her. “This book project,” Higgins says, “has brought us all closer.” Higgins’ next book tells the story of the seasons. Its working title is When Seasons Change. She has always loved writing. She has been writing for as long as she can remember. She has dabbled in poetry, short stories, children's stories and hopes to one day write a novel. She is excited to be being published for the first time in her life. This book deal is fulfilling a lifelong dream of hers.

Recap of Season Finales and Cancellations

2011-05-29T12:05:00.000-03:00

I’m a bit late in posting this, as the official season ended on May 25th, but here it is anyway.

Our favourite shows have wound up for the season, giving us weddings, shocks and death galore. Here’s a round-up of some of the best season finales:

Chuck: My favourite geeky spy show ended with a nail-biter of a near-death (poor Sarah nearly bit it) and the team got fired from the CIA (it looks like next season they’re going freelance). Happier events included the long awaited (yay!) wedding of Chuck and Sarah and, well now the gang is really, really rich thanks to the Volkoffs. And then there was the big shocker, Morgan downloading the Intersect!
-The Best Wedding Award

Castle: This one was a tear-jerker and an emotional roller-coaster. Captain Montgomery turned out to be a bad guy, but heroically sacrificed his life in the end to try and protect Beckett from the assassin! And Beckett ended up getting shot anyway at his funeral, where (as she lay dying? passing out?) Castle finally admitted he loved her!
- The Best Good Guy Turned Villain Award

Hawaii Five-0: High drama and cliff-hangers were the order of the day. The team played cat and mouse with Wo Fat and got burned as they uncovered the fact the governor was in the pocket of the criminal. To make matters worse the theft of the money (from earlier in the season) was discovered with Kono the prime suspect, Chin re-joined HPD and Steve got framed for the governor’s murder. Also, Danny’s happy reconciliation with his ex-wife may be short lived as she and his daughter have seemingly left Hawaii.
-The Best “I Can’t Believe They Did That” That Award

How I Met Your Mother: This one only needs one sentence: It was Barney’s wedding! Oh, and Lily and Marshall are finally expecting a kid.
-The Best “I Did Not See That Coming” Award

The Mentalist: We had bombs, the return of Hightower, betrayals, traps, twists and turns that all led to Grace’s Red John spy, rat of a fiancé getting shot and the final face-to-face showdown between Patrick Jane and Red John. And those last moments in the mall where Patrick shoots his nemesis dead (at least we hope he’s dead).
-The Best Storyline Wrap-up Award

Bones: On this finale we got murder, bowling, a baby and one heck of a surprise announcement when Bones tells Booth she’s pregnant with his kid.
-The Best “What The****” Award

Fringe: We saw the future and it wasn’t pretty. One world was dead, another slowly be destroyed. Walter was in jail and Walternate ended killing future Olivia. But of course our Walter came up with a last minute plan to fix everything; present time Peter created a bridge between worlds and allowed the alternate world counterparts to meet. And then Peter was promptly erased from existence!!!
-The Best Headache Inducing Paradox Award

Smallville: The series finale had cold feet, life (and destiny) re-evaluation, an almost wedding disrupted by Oliver trying to kill Clark (and Oliver was saved from the darkness, yay), and the near total destruction of Earth by Darkseid and Apokolips. Oh, and A certain superhero showed his red and blue at the end.
-The Best Wedding Interruption Award

Supernatural: Let’s see, the first hour revisited the Ben and Lisa situation with a kidnap and rescue operation and tied up that loose end with the bittersweet solution of having Castiel wipe the memories of Dean from their minds. And all hell broke loose (literally) in Sam’s mind during the second hour and left stopping the Castiel/Crowley hunt for Purgatory up to Dean and Bobby. A few deaths (poor Balthazar) and betrayals ensue, and Sam finally shows up, but the boys are too late. Castiel outfoxed everybody and now wants to be the new God. And it looks like he’s got the juice to give it a shot.
-The Best Cliffhanger Award

Honourable Mentions:

The Big Bang Theory: Penny and Raj hooked up!
Vampire Diaries: Stephan turned bad, two dead characters came back.
Nikita: Amanda staged a coup and Alex is on her side.
NCIS: The Port-to-Port killer was killed and there’s a traitor in NCIS.
NCIS: Los Angeles: The season finale left questions galore about Hetty and Callan’s mysterious past.
The Event: Sofia was stopped in her attempt to release the virus, but she did manage to portal her entire planet (literally the planet) into Earth’s vicinity.

Cancellations:
The end of the network TV season also means casualties as some of our favourite shows lose the renewal battle. Some of the fallen this year are:

Human Target
Lie to Me
The Cape
The Event
V
No Ordinary Family

On a happier note, Supernatural, Chuck, and Fringe all got another season.

For a full list of renewals and cancellations see:
http://www.tvline.com/2011/01/renewal-scorecard-whats-coming-back-whats-getting-axed-whats-on-the-bubble

Book Spotlight: Goodbye Milky Way

2011-05-17T15:14:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Goodbye Milky Way – An Earth in Jeopardy Adventure by Dan Makaon:

Tom is a freelance project manager with a reputation for getting results for corporations and governments. But he’s never been up against a challenge like this.

The earthquake that triggered the Asian tsunami did more than kill 283,000 people. It caused a shift in the axial tilt of the Earth. But what could have caused such a powerful earthquake and its unusual tectonic activity? An eclectic group of scientists, calling themselves the Star-Slayer Team, calculates that the cause of the quake emanates from the depths of space, threatening all of mankind with extinction.

Tom leads a harrowing expedition to Antarctica and discovers an ancient secret that can help save mankind. He joins the Star-Slayer Team and leads massive and dangerous construction projects in Ecuador and on the Moon.

Assisted by Aieda, a powerful and sophisticated computer, the team has only seven years to develop the mechanism that will save the Earth and the Moon. With Einstein-like intelligence, and even adopting a female persona, Aieda believes her new theory governing gravity and space-time will save humanity. But can she be trusted?

Goodbye Milky Way is also on Kobo

Author Bio:

Dan Makaon is a lifelong fan of science fiction and it was his fascination with science as a child that led to his pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in science.

Having earned his B.S. in Science from the U.S. Air Force Academy, he spent much of his six years in the Air Force in the Space and Missile Systems Organization where he learned, first hand, about the weapon systems development and procurement processes.

While in the Air Force, the author earned his M.S. degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. Upon resigning his commission as a Captain, he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for his innovative computer information systems work. The author's interest then shifted to the specialty chemicals industry where he focused on management and manufacturing processes. Ultimately, he operated his own supply chain management consulting business.

Armed with a solid understanding of technology and scientific principles, and boyhood daydreams of imaginary worlds, Dan’s passion for science fiction has never wavered. He continues to pursue his literary interests while living with his wife in Florida.

Website: http://www.danmakaon.com/

Doctor Who: Thoughts on "The Doctor's Wife"

2011-05-14T23:56:00.000-03:00

The Doctor's Wife was, to quote previous incarnations of the Doctor, fantastic and brilliant. Those words could also be applied to the writer of the episode, Neil Gaiman, but I might be biased as he's one of my favourite authors anyway.

I think the subject of this particular episode has been a long time coming, as it finally addressed the issue of the love affair between the Doctor and the TARDIS. The fact that the TARDIS is the Doctor's one true love has been sitting underneath the surface for some time and it popped out in a big way.

SPOILER ALERT

In a nutshell, the plot thickens as the Doctor, companions and TARDIS are lured through nefarious means outside the universe (Yes, outside, and I'm with Rory on this one. How can you be outside the universe?) to a junkyard of all places. They land, and the TARDIS matrix is promptly sucked out of her little blue box.and into a woman. An evil entity/asteroid then steals the remains of the TARDIS, plus Rory and Amy. The Doctor and the TARDIS matrix then have to save everyone, including themselves, and that's when the real fun begins.

The interplay between the Doctor and the human TARDIS played perfectly, from her confession that she stole him, and not the other way around, to when they argue like an old married couple building a new ship. It was a serious of joyful and intimate scenes, where all (or at least some of) the truths came out.

And the other subplot of the episode reversed the dynamic between Rory and Amy as they try to survive in the TARDIS shell. Rory is the one in control and it's Amy's insecurities that make her vunerable. Rory (mostly) gets to to save the day. My favourite part was when the human TARDIS calls Rory "the pretty one".

Of course the Doctor and his TARDIS save the day, and sadly everything goes back to the way it was, with the matrix back inside the TARDIS. But you can't cork the bottle entirely, because after all, Doctor Who is essentially about a boy and his box who ran away to the stars. The rest of us just tag along for the ride.

Book Spotlight: The Life in the Wood with Joni-Pip

2011-05-12T15:09:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

The Life in the Wood with Joni-Pip by Carrie King:

Joni-Pip lived a pampered life with her family in Bath, England until the bombings of World War II forced them to escape to Knotty Knook, their cottage in Windy Woods on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest. On their journey there, Joni-Pip meets three young strangers who suddenly appear, briefly speak to her and then disappear. Unaware they will play an important part in her life, Joni-Pip soon forgets about them. At Knotty Knook, Joni-Pip and her teddy bear Ethelred-Ted (who is much, much more than an ordinary teddy bear), play in the woods and visit her grandfather at his nearby cottage but strange things happen in Sherwood Forest and through what appears to be a tragic event, Joni-Pip begins a magical journey through time.

