Caught My Eye

 

Don't know how I missed this one when it came out in 2011, but I did.  I have since added it to my eLibrary.  Hoping to get to it soon.

 

Bestselling romance editor Trisha Telep brings an exciting new element to the fast-growing sub-genre of steampunk, which bends and blends the old and the new in increasingly popular dark urban fantasies. Young heroes and heroines battle evil, in various forms with the help of super-technological or supernatural powers, while falling in and out of love. The contributors include: Ann Aguirre a bestselling author who writes urban fantasy (the "Corine Solomon" series from Roc), romantic science fiction (the "Jax" series from Ace), apocalyptic paranormal romance (as Ellen Connor, writing with Carrie Lofty, from Penguin), paranormal romantic suspense (as "Ava Gray from Berkley"), and post-apocalyptic dystopian young adult fiction ("Razorland and Wireville" coming in 2011 from Feiwel & Friends). Tessa Gratton, her debut novel "Blood Magic" arrives in 2011 from Random House Children's Books, followed by the companion "Crow Magic" in 2012. Jaclyn Dolamore is the debut author of "Magic Under Glass" from Bloomsbury USA. Lesley Livingston is the award-winning author of "Wondrous Strange and Darklight", the first two books in the bestselling trilogy from HarperCollins. Frewin Jones is the bestselling author of the "Faerie Path" series and the "Warrior Princess" books, among many others. Caitlin Kittredge is the author of the "Iron Codex" trilogy, a Lovecraftian steampunk adventure. Dru Pagliassotti's first novel "Clockwork Heart" was one of the first in the rising new genre of steampunk romance and was named by "Library Journal" as one of the five steampunk novels to read in 2009. Dia Reeves is the debut author of the critically acclaimed "YA Bleeding Violet". Michael Scott is the Irish-born, "New York Times" bestselling author of the six part epic fantasy series, "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel". Maria V. Snyder is the "New York Times" bestselling author of the "Study" series ("Poison Study", "Magic Study", and "Fire Study") about a young woman forced to become a poison taster. Tiffany Trent the author of the acclaimed "YA" dark fantasy series "Hallowmere", which was an IndieBound Children's Pick and a New York Public Library Book of the Teen Age 2008. Kiersten White is the debut author of "Paranormalacy", the first book in a new trilogy, which was published by HarperTeen in August of 2010. Adrienne Kress, is the author of "Alex and the Ironic Gentleman" and "Timothy and the Dragon's Gate".

 

 

New Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery Out Today!

 

 

And my wife is happy!

 

Small-town Texas sheriff Dan Rhodes is in for another puzzling mystery in this next in the entertaining, award-winning series

Before classes start one morning, the body of English instructor Earl Wellington is found outside the building of the community college. Wellington was clearly involved in a struggle with someone and has died as a result. Sheriff Dan Rhodes pursues and arrests Ike Terrell, a student who was fleeing the campus. Ike's father is Able Terrell, a survivalist who has withdrawn from society and lives in a gated compound.  He’s not happy that his son has chosen to attend the college, and he's even less happy with the arrest.

Rhodes discovers that Wellington and Ike had had a confrontation over a paper that Wellington insisted Ike plagiarized. Wellington also had had a confrontation with the dean and was generally disliked by the students. As the number of suspects increases, it’s up to Rhodes to solve the murder while also dealing with an amusing but frustrating staff, a professor who wants to be a cop, and all the other normal occurrences that can wreak havoc in a small town.

Bill Crider's Compound Murder is an enjoyable police procedural filled with surprises, chuckles, and a quirky cast that will captivate mystery readers.

 

 

Sharks In A Blender

 

Sharknado is one of the worst movies I have ever seen regarding plot structure, integrity of suspense, and characterization, but my fifteen year old and I LOVED it.  My wife, who was pretending to ignore us and our questionable taste in movies, even laughed a few times.  Sharknado is just so bad it’s great.  Can’t wait for the sequel.

This SyFy Channel original movie conceit that is at the core of the action is that sharks – ALL kinds of sharks, mind you – have gotten swept up in a monstrous hurricane (Sharkicane obviously doesn’t sound as cool as Sharknado) and drop onto the unsuspecting populace of Los Angeles.  Now, to accept that, you have to check all knowledge of meteorology at the door and ignore California’s history.  One, it would be classified as a hurricane coming in off the ocean, and two, there have never been any hurricanes that hit California.  They call it the “Pacific” Ocean because it’s so calm – except for those tsunamis that hit Japan, India, etc.  But that’s on the other side of the ocean.

