My blogroll
Saturday, April 28, 2012
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Sorry to everyone I was following. In switching email accounts for this blog, I forgot to copy over everybody on my blogroll. So I will be working on rebuilding my list. If you know I was following you and commenting on your blog from time to time and you don't see me back on your follower list in the next few days, send me an email. Hmm, now that I think about it, I wonder if I'd have even dropped off your list. The email is still valid; I just took it off this blog. Well, keep an eye out for me anyway.
Filk Friday: Carmen Miranda's Ghost
Friday, April 27, 2012
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In honor of my newest follower (welcome, David), I was going to post a zombie filk today, but I can't find one on Youtube and the one I've played around with for my zombie story isn't finished yet. So instead, I'm going with a ghost song. How many of you remember the tv clips with Carmen Miranda and her huge hat of fruit? Leslie Fish played on that and brought Carmen Miranda into space as a ghost. This is one spectral visitor I'd be glad to have around. How about you?
Carmen Miranda's Ghost
Carmen Miranda's Ghost
Foiled
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
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I'm rather behind on posting my review of Foiled, considering I read it last week. The fairies have been pestering me to get it done, especially since I loved the book. I mean really. It's a Jane Yolen story, but it's also a graphic novel. Cool, huh?
So that right there is what made me pick it up. I was in the mood for something of hers, so I was poking around on that shelf in the YA section of the library. When I saw graphic novel + Jane Yolen, well, it had to come home with me. The illustrations are by Mark Cavallaro, someone I'd never heard of before but is now on my awe list. The drawing style is what you'd expect for a graphic novel, but he handled the story very well. I'll get back to what I thought was particularly neat about how he did this.
The story itself is about a high school girl who took up fencing when her mom brought home a used foil with a fake jewel glued on as a pommel that she'd found at a tag sale. Aliera has gotten rather good at fencing, like possibly Nationals good based on hints from her coach. She trains every day, except for Saturdays playing D&D with her home-bound cousin (medical condition). But all of this focus on her studies, training, and cousin time, doesn't leave much left for a social life. She doesn't really fit into any of the social groups at school, not even the jocks.
Everything changes the day Avery Castle walks into class and is assigned to be her lab partner. The girls all ogle and gab about how hot he is, while Aliera tries to protect her heart (thoughts framed in terms of fencing, of course). When he actually asks her out on a date and that she bring her sword (foil--as she corrected him), she finds out a lot more than she expects about herself and the world. Like magic. And fairies. And seeing in color.
Remember what I said about something special with the artwork? The color angle is what I was talking about. You see, Aliera is color blind. And to help illustrate that, most of the book is done in shades of this plummish purple with a little brown, black, and white. But mostly the purple.
While in Grand Central Station, something happens and she puts on her fencing mask, and all of a sudden she's seeing things in color. Not everything mind you. But fairies, and trolls, and fantasy things. Those really popped when set against the plum. Made me think Genius!
I won't say what she learned about Avery, but I will say she found out she didn't get that foil by chance. She was meant to have it. You'll have to read the book for yourself to find out why.
So that right there is what made me pick it up. I was in the mood for something of hers, so I was poking around on that shelf in the YA section of the library. When I saw graphic novel + Jane Yolen, well, it had to come home with me. The illustrations are by Mark Cavallaro, someone I'd never heard of before but is now on my awe list. The drawing style is what you'd expect for a graphic novel, but he handled the story very well. I'll get back to what I thought was particularly neat about how he did this.
The story itself is about a high school girl who took up fencing when her mom brought home a used foil with a fake jewel glued on as a pommel that she'd found at a tag sale. Aliera has gotten rather good at fencing, like possibly Nationals good based on hints from her coach. She trains every day, except for Saturdays playing D&D with her home-bound cousin (medical condition). But all of this focus on her studies, training, and cousin time, doesn't leave much left for a social life. She doesn't really fit into any of the social groups at school, not even the jocks.