Website: http://www.joni-pip.com/

Note: There are several different editions of this children's book, as listed here on Goodreads:

The Life in the Wood with Joni Pip

Author Bio:

Writer Carrie King’s idyllic English life came to an abrupt end in April 2000, when her husband and childhood sweetheart was killed in a horrific accident at work. She felt she would never write another creative word or paint another creative stroke again. Gradually, encouraged by the help and support of her family, friends and the NHS (Carrie had three years intensive Therapy through Psychologist, Nadine Field and her Doctor, Melanie Munro), she decided to try and resume her work on her Children’s Adventure, The Life in the Wood with Joni-Pip, a book she had started writing before her husband’s death. Sadly, she still couldn’t find the solace she needed and felt restless.
From 2003, she spent time in Paris and La Fouasse, West France and she took out her writing and wrote for a month; stopping once she returned to her home in Buckinghamshire, England. She didn’t think she would ever write again in England. She went on to write in New York, Memphis, Portland (Oregon) and Vancouver, Canada but whenever she returned home, she fell once more into the dark shadows of grief over her beloved husband and could write nothing. In 2005, she stayed at Sherwood Forest, and found the area both comforting and inspiring, so at last Carrie resumed her writing of Joni-Pip in England!
It has been a long, hazardous and painful journey and many times Carrie thought that she would never make it but she has and she is so happy that she has triumphed over her tragedy.

Book Spotlight: The Manus System

2011-05-10T12:04:00.001-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

The Manus System by Guy Betar:

Find out what happens when mankind invents a spaceship so advanced, so complex, that it can enter and interact with the human brain.

Author Bio:

Guy has always had an interest in writing and being creative. His profession is that of a lawyer, but his passion is creativity in literature and music. He has always had a fascination with fantasy and sc-fi literature, since having read the Lord of the Rings when he was quite young, and that fascination has grown to encompass many of today’s prominent fantasy authors.
Guy is keen to write a variety of short stories in the fantasy, sci fi and related genres, and at the same time pursue his ultimate goal of writing fantasy books. His love of music, especially composing music and songs and playing guitar, add another element to his creative side.

Book Spotlight: Tales of Aradia the Last Witch: Volume 1

2011-05-07T14:31:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Tales of Aradia the Last Witch: Volume 1 by L.A. Jones:

The Salem Witch Trials were as we all know a horrific turning point in history. It showed people how far their paranoia could lead them to; murder, persecution, and betrayal. Unknown to the humans, however, there were actually real witches located not just in Salem but all over the world including other magical beings like fairies, vampire, werewolves etc. However, once the events of the Salem Witch trials came to be the other races began to fear exposure to the humans and without so much as a second thought all the witches of the world were hunted down and killed. There was not one witch whom survived the genocide or at least that's what all the vampires, werewolves, and other races thought. But one day a girl named Aradia moves to Salem, MA and all that changes.

Tales of Aradia the Last Witch: Volume 1 is also available on Smashwords.

Author Bio:
L.A. Jones is a twenty-four old college student from Bethesda, MD. She has a mother, father, and a sister who is also in college. Her greatest passion is her writing, and hopes it will give as much joy to her readers as it does for herself. Tales of Aradia the Last Witch is her first book series. You can contact her on the Tales of Aradia's Facebook Page.

You can find the author and her books on Smashwords and Goodreads.

Blockbuster Summer Flicks

2011-05-06T17:48:00.000-03:00

Upcoming Summer Films

The wafting warm weather is nearly here and it is time for the thoughts of all to turn to... movies. Yes, the summer movie season is about to descend upon the film-going public in force over the next few months, with the release of the box-office blockbusters. The opening of the Vin Diesel/Paul Walker sequel, Fast Five, last week and the much anticipated Thor this week has the cycle already off to a good start, but there is much more to come.

Here is a sample of some of the more interesting flicks to watch out for.

Sequels or Prequels:

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides:
Johnny Depp is back as Captain Jack Sparrow. This time Jack tangles with Blackbeard (Ian McShane) as he hunts for the Fountain of Youth. Add in some zombies and mermaids for some whacked out adventures. Opens in theatres May 20th.

The Hangover Part 2:
The boys are back to tear up a new town, and this time they’re going international. They are off to Bangkok for more escapades, memory loss and laughter. Opens in theatres May 26th.

Kung Fu Panda 2:
Po and the Furious Five face another crisis. They must save kung fu from being wiped out of existence by an evil peacock. Opens in theatres May 26th.

X-Men: First Class:
A prequel to the X-Men films, the movie explores the early years of Professor X (James McAvoy) and the beginnings of the X-men. Opens in theatres June 3rd.

Cars 2:
Lightning McQueen races in the World Grand Prix, while his pal Mater plays spy a la James Bond in this animated sequel to Cars. Opens in theatres June 24th.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2:
The last Harry Potter movie. It all ends with this one and we bid adieu to Harry, Hogwarts and all his friends. Opens in theatres July 15th.

Original Films and Remakes:

Green Lantern:
Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) comes to life, with the origin story of the Green Lantern. If the trailers are anything to go by, this comic book flick is going to be fun. Opens in theatres June 17th.

Captain America: The First Avenger:
Another superhero origin story, this time of Steve Rogers, Captain America, as he goes head to head with the Red Skull. Opens in theatres July 22nd.

Cowboys and Aliens:
Starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde, it is an intriguing mix of the sci-fi and western genres. In 1875 Arizona, the town of Absolution gets a close encounter when aliens start abducting people. It is up to a gunslinger, a lady prospector and a military Colonel to save the day. Opens in theatres July 29th.

Fright Night:
A remake (in 3D no less) of the 1985 cult hit of the same name. This one stars Colin Farrell as a vampire who becomes the new neighbour of a nosy teenager who discovers his secret. Opens in theatres Aug 19th.

So there are just a few highlights in the mix of films coming soon to a theatre near you.

Article first published as Upcoming Summer Films on Blogcritics.

Things I Have Learned From Cartoons

2011-04-30T19:19:00.000-03:00

Animated cartoons are not just entertaining, they can have some interesting lessons to teach:

Things I have learned from cartoons

That saying Narf does make you feel better. (From Pinky and the Brain.)

That Scooby Snacks either have a hypnotic effect or impart courage. I’m not certain which, but those snacks are powerful. (From Scooby Doo.)

That I have no idea what a pickled schnauzer is, or why someone would pickle a schnauzer or whether the schnauzer is pickled in brine or booze. (This comes from the line “What in the name of pickled schnauzers!” from Penguins of Madagascar.)

That animated superheroes look good in purple, especially if they’re cartoon ducks. (From Darkwing Duck.)

That you should always take that left turn, be it at Albuquerque or elsewhere. (From Bugs Bunny.)

That evil geniuses, be they people, dolphins or a hamster, never have simple plans. They always go for the complicated. (Take your pick on cartoons for that one.)

And just remember, if you ever need to get someone’s attention, tell them you “artichoked a ukulele hamster”. I guarantee you’ll have they’re undivided notice.

Book Spotlight: The Immune

2011-04-21T15:50:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

The Immune by Doc Lucky Meisenheimer:

In the not-so-distant future, a biological crisis of epic proportions threatens the world. Genetically manufactured creatures, named airwars, attack and kill at random. Despite having captured and sequestered the airwars creator, a hastily formed world government appears more effective in consolidating power than managing the crisis.
Hope emmerges when a navy admiral discovers there are indivduals born genetically immune to the deadly stings of the creatures. As the "immunes" struggle to protect humanity, they bemoan escalating government control. There is, however, one key "immune" with the intelligence and leadership to look beyound the crisis. As the government unfolds its secret plans to end the crisis, the destined future of humanity may well rest on his shoulders.

Website: http://www.theimmune.com/

Author Bio:

Doc Lucky Meisenheimer is making his spellbinding sci-fi debut with a stunning novel of political intigue and past-faced adventure.

Meisenheimer is also known as a dermatologic surgeon, chief of the dermatology division of Orlando Regional Medical Center and author of multiple scientific and general publications. His first non-fiction book, Lucky's Collector's Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yo's is in the Smithsonian Institution. He holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest yo-yo collection.

A competitive swimmer, he is a former Masters world record holder and national champion. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, he wrote and directed National Lampoon's RoboDoc Dissected: The Making of RoboDoc.

Blog: http://doclucky.wordpress.com/

A Review of HBO’s Game of Thrones

2011-04-18T16:15:00.001-03:00

Winter is coming.

Fantasy lovers and, hopefully, fans of the books by George R. R. Martin will not be disappointed in the series Game of Thrones if one judges by the quality of the premiere episode.
The beauty and detail of the visuals is astounding and lends the ideal atmosphere that pulls the viewer into the story immediately. From the first opening of the massive gate onto a cold white winter this world breathes life, and death, magnificently.
We are induced to the characters quickly, Eddard Stark and his family, King Robert Baratheon, his queen and her less than honourable family, and enemies to the throne just off the horizon. The episode unfolds as the wheels of the plot are put into play, characters taking stage with their schemes and secrets, until that last, breathless shot of iniquity.
This show will easily capture the attention and fascination of anyone who loves an intricate and commanding drama. Game of Thrones is the fantasy genre at its best.

