Friday, July 27, 2012

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things

What could be better than my two favorite things the Olympics, and Daniel Craig's 007?

Danny Boyle is an Oscar winning director so that makes things interesting too. But I have to admit Beijing really took the cake when it came to the opening ceremonies, right down to choosing the nine year old boy who climbed out of the rubble of a Chinese school house after their devastating earthquake only to go back and get two classmates out as well to lead the Chinese athletes out. When asked why he went back he said because he was a class monitor and leader and it was his responsibility to. I cry even thinking about that. How awesome is that?

I am an Olympics addict. And staying off of Twitter and FB long enough so that I don't real time mess up my fun is going to be hard. I was able to do it with Beijing. And had the greatest moment in a long time when the U.S. men beat those braggart Frenchies. (And it was the old man of the team that did it too, go Jason).

And of course there is my favorite events, the men's and women's marathons. Nothing like watching men and women testing the limits of their endurance. Sometimes under the most extreme of conditions.

Mix in a side of Daniel Criag doing his best bad ass 007 and wow God has really given me a treat. I hope for a fantastic opening ceremony. And I don't understand why politicians say the dumbest things. #MittRomney, angering a nation to rally around it's  athletes. In any case, I can't wait and hope no other stupid things are said by either side. The Olympics are about the athletes. And of course, my movie star crush Daniel Craig lol.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

My First Review for GLADIATOR

Title: Gladiator
Author: Kate Lynd
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
Pages: 111
Rating: 4 Stars

Fate brought them together….Destiny may pull them apart.

Tristan Shane is a gladiator with a tortured soul and a jaded heart. His battles are for the entertainment of the government and the mob of citizens inhabiting a post apocalyptic United States of America. His ability is legendary and afforded him the attention of Veronica, the queen. But Tristan has no desire to be Veronica’s pleasure toy for he knows the evil she has committed.

All of that changes the day Veronica propositions Tristan with an offer he doesn’t want to do but cannot turn down. Veronica has only one fear, the Healer. As foretold in prophesy, a healer would come and usher in a new era by restoring the barren terrain of the world. Veronica believes the Healer has come but wants to be sure. She entrusts Tristan to discover the truth and, if need be, eliminate the person who would threaten her kingdom.

However Tristan wasn’t prepared for the impact the Healer would have on his life. Her beauty intoxicates him, her touch softens his harden heart, and her words linger in his mind. Yes, she has done what he never thought possible...awaken his desires and teach him to love again. But their relationship goes beyond mere love and Tristan soon learns the power they share. A power best displayed through their passionate exchanges.

Author Kate Lynd turns up the heat in this post apocalyptic struggle of love, lust, and survival. The characters are well developed as you see the depth of their emotions throughout the novel. This novella is packed with intrigue, action, and scenes that will get your pulse racing. If you enjoy action and erotic romance, “Gladiator,” is the novella for you.
PRE-ORDER LINK: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=495&category_id=69&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Meet Joshua Livingston, Hero of QUEEN

When you're as in love with Daniel Craig as I am it's hard to find someone else to dream about when penning your latest story. Since I had never written a sequel, let alone a trilogy about three different men who each are hardened, bitter, jaded and angry men.

Joshua Livingston came from the shadows of ORACLE and nearly stole the book away from Cain Seymour. But now he has a stage of his own to play on and while we're just in the beginning stages of development of his arc, it is clear, he has a temper, is quick to use against his enemies and has a take no prisoners style that really is all his own.

Daniel Craig was my first love in the publishing world. The man can do just about any role he wants and he has a steely blue eyed gaze that just gives me chills every time I see him on a magazine cover or poster shot. And when he acts, well, sooner or later that man is going to have an Oscar on his shelf. And when I wrote GLADIATOR he was the embodiment of every jaded, self-loathing aspect I had about myself. Only I would have wanted Tristan Shane to heal me.

In ORACLE Chris Hemsworth was my man, and to be honest he had the softest heart of the men and he was the most difficult to write. Cain Seymour was a mystic and had the power of second sight. He was intense, ala the Huntsman, but he loved the heroine deeply and when he thought he might lose her well, his search took him to the most unlikely of places.

