Someone asked about this so I figured I'd better talkabout it. And I'm excited about it too so I might as well tell people about it!
I've got ticlets to the Erasure concert in Kansas City next month!!!
I'm a huge fan so shelling out a huge amount of money for the tickets was no big deal to me but I think Addy nearly passed out when I told her what GA cost! I figure, how often does Erasure tour? And how often do they come anywhere near a town where I lvie? So I'm goin'!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Book Review, Finished Reading Eternally
I'm not completely recommending it, but I'm not going onto Amazon and posting a negative review, either, because I think that's rude. Ive seen people do that and it makes me wonder if they just sit in their parents' basements coming up with ways to bring Karma down on themselves or something.I mean, it's one thing to dislike a book, state it's weaknesses, and also state it's strengths in a public market place, but I've seen some of these people just diss a writer in ways that are meant to do harm. That sucks.
My take on Eternally by Maureen Childs is that her agent or someone must have said, make the hero like a vampire, but not really. And make the heroine almost useless, like a Bond girl in that she screws up and gets Bond caught by the bad guy at the end so Bond has to look dashing and heroic. The thing is, Kieran (who I'm equating to an impotent Bond) doesn't save his own skin. I don't want to give away the ending, in case someone else out there wants to spend three or four hours on a paranormal romance. I mean, it's not a waste of time! It's a decent romp if you're looking for quick, fun, romantic-in-the-right-spots, stuff.
I guess I just really wanted Kieran to turn great at the end. I wanted him to step up to the plate. I wanted the cherry on top. He was a decent enough hero to make me root for that heroes ending. I really wanted the heroes ending! He was the one supposed to be saving the damsel in distress throughout the book anyway…
Alright. Now that I've said that bad thought, let me tell you that I thought Julie Carpenter, the heroine, did a kick-ass job of holding it together when, at the beginning of the book, to set the story in motion, some demon freak murders her roommates. Let me tell ya, Maureen describes something I wouldn't want to wake up to! And Maureen did a great job throughout the whole book with describing stuff so you always knew exactly what you were looking at, exactly what the charactesr were seeing and going through. She's a great writer and, in this humble reader's opinion, did a real fine job with the story. Just because I was disappointed in the ending doesn't mean I hated the book by any means.
So there's my assessment of the latest I've had time to read. It's not exactly what I'd call fantasy, so it's out of my usual ballpark. I'll pick another off the shelf. In the meantime, anyone reading this can leave a comment or start up a discussion about Eternally here!
My take on Eternally by Maureen Childs is that her agent or someone must have said, make the hero like a vampire, but not really. And make the heroine almost useless, like a Bond girl in that she screws up and gets Bond caught by the bad guy at the end so Bond has to look dashing and heroic. The thing is, Kieran (who I'm equating to an impotent Bond) doesn't save his own skin. I don't want to give away the ending, in case someone else out there wants to spend three or four hours on a paranormal romance. I mean, it's not a waste of time! It's a decent romp if you're looking for quick, fun, romantic-in-the-right-spots, stuff.
I guess I just really wanted Kieran to turn great at the end. I wanted him to step up to the plate. I wanted the cherry on top. He was a decent enough hero to make me root for that heroes ending. I really wanted the heroes ending! He was the one supposed to be saving the damsel in distress throughout the book anyway…
Alright. Now that I've said that bad thought, let me tell you that I thought Julie Carpenter, the heroine, did a kick-ass job of holding it together when, at the beginning of the book, to set the story in motion, some demon freak murders her roommates. Let me tell ya, Maureen describes something I wouldn't want to wake up to! And Maureen did a great job throughout the whole book with describing stuff so you always knew exactly what you were looking at, exactly what the charactesr were seeing and going through. She's a great writer and, in this humble reader's opinion, did a real fine job with the story. Just because I was disappointed in the ending doesn't mean I hated the book by any means.
So there's my assessment of the latest I've had time to read. It's not exactly what I'd call fantasy, so it's out of my usual ballpark. I'll pick another off the shelf. In the meantime, anyone reading this can leave a comment or start up a discussion about Eternally here!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Find Your Path & Stick To It Until You Suceed
I wonder if writers who use that whole hero's journey thing understand that they're manifesting Deepak Chopra's treatise: Self-exploration isn't a task you accomplish and then abandon. You should discover your true purpose and embrace it. Go for it. Run after it with everything you've got. Don't fight it, or, as Deepak Chopra says, abandon it. Grab it with both hands and pull it in tight.
I believe in seizing the day.
You see, when my father died, I went through boxes and boxes and boxes of crap in his basement. It was stunning how much stuff he kept. He had about nine hobbies that he liked to collect stuff for. But that's all he did with those hobbies, collect stuff for them. After his passing, Addy and I went through it and distributed it like sand on the wind. He never did anything with the stuff he gathered to himself. And now he never can.
