If you watch True Blood and Game of Thrones, you'll understand the title of this post.
True Blood, based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by the brilliant Charlaine Harris begins it's last season this Sunday night on HBO. Since the series has never tracked the plot lines of the books to a great degree, there's no telling what will happen.
Leading up to Sunday, HBO has been airing the other six seasons of TB in order. Plus, they're airing a 30 minute, bittersweet special in which the main cast and production staff wax nostalgic. For those of us who have followed this series, it's a sad thing to see it go. But it's probably for the best.
While waiting for Sunday night's episode, I've been watching the beginning episode of each of the seasons. They run them in the overnight hours, at least in the Eastern Time Zone. By the time I get up, walk the dogs, etc, the last episode of that season comes on. I've been watching it with my morning coffee. And like some programmed automaton, I am still fascinated with the series.
The world of Sookie Stackhouse, be it in the books, or on the television series, is set in a typical small southern town. The only difference is some of the residents are vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, witches, fairies, and the occasional crossbred individual. Don't even get me started on the lone Maenad who visited Bon Temps (which by the way for the uninitiated among you means Good Times in French as in "Let the good times roll!")
I think the reason some of us are so drawn to this setting is its familiarity infused with a bizarre, paranormal world. If you're from the South, you'll recognize Bon Temps, its human denizens, its social occasions, deep fat fry cuisine, and tendency to gossip. You can relate very well to the workings of society.
The other attraction is the ironic weirdness of the place filled with non-human types, each particular breed with its own code of conduct and degree of danger to the human population. True Blood, like Harris' novels, has run the gamut of emotions. It has made me laugh uproariously, cringe in disgust (oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!), and weep buckets - sometimes in the same episode.
It has been a cathartic thrill ride on summer Sunday evenings.
The thing about the series which put me off in the beginning has become my favorite aspect of the show. Since the plot lines have strayed from the novels, even the most ardent Harris fan can be surprised. Granted some of the surprises aren't good, but you never know what's going to happen next. Since Harris published her last Sookie Stackhouse novel last year, I know how that universe ended - who got Sookie, etc. It will be very interesting to see how the series ends.
In any case, I want to thank HBO for bringing their version of Bon Temps life (and death) to us for seven seasons. It's been a hell (and I mean that literally) of a ride.
Now on to another HBO series, Game of Thrones, which is still going strong with several seasons to go. Though not my favorite of the two series, it is still a fascinating show. In this case I've only read one of the books by author George R.R. Martin, on which the series is based. So it's mostly all new to me, which is probably for the best in this case.
You wouldn't think so but GoT is by far bloodier, gorier, and harder for me to watch than TB. There have been some scenes that I had to turn away from or frankly turn off. I'm not much into watching prolonged viscera these days.
Still GoT is a fascinating saga - and believe me saga is the right word. I won't attempt to outline the convoluted plot lines and character interaction. I would be writing the post all afternoon, and I've got a novel to finish.
Let's just talk about the season's final episode, which aired last Sunday night. GoT occupies the same Sunday night time slot as TB.
I won't go into the whole episode only the salient parts from my point of view. First of all, I am firmly in Dany's camp in the battle for the crown. She is the strongest female character on the show and is the "mother of dragons" which is a clever plot device. Unfortunately, one of her almost grown dragons (I hate to see how much bigger he'll get) has turned rogue. He has begun killing humans. So she had to lure the other two down into the catacombs of her current residence and chain them to prevent them following his example. It was a sad scene with the dragons crying to follow her and her, resolute but weeping at having to do it. I give her kudos for that decision and remain firmly on her side.
The bigger story of the season finale was the fate of Tyrian Lannister. Due to be executed primarily to rid the family of what they view as a burden and hindrance, he was freed by his brother. Tyrian was tried before a tribunal led by his own father and found guilty. You don't want to know about why he was found guilty - HUGE disgusting prolonged viscera scene...But in a bloodthirsty (is there any other kind on GoT) twist, Tyrian got his revenge.
You see, the prostitute who was originally Tyrian's mistress, testified against him at his trial. She was the only woman he ever truly loved. When he was freed and instructed to leave the castle by a certain route, he had to stop at his father's room first. Where he found his mistress in his father's bed. He had words with her and ended up killing her when she tried to kill him. Then I guess the blood lust was really on him. He walked down the corridor and saw a convenient crossbow with several arrows leaning up against the wall. That's a medieval castle for you - you can always find a crossbow, a mace, a sword, whenever you need one...
Anyhow he finds his father in and on the privy. After exchanging angry words Tyrian shoots him in the arm. The father then reveals his true hatred for his "dwarf" son. And that is when Tyrian fires the kill shot, leaving his father, once a mighty king, dead upon the "throne." (I am told the book went into vivid detail about the particularly gross aspect of the king's death. One more reason I'm glad I haven't read the books.)
I applauded. Tyrian, the put-upon brother, is arguably the best in that horribly demented family. Michael Dinklage who plays him is a wonderful actor and does a great job in the part.
Tyrian makes it to a ship in the harbor inside a packing crate. The man who arranged the escape boards the ship himself when he hears the bells pealing from the castle. He knows the father has been found. No sense going back and having to explain where he's been - not with that family.
So we are left with several cliff-hangers on the season finale of GoT...Relax, we've only got to wait another ten and a half months.
Take care everyone. Happy summer solstice!!!
Until next time...
Friday, June 20, 2014
Monday, June 16, 2014
The Sum of All Fears
THAT'S the movie starring Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan that I could not remember last time. It is perhaps my favorite in a string of good movies based on the work of the late Tom Clancy. I finally googled "Ben Affleck Jack Ryan" to get the name. And when it came up I slapped myself upside the head and groaned. Of course that's the name...duh.
I tell myself it's the stress of my life these days, but part of me says it's a consequence of my own age. After all, my father will be 93 in a few months and I was no "late in life" baby...
I think the cause of my stress, nervous behavior, inexplicable anger/rage, forgetfulness, and inability to sleep are all linked together to one common cause...fear.