For more information on Game of Thrones:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/
http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html
http://www.hbocanada.com/gameofthrones/

Article first published as TV Review: Game of Thrones on Blogcritics.

Book Spotlight: Sofia's Legacy

2011-04-16T12:38:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Sofia’s Legacy by Marilyn L Rice:

Is There ‘Life’ After Death?

In Sofia’s Legacy, the second novel in author Marilyn L Rice’s fascinating trilogy, Sofia has died, but has come back from “upstairs” to watch her own funeral.
She attends with her deceased father to see that everything proceeds as it should. Watching events “downstairs,” Sofia wants to help her loved ones, with no one aware of her presence. As Sofia adjusts to death, she and the others upstairs enjoy the pleasures of the afterlife.
In the previous book, Look After Each Other, Sofia transformed her life after learning of her impending death. Now she is seeking the answers to the questions all of us want to know. What exactly happens after we die?

Book Website: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/SofiasLegacy.html

Author Bio:

Marilyn L Rice was born in Nottingham in February 1951 and spent her early childhood in a Nottinghamshire country village. She moved to Derbyshire in 1960 and attended the local Grammar School. She then went on to the Crewe College of Education to study Divinity and Literary Studies for 3 years and obtained a Certificate in Education. She moved on to the University of Keele and read Divinity and Education for a year before gaining a B.Ed degree.
She graduated in 1973 and began a teaching career in Secondary Education that was to last for twenty years. During those years, she married and divorced, like so many of her contemporaries. She travelled, studied Leisure and Tourism, completed a writing course, worked as a part-time holiday hostess, and a market researcher. Unfortunately, ill health forced Marilyn into early retirement from teaching and to take life at a steadier pace. She now spends her time writing and reading.

She self-published her first book, Time & Tide, followed by Stay in Touch. She has since published books one and two of her "Sofia Trilogy" with Strategic Book Publishing, Look After Each Other and Sofia’s Legacy. She is currently writing, Love You Forever, the final work in the "Sofia Trilogy".

Book Spotlight: Light Bringer

2011-04-13T10:45:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Light Bringer by Pat Bertram:

Becka Johnson had been abandoned on the doorstep of a remote cabin in Chalcedony, Colorado when she was a baby. Now, thirty-seven years later, she has returned to Chalcedony to discover her identity, but she only finds more questions.
Who has been looking for her all those years?
Why are those same people interested in fellow newcomer Philip Hansen?
Who is Philip, and why does her body sing in harmony with his?
And what do either of them have to do with a shadow corporation that once operated a secret underground installation in the area?

Light Bringer is also available on Smashwords

Author Bio:

Pat Bertram is a native of Colorado. When the traditional publishers stopped publishing her favorite type of book — character and story driven novels that can’t easily be slotted into a genre — she decided to write her own. Second Wind Publishing liked her style and published four of Bertram’s books: Light Bringer, Daughter Am I, More Deaths Than One, and A Spark of Heavenly Fire. Bertram blogs about life, writing and the writing life at http://ptbertram.wordpress.com and is the moderator of two online discussion groups that help both new and experienced authors further develop their craft: No Whine, Just Champagne on Gather.com and Suspense/ThrillerWriters on Facebook.

Book Spotlight: Regolith

2011-04-10T15:35:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Regolith by Brent Reilly:

When Spacewatch Director Henry Jackson suspects the largest asteroid in 65 million years will strike America in 2012, he must save a skeptical public from mile-high tsunamis, pressure blasts, sterilizing heat, record earthquakes, and a trillion tons of falling molten rock called regolith.
Then he loses his escape plane, stranding his family near Ground Zero, where they must improvise to survive.

Regolith is also avalable on Smashwords.

Author Bio:

Brent Reilly is the son of a magazine editor, has a Master's degree in Counseling, speaks Spanish, and builds oceanfront Caribbean condos. You find him and his books on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1398881.Brent_Reilly

Book Spotlight: Universal Genius: Collected Fiction

2011-04-03T14:04:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Universal Genius: Collected Fiction by Erin Lale:

Universal Genius: Collected Fiction is an ebook of short stories that were first published in print magazines and are now available in electronic format for the first time.

Short stories in this anthology:

The Timelessness Machine (reprinted from The Sterling Web)-Hard science fiction
Obamaphone- Alternate history
In the Beginning Was the Microchip (reprinted from The Science Fiction Store Club Magazine)- Hard science fiction/cyberpunk
The Betrayed (reprinted from Mythic Circle)- Fantasy
Stopover on Monta Colony (reprinted from The Science Fiction Store Club Magazine)- Science fiction
Gina (reprinted from Collector’s Club Newsletter)- Science fiction
Russian Sauna (reprinted from Shadowlane)- Magical realism
Infinity is a Function of This Universe- Hard science fiction
Tsim- Science fiction

Author Bio:

Originally from northern California, I now share a home in Nevada with my mom, Meta, my Bengal Cat, Beni-Wan Cat-Obi, an '84 Silverado named the Warhoop Wagon, two drums named Grandmother Elk and Mr. Hairy Goat, and an invisible garden gnome who prefers not to be named.

My publishing career started in 1985. My published works and paid writing include poetry, fiction, nonfiction, music, jokes, puzzles, magazine fillers, catalog copy, web content, photos, slogans, videos, recipes, technical writing, academic papers, speeches, and procedure manuals. I was the publisher and editor of Berserkrgangr Magazine, a full format quarterly print magazine than ran 16 issues in the 90s. I served on the Mythopoeic Society Fantasy Fiction Awards Committee, and owned and operated The Science Fiction Store in Las Vegas.

I believe that I meet the criteria to be considered a polymath. Over the course of my life, in no particular order, I've taught Russian in a university, bred a new breed of creeping phlox flower, competed in martial arts tournaments, invented technical processes in iDEN and CDMA technology used by Sprint-Nextel, won the Double Ruby Award from the National Forensic League, sang in a public gig in the Celtic folk-rock band North Wind, invented the multiple layer sunprint process and became the world's most prominent contemporary sunprint artist, served on the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Advisory Board, won a recipe contest, wrote for the sports page of the Sonoma Index-Tribune, was the founding Chairman of City Lights Artists' Co-op in Henderson, NV, conducted a public performance by the Sage Women Drum Circle, wrote Russian language user-interface protocols for mainframes, won a costume award at a science fiction convention, had a solo show of my art on the Las Vegas Strip, became an ordained minister and held religious services for a congregation, won an award for a commercial I wrote and filmed, was consulted by an archeologist about the orthography of a runic inscription on an 8th century sword, ran for Nevada State Assembly (the subject of my book How to Lose at Politics, Or, Not Bad for a Libertarian), and worked as a farmer, alarm dispatcher, techsupport rep, insurance underwriting manager, survey taker, substitute teacher, fabric dyer, wedding videographer, and corporate spy (otherwise known as mystery shopper) and wrote and directed the indie magical realist art film Rain Dance.

You can find Erin Lale and her books on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4086239.Erin_Lale

Two Underrated Movies

2011-03-24T11:09:00.000-03:00

I recently watched two movies that pleasantly surprised me, A Perfect Getaway and the 2010 remake of The Crazies (viewed mostly because I was in need of a Timothy Olyphant fix). I wasn’t expecting much from either movie, but I enjoyed both films.

The Crazies:
The movie’s plot is a fairly standard “small town turns homicidal and crazy due to mysterious toxin” but it is tense and suspenseful and has some genuinely frightening moments. The acting is superb and grounds the movie with some emotional depth. And the fact I watched the movie from start to finish tells you how good it is, because I generally avoid horror flicks.

A Perfect Getaway:
The first thing I will say about this movie is you either buy in to the twisty premise or you don’t. If you accept the basis, the movie is great; if you reject the plotline you’ll probably feel cheated.
That said, I didn’t mind the plot (but then again I didn’t have a problem with flying a tank in the A-Team) and I thought the movie was fun. I liked the Hawaii setting, the characters, the mystery, the uncertainty of whether the people are what they seem, and the action-filled ending. I think it’s an enjoyable film.

Well, there are my thoughts on two films I think are underrated. Do you have any favourite films that deserve more attention?

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Book Spotlight: Children of Discord

2011-03-20T10:25:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Children of Discord by C. C. Cole:

Children of Discord is the second novella of the "Gastar" series.
At the end of the first book, Act of Redemption, Shevata re-entered the underworld to track her enemy, the treacherous boy Goldeon, who aided Zermon and murdered the mate of Shevata's mentor, the dragon Harathgus, now in permanent mourning. She gets forced back into Gastar two centuries later by being summoned by a group of unlikely allies. She realizes the city has grown, thrived, and re-populated with a sophisticated set of laws. The boy is hiding inside the city and recruiting a secret army to topple the city's leadership and to bring back the ancient wars. Shevata finds herself amongst an unknowing group of well-meaning people, who are ignorant of the dark history of the city. The clash of the two dangerous children from the past places the people in the middle of their war, creating danger for all. Shevata begins to realize the importance of humanity, and takes steps to claim her own humanity at the book's dramatic end.

