Friday Fun

First, big congrats to Michelle Pickett, whose debut novel Concilium drops today. yay, Michelle! Please head on over and give her some well wishes.

Today, I am in dire need of a good laugh, so I am posting some of my fave funnies here. The first is "Captain Hareblower" a 1954 cartoon pitting Bugs Bunny against the dread pirate Yosemite Sam. I still get a belly laugh out of these two.



This second little cartoon is Daffy Duck as Robin Hood, a hilarious favorite of mine. Note, when I laugh really hard, I look and sound remarkably like Porky Pig in here, a wheezing, heaving uncontrollable mass.And yes, I do fall out laughing. What can I say, I love to laugh and I throw myself into it.



Happy Friday! I hope you enjoyed these little ditties today. Hope you all have an awesome weekend. I am going to be writing and watching movies. I'm thinking I am in the mood for fantasy and adventure. Or perhaps a good tale of war, preferably WWI. What will you be doing?

It's Hump Day

It's Wednesday, aka Hump Day, the middle of the week and almost Friday. I know it's been a while and I want to thank you all for not hunting me down like angry torch-bearing villagers. If you did leave a comment on my Crow post, I did respond, very late and I am sorry about that. Craziness and I have a rotten summer cold.

So I got to see The Dark Knight Rises this past Saturday night and whoa! I had a blast and can't wait to see it again. You can check my review at The Movie411. I got to see it at Ikon, which is this really swank theater in downtown Chicago that has VIP seating. We get to sit in recliner-like seats with call buttons for waitstaff that will bring you goodies and alcohol. What an experience! No 3-D, but I'll take recliners and booze.

In book news, the incredibly talented M. Pax from Wistful Nebulae has a brand new story out, Stopover At The Backworlds Edge. Here is a little bit about this brilliant new tale.

The Backworlds Book 2 is Out!

The sequel to The Backworlds is now available. Craze and his friends continue their adventures in Stopover at the Backworlds’ Edge. See what role chocolate plays in the galaxy this time.

The interstellar portal opens, bringing in a ship that should no longer exist. A battleship spoiling for a fight, yet the war with Earth ended two generations ago. The vessel drops off a Water-breather, a type of Backworlder thought to be extinct. She claims one of Craze’s friends is a traitor who summoned the enemy to Pardeep Station. A betrayal worse than his father’s, if Craze lives to worry about it.

Available for all ereaders from:

Amazon / Amazon UK / B&N / Smashwords

iTunes and Kobo will be available shortly.

If you haven’t read The Backworlds yet, it’s available as a free read from many outlets. See HERE for links. [http://mpaxauthor.com/the-backworlds-series/backworlds-the/]

And in other awesome sauce news,  I have received an award from one of the coolest horror bloggers out there,  Kaijinu at Sticky Red: A Body Count Compendium has tapped me with the Liebster Award. Yay! I will be doing a full on acceptance post shortly. Thank you so so much, Kaijinu!

So what did you all think of The Dark Knight Rises? Have you seen it? Do you want to? Anything cool and exciting you want to share?

The Crow

"People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right."

Today I want to share my thoughts on a film that resonates with me on every level.  I fell in love with The Crow from the first moment I saw it. It's a glorious, almost Shakespearean, tale of revenge, lost love and justice that spoke to directly to me. Compound that with the tragedy surrounding the production and source material and well, needless to say it seared itself into my writer's soul. This is sacred cinema to me, an untouchable film whose mark must surely be set in stone.

The Crow defined a cultural tide which birthed grunge rock and gave rise to a disaffected Gen X, who had survived the saccharine sugar coma of the 80's, Reagan Republicanism and hair metal. More over, it is the opus of a young actor whose life was cut tragically short. When I heard that a remake was planned, not sequel, prequel, but an actual remake, I was seized with horror. Yes, I bitched about the Evil Dead reboot and snark blasted the upcoming Dirty Dancing retelling, but none of those left me as disturbed as the remake of The Crow.

It is a project that has been in the making for at least four years. I believe that it has been plagued with problems and constant cast changes because no one wants to really touch this mythic tale. And yet, the studio persists. I have heard the cast choices to portray the titular vengeful rocker and ultimate badass, Eric Draven. Bradley Cooper, Mark Wahlberg and Channing Tatum...No, no and no. I cannot wrap my mind around any of them, let alone picturing a single one donning the iconic black and white makeup. They've had various directors attached to the project as well, who have all left for a multitude of reasons. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is the latest and  most likely to stay. While I like him and he would surely do a decent job, I'm still violently opposed.