A wise friend gave me a good email talking-to recently. She wrote that anger is often fear which we mask because anger is so much easier to handle. Nobody wants to be a trembling vulnerable little rabbit when you can be a big, loud, scary predator frightening people away from you. "Stay back! I might fly into a rage! I just might bite!"
Eleven years ago my mom was bedfast for seven months while she was dying of colon cancer. I watched her fade away literally until she weighed 75 pounds. Until now, that was the most painful time in my life. I loved my mother, but I was and am Daddy's girl. Besides my mom's last instruction to me was to take care of my father.
Now I watch my beloved father fade away daily. At times, he is confused, at times he rages usually at his most convenient target - me. As unpleasant as that can be it doesn't make my stomach knot and my head ache as much as watching him lose his once quick wit, his acumen with language, his often cocky self-assurance, or as one of my teachers once said of him, the ability to be the "steel claw in a velvet glove." He was once, literally, a captain of industry or at least a 1st lieutenant, of an internationally known corporation. He was respected for his sharp mind, management style, and financial abilities. Most of that is gone now. He isn't totally confused. He has good days and bad, but when they're bad it's hardest for me to take.
My friend in her email said she'd be terrified in my situation. I have to hand it to her perception. I am terrified - not of being alone eventually, I can deal with that. I'm terrified of watching him continue to fade. That little girl inside me doesn't always recognize the stranger he's become.
Which brings me to my point, yeah I know I am notorious for taking the most circuitous route possible.
Fear is the most powerful of all our negative emotions.
Oh, a bit of healthy fear such as knowing you need to get out of a situation in which you may be hurt is a good thing. I wish more battered women would act on their fear and leave their batterers.
Fear of our differences is a major factor in going to war, has been throughout the ages. From the Crusades to Pearl Harbor, from Gettysburg to today's situation in Iraq, fear is the most pervasive driving factor. It breeds distrust and hatred, huge misconceptions that divide the human race into "us and them."
As an old hippie, I wish we could all just "make love not war" but I don't see that happening, not while we let our fear control us beyond all reasonable thought.
So it took a good friend and the title of a movie from a few years ago to bring me to an epiphany. I'm hoping the self-awareness will help me deal with my current situation in a better way. I don't like having a hair trigger temper. It's just not me. And it's nothing that can be cured by the assiduous application of dark chocolate...(well, I will keep trying that remedy for awhile - couldn't hurt.)
I will repeat my favorite quote from the late, great Bette Davis (and don't let me hear of you young people tweeting "who?" Google her if you have to. She was quite a woman.)
Old Age Ain't No Place for Sissies.
Amen to that, Bette. It's no picnic for us caregivers either...
Oh and to you fear mongers out there, you know who you are, cut it out! We don't need anymore prejudice and distrust in this world.
Thanks for letting me vent...to paraphrase the old song, "it's my blog and I'll vent if I want to..."
True Blood alert!! The final season begins this Sunday...Farewell Bon Temps...
I tell myself it's the stress of my life these days, but part of me says it's a consequence of my own age. After all, my father will be 93 in a few months and I was no "late in life" baby...
I think the cause of my stress, nervous behavior, inexplicable anger/rage, forgetfulness, and inability to sleep are all linked together to one common cause...fear.
A wise friend gave me a good email talking-to recently. She wrote that anger is often fear which we mask because anger is so much easier to handle. Nobody wants to be a trembling vulnerable little rabbit when you can be a big, loud, scary predator frightening people away from you. "Stay back! I might fly into a rage! I just might bite!"
Eleven years ago my mom was bedfast for seven months while she was dying of colon cancer. I watched her fade away literally until she weighed 75 pounds. Until now, that was the most painful time in my life. I loved my mother, but I was and am Daddy's girl. Besides my mom's last instruction to me was to take care of my father.
Now I watch my beloved father fade away daily. At times, he is confused, at times he rages usually at his most convenient target - me. As unpleasant as that can be it doesn't make my stomach knot and my head ache as much as watching him lose his once quick wit, his acumen with language, his often cocky self-assurance, or as one of my teachers once said of him, the ability to be the "steel claw in a velvet glove." He was once, literally, a captain of industry or at least a 1st lieutenant, of an internationally known corporation. He was respected for his sharp mind, management style, and financial abilities. Most of that is gone now. He isn't totally confused. He has good days and bad, but when they're bad it's hardest for me to take.
My friend in her email said she'd be terrified in my situation. I have to hand it to her perception. I am terrified - not of being alone eventually, I can deal with that. I'm terrified of watching him continue to fade. That little girl inside me doesn't always recognize the stranger he's become.
Which brings me to my point, yeah I know I am notorious for taking the most circuitous route possible.
Fear is the most powerful of all our negative emotions.
Oh, a bit of healthy fear such as knowing you need to get out of a situation in which you may be hurt is a good thing. I wish more battered women would act on their fear and leave their batterers.
Fear of our differences is a major factor in going to war, has been throughout the ages. From the Crusades to Pearl Harbor, from Gettysburg to today's situation in Iraq, fear is the most pervasive driving factor. It breeds distrust and hatred, huge misconceptions that divide the human race into "us and them."
As an old hippie, I wish we could all just "make love not war" but I don't see that happening, not while we let our fear control us beyond all reasonable thought.
So it took a good friend and the title of a movie from a few years ago to bring me to an epiphany. I'm hoping the self-awareness will help me deal with my current situation in a better way. I don't like having a hair trigger temper. It's just not me. And it's nothing that can be cured by the assiduous application of dark chocolate...(well, I will keep trying that remedy for awhile - couldn't hurt.)
I will repeat my favorite quote from the late, great Bette Davis (and don't let me hear of you young people tweeting "who?" Google her if you have to. She was quite a woman.)
Old Age Ain't No Place for Sissies.
Amen to that, Bette. It's no picnic for us caregivers either...
Oh and to you fear mongers out there, you know who you are, cut it out! We don't need anymore prejudice and distrust in this world.
