Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest

Oh, yeah!!! Break out the popcorn, and ignore the  experts while they scream, "Step away from the soda! It'll kill you!" Because it's time for Alex's, Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest!!!!! To see who else joined in the fun and their lists, click on this link: http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

Since I'm a movie-lush, I'm jumping around like a rabid Chihuahua over this rocktastic event!

Dimming the lights...shushing the chatterboxes...okay, let the countdown begin....





#1 While this movie is the most disturbing, gut wrenching, rip-my-heart-out-of-my-chest-performance, I've ever witnessed, I have to keep going back to it. If I don't, I'm afraid I'll forget who I am, or more importantly, who He is. No matter what your beliefs, I recommend The Passion of the Christ, to everybody.












#2 Call me sadistic, but I love this flick, and obviously, I'm

  not alone because it was nominated for 8 academy awards. While I usually don't agree with the critics, the simple darkness of this movie, won me over. Mind you, I'm not a terribly devious person, (only if you consider my favorite part of the movie,which is the final scene) but there's something beyond captivating about watching Daniel Day-Lewis plunge deeper and deeper into the depths of greed, madness, and revenge. If you haven't seen it, watch There Will Be Blood.











#3 Every time I see this, I get kind of sad because it reminds me of how fleeting life really is. James Dean was at the top of his career when he starred in Giant. Who knew he'd die at age 24, just 8 days after filming wrapped? There's a ton of creepy facts documented about Jame's beloved Porsche Spyder and the lives it claimed after his own, but I'd rather swoon over this movie clip than think about that stuff.

#4 What's a movie countdown without a dash of obnoxious humor? No matter how many times I watch this flick, it never loses it's hilarity factor, and I end up snort-laughing all the way through. It's one of those movies that is so wrong in so many ways, but gosh, I can't help it, I dig it! So, if you're not easily offended, you must see Bad Teacher.

#5 For a zillion reasons, this movie is AWESOME!!! After it's release, the stellar dialog had people quoting lines all over the net.  Marvel (Disney) did a smashup job with The Avengers, and if you haven't watched it, yet, go take the walk of shame to the Redbox, RIGHT NOW!!! I say, "shame" because you should already have this in your video library.









#6 It was a few months back, after watching Wuthering Heights, that I decided crooked teeth are, well, they're hot, on Tom Hardy, they are anyway. If you have Netflix, you gotta watch PBS's, 2009 Masterpiece Theatre adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic novel. Oh, this clip!!!! Can you hear my heart shattering???









#7 I watched this one in the theater, and when it was over, I felt invincible. A few times during The Book of Eli, a large portion of the audience started shouting for Denzel. I may or may not have joined in. Without spoiling a huge secret, the one that's revealed at the end, I gotta say, I was totally clueless and gripped. I'm not sure how it stacked up at the box office, but I loved Eli's grit and determination to carry out his mission.







#8 Gah, why do I love this movie??? Maybe I'm strange, (okay, I'm really strange!) but I could watch Muriel's Wedding, over-and-over-and-over.... If any of you have ever seen it, I bet you're either throwing your hands in the air, or shaking your head. But before you unsubscribe to my blog or unfollow me on Twitter, let me explain. I know...the movie is cheap, the actors are dorky, and the plot is crap. I get it. I really do. Still, I'm enchanted by pudgy Muriel Heslop and her gawky ways. Hey, you gotta give her some credit. Admittedly, I hate the dumb stunt she pulls at the end, but in a way, I kind of admire her. It takes guts to walk away from our heart's desires, which is exactly what she does when she discovers the prize isn't what she really needs. If nothing else, you should all watch this movie, so you'll have more reasons to make fun of me.






#9 By this point, the pressure is mounting, so I'll drop a sweet tale of young boy with a wayward mother. When the kid becomes too much of a burden, she dumps him on his uncles for a summer of wild tales and adventures. Though the boy starts out begging his mom not to leave him, he quickly finds peace and stability with the old guys in their ramshackle house and an affection for their strange ways. Second Hand Lions is a film fit for any kind of movie watcher.




  #10 Wow,  I can't believe I still have popcorn in my bowl! Maybe Alex should've done a top 20 movie countdown! Oh well, there's always next time. For now, I'll leave you with a movie I'm sure most of you have watched. It's been awhile since I've seen The Color Purple, but I can still quote a ton of the famous scenes. Like every time somebody gets married, I never fail to picture Shug (Margaret Avery) waving and yelling to her father, "I's married now!" And usually, I'll blurt out her line. Then I get a bunch of strange stares from people who'd probably like to bound  me up in a straight jacket. Whoa, did I just say too much? Yeah, I guess I did, so I'll just scoot on out, now, to avoid more over sharing.