The Crow is a legendary picture in which all the stars aligned  and an epic was born. First, there is the source material. Created from the ashes of James O'Barr's eight year labor of grief to try and overcome the death of his fiancee, The Crow is the ultimate story of the power of love. David Show and John Shirley took this incredible series and turned it into an unforgettable screenplay. Eric Draven, the young rocker murdered along with his fiancee, crosses back to the world of the living on the wings of a crow to take revenge on the thugs who killed them. Brandon Lee, a rising young star was chosen to play Draven and gave the performance of his career. It was sadly to be his last as an on set accident took his life with just eight days left to shoot. Director Alex Proyas, with the blessing of Lee's mother and fiancee, finished the film and it became a dedication to Brandon's life. The rest of the cast, which includes some stellar character actors like Michael Wincott, Tony Todd and Ernie Hudson, is an assemblage of perfection. Each one of them became their characters.

A film  like this required a soundtrack that was second to none and Graeme Revell delivered in spades. The haunting music captured the essence of Eric's post-industrial, hard scrabble world and included bands who literally defined that period of time: Stone Temple Pilots, The Cure, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Pantera to name but a few. I can't imagine another soundtrack other than this one. Who would they get now? Danny Elfman? Black Keys? Not.

To add even more storied history to this film, after Lee's death, Paramount Pictures pulled out, leaving the cast and crew high and dry. Miramax then stepped in and ponied up a further eight million dollars to complete the picture. Indeed, The Crow is more than a film, it is both epic and epitaph, a movie that should never, ever be remade.

Brandon Lee is forever Eric Draven.

How To Survive A Heat Wave

My fat rear end has been roasting of late, so I have collected many a tip for fighting the heat, keeping your cool and some other etiquette tips to keep you and others from going homicidal.

1. Plastic kiddie pools  make great ice baths and beer holders. Fill that ancient kiddie pool in the garage with some bags of ice, put in beer and let chill. When the ice becomes water and the drinks are gone, you have a great cold foot bath.

2. On your walk, hit every sprinkler on the route. I have a six block walk to my bus. There are 23 homes that run their sprinklers in the morning. I hit every one on the way to work. It's so hot, i'm dry by the time I get to the office. There are 18 more that run them on the trip back to my house at night.

3. Ice Cream, popsicles and other frozen treats have no calories or fat at this time. As soon as you eat it, you sweat it off on one walk around the block.

4. Illegal, but fun...Open fire hydrants.

5. Use movie coupons and spend as much time in the theater as possible. In this heat, I'll even pay to watch Nicholas Sparks films and/or Twilight. I'm paying for a nap, but in this heat, who cares?

6. Libraries are free places to cool off and read a few good books in the process.

7. Use deodorant at least twice a day. People, we are in close quarters on the bus, I do not want to smell you from downtown to the South Side. If I do, I will cut you.

8. Yeah, heat means less clothes, but if I have to see your sweaty, sunburned  beer gut, I will cut you. Same goes for those size 700 tube tops.

9. Take that thong bikini off your three year old. It's nasty, not cute.

10. SPF 45 works very well for those of us whom the sun does not like very much. I'm what my dad called fish belly white and only burn and peel. Even my Lakota genes are not enough to overcome the overabundance of Lithuanian, German and Irish in me.

11. Fans...Lots and lots of fans. I'm particularly fond of the little ones that mist water. 

So how do you beat the heat? Any good tips?

IWSG Write What You Want

Hello there! It's the first Wednesday of the month and time once more for the Insecure Writers Support Group. If you're not familiar, the IWSG was founded by the incredibly cool Alex J. Cavanaugh, sci fi writer, movie geek and rockin' axe man. Here writers can air out all of our frustrations, insecurities and fears. We also encourage each other, share our triumphs and pass along any advice that we found helpful.

Today I'm going to have at that old adage "write what you know." I do not even know where this started, but it is probably one of the worst pieces of writing advice I ever received. Now, I know that this  probably was meant to encourage me to get out those stories I had brewing about my personal experiences. It's also meant to urge that biologist to write that text book that had been brewing in her brain since she started at her local university. That's all well and good, but...

Why write only I know? Research and world building are part of the joy in being a writer. If you write only what you know, why bother researching? Learning? Why create a whole new realm? Creativity is a limitless gift, don't allow the words "write what you know" to curtail that power. Instead, use it as a stepping stone, maybe write about the alien invasion of your town. I created werewolves in my own neighborhood. Don't be afraid to write about fighter pilots or samurai because you don't know those worlds. Write what you want, what you'd love to read about. Your voice is yours and is only limited by you.

What was the worst piece of writing advice you ever received?

I'm Miserable

What better way to start off the week than to rant, I ask you? It is so hot here in Chitown, I start to cook in my own sweat after walking out my front door. WTF Mother Nature? The US Fourth of July holiday is tomorrow and as I live in the hood, it's time for me to once again play my annual game, "Firecracker or Gunfire?"Most times I can tell, but there are times where it's pretty difficult because I'm not listening close enough or the noise is too far away. Judging by some of the booms, I'm pretty convinced that the people down the block own a cannon and that they've been re-enacting Gettysburg. Nice to know I live in a state where fireworks possession is illegal.