The collection of characters is the usual ensemble.  The divorced father who has to go rescue his kids, who are rebellious snot rags in the beginning but become massively talented at battle sharks before the end of the movie.  Then there’s the best friend who gives his life fighting for our hero.  The young girl who’s maybe in love with our hero even though he’s twenty years older.  One of my favorite characters was John Heard, a millionaire drunk who carries his bar stool with him to fight the sharks with – until he meets his glorious demise.

Of course, one of these movies just wouldn’t be complete without obligatory other rescues that get in the way of the hero getting to his kids.  The school bus rescue would have taken WAAAY too much time, and you can’t help but notice that there isn’t any rain or aerial-borne water sluicing over our champions.

In fact, the whole movie gets way too dry at times.  I kept noticing those things, how it went from water running white caps in the street, yet there wasn’t a cloud in the sky so often.  My son and I kept pointing that out to each other, and I can see that maybe becoming part of a college drinking game – do a shot every time the weather changes.

Despite its many, MANY flaws, my son and I (and my wife to a degree), enjoyed Sharknado.  It’s not art, it’s not even a decent story, but it is a much-needed exercise in total hilarity – even if it isn’t supposed to be.

The Flashpoint Paradox

 

I read the original Flashpoint series by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert and enjoyed it a lot.  At the time, I did not know that it was going to be the linchpin to change the entire DC Universe.
 

The Blu-ray version of the comic series/graphic novel/series is condensed a lot, but all of the major points of the story are intact.  Since the Blu-ray is out now and the stories were released a couple years ago, I’m not going to worry about spoilers.
 

My 15 year old watched the movie version with me and wasn’t familiar with the story.  He’s more into reading Deadpool these days.  Like me, he was in awe of all the ramifications of the changes in the characters.  Thomas Wayne presents a much different Batman than Bruce Wayne, and I can remember being shocked by that when I read the original issues as they were coming out.
 

The whole Wonder Woman/Aquaman war just never really worked for me.  I just couldn’t see those two characters being so radically different than the heroes I’d grown up with.  I think a lot of comics readers felt the same way I did.  The thing that really worked in the comics, and works again in the Blu-ray, is the friendship that develops between Thomas Wayne and Barry Allen.  I also loved the way Barry is presented, how human and how much of an everyman he is in spite of his superspeed.  His dedication to “recovering” his powers is testimony to the kind of man he is.
 

The Blu-ray version kind of falls apart in relaying what’s going on in the rest of the world.  There are almost too many jumps, too many characters introduced, killed, etc., but leaving them out would have been a mistake.  I think the video should have been longer to allow such a big story to breathe.
 

I also want to warn parents that even though this Blu-ray movie is rated PG-13, I think it should have been rated an R for the violence and content.  People are constantly dying, sex is heavily hinted at, and at one point Wonder Woman stabs a young boy with her sword.  Even though the last is off-screen, viewers know what’s going on.
 

The colors were well done, but I wasn’t all that happy with the character art.  Everyone tends to look the same with that weird triangular head and big jaws.  The characters almost look like caricatures of themselves.
 

I  enjoy the DC Universe on video a lot, and I enjoyed this latest release a lot as well, but it’s just not for kids and some parents may make a mistake in thinking that it is.

Schlock Zone Drive-In Features Now Showing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

Science Fiction

 

A lot of today's science fiction is smart and action-filled, but not so much chockfull of wonder.  Part of that is my fault.  Along the way, made curious by all the science fiction I devoured as a kid, excited by the space program, I became too knowledgeable for the science fiction I grew up on.

 

I read stuff now, or watch my son play through immersive games like Mass Effect, and I just don't have that sense of wonder I used to have as a kid.  I weigh and measure every postulate that is presented.  I figure out for myself what scenarios are possible and what scenarios are not.  I'm too jaded, too much the cynic, and I no longer get totally wowed by the marvels that I see taking shape in books, movies, and games.

