Four More on the Way

Another set of books along the way from Goodreads wins. I'm so excited for them to show up. I've decided that I'll read and review them in the order that they're delivered~

42 Rules for a Web Presence that Wins by Philippa Gamse

This edition is a fast, but thought-provoking read that offers a "hawk-eye" perspective on the many different considerations for an effective Web site and social media presence, based on the author's 15-plus years of consulting experience and research into what works at a practical level. Each rule is illustrated with real-life examples from her clients, audiences, and colleagues.

Danger Money by John Van Stry

Jotun was born and bred to be a corporate assassin, back in the days of the Corporate Wars. Confined these days to life in a gilded cage, Jotun welcomes any opportunity to get out and lately he's been getting out a lot. But as a genetically designed and Laboratory bred animorph by a company that isn't quite sure if it trusts him anymore his choices are few: do the jobs that eventually will kill him, or refuse, which will also kill him. Of course it isn't like he doesn't enjoy the work, but when everybody wants you dead you start to wonder if there isn't more to life.

When an unexpected betrayal kills the few friends he has and nearly him as well, Jotun realizes he has bigger problems than his lifestyle, namely finding out who betrayed him and paying them back, no matter what the cost.

Danger Money is a Science Fiction story that takes place in my Children of Steel universe, a future where genetically created animorphs serve as second class citizens and handle all of the dirty and dangerous jobs that are part of humanity's extension to the stars

Power in the Blood by Angelia Sparrow

Oren Stolt understands the natural order better than most people. Vampires prey on humans and Undying keep the vampires' numbers in check.

Until now.

Now, across the United States, vampire numbers are exploding, thanks to a new church. The Tabernacle of the Firstfruits preaches a Risen Lord and invites believers to follow Him in death and resurrection... quite literally.

In Memphis, the church is about to host its first conference, with an eye to converting the whole world to the vampiric gospel.

And all that stands between humanity and eternal night is Oren, his kids, and a thin line of insane immortals.

Stolen Prey by John Sandford

Lucas Davenport has seen many terrible murder scenes. This is one of the worst. In the small Minnesota town of Deephaven, an entire family has been killed—husband, wife, two daughters, dogs.

There’s something about the scene that pokes at Lucas’s cop instincts—it looks an awful lot like the kind of scorched-earth retribution he’s seen in drug killings sometimes. But this is a seriously upscale town, and the husband was an executive vice president at a big bank. It just doesn’t seem to fit.

Until it does. And where it leads Lucas will take him into the darkest nightmare of his life.

Warring the Worlds

I'm listening to War of the Worlds right now and it's an incredible broadcast. It's easy to see how it became a classic. It creates a tense atmosphere that keeps you hooked. If you haven't heard it yet, you should go download it now. It's only an hour long, and it's an hour well spent.

Check out my ebook!! :D!

     

Get a Fantastic New Storybook App and The Huntsman Cancer Foundation wins!

As some of you may know I and many others worked a lot of very long hours to produce my award winning animated short, "Flip". Now, I am very proud to share my latest project with you... the "Flip: Interactive Storybook" App. Please help me with the launch of this wonderful children’s Book App and  our charitable partner The Huntsman Cancer Foundation will receive a portion of the proceeds for every app downloaded through this e-Flyer. Made for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, Flip: Interactive Storybook is a truly beautiful, immersive and magical story filled with moments of hope, love, fear and faith. Join Emma as she goes on an enchanting life journey featuring delightful world-class 3D animation, fully interactive touch screen graphics, originally composed music and captivating narration. Click anywhere on the picture above to purchase this great app from the iTunes store. Remember to click through this e-Flyer link so The Huntsman Cancer Foundation will get credit for the sale. Please also feel free to forward this email to Family and Friends so they too can get this beautiful Book App and support a great cause! Thank you for your generous support and I hope you enjoy... “Flip: Interactive Storybook”

Jill

2012 Copyright Grids Interactive LLC & 2012 Copyright AppFairs.com LLC

I won!