Author Bio:

I am a dark fantasy author from rural Mississippi, live a suburban life outside of Jackson with my family.
Interests other than writing include martial arts (hapkido), 20th century history (especially WWI), and adopted greyhounds. The character Zermon in "Act of Redemption" is based on the personality of my older brother, now a family joke. My writing journey began as a creative outlet following the death of my sister from an domestic violence incident. (I keep her case private, but discuss domestic violence awareness in interviews if asked).

Blog: http://www.shevata-cccole.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.gastarseries.com
Twitter: @gastarbooks
Facebook: Gastar Series (fan page)

Book Spotlight: Act of Redemption

2011-03-19T12:58:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Act of Redemption by C. C. Cole:

The city of Gastar stands in ruins with a minimal population following centuries of war. The demon lord Zermon now has come to the human world with plans to destroy the city to make it part of his territory in the underworld. A trio of young fighters from the past enter the devastated city to train the people with weaponry and defense and to restore hope. Shevata also returns after two centuries of imprisonment, realizing she carries a hideous curse. She has a long history with Zermon because she had been a child warrior/assassin during the years of war and entered the underworld to rescue living humans imprisoned there. The people of the city, the humans from the past, and Shevata combine efforts to save the people from annihilation.

Act of Redemption is the first book in the "Gastar" series of novellas.

Book Spotlight: Hungry For You

2011-03-11T14:01:00.000-04:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Hungry For You by A.M. Harte:

“There is no greater drug than relationships; there is no sweeter death than love.”

Love is horrible. It’s ruthless, messy, mind-altering, and raw. It takes no prisoners. It chews you up and spits you out and leaves you for dead. Love is, you could say, very much like a zombie.

In this haunting short story collection, anything is possible—a dying musician turns to tea for inspiration; a police sergeant struggles with a very unusual victim; a young wife is trapped in a house hiding unimaginable evil….

With Hungry For You, A.M. Harte explores the disturbing and delightful in an anthology that unearths the thin boundary between love and death.

Hungry For You is also available on Smashwords

Author Bio:

A.M. Harte is a speculative fiction enthusiast and a chocolate addict. She’s a writer, editor, practical joker, and the author behind the online dark fantasy publishing project Qazyfiction. She is excellent at missing deadlines, has long forgotten what ‘free time’ means, and enjoys procrastinating over at http://amharte.com.

Book Spotlight: Exodus Of The Phoenix

2011-03-05T13:19:00.001-04:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Exodus Of The Phoenix by Robert Stadnik:

Humanity has been kept bound within the solar system for decades by a hostile alien race known as the Screen. Ships attempting to pass beyond Mars have been destroyed without reason or provocation and communication with this mysterious alien race have failed. Both the military and tri-planetary government have resigned themselves to the notion that humans will never explore the stars, but hope springs forth from the most unlikely of places.

Humanity's destiny lies with two inexperienced cadets and an unproven experimental starship. Join cadets John Roberts and Julie Olson as they are introduced to the EXODUS Project and offered the chance to free humanity from its oppressors. This is the first novel of the Exodus series.

Author Bio:
Robert grew up in Southern California and relocated to Phoenix, AZ upon earning his bachelor's degree. For the last ten years he has worked as an auditor and, in his current position, has had the opportunity to travel around the country. He has visited over 100 cities in his travels, meeting a wide range of people.

Robert Stadnik has been an avid science fiction writer for years, but has only recently begun publishing his stories. His first novel, Exodus Of The Phoenix, was released in 2010 and he will be publishing two more books in 2011.

Author website: www.robertstadnik.com

Book Spotlight: Pandora’s Succession

2011-03-02T16:50:00.000-04:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Pandora’s Succession by Russell Brooks:

Where would you hide if you learned the CDC and a major pharmaceutical company unleashed a hyperdeadly microbe on the human race?

CIA operative, Ridley Fox, never stopped hunting his fiancée’s killers—a weapons consortium called The Arms of Ares. When an informant leads him to an old bunker outside of Groznyy, Chechnya, Fox is captured, beaten, and left for dead. When the informant rescues him, Fox learns that his capture was no coincidence: someone had set him up—possibly another government agent. Fox barely escapes after learning that Ares has acquired a hyperdeadly microbe—called Pandora—that is believed to have wiped out ancient civilizations. The trail leads Fox to Tokyo where he discovers that people within the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Japanese Intelligence want Pandora for themselves. The only person Fox can trust is a woman from his past who he nearly got killed.

Pandora’s Succession is also available at:
Amazon.co.uk
BarnesandNoble.com
RussellParkway.com
Smashwords

Author Bio:

Russell Brooks is a former Indiana Hoosier Track Champion and Canadian Track Team member in the 100 and 200 metres. He has written several essays on his blog The Big Picture, one of which was published in the online Op-Ed section of the National Post in early 2009. He has also written the short story, To The Last Bite, and produced his own poetry/novel-themed show, The Russell Show, on YouTube. He currently lives in Montreal, Quebec.

The Official Russell Brooks website www.russellparkway.com.

Book Spotlight: The Magical Girl’s Guide to Womanhood

2011-02-20T11:00:00.008-04:00

The Spotlight is On:

The Magical Girl’s Guide to Womanhood by Violetta Marmalade-Spirit as told to Erin Schmidt

What’s a young, magical girl to do when she gets her first period? When should a werewolf start shaving her legs? Whether or not she has magical powers, what’s a girl to do when she--gasp!--has to talk to a boy she likes?

Never fear: The Magical Girl’s Guide to Womanhood answers these and many more questions for preteens and teens. Even grown-up magical women may find helpful reminders in its pages. Your guide on this enchanted quest into the labyrinth of yourself is gifted young witch Violetta Marmalade-Spirit. Violetta starts with the basics of what makes a girl a girl, then progresses to questions of body image, how to stay healthy, and sexuality.

Becoming a young woman is always a magical journey. Join Violetta in uncovering some of the tips, tricks, myths and secrets to making the best journey possible!

Author Bio:

Erin's work is dictated to her by Violetta Marmalade-Spirit. Violetta Marmalade-Spirit recently graduated from witchcraft school with a degree in Witch’s Studies. She now works overseas, teaching spells to underprivileged girls from traditional unicorn-herding societies.Violetta comes from a long line of witches. Her mother, Augustina Marmalade, is an internationally recognized expert on potion-brewing. Perhaps her greatest contribution to world potion-lore is a recipe that turns failure into determination. Augustina claims to be part fairy. Violetta’s father, Patrick Arthur Spirit, is an invisible man. He works in the tourism industry, and has been featured in a number of famous haunted houses. Although Violetta hasn’t seen him in ages, he is always knocking her hat off her head and running away, chuckling. When she isn’t writing books for girls or casting spells, Violetta enjoys playing soccer, riding broomsticks with her friends, and knitting. She especially likes turning frogs back into handsome princes by the traditional method of throwing them into stone walls.

Check out Violetta on Facebook.

Movies for Valentine’s Day

2011-02-14T13:02:00.000-04:00

A list of romantic movies suitable for Valentine’s, some well-known, some a little less known.

Ghost: Love after death. Starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore
Sleepless in Seattle: Matchmaking by phone in radio show. Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan
Notting Hill: Love and celebrity in Britain. Starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.
Sense and Sensibility: Jane Austen’s book brought to life. Starring Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman.
While You Were Sleeping: Mistaken identity, comas and love. Starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman.
Moulin Rouge: Tragic, star-crossed love the 19^th century Paris, set to modern music. Starring Ewan McGreggor and Nicole Kidman.
A Walk in the Clouds: A WWII vet finds love in a California vineyard. Starring Keanu Reeves and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón.
Just Like Heaven: A man moves into a new apartment to find the spiritual remnant of the previous tenant has stuck around. Romance ensues. Starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo.
Ladyhawke: Medieval love affairs and curses. Starring Mathew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer.
Simply Irresistible: Romance blooms between a chef and a businessman, thanks to a magic crab. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sean Patrick Flanery
Addicted to Love: Two people try to win back their former loves through devious means. Starring Mathew Broderick and Meg Ryan
Stranger Than Fiction: A real person blends into a writer’s character and along the way finds romance. Starring Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman.

Book Spotlight: The Irish Slaves

2011-02-07T09:15:00.023-04:00

The Spotlight is On:

The Irish Slaves: Slavery, indenture and Contract labor Among Irish Immigrants by Rhetta Akamatsu:

They came in the holds of overcrowded ships, packed in among cargo and animals. They were sold to others to work as hard and under as dismal conditions as their owners chose. They were taken to the West Indies, to Barbados, to the American colonies, and beyond.
A familiar story, is it not? But these immigrants, deprived of all personal freedom, were Irish, and their servitude started long before black slavery was common.
Even among those not enslaved, many were treated nearly the same as indentured servants, or later as contract labor on the railroads, mines, and other dangerous tasks.
Your eyes will be opened by this book if you dare to allow them to be, as you learn more of this nearly forgotten part of world history.

Author Bio:

Rhetta Akamatsu lives in Marietta, Ga with her husband. She has previously written about ghosts in books such as Haunted Marietta and Ghost to Coast, blues music in T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do and assorted other subjects. Her heritage is Irish, and it is possible that at least one ancestor was an indentured servant in the 1600's, according to geneology records.

