Media Monday–Fiddler on the Roof
This post is kind of a twofer, since we watched Fiddler last weekend on DVD and then went and saw it at the Oklahoma City Civic Center on Saturday.
Movie first: Loved Tevye’s character, and Golda’s as well, and Tzeitel was my favorite daughter. And Lazar Wolf, I would swear I’d seen him somewhere before, but I couldn’t find anything on IMDB. Anyway, I really enjoyed this musical (especially Tevye’s If I Were a Rich Man) even if it was a bit long. Because of the length (3 hrs), we decided to split it up into two nights. The dance in the bar was awesome and the ending bittersweet. For me, this was a rainy weekend movie, something you watch when you’d like to smile a little, and toward the end, you’ll probably cry a bit as well (in a good way).
Stage Version: LOVED, loved, loved the stage version. The performers were magical, and I couldn’t believe it’d been two hours by the time intermission came around. Even knowing the last bit was going to be an hour, it sure didn’t seem like it! There’s just something about having an orchestra and actual props being moved around that adds that much more to the experience. I think one of the reasons I liked the stage version better was because I felt connected to the cast a LOT more, especially Tevye. Watching it live, you get a much better idea of what’s supposed to be funny (and there’s a LOT of funny in this show). I didn’t get that in the movie, it was more bittersweet. Also, the end of the stage show is glorious, with hope on the horizon, whereas in the film, it ended so bleakly, I was kind of depressed, if that makes sense.
Anyway, if you get the chance to see the Broadway version, it’s totally worth your while!
Six Sentence Sunday — Wolf in the Hand
Since I just finished Shoot to Thrill, here’s the next novella on my schedule (it’ll be a Keira book). The tenative title is Wolf in the Hand. Hope you enjoy!!!
Lily Tremaine slid through the forest, missing the comforting weight of her Beretta at her hip. Her quarry, her new reason for living, lay just ahead. She just had to get close enough to Carter to slit his vicious throat—then at least the murder charge hanging over her head would mean something. Not that she’d live past the fatal swipe. His minions would make sure she was dead before his body even hit the ground. Which was all right with her–his death was the only thing she had to live for anymore.
Six Sentence Sunday — Intro to Gavin, Gardens of Stone
So this is yet another of my Works in Progress. I’d forgotten how much fun Gavin was until I re-read this! Hope you enjoy…
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Gavin pressed a splayed palm against his wounded shoulder and gritted his teeth. This was not how he’d expected to be animated from his prison of stone.
The vandal who’d fainted as soon as he’d become skin and bone—and a griffin at that—laid at this feet. He’d shifted just seconds after the reanimation, but his defacer was already out cold.
He glanced left, then right, nothing catching his preternatural senses. The human who’d known the exact words to say, in the exact ancient dialect and accent, was alone.
Thursday 13: Thirteen books on my TBR shelf (physical)
This week I’m just gonna roll out the stuff on my actual shelf, rather than on my e-reader (next week)… Interestingly enough, I only have 13 of them on the shelf…weird, yes?
- Razor’s Edge, Shannon Butcher
- Duke of Shadows, Meredith Duran
- Full Dark, No Stars, Stephen King
- Geist, Philippa Ballantine
- Wrong Side of Dead, Kelly Meding
- True Vision, Joyce Lamb
- Pride Mates, Jennifer Ashley
- The Drowning City, Amanda Downum
- Don of the Dead, Casey Daniels
- All Through the Night, Connie Brockway
- Good Girl’s Don’t, Victoria Dahl
- If You See Her, Shiloh Walker
- By a Thread, Jennifer Estep
Do we share any books???
Facing the blank page…
Wanna know more? Check it out at http://melissaschroeder.blogspot.com/2012/03/guest-author-terri-schaefer.html!!!
TABT–When do you say, “I quit?”
This weekend I discovered that I can say “I quit” about a book even when I’m 3/4 of the way through it. Normally I’ve invested so much time/effort into a book that I’ll slog through it, just in case I’m wrong, or the author is going to amaze me.
Not so in this case. Why? The writing itself was very good. The heroine was interesting, and the urban fantasy world well developed. But the “hero” (maybe, this being an urban fantasy and all, one can never be sure) was a complete and utter asshat. To the point where there was no way in hell the author was going to be able to redeem him. And since the heroine let him walk all over her, with little more than a whimper, even though she’s supposed to be some kick-ass babe, I put the book down.
Then this morning I got up and considered re-reading the chapter that so inflamed me, decided I was still pissed off, and gave it away.
So what and where are the breaking points for you?
Writerly update…
Just a quick pop in to say … I’ve actually been writing! Almost finished with the revisons for my “aha” moment last week, and as soon as I’ve got those worked in (by the weekend at the latest), I’ll write the last two chapters with confidence. Crossed fingers, first draft to my beta readers by 31 March!
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming, while I write! LOL…
Media Monday–El Camino by The Black Keys
Y0u know, I didn’t realize I’d been listening to the Black Keys for years, probably because their style (if something so unique can be called a style) is a mish-mash of my favorite types of music. Seriously, you’ve got the blues, punk, good clean rock and roll and a bit of grunge thrown in. Huh. I heard Lonely Boy on the radio with about a gazillion other folks and was immediately drawn in by it, so I popped on iTunes to see what else they had to offer. Imagine my surprise when I knew a bunch of their songs (probably from our satellite radio on the tube). So I downloaded El Camino, and if anything, the rest of the album is better than the singles everyone is hearing (Lonely Boy and Gold on the Ceiling). In particular, I loved the retro sixties sound of Stop Stop; the rocking second half of Little Black Submarines was a happy surprise; and the almost beachy beat of Money Maker just makes me smile.
This album is well worth the $10.99 iTunes is charging…it’ll give you hours of enjoyment.
(and if you haven’t seen the video for Lonely Boy, check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_426RiwST8 Bet you can’t hold back a grin!!)
Six Sentence Sunday–Bill’s first look at Arden in The Summerland
This is from my first book, waaaaaaay back in the day, and is where the hero first sees the heroine. Hope you enjoy!
He took his first look at Arden Jones and knew he was in a heap of trouble. She was striking–not beautiful in any conventional sense, but she had a presence about her that you recognized from the get-go and wore like a shield. Her long, lean body fairly screamed tension, and he could almost feel it radiating off her in waves. Ash blonde hair was swept up in a ruthless military-style twist, and even though she wasn’t in uniform, Bill doubted anyone would mistake her for anything but a take-charge person. What makeup she did have on was tasteful and discreet and the navy blue suit she wore radiated quiet authority and a no-shit attitude. The only thing that saved her from looking like a full-on bitch was the genuine distress in and around her changeable hazel eyes and full, bottom-heavy mouth.
Read an e-book week…
In case you haven’t heard 
, this week is Read an E-Book Week! Soooo, if you wanna read a sexy romantic suspense, then check out Behind Blue Eyes for $4.24 OR check out my alter-ego, Keira’s FREE award-winning novella, both available on Amazon. (pics are linked!)