 

But every now and again, I see a cover like the one above, and I remember that twelve and thirteen year old boy that ventured out into worlds that will never be (Pluto isn't even a planet anymore) armed with a sword or a ray gun and a sense of adventure.  That boy had a great life that I realize my fifteen year old son never will have.  The bar for his sense of wonder is set much higher.

 

Even though I grew up without video games and television, and without a doting father who made sure I had plenty of games and books and watched Dr. Who with me, I think I had the better childhood.  And I regret that I can't give him that same sense of marvel and discovery.

A Whole Lot of Disturbing!

 

I remember talking to Joe as they were getting ready to shoot this puppy.  Now it's out.

 

 

I Want To See This Movie!

 

I enjoyed DISTRICT 9 a lot and this has got a cool story as well as tech.  Matt Damon looks awesome in this one.

 

Caught My Eye

 

Just picked up the book on Kindle.

 

The latest Sword and Soul novel by Milton Davis returns to the land of Meji, the amazing world of Uhuru. It tells the story of Sadatina, a girl on the brink of becoming a woman living with her family in Adamusola, the land beyond the Old Men Mountains. But tragic events transpire that change her life forever, revealing a hidden past that leads her into the midst of a war between her people and those that would see them destroyed, the Mosele. Armed with a spiritual weapon and her feline 'sisters,' Sadatina becomes a Shosa, a warrior trained to fight the terrible nyokas, demon-like creatures that aid the Mosele in their war against her people.

Woman of the Woods is an action filled, emotionally charged adventure that expands the scope of the world of Uhuru and introduces another unforgettable character to its heroic legends.

 

 

Caught My Eye

 

Love this cover.  Have been picking up the series, but haven't had time to read them.  Soon...

SCHLOCK ZONE DRIVE-IN's Newest Feature!

 

Now showing!

 

 

SCHLOCK ZONE DRIVE-IN DEBUT!

 

Are you jonesing for more B-horror movie goodness after watching Sharknado?  Schlock Zone Drive-In has you covered!

 

WORMS!  Dig in!

 

  

 

SHOOTER YORK Out Now!

 

Young mountain man Shooter York had been trapping with his cousin George Monk and returned to find his beloved Tennessee home in turmoil as the US Army enforced the Indian Removal Act in 1833.

Shooter hadn't agreed with the proposed action, but it hit even closer to home than he realized when a friend of his got caught up in the middle of it. Moon Bear was accused of killing an Army transport crew and of taking rifles.

After helping the Army find Moon Bear, Shooter learned that his friend was looking for his son, who was following Calling Owl, a renegade leader conducting raids on helpless settlers. Shooter and George had no choice but to free Moon Bear and take up the hunt. But with the US Army on their heels and riding into the teeth of dangerous renegades, Tennessee seemed more crowded than ever.

 

 

Something SCHLOCKING Is Coming!

 

Trailer here. 

 

 

 

www.schlockzone.blogspot.com

 

 

Another Great Cover!

 

I love the way this looks monotone, yet all the details leap out.

Caught My Eye!

 

Absolutely love this cover.  Have to look twice to see everything that's going on!

The Lone Ranger

 

I didn't care to see this at first, then I saw the trailer and got excited.  I've read some reviews that weren't all that happy with the movie, so now I've lowered my expectations.  I'm still going to see it, but I also still can't get over the Johnny Depp/dead crow thing.

Glaucoma, Etc.

What I have been diagnosed with is traumatic glaucoma in my right eye.  I've been struggling with it since June 3rd because blindness is one of those things I never want to have to deal with.  Yet here I am.

Mine is traumatic glaucoma that stems from an old injury I got while coaching Little League seven years ago.  I was in the batting cage, something I've been doing with kids for years, and got hit with a 45-50 mph foul ball.  Some people say that balls come off the bat faster than they were thrown.  I don't know all the kinetic math for that.

There is a part of the optic nerve that is called the "cup."  In a normal eye, the opening is below 30 percent.  My left eye is at 20 percent.  My right eye is at 80 percent.  When it reaches 100 percent, you're pretty much blind from what I understand.

So I've been shuttled back and forth to the doc trying to relieve the intraocular pressure which isn't responding to the medication I'm on.  Next week I go to Dean A. MaGee Eye Clinic for an assessment there.  They do a lot of laser surgery on the eye, which does not sound fun at all.  I have suffered some permanent vision loss and that's been very hard to take.