Everything changes the day Avery Castle walks into class and is assigned to be her lab partner. The girls all ogle and gab about how hot he is, while Aliera tries to protect her heart (thoughts framed in terms of fencing, of course). When he actually asks her out on a date and that she bring her sword (foil--as she corrected him), she finds out a lot more than she expects about herself and the world. Like magic. And fairies. And seeing in color.
Remember what I said about something special with the artwork? The color angle is what I was talking about. You see, Aliera is color blind. And to help illustrate that, most of the book is done in shades of this plummish purple with a little brown, black, and white. But mostly the purple.
While in Grand Central Station, something happens and she puts on her fencing mask, and all of a sudden she's seeing things in color. Not everything mind you. But fairies, and trolls, and fantasy things. Those really popped when set against the plum. Made me think Genius!
I won't say what she learned about Avery, but I will say she found out she didn't get that foil by chance. She was meant to have it. You'll have to read the book for yourself to find out why.
Filk Friday: Battle Dawn (and ROW 80 Round review)
Friday, March 23, 2012
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Yes, I have another filk song to share today. Battle Dawn is sung from the perspective of Queen Selenay just before the battle with Ancar's men at the end of Arrow's Fall by Mercedes Lackey. I won't say much more than that because I think you should read the Arrows trilogy. Arrows and Mage Storms are my two favorite sets of stories within the Valdemar setting. And Lackey, in collaboration with several talented people, created several collections of music to accompany her world. Some are songs the characters actually know in the stories like Dark and Stormy Night and Sun and Shadow, while others like Battle Dawn and Trio are sung from their perspectives though not in the stories themselves.
While I'm re-listening to this, I'm thinking I may have to parody it for my current WIP. I can imagine Rhona singing a variation of this song at some point after the mid-point crisis which I have tentatively already planned out. "For Lycurgus and my dear twin, I swear that you will pay!" Muahahahahahaha!
ROW 80 end of round review:
I think I'd give myself about a C for sticking with my goals. Until this last couple weeks, I was great on reading new books (to me), so about an A, maybe A- there.
Writing 100+ words every day, meh. I didn't keep up every day, though most weeks, I did have an average of that many. And I did write some every week, which is better than during the previous round. Many of the days I didn't end up posting like I'd meant to were because I wanted to get my writing done first and then ran out of brain power for blogging. S'okay. Story comes first, even though I felt like I was letting you down anyway.
Exercise was the real kicker. Surely ten minutes every day couldn't have been too hard. But I don't like doing my favorite form of exercise when anyone but my son can see me do it. I'm not bad at dancing, just self-conscious outside of a class setting. And I just never got out the stretch bands or free weights instead like I'd intended. But when I did dance, I did it for more than just 10 minutes, more like 20-30 minutes. I will probably adjust my exercise goal for the next round to so many minutes a week instead of a day. I did get a half-mile walk in this morning just by taking the kid down to the bus stop.
My husband and I joined the local Y yesterday, so hopefully, that will help us both get more fit. Plus my husband is doing sword fighting with the SCA group here. He's going to try two-handed, since he can't shake the fencing style he learned in college which isn't compatible with SCA rules. They're also trying to talk me into fencing, but I want to get him geared up first before trying to get stuff for me. He's already got part of what he needs. In the meantime, I'll be working on my cardio.
Have a great weekend!
While I'm re-listening to this, I'm thinking I may have to parody it for my current WIP. I can imagine Rhona singing a variation of this song at some point after the mid-point crisis which I have tentatively already planned out. "For Lycurgus and my dear twin, I swear that you will pay!" Muahahahahahaha!
ROW 80 end of round review:
I think I'd give myself about a C for sticking with my goals. Until this last couple weeks, I was great on reading new books (to me), so about an A, maybe A- there.
Writing 100+ words every day, meh. I didn't keep up every day, though most weeks, I did have an average of that many. And I did write some every week, which is better than during the previous round. Many of the days I didn't end up posting like I'd meant to were because I wanted to get my writing done first and then ran out of brain power for blogging. S'okay. Story comes first, even though I felt like I was letting you down anyway.