Book Spotlight: Vampyre Kisses

2011-02-04T12:17:00.000-04:00

The Spotlight is On:

Vampyre Kisses by Elizabeth J Kolodziej:

Vampyre Kisses is an enthralling story about a young woman named Faith, who was content with her life, but deep down craved more excitement. Then a mysterious man named Trent enters her life and everything changes. Surprising to Faith, Trent is a green-eyed vampire from Ireland. She is even more surprised to find out that she is a witch, and the last of her kind.

Faith finds out that she is destined to restore her witch line and becomes more powerful as she gains confidence and knowledge, but danger lurks everywhere. Especially when unknown assailants steal the most important gems from the vampire master and werewolf royalty.

Now surrounded by a world full of mystifying vampires and werewolves, can Faith gain enough power to help her friends and rescue the stolen gems?

Author Bio:

Elizabeth J Kolodziej, a young fiction writer originally from Torrance California, is a smart and original thinker who has researched the origins of vampires, werewolves, and witches for many years. She writes her books from the knowledge she has gained while trying to be as original and inspiring as possible. Her books encompass both true folklore facts along with innovative ideas motivated by the great writers around her. This book is her first but not her last in a new series entitled Vampyre Kisses.

Website: http://www.vampyrekisses.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ejkolodziej
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KweenKitten

Book Lists

2011-01-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

A List of Memorable Books

I was in a list making mood today.
The following books are ones I found dramatically memorable and that left a permanent impression on my delicate little psyche. They are probably, at least in part, responsible for the state of my mind today.

Possession by A. S. Byatt
Dune by Frank Herbert
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
1984 by George Orwell
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn
The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

And two I found memorable in an “I think the book is brilliant, but you will never get me to read it again because it gave me the willies” sort of way.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Ping rss

Book Spotlight: The Father of Hollywood.

2011-01-23T17:03:00.000-04:00

The Spotlight is On:

The Father of Hollywood by Gaelyn Whitley Keith:

Hobart Johnstone and Gigi Whitley are considered the patriarchs who presided over the creation of Hollywood. Their city has forever changed the course of history, portraying visions of glamour and romance to a degree unmatched anywhere else. Nestled in hills covered in towering eucalyptus and orange groves, Hollywood was built as part of a grand scheme by visionary developer HJ Whitley, " The Father of Hollywood." Why did the Los Angeles Times and others in the community give him this title?

Whitley Heights was the Beverly Hills of yesteryear, and some of the most impressive homes in Hollywood are located there. Stars like Jean Harlow, Ethel Barrymore, Charlie Chaplin, Marion Davies, W.C. Fields, Harold Lloyd, Carole Lombard, Rudolph Valentino, and many others lived and held legendary parties in the Heights. Inside the pages of The Father of Hollywood are all the juicy details.

Author Bio:

Gaelyn Whitley Keith was raised in Manhattan Beach, California, a stone's throw from Hollywood. Gaelyn went to college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in the early 1970’s and spent the years after college traveling around the country and the world, writing short stories and working for South Bay Magazine. She has been awarded top honors in national writing competitions.
Gaelyn discovered her longing to be a writer when she was a child listening to her mother’s imaginative true stories about Hollywood. In adolescence, encouraged by English teachers who described her as a “born writer,” she began writing her own stories, as well as keeping prolific journals that chronicled her experiences, both internal and external, a practice she has continued throughout her life.
Today Gaelyn lives beside a lake in El Dorado Hills, with her husband Randy. She writes in a book-lined upstairs study where she can look out at the lake and wildlife. She is working on her new book, “The Father Of Hollywood: The Final Event.”

Website: http://www.thefatherofhollywood.com/

The First Hollywood Movie

2011-01-22T15:03:00.000-04:00

Today we have a little bit of Hollywood History spotlighted:

First Hollywood movie filmed on Whitley Estate on October 26, 1911.

Of all the products of popular culture, none is more sharply etched in our imagination than the movies. Most Americans instantly recognize images produced by the movies: Harrison Ford, as Indiana Jones, as an adventurous archeologist in Radars of the Lost Ark. Sean Connery, the gun-toting James Bond in Gold Finger, and Carrie Fisher, the beautiful princess who is fighting the evil emperor in Star Wars. Even those who have never seen ET, Casablanca or Gone With the Wind respond instantly to the advertisements, parodies, and TV skits that use these films' dialogue, images, and characters. So when was the first Hollywood movie filmed?

According to Hollywood myth, the first film made there was produced Cecil B DeMille's The Squaw Man in 1914, after the director decided not to alight in a snowbound Flagstaff, Arizona, but to proceed to Los Angeles. However, in 1911 a new exciting era of Hollywood was ushered in. The motion picture industry already had several studios in the heart of Los Angeles. The movie In the Sultan’s Power was produced in 1908 by Colonel Selig. It was the first full-length motion picture shot in an old mansion at Eighth and Olive.

The motion picture industry did not come to Hollywood until HJ Whitley, The Father of Hollywood, spent over fifteen years and millions of dollars developing and beautifying the area. Considering how strenuously others urged producers and directors to settle in a number of other excellent sites, it is amazing that one man could convince the majority of them to settle in Hollywood. The first Hollywood motion picture taken by a Hollywood film company was taken on October 26, 1911. Although the movie never really had a name, it was a true piece of Hollywood’s history. The Whitley home was used as its set. The movie was filmed in the middle of their groves. The motion picture was directed by David and William Horsley and Al Christe. HJ was fortunate to meet the Horsley brothers as they were touring Hollywood and suggested that they might be able to lease the Blondeau Tavern on Sunset and Gower. He felt sure that it could easily be converted into a movie studio.

In the fall of 1911, the Nestor Motion Picture Company opened the first motion picture studio in Hollywood in the Blondeau Tavern. In May 1912, the Universal Film Company was formed and David Horsley and other small studios merged, each accepting shares in Universal as payment for their business.

HJ realized at once that he had found a rare, untapped jewel that would make his town stand out from others. The rules of the game he now played were simple, much like the game of marbles he played when he was a child. The games would last several minutes, and the best player would leave with all the jewels. In this new game, the jewels were movie producers and directors. Others would try; but HJ possessed a decisive edge, a mystical power that drew people to him. HJ’s charm disarmed strangers and made them instant friends. He was a friend to everyone, one who would cheer you on when you were successful and who would support you when the going got rough. It was difficult to explain just how HJ created these bonds. After knowing HJ for just a few hours, it was like you knew him all your life; and you knew you would be friends forever. HJ stood out from others because of the levels of concern and service he offered.

David Horsley was walking down Hollywood Boulevard near the Hollywood Hotel and looking a little lost and confused when a pleasant, well-dressed gentleman appeared and asked if he could help. David told HJ what he was looking for. HJ not only pointed him in the right direction; he escorted him all the way down the street to his destination. David asked him his name and occupation. To David’s surprise, he introduced himself as the developer of Hollywood.

“I built the bank and hotel at the corner of Highland and Hollywood Boulevard.”

When HJ spoke, his face lit up with an inward fire. He was transfigured. As the conversation wore on, an instant friendship developed. HJ even offered David the use of his elaborate gardens for filming. HJ was thrilled with the idea that this young, budding filmmaker would soon be opening a studio that would enhance the face of Hollywood.

Horsley’s studio achieved great success; and soon, many other studios were drawn to the area. HJ convinced David to purchase three lots: 3639 Whitley Heights, 3737 North Heights, and 4546 Whitley Heights Park Tract. He never lost a chance to make a sale. Hollywood began to grow by leaps and bounds, attracting many others to its famous hills.

The Hollywood Hotel which HJ Whitley built played an enormous role in placing Hollywood on the world map. Industry giants, such as Jesse Lasky, Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, Harry Warner, and Irving Thalberg would stay at the hotel. Producers, directors, and writers held conferences on its broad verandahs. There was a continuous flow of silver screen stars arriving daily.

Many of the famous silent screen movie idols made it their home. They were a lively bunch who attended dances held every Thursday night in the ballroom. Rudolph Valentino taught tango lessons to an influential studio executive, June Mathis, who later offered him the lead in Metro’s The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The movie was a commercial and critical success and the beginning of Valentino’s career as a star. The Hollywood Hotel gained celebrity status when Valentino impulsively married actress Jean Aker in the lobby days after meeting her there. Rudolph Valentino lived in room 264.

Where there were stars, there was gossip about their adventures. It was considered the place to be seen, and many business deals were transacted in its rooms. HJ made a suggestion to movie mogul Joe Schenck to put his entire company, including his movie star wife, Norma Talmadge, at the hotel while moving his studio from New York to Hollywood. Many years later, Norma would be their neighbor in Whitley Heights. HJ and Gigi (his wife) became friends with other notable stars that stayed at the hotel. The hotel register listed Charlie Chaplin, Norma Shearer, Douglas Fairbanks, Fatty Arbuckle, Lillian and Dorothy Gish, King Vidor, Lon Chaney, Carrie Jacobs Bond, Blanche Sweet, Mary Pickford, Lionel Barrymore, Buster Keaton, and countless others. As a thank-you to their faithful patrons, the hotel painted stars on the ceiling of the dining room with the actors’ names inside them. That way it was easy to identify which table belonged to which star. When the hotel was demolished in the 1950s the Hollywood Chamber decided to continue the tradition with the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Silent film stars danced and romanced in the hotel’s Dining Room of the Stars. As Hollywood grew, the hotel had a continuous flow of silent screen movie stars making it their home. Many ordinary citizens would stay at the Hollywood, hoping to get a glimpse or an autograph of their favorite star.