Today I got an email from Goodreads telling me that I've won a couple of early release books! Goodreads is really cool because you can enter into drawings for books. They ask (don't require, but I require myself anyway) that you review the book after you read it. It's an awesome trade-off, free books for reviews.

I entered into a BUNCH of drawings just because I want to try this out and I didn't mind what genre of book I ended up with as long as I got something. (It's a great opportunity to read books that I wouldn't normally read anyway.) I won two:

When in Doubt Add Butter by Beth Harbison

Gemma Craig has spent her career as a private chef taking care of other people. From Lex, the fussy department store owner straight out of a movie from the thirties; to grossly overweight Willa, who must radically change her eating habits or die; to the strange Oleksei family, with a constant parade of mysterious people coming and going; to the hideously demanding A ngela who is “allergic to everything” and foists her tastes on her hapless family; to the man Gemma thinks of only as “Mr. Tuesday” because they’ve never met. Everyone relies on Gemma, even while she goes home alone each night and feasts on cereal and quick meals. But when life takes an unexpected turn on a road Gemma always thought was straight and narrow, she must face her past and learn to move on in ways she never imagined.

aaaaand....

A Foreign Country by Charles Cumming

On the vacation of a lifetime in Egypt, an elderly French couple are brutally murdered. Days later, a meticulously-planned kidnapping takes place on the streets of Paris. Amelia Levene, the first female Chief of MI6, has disappeared without a trace, six weeks before she is due to take over as the most influential spy in Europe. It is the gravest crisis MI6 has faced in more than a decade. Desperate not only to find her, but to keep her disappearance a secret, Britain’s top intelligence agents turn to one of their own: disgraced MI6 officer Thomas Kell. Tossed out of the Service only months before, Kell is given one final chance to redeem himself - find Amelia Levene at any cost. The trail leads Kell to France and Tunisia, where he uncovers a shocking secret and a conspiracy that could have unimaginable repercussions for Britain and its allies. Only Kell stands in the way of personal and political catastrophe.

So here's hoping they're good!!

I've Discovered Goodreads

Have you?


Goodreads is this great site that I'd call 'The Netflix for books' if only it contained elements of audible.com and let you download direct from the site.

Goodreads allows you to rate, review, and recommend books to your friends. It features a huuuuuge database of books from all genres and time periods (I haven't checked languages yet, though.) You're able to keep 'shelves' of books that you've read, plan to read, and are currently reading.

Find out what your friends like, and discover new books you didn't realize you were dying to read! Check it out at goodreads.com

The Hustler (1961)

The Hustler (1961)
Director: Robert Rossen
Writers: Sidney Carroll (screenplay), Robert Rossen (screenplay), Walter S. Tevis (novel)
Stars: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason and Piper Laurie

"Fast" Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary "Minnesota Fats" to a high-stakes match which begins Fast Eddie's lifelong struggle against his greatest opponent of all- himself.

My Rating: 4 of 5 "Really Liked It"

This movie is like an exploration of a single character, Fast Eddie. Fast Eddie is a con-artist inside and out of the game. I really liked Eddie, and despite him being a generally...I don't want to say 'sly' or 'sleezy', but those are the best words I've got right now- despite being a sly guy with a penchant for self-destructive behavior, I really like him.

Happy ending or not? You be the judge.

12 and Holding (2005)

12 and Holding (2005)
Director: Michael Cuesta
Writer: Anthony Cipriano
Stars: Conor Donovan, Jesse Camacho and Zoe Weizenbaum

After his twin brother is accidentally killed by vengeful bullies, a disfigured 12-year old boy and his friends face the harsh realities of death, hormones, and family dysfunction. 

My Rating: 3 of 5 "Liked it"

Netflix really needs to stop recommending me depressing movies. How does this happen? I guess I watched all the happy movies featuring children so now I'm just left with all the sad ones. Oh well.

I liked this movie. It follows three main characters and their development into young adolescence. If you're a fan of the drama genre, then this is a good movie for you.