If you notice any blurriness, difference between light/dark between your eyes, have it checked out by an ophthalmologist.  I didn't.  Thought it was just allergies.

I'm currently rehabbing a shoulder (40 percent tear through the supraspinatus muscle, 50 percent tear through the infraspinatus muscle, and a moderately perched -- torn -- bicep).  The physical therapy is pretty easy because I'd lifted weights and used to train a lot when I was younger.  The injuries remind me I am no longer as young as I used to be, but I need to start taking better care of myself.

As it turns out, working at a keyboard is one of the worst things I can do for an injured shoulder because it keeps my shoulders in a protracted (forward curved) position that puts a strain on all the supportive musculature.

Also just finished up a third visit for a root canal (the tooth had a twinned mesial canal that was hidden the first time, and it was curved enough to be problematic).  I'd had trouble with the tooth for four years and thought it was sinuses, but since we finished the second visit (which cleaned it all out), I've had no problems.  Sealed up the tooth this time and everything appears to be great again.

Still have all the insurance/contractor stuff to get through on the house as a result of the SECOND (one obviously wasn't enough) tornado that hit Moore in May.  For a summer that was supposed to be relaxing and available for me to do a lot of writing, this has been pretty stressful.  My wife insists that someone somewhere is playing Jumanji with us.

 

Yep, I'm gonna be reminding a lot about this one, which is out soon.  I really enjoyed this book and think that Pike Morgan is one of the best characters I've created.  I put him through his paces in this one, touching on a lot of subjects/confusion I have felt over the years.

 

Early reports on the book are favorable:

 

Goodreads

 

Crosswalk

 

Story Matters

 

 

MAN OF STEEL

 

I've been waiting on this one to hit the big screens, and after all the tornadoes and medical stuff I've been going through, I happily took myself to the theater to relax for a couple hours plus.  I have to admit, though, the scene with the tornado sweeping across the screen really quieted the audience here in Moore.  All I can tell you is that the computer generated effect is close to an actual tornado, but without the whipping wind and rain, it pales by comparison.  And even though the tornado in the movie is supposed to be horrific and destructive, it was nothing like an F-5.

 

Overall, I enjoyed the movie.  Henry Cavill makes a splendid Clark Kent/Superman.  He's got the build and the personality, and I liked him quite a lot in the role.

 

I appreciated the way the storyline kept flipping back and forth between the past and the present.  Telling the origin story again from the beginning would have been a mistake.  People are just too familiar with it even with the different twists and turns this origin story takes.

 

The beginning with Russell Crowe playing Jor-El was totally gripping and I loved the presentation of Krypton even though it didn't quite jibe with everything I've envisioned over the years.  I thought perhaps the "gladiator" moments were a little over the top, but I forgave the revisionist history because I was caught up in the narrative.

 

I also liked seeing Clark's journey to find himself.  I hadn't thought about what he might do, but crab fishing and working on archeological expeditions were interesting concepts.  It reminded me a lot of when Bruce Wayne went trekking around the world to get himself trained to be the Batman, which doesn't suit my idea of Superman's early years, but this fit well enough.

 

Frankly, the Kryptonian supervillains was just too repetitive of the second Christopher Reeve movie.  The architecture of Brainiac's weapons arsenal and vehicles bother me a lot too, because I felt those should have been reserved for Brainiac's appearance.  Of course, maybe the producer/director is going to revisit those assets for another movie in the series.

 

And I just didn't care for the whole "having to adjust to Earth's environment" thing.  Jor-El states that Kal will be a god on Earth and makes no mention of having to acclimate to the planet.  Unless I missed that.  The weakness was footnoted throughout the movie, but I just didn't buy it.  A class M planet is a class M planet.  The weakness felt like an intentional construct to offer a reason why Superman could beat dozens of people who should have been just as strong as he was.

 

Of course, dealing with Superman's powers has always been like walking a tightrope for writers.  That's why Lex Luthor uses science and other foes use magic.

 

I also had problems with the ending.  With all the chaotic destruction going on, Superman had to be partially responsible for killing hundreds of citizens that were collateral damage.  And the buildings kept falling like dominoes, to the point I actually grew weary of seeing that happen.

 

I did enjoy the movie, perhaps not as much as I wanted to because I wanted to be blown away by it, but I'm interested to see what is done for a sequel.  That's going to be the proof of the pudding.