I admire people who pick a passion, or figure out what their passion is, and chase after it until they get it.
I believe in seizing the day.
You see, when my father died, I went through boxes and boxes and boxes of crap in his basement. It was stunning how much stuff he kept. He had about nine hobbies that he liked to collect stuff for. But that's all he did with those hobbies, collect stuff for them. After his passing, Addy and I went through it and distributed it like sand on the wind. He never did anything with the stuff he gathered to himself. And now he never can.
I admire people who pick a passion, or figure out what their passion is, and chase after it until they get it.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Book Review of Dance of the Gods
Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts
Book Two of the Circle Trilogy
October 2006 from The Berkley Publishing Group/Penguin Group, USA
341 pages
It took a while for me to get to this; so sue me. Here's your review.
Nora picks up where she left off in BookOne, the group of vampire slayers is here in this reality. They're in Ireland. Glenna and Hoyt, Blair and Larkin, Cian and Moira, Lilith the evil vamp that needs to die, an army of bad vamps with a sorcerer helping out, and then moves the story to a kingdom of wary Geallians through the dance of the gods. It's a clever, yet dangerous, plot device that takes the reader from dangerous intel-gathering and offense-and-defense-attacks near Cian and Hoyt's home base to the enchanting land of Geall where the next stage of the war against evil is to be waged. The plot is to keep Lilith and her reality-hopping bad guys at bay while the vampire slayers figure out how to stop her from ruining all the worlds and realities of man.
It's a noble cause, and Blair is described over and over again with the qualities of an able heroine. Her friends are stalwart and likeable superheroes to have at her side, even if this Larkin guy is annoying in his I-don't-want-to-do-anything-except-drink-and-get-it-on-with-the-main-character. His ability to sneak out of kitchen duties was cute the first five or six times it was mentioned, and then I started to hold it against him.
My favorite character is Cian, the vampire. He's a good guy, so I think it's allowed, but I think my favorite character is supposed to be Blair, the chick. She’s the main character. And the gal with the attitude and superior, save-the-world skills. But she gets on my nerves, so I picked Cian to pay attention to instead.
I love the way Nora has him subtly shift position so he stays out of the shaft of sunlight in a room where the curtains are open. I love the way he gives Moira a wide berth because he's fascinated by her—a soon-to-be-queen-from-another-reality—yet doesn't want to get so close that he might be tempted to harm her (as in bite and drain her). In fact, their tension is the best part of the novel, even though I think Blair and Larkin's sexual tension was supposed to be the focus, it annoyed me more than it entertained me, but I ignored it to get to Cian and Moira's story, and I'm hoping that gets developed more in the sequel and I just haven’t bothered to buy that one yet.
Book Two of the Circle Trilogy
October 2006 from The Berkley Publishing Group/Penguin Group, USA
341 pages
It took a while for me to get to this; so sue me. Here's your review.
Nora picks up where she left off in BookOne, the group of vampire slayers is here in this reality. They're in Ireland. Glenna and Hoyt, Blair and Larkin, Cian and Moira, Lilith the evil vamp that needs to die, an army of bad vamps with a sorcerer helping out, and then moves the story to a kingdom of wary Geallians through the dance of the gods. It's a clever, yet dangerous, plot device that takes the reader from dangerous intel-gathering and offense-and-defense-attacks near Cian and Hoyt's home base to the enchanting land of Geall where the next stage of the war against evil is to be waged. The plot is to keep Lilith and her reality-hopping bad guys at bay while the vampire slayers figure out how to stop her from ruining all the worlds and realities of man.
It's a noble cause, and Blair is described over and over again with the qualities of an able heroine. Her friends are stalwart and likeable superheroes to have at her side, even if this Larkin guy is annoying in his I-don't-want-to-do-anything-except-drink-and-get-it-on-with-the-main-character. His ability to sneak out of kitchen duties was cute the first five or six times it was mentioned, and then I started to hold it against him.
My favorite character is Cian, the vampire. He's a good guy, so I think it's allowed, but I think my favorite character is supposed to be Blair, the chick. She’s the main character. And the gal with the attitude and superior, save-the-world skills. But she gets on my nerves, so I picked Cian to pay attention to instead.
I love the way Nora has him subtly shift position so he stays out of the shaft of sunlight in a room where the curtains are open. I love the way he gives Moira a wide berth because he's fascinated by her—a soon-to-be-queen-from-another-reality—yet doesn't want to get so close that he might be tempted to harm her (as in bite and drain her). In fact, their tension is the best part of the novel, even though I think Blair and Larkin's sexual tension was supposed to be the focus, it annoyed me more than it entertained me, but I ignored it to get to Cian and Moira's story, and I'm hoping that gets developed more in the sequel and I just haven’t bothered to buy that one yet.