Thanks for letting me vent...to paraphrase the old song, "it's my blog and I'll vent if I want to..."
True Blood alert!! The final season begins this Sunday...Farewell Bon Temps...
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit
Sorry I haven't been online much lately. I'm working on another book. Between that and my dad, I don't have much time to tend to my blog these days. That being said, just a word about the lightning damage...It has all been repaired - required a new cable box, a new cable, new HDMI cable, and use of a different HDMI port on the television (the old one fried due to the lightning strike.) I've got five of those ports on the television...guess they were anticipating a family of gamers. Oh yes and I got a brand new tube of toothpaste which now resides in a cup just to be safe and keep the black marble free of green goo...Who would have thought lightning could strike the ground, travel under the lake to reach the outdoor cable box and come into the building to do all the damage. As one friend said, it's a good thing I wasn't reaching for the toothpaste at that very moment...
But on to the movies!
Last night I watched the recent Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit on pay-per-view. I have to tell you I am a longtime fan of this Tom Clancy character, from The Hunt for Red October to Patriot Games to A Clear and Present Danger and sorry, my brain is tired, the one with Ben Affleck as Ryan about neo-NAZIs and nuclear terrorism at the super bowl in Baltimore. I loved that movie but my mind doesn't want to cooperate today. Oh well I couldn't do the morning paper's Sudoku either...just one of those days.
At any rate, this new movie while based on characters Clancy created is an original story. Starring Chris Pine, it starts with Jack Ryan as a doctoral student in England on Sept. 11, 2001. Ryan (Pine aka Captain Kirk) is so affected by the attack that he leaves school and joins the Marines. He is sent to Afghanistan and badly injured when the helicopter in which he is traveling is hit by a missile and goes down. Like a true hero, he saves two of his men.
He ends up in rehab and meets an intern named Dr. Kathy Mueller, played by Keira Knightley, who will become his wife in later stories.
As in the books, he is recruited by the CIA. They send him back to finish his doctorate and put him to work as a consultant in Wall Street firms.
Now we're well out of the territory of the books. He discovers a terror plot to destroy the US economy by the Russians. Suddenly he's a field operative instead of an analyst.
Thus begins a fast-moving thrill ride of a movie. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also plays the villain, it's a good action thriller. There are two stories at work. The first is the Moscow plot to destroy the US economy and throw us back into the dark ages. The second is a terrorist attack planned on US soil to start the whole plot in motion.
This has a good cast of recognizable faces. The Naval Officer who recruits Jack is played by Kevin Costner. Colm Feore, one of my favorite character actors (and the villain in the movie listed above whose title I cannot remember) plays Ryan's corporate boss. He is completely free of any knowledge of the CIA or Jack's true role. That proves a hindrance in one nail-biting scene. And there are plenty of those.
Intellectually we KNOW it will turn out for the best, but the action pulls us along irrevocably to the stunning conclusion.
This is pure mind candy and will make you want another bite. Think faster, bigger, louder...
Mikhail Baryshnikov has a cameo role that isn't credited. He has aged but looks good. If you're too young to know who that is, he was the last great ballet dancer to come out of the Soviet Union to find acclaim in the West. He was quite the playboy in his day and appeared in several films.
It's a great way to escape into a pulsing story.
Enjoy it.
Until next time take care, read, listen to music, watch a film, or one of the summer tv shows. Take advantage of our rich pop culture.
But on to the movies!
Last night I watched the recent Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit on pay-per-view. I have to tell you I am a longtime fan of this Tom Clancy character, from The Hunt for Red October to Patriot Games to A Clear and Present Danger and sorry, my brain is tired, the one with Ben Affleck as Ryan about neo-NAZIs and nuclear terrorism at the super bowl in Baltimore. I loved that movie but my mind doesn't want to cooperate today. Oh well I couldn't do the morning paper's Sudoku either...just one of those days.
At any rate, this new movie while based on characters Clancy created is an original story. Starring Chris Pine, it starts with Jack Ryan as a doctoral student in England on Sept. 11, 2001. Ryan (Pine aka Captain Kirk) is so affected by the attack that he leaves school and joins the Marines. He is sent to Afghanistan and badly injured when the helicopter in which he is traveling is hit by a missile and goes down. Like a true hero, he saves two of his men.
He ends up in rehab and meets an intern named Dr. Kathy Mueller, played by Keira Knightley, who will become his wife in later stories.
As in the books, he is recruited by the CIA. They send him back to finish his doctorate and put him to work as a consultant in Wall Street firms.
Now we're well out of the territory of the books. He discovers a terror plot to destroy the US economy by the Russians. Suddenly he's a field operative instead of an analyst.
Thus begins a fast-moving thrill ride of a movie. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also plays the villain, it's a good action thriller. There are two stories at work. The first is the Moscow plot to destroy the US economy and throw us back into the dark ages. The second is a terrorist attack planned on US soil to start the whole plot in motion.
This has a good cast of recognizable faces. The Naval Officer who recruits Jack is played by Kevin Costner. Colm Feore, one of my favorite character actors (and the villain in the movie listed above whose title I cannot remember) plays Ryan's corporate boss. He is completely free of any knowledge of the CIA or Jack's true role. That proves a hindrance in one nail-biting scene. And there are plenty of those.
Intellectually we KNOW it will turn out for the best, but the action pulls us along irrevocably to the stunning conclusion.
This is pure mind candy and will make you want another bite. Think faster, bigger, louder...
Mikhail Baryshnikov has a cameo role that isn't credited. He has aged but looks good. If you're too young to know who that is, he was the last great ballet dancer to come out of the Soviet Union to find acclaim in the West. He was quite the playboy in his day and appeared in several films.
It's a great way to escape into a pulsing story.
Enjoy it.
Until next time take care, read, listen to music, watch a film, or one of the summer tv shows. Take advantage of our rich pop culture.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
I couldn't do my homework because my toothpaste exploded
Do you ever smack your head and think, "gee I wish I'd had that excuse when I was in school?" Well, I had a serious case of that today.