The Cahuenga Pass also played its part by offering a route through the hills to the Valley. It had originally been a simple, winding trail over which cattle had been driven. In 1909 H J Whitley headed a land syndicate that purchase 48,000 acres to develop the San Fernando Valley. In 1911, the tracks to the Red Car were laid. When the San Fernando Valley became a center for the movie studios, the pass was the main link between it and Hollywood. For the biggest stars in Hollywood, there were mansions. The hills of Hollywood were filled with directors, producers, writers, stars, HJ and Gigi’s close friends. But the crews and struggling extras that stood in line daily, hoping to get picked for parts, needed less expensive places to live. HJ saw that the Valley offered such a spot. Soon, thousands of hopeful young men and women came to California seeking fame and fortune in the motion picture industry.

Not long after Nestor Company opened in Hollywood Cecil B. DeMille and D. W. Griffith began making movies in Hollywood. They had been drawn to the community by HJ Whitley marketing campaigns. By the early 1920s, Hollywood had become the world's film capital. It produced nearly all films shown in the United States and collected 80 percent of the revenue from films shown abroad. During the '20s, Hollywood strengthened its position as world leader by recruiting many of Europe's most talented actors and actors, like Greta Garbo, Rudolph Valentino, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamarr, directors like Ernst Lubitsch and Alford Hitchcock, as well as camera operators, lighting technicians, and set designers. Silent cinema defined a new art form in the comedies of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd and the psychological dramas of Erich von Stroheim and King Vidor. They joined a homegrown supply of actors — lured west from the New York City. By the end of the decade, Hollywood was the nation's fifth largest industry, attracting 83 cents out of every dollar Americans spent on amusement.

The studios that made the first silent classics in Hollywood would continue to grow for the next century and become the giants of today. Warner Brothers Pictures incorporated in 1923. In 1924, MGM, Columbia Pictures and MCA were founded. In 1926, Famous Players-Lasky Corporation spent $1 million on United Studios' property where Paramount Pictures have been located since 1935. If you want to learn more about Hollywood visit http://www.thefatherofhollywood.com/. Just imagine, on October 26, 2011 we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the first film produced in Hollywood.

It's a wonderful life!
Gaelyn Whitley Keith
http://www.thefatherofhollywood.com/

Also may you could help get the word out to nominate H J Whitley, The Father of Hollywood into the California Hall of Fame. Visit: http://www.californiamuseum.org/exhibits/halloffame/nomination-form

You can check out Gaelyn Whitley Keith's book The Father of Hollywood on Amazon.com:

Being Human: Old vs. New

2011-01-19T12:38:00.000-04:00

Some thoughts on the new version of the TV show, Being Human:

-Attention, some spoilers follow-

I watched the North American remake of the show Being Human on Monday, and I actually enjoyed it. I wasn't expecting to, as the Canadian preview trailers were less than stellar. For those of you that don't know, the original Being Human is about three friends, a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost, who share a home and try to fit in with the human world. The new show stayed close to the original BBC version, with only some name and location changes and a few minor tweeks.

Mitchell, George and Annie are now, Aidan, Josh and Sally. They live in Boston, the guys still work in a hospital and the plot parallells the original series, with most of the same conflicts and interactions. Changes include the age of the character of Aidan, who is older than Mitchell, and the addition of Josh's sister.

The actors (Sam Witwer as Aidan, Sam Huntington as Josh and Meaghan Rath as Sally) do a nice job with -for the most part- well crafted dialogue. Sam Witwer was the standout of the cast, giving a subtle edge to Aidan the vampire, showing a thoughtful personality battling a violent addiction. And I think Sam Huntington took the right approach in toning down the nerdy, neurotic aspects of the original character; he doesn't need the comparasion with the remarkable performance of Russell Tovey as George. He will have to watch the selfish, whining tone of the character, lest Josh become annoying. However, the character of Sally was a bit uneven; she came off better when Meaghan Rath wasn't playing her needy or giddy.

I think the new version of Being Human may turn out to be a good show, but whether it will live up to the original remains to be proven.

Being Human on Space: http://www.spacecast.com/BeingHuman.aspx
Being Human on SyFy: http://www.syfy.com/beinghuman

The Original Series on Amazon:

A review of "The Cape"

2011-01-10T10:58:00.001-04:00

My Review of the new TV show The Cape:

-Attention, for anyone who did not watch the show last night, the review contains minor spoilers-

When I first heard about The Cape I reserved judgement. The premise, a man framed for a crime who turns to fighting the bad guys as a superhero, sounded like it might be brilliant or fall flat.
So, I wasn’t certain what to expect from this show, but the two hour premiere of The Cape was a delightful surprise. It splendidly captured the tone and feel of a comic book and grounded it nicely with some honest characters and touching pathos. It also had a quirky sense of humour that poked a little fun at the superhero genre.
It wasn’t perfect though. It was a bit shaky around the edges, leaving a few loose ends dangling at the end of the first hour (what happened to all the explosives for instance?) and occasionally lost focus. Also the villain was somewhat under-developed, character wise, coming across as a cardboard cut-out at times.
For the most part however, it was entertaining and engaging, with flashes of radiance. I especially liked the circus segment, where our hero learns his tricks of the superhero trade; the style and the dialogue really clicked. The character of Orwell showed some intriguing promise and fact the hero makes mistakes is refreshing.
I liked the show considerably and will be returning for more of the adventures of The Cape.

Book Spotlight: Ebocloud

2011-01-02T16:21:00.000-04:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Ebocloud by Rick Moss

To what length will we go to avoid loneliness? Facebook may once have been the one-word answer to that question, but for the hundreds of millions flocking to engage in ebocloud.com, "friending" seems frivolous by comparison. In the "great belonging" of the cloud, few stop to consider what sacrifices are being made as they work together with their "ebo cousins" to build a more loving society, under the leadership of ebocloud's idealistic architect, Radu Cajal.

For New York artist Ellison Luber, however, the losses are not abstract -- they are immediate and personal. While nearly oblivious to the ebocloud humanitarian movement, Ellie's insular life in Chelsea is violently upended by an attack that takes the life of his neighbor and sends his girlfriend in flight from the police. And most astoundingly, this and other crimes he experiences are traceable to ebocloud, the same organization dedicated to the new humanitarian enlightenment of the world.

Author Bio:

Rick Moss studied painting, photography and printmaking in his youth and has worked as a designer and producer of video, print, interactive media and web content. He is co-founder and president of the online business community, RetailWire.com. Ebocloud is his first novel.

Mr. Moss was born on an Air Force base in post-War Japan. He grew up in rural Maryland and suburban Baltimore. He met his wife Catherine at art college in Oakland, California in 1977 and moved to her native Northern New Jersey where they reside to this day. They have two adult daughters, Alison and Genna, both also involved in the creative arts.
Links:http://www.ebocloud.com
http://ebocloud.wordpress.com/

Tired of Happy Christmas Specials?

2010-12-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve so I thought I make a list (and check it twice) of, well, alternate Christmas movies and specials:

TV:

A Very Supernatural Christmas: A holiday themed episode from my favourite show, Supernatural. Some little nasty is dragging hapless victims up the chimney and making them disappear. Is it Santa’s evil twin? Not likely. Sam and Dean are on the hunt in an episode full of black humour and flashbacks to the Ghosts of Winchester Christmases Past. Just wait to you see how they use the Christmas tree.

Robbie the Reindeer: I’m referring to the three original British Christmas specials, Robbie the Reindeer Hooves of Fire and Robbie the Reindeer Legend of the Lost Tribe and Robbie the Reindeer Close Encounters of the Herd Kind. It’s Santa’s reindeer done up British style with a nice dollop of irreverent humour. And remember the immortal words of Blitzen, “Power: one of the few things in life that's nicer than toast.”

The Doctor Who Christmas Specials: Come spend Christmas with the Doctor and the Tardis as he battles an alien invasion (The Christmas Invasion), a bride and more aliens (The Runaway Bride), cybermen descending on Victorian London (The Next Doctor), and tries to stop a space faring Titanic from crash-landing on Earth (Voyage of the Damned). It is science fiction wrapped up with a bow. And don’t forget this year’s special A Christmas Carol (broadcast in Canada on Space Dec 26th and on BBC America Dec 25th).

Movies:

The Ref: One very dysfunctional family meets a fugitive thief with anger issues at Christmas time. He takes them hostage, stays for Christmas dinner and ends up as an impromptu family counsellor.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town, discovers the existence of Christmas Town. Fascinated by the place he tries to take over, but things don’t quite work out. He finds out why Halloween and Christmas don’t mix.

Gremlins: Fuzzy turns into fiendish as cute little creatures morph into little nasty gremlins and wreak Christmas havoc on the terrified town.

Die Hard: Nothing says Christmas like the office party being crashed by would-be terrorists. But that fly-in-the-ointment John McClane is there to save the day and the Holidays. Yippee-ki-yay and to all a good night.