Exercise was the real kicker. Surely ten minutes every day couldn't have been too hard. But I don't like doing my favorite form of exercise when anyone but my son can see me do it. I'm not bad at dancing, just self-conscious outside of a class setting. And I just never got out the stretch bands or free weights instead like I'd intended. But when I did dance, I did it for more than just 10 minutes, more like 20-30 minutes. I will probably adjust my exercise goal for the next round to so many minutes a week instead of a day. I did get a half-mile walk in this morning just by taking the kid down to the bus stop.
My husband and I joined the local Y yesterday, so hopefully, that will help us both get more fit. Plus my husband is doing sword fighting with the SCA group here. He's going to try two-handed, since he can't shake the fencing style he learned in college which isn't compatible with SCA rules. They're also trying to talk me into fencing, but I want to get him geared up first before trying to get stuff for me. He's already got part of what he needs. In the meantime, I'll be working on my cardio.
Have a great weekend!
The upcoming release of Elemental
Thursday, March 22, 2012
| | | 6 comments
One of my good friends Emily White will be releasing her debut novel, Elemental, on May 1, published by Spencer Hill Press. I'm very excited to see how her story has evolved, since I've only read some of the early drafts back when her MC had a different name. ;D If I can actually come up with any intelligent sounding questions, I hope to have her visit for an interview sometime before the release date. (Talking to her is easy, but interviewing in general is not. For me anyway.)
But this week, the trailer for her book is out, and I am proud to share it with all of you.
From the press release:
Just because Ella can burn someone to the ground with her mind doesn't mean she should.
But she wants to.
For ten years--ever since she was a small child--Ella has been held prisoner. Now that she has escaped, she needs answers. Who is she? Why was she taken? And who is the boy with the beautiful green eyes who haunts her memories? Is Ella the prophesied Destructor... or will she be the one who's destroyed?
But this week, the trailer for her book is out, and I am proud to share it with all of you.
From the press release:
Just because Ella can burn someone to the ground with her mind doesn't mean she should.
But she wants to.
For ten years--ever since she was a small child--Ella has been held prisoner. Now that she has escaped, she needs answers. Who is she? Why was she taken? And who is the boy with the beautiful green eyes who haunts her memories? Is Ella the prophesied Destructor... or will she be the one who's destroyed?
Filk Friday: The Truth About Ninjas
Friday, March 2, 2012
| | | 3 comments
SJ Tucker is a hoot. One of my friends had sent me a link a while back to her video "Playing D&D," and I loved it. (featured on a previous Filk Friday) This one is a live performance rather than a music video format, but her energy and charm is just as strong. Here's her song "The Truth About Ninjas." Enjoy!
Reading, writing, and crafting...oh my!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
| | | 2 comments
A month's gone by since I posted, but I haven't forgotten my ROW 80 goals. I'm about a 50% overall I think. I've written on half the days, exercised...mmm...less than half ;), but read many books. I won't try to give a full review on all of them, but here's a listing of what I've read this month (including non-spec fic) and the ratings I gave them on Goodreads.
The New Kid at School (Dragon Slayer's Academy #1) by Kate McMullan
4 stars - both my son and I enjoyed it.
Letters to Jenny by Piers Anthony
5 stars - I tried to write a review on this, and I flounder with the words. A must read. Very touching and a wonderful insight into a writer's life.
Song of the Wanderer (Unicorn Chronicles #2) by Bruce Coville
4 stars - doesn't really read like an individual book but rather like Part 2 of one mega novel. But I still really enjoy the story.
The Ship Avenged by S.M. Stirling and Anne McCaffrey
3 stars - not as good as most of the Brainship universe books, but that's mostly because of content, not the writing. Bit on the dark gritty side. But I was expecting that. Picked it up to read another story with Joat.
How to Be a Pirate (How to Train Your Dragon #2) by Cressida Cowell
3 stars - my son liked it, but the differences in some of the characters and dragons from the How to Train Your Dragon movie was disorienting at first. For instance, in the movie, they were ride-able. In this book, they were small enough to ride on people's shoulders. Cute story though.