Lightning struck my building yesterday afternoon, messing up my clocks, frying my cable box, and exploding my toothpaste. It also left three big gouges on the bank of the small lake by my apartment. When I first saw those, I thought we were about to have a humongous sinkhole...humongous is so a word...look it up in any dictionary written in Texas. In such a tome you'll find other great words like tuit. You know like "I've got to get down tuit." And then there's the ever popular aaahhhyyyysss, as in "hey, coach, I'aunt some aaahhhyyysss..." If you can't understand that one, write me and I'll translate for you. It is deeply Texan, of a form rarely spoken these days, deep East Texas speak.
I digress - don't I always? Anyhoo, there was a loud pop yesterday afternoon while I was editing my latest manuscript. So I powered down the pc and the modem and shut off everything.
See, I'm not used to the lightning like they have here in Florida. I grew up smack dab in Tornado Alley. I got used to having to "duck and cover" in school, equally effective for tornadoes or the occasional hydrogen bomb scare...It gave me a long held belief that I will kowtow to no one, not even a hydrogen bomb...I mean what's the use in that case? If you're close enough you'll melt anyway, might as well face it on your feet, instead of with your bum sticking up in the air. Oh please don't melt me, Mr.Bomb!!!
I've been in several tornadoes in my lifetime, recognize the "freight train" sound they make. Fortunately, I've never had my home take a direct hit, but I've seen devastating damage first hand, including from a couple of EF-5 tornadoes. Did you know that one has multiple vortexes swirling around the center? The Cheyenne Indians used to say if you saw the "dead man walking" you would soon die. An EF-5 tornado seen from a distance looks just like a huge man walking, moving his arms and legs. If you're close enough to see that, kiss yourself goodbye, unless you've got a really fast car and a keen sense of direction in your panic.
We had lightning strikes in Texas, too, usually took out our television set...no comment there...but the worst one I ever experienced was in Miami when I was four years old.
We were visiting my mother's parents. She was on one side of the den at an ironing board pressing one of Dad's shirts. I was on the other side of the room watching television. (yeah, right, a little mini-couch potato or tater tot.) There was an enormous bang which made my ears ring. A bright, bright bolt shot through the screen door, cut through the room between my mom and me and killed the (you guessed it!) television, taking the iron out as well. Needless to say that memory has remained intact all these years later. NO, not because the TV died, but because of the violence of the sound and the bolt which blew up the TV and smoked the iron.
More people are killed by lightning in Florida than anywhere else in the world. And yet every time there's a storm nearby you can see people on the beach and the golf course with the "I am invincible - that won't happen to me" mindset. Sigh...
But back to the toothpaste - today I had to replace the cable box and it still doesn't work. They're not sending out a technician to check the line until Tuesday...I mean, I am going to miss Game of Thrones tomorrow night and Longmire's 3rd season premiere on Monday night. Thank goodness for a big DVD collection and a working TV this time.
Okay, okay back to the toothpaste - the piece of resistance was when I went into my dressing room last night and found my black marble counter top covered in green goo puddled around what had been a full tube of toothpaste. Of course now it resembles one shared by adolescent siblings who have a running battle about who can squeeze it the hardest. I never knew the energy in a lightning bolt could do that, but it must have. The toothpaste tube was fine when I saw it earlier in the day closed tightly and upright. It was still upright last night with it's innards messing up my marble...The things you learn!
Though this has been written out of frustration for two difficult days dealing with my aging father, the incidents are all true, even if the mode of writing has the tongue firmly planted in the cheek.
Remember this, in lightning storms, especially in Florida, turn off all electrical equipment, and protect your toothpaste...your countertops, no matter their composition, will be forever grateful.
Until next time, take care.
Lightning struck my building yesterday afternoon, messing up my clocks, frying my cable box, and exploding my toothpaste. It also left three big gouges on the bank of the small lake by my apartment. When I first saw those, I thought we were about to have a humongous sinkhole...humongous is so a word...look it up in any dictionary written in Texas. In such a tome you'll find other great words like tuit. You know like "I've got to get down tuit." And then there's the ever popular aaahhhyyyysss, as in "hey, coach, I'aunt some aaahhhyyysss..." If you can't understand that one, write me and I'll translate for you. It is deeply Texan, of a form rarely spoken these days, deep East Texas speak.
I digress - don't I always? Anyhoo, there was a loud pop yesterday afternoon while I was editing my latest manuscript. So I powered down the pc and the modem and shut off everything.
See, I'm not used to the lightning like they have here in Florida. I grew up smack dab in Tornado Alley. I got used to having to "duck and cover" in school, equally effective for tornadoes or the occasional hydrogen bomb scare...It gave me a long held belief that I will kowtow to no one, not even a hydrogen bomb...I mean what's the use in that case? If you're close enough you'll melt anyway, might as well face it on your feet, instead of with your bum sticking up in the air. Oh please don't melt me, Mr.Bomb!!!
I've been in several tornadoes in my lifetime, recognize the "freight train" sound they make. Fortunately, I've never had my home take a direct hit, but I've seen devastating damage first hand, including from a couple of EF-5 tornadoes. Did you know that one has multiple vortexes swirling around the center? The Cheyenne Indians used to say if you saw the "dead man walking" you would soon die. An EF-5 tornado seen from a distance looks just like a huge man walking, moving his arms and legs. If you're close enough to see that, kiss yourself goodbye, unless you've got a really fast car and a keen sense of direction in your panic.
We had lightning strikes in Texas, too, usually took out our television set...no comment there...but the worst one I ever experienced was in Miami when I was four years old.
We were visiting my mother's parents. She was on one side of the den at an ironing board pressing one of Dad's shirts. I was on the other side of the room watching television. (yeah, right, a little mini-couch potato or tater tot.) There was an enormous bang which made my ears ring. A bright, bright bolt shot through the screen door, cut through the room between my mom and me and killed the (you guessed it!) television, taking the iron out as well. Needless to say that memory has remained intact all these years later. NO, not because the TV died, but because of the violence of the sound and the bolt which blew up the TV and smoked the iron.