Friday, June 8, 2007
It's Really Hot Here
Addy tells me not to divulge too much on the Internet. SHe's a very cautious person. But I think I've got permission to at least say that it's INCREDIBLY HOT HERE. Yes, it could be worse so I'm thankful I'm not somewhere like Cuba, I guess.
I work for the parks department, during tourism-type things and we're getting ready for the big Fourth of July celebrations already. They're a very big deal where I live. So being outdoors all day, wlaking up and down the streets to be sure we have everything squared away taxes all my energy. It makes me want to kick back with a cool glass of lemonade and a good sci-fi book. I'll review it for you when I'm done!
Here's to hoping you have a COOL evening wherever you are.
Lyddy
I work for the parks department, during tourism-type things and we're getting ready for the big Fourth of July celebrations already. They're a very big deal where I live. So being outdoors all day, wlaking up and down the streets to be sure we have everything squared away taxes all my energy. It makes me want to kick back with a cool glass of lemonade and a good sci-fi book. I'll review it for you when I'm done!
Here's to hoping you have a COOL evening wherever you are.
Lyddy
Monday, June 4, 2007
Introductions All Round
Hello and welcome to my blog. I thought I'd type an entry that tells everyone what this blog isabout even though I know it's going to get buried in archive and never seen again. But maybe someone will dig thru and read it in the future. It'll be like digging up a time capsule from school days.
My Erasure Fantasy is all about my love of sci-fi fantasy and the group Erasure. I love to put on my headphones and listen to them while I read. It's so relaxing. Transports me to another world where the author wanted me to go faster than if I just start reading without the headphones. And that's it. That's all I think I'll probably talk about here. Reading and listening to music. That's okay with you? That's okay with me! Then let's get started. . .
The stuff I like to read ranges from H.G. Wells and H.P Lovecraft to J.R.R. Tolkien andJ.K. Rowling. I like Orson Scott Card and David Eddings. I like some of the newer ones but I kind of balk at Nora Roberts trying her hand at fantasy. And don't get me started on ths Anita Blake stuff. But there are good newbies out there and I'd like to talk about them with likeminded readers here. The really cool thing about talking thru the blogs is I can do it with my headphones on!
Lyddy
My Erasure Fantasy is all about my love of sci-fi fantasy and the group Erasure. I love to put on my headphones and listen to them while I read. It's so relaxing. Transports me to another world where the author wanted me to go faster than if I just start reading without the headphones. And that's it. That's all I think I'll probably talk about here. Reading and listening to music. That's okay with you? That's okay with me! Then let's get started. . .
The stuff I like to read ranges from H.G. Wells and H.P Lovecraft to J.R.R. Tolkien andJ.K. Rowling. I like Orson Scott Card and David Eddings. I like some of the newer ones but I kind of balk at Nora Roberts trying her hand at fantasy. And don't get me started on ths Anita Blake stuff. But there are good newbies out there and I'd like to talk about them with likeminded readers here. The really cool thing about talking thru the blogs is I can do it with my headphones on!
Lyddy
Sunday, June 3, 2007
You Surround Me
To start this blog off right, let's pay homage to Erasure.
You Surround Me, by Erasure
Don't ever let me take you for granted
You've got your finger on the pulse of my soul
Let me place a kiss in the small of your back
Love and protect you from the evils of this world
Baby don't ever leave me stranded
Whoever said that the streets were paved with gold
Well I'm afraid that we're all sadly mistaken
There's nothing here till we have someone to hold
I love you with all the joy of living
Till the lights go down on New York City
It's a special love affair
And there's magic in the air
You gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Till I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
If love wasn't here would we reinvent it?
Oh take me down to the very root of my soul
Oh baby say it as if you really mean it
And feel the passion
Work its way up through your skin
I love you with all the joy of living
Till the lights go down on New York City
It's a special love affair
And there's magic in the air
You gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Till I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
Let me take you by the hand
And we can go and find a brand new world
Star light
Star bright
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you to a safe place in this world
You gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
You Surround Me, by Erasure
Don't ever let me take you for granted
You've got your finger on the pulse of my soul
Let me place a kiss in the small of your back
Love and protect you from the evils of this world
Baby don't ever leave me stranded
Whoever said that the streets were paved with gold
Well I'm afraid that we're all sadly mistaken
There's nothing here till we have someone to hold
I love you with all the joy of living
Till the lights go down on New York City
It's a special love affair
And there's magic in the air
You gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Till I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
If love wasn't here would we reinvent it?
Oh take me down to the very root of my soul
Oh baby say it as if you really mean it
And feel the passion
Work its way up through your skin
I love you with all the joy of living
Till the lights go down on New York City
It's a special love affair
And there's magic in the air
You gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Till I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
Let me take you by the hand
And we can go and find a brand new world
Star light
Star bright
Let me take you by the hand
And lead you to a safe place in this world
You gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
And you gotta shake me down
Bring me round to my senses
Until I'm lost and found
And you surround me with your senses
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