January 2nd, 2010 — 5 Stars, Contemporary, Movie Reviews, Paranormal, Science, Super Hero, United States of America
I've just watched Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog for my second time. I just love the musical numbers in this little 45 minute show. If you haven't seen it yet, you must. Trust me on this- I've even embedded it below for your viewing pleasure. Dr. Horrible was created by Joss Whedon during the writers' strike by calling in a lot of favors. Part comedy, part romance, this little show brings all the musts to a comic book setting.
Characters:
This first one isn't a character per say but it is an organization. The ELE or Evil League of Evil, is the most prestigious organization an evil bad guy could hope to belong. If you're not in the ELE you're in the league with the Henchmen.
Bad Horse is the biggest baddie. He's the thoroughbred of sin.
Dr. Horrible wants desperately to join the ELE and has a strong application this year. He's not so much evil as crazy scientist with ideas to change the way the world runs. As he says, it's not about making money but taking it away from others.
Penny is the girl Dr. Horrible has a crush on. He sees her twice a week usually at his local laundromat and fantasizes about saying hello to her. If only he had the courage. Penny is a young woman who cares for the homeless and sees the world through rose-colored glasses.
Captain Hammer is the "good guy." I put this in quotes because from our point of view Dr. Horrible is the good guy. Captain Hammer is vain, self-centered and reminds me a bit of Gaston in Disney's Beauty And The Beast
.
In typical Joss Whendon fashion the love interest is partially realized before being ripped apart like with Buffy/Angel and Wash/Zoe from Firefly/Serenity. Still, despite this romantic hiccup the show is simply phenomenal. I give it 5 Stars.
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Originally posted 2008-11-06 05:33:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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December 7th, 2009 — Colonel, Guest Blogger, Historic America, J-L, United States of America, Wartime
by Jessica James, guest blogger and author of Shades of Gray.
Thank you for letting me be part of your blog today to tell readers about my award-winning historical fiction novel Shades of Gray. As some of you may know, Shades is a Civil War love story that has climbed to #1 on Amazon’s best-seller list in the romance/historical/U.S. category, which moved it (briefly) ahead of Gone With the Wind
.
So, you may ask, what does the main character in Shades of Gray
have in common with Rhett Butler that could push this debut novel past a beloved classic?
The first thing that comes to mind is that Colonel Alexander Hunter, like Rhett, is a bit of a rogue. Though neither of these leading men holds regular military positions (Rhett is a blockade runner and Hunter commands an independent regiment of Confederate ruffians), both men exemplify audacity, intrigue and intrepid courage. Hunter, like Rhett, is known for both his courage and his elusiveness, two qualities that tend to disarm opponents – and members of the opposite sex.
But I think the main thing that separates Colonel Hunter and Rhett Butler from other main characters is their mystique. In both Shades of Gray and Gone with the Wind, the reader is never quite sure what the man is thinking, and is never really certain what he will do. Throughout both books we are continually left guessing: Will he turn his back and walk away? Or will he stay and fight for the woman he loves? Wait a minute, does he even love her? He hasn’t really said so.
In Shades of Gray, it is obvious that Hunter is the type of man who will unselfishly sacrifice all for his country, but what will he do when faced with the fact that the woman he has promised his dying brother he will protect is the same person he has vowed to his men to destroy?
This mystery, this vagueness and secrecy, I think, keeps us hooked. Though both Rhett and Hunter have their flaws, we keep hoping they will redeem themselves, proving through their actions, if not their words, how romantic they are at heart. It is when they do finally express themselves that our hearts melt, because we know how hard it was for them to expose their souls.
There are main characters with every kind of personality trait imaginable, but I find myself drawn to those like Rhett, which is why I created Hunter. The strong, silent type will hook me every time. What kind of hero do you enjoy most?
Buy: Shades of Gray: A Novel of the Civil War in Virginia
This post is part of Jessica James’ Holiday Blog Tour and Civil War Basket Giveaway. For the full schedule and ways to qualify for the giveaway, visit www.jessicajamesbooks.com.
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September 21st, 2009 — A-C, Guest Blogger, Knight, Medieval
by Elizabeth Chadwick, guest blogger and author of The Greatest Knight
I’d like to say many thanks for inviting me to be your guest blogger. I’m really pleased to be here!