More people are killed by lightning in Florida than anywhere else in the world. And yet every time there's a storm nearby you can see people on the beach and the golf course with the "I am invincible - that won't happen to me" mindset. Sigh...
But back to the toothpaste - today I had to replace the cable box and it still doesn't work. They're not sending out a technician to check the line until Tuesday...I mean, I am going to miss Game of Thrones tomorrow night and Longmire's 3rd season premiere on Monday night. Thank goodness for a big DVD collection and a working TV this time.
Okay, okay back to the toothpaste - the piece of resistance was when I went into my dressing room last night and found my black marble counter top covered in green goo puddled around what had been a full tube of toothpaste. Of course now it resembles one shared by adolescent siblings who have a running battle about who can squeeze it the hardest. I never knew the energy in a lightning bolt could do that, but it must have. The toothpaste tube was fine when I saw it earlier in the day closed tightly and upright. It was still upright last night with it's innards messing up my marble...The things you learn!
Though this has been written out of frustration for two difficult days dealing with my aging father, the incidents are all true, even if the mode of writing has the tongue firmly planted in the cheek.
Remember this, in lightning storms, especially in Florida, turn off all electrical equipment, and protect your toothpaste...your countertops, no matter their composition, will be forever grateful.
Until next time, take care.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Big Easy Blog Tour
Hello.
This is my week to appear on the Big Easy Blog Tour. This is a tour of blogs from participating authors. We talk about our writing process in the hope of helping other aspiring writers with our method or experience.
The one who talked me into participating is Skye Taylor known for her most recent novel Falling For Zoe, previously reviewed on my blog. Her first novel Whatever It Takes was one of the first books to be reviewed on this blog.
Here's the cover for my upcoming novel. Yep, he's a real guy...I think he's got a career ahead of him.
Okay now for the questions I must answer.
1. What am I working on?
I just finished the final edits, blurb, and acknowledgements for my first novel Touch The Sky. It is due to be released in July. Now, I am working on the sequel, Swept Away, which is the story of the heroine's baby sister in Touch The Sky. It's a lighter story than its predecessor, though some danger does lurk. Hopefully, this one will be more fun, but just as engrossing. I am actually writing Swept Away now. There is another novel, a romantic suspense, entitled Forbidden (Kapu), which takes place in Hawaii during the annexation of the islands by the US. I took a workshop last year in which we were required to plot an entire novel and develop the characters. Forbidden (Kapu) was the one I worked during the class. More on that in question 4.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I have a background in theater, my avocation for many years since I was a child. As an actor trained in the Stanislavsky method, or a Method actor, I learned to become the characters I portrayed. It is a process where the actor builds a complete back story for the character based on the script. The actor knows everything about that character - how he thinks - how he feels - how he moves - and most importantly, what in his past made him that way. I was taught to use a series of sensory exercises to bring the character to life onstage.
That's how I approach the characters in my fiction. I give them the back story, which usually doesn't appear in the novel, except in glimpses. But by knowing so much about my characters I can portray them realistically so that the reader will relate to them and their situation. In describing their surroundings, wardrobe, interactions with other people, etc, I have the character respond with his sensory memories...like the heroine in Touch The Sky being uncomfortable in the crush of people at her first ball after her return to society - the heat of the overcrowded room, the press of people, their facial expressions, their overwhelming scents, her fear of their initial reaction to her, all combine to make the character come alive.
I'll probably go on overload when I finally write Forbidden (Kapu). I love the Hawaiian Islands and have traveled to them several times. I'm already planning descriptions of the incredible smell of the plumeria flowers, the rich red earth, the damp heat of the rain forests, and the sounds of the pounding surf. It's a sensual feast which will play well with a couple in the throes of forbidden love.
3. Why do I write what I do?
For many years I worked in the field as a social worker. I worked in protective services. It was like working in a war zone, seeing wounded children and elderly adults, neglected people starving to death, or dying due to denial of medical care. I was on call and many times was called out at night or on the weekends for an emergency. I began my serious fiction writing during that time as a release from all the horrors I witnessed. It was necessary to exorcise those experiences in a positive way.
I wrote stories of heroes and heroines who had been through trauma. No matter how many obstacles got in the way, they worked through the trauma to have their happy ending. I still write those stories. In a way I suppose my message to the readers is "It will be okay. You can survive this. No matter what happens, you can heal." I guess I'm still a social worker in some ways. That sounds like such a downer. I use gentle humor to heal in many situations in life and in my writing. There, that's better.
4. How does my writing process work?
I write in a combination as a plotter and a pantser. It just depends on what feels right to me at the time. For example, as mentioned above, I have Forbidden (Kapu) completely plotted and the characters developed as a result of the workshop I took. But that isn't the way I wrote Touch The Sky. Swept Away is growing on its own as well. Oh, I know what will happen, but it isn't written in an orderly outline. It's in my head.
I tend to visualize scenes, movement, costumes, etc. That's another ghost of my theatrical experience. As an adult I directed far more than I acted. A director visualizes taking all the different characters, the script, the setting, the costumes, the lighting, the music, the props, and melding them into a cohesive performance. I know what the scene described in the TTS prologue looks like, what it feels like physically. When I know these things it makes a scene more powerful when written, helps the reader to visualize it so they are drawn into the action.
If I get stuck, bogged down in a manuscript, I will stop and make an outline basically to know what happens next. But honestly, I think my best writing is done when I'm "in the zone" and the words come pouring out. I can always go back and clean up anything later.
Magickal Mayhem, my infamous paranormal with a trio of drag queens as the heroine's best friends, is bogged down and waiting for me to get back to it. When I do, I will outline the stuffing out of that one.
I hope this has been helpful for you. It was fun for me to participate and to examine the way I write.
Following me next week are:
Cheryl Norman writes romance fiction and cookbooks. Her latest romance novel is a time travel, RUNNING OUT OF TIME. She is currently at work on a category romance series for Turquoise Morning Press. The first, RETURN TO DRAKE SPRINGS, will be available in October, 2014. Visit her site at http://cherylnorman.com.