So now we are at the finish line with QUEEN. I needed a hero who could redeem the most irredeemable of villains. Veronica, the queen who brought on all the suffering of her siblings to begin with. I needed a hero in as much need of salvation of spirit as she was. And my friend and sometime co-author Melissa Goodman (you should really checkout her debut book, It's Your Love, http://www.amazon.com/Its-Your-Love-ebook/dp/B008H50OLU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342561390&sr=8-1&keywords=It%27s+Your+Love+Melissa+Goodman) showed me this picture of Jeremy Renner. He has the jaded  rage and intensity that I demand of all my heroes in his eyes and physical strength in those arms that my heroine will undoubtedly take pleasure in ;) lol.

So everyone, meet Joshua, the more than capable hero of QUEEN. He's got a long way to go, but I'm really enjoying his story right now. I hope you will too.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

50 Shades, My Two Cents

Alright, so I haven't read the book so what right do I have to say anything about it one way another. I don't but here's my two cents. I write erotic romance. Tame by some standards. But it is what it is. I love what I write. I cherish my characters as much as the next writer. And by extension, my readers. What EL James has done is caught lightning in a bottle. You can't predict something like that and to hate her for it, well, it's just stupid. Not that it isn't normal or even human feel a little bit of sour grapes over it but to go spreading it like some kind of venom is petty, unpleasant to be around, and ridiculous.

I hear Anne Rice is nuts. I hear Laurel K Hamilton's lost it. I hear JR Ward didn't let a reader dictate to her how a story should go in a less than kindly manner. It's important to remember these ladies all write like machines to produce characters we love. Maybe we don't agree with their choices all the time but they're human and I try to keep in mind that these stories are as important to them as ours are to us.

As for the 50 Shades phenomenon. It's mainstreamed sex and women are talking about it. Is it 'true BDSM'. I wouldn't know I don't find pain of any kind pleasurable or fear in my sex exciting. I don't want to be dominated and whipped, I don't want to whip and dominate. I do like a good Alpha hero and a strong yet vulnerable heroine. So maybe 50 Shades and menage isn't my cup of tea. Doesn't mean it's not true literature or lower form literature. I think it's perfectly legit and the ladies (and gentlemen) who produce it are great at it.

And when a fellow writer succeeds I see it as a victory for all of us. And if I saw her on the street I'd tip my hat to her for opening the door for others who write in the same vein. Because maybe even if I don't like what she writes I can appreciate that she loves her characters just as much as I love mine.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Finding My Mojo

 My mojo I think, looks like this. I went to bed thing I'll rest get my groove back. I wrote a few pages last night knowing I wouldn't be able to finish what I wanted.

The anxiety I feel is well, not something I care to think about too much. I'm trying to think about having fun and the end goal of just making 80,000 words.

When I think of heroes and the kind of hero that I like I find it's like watching a movie in my mind. I'm sure there are those who don't cast their heroes but I do. I've used the likes of Chris Hemsworth ala Snow White  &  the Huntsman. Jeremy Renner is slated for a starring role in an upcoming project, QUEEN.



But the man who I usually use as my hero is Daniel Craig, he shall we say, inspires me. Not just with his smoldering sexiness, but with his acting chops. And if you notice anything about these characters they are all dark, bitter, and with a past. I like my heroes to be tortured, broken, and seeking redemption. Usually they drink too much and sleep around but hey my heroine is strong but in the need of healing herself. The more angst the better.

Here's the picture of my hero for DEFIANCE:  Isn't he all kinds of brooding smexiness. Now that's a man!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Magic Mike

Let's face it folks, I love Steven Soderberg's work as much as the next guy, hell, he's brilliant. And he's known for taking his idependent background and seamlessly meshing it with the Hollywood world of fizz and pop. So what's the bottom line on Magic Mike? He tries to have it both ways and he comes out with half baked results.

He wanted to show the gritty underworld of stripping and how ultimately it exploits the performers and uses them up. But let's be honest ladies. Look at the beefcake to the left and tell me you want to go see a bunch of independent grit. No, you want the pop and fizz of Ocean's Eleven and you want to shove your singles down the g-strings of this hunky men.