I've been having my mom stay with me because, are you ready for this Imaginarians? Her central air unit was stolen. Yep, you read that right. Her central air unit was stolen. Those little thieving rats came and pried the whole damn thing right off of its platform. And her homeowners insurance has been ever so helpful. She's a 66 year old asthmatic with heart problems and we get  "a/c is a privilege, not a medical necessity or a vital part of the home itself, therefore we cannot cover  a replacement central air unit." Really? Since when does homeowners insurance get to decide what is medically necessary for someone?

And I must apologize for not being around. My brain has been absolute mush because of this heat. I want to thank you for all the support you showed to author Deatri King-Bey when she was here. You all are the best.

I'll be back tomorrow with a holiday edition of the Insecure Writers Support Group and in the meantime, I'm going to try and stay cool.

Author Spotlight: Deatri King-Bey

           Happy Hump Day, Imaginarians! We got good things cooking up around here and I couldn't be more excited.  Today I have the amazing author Deatri King-Bey in the house. Whoo Hoo! A developmental editor turned author, Deatri is the author of several novels and short stories that span many genres. You can find out more about her work by clicking here.

 Tell us a little about your latest, The Other Realm. What inspired its creation?

My inspiration for The Other Realm was a Canadian goose. One morning I was sitting in the courtyard outside of my office building when a Canadian goose decided he wanted to visit with me. It scared the heck out of me at first because these are not small birds and if they are nesting nearby, they will attack. I guess the goose decided I wasn’t a threat so hopped himself up on the opposite end of the bench. I jokingly said, “You’d better keep your feathered butt on that end of the bench or there will be a problem.”
That’s when the concept for a plot came to me. What if the goose answered? Next thing you know, I was writing The Other Realm.

You've written historical, contemporary and fantasy. Is there a genre that remains your favorite?

My favorite genre is the same as my favorite color and novel, it depends on the mood I’m in at the time I’m asked. The hardest to write is romance, because there are so many genre rules, but that is also what makes it fun. Making an original story out of a cookie cutter is a challenge.
 
What surprised you the most about the business side of writing?

Before I was published, I worked in the industry as a developmental editor, so I was lucky. I of knew what was out there on the traditional publishing side by the time I was published, but I was also more protected. I didn’t realize how many crooks are out there posing as professionals (editors, publishers, graphics artists…) it’s a shame. It’s truly sad.

Who or what inspired you to begin this writer’s journey?

Unlike many authors who have been writing since they were children, I didn’t write. But we are story tellers in my family. While neighborhood children would be watching television or playing ball, we’d be up in my grandmother’s tree making up stories. By the time I grew up, I was also a reader, but never thought of writing a book until I was in the bookstore with my sister, complaining about the numerous bad books I’d purchased lately. My sister said something like, “If you don’t like what’s out there, write what you want to read.” A month or so later, I had written my first novel—Deeper—which was a great story, but horrible writing. Don’t worry, I’ve gotten better.

If you could take one of your main characters out on the town, who would it be and what would you do?

I would take Tahlan, the hero from The Other Realm, out because he doesn’t understand this realm. I could take him just about anywhere and be guaranteed a good time watching him discover this new world (to him).

If we looked at you e-reader or book shelf, what titles would we find?

A few years ago, I went through a print book purge. I gave away over a thousand books (I can’t throw a book away. Even one I don’t like). I own a Kindle and Nook that have way too many books on them, but my physical book shelves hold books I want if the universe goes crazy and we no longer have electricity for my eReaders. Isaac Asimov, Sharon Shinn, Beverly Jenkins, Nora Roberts, J.D. Robb, Mercedes Lackey and several other authors’ titles occupy my limited shelf space.
 
Do you have a routine when you write such as music, a favorite beverage at your desk?

I write in complete silence. My original draft, I write by hand. I used to type directly into my word processor, but I’m more creative when I write it out first.

What was the best piece of writing advice that you received?

Continue learning the craft and business. The moment you believe there is no room for improvement, you’ve lost your edge.

How do you keep your creative juices flowing?

I often tell people I have multiple personalities, and if I don’t write their stories, they’ll take over. I’m just a conduit to express their stories. Seriously though, just about everything sparks a plot idea for me.

What's next for you?

Mid-July the forth book in my romance series (The Write Brothers) is due for release. I’m so excited. I’ve never written a series before, and I love this family. I’m thankful to all of the readers who have supported me throughout the years.

I also have a sci-fi I’m still bouncing around in my mind before I start writing.
Currently, The Other Realm is available in Kindle format from Amazon and will be coming out in print next month.

Melissa, thank you so much for having me. This was great.
Deatri King-Bey