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
meh, granted it was written for kids but I've read intermediate books with tighter plot, even with keeping the whimsical feel that enticed me to pick it up in the first place. It had potential to be better.
Dark Whispers (Unicorn Chronicles #3) by Bruce Coville
4 stars- still not done yet with the overall story. Need to find The Last Hunt. I think that one is supposed to finish off the arc.
One Good Knight (Five Hundred Kingdoms #2) by Mercedes Lackey
4 stars - This book had some great twists both in plot and with the Sir George vs the Dragon tale. Great ending.
Princess of the Midnight Ball (Princess #1) by Jessica Day George
5 stars - Loved it! A fantastic spin on the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. The soldier didn't start off with the intent to find out why their shoes kept getting holes; he made friends with them first while working as a gardener at the palace. Friendship and concern made him finally take his turn to solve the mystery.
One Corpse Too Many (Cadfael #2) by Ellis Peters
4 stars - Pretty close to the movie version (movie #1) I've seen with Sean Pertwee as Hugh Beringer and Derek Jacobi as Brother Cadfael. This was recommended to me when I was looking for mysteries that were solved without modern tech. Very useful for people writing historical fantasies even when they aren't writing in this time period or setting.
The Sanctuary Sparrow (Cadfael #7) by Ellis Peters
4 stars - Yes, I'm reading them out of order. But it doesn't matter too much since I knew this and that the movies had been somewhat out of order as well. So I expected the change of Abbots from Monk's Hood. It has a few differences, but still very close in plot sequencing.
Monk's Hood (Cadfael #3) by Ellis Peters
4 stars - I haven't gotten to read A Leper of St Giles yet, but out of the three stories I have read and watched, this one had the most differences in plot. I rather liked the movie, but now that I've read the book, I think the book plot makes more sense and the characters more engaging. (And I like Brother Mark better than Brother Oswin as Brother Cadfael's assistant.) Still worth checking both versions out if you can find them.
Tripping Over the Lunch Lady: and Other School Stories edited by Nancy E. Mercado
4 stars - This collection of short stories was hilarious. Following each story was a blurb about each author's school years such as worst school smell, favorite field trip, and worst/favorite subject.
Harry and the Terrible Whatzit by Dick Gackenbach
3 stars - cute picture book. Harry's mom goes down to the cellar and doesn't come back up. He goes down and discovers the terrible whatzit. But he learns the whatzit isn't as terrible as he'd thought.
St Peters Fair (Cadfael #4) by Ellis Peters
4 stars - The town is still dealing with the effects of the fighting that had happened when King Stephen moved in on Empress Maud's forces earlier in the year (see book 2). A series of events seemed ordinary at first but they covered a deeper plot involving kingdom politics.
A Coming Evil by Viviane Vande Velde
4 stars - This intermediate level story is a historical fiction story...with a ghost. I wouldn't have picked it up since I don't normally read war themed stories-this one takes place during WWII in German-occupied France-but I liked the author's spins on Rumpelstiltskin in The Rumpelstiltskin Problem, so I gave this one a chance. Glad I read it, because it worked well, and she uses the ghost aspect in a unique way. A nice way to introduce young readers to some of the issues that some kids faced during the war without being in the middle of the worst parts.
As you can see, many books, a couple of which had been on my to-read list. I've also been doing lots of beading and crocheting, experimenting with pieces I'll want to sell once I open my Etsy shop. Some aren't too bad, but some things are too tedious or not working as well as I want. Even though all this crafting has taken up a bunch of my brain time, my ROW 80 goals have kept me from losing track completely.
The New Kid at School (Dragon Slayer's Academy #1) by Kate McMullan
4 stars - both my son and I enjoyed it.
Letters to Jenny by Piers Anthony
5 stars - I tried to write a review on this, and I flounder with the words. A must read. Very touching and a wonderful insight into a writer's life.
Song of the Wanderer (Unicorn Chronicles #2) by Bruce Coville
4 stars - doesn't really read like an individual book but rather like Part 2 of one mega novel. But I still really enjoy the story.