 Thank you, Alex, for this super, duper excellent blogfest! As always, I've had a blast. And to everybody else, until next time, happy writing or whatever makes you smile. :)

Poison Blog Tour

Today, I have the privilege of helping a fellow author promote her debut novel, Poison.

I didn't know Bridget Zinn, but that did nothing to lighten the heaviness placed on my heart as I read about her life and death. Something about Bridget grabbed me and has yet to let go. Just by looking at pictures, it's easy to see the light that lived in her. Then if you dig a little deeper, maybe read her tweets or venture to her blog, you'll get a glimpse of her gentle spirit and her giddiness for life.

After learning all I could find about Bridget, these Bible verses came to mind...Isaiah 57:1-2 The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.

None of us know what tomorrow will bring. All we have is today, but if tomorrow doesn't come, we have access to unimaginable peace waiting on the other side. I hope while Bridget's resting, she gets a peek at everyone rallying together to show their love and support as her debut novel, Poison, goes out into the world. I have a feeling we're all about to witness something HUGE, so be on the lookout for the beautiful cover below.

About the novel

 Bridget Zinn's first YA novel, Poison, was released by Hyperion on March 12, 2013. Unfortunately, Bridget died from cancer in May 2011 at the age of 33. Being published was Bridget's dream. Now, nearly four years to the day from her diagnosis, her novel is at last reaching readers. On her behalf, her friends and family want to celebrate her accomplishment.

Poison's first review just came in, a near-rave from Kirkus Reviews, who write, "Don't let the title or cover fool you! No grimdark teen fantasy or angst-y heroines here; just a frothy confection of a fairy tale featuring poisoners, princesses, perfumers and pigs, none of whom are exactly what they appear (except maybe the pigs)…. Good silly fun—a refreshing antidote to a genre overflowing with grit and gloom." We're sure this is the first of many happy reviews to come for Bridget's debut.
Since Bridget isn't here to share her novel, people are pulling together to help get the word out about this former librarian's sweet, hilarious debut.

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she's the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom's future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.
But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses.
Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king's army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she's not alone. She's armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can't stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?
Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she's certainly no damsel-in-distress—she's the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

About Bridget Zinn  

Bridget grew up in Wisconsin. She went to the county fair where she met the love of her life, Barrett Dowell. They got married right before she went in for exploratory surgery which revealed she had colon cancer. They christened that summer the "summer of love" and the two celebrated with several more weddings. Bridget continued to read and write until the day she died. Her last tweet was "Sunshine and a brand new book. Perfect."
Bridget wanted to make people laugh and hoped readers would enjoy spending time with the characters she created. As a librarian/writer she loved books with strong young women with aspirations. She also felt teens needed more humorous reads. She really wanted to write a book with pockets of warmth and happiness and hoped that her readers' copies would show the watermarks of many bath time reads.

For more information about Bridget Zinn and ways you can help launch her debut novel, click on the links below.

http://bridgetzinn.com/help/index.php       

A remembrance of Bridget

 Bridget's path to publication-in her own words

Got Green Blogfest 2.0

Hello!!!

Today, I'm participating in Mark Koopman's, Got Green Blogfest. From what I gathered, I can talk about anything Irish--real or imagined. This is a fun way to celebrate St. Paddy's Day, so I'm all for it. I think I'll share a childhood memory--one that still makes me giggle.

Flash back to kindergarten, St. Paddy's day. Green filled the room--on the walls and on the kids. Except me, I didn't wear green. God love my mother, but she didn't dress me for the holiday. For most kids, that would've been no problem, but I shared a class with the two snarkiest leg climbers on the planet. To protect their innocent children, we'll call the little divas, Rita and Roxy.

Whoever coined the phrase, children are cruel, must have done so after babysitting Rita and Roxy because I'm certain those little darlings were on Satan's payroll. And I suppose their first assignment was to give me nine kinds of hell for not wearing green.

During story time, while perched on her stool, Rita twirled her blond pigtail and poked me on the arm. "Where's your green?"

Roxy's blue eyes flickered at her BFF's query. She scooted close to me and breathed down my neck. "Yeah, people without green get pinched."

I snarled my nose and crossed my arms. "Shut up, stupids. Everybody knows that."

At the front of the room, Mrs. Beaty snapped her shriveled fingers. "Girls, be quiet."

The warning silenced the devil's prodigies for a few minutes--long enough for our elderly teacher to settle her thoughts back inside the world of Dr. Seuss.

Rita slid off her bench. She brushed Roxy's copper hair over her shoulder to whisper in her ear. Then the two sandwiched me between them. I elbowed each of them in the ribs and dodged their pincers, which were snapping at my body.