Gloria Marlow - Romantic suspense author Gloria Davidson Marlow's heart is firmly planted in northeastFlorida Florida
Thank you for your attention. Take care.
This is my week to appear on the Big Easy Blog Tour. This is a tour of blogs from participating authors. We talk about our writing process in the hope of helping other aspiring writers with our method or experience.
The one who talked me into participating is Skye Taylor known for her most recent novel Falling For Zoe, previously reviewed on my blog. Her first novel Whatever It Takes was one of the first books to be reviewed on this blog.
Here's the cover for my upcoming novel. Yep, he's a real guy...I think he's got a career ahead of him.
Okay now for the questions I must answer.
1. What am I working on?
I just finished the final edits, blurb, and acknowledgements for my first novel Touch The Sky. It is due to be released in July. Now, I am working on the sequel, Swept Away, which is the story of the heroine's baby sister in Touch The Sky. It's a lighter story than its predecessor, though some danger does lurk. Hopefully, this one will be more fun, but just as engrossing. I am actually writing Swept Away now. There is another novel, a romantic suspense, entitled Forbidden (Kapu), which takes place in Hawaii during the annexation of the islands by the US. I took a workshop last year in which we were required to plot an entire novel and develop the characters. Forbidden (Kapu) was the one I worked during the class. More on that in question 4.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I have a background in theater, my avocation for many years since I was a child. As an actor trained in the Stanislavsky method, or a Method actor, I learned to become the characters I portrayed. It is a process where the actor builds a complete back story for the character based on the script. The actor knows everything about that character - how he thinks - how he feels - how he moves - and most importantly, what in his past made him that way. I was taught to use a series of sensory exercises to bring the character to life onstage.
That's how I approach the characters in my fiction. I give them the back story, which usually doesn't appear in the novel, except in glimpses. But by knowing so much about my characters I can portray them realistically so that the reader will relate to them and their situation. In describing their surroundings, wardrobe, interactions with other people, etc, I have the character respond with his sensory memories...like the heroine in Touch The Sky being uncomfortable in the crush of people at her first ball after her return to society - the heat of the overcrowded room, the press of people, their facial expressions, their overwhelming scents, her fear of their initial reaction to her, all combine to make the character come alive.
I'll probably go on overload when I finally write Forbidden (Kapu). I love the Hawaiian Islands and have traveled to them several times. I'm already planning descriptions of the incredible smell of the plumeria flowers, the rich red earth, the damp heat of the rain forests, and the sounds of the pounding surf. It's a sensual feast which will play well with a couple in the throes of forbidden love.
3. Why do I write what I do?
For many years I worked in the field as a social worker. I worked in protective services. It was like working in a war zone, seeing wounded children and elderly adults, neglected people starving to death, or dying due to denial of medical care. I was on call and many times was called out at night or on the weekends for an emergency. I began my serious fiction writing during that time as a release from all the horrors I witnessed. It was necessary to exorcise those experiences in a positive way.
I wrote stories of heroes and heroines who had been through trauma. No matter how many obstacles got in the way, they worked through the trauma to have their happy ending. I still write those stories. In a way I suppose my message to the readers is "It will be okay. You can survive this. No matter what happens, you can heal." I guess I'm still a social worker in some ways. That sounds like such a downer. I use gentle humor to heal in many situations in life and in my writing. There, that's better.
4. How does my writing process work?
I write in a combination as a plotter and a pantser. It just depends on what feels right to me at the time. For example, as mentioned above, I have Forbidden (Kapu) completely plotted and the characters developed as a result of the workshop I took. But that isn't the way I wrote Touch The Sky. Swept Away is growing on its own as well. Oh, I know what will happen, but it isn't written in an orderly outline. It's in my head.
I tend to visualize scenes, movement, costumes, etc. That's another ghost of my theatrical experience. As an adult I directed far more than I acted. A director visualizes taking all the different characters, the script, the setting, the costumes, the lighting, the music, the props, and melding them into a cohesive performance. I know what the scene described in the TTS prologue looks like, what it feels like physically. When I know these things it makes a scene more powerful when written, helps the reader to visualize it so they are drawn into the action.
If I get stuck, bogged down in a manuscript, I will stop and make an outline basically to know what happens next. But honestly, I think my best writing is done when I'm "in the zone" and the words come pouring out. I can always go back and clean up anything later.
Magickal Mayhem, my infamous paranormal with a trio of drag queens as the heroine's best friends, is bogged down and waiting for me to get back to it. When I do, I will outline the stuffing out of that one.
I hope this has been helpful for you. It was fun for me to participate and to examine the way I write.
Following me next week are:
Cheryl Norman writes romance fiction and cookbooks. Her latest romance novel is a time travel, RUNNING OUT OF TIME. She is currently at work on a category romance series for Turquoise Morning Press. The first, RETURN TO DRAKE SPRINGS, will be available in October, 2014. Visit her site at http://cherylnorman.com.
Gloria Marlow - Romantic suspense author Gloria Davidson Marlow's heart is firmly planted in northeast
Thank you for your attention. Take care.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Hackers and Phishers, Alive - Alive-O
It happens to us all eventually. We get noticed by a hacker or someone phishing. They make our life unpleasant for a while and then go on to their next target. When I worked for the government, we were on a LAN and had elaborate procedures to protect us. Still, every once in a while some employee who hadn't bothered to read the most recent security directive clicked on a link and the whole network went down for a bit while the techs worked to repair the damage.
Yesterday morning, I turned on my handheld device and discovered failure messages for emails sent to my entire contact list. The system refused to send them because they were of questionable origin. In other words, it recognized they did not originate with me.
Of course my first thought was "oh no, my manuscripts!!!" But then I remembered I have elaborate back-up systems to make sure I have multiple copies of my writing in several places. I also have protection on all my accounts, identity info, etc. So I relaxed a bit.
I did send my friends an email warning them of bogus emails they might receive from someone pretending to be me.