The Ship Avenged by S.M. Stirling and Anne McCaffrey
3 stars - not as good as most of the Brainship universe books, but that's mostly because of content, not the writing. Bit on the dark gritty side. But I was expecting that. Picked it up to read another story with Joat.
How to Be a Pirate (How to Train Your Dragon #2) by Cressida Cowell
3 stars - my son liked it, but the differences in some of the characters and dragons from the How to Train Your Dragon movie was disorienting at first. For instance, in the movie, they were ride-able. In this book, they were small enough to ride on people's shoulders. Cute story though.
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
meh, granted it was written for kids but I've read intermediate books with tighter plot, even with keeping the whimsical feel that enticed me to pick it up in the first place. It had potential to be better.
Dark Whispers (Unicorn Chronicles #3) by Bruce Coville
4 stars- still not done yet with the overall story. Need to find The Last Hunt. I think that one is supposed to finish off the arc.
One Good Knight (Five Hundred Kingdoms #2) by Mercedes Lackey
4 stars - This book had some great twists both in plot and with the Sir George vs the Dragon tale. Great ending.
Princess of the Midnight Ball (Princess #1) by Jessica Day George
5 stars - Loved it! A fantastic spin on the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. The soldier didn't start off with the intent to find out why their shoes kept getting holes; he made friends with them first while working as a gardener at the palace. Friendship and concern made him finally take his turn to solve the mystery.
One Corpse Too Many (Cadfael #2) by Ellis Peters
4 stars - Pretty close to the movie version (movie #1) I've seen with Sean Pertwee as Hugh Beringer and Derek Jacobi as Brother Cadfael. This was recommended to me when I was looking for mysteries that were solved without modern tech. Very useful for people writing historical fantasies even when they aren't writing in this time period or setting.
The Sanctuary Sparrow (Cadfael #7) by Ellis Peters
4 stars - Yes, I'm reading them out of order. But it doesn't matter too much since I knew this and that the movies had been somewhat out of order as well. So I expected the change of Abbots from Monk's Hood. It has a few differences, but still very close in plot sequencing.
Monk's Hood (Cadfael #3) by Ellis Peters
4 stars - I haven't gotten to read A Leper of St Giles yet, but out of the three stories I have read and watched, this one had the most differences in plot. I rather liked the movie, but now that I've read the book, I think the book plot makes more sense and the characters more engaging. (And I like Brother Mark better than Brother Oswin as Brother Cadfael's assistant.) Still worth checking both versions out if you can find them.
Tripping Over the Lunch Lady: and Other School Stories edited by Nancy E. Mercado
4 stars - This collection of short stories was hilarious. Following each story was a blurb about each author's school years such as worst school smell, favorite field trip, and worst/favorite subject.
Harry and the Terrible Whatzit by Dick Gackenbach
3 stars - cute picture book. Harry's mom goes down to the cellar and doesn't come back up. He goes down and discovers the terrible whatzit. But he learns the whatzit isn't as terrible as he'd thought.
St Peters Fair (Cadfael #4) by Ellis Peters
4 stars - The town is still dealing with the effects of the fighting that had happened when King Stephen moved in on Empress Maud's forces earlier in the year (see book 2). A series of events seemed ordinary at first but they covered a deeper plot involving kingdom politics.
A Coming Evil by Viviane Vande Velde
4 stars - This intermediate level story is a historical fiction story...with a ghost. I wouldn't have picked it up since I don't normally read war themed stories-this one takes place during WWII in German-occupied France-but I liked the author's spins on Rumpelstiltskin in The Rumpelstiltskin Problem, so I gave this one a chance. Glad I read it, because it worked well, and she uses the ghost aspect in a unique way. A nice way to introduce young readers to some of the issues that some kids faced during the war without being in the middle of the worst parts.
As you can see, many books, a couple of which had been on my to-read list. I've also been doing lots of beading and crocheting, experimenting with pieces I'll want to sell once I open my Etsy shop. Some aren't too bad, but some things are too tedious or not working as well as I want. Even though all this crafting has taken up a bunch of my brain time, my ROW 80 goals have kept me from losing track completely.
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