In a whisper-scream, I said the only thing I thought might save me, "My panties are green."

"Liar." Roxy rubbed her side and groaned. "Prove it."

Rita's head jerked to attention, her pigtails bouncing with the sharp motion. "So what. Even if you are, that doesn't count." She gazed at the clock. "When the bell rings, if I were you, I'd run."

At that moment, as if her words willed it, the bell chimed to dismiss us, and Mrs. Beaty closed her book. I scurried to my desk, snatched up my backpack, and got on my mark to race out the door.
As soon as the teacher waved us on, I dashed out the double doors, down the ramp. Kids flooded the sidewalk, but I pumped my arms, weaving through the crowd.

Two buses down from my own, somebody grabbed my backpack and yanked me backward. Rita and Roxy stood with smirks on their pale faces. There was no warning--no intervention. Tiny fingers twisted into my skin, pinching my legs, arms, and back. Their stealth attack was ten steps ahead of my brain. By the time my mind chose between fight or flight, buses were pulling away from the curb.

Rita and Roxy raced away from me, toward their rides home.

Tears pouring down my face, I stepped onto my bus and poked my head out in their direction. "Big mistake. I'm wearing green. Now, you'll pay."

Both girls froze, colliding into each other. They spun around, their expressions twisted into question marks.

Rita laughed, but it was a shaky, forced noise that sounded more like fear. "Ooh, we're real scared. Run to Mommy and Daddy."

My bus lurched forward, and the driver tugged on my arm, but I clenched onto the hand rail and had my final say. "Tonight...The Vengeful Leprechaun will put his curse on you. He'll punish you for pinching me while I wore green."

Satisfied to see them both trembling, I trotted up the steps, slid into a seat, and rode home in silence. Those girls may have got to me physically, but I invaded their brains, which is much worse. Victory was mine as I pictured the two lying in their beds with their blankets pulled to their chins, waiting for The Vengeful Leprechaun.

The funniest thing about the whole story: That evening when I stripped down for my bath, I spotted a tiny speck of green on my undies. And the next day, or actually the rest of the week, I didn't have to deal with Satan's helpers. It turns out, they both caught an extra bad case of the chickenpox.

In a way, that St. Paddy's Day changed my life. Even though I know a leprechaun didn't curse Rita and Roxy, I'm not convinced they didn't know. Heck, maybe they thought I put a hex on them. Whichever the case, they never messed with me again. Later, we even sort of became friends. If I didn't make up that crazy story, we probably would've remained mortal enemies. Who knows? I'd like to think a good imagination can sometimes save lives, or at least provide a rescue from childhood bullies.

Until next time, happy writing, or whatever makes you smile. :)

Got Hype?

Happy Monday!

I'm not a jump on the fruity wagon, kind of girl. Really, I'm more of a don't run that way because that's the direction everybody else is running, kind of lady. I'm not a celebrity worshiper, (except for Chris Hemsworth--only because he's Thor) and I don't buy shoes, purses, or dogs to keep up with Foxy Felicia, who may or may not live down the street. Are you feeling me? I have a mind of my own. The hype game isn't my thing.

Now, just because I don't let hype lead me, doesn't mean I'm not interested in knowing how it works. I'd love a whole lotta hype. I want barrels and barrels of the stuff. Not for me, but I want it for my novel. Short of sending a letter to Oprah, there has to be some magic formula to get mouths buzzing about what we want them to chatter about.

 There's a ton of gimmicks out there--ones used to sell products. When somebody's trying to turn you onto something, have you ever noticed how they'll throw a number at you? Whether it be a book, a vacuum cleaner, or super glue, the pitch always goes something like this, "You don't want to miss out on this special offer. Over five million orders have already been placed." That number does nothing for me, but apparently, it does something for everybody else because the marketing geniuses are still using the method.  It's like the consumer has a panic attack and buys the product for fear of being the only person on the planet without one.

A little ways above, I mentioned a letter to Oprah. Well, recently, I started selling a great line of skincare products, but I didn't get into the biz because everybody else is. No. I started selling them because I actually believe in the product and have seen their results. Meanwhile, Oprah has endorsed the product, so our team leaders want us to mention this whenever we make a post on our social media sites. Again, this is really funny to me, but time and time again, we've seen what happens when Oprah says something rocks. People have to have it!

What about you guys, do you have any great ideas for turning on the hype? Obviously social media, I get that one, but there has to be something else. Should I have fabulous hair and get leg extensions? Would that help? Kidding, never underestimate the power of short legs. But seriously, if you guys know something I don't, please share.