I wasn't enamored with the girl who was supposed to be Mike's reason for changing. She was wooden and stiff. The character wasn't written all that well and if she gets any nominations it will be because it was a thin year at the multiplex. Channing Tatum as Mike was sympathetic and hunky and I rooted for him to get what he wanted in the end. Matthew, he's crazier than a hoot owl and he probably gave the most fully developed performance as Dallas the owner of the strip club. And his strip tease near the end of the movie is well worth the six dollars I paid to get in.

I'd give it two and a half stars. There are lots of strip scenes where you get to see A LOT of what these men have to offer. You'd pay a twenty dollar cover charge to see a lot worse in real life six bucks ain't bad to see Channing bump and grind to 'Pony' and Mr. Werewolf from True Blood come out in a fireman's uniform.And extras in this movie, I don't think they were acting lol.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Fandom Fest. I Came, I Saw, I'm Exhausted.

I do not tolerate stress well. I eat too much. I sleep to little. And the anxiety of performance under pressure is panic inducing. But even though none of my typical support systems were in place I must say for me at Fandom Fest things were a smashing success by my standards.

I like to say that Fandom Fest/Fright Night Film Fest/Mid America Comic Con is one of those places were the freaks and geeks of the fandom world go to congregate and mingle. Let's start with the one factor that I had absolutely no control over--the suffocating heat. At 105 degree heat with high humidity (weather we're still experiencing by the way here in the great state of Kentucky) it remained set on hell all weekend even at night. It kept the registration area warm all weekend long but the one thing different about this venue from last year was that for the most part it was nice and cold in places. Frigidly so.

Day 1 my official business? To take pitches and be a representative for my publishing house MuseItUp. I quickly learned, tools are everywhere and come in every shape and size. Like the 'serious' writer who decided to grace me with his presence. He asked a question. What is an author's platform and what did he need to get one. I being the naive person I can be gave him the full on truth. That at the very least he needed an official website, a blog, a twitter account, and a FB page. He asked how did you do that and write. I said rule of thumb was 1 hour a day or 1 day a week. He said he didn't think he could do that. And that Muse probably wasn't the house for him. He also said caustically that he had a day job and that I must have all the time in the world to write. I was insulted and Amy the author wanted to tell toolhead to take a long walk off a short pier. I have to discipline myself like anyone else. I told him it took hard work and sacrifice and that you had to find a way to make it happen. To say I wasn't happy with him well was an understatement. Still chewing on it. Took one pitch. They guy took himself way too seriously but I told him to send the story through. I thought it was a horrible pitch but the idea was interesting enough for me to give it the send through.

Day 2: the book launch. The B card support team came to play. Nicki Leathem (used to be Nicki Case) and her friends- Marcus, Darryl, Zach, Jamie, and Tommy helped me get all of my stuff to the room. My cousins Denise, Bridgette, and Mary Jo brought banners and dressed in costume. Only two people came to my launch but it turned out they were cousins on my McCorkle side that I had never met and had purposely sought me out. Pamela Turner was great too. I had a great discussion about my books and what inspired them and in the end Lee bought one. So I doubled the sales over my last booksigning.

Day 3 I had two panels to sit on, one on elements in world building for science fiction, the other social media. Well I was wiped out from the first two days. So I overslept. And getting my best friend and sometime co-author Melissa Goodman out of bed was no easy task either. After much hair pulling and gnashing of teeth we were on our way. But if you know anything about Southern Indiana or North Central Kentucky you know that the Kennedy Bridge is being worked on and traffic is a headache. I missed my first panel entirely. So I enjoyed the zombies, B-list actors, and a tinkerbelle too big for her britches not afraid to flaunt it. Vendor Hall was interesting to say the least. There was definitely a hierarchy going on Film/Vendors/Literary.  There were even tattoo artists who were quite talented. The second panel went quite well. Sat on the panel with Delilah S. Dawson, Marian Allen and Rj Sullivan. I was much more comfortable this year than I was this year but I'm still learning as I go.

I handed out a ton promo swag which included all kinds of goodies sent in to me by the MuseItUp gang and the gift basket went to Lee McCorkle and his son Miller. Hey you're there you win! Next up is Context 25. What can I do special for that festival? Missy and I are attending together and have a table. It was a juried dealer's room so it's totally awesome that we got a table at all. I hope to see you there. http://contextsf.org.