The Unloved (2009)

The Unloved (2009)
Director: Samantha Morton
Writers: Tony Grisoni, Samantha Morton
Stars: Molly Windsor, Robert Carlyle and Susan Lynch

Lucy is eleven years old. Having been neglected by her estranged mother and father, she is placed in a children's home. Through her eyes, we follow Lucy's struggle to cope with the system.

My Rating: 4 of 5 "Really Liked It"

What strikes me most about this movie is the mood. It's bleak but captivating, and something about it just feels so raw. It feels like truth. I really feel for the characters and really feel like I understand them even though their experiences are so different from my own.

Apparently this movie was made for TV? I need to look into it a bit more, but that's what IMDb says. That actually surprised me, since I don't associate made for TV movies with having such high quality.

Following (1998)

Following (1998)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw and Lucy Russell

An older man listens to Bill's story about being a callow writer who likes to follow strangers around around London, observing them. One day, a glib and self-confident man whom Bill has been following confronts him. He's Cobb, a burglar who takes Bill under his wing and shows him how to break and enter. They burgle a woman's flat; Bill gets intrigued with her (photographs are everywhere in her flat). He follows her and chats her up at a bar owned by her ex-boyfriend, a nasty piece of work who killed someone in her living room with a hammer. Soon Bill is volunteering to do her a favor, which involves a break-in. What does the older man know that Bill doesn't?

My Rating: 2 of 5 "It Was Okay"

I might have the unpopular opinion on this. I wasn't interested in the characters, so I wasn't interested in paying attention to their problems. I thought the concept for the movie was pretty cool, but I didn't get enough information at the right times to keep my curiosity peaked throughout.

Honestly, I got bored with it and walked away to do something else, only to come back literally two minutes later and discover the credits were rolling. Christopher Nolan ("Memento") is known for having his movies come together in the last frickin' thirty seconds, so I had to restart the last five minutes to catch the punchline. The punchline, as can be expected, was really good, but if I'm bored with the freakin' movie after seventy minutes of being jerked around, then I'm not even gonna watch the punchline.

So, it was alright. Probably won't watch it again.

All About Eve (1950)

All About Eve (1950)
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Writer: Joseph L. Mankiewicz (screenplay), Mary Orr (story "The Wisdom of Eve") (uncredited)
Stars: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter and George Sanders

Writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's sharp script anchors this story about New York City theater life, with Bette Davis playing an aging Broadway diva who employs a starstruck fan (Anne Baxter) as her assistant, only to learn the woman is a conniving upstart. The now-classic All About Eve won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Mankiewicz), Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (George Sanders).

My Rating: 5 of 5 "Loved it!"

AH I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Seriously, the entire film is quotable. The dialogue was smart and funny and witty and so very real. And F* Eve man, whadda crazy chick, hahaha.

I just had so much fun watching this movie. Every single character and quirks and interesting scenes and great things to say. Jeeze, just thinking about this movie makes me want to watch it again. Even if you're not into old films, I highly recommend you check this one out.

Have some icons

Cael, Cylas, Grant, Justin

Here, have some icons. These are the four main characters of the Happy Raging Mutants Time campaign I'm running. Cylas is my character and Cael, Grant, and Justin are the player characters. Cael is a bookworm. Cylas is a prep. Grant is an emo (though he denies it,) and Justin is a creeper teacher. Justin's no longer with the main party; his player switched out for a new character named Penelope who's a really sweet (but totally kick ass) chick. I'll post up her icon when I draw it.

Least favorite film by a favorite director

Jackie Brown (1997)



That’s absolutely not to say it’s not a good film. Jackie Brown is still a good movie, it’s just my least favorite of Tarantino’s movies. Why? Well, I don’t know, there was something odd about the pacing. I just felt like the movie kept going on and on. I’d have to really break it down and analyze it before I could tell you exactly why I thought that was. (Very likely a good idea, but I’d like to sit on the movie for a few days before I try to dissect it.)

Once again, Tarantino has a kick-ass female lead. Jackie Brown (the movie, not the character) has an anti-romance streak running through it that I totally bought into. I’d love to use that kind of relationship in my own stories. Overall good movie, but when you place it next to his other amazing films you just can’t say it’s his best.