Book Spotlight: The Empire

2010-12-20T11:42:00.001-04:00

The Spotlight Is On:

The Empire by Elizabeth Lang

With security comes a price.
Humanity is in danger of annihilation as a centuries old war with the Andromedans heats up again. The Empire, an increasingly totalitarian society, is the only force that stands in the gap.
Thrust into this chaos of alien invasion, rebellion, and political intrigue, Lieutenant Adrian Stannis is caught between the ends and the means. No one knows why this brilliant scientist chooses to hide in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, doing research on an insignificant science vessel. His days of anonymity may soon be coming to an end, whether he wants it to or not.
Adrian's freedom, and his very survival may depend on friends he's afraid of having. Kali, a psi-enabled humanoid who is the only person he gets along with, just barely, and Bryce, his personal assistant and one-time conman and thief, may be his only hopes, if he doesn't push them away, not to mention a mystery surrounding him that may explode in their faces.
Everyone wants to know the truth, but will it set them free?

The Empire is available on Amazon in print and Kindle and for the Nook at Barnes and Noble.

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Lang was an avid reader from an early age. Science Fiction and Fantasy were and still are her passions, with occasional dips in the pools of Mystery. She spent many years in the IT industry and started writing late in life, but once begun, she couldn’t stop.
Elizabeth lives in Canada though she's worked in many places around the world. She loves traveling, learning about different cultures, and sampling their delectable foods.
Her Website: http://www.elizabeth-lang.com/

Paranormal Modern Folk Music

2010-12-16T17:00:00.001-04:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Jonah Knight

Jonah Knight plays Paranormal Modern Folk, what he descibes as alternate acoustic music.

His songs runs from light hearted to creepy and from stream of conscious to detailed story telling. He treats his craft seriously with the goal of creating high quality music that just happens to be about ghosts & monsters, angels & demons, pirates & clones.

Jonah used to be a standard singer/songwriter with songs about traditional subjects: jobs, friends, traveling, and relationships, but after writing over 150 songs he began to lose interest. In early 2010 he had a realization that although he had been a fan of Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror/Super Heroes all of his life, he had never considered writing songs on those topics.

You can find out more about Jonah Knight and his music at his website: http://www.jonahofthesea.com/main.cfm

You can download a free 6 song sampler from his albums by signing up for his email newsletter.

His CD's:

Exploration of Dangerous Places- An album of supernatural dangers that one encounters through travel. It is a collection of haunted songs written by Jonah Knight after he reconnected with the supernatural. This is his second CD after deciding to focus on supernatural or 'genera' subjects. Ghosts, monsters, an army of clones, space travel, and pirates dominate the songs.
The album was released in November 2010

Exploration of Dangerous Places

In June of 2010 Jonah Knight released the album, Ghosts Don't Disappear, a meditation on being haunted.

Jonah Knight is currently planning three releases for 2011, all focused on supernatural subject matter.

Is 'Avatar' Really THAT Amazing?

2010-12-05T13:55:00.001-04:00

Risking the ire of geeks everywhere, the blog is going controversial today with guest blogger, Edward Stern and his take on the movie Avatar:

Is 'Avatar' Really THAT Amazing?

Seeing Avatar in theaters was truly a revelation. I had the pleasure of viewing James Cameron's 3-D epic on a gigantic iMax screen with incredible surround sound and 3-D glasses. What I saw blew me away. Vibrant colors, stunning landscapes, inventive creatures and truly breathtaking action sequences had me glowing as I walked out of the theater after nearly 3 hours. It seemed that everyone else who saw the movie agreed -- there were even reports of people having Avatar withdrawal, because reality was not as awe-inspiring as the digital creations of the film.

Then I saw Avatar on DVD, on a small screen, without 3-D. The visuals no longer had as much of an effect, and so I was able to focus on the story. What I found was much less captivating. The dialogue often bordered on amateurish, and the plot was fairly rote and uninspired. I felt I'd seen it before in countless variations; a timeless film should not evoke feelings of Fern Gully. Nor should it make me laugh at its lackadaisical writing, such as the greedy quest for "unobtainium."

The messages of the movie were loud and clear, and very black and white: respect the environment or be a caustic pig. If you don't care about the environment that's bad. Good messages for sure, just not presented with any real expertise. As such, it's questionable to even consider Avatar good science fiction. A world is invented, yes, but it is really not so different from others that have come before. Even in the extended DVD edition, the scenes of an overpopulated and depressing earth are clear rip-offs of Blade Runner's pessimistic look at future human existence.

Even the whole thing about avatars required a thorough suspension of disbelief. Why these cloned copies were needed to infiltrate the natives was kind of fuzzy, especially considering the natives recognized the avatars as ungodly creations. The whole cerebral connection aspect was another unexplained stretch of the imagination.

Avatar as a spectacle was a truly groundbreaking visual treat. Pandora is a world I would gladly go back to, with a big screen, 3-D glasses, and pretty much all plot and dialogue cut out. Myself, and audiences around the world, were blinded by unprecedented special effects. What we missed was, well, not that much: a contrived plot, cardboard dialogue, and head-scratching attempts at good science fiction.

Edward Stern is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on accredited online colleges for Guide to Online Schools.

Book Spotlight: From the Heart: A Collection of Stories and Poems from the Front Lines of Parenting

2010-12-01T12:42:00.000-04:00

The Spotlight Is On:

From the Heart: A Collection of Stories and Poems from the Front Lines of Parenting

Inside the pages of this book, dozens of authors have given of themselves to share their unique perspective on the journey of parenthood and to make a difference in the lives of children along the way. The result is a collection of stories and poems that track the fun, the challenging and the truly phenomenal aspects of parenting.

From pregnancy worries and the miracle of birth to tough times and growing up, each unique triumph and challenge through a lifetime of parenthood palpitates on the page.

From the Heart: A Collection of Stories and Poems from the Front Lines of Parenting was created to raise money for children’s charities. With this collaborative effort, we will help every child get the medical care that they need and find cures for some of life’s most devastating diseases.

With inspired stories and poems from a group of extraordinary writers, this volume will leave an impression on the heart of any parent.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to children’s charities.

http://writeforcharity.wordpress.com/the-book/

The TV season so far- part 2

2010-11-26T11:26:00.001-04:00

Today I’ll be recapping the progress of some my favourite shows.

Attention the post contains “spoilers”.

Supernatural: The speculation about whether season six would make the cut was the buzz with the fans when the show started this fall and so far the show has managed to maintain the quality. I love the resurrection of the grandfather, Samuel and the bump in status of Crowley the demon, plus the “Sam has no soul” plotline has the makings of brilliance. I do miss the whole “Sam and Dean” interplay, but this new dynamic is intriguing.

Dexter: Coming off the infamous “Trinity” storyline, the show has again altered direction with a marvellous new plotline. In the midst of a narrative chock full of themes of grief, redemption and revenge, Dexter has found a new bloody playmate and protégé. Completing the dark delight are new targets and enemies lurking around the corner.

Vampire Diaries: This show keeps getting better; it is a multi-layered drama that goes beyond the “teenage vampire” craze. So far this season there has been the return of vampire Katherine, Caroline unwilling joining the vampire ranks, werewolves, uber-vamps and an ancient curse that put a target on the backs of our stalwart vamp heroes Stefan and Damon and their love-interest Elena.

Smallville: This, the tenth and last, season has actually risen above the mediocrity of recent years and shown some quality. They have shifted the focus off all the complicated storylines and put it back where in belonged: on the characters. We have actually seen some introspection and character growth and the new Darkseid story arc has actually been intriguing.

Fringe: This show is what every sci-fi program should aspire to: a well-acted, tense, compelling drama. The parallel, two universe storyline has expanded the dynamic of the show and let Anna Torv (Olivia) stretch her acting chops. I can’t wait to see what happens when the storylines finally collide.

Some more favourites worth watching.

Chuck: Occasionally an episode misfires here and there, but it is still the most entertaining geek spy show on TV.

Castle: Just another fabulous season of high jinks, fun and murder with Beckett, Castle and company.

Bones: Murders, science and gruesome forensics. What more could you ask?

The Mentalist: More metal trickery to catch murderers, with some intriguing teasers in the Red John sub-plot.

Human Target: The new season started with a bang and looks to be a solid run of engaging action.

The TV season so far- part 1

2010-11-22T11:53:00.000-04:00

I’ve been featuring books here lately and it’s time for a switch in topics with a little rundown on this year’s television season as I see it.
Today, I’m talking about some of the new shows that debuted this fall. In my opinion, there have been a few standouts, a couple of watchable shows and some disappointments.

Standouts:

Hawaii Five-O- This cop show is gorgeous (in both cast and setting), action-packed and just plain fun. It is fast becoming one of my favourites.
The Event- I didn’t know what to expect when this show debuted, but it is a gripping show. It has a solid sci-fi/conspiracy plotline that doles out just enough information to tease and intrigue, but not frustrate you.
$#*! My Dad Says- The best thing I can say about this sitcom is it makes me laugh out loud.
Nikita- I was surprised by this one, but it is a great show. It’s intriguing, dramatic with some fabulous spy action.

Watchable:

The Defenders- A bit goofy and at times earnest, but the two leads, Jim Belushi and Jerry O’Connell, charm and so does the show.
Law and Order: Los Angeles- A sturdy addition to the Law and Order family, with good acting and engaging plots.