After my initial rage, I calmed down and started wondering about the person who did this. Being a movie fan, I envisioned the typical introverted malcontent, a Jabba the Hutt clone living in his mother's basement surrounded by more electronic equipment than Command Central at NASA. I pictured him living on a steady diet of Pop-Tarts and Pizza while he guzzled Mountain Dew and Red Bull, paying the price for all the caffeine, with shaking hands and tapping feet. Oh well, at least he would get some exercise.
He would be pale, with bad skin from improper nutrition and never going out in the daylight.
He would be inept socially, unable to maintain a conversation that did not veer off into techno-speak.
Women? Not a chance - he wouldn't leave his safe haven to meet anyone. And even if he did, he wouldn't be able to maintain a relationship.
Seriously, though, the person who surreptitiously peeps into other people's business is today's version of a voyeur, a peeping-tom, if you will. He or she gets off on ferreting out secrets and using them. The hacker gets off on the power rush of knowing what others don't want anyone else to know. He may or may not reveal it to anyone else. The mere fact he has the power to find it, sustains him, feeds his abused ego. Depending on his personality, he may or may not publish what he finds.
Take the Wiki-Leaks case for example. I am the first person to stand up and say the government frequently avoids the truth in their reports, their statistics, their forecasts. Doesn't matter who is in the White House or the State House. Info is always subject to the spin in favor of the ruling party or faction. They always want to maintain their funding level or get a higher allocation or make the data fit their agenda. I have no problem with that kind of info being revealed. I worked for the government for 35 years and always felt this way. Funding comes out of my tax dollars, too.
But I think some things which could endanger innocent lives if revealed should not be. I also think we have a right to privacy in our own lives. The hackers and phishers try to take that away from us.
Of course we bear responsibility for what we post online - remember Anthony Wiener? What kind of idiot would put those photos out there for the world to see and expect no backlash?
In closing this rambling diatribe, I say the hackers and phishers may seem like Jabba the Hutt, but we the people need to be like Jedi Master Yoda...
No one, in any aspect of our lives, can hurt us, unless we let them.
So take precautions, prepare for any contingency, and you will survive the occasional electronic voyeur.
And to those sad folks living in their mama's basement, I say to you in the words of William Shatner, portraying himself on SNL during a skit in which he spoke to the fans at a ST Con...
"GET A LIFE!!!"
Until next time...
Yesterday morning, I turned on my handheld device and discovered failure messages for emails sent to my entire contact list. The system refused to send them because they were of questionable origin. In other words, it recognized they did not originate with me.
Of course my first thought was "oh no, my manuscripts!!!" But then I remembered I have elaborate back-up systems to make sure I have multiple copies of my writing in several places. I also have protection on all my accounts, identity info, etc. So I relaxed a bit.
I did send my friends an email warning them of bogus emails they might receive from someone pretending to be me.
After my initial rage, I calmed down and started wondering about the person who did this. Being a movie fan, I envisioned the typical introverted malcontent, a Jabba the Hutt clone living in his mother's basement surrounded by more electronic equipment than Command Central at NASA. I pictured him living on a steady diet of Pop-Tarts and Pizza while he guzzled Mountain Dew and Red Bull, paying the price for all the caffeine, with shaking hands and tapping feet. Oh well, at least he would get some exercise.
He would be pale, with bad skin from improper nutrition and never going out in the daylight.
He would be inept socially, unable to maintain a conversation that did not veer off into techno-speak.
Women? Not a chance - he wouldn't leave his safe haven to meet anyone. And even if he did, he wouldn't be able to maintain a relationship.
Seriously, though, the person who surreptitiously peeps into other people's business is today's version of a voyeur, a peeping-tom, if you will. He or she gets off on ferreting out secrets and using them. The hacker gets off on the power rush of knowing what others don't want anyone else to know. He may or may not reveal it to anyone else. The mere fact he has the power to find it, sustains him, feeds his abused ego. Depending on his personality, he may or may not publish what he finds.
Take the Wiki-Leaks case for example. I am the first person to stand up and say the government frequently avoids the truth in their reports, their statistics, their forecasts. Doesn't matter who is in the White House or the State House. Info is always subject to the spin in favor of the ruling party or faction. They always want to maintain their funding level or get a higher allocation or make the data fit their agenda. I have no problem with that kind of info being revealed. I worked for the government for 35 years and always felt this way. Funding comes out of my tax dollars, too.
But I think some things which could endanger innocent lives if revealed should not be. I also think we have a right to privacy in our own lives. The hackers and phishers try to take that away from us.
Of course we bear responsibility for what we post online - remember Anthony Wiener? What kind of idiot would put those photos out there for the world to see and expect no backlash?
In closing this rambling diatribe, I say the hackers and phishers may seem like Jabba the Hutt, but we the people need to be like Jedi Master Yoda...
No one, in any aspect of our lives, can hurt us, unless we let them.
So take precautions, prepare for any contingency, and you will survive the occasional electronic voyeur.
And to those sad folks living in their mama's basement, I say to you in the words of William Shatner, portraying himself on SNL during a skit in which he spoke to the fans at a ST Con...
"GET A LIFE!!!"
Until next time...
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Prisoners
It's STILL raining in Florida for the third straight day. Yesterday morning, adrift with nothing to do, I decided to watch a PPV movie. I chose Prisoners.
The film is dark and cold, frequently shot on location in conditions of icy rain, snow mix, and just plain heavy snow. It is a tense drama filled with suspense and frankly ugly emotions and situations.
Somehow, it grabbed my attention and kept it for all two and a half hours. Even when the little voice inside me said "stop this and come back to it later" I didn't move. The remote stayed where it was untouched and unused.
Prisoners is the story of a family and their friends who live down the street. On Thanksgiving Day, they go down to their friends' home for dinner. Each family has a teen-ager (one boy and one girl) and younger daughters of the same age. After dinner as the day progresses, the teen-agers watch tv. The adults talk, laugh, and drink wine. The two younger girls come to their parents and ask if they can run back to the other house for something. The parents say yes, but only if the teen-aged brother goes with them. Then the adults go back to their wine and laughter.