Until next time, happy writing or whatever makes you smile. :)

It's Time To Get Down!!!!/March 2013 IWSG Post

Hello, everybody and happy Wednesday! For real, I can't believe it's already time for another IWSG post! And I'm happy to report I'm less insecure this month than last.

I'd like to give you guys a party hat and gobs of confetti to pour on my head while I do the Gangnam Style Dance. In fact, I want you guys to do the dance with me! I'll even post the video. That way you have a quick lesson and don't look like fruity morons while my feet burn it up!

And I suppose before you risk looking like complete idiots, you'll want to know why we're dancing and launching confetti into the air, right? Welp, as it happens, I WAS ASSIGNED MY EDITOR!!!! YES!!!! IT HAPPENED LAST THURSDAY!!!! WHOOPI!!!!!  With that being said, you guys will probably hear a lot less whining out of me, and I may even have a pleasant disposition.

I know edits are a tedious process, and I'm sure I'll need plenty of prayers and chocolate to carry me through my launch, but for the moment, I'm enjoying the possibilities, entertaining lots of daydreams, and thanking God for getting me this far.

Now, put on your spandex because we gonna get down! If Gangnam Style isn't your style, click on the video below it, and put on your BIG pants! :)

 

Let's Make Some Noise For Chad Morris!!!!

I stole this from Elizabeth Seckman's blog http://eseckman.blogspot.com/2013/03/friends-in-need.html

A call for help from one writer to all the others!!

Since I'm still a newbie blogger, I haven't had the pleasure of cyber-meeting Chad or his wife, but when I heard about their little girl, I wanted to show them some love. So, let's get behind Chad and his book while he and his family wait out the storm.

While Chad's book is launching, he's not busy marketing...he's fighting along side his nine-year-old daughter as she battles a brain tumor. 


HERE    Chad can't be all over the net right now, but WE can!!!

Here's the basics: *for more, go to Peggy's blog HERE

Imagine a school in the year 2074 where students don’t read history, but watch it happen around them; where running in gym class isn’t around a track, but up a virtual mountain; and where learning about animals means becoming one through an avatar.

Welcome to Cragbridge Hall, the most advanced and prestigious school in the world. Twin siblings Abby and Derick Cragbridge are excited as new students to use their famed grandfather’s inventions that make Cragbridge Hall so incredible. But when their grandfather and parents go missing, the twins begin following a trail of clues left by their grandfather. They must find out where their family is, learn who they can trust, and discover what secrets are hidden within Cragbridge Hall.

Abby and Derick soon realize they are caught in a race with a fierce adversary to discover their grandfather’s greatest secret–a dangerous discovery that could alter both history and reality.


 About the author: Chad Morris grew up wanting to become a professional basketball player or a rock star. (Inspired by Animal from the Muppets, he’s been banging on drums since he was eight years old.) After high school, he wrote and performed sketch comedy while going to college, and eventually he became a teacher and a curriculum writer. He lives in Utah with his wife and five kids. Chad would love to teach at Cragbridge Hall.



Unlike Oscar Cragbridge, however, he hasn’t really invented anything, though his son once sketched out blueprints for a machine that would turn celery into cookies.

Where to find him:
Blog         Facebook       Twitter    Website

The Bloghop of Joy

Yippee!!!! Happy Friday, peeps!!!! It's the first day of March, which brings us closer to spring and farther from winter. So this is a perfect day to talk about things that bring joy. Before I dish about what makes me bubble over, I want to give a shout out to Kyra Lennon & Clare Dugmore for hosting this fantastic hop! You girls rock!!!!
 

This kid, she brings me a lot of joy. At least a hundred times a day, she says, "Look what I can do!" Then she performs some fantastic trick, shows  a video of herself doing a stunt, or hauls in the cat dressed in bunny ears and a tu-tu. Yep, that's my girl! I get her, and she gets me.

 As it turns out, me and my little shadow, we like the same things. In the winter, we love snuggling up on  Friday nights, watching movies, and munching on popcorn. If we can't find a good movie, we play Uno, and Letty always wins. But guess what? Her victory brings me joy because every time she wins, her confidence grows. In the summer, we love to step out and make wishes on falling stars. Some have even come true, which has brought us both joy.

To tell you the truth, I can't remember the last time I did something without my tiny sidekick. And maybe I'm weird, but I love spending all my time with her. She inspires me to do impossible things--reach goals to make her life the best it can be. She is the bomb, and I enjoy her following me from room-to-room because in a blink, she'll be grown. Then I'll have to find a new source of joy to fill in the gaps when she's gone.

So there you have it, I shared what brings me joy. Now, I think I'll hop around the blogs to see what brings you yours. Until next time, happy writing, or whatever makes you smile. :)