Disappointments:

No Ordinary Family- I wanted to like this show, but it was too humdrum with way too much family angst. I did not think you could make superheroes boring until I watched this show.
Undercovers- The previews for this show looked cool, but it sucks. The two romantic leads have no chemistry, the spy plots are ridiculous and overall the show is tedious.
Chase- This isn’t exactly a bad show, but I found it lacklustre. I felt it tried too hard to be serious and it never connected.

2:1 Sales? Holy Ebook, Amazon!

2010-11-18T17:07:00.000-04:00

Today I'm spotlighting the new publishing trend of ebooks with guest blogger, Andrew Hall, and his thoughts on rising sales of these books:

2:1 Sales? Holy Ebook, Amazon!

Fun fact: Amazon is now selling two ebooks for every print book it sells. This is a major shift in how readers are choosing to consume literature and one with long-term consequences for the publishing industry, as the world's largest bookseller is now pushing digital product far more effectively than physical (and that's what its users want).

A number of factors can account for this, and the first is the Kindle. Amazon's ebook reader has become a wildly popular device and a touchstone for the concept of ebook readers, much as the iPod completely changed how people thought of MP3 players. The convenience of the Kindle has done away with the stigmas of inconvenience and tedium (and unreadable screens) attached to ebook readers of old, and Amazon selling both a reader and material for that reader, much like Apple's iPod and iTunes Music Store tie-ins, have proven hugely effective in pushing the product.

Another potential explanation is simple: instant gratification. As opposed to paying for shipping and handling waiting for a product to arrive, or risking losing it in the mail, purchasing an ebook means that the book arrives within a few seconds (or perhaps a few minutes, depending on the quality of your internet connection) and can be read as soon as it's downloaded. Actual books have a waiting period, and our culture does not like waiting for things.

Furthermore, ebooks are considerably less wasteful than printed pages. While there's much to be said about the printed page - it's more likely to be preserved, you can show people what you're reading when you're in public and maybe impress someone in the process, it doesn't suffer from glare - the ebook doesn't require trees to be chopped down or inks to be used, and it can be distributed immediately, rather than in several weeks after the book is printed and bound. Given that many users are conscious about their carbon footprints, an ebook reader seems like an easy solution to the problems of producing paper books, which require machinery and sophisticated manufacturing processes. While the Kindle also requires manufacturing, it only needs to be made once, not every time someone wants to purchase a book, perhaps making it appear to be a more environmentally friendly way to get reading material.

Within the next few years, Amazon's print to digital sales ratio is only going to slide more and more in favor of digital, much like CDs were phased out in favor of downloads. This is definitely indicative of a larger trend.

Andrew Hall is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on Online Degree for Guide to Online Schools.

Book Spotlight: Refracted

2010-11-11T17:10:00.000-04:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Refracted by Sheila Deeth

Rivers are drying and crops are dying, but children run and play in the fields, and think they might even enjoy setting monsters free. Of course, the parents won’t approve, but that’s the least of their problems, come the flood.

Next time he wakes, the young man remembers running in different fields. But he still can’t catch the girl, or find how to stay in one place. Loves proves as elusive as gold at rainbow’s end, and time slips through his fingers once again.

Maybe it’s fate. Maybe fame and fortune have something in mind. Or maybe when the seconds finally runs out someone else might help him find what he’s looking for.

Refracted is available from Amazon.com

It is also available from Smashwords, or directly from the publisher: http://gypsyshadow.com/SheilaDeeth.html

Author Bio:

Sheila Deeth describes herself as an English American, a Catholic Protestant, a mathematician who can’t add up and a writer who can’t spell. She grew up in the UK and has a Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now living in the States with her husband and sons, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, telling stories and meeting her neighbors’ dogs on the green.

Her website: http://www.sheiladeeth.com
You can also find her childrens' Bible books at http://stores.lulu.com/sdeeth, or visit http://www.refracted-muse.com/ to find out more of her refracted dreams.

Book Spotlight: Once Upon a Dark and Eerie...

2010-11-09T12:55:00.000-04:00

The Spotlight Is On:

Once Upon a Dark and Eerie... by A. F. Stewart

Snippets, sonnets and stories to make you shiver.

A morbid and morose collection of tales designed to scare, dismay and leave you wondering. Open the pages into worlds of horror, dark fantasy, and satire, where things creep in shadowy corners, where they like to hear you scream.

Once Upon a Dark and Eerie... will show you it isn’t safe in space, why fairy tales, clowns and rubber duckies are more than what they seem and why you should lock your doors in the dark.

Available at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/28423?ref=scribe77

To receive a dollar off the price, use the coupon code, WZ73F, at the checkout. This discount lasts until Christmas.

Book Spotlight: A Touch of Deceit

2010-10-19T16:39:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

A Touch of Deceit by Gary Ponzo:

FBI agent Nick Bracco can't stop a Kurdish terrorist from firing missiles at random homes across the country.

The police can't stand watch over every household, so Bracco recruits his cousin Tommy to help track down this terrorist.
Tommy is in the Mafia. Oh yeah, it gets messy fast.

As fast as you can turn the pages.

A Touch of Deceit is an Amazon Kindle Exclusive.

Author Bio:

Gary Ponzo lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife Jennifer and two children, Jessica and Kyle. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications, including Amazing Journeys Magazine and Potpourri. Two of his short stories have been nominated for the very prestigious Pushcart Prize. His novel, "A Touch of Deceit" won the S.W. Writers Contest, Thriller category.

Website:
http://www.garyponzo.com/

Book Spotlight: When Dreams Bleed

2010-10-13T15:59:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight Is On:

When Dreams Bleed by Robin Cain:

A software genius with a knack for business, Frank’s been living the dream his whole life. He’s amassed money, success, and is now accumulating women, but someone out there thinks he’s gone too far.

Who is seeking revenge and why? His wife? His mistress? Or the shadow who’s been following his every move?

Just when he thinks he has anticipated his opponent’s next move a tragic car accident leaves him paralyzed, his life’s work is being stolen and his wife has disappeared. Just how far will someone go to teach him the correlation between deception and despair?

WHEN DREAMS BLEED examines temptation and the ensuing consequences in a contemporary world. It’s no secret that dreams come at a price, but what happens WHEN DREAMS BLEED?

About the Author:
Robin lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband, daughter, three dogs, three horses and an adopted donkey named Sophia. As a novelist and regular contributing writer for The Examiner, she spends her days searching for the perfect words to amuse, enlighten and touch her readers. A three chapter excerpt of her book, WHEN DREAMS BLEED, can be found on her website, http://www.robincain.com/
You can also find her thoughts and musings at her blog, http://robincain.wordpress.com/

And you can check out my review of When Dreams Bleed: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/real-emotional-drama-review-of-when.html

Book Spotlight: Restored Hope

2010-10-10T11:48:00.000-03:00

The Spotlight is on:

Restored Hope by Brenda Youngerman

Peter and Tara Miller are the image of perfection. They have three beautiful children, live in a wonderful neighborhood, and are still each other’s best friend. One day in May their world begins to disintegrate as one of their son falls out of a tree. Tragically six months later their other son takes his own life. Tara snaps and she recedes into the confines of her darkened room.

Emotionally abandoned, Samantha Miller must survive the aftermath of her brothers’ deaths, her mother’s breakdown and her father’s demands. When she has the ability to break free she does and discovers that the real world is not much kinder. Emotionally shattered she struggles through college and law school to discover that her dead twin can direct her to a safe haven. The solace of the ocean and a dog give her the strength she needs to find peace and happiness.

Timothy Bleak is raised in a kind, loving family and is virtually invisible. His voice goes unheard, his needs are unmet and his emotions are squashed. Unbeknownst to his parents he chooses the opportune time to leave the family and set out on a new adventure of his own.

Follow the story as these two bereft beings find each other and their lives intertwine as they face the challenges of life, love and happiness together.

Restored Hope - http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RestoredHope.html

Author Bio:

Brenda was the youngest child in a very large family and never felt like she really fit in. To make matters worse, her parents were divorced in the 60’s, before divorce was the ‘in’ thing. She found herself disappearing into her own world where she observed others. That was not a great place for a child to be, but turned out to be rather advantageous for an author. She didn’t really find her own voice until her writing was published.
Brenda has always had the ability to empathize, constantly harboring strays, even when it meant less for her. Writing comes naturally to her and she has been writing since high school, keeping journals since college. When her first novel came out, Private Scars, she tackled the very difficult subject of domestic abuse from the victim’s point of view. From that moment forward she has written what she calls "Fiction With a Purpose". Her novels deal with social issues that she feels need attention.
Brenda tries to bring the reader along for the ride from the character's point of view and if at the end of the book, a reader puts it down and asks, "Was that real?" She did a good job! Brenda believes that ONE person can make a difference and that all things happen for a reason. We are all on this planet for a purpose and that she has finally found out what her purpose is.
Brenda Youngerman writes fiction with a purpose and hopes that the tales that she weaves entertain as well as give people hope. Brenda lives in southern California and she loves to walk on the beach with her dog and watch the pelicans!

Brenda's Goodreads Profile: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1813183.Brenda_Youngerman