As it grows dark, it starts to snow. Hugh Jackman, as the main character, becomes worried about his daughter and decides to go home to check on her. The house is empty. The girls are gone. Whether they made it there or not is unknown. They never asked their teen-aged siblings to go with them. They just left and vanished in the short walk down the block.
The story unfolds with the search for the missing girls as it stretches into weeks without word of their location or condition. Bit by bit the families begin to fall apart, prisoners of the situation of which they have no control.
Jackman's character becomes filled with rage and acts accordingly. His friend, whose daughter is also missing, is played by Terrence Howard. While he goes along with some of the events, he protests the need for revenge.
Maria Bello and Viola Davis play the mothers, the first completely falls apart and relies on pills and liquor to get through the days. Viola Davis plays a pillar of strength for the two families.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays the detective assigned to the case. He, too, becomes a prisoner of the situation, frustrated at his inability to find the girls, and then at some extremely unfortunate events in the investigation.
The story woven is convoluted with many false steps and clues. There is a resolution that is partially satisfactory, but even that has its twist.
Shot on dark days (literally) or at night, the film has a mysterious feel to it, as if the viewer cannot get his/her bearing. The music is heavy, minor key, underscoring the ambiance of the film perfectly.
The cast is an excellent ensemble who give wonderful performances.
It isn't my favorite Hugh Jackman role, but it does show his increasing versatility as an actor. This is a character you've never seen before...Well some of the rage has come out in his role as Wolverine, but this rage is visceral and hard to take at times.
Terrence Howard plays a perfect foil to Jackman, tempering the rage with wisdom and common sense.
Maria Bello is terrific as Jackman's wife, who spends much of the film in an enervated stupor because she can't face the truth of the situation.
Viola Davis is always spellbinding on film. This one is no exception. She gives a measured mature performance.
Jake Gyllenhaal gives a magnificent performance as the troubled, hamstrung detective.
And last, but certainly not least, look for one of my favorite actors these days, Melissa Leo in a pivotal role, handled with just the right mixture of emotions.
As you can probably tell, this is not a light-hearted movie. It is a darkly serious drama, the likes of which one of the nordic playwrights like Strindberg or Ibsen might have crafted.
The ending leaves the viewer to make his/her own decision as to what ultimately happens.
Not light popcorn fare, it is an atmospheric drama with chills, surprises, and lots of stunning moments.
There are some images I wish I had not seen. But I was mesmerized by the film, even the appalling ugliness. It is just too powerful.
If this sounds like your cup of tea, check it out. I can honestly say not since Silence of the Lambs has a film affected me like this one.
Until next time...
The film is dark and cold, frequently shot on location in conditions of icy rain, snow mix, and just plain heavy snow. It is a tense drama filled with suspense and frankly ugly emotions and situations.
Somehow, it grabbed my attention and kept it for all two and a half hours. Even when the little voice inside me said "stop this and come back to it later" I didn't move. The remote stayed where it was untouched and unused.
Prisoners is the story of a family and their friends who live down the street. On Thanksgiving Day, they go down to their friends' home for dinner. Each family has a teen-ager (one boy and one girl) and younger daughters of the same age. After dinner as the day progresses, the teen-agers watch tv. The adults talk, laugh, and drink wine. The two younger girls come to their parents and ask if they can run back to the other house for something. The parents say yes, but only if the teen-aged brother goes with them. Then the adults go back to their wine and laughter.
As it grows dark, it starts to snow. Hugh Jackman, as the main character, becomes worried about his daughter and decides to go home to check on her. The house is empty. The girls are gone. Whether they made it there or not is unknown. They never asked their teen-aged siblings to go with them. They just left and vanished in the short walk down the block.
The story unfolds with the search for the missing girls as it stretches into weeks without word of their location or condition. Bit by bit the families begin to fall apart, prisoners of the situation of which they have no control.
Jackman's character becomes filled with rage and acts accordingly. His friend, whose daughter is also missing, is played by Terrence Howard. While he goes along with some of the events, he protests the need for revenge.
Maria Bello and Viola Davis play the mothers, the first completely falls apart and relies on pills and liquor to get through the days. Viola Davis plays a pillar of strength for the two families.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays the detective assigned to the case. He, too, becomes a prisoner of the situation, frustrated at his inability to find the girls, and then at some extremely unfortunate events in the investigation.
The story woven is convoluted with many false steps and clues. There is a resolution that is partially satisfactory, but even that has its twist.
Shot on dark days (literally) or at night, the film has a mysterious feel to it, as if the viewer cannot get his/her bearing. The music is heavy, minor key, underscoring the ambiance of the film perfectly.
The cast is an excellent ensemble who give wonderful performances.
It isn't my favorite Hugh Jackman role, but it does show his increasing versatility as an actor. This is a character you've never seen before...Well some of the rage has come out in his role as Wolverine, but this rage is visceral and hard to take at times.
Terrence Howard plays a perfect foil to Jackman, tempering the rage with wisdom and common sense.
Maria Bello is terrific as Jackman's wife, who spends much of the film in an enervated stupor because she can't face the truth of the situation.
Viola Davis is always spellbinding on film. This one is no exception. She gives a measured mature performance.
Jake Gyllenhaal gives a magnificent performance as the troubled, hamstrung detective.
And last, but certainly not least, look for one of my favorite actors these days, Melissa Leo in a pivotal role, handled with just the right mixture of emotions.
As you can probably tell, this is not a light-hearted movie. It is a darkly serious drama, the likes of which one of the nordic playwrights like Strindberg or Ibsen might have crafted.
The ending leaves the viewer to make his/her own decision as to what ultimately happens.
Not light popcorn fare, it is an atmospheric drama with chills, surprises, and lots of stunning moments.
There are some images I wish I had not seen. But I was mesmerized by the film, even the appalling ugliness. It is just too powerful.
If this sounds like your cup of tea, check it out. I can honestly say not since Silence of the Lambs has a film affected me like this one.
Until next time...
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