Whenever I go out on the road and give talks about historical fiction, certain questions are asked on a regular basis, so I thought I’d write my own Q and A session!
Q. Have you always written?
A. I have been telling myself stories verbally since I can remember but I only started writing them down from being fourteen when I was inspired by a TV drama about the Tudors. I wrote an entire 500 page novel longhand and realised in the writing that it was what I wanted to do for a living.
Q. Did it take you a long time to find a publisher?
A. I plucked up the courage to send my first attempt out when I was 17. It was returned to me with a “thanks but no thanks,” but I wasn’t put off. It was part of who I was and whether I was published or not, I was still going to carry on writing. Throughout the rest of my teens and twenties, I continued to write novels, send them off and have them rejected, but I persevered. If you really want something, you don’t give up that easily. I finally got the call in my early thirties as a stay at home mother with two small children. I had my desk in their playroom and used to sneak moments to write in between looking after my boys.
Q. How long does it take you to write a novel?
A. My contracts are fifteen months. This gives me time to research the books, write them, and also do all the extra bits and pieces that are part of a writer’s career these days such as websites, Facebook, Twitter and of course guest blog posts! It also gives me time for my family and for going out on tour to meet the readers in person.
Q. What’s a typical working day?
A. Well I don’t rise at the crack of dawn unless forced. 8.30 to 9am feels about right. While drinking the morning mug of tea, I’ll check the morning’s e-mails, Facebook and Twitter to see what’s come in overnight. I’ll answer the most pressing ones and sort the others into ‘to deal with’ and ‘delete’. Around 10am I’ll start writing. I take a coffee break and check the e-mails again after a couple of hours. Then more writing up to late lunch about 2pm. Back to the writing unless I have to do domestic stuff such as the grocery shop or get my hair cut etc. I break off between 5 and 8 for family time, and then it’s back to work. When writing a first draft I aim for 1500 words a day. Once I finish my word count, it’s on to blogging, networking and answering reader e-mails. Then to bed with a book around 1am and read until around 2. I definitely work better at night!
Q. What attracted you to write about the Middle Ages and what led you to William Marshal, star of The Greatest Knight?
A. After I’d written my Tudor story, I fell in love with a knight on a children’s TV programme called Thibaud, le Chevalier Blanc, and he set me to writing my own medieval story. I knew nothing about the Medieval times when I set out to write my story, so I had to start researching and the more I researched, the more interested I became in the period and the more I wanted to write about it. I came across William Marshal whilst researching one of my earlier novels and realised that his story simply had to be told. What a man! The fourth son of a minor baron who became a champion jouster, married a great heiress, and went on one day not only to rule England, but to save the country from disaster. He outlived four kings in his lifetime. The Greatest Knight covers the first part of his life story. A second stand alone novel, The Scarlet Lion, covers his struggles with the ever notoriouis King John.
Q.Would you like to have lived in those times?
A. I would absolutely love to go back for annual holidays and in different seasons to see what it was like, but I am afraid I am too much a creature of the 21st century. I think we give Medieval folk far less credit than is their due for their skill and resilience, and some of the beautiful things they crafted such as textiles and leatherwork, but I also know that I would miss flushing toilets, hot water at the turn of a tap….and chocolate. Especially chocolate. William Marshal was known to love his food, but also be discerning about it. I wonder what he would think if handed a bar of chocolate to try!
About the Author
Elizabeth Chadwick lives near Nottingham with her husband and two sons. She is the author of 17 historical novels, including Lords of the White Castle, Shadows and Strongholds, A Place Beyond Courage, The Scarlet Lion, the Winter Mantle, and the Falcons of Montebard, four of which have been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Awards. Much of her research is carried out as a member of Regia Anglorum, an early medieval re-enactment society with the emphasis on accurately re-creating the past. She won a Betty Trask Award for The Wild Hunt, her first novel.
Buy: The Greatest Knight
Giveaway: Elizabeth Chadwick and Sourcebooks are sponsoring a giveaway of 1 copy of The Greatest Knight for US and Canada only readers. Enter by leaving relevant comments. One entry per comment; multiple entries allowed. Ends: September 